GCSE Expressive Arts
Guidance on Recording Presentation Work
Examination Presentation
Controlled Assessment
Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Expressive Arts / Guidance on Recording Presentation Work / Version 1
Guidance on recording presentation work in any combination of art forms
AQA asks centres to record all candidates' presentations for a number of reasons:
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for the external assessment of the Examination Presentation (the recordings
are sent to the examiner for marking)
in case the work of all candidates for the Controlled Assessment at a centre
needs to be re-marked by a moderator
for potential use as samples for the grade awarding meeting
for potential use at future teacher, moderator or examiner standardisation
meetings.
If presentations aren’t recorded correctly, AQA examiners are unable to mark the
candidates’ work. Please read this document carefully so you’ll be familiar with AQA’s
recording standards.
What to record onto
All practical work that consists of or contains a live performance must be
recorded on DVD or CD as appropriate. Moving Images work must be recorded
on DVD and recorded Music must be on CD. Photographs of Visual Arts work
and word processed Original Writing can also be stored and submitted on CD.
DVD - AQA can accept work recorded onto DVD, or 8cm DVD, provided it’s in the
correct format. The following formats are acceptable:
DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD+R
Please don’t record onto any of the following formats:
DVD-VCD
DVD-MP3
Blu-Ray
HD-DVD
CD-R
CD-RW
When recording onto DVD please remember the following:
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You must finalise all DVDs so that they can be played in all players. Don’t
leave them as data-disks.
Please try to make each performance a separate track – this helps the
moderator/examiner locate a particular candidate quickly and easily. It is very
difficult to locate a particular performance on a DVD which has not been
tracked. You can create a new track by pressing STOP after each candidate
rather than PAUSE.
If you are not able to track each performance, please put different tasks onto
separate clearly labelled DVDs i.e. different Areas of Study and first and
second Controlled Assessment tasks should not be mixed together on the
same DVD.
If DVDs are tracked, make sure that there is one track per performance. A
single performance must not be broken into separate tracks.
Recording onto the wrong format may mean that AQA is unable to mark or moderate
candidates’ work.
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Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Expressive Arts / Guidance on Recording Presentation Work / Version 1
Changing format
If you’ve recorded work onto a format which is not a DVD, you will need to transfer it
onto an acceptable format in one of the following ways.
Computer - many computer packages such as Windows Movie Maker, Roxio or
Pinnacle Studio allow audio and video to be edited onto DVD using a PC. You will
need the appropriate cables to connect your camera to the PC in order to transfer the
data. Follow the instructions carefully when using these packages so that the DVD is
created in an acceptable format and check that the finished product works in a
conventional player when it is finalised.
Menu
If DVDs are tracked, it’s really helpful if there is a menu at the start with the name(s) of
the candidate(s) in each performance, the task, and the track number, for easy
selection.
Documentation
When making a recording you must also make a comprehensive and accurate running
order of the candidates’ work. This running order should include the following
information:
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unit code: whether it is for 42601 or 42602
for the Controlled Assessment: whether it is for Task 1 or 2
candidate number(s) and name(s) appearing in each performance
brief description of candidate/identifying features.
You must also include all of the information on any case or sleeve containing the DVD
or CD.
Recording onto a video camera, work that includes a live performance
Before recording candidates’ work, please do the following:
1. Test the camera by recording a small piece of video and playing it back (where
sound quality is poor, use of an external microphone rather than an inbuilt one
is recommended).
2. Test any accessories such as microphones.
3. Make sure that the video camera is properly exposed so that candidates’ work
can be seen clearly. Be aware of natural light in the background and spot
lights as these can adversely affect the quality of the recording.
4. Make sure that any batteries used are fully charged.
5. Make sure that if a tape is used it is fully re-wound.
6. When you begin recording allow the tape to run for 20 seconds so it is fully up
to speed for the performance.
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Copyright © 2010 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
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Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Expressive Arts / Guidance on Recording Presentation Work / Version 1
Appropriate recording media – all art forms and combinations of art forms
The following is not an exhaustive listing but a guide to the media that would be
appropriate for the recording of Expressive Arts art forms:
Moving Images (animation, film drama genres, documentary, music video, video
dance)
The work will have been edited down onto a DVD. It is appropriate to submit the
finished DVD but centres should be sure to keep a copy and it is essential that
examiners can identify the contribution made by each member of a group.
