1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 

Look at you final product and select six stills (take screenshots using cmd+shift+4) that allow you to answer this question.

Things to consider.

You have made film opening to a thriller – what do you usually expect to find in a Thriller opening. You should have done a least one analysis of a Thriller opening in your planning and research. You have also would have watched other media product that influenced your product. How does it compare with them.

Aspects to focus upon - 6 suggestions, but feel free to use your own and add more

Narrative (so what happens in your clip) compared to what you expect in see in a Thriller opening.
(Conventions: an enigma is created, a crime is committed, a crime is prepared for, a victim is identified, a fear/problem is identified/created etc.)

Character – who do we see in your opening, what do we learn about them, what role do we expect them to play. (Conventional thriller characters – weak vulnerable victim, flawed hero, anti-hero, antagonist/bad guy)

 Font and titles – how are they used? How are they presented? What order do they come in? What font was used? What about the name of the film?

Location – what is the location for your opening? How has it been represented (what do we see, what does it look like)? Is this typical for a thriller?

Sub-genre – are the characters, mise-en-scene, narrative, location all conventional in terms of the sub-genre you’re working in?

Techniques used – talk about you camera angles and effects used and talk about why you used them, sound, music (e.g. close up on hand to disguise identity of characters, handheld to suggest POV, black and white to give it timeless quality) etc.

IF YOU CAN MAKE REFERENCE TO EXISTING MEDIA PRODUCTS THAT BACK UP YOUR ASSERTION THAT WHAT YOU CREATED IS CONVENTIONAL/UNCONVENTIONAL - PLEASE DO.

It should look at little like this

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

This is asking how your constructed the characters in your film and what type of character they are.

Remember TV Drama. There you looked at how representations are created using sound, editing, mise-en-scene and camerawork, with reference to these talk about how you created your character.

Take a picture of your main or most interesting character from your film (or all of them). Place it along side a character that is similar in terms of representation. Now compare and contrast the two characters. 

Here's a way you could do it in Prezi. (Be warned this is only a half-finished version - so expand on your points)

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

 Look at the research and work you should have already done for this task.

In your explanation of your choice of distributor mention the following:

- other films that they have released that are similar to your product

- the way they advert films - look at the theatrical posters and trailers - and explain why that would a good fit for you product.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

How did you attract/address your audience?

You will need to have uploaded the youtube version of your final product just for this purpose - so upload it - and called it 'YOUR NAME Evaluation Question 5'.

You will use YOUTUBE's annotation tools to add NOTES, SPEECHBUBBLES, and LINKS to your video:

http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=92710

These annotations will highlight the ways in which your Film Opening links to other similiar films in order to attract the particular Audience you have previously identified.

Your annotations will refer to genre conventions, use of music, similiarities with other movies and what you have identified as the Unique Selling Point of your imaginary film.

It should look a bit like this

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Think about the technologies you have used and 
- explain how you used them
- what you learned from the process
- how they were useful
- make a point about how they all worked together (e.g. converting GarageBand to MP3/photoshop to png.24)
- highlight any key techniques you learned and used with the software (e.g. keyframing on Final Cut) 

Technologies you have used:
Free Online Software/Resources - Youtube, Blogger, Freesound, Sound Cloud
Mac Sofware - Photoshop, Final Cut, GarageBand
Hardware - camera, stills camera etc 

How to present your answer
Take a picture of you with the equipment and annotate.
Use the logos of the software and screenshots from your final Final Cut/Photoshop/Garageband documents.
Or use Prezi to combine images, text and video. 

FOR EXAMPLE - SEE THIS UNFINISHED EXAMPLE

7. Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing
task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to
full product?

Man opening door

Man on his way to slay the innocent

Either approach is valid - just be sure you use the terminology
correctly (look for definitions if you're unsure) and back-up your
points with appropriate images and video.

http://slodive.com/freebies/movie-fonts/

http://mobygratis.com/film-music.html

http://blogger-hints-and-tips.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/file-sharing-hosts.html

Normal.dotm 0 0 1 30 173 Long Road Sixth Form College 1 1 212 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false

This task must be done individually

The seven questions must be answered and posted on your blog on ONE post.

