Production - GCSE coursework.

Learning objective:

You will use your research and planning to produce your individual coursework.

Key words:

Genre. Narrative. Representation. Stereotypes. Audiences. Regulation.

Everything in your production must be considered. 

Decide early on who your target audience is and what message you want to send out.

Do this using visual and technical codes to incorporate all the concepts you know from Media Studies.

Genre. Narrative. Representation. Stereotypes. Audiences. Regulation.

Coursework is 60% of your mark and how hard you work between now and March 20th will decide your grade.

Deadline for coursework is March 20th.

As you proceed, write down how you arrived at decisions about your coursework, this will help with your evaluation.

Approaching Production. Research and Planning.

Learning objective:

You will interpret your research and planning in preparation of the production of your individual coursework.

Key Terms: 

Research - Annotated texts. Surveys. Questionaires. Bar charts.

Planning - Mood boards. Scripts. Character profiles. 

Task 1:
You are required to organise the research and planning that you have done so that it can be assessed.In your yellow folders you have separators and punched pockets to help you organise.
_____________________________________________________________________
If you don't have much in the way of planning and research then see me during this lesson and we will discuss how you can put this in place.
Production can not continue without these elements of your coursework which will make up 20 marks of your controlled assessment.
______________________________________________________________________

For research, individual candidates must provide at least two and no more than four types of evidence of appropriate research. This may take the form of the exploration of comparable examples but may also include some survey work into audiences/users if wished. The evidence may be presented as annotated comparable products, tables, charts and/or digital presentations. 

Examples include:Annotated textsSurveys / Questionnaires presented as a bar chart or pie chartFocus groupsIndustry research

For planning, candidates must show evidence of at least two and no more than four planning stages. 
Examples include:ScriptsStoryboardsCharacters profiles for your own productionMood boardsDesigns for sets / costumesStoryboards

You will meet for feedback throughout the lesson. This will take place in groups if you are working collaboratively.

Print based ads revisited.

Task 1: Read this blog post.

Before returning to the production aspects of your coursework, you will complete a series of refresher tasks on Print based adverts.
In your exam,
Section A will be Print Advertising.
Section B will be Television Advertising.

In responding to both sections, you will need to consider three elements of Media Studies Framework.
Texts - Genre, Narrative, representation
Organisations - Promotion, control and regulation
Audiences - Targeting, appeal and categories

Learning objective:
To analyse and annotate a print based ad using media terminology

Key words: 
Name - The name of a new product may suggest something about it's image. Think about what the name Jaguar suggests about the car.

Marketing - The promotion and selling of products and services.

Logo - The design used on all promotional materials for a product. The audience come to recognise it.
This Nike example shows only the logo and the slogan with no clue to the actual product. The audience will instantly recognise the brand.

Endorsement - This is when advertisers use celebrities or ordinary members of the public to say how good a product is in the hope that it will persuade the audience to buy it.

Ordinary people are used to endorse everyday things such as washing powders and DIY because we believe they are actually know about the product. Celebrities are used to endorse more glamorous products, they will attract audiences to the product quickly as they are easily recognised, like KIera Knightly and Chanel.

Unique Selling Point - This is the part of the product that makes it different from other similar products. A new feature on a mobile phone or a new ingredient in a food for example.

Iconic Representation - This is where the picture of the product appears in the advert. The audience will then know what to look for if they decide to buy. This technique is common in adverts for fragrances, like this one for Tresor by Lancome.

Demonstrative action - This is where you see the product being used. Often this is to show how easy it is to use a product. For example hair straighteners.

Language - The written language on a print based ad is very important in selling the product.

Advertisements have to use persuasive language to sell. They will use hyperbole and join words together to make the product seem interesting, for example; Taste-tempting'.

Hyperbole - This is the over exaggerated language used to make the product seem better than it is.

Task 2: Copy the above terms into your orange books under the heading 

'Print Based AdsAnalysis - Media Terms'.

Task 3: Using Word or Power Point, annotate the advert below using key media terms that you have learned including the terms above.

E-mail your work to me at the end of the lesson with your surname_Oscar Mayer ad in the subject bar.

aealey@de-la-salle.co.uk

Year 11 Written task success criteria
Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation
Awareness of relevant theories
Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media
Use of media terminology/key words
Quality of written communication

Textual Investigation 2

First, a nice little animation to start us off.



Learning Objective:
To correctly format your coursework essay before submission.

Key words:
Conventional; this means that the representation in the text is what is expected by the audience. For example the representation of the woman in horror films is as a victim.
Challenging; this means that the representation goes against the the recognised stereotypes.
Enigmas; these are mysteries or puzzles in the narrative that keep the audience interested.

Textual investigations require you to include the following information on the front page:

• Name
• Candidate number
• Centre number: 34251
• Word count
• Title (this should be taken from this blog post with the name of your text inserted).

Consider the feedback you have been given and alter your essays accordingly.

You must write about one main text and compare it to at least one other.

Use media terminology throughout; 

connotations, implies, visual codes, technical codes, audio, iconography, pace of editing, target audience (very important), regulation, Maslow (hierarchy of needs), Todorov (equilibrium theory), Propp (character types), Barthes (enigma and action codes), Levi Strauss (binary opposition).

Your conclusion should discuss whether the main text conforms to or challenges the (narrative or Representation) conventions for the target audience.

Use illustrations to support your point.

