CIE BLOG GUIDE Coursework journey in 10 steps

Below I break down the ten steps involved in your journey and copy in the assessment criteria. Scroll to the end for four Word guides; two more are here and here.

**More detailed breakdowns with suggested post titles etc are embedded at the end of this post**

STEP 1: INITIAL RESEARCH - OPENING CONVENTIONS; THE INDUSTRY
Initial research into the conventions of the film opening format (general) and the film industry

STEP 2: APPLY RESEARCH - PITCH, GROUPS, REVISE IDEA

Apply this and initial genre research to develop and pitch an idea; possibly form groups; revise the idea following feedback/collaboration

STEP 3: GENRE, AUDIENCE
Genre specific research, and audience research/analysis. It is CRUCIAL that you keep making reference to research (format, genre, industry, audience) throughout the process right up to the point of final cuts.

STEP 4: PRE-PRODUCTION
Pre-production: casting, costume, props, make-up (clear evidenced reference to your research into existing examples is crucial); location scouting; sample/test shoots - audience feedback, reflection; updates on the idea as it evolves. Setting up social media profiles [for your company and/or film] is an option (helps to evidence appreciation of marketing and engaging with audience). Clarify the final idea, and storyboard this - its almost certain to change a lot, but its important to make the concept very clear. An animatic [animated storyboard] is a useful means of demonstrating your concept. Begin regular/frequent short podcasts (shows [often details!] organisation, engagement with audience, marketing + a grasp of how the industry works; also a use of tehnology).

STEP 5: PRACTICE EXERCISES - EQUIPMENT, PLANNING, CINEMATOGRAPHY, EDITING + GENERAL MEDIA LANGUAGE

Practice exercises: what you did (camera operation, direction, producing, editing), level of planning, your specific role; technology used and what you learned from this - what will you apply to your full film shoot

STEP 6: SUMMARIES - PAUSE + REVIEW! LINKS LISTS
Summaries: This is really part of the previous steps but worth highlighting. For anything you've done multiple posts on (the idea; conventions research; etc) look back and post a clear summary if you haven't already. You are looking not just to sum up your findings but also what and how you intend to apply to your production. Update links lists. You can re-post these with additional updates (or add to these posts) as you go - very useful to help you quickly find what you'll need for the Evaluation questions - and also another 'use of technology'.

STEP 7: PRODUCTION (+ EVIDENCE SHOOT PLANNING, FEEDBACK, REFLECTION, IDEA UPDATES)
Production: storyboards/shot lists for each shoot, call sheets; production schedule (and updates); 'rushes'/clips from shoots (useful to post on social media too); reflection on how the shoot went - if any problems, make it clear how you dealt with these (if postponement, state so and post production schedule update). Evidence directing of cast. If in a group, across the production make sure there is firm evidence of each of you carrying out each role (direct, camera, producer [call sheets, props, costume, organise cast]). Be explicit on any coverage taken (extra shots, new ideas that weren't storyboarded). Be clear on how and why the idea evolved. Be very clear - repetition is fine; better to repeat a point than to lose credit for it - on the research elements (including into industry, not just from videos/digipaks/websites)

STEP 8: SAMPLE CUT/S, POSSIBLE RESHOOTS
Initial sample cut/s, audience feedback: test your footage, test your ideas. If necessary, organise reshoots. As always be clear on what; why ... and when.

STEP 9: POST-PRODUCTION

Post-production: the main editing stage, shoots/reshoots essentially finished. Keep logging technology (editing tools, social media profile creating + updating etc) as you use them: screenshots, screen recording (use QuickTime). DON'T wait until you've got near-complete cuts/designs, post samples; alternative edits/designs (eg fonts, images, layouts) of scenes/parts of site/digipak. Seek audience feedback on every sample/rough cut/design experiment AND reflect on the results. Splitscreen or shot-in-shot alternative edits of short sequences/design elements are a good idea. Be clear what you're asking an audience to reflect on. Make an effort to post on genre/fan sites/groups. If in a group, identify when YOU are the editor. Keep making reference to your target audience; the intended preferred reading (semiotics); your audience + mode of address. Use a clear numbering and naming system for posts and cuts. Always include clear contextual detail in posts with video, and in the YouTube description - if your videos are set to unlisted, then you could screenshot the YouTube info and tagging.

STEP 10: EVALUATIONEvaluation. Important you use to rehearse arguments and apply theory you might use in the exam. Also use to improve and develop past posts where you are now more familiar with terms and concepts (or have simply gathered material that would be useful as part of research and planning evidence.

COURSEWORK GUIDES
I've posted FOUR here; 1 and 2 are specific to the CIE specification and assessment criteria while 3+4 were designed for the UK OCR syllabus on which CIE is based (BUT the assessment criteria for CIE are MUCH less specific), but are essentially repeating what CIE students need to do, and these documents can be adapted by students to make their own customised lists.

1. Adapts the 10 steps above with suggestions of how to break this down with tasks/posts
2. Same document but with descriptions cut to enable you to quickly adapt this as a post checklist for yourself
3. A guide for the UK syllabus (similar but different assessment criteria - the assessment criteria are less precise for CIE); feel free to adapt this as a template to make your own list
4. A  'plain English' guide to the research and planning blogging (following the UK OCR spec's assessment criteria, NOT CIE's - similar requirements but the assessment criteria are less precise for CIE)

1: 10 STEPS WITH DETAIL

AS cwk guide 10 steps from DB3igs

2: 10 STEPS WITH DETAIL CUT

AS cwk guide 10 steps post list from DB3igs

3: 2015 UK CHECKLIST BY UK ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

AS UK cwk checklist from DB3igs

4: PLAIN ENGLISH GUIDE

As coursework assessment criteria a plain english guide from DB3igs

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