Monday 15 October 2012

Sept-Oct learning + blogging guide

I'll list below the main tasks we've undertaken so far, then break down the major learning points. Most of this should be reflected on your blog - use this as a checklist and add/improve where necessary.
If unsure about any of this, ask. If you email in advance of a lesson i can clear up any uncertainty with the whole class.

ORDER OF BLOG POSTS:
Your blog should start with these posts, in this order - I will tell you all how to change the order of posts as soon as someone asks in lesson time (although I've used all caps you shouldn't):
THE BRIEF [word for word as the exam board put it; look for main task on your coursework guide, or use this post]
MY FAVOURITE FILM [including image, hyperlinks + video + brief comment on WHY]
TisEng: BUDGET, BOX OFFICE + M.LANG [EG1]
M.LANG IN [meadows film title] OPENING [EG2]
M.LANG IN OTHER MEADOWS OPENINGS [notes from others' work + class discussion]
M.LANG IN [film of your choice] OPENING [EG3]
PRELIM
FINAL CUT EXPRESS: 1ST IMPRESSIONS
SWEDING EXPLAINED
SWEDE PITCH + PLANNING
COMPLETED SWEDE + REFLECTION
FINAL CUT PRO X: 1ST IMPRESSIONS
THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA [you can use this post]
ASSESSING A PAST AS FILM OPENING
COMPARING 2 PAST AS FILM OPENINGS
OPENING EG4: [title]
OPENING EG5: [title]
VODCAST: M.LANG IN 8 FILM OPENINGS

the above to be completed/improved by the end of Friday 19th; the topics below we will cover/you will blog after this date. That makes 17 posts, some very brief some quite in-depth and requiring multiple relevant, captioned screenshots (blogging on openings, prelim, FCE, FCPro and to a lesser degree swede pitch/completed edit + prelim)
SEMIOTICS: THE CONCEPT + KEY TERMS
SEMIOTIC RAP
KEY NARRATIVE THEORIES
MICRODRAMA PITCH
MICRODRAMA: PLANNING
[blog on these 4 for the start of next half-term]
MICRODRAMA: THE SHOOT
MICRODRAMA: EDITING
MICRODRAMA: FINISHED FILM + REFLECTION
FILM OPENINGS: SUMMARY OF CONVENTIONS
HORROR EG1: [title]
HORROR EG2: [title]
VODCAST: M.LANG IN 8 HORROR OPENINGS
HORROR EG3: [title]
HORROR EG4: [title]
SOUNDTRACK MUSIC
SOUND: BRIDE OF CHUCKY v BJDiary
SOUND: REDUBBING PAST COURSEWORK
HORROR EG5: [title]
HORROR EG6: [title]
MISE-EN-SCENE: BofC v BJD v TisEngEG1: [title]
MISE-EN-SCENE IN [3 titles of your choice: 1 Warp, 1 WT, 1 slasher]

COURSE OUTLINE
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: Course outline; AS exam/coursework links summary; OCR [exam board] summary (details of coursework and exam topics + terminology); Why Media questionnaire.
Its vital you recognise the interconnected (or synoptic) nature of the course: learning from coursework benefits exam learning and vice versa, as British Cinema and media language/semiotics/representation are vital for coursework success.
You should also recognise the markscheme/assessment criteria: 50% coursework, 50% exam. Coursework is 60% production but 20% Research + Planning, 20% Evaluation - you are marked on the blog and its presentation.
Each exam question /50 is marked as 20/50 Explanation, Analysis, Argument; 20/50 Use of Examples; 10/50 Use of Terminology.
A great example of a dutch angle (reinforced with sound); make use of the ability to look at past examples of Media work, including blogs/Evaluations and productions/exercises
BLOGGING: None required, but you will find the prelim task details.

MEDIA LANGUAGE: ANGLES + SHOT TYPES
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: Fundamental shot types [graphic 1pg summary]; AS Course Content: Media Lang [4pgs; terminology explained]. We worked through an extensive PowerPoint to familiarise ourselves with key shot types and angles.
BLOGGING: None required, but the precise terminology must be used in lessons and all written work from this point.