Music on CD
The work will have been mixed down onto a CD. It is appropriate to submit the
finished CD but Centres should be sure to keep a copy and it is essential that
examiners can identify the contribution made by each member of a group. If the work
includes the cover design as a second art form it is appropriate to include the cover as
a part of the CD case but enlarged colour photo-copies of the design showing detail of
the art work should also be submitted.
Two Dimensional Visual Arts
The original art work should not be submitted but digital photographs of the piece
should be submitted instead. There should be a photograph of the whole piece – the
art media used and the dimensions of the piece should be made clear and the colour
reproduced as accurately as possible – and there should be enlarged photographs of
detail. If the piece includes Original Writing the text must be easily readable in the
detail photographs and the detail of the presentation of the text. The text could also
be submitted as a Word or pdf document and saved on a CD.
Three Dimensional Visual Arts
All the guidance for Two Dimensional Visual Arts applies to Three Dimensional work
but photographs of the piece in the context of the space around it should be included
and photographs of the piece viewed from a number of different angles.
Original Writing
Work should always be submitted in writing, even when it takes the form of lyrics for a
song or the text of a play or film, and attention should be given to its presentation,
whether it is hand-written, part of art work, or word processed, or whether it is a story
in book form, a play script, a screen play, a poem or poems, or the lyrics of a song.
Especially with a play script, screen play or poem the presentation should
demonstrate understanding of the conventions of how the text should be formatted.
The work should be submitted as a jpg scan or Word or pdf document and saved onto
a CD.
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Copyright © 2010 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
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Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Expressive Arts / Guidance on Recording Presentation Work / Version 1
Drama
Live Drama performance should be recorded onto DVD. The guidance given in the
Specification that ‘work should be continuously shot from a fixed camera’ should be
flexibly interpreted. It is intended to strongly indicate that.
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tracking and zooming should be used as sparsely as possible
only one camera should be used – to verify that just one performance of the
piece is being recorded (i.e. cutting between two cameras might suggest that
the cutting is between two performances when only one performance can be
assessed)
the camera should not be paused at any time during the performance
(including during long scene changes!)
editing techniques may not be employed to enhance the presentation of the
performance in any way.
However, tracking and zooming should be used, if possible, to frame just the space
occupied by a group or individual, and nothing more, so that as much performance
detail can be seen. Where a group is static for some time some tracking and closeups of individuals within the group might be helpful and where an individual is fairly
static a close-up of facial expression might also be helpful.
Attention should also be given to the quality of the sound recording. Often the
camera’s internal microphone is inadequate as it is too distant from the performers.
An external microphone can be plugged into most cameras, and a long lead will allow
it to be placed close to the action, where it will pick up voices more effectively.
Where Visual Arts – costume, properties, scenery or masks – are a second art form
good quality colour photographs should be provided as for any Two or Three
Dimensional Visual Arts, including enlargements of detail.
Dance
Dance should also be recorded onto DVD and all the guidance for Drama applies to
dance except that the detail to be recorded may be dance gestures rather that facial
expression and the sound track may be Music rather than voices. If the Music is a
candidate’s second art form this should be submitted on a separate CD. However,
where Drama is combined with Dance attention should be given to both sound
sources.
Live Music
Live Music should be recorded onto DVD. It may also be helpful to record onto CD as
well (see below). Spatially, live Music will usually be easier to video record because a
solo performer or group or ensemble will probably remain in a more defined
performance space. Close-ups can, therefore, be managed with more ease.
Attention must be given to ensuring that every instrument and singing voice is
recorded clearly, and balanced. Multiple microphones and a mixer are likely to be
essential. Depending upon the equipment available at a centre a better quality
recording might be provided for the examiner to mark if the instruments and voices
were mixed down onto a separate CD. The CD could then be submitted as well as
the DVD video recording.
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Copyright © 2010 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
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Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Expressive Arts / Guidance on Recording Presentation Work / Version 1
Please remember that, whatever the combination of art forms, each candidate must
be identified in some way by name and or number.
After recording
Please label every DVD or CD with the appropriate information, for example:
Centre number……………….. Centre: 12345
Qualification…………………. GCSE Expressive Arts
Unit code …………………….. 42602
Number of candidates…………12
Disk number…………………….. Disk x of y
Make sure when writing on a DVD or CD that the ink used will not wipe off or damage
the data on the disk.
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Copyright © 2010 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
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