Advanced Production Outline
The two assessment objectives tested in this unit are:
- AO8 Originate and construct a media text from an open brief, demonstrating technical skills and showing understanding of concepts such as audience, genre, representation and form.
- AO9 Critically evaluate the process and outcome of their own media production, drawing on knowledge of media institutions, audiences and critical theories.
Planning (30/120 marks = 25%)
Evidence of origination of brief and planning the production.
- Teacher evidence
- Part I of Critical Evaluation
(The following five aspects are all covered in the appendix to your critical evaluation.) - Organisation of time
- Organisation of equipment
- Efficient use of actors, settings and props
- Prior scripting
- Prior storyboarding
Decide on target audience.
- Part 1 of Critical Evaluation
- State demographics
- Other reasons such as amount of disposable income.
Carry out initial research.
- Questionnaires
- Interviews
Research existing media practice and products.
- Filmmaking practices; technical, concepts, trends.
- Products; analysis of similar films/extracts.
The following is the descriptor for the highest level of attainment in this section:
Level 4 - Excellent
The production is well planned, with evidence of organised use of time and equipment. The candidate has devised an appropriate brief (AO8) as the starting point for research into similar products and a potential target audience. The use of actors, settings, props and technical resources is efficiently organised to allow the project to progress. Where time-based media are used, prior scripting and/or storyboarding is strongly evident. For print or ICT-based work, drafting is evident.
Construction (60/120 marks = 50%)
Use and/or subvert established forms and conventions to make meaning.
- Should be evident through your ability to deconstruct the work successfully in your critical evaluation and your planning as well.
- Can refer to content as well production techniques.
Understanding of formal aspects of textual production needs to be demonstrated, with attention to detail.
Clear sense in the product that it has targeted an audience and met original brief.
Clear demonstration of the skills needed in the particular technologies used to produce text.
Level 4 - Excellent
The candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in most of the following technical skills:
- holding a shot steady, where appropriate;
- framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
- using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
- shooting material appropriate to the task set;
- selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;
- editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer;
- using varied shot transitions, captions and other effects selectively and appropriately;
- using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task.
- using IT appropriately for the task set;
- showing understanding of conventions of layout and page design;
- showing awareness of the need for variety in fonts and text size;
- accurate use of language and register;
- appropriately integrating illustration and text;
- framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
- using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
- shooting material appropriate to the task set;
- selecting mise-en scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;
- manipulating photographs as appropriate to the context for presentation, including within text, within particular IT programs, cropping and resizing.
Critical Evaluation (30/120 marks = 25%)
Introduction
Describe production brief undertaken for AS and indicate how A2 is different, remembering to state different media that is being used
(not included in word count).
Part 1 (1000 words max)
Record the stages of production from a brief through planning to technical account of decisions and revisions made.
Development must be shown.
- What were your initial thoughts in response to the brief?
- Identify main stages of planning, i.e. narrative, storyboarding, changes made and decisions made about shots, lighting, angle, edits or language, layout, combination of text and illustrations.
Part 2 (1000 words max)
Analysis of finished product.
- How decisions about form and content have affected meaning.
- How the text communicates through its forms and conventions.
- Explicit reference made to critical theory; narrative organisation, genre, representation, inter-textuality.
Part 3 (1000 words max)
Production in wider context of media institutions and audience by analysing ways in which text compares to real media output.
Relation of product to audience which must include audience feedback.