If you are having trouble staying within the word limit you should annotate an image which will cut down the amount of words you will use.

Email Mr Ealey with your latest draft before the end of the lesson.

The deadline for this essay is Friday 6th Feb. End of lesson 4.

All students are invited to work in the media room after school in order to meet the deadline.

18 Organisations

Learning Objectives:
To include a paragraph about organisations in textual investigation 2
To look at competition for audiences and how organisations try to attract new audiences

Key words: 
Marketing and Promotion, Regulation and Control,  Personal, Social and Ethical Dimensions, convergent.

• Marketing and Promotion, 
• Regulation and Control
• Personal, Social and Ethical Dimensions

Your textual investigation must include some information about the organisations that the text is involved with.

For marketing and promotion, look back at our lesson about the Irn-Bru campaign
(We looked at how the Leith Agency promoted the brand using social media).
How else do media producers market and promote their texts?
Pseudo events, radio, TV chat shows, social media.


For regulation and control, consider one or two of the following around your text

• competition
• use of stars/celebrities in marketing
• cross-media campaigns
• schedules and ratings
• audience/user research and targeting
• distribution strategies.

For Personal, Social and Ethical Dimensions, consider

• Conflicts between individual freedoms and media organisations (BBC TV license or subscription to Sky for example). How does this impact on audiences?

• The personal, social and ethical dimensions of online environments. 
• How annoying are adverts on the Internet? How can they be avoided?

Task 1:

You should discuss how else the text you are investigating brings in revenue (money).

One paragraph of between 50 and 200 words. To be included in your textual investigation.
Orange books or digital with print out pasted into orange books.

• If you are investigating a trailer that has been shown on TV, then you should discuss how the makers have paid that channel to show their promotional short film.
• If you are investigating an opening title sequence to a TV series, then you should discuss how advertisers would pay the TV channel to advertise their brand around that programme because they realise that the target audiences may be the same. The audience of the programme may be interested in buying the product being advertised.
• If you are investigating a TV show then consider how that show is scheduled, is it shown before or after the watershed? Why?
• If you are investigating a game, what PEGI rating has the game been given? Why? What is the content?
• If you are investigating an advert, then you should discuss how the brand is further promoted through its website and on social media. What opportunities are on the website for the users?

View the exemplar work here to help with this.

Convergence 1

Learning objective: 
To consider how convergent media impacts on the positioning of target audiences.

key words:



Convergent:
When more than one media area come together, often in a business relationship.
For example, comics and television. In this case, records and music videos.

Convergence can also be described as:
The way in which technologies and institutions come together in order to create something new. 
Cinema is the result of the convergence of photography, moving pictures (the kinetoscope, zoetrope etc), and sound. The iPad represents the convergence of books, TV, maps, the internet and the mobile phone.

Media convergence and synergy from hasnmedia

Structure your essay

Learning objective: 
To provide a structure for my second textual investigation.

Key words:
concepts, REPRESENTATION, NARRATIVE, audience, organisations, conclusion.

Textual Investigation 2 must be finished by next Friday 30th January.

400 - 850 words with illustrations

• It is based on the concept of one of these two concepts: REPRESENTATION or NARRATIVE
• Stay focused on this when you are analysing your text.
• You should realise early on if the text you have chosen conforms or challenges the conventions for that concept.
• You should choose another text to compare your main one with.

Here is a suggested structure for your essay:

1 If your chosen concept is representation:

Decide what group is being represented...gender, age, ethnicity

Intro to the text, what is it? When was it made? What is it about?
Description of the main character's personality/behaviour
Description of the appearance of the characters in the text.
Do these things reinforce stereotypes?

A quote from a theorist to clarify your point. Try Richard Dyer.

Codes and conventions of your text described using media terms. Iconography, mise en scene, denotations, connotations..

A description of how visual codes are used to attract the primary target audience.

Where do the target audience fit into Maslow's hierarchy of neeeds?

Organisational issues. We will return to this.

Comaprison with another text that challenges conventions of stereotypes.

The target audience of your comparative text should be discussed.

Contrast the two texts.

Conclude that the group you are analysing within the text is represented positively through conforming to genre conventions. OR...negatively. OR...does the text challenge conventions?

Read the exemplar work provided on the shared drive.
Send Mr Ealey your essay each time you have written for it.

2 If your concept is Narrative.

Use media terms to describe the opening of your text.
Discuss: Equilibrium - Todorov's theory
Discuss: Camera shot types for audience positioning

Is there a disruption providing an enigma which will hook the audience?
Define audience appeal and how this can lead to revenue through advertising.
(organisations).

Compare your chosen text to another text of a similar genre. How is the narrative structure different?

Describe how the show will bring in revenue. We will revisit this.

Discuss audience theory (Uses and Gratification theory)

Describe the type of narrative you can see. Linear, circular etc

A description of the camera work is followed by a suggestion that it is conventional for the genre.
Give examples

Describe genre conventions for that genre in general. Iconography, visual codes. technical codes.

Conclusion; discuss how conforming and challenging the conventions of the narrative structure for the genre can be equally successful.

• Read the exemplar work provided on the shared drive.
• Send Mr Ealey via e-mail your essay each time you have written for it.

Task 1: 
Transfer the information from your essay structure to a spider diagram and apply it to the texts you will be analysing. Submit end of lesson.

Year 11 Written task success criteria
Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation
Awareness of relevant theories
Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media
Use of media terminology/key words
Quality of written communication