Start a post

Name it ‘Your Name – Evaluation’

USE THE GUIDANCE ON THE BLOG TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

http://business.pearlanddean.com/films_guide

Social grade is a classification system based on occupation.
It was developed for use on the NRS, and for over 50 years NRS has been the research industry’s source of social grade data. The NRS interview includes detailed questions about the occupation of the Chief Income Earner (CIE) to establish social grade. Questions include not just what the CIE’s job is, but details such as their qualifications and the number of people they are responsible for. The household is classified according to the CIE’s occupation, but social grade data are also available for the respondent themselves (if they are not the CIE). Income is not part of the social grade classification. However there is a strong correlation between income and social grade as the following chart shows.

Find out more here

TASK

Go to the Business section of the Pearl and Dean website and use their Interactive Film Guide. Go through the past months/year (don't look at future releases) and select at least 3 films that are at least Thriller but preferably similar in sub-genre or content to your production (even non-thriller content).

Look at the audience breakdown - take a screen shot of it.

Now start a blog post.
Call it 'Audience Research'
Explain which website you used and why you used it ('to get a breakdown of the audience of similar media products to understand your target audience').
Record the finding for your filmchoices (embed trailer, upload screenshot of audience breakdown) Analyse the findings: - which were the largest demographic groups (age, class, gender)? Use the above NRS Social Grading to help you understand the demographics - and explain what it is (see description)

Compare this with the demographics of your average cinema-goer. Is there a significant difference?

-

Why do you think this particular demographic went to see that particular film? (Is it something to do with complexity of storyline, social representations included, subject matter, pace of film, sources, influences, star)

How does this help you understand YOUR target audience?

Research films similar to yours or a credits sequence that you like.

If you can take a screen shot of the credits or title. For example

Half term is approaching so if you're behind on you blogging this is a perfect chance to get catch up. Following is a break down of the mark scheme that examiners use and a list of suggested blog posts for the project.

OCR G321 Foundation Portfolio – Planning & Research

Below is the marking criteria for the Planning and Research section of practical work – in other words ‘everything you should be looking do on the blogs’. This part of the process is worth 20 marks (two grade boundaries) so should NEVER be overlooked. Below the main headers is a brief description of what the criteria means.

Overall the blog should tell the story of your creative process from the first look at the brief to completion. Everything that is linked to the project should be on there.

‘Planning and research evidence will be complete and detailed.’
This means all your evidence is referenced (if appropriate), threads and tangents of research have followed. It answers the basic questions posed by this project – what is a Children’s film? What do we expect from a Film Opening? How does your product fit with what’s already out there?

‘There is research into similar products and a potential target audience.’
Thorough, evidence based research into existing Children Films, existing film openings and anything that is useful or influential in your creative process.
Potential target audience – this is the people you hope will come to see and pay for your product - Who are they? What else do they like? Why will they like your product?

‘There is organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.’
Are you organised? Have you researched and sourced everything you need to film? What do they look like? Where are you getting them from? Were there problems? How did you solve them?

‘There is work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.’
Pretty self-explanatory – they want to see all the creative planning and preparation.

‘There is a good level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.’
This assessing your presentation skills so is your blog interesting to read and look at? Are your storyboards neat and well constructed? Have you been inventive in your research?

‘Time management is good.’
Did you hit your deadlines? Did you work steadily throughout the project - have you got proof of that with frequent blog updates on you progress? Have you a production diary?

Just how many marks you get for this process depends on the quality of your work, be it basic, proficient, good or excellent.

Research does not always have to be big chunks of writing with pictures – try to be creative. Video diaries and videoed analysis, annotations, use of Prezi, Sound Cloud, Youtube and Powerpoint, etc is all valid as long as it appropriate and relevant to the project you are working on.

CHECK LIST
(You are marked individually for the Blogs, but as you're working in groups there will inevitably be joint posts as you don't need multiple storyboards, location scouting etc. However if there is not evidence of independent study, research and analysis you mark will suffer - so ensure you do you're own work) 

Prelim + an evaluation of the process

Analyse codes and conventions of the Thriller genre
Thriller Opening Analysis
Practitioner Case Study & another (if you fancy)
Audience Research and response
Institutional Research
Character Research
Music Analysis
THE ABOVE ARE ALL POSTS THAT MUST BE COMPLETED INDIVIDUALLY

Credit Structure analysis
Foley Sound test and write up.