Indie, social realist aesthetic: making a virtue of low budget?
TisEng RESEARCH TASK
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: Worksheet. Through this you were introduced to IMDB.com (the Internet Movie DataBase) and how it works. You were also introduced to boxofficemojo.com.
You learned how to use and interpret box office data. Budgets can suggest whether a film was an Indie or a studio production. We noted other terms: social realism, the most common type of UK film production and favoured by Indie producers working on low budgets; the auteur theory (crediting directors with authorship of a film despite the contributions of editor, producer etc; directors with an identifiable style who tackle distinct issues in their body of work)
BLOGGING: What have you learned about budgets/box office and how we interpret the sometimes long lists of dates and figures we get in IMDB? You could screenshot the box office list to illustrate this post. What terms and concepts were you introduced to by this work? In what ways is TisEng a typically British film? [hints: Indie, social realism, part-funded by Lottery/gov. agencies + TV exhibitors (Film4, BBC also common; Meadows as auteur); seen as 'arthouse' abroad, eg USA] you In both your exam and coursework marks are available for use of appropriate media terminology: challenge yourself to apply the terms we learn in subsequent posts/lessons to help yourself embed this learning.

WARP/MEADOWS OPENING PRESENTATION
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: This blog post set out the task. This was to build on and consolidate learning so far, giving you a chance to apply this to an example of a film opening, including the production context (budget, box office etc). We returned to the concept of auteur and outlined the 3-part film industry model: production - distribution - exhibition.
BLOGGING: Your work should be presented in a blog post, including relevant hyperlinks, embedded video clip/s and above all screenshots with captions.
as an example of how coursework and exam learning is integrated, we noted at this stage that the exam framework (analysing cinematography [camera work], sound, editing and mise-en-scene, plus representations) is useful to apply when looking at such sequences

NOTES ON OTHER MEADOWS' FILM OPENINGS
TisEng's opening montage blends 80s pop cul + politics
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: Notes from lesson time where we viewed each of the openings (for 24/7; A Room for Romeo Brass and Dead Man's Shoes, all directed by the contemporary auteur Shane Meadows. We also analysed some aspects of the media language in TisEng.
BLOGGING: Simply enough a summary of your learning - you could grab screenshots from your colleagues' blogs to help with this! Use appropriate terminology. If you detail these you will be able to look back on these to bolster your grasp of codes and conventions; marks are at stake for both R+P (research into similar products) + Eval (Q2: how does your work reflect/challenge conventions of existing texts).

BLOGGING + YOUTUBE
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: Lesson time looking at how to present blog posts and the settings for a user-friendly blog. Posts such as this (on layout/gadgets), this (on posting on film opening examples) and this (general pointers) all have detail, as does the coursework guide. At any time you can always look at past examples (the standard will of course vary widely).
We also looked at YouTube uploading and the settings to consider (eg setting comments to be moderated, and the use of tags to drive viewers to your channel).
BLOGGING: This doesn't require a blog post but your blogs should fully reflect this. You could post on this, using screenshots of past students' blogs/channels if you wish: Eval Q6 tasks you with analysing your use of technology.

MEDIA LANGUAGE IN [your film choice] OPENING
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: This blog post set out the instructions. You should include basic institutional/production background, using the TisEng research task worksheet handout as a template for this.
BLOGGING: Remember, I've set out in detail what should go in posts on exemplar film openings in this post. You may have made notes on others' chosen film openings from lessons, and could blog on this too - ultimately you need to be able to set out with authority what the key codes and conventions of film openings are, with multiple examples for every point you raise. You are assessed on this in both the R+P (20% of coursework) and Eval (also 20%).

PRELIM
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: The task is detailed on your course summary.
BLOGGING: You can find further info on what to blog here. You will find your final mark will be boosted (and your workload significantly reduced) if you bear in mind the Evaluation questions from an early stage - here I've posted on the Evaluation question which links to the prelim. Your post MUST include defs of the terms, your completed edit, AND analysis/reflection of what continuity editing is/means. Screenshots would be useful for this.

FINAL CUT EXPRESS: 1ST IMPRESSIONS
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: There are some posts on this (and plenty on past student blogs), but your own notes + screenshots are the key resource.
BLOGGING: Reflect on your initial experience with this software. If you've used iMovie or other editing software before, no matter how basic or sophisticated, compare and contrast. Provide screenshots to illustrate some of the tools you used. How do you import footage? How do you export your edited movie?

