Reminder - research deadline tomorrow

This is a reminder that you have until tomorrow to go back and improve primary/secondary research posts as we will be marking this weekend.

Look back on this blog at advice and tasks set. Make sure that ALL your posts are clearly linked to concept development, that there is a dialogue with group members about your ideas, that posts are clearly labelled, laid out, key terms, images. LAST CHANCE.

Half Term

You have now signed off your pitches and are well into the storyboarding process. You need to have achieved the following over Half Term ready for first lesson back:

1. Complete video storyboard IN DETAIL - remember this is not about just mapping out what is going to happen as many of you did at AS, but planning visual detail such as framing, camera movement. You will need to finish off animatic in first couple of days back.

2. Last chance to make improvements to research posts by FRIDAY 29th October in half term. Remember, you need to show how your research, informed by critical ideas and A2 level thinking is directly feeding into your concept development. Also tidy up posts, add images etc.

3. Many of you will actually shoot some footage. Top tips:

• shoot everything at least twice, all lipsynched parts particularly
• Shoot the same action from a number of angles
• Make sure you have close-ups
• Be interesting in your camera movement and angle
• Don't be static
• Think about rule of thirds, leading lines
• Pay attention to mise-en-scene, particularly things like road signs, annoying people walking past, litter. It can ruin a shot.
• Shoot everying on your storyboard AND THEN SOME MORE.
• Take stills photographs just in case you want them for Digipak.

4. continue to record concept development on blog. Reflect on any shoots / reccies on blog. We will be checking them during the week.

5. Go into a record shop and look at digipaks. Really look at them. Get some layout ideas. Post on it.

6. Buy a music magazine in the same genre as your track. Look at all the advertising in it - think about layout and design of album and single ads. Cut out some examples - ready for researching next term

Excellent example of focused research

At A2 to achieve a Level 4 you need to ensure that your research is clearly focused and directly informs your concept development. Here is an example of a post from Rosie C in group 6 that does just this. She wanted to come up with ideas to ensure that a sequence shot in a car looks effective. She carried out some technical research on similar sequences in other videos and could draw some direct inspiration for the group's concept.

Remember, at A2 be reflective, link your research to your concept, even if it only served to discount an idea.