Using the Mac Suite outside of lesson time

We are having problems with students using the Mac Suite as a common room rather than a place to work on Media and/or Art projects.

Students who don't study Media or Art have no reason to be in the Mac Suite. If they want to socialise, they can do that in the Sixth Form area; if they want to work, there are other computers available to them around school.

Likewise, students who ARE studying Media or Art are only allowed in there to work specifically on these subjects. It is not a place to eat, socialise, watch films/videos, listen to music or work on other subjects. 

If the Mac Suite continues to be abused in this manner, your access privileges will be removed from your ID cards and you won't be able to use the Mac Suite without teacher supervision. This would be a great shame and a huge inconvenience to you as you work on your coursework productions.

Please heed this warning and be self-policing in regard to this issue. That includes using your card to allow non-Media/Art students into the Mac Suite.

Filming

Right...the time has come...you need to start turning your ideas into film reality. Use the Shooting Schedule template to plan out when you are going to film each scene: make sure it is a time that you, your crew and your cast are available and stick to that schedule.

Make sure you film each scene in one go, otherwise you are likely to run into continuity problems: change in weather, light, costume, etc.

You have THREE weeks to complete all filming. If you want to use time when we have lessons, that's fine, but please email me in advance (jky@cheney.oxon.sch.uk) so that I can mark you as present in the register.

I want to have all filming complete before Christmas so that you can work on the editing process with Miss Matthey in January. This will leave you enough time to put your film together, re-shoot any scenes that haven't worked for any reason and complete all necessary editing. Remember: you will still have an Evaluation section to complete (worth 20 marks on its own) and that this will all need to be done before the Easter holidays. That gives you 13 weeks from when you get back after Christmas to do EVERYTHING.

Copyright

If you are planning using music for your credits/opening scene, be aware that you aren't allowed to use any copyright materials. The coursework brief says:

All material for both tasks to be produced by the candidate(s), with the exception of musical audio effects from a copyright-free source.

The legal time limit on music copyright is:

70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author of the work dies. If the author is unknown, copyright will last for 70 years from end of the calendar year in which the work was created, although if it is made available to the public during that time, (by publication, authorised performance, broadcast, exhibition, etc.), then the duration will be 70 years from the end of the year that the work was first made available.

So...you can either use music from before this time (eg classical music) or copyright-free music. You can Google 'copyright free music' as there are lots of sites that have copyright-free music available for download. Alternatively, there are sample soundtracks on Final Cut Pro which you can use.

Shooting plan

WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED YOUR PLANNING (and not before)...

...you can move on to planning your film shoot.

Work out how many different scenes you need to shoot, what cast and props you're going to need, whether it's a day or a night scene and in what order you're going to shoot them. You can use the form below or come up with your own form/system if you prefer.

TOP TIP: It's best to film each scene in one go as things like weather, light, etc can change and would ruin the continuity of your film (remember the student video that where the snow kept disappearing and reappearing?)

Miss Matthey unwell

Miss Matthey is still unwell. Please use the lesson you would have had with her P5 today to work on your coursework.

Miss Matthey hopes to be back in school by the end of this week.

Homework for Thursday 24th Nov

Now that you've finished your storyboards (if you haven't, do so asap) you need to move on to the next steps in your planning. By our lesson on Thursday you need to have completed the following tasks from the planning checklist (see previous blogpost):

• BBFC rating
• Costume design
• Props
• Location shots

You either need to arrange a time that your group can all meet to complete these tasks or divide the tasks between the people in your group. Either way, all tasks need to be complete (and on your blogs) by our lesson on Thursday.

Miss Matthey absent: work for P5

Miss Matthey isn't in school today due to illness. Here is the work she has asked you to complete in time for her next lesson:

Open the following link and complete Section A of the paper:

http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-MEST3-QP-JUN13.PDF

Homework for Mon 21st Nov - complete storyboard

By our next lesson on Monday 21st November, you need to have completed your storyboard for your opening scene. Look at the examples in the blogpost below and think about the information that you need to include. Make sure you have a picture and description for EVERY shot in your opening scene.

Storyboard exemplars

Homework: for Thursday 24th Nov

By Thursday, you need to have completed the following planning tasks from the planning checklist (see previous blogpost):

• BBFC rating
• Costume design
• Props
• Location shots

Either work out times when your group can meet to complete these tasks or divide the tasks between the people in your group. Either way, this all needs to be done (and on your blogs) by Thursday.

Planning

Now that you have decided on your genre of film and know what your COMPLETE narrative is going to be like, you can start to plan your film opening.

REMEMBER: EVERYTHING YOU DO MUST GO ON YOUR BLOG. IF YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION AS A GROUP AND DISCUSS SOME IDEAS, MAKE A RECORD OF WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT AND ADD IT AS A BLOG ENTRY.

Things you need to do before you can start filming:

• Analysis of BBFC rating: What rating is your film going to have? What kind of content is it going to involve?
• Storyboard(s): Don't just draw what is going to HAPPEN in your opening scene, decide on the camera angles, cuts and movement you are going to use, and WHY
• Costume design: How are your characters going to dress? How will this affect their representation and the way the audience engages with them?
• Props: Are you going to need any props? What will you need? Where are you going to get them? How will they help confirm your genre or show the representation of your characters
• Audition videos: Who is going to act in your piece? Film some auditions so that you can discuss who would best play the different characters.
• Location shots: Where might you shoot your film opening. Take some photos, put them on your blog and explain why they would/wouldn't work
• Non-diegetic sound: What are you going to use as your soundtrack? Are you going to include and sound effects?

Own film Todorovian narrative

For Fri 11th Nov:
Make sure you have on your blog a DETAILED breakdown of your film plot in terms of a Todorovian narrative.

Todorov's Narrative Theory

Todorov’s theory of narrative states that all narrative plots follow the same basic pattern:

1. State of equilibrium
2. Disruption to that equilibrium
3. Recognition that disorder has occurred
4. Attempt (or attempts) to resolve the situation
5. Return to equilibrium or establishment of a NEW equilibrium

This pattern can then be re-started in subsequent narratives (eg sequels).

For example, the film Die Hard:

1. Equilibrium: John McClane (Bruce Willis) is meeting his wife for Christmas at her office Christmas party at the Nakatomi Building.
2. Disruption: Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his team of terrorists take over the Nakatomi building in order to break into the vault.
3. Recognition: McClane isn't in the room when the terrorists storm in so is aware of the situation AND outside of their control.
4. Attempted resolution: The police try sending in a SWAT team (failed resolution).
5. Equilibrium/New equilibrium: McClane kills Gruber and saves the hostages. He and his wife leave happily together.

This week’s work:

1. Come up with a film in your chosen genre and analyse how it does/doesn’t fit into Todorov’s Theory of Narrative (like above)
2. Decide if your film is going to follow Todorov’s narrative theory
3. Devise the plot for your film
4. Decide at what point in your narrative your film is going to start and how much your opening scene is going to show
5. Develop a script for this opening scene

A-level Media Studies student's fake John Lewis advert

Just look where your Media coursework could get you...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/06/festive-fake-viewers-fooled-by-students-john-lewis-christmas-ad?CMP=fb_gu

Trip to Wheatley Park Film Festival - CANCELLED

I'm really sorry but the trip to the Wheatley Park Film Festival on Friday has been CANCELLED as there are a number of other events happening on that day and there are too many staff already involved. Apologies.