SWEDING EXPLAINED
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: This post set out the task, with examples + links to more sweding resources.
BLOGGING: I've broken this down into more detail below, but in summary you'll be blogging on: what is a swede; your idea/pitch; the chosen idea; the planning; the finished vid; reflection on what you've learnt (especially on your media language decisions - how could they be improved if starting this again? this is a good opportunity to re-read and apply the assessment criteria for the production).

SWEDING PITCH + PLANNING
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: See above.
BLOGGING: This is the last practical task for which storyboards + call sheets will not be compulsory. If you did use any planning documents its useful to scan in + embed these. Break down the steps required to make your swede happen - what organisational tasks, creative decisions etc were involved? Did anyone take overall leadership of this/was your contribution distinct? As well as your own detailed pitch, make sure you've set out what the group idea was. Refer to the post on sweding.

COMPLETED SWEDE + REFLECTION
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: As above.
BLOGGING: As the sweding post suggests:
Absolutely everything we do from now until your work is submitted should be reflected on your blog, with the sweding task no exception. You should blog on what a swede is/where the term comes from' your idea + pitch; the idea selected for group production (you could take some of this from the post of whomever pitched it - you do need some vid clip/s to illustrate the film selected; the planning + challenges (organisation) involved in achieving this; any learning on hardware or software; the completed swede uploaded to your own channel and embedded in your blog; reflection on the process - what might you do differently/better if doing this again (eg more shot variety, better planning/organisation, better use of costume/props + consideration/manipulation of location/s and mise-en-scene).

FINAL CUT PRO X: 1ST IMPRESSIONS
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: Your own notes + screenshots.
BLOGGING: As before with FCExpress.
Your understanding of and application of technology is assessed through two of the Eval assessment criteria, most of the Production criteria and on the presentation of your R+P.

THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: This post.
BLOGGING: Have the markscheme embedded or typed in here so you can refer back to it at any time. As Scibd seems to have changed and may now be charging to access the documents I've kindly made freely available over the past 4 years, you could take a screenshot (as Hannah helpfully suggested).You've also been supplied with a printed copy of this, which you should have every lesson, and you have been emailed the file (you can upload it yourself for an embed code).

ASSESSING A PAST COURSEWORK PRODUCTION
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: This post had the simple instructions.
Behind-the-scenes on the Full Moon shoot, a past IGS production
BLOGGING: Make sure you've embedded the opening under discussion!!! Screenshots (generally with timings) should be provided. You could take the chance to look at the blogs by the student/s who produced this.

COMPARING 2 PAST COURSEWORK PRODUCTIONS
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: This post had the simple instructions.
BLOGGING:The outcome of your discussion with a 2nd person in the class who looked at a different opening. The key thing here is what have you actually learned from this exercise - about the markscheme, things to include, things to avoid etc.

OPENING eg4: [title]
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: This post had the instructions. You each randomly picked a DVD to work on, and then a second.
BLOGGING: The guide post contains the details. You'll need plentiful screenshots for the vocast. You should use the simple table provided to make it easier to share/discuss your findings as a group on a range of conventions you each think you've spotted.

OPENING eg5: [title]
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: This post had the instructions. You each randomly picked a DVD to work on, and then a second.
BLOGGING: The guide post contains the details. You'll need plentiful screenshots for the vocast. You should use the simple table provided to make it easier to share/discuss your findings as a group on a range of conventions you each think you've spotted.

VODCAST1: CONVENTIONS IN 8 FILM OPENINGS
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: This post has detail on pod/vodcasting plus links to additional relevant posts. To understand why you're doing this task, and how good detailed posts + screenshots will pay off not just for R+P marks but also for Evaluation marks, see this post.
BLOGGING: The key to this is being detailed, specific and comprehensive. You need to methodically build up a detailed picture of what your initial research into film openings tells you are common codes or conventions (note I haven't said rules - any good list of such conventions will include some contradictory points). I'll cover this task in detail in this post.

Details on later posts will be added later.

TBC
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: .

BLOGGING: k
 
TBC
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: .

BLOGGING: k

TBC
CONTENT/HANDOUTS: .

BLOGGING: k
tbc

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