St bartholomew’s school
Media studies
As Coursework booklet
2012-2013
Name: _________________________
MS2: MEDIA PRODUCTION PROCESSES
Introduction:
This unit is designed to enable you to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and
skills in media production processes through research, planning, production and
evaluation.
Content:
You will be required to produce three pieces of linked work. These will comprise:
• a pre-production reflecting research and demonstrating planning
techniques
• a production which has developed out of the pre-production
• a report of 1200 - 1600 words.
Examples of linked pre-production and production tasks include:
• A storyboard of the trailer for a new BBC1 television crime drama (preproduction) and the trailer for that drama (production)
• A script or shooting script for the opening sequence of a teen horror film
(pre-production) and a marketing campaign for a new teen horror film,
to include at least the dvd cover and one poster (production)
• Draft designs for two magazine front covers (pre-production) and a double
page spread for one of those magazines (production)
• Prototype design for a new website (pre-production) and the completed
website consisting of a home page and at least two associated web
pages (production).
Most students tend to work in either print or moving image, or a combination of the
two. The Department is equipped with Photoshop and Final Cut Pro, and this is the
software we expect you to use. However, you are welcome to propose working in a
different field, if you feel you have the experience and ability. The production task
must enable you to demonstrate competent technical skills. If you intend to use your
own hardware and software, it is essential that you have access to appropriate
technical equipment and that you know how to use it prior to undertaking your
production. You will need to be able to bring it into school, for example on your own
laptop, to work on it during coursework lessons.
You cannot work for A2 in the same medium and industry as you do for AS. If you
research and produce a film trailer for MS2, you will not be able to work on film for
MS3. You could still work the audio-visual field, in another industry, such as
television, however. Likewise, if you work on magazines this year, you will need to
find a different area to cover next time, either in print or in moving image.
Pre-production (20% of the coursework grade for AS):
Pre-production tasks must be undertaken individually. Pre-production work will
focus on the research and planning skills needed to create media productions. Preproductions may, for example, involve research into comparable products, key
aspects of the appropriate industry relevant to the pre-production as well as research
into the target audience.
You will need to identify the primary audience your work is intended to target, and
the purpose it is intended to achieve (for example, a tv commercial to sell dairy
products to male teenagers). Your research will need to explore comparable
products (tv commercials for dairy products) and the needs and desires of the target
audience (teenage males). Good product research will include content analysis
(identifying the key features of a range of examples) and textual analysis (focusing
on one or two case studies). Good audience research will include questionnaires,
interviews and/or focus groups.
Although you will not be submitting the research that you carry out, you will be
writing up your findings in your report. Therefore, we expect to see evidence of the
research process as it progresses.
The research that you carry out must be clearly linked to the pre-production work.
Print:
You must producetwo separate pages for pre-production, whether that bemagazine
pages, film posters or dvd sleeves.
If you decide to create magazine materials, we advise you to produce a front cover
and a contents page for pre-production, and an article for the main production task.
This will ensure the tasks are linked, and allow you to present a range of abilities.
Moving Image:
If you produce a script, shooting script or storyboard, it will need to be substantial
enough to act as a useful planning document for the filming to be carried out. You
may alternatively produce print pre-production materials, as above. If you intend to
work as a group to produce moving image coursework, you may decide to create
pre-production pieces which complement each other (for example, a storyboard, a
shooting script, dvd sleeves and film posters). However, each piece must be
produced individually, and you must take full responsibility for your own area,
creating your own images and writing your own words.
Remember that this is worth half as much as the production task, and the report.
You must complete this part quickly in order to move on to the major parts of the
coursework.
Production (40%) of the coursework grade for AS)
The production must develop out of the pre-production planning.
Print:
Productions must be produced individually and must contain at least two pages of
original material. The majority of the images within the production should be
originated by the candidate. This means that over 50% of images used must be
created, or photographs taken, by you. It also means that over 50% of the space on
the pages must be taken up by your original images. Candidates who organise,
photograph and edit their own images almost always produce better-quality
coursework and achieve higher marks than those who use images taken from
elsewhere.
Moving Image:
Productions can be produced individually or by a group (maximum of four). For
group tasks the candidates will need to select one of their pre-productions to develop
into a production. There must be appropriate opportunities for a significant and
definable contribution to be made by each candidate. Audio-visual productions
should be up to 3 minutes in length, depending on the nature of the production and
the number of candidates. Each participant will receive an individual grade based on
his or her contribution to the final product.
Remember that this is worth twice as much as the pre-production, and you should
spend twice as long on it.
Report (40% of the coursework grade for AS)
The pre-production and production must be accompanied by a report of 1200– 1600
words. This report must be completed individually and will include:



a brief justification of the purpose of and target audience for the production
a discussion of the most significant research findings which informed the preproduction
an evaluation of the production which highlights its strengths and weaknesses
through, for example, a comparison with existing mediaproducts.
The report may be submitted in one of the following formats:



an illustrated report
an essay
a suitably edited blog.
We expect you to write the report in two parts. You will submit the first half when you
have finished your research and are doing your pre-production. This will consist of
600 – 800 words summarising your research and explaining how it helped you plan
and carry out your pre-production work.
You will add the second half when you have completed your production work. This
will consist of a 600 – 800 word evaluation. You should not narrate the process of
producing the work, but focus in detail on specific aspects of the end result. You
must compare it against particular real-world examples.
For each section, you should submit a draft for comment, before a final version.
Remember that this is worth as much as the production, and you should spend the
same amount of time on it.
DEADLINES:
WORK DUE
This booklet issued
Research into existing products and
audiences completed
Pre-production (1st draft)
Report (part 1, 1st draft)
Pre-production (finished)
Production (finished)
Report (part 2, 1st draft)
Report (complete)
Date (week beginning)
5 November
26 November
17 December
17 December
28 January
4 March
11 March
25 March
The end of the Spring term is an absolute deadline.
Do not expect your work to be marked if you miss it.
MS2 Planning Sheet
Name ______________________________________________________________
The type of products I intend to create are:
Pre-production:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Production:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
I intend to research the following existing media products:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
I will be aiming my product at the following primary audience:
___________________________________________________________________
I intend to research the desires of this audience in the following ways:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________