IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL A2 STUDENTS

These are the rules regarding the use of sound and music in your advanced portfolio work:

What is the Rule on Soundtracks?

All material should be original, EXCEPT at AS level copyright-free music may be used. At A2, for MUSIC VIDEO a copyright track may be used but there should be evidence in research and planning of candidates seeking permission to use it. All candidates are strongly encouraged to explore the variety of possibilities of sound design and not just to use music!

 

Taken from the OCR Weebly website.

Mr. White

OCR Media Studies Support Site

There is a website set up by our exam board (OCR) with support material, exemplar tasks and answers to many of the questions you may have about the course. Check it out as it will give you some good ideas about what works (and sometimes what doesn't work) in all areas of your coursework projects as well as providing past papers for exam practice.

the site url is: http://ocrmediastudies.weebly.com/index.html
Mr. White

Research Deadlines for the Year 12 AS Prelim Task

The deadlines are set for the research and initial drafting and layout ideas.
12B1 - 28th November
12C1 - 29th November

You will be expected to have researched and analysed several examples of existing (professional) school magazine front covers and contents pages or magazines aimed at your target audience. You must clearly identify your chosen target audience and demonstrate that you have undertaken some research into what this audience are looking for.

Blogs can include text, images, hyperlinks, sound clips and short video clips.

Good Luck and remember to seek support from your peers and teachers to make sure you are doing the best you can!
Mr. White

Welcome to New Bloggers and Good Luck to The Old Hands

The AS groups are starting their prelim task and the A2 groups are preparing for their advanced productions. Remember to check this site regularly for notices and advice.
Good luck and happy blogging!
Mr. White

Important Notice To All A level Media Student Bloggers And Vloggers

Due to certain restrictions within the blogger site videos often fail to upload or do not playback. To resolve this issue you should create a youtube account, upload the videos there and then when uploading videos to your blog simply use the upload from youtube option. This seems to be the most reliable way of getting videos up.
I appreciate that it means you have to create a youtube account but it is just more evidence of the way Google is becoming an ever more dominant force in our lives!
It's all synergetic relationships you know!
Good luck and happy blogging!
Mr. White

Year 12 Foundation Portfolio Evaluation

The deadline for the evaluation (and therefore the whole of the foundation portfolio) is Monday 23rd April - 17.00hrs.
The key questions that must be adressed are as follows:

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

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

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

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

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

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

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

IMPORTANT:

The evaluation must not be presented as an essay. Rather use a variety of techniques to address the questions. You could include annotated examples of your own work and existing work, planned (but unscripted) pieces to camera where you analyse the work or get others to give you feedback (video clips should not be high quality and no longer than 45 seconds each), hyperlinks to relevant websites, images which illustrate your points.

Where you do make written entries they must be focused, analytical and use appropriate media language and where relevant refer to the theories we have discussed in class (reception theory and uses and gratification theory).

The following website will help you get some ideas of what is considered to be a good blog; http://ocrmediastudies.weebly.com/g321-as-coursework.html

Your final blog entry must contain your final pieces (magazine front cover, contents page and double page article).
Mr. White

Year 12 Foundation Portfolio Production Deadline

By The end of today (Monday 16th April) all students must have submitted their final magazine productions. Work must be presented in a blue document folder. Each page must be in a separate plastic pocket.
Students must complete a cover page with the relevant information following the template which can be found in  L:\Media Studies\A Level\G321 Foundation Portfolio the document is called G321 Frontsheet.

Failure to meet this deadline will result in a 10% reduction in the final mark.
Mr. White

Year 13 Advanced Production Evaluation Questions

With the deadline for your production work fast approaching (16th March) you need to start considering the final stage of the production, the evaluation. Below are the key questions. You should be recording information that you could use to answer these questions and where appropriate make some short evaluative posts as you move towards the completion of your production.

Key Evaluative Questions;

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

2. How effective is the combination of your main and ancillary texts?

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

4. How did you use new technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?

 

The evaluation should be the final entry on your blog with each question answered using appropriate ICT skills.

Mr. White

G321 Foundation Portfolio Production Timeline

As you move into the main task for the Foundation Portfolio you must manage your time effectively. Below is a timeline with key deadlines and progress targets.

Week Beginning;
6th Feb - Research
13th Feb - Research contd.
20th Feb - Research completion (non NY students) and drafting.
27th Feb - Research completion (NY students) and drafting.
5th March - Draft completion.
12th March - Photography should be underway and drafts should be developed on computers.
19th March - 1st development check (all 3 sections should be 'complete' for analysis and feedback)
26th March - 2nd development check.
2nd April - Easter Holidays. Update work and progress on Blogger, attend extra sessions at school, gain feedback and develop ideas.
16th April - Production deadline.
23rd April - Evaluation deadline.

Work Hard and bee successful.
Mr. White

AS Prelim Task Evaluations

The deadline for the prelim task magazines is today (27th January). All final versions of your school magazines must be posted on your blogs under the heading "Final Products" no later than 3pm.

You must now start your evaluation. You will do this through your blog and it should include the use of a variety of media; images, annotated copies of your products, podcasts, short video evaluations by yourself and the target audience etc. the key questions that must be addressed are:

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

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

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

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

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

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

7. Looking forward towards your main task, what do you feel you have learnt about the production process that help you as you approach the full product?

You should use clear analysis and highlight the media terms used. However this is not an essay and you will loose marks if you do not use a variety of multi media forms when answering the questions.

DEADLINE: FRIDAY 3RD FEBRUARY
Mr. White

Progress Check Week Beginning 23rd January

The following must be prepared for inspection in the practical lessons during the week of 23rd January.
Pre-Production
- Research
- Storyboard
- Production schedules
- Shotlist
- Location images
- Style guide
Production
- Rushes (catalogued)
- Production images/clips
- Evidence of special effects/graphics
- Drafts and layouts for ancillary tasks
- Development drafts for ancillary tasks
- Original images used for ancillary tasks
Blogs must be updated accordingly.
Mr. White