Mind map of ideas
Analysis of key influences
Analysis of past student work
Examination of the sub-genre of Thriller you're working in

Preparing for and Pitch document
Evaluation of the pitch process and re-evaluation (if necessary) of your ideas

Planning for film shoot:
Storyboards
Scripts
Drafts
Shot lists
Location planning
Props
Costumes
Casting
Lighting
Production diary 

Test footage and explanation of its purpose (if appropriate).
Research on techniques, effects, filters you hope to use in Final Cut  

Research on how you are going to include the credits.
Research on fonts.
Tests in Photoshop and key-framing in Final Cut (creation of ident)

Updates of progress on the project – outlining what you hope to achieve in each lesson, what you did achieve and what you have left to do - use images of your software documents, pictures of you filming. 

AND IF YOU WANT TO DO MORE LOOK HERE FOR SOME GOOD PAST STUDENT BLOGS TO GET SOME INSPIRATION

http://www.watchthetitles.com

http://annyas.com/screenshots/

While you’re developing your characters for your Film Opening it’s useful to look at existing characters from other media products that will help you construct representation in your opening in terms of mise-en-scene, framing, music, acting etc. This will also help you with Evaluation Question 2.

They could be from a film similar to your idea, but they could come from any other media product or genre (game, TV, film, comic). It could be just one character or it could be that your character is a mix of several influences.

Write a short description of the character – film, personality, biography

Analyse the way the are represented – costume, make-up, props, framing in film, role in film.

How is your character similar to the characters in your film and why have you chosen that type of character/representation? (because it’s conventional, quirky, similar in age/gender to target audience?)

ILLUSTRATE YOUR ANSWERS WITH PICTURES (TAKE THEM IN TO PHOTOSHOP AND ANNOTATE IF YOU WANT), TRAILERS ETC

Media Institutions tend to produce certain types of product or have qualities/values associated with their brand (think of Pixar, Disney, Rockstar Games, Def Jam). So which institution – specifically a FILM DISTRIBUTOR - would be interested in being associated with your product and handling the marketing and distribution of your product. This will help you with Evaluation Question 2.

Who is going to distribute your project?

1) Outline what a film distributor is/does.

2) Research at least THREE distributors.

Identify the key/major films they have released.

Identify films that are similar to yours in terms of target audience, budget, genre.

Try and find some marketing for these films (posters, trailers) – do these fit with your product in terms of style, genre, strategy, UK based etc.

Conclude whether they would be an appropriate institution for you.

Suggestion distributors:

Lions Gate

Revolver Entertainment

Optimum Releasing

Icon FilmDistribution

ArtificialEye

Metrodome

Universal Pictures International

Or think of a film that's similar to yours look them up on imdb.com, click on Full Cast and Credits, look for Company Details on the left hand side and find the UK distributor.

ILLUSTRATE YOUR ANSWERS WITH LOGOS OF THE COMPANIES, TRAILERS, POSTERS ETC.

Audience Research

To Research and Plan effectively and to make your blog complete you must demonstrate an appreciation of your potential target audience, so who is going to watch/consume your product. This could influence your creative process but just as important as it will help you when you come to write your evaluation.

The easiest way of getting some idea of your target audience is to do a questionnaire – here some suggested questions based upon asking about you’re chosen sub-genre of thriller.

For each person questioned get their age and gender so you no what demographic you’re targeting.

What would you expect to see in a (insert subgenre) thriller film?

Create a check-list of conventions and ask them to number what aspect is most important in your sub genre.

What other films, TV shows would you associate with this genre?

Are you fan of (sub-genre) films and explain your reasons?

What do you films need at the beginning to keep you watching?

What is your favourite movie opening and why?

IF YOU’RE IN A GROUP OF 4 AND EACH GET TEN RESPONSES YOU’LL HAVE 40 RESPONSES TO USE.

IF YOU CAN’T DO A PAPER QUESTIONNARIE – USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO HELP YOU (FACEBOOK, TWITTER)

CREATE EVIDENCE OF THE PROCESS AND PUT IN ON YOU BLOG

Once you have got the questionnaires back – you now have data. Now you have present your findings in a clear way (using Excel create tables and then pie charts/graph or perhaps Wordle.net for looking at key themes or words).

You must also analyse the data – so what have you learned from the process? Who likes the film you’re trying to make (gender, age)? What other media do they consume? What do they expect from a film of that type? What would attract them to go and see your product?

Then you must reflect on how this information will impact on your product. So will you include what they expect? Will you change you’re ideas to fit your expected demographic?

This is all about reflection, understanding the influences on your creative process and creating interesting blog post for the examiner to give you lovely marks.

  Read the Powerpoint about preparing for a shoot. It's here