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.

Theory and Print Analysis

Please could you ensure that the following is completed by Wednesday.

1. Considering your music video analysis, how could you apply Dyer's theory on Stars. Write an extra paragraph, using examples from the video you chose to explain the theory.
   
2. Research: What is a digi-pak and what are the conventions of this form? Write a paragraph on your blog, use pictures to illustrate.
   
3. Deconstruct a digipak and advert of the same genre as you are choosing for your own products. Ideally the two promotional items should be for the same track so that you can appreciate the brand that is being created and comment on consistency of representations.
   

More interesting videos

Whomadewho - interesting concept, engaging

One of a few more interesting videos linked from the home page of www.bugvideos.co.uk

13A - Deadline - Monday 27th September

Please complete the following posts on your blog - one per group:

1. Consider what decisions still need to be made with regard to planning - write a to-do list. Include a date for your next reccie
   
2. Evaluate the Brighton reccie. How will you be using the skills and experience of this shoot to inform the next stage of production?
   
3. Post the lyrics of your song. Annotate exactly what you envisage happening during each line. Include notes for instrumental parts.
   
4. Complete your second mini technical analysis, try the Bug website for ideas. Again your shot by shot list should be 30 seconds to a minute depending on cutting rate.
   
5. Your group pitches will be in week commencing 11 October. All planning will be completed by then. Check the list in your booklet to see what you have still to do.

Need some inspiration?

Visit Bug and browse their past event pages - you can view the videos featured at each event - these are both established directors and low budget newcomers. There is some really interesting work, particularly animation - but all sorts.

Here is my top selection

Kap Bambino - simple, effective use of slowmo

Young Loves - shamanising in the woods - amazing transitions, effects

Colourmusic - ha ha!

Cinnamon Chasers - alternate endings, POV narrative - interesting technique, narrative style

Supergrass - all it takes sometimes is a simple visual idea

Post your research on the blog with an explanation of what Bug is.
CF

Welcome new Y13 students

This central blog is a useful resource while doing your coursework. We will post deadlines, week tasks and advice on elements of planning here.

13B - this week you need to complete the following on the blog;
1. video analysis (make sure to include Dyer)
2. Individual response to track on blog
3. Comment on each other's posts
4. Continue to record concept development on blog

Blog - final tidy up

Make sure that your blog represents your excellence in use of ICT as well as planning and organisation. Make sure you have done the following:

1. Used as many embedded video clips, stills, photographs, links as possible
2. Commented on each other's posts
3. Uploaded a jpg of your digipak and ad layouts
4. Uploaded a jpg sample of call sheet, risk assessment and calendar to show organisation
5. broken up long text posts with subheadings, key words highlighted
6. changed settings so all posts are viewed on one page
7. organised menu with your initials at beginning of all posts
8. recorded shoots/editing process on blog
9. Uploaded final print texts to blog
10. Included a post with evidence of original images for print (perhaps include in Q4?)
11. sort out design of blog - get rid of silly banners, amend title image with still image, rethink design (check font colours and bold if you change). BRAND your blog

Production log

You now need to use your blog to reflect on your shoots and any editing progress answering questions such as:

1. What worked / what did you change

2. Have you changed your idea from your storyboard?

3. Describe any innovative techniques used when shooting / editing

4. Issues with weather, props, locations, performers, lighting that you had

This will not only contribute to planning grade, but you will need this information to write evaluation and answer question in exam.

Planning marks - a few final tips

I'm just marking your blogs and the following 'housekeeping' changes need to be made. We want you to all achieve the highest mark possible and therefore to ensure a level 4, in addition to the quality of your individual analysis - you MUST show how your concept developed. You also need to show EXCELLENCE in use of ICT in presenting planning and evaluation so you must use the blog efficiently, creatively:

1. Don't post a link to youtube - always embed the clip in your blog. This is for your animatic, video analysis, auteur videos... anything that you are referring to
2. Keep titles of posts to one line in menu and ALWAYS start with your initials so we can easily see who has done what
3. Check punctuation / paragraphs
4. Where possible highlight key terminology, use bullet points, images - make it easy to read.
5. Audience research? This should have it's own post, with detail on methodology and results evaluation
6. Digipak designs - post entries documenting your ideas and with scan/image of your layouts (1 EACH)
7. Have you done some filming already? You will need to post an entry evaluating the shoot, what worked, what you changed, any technical issues, ideas, inspirations, issues with weather, general public etc. You will need this info for your evaluation AND exam. Include screenshot of risk assessment / call sheets to show organisation.

great video

Mike Snow - Black and Blue
Directed by Matthias Koenigswieser
Fantastic. enigmatic. Stands up to repeated viewings.

Half Term task

All groups,

Over half term, you should complete the following (all students to complete ALL tasks individually) and post up on blog by first lesson back:

1 x mock up layout done by hand or electronically of advert and digipak (this should be a paper construction to scale to show form as well as design).

The idea is that you bring this mock-up to the lesson so that you can discuss your final plans with your group. You should look at examples while you are designing.

Digipak for your track
This should be minimum 4 sides (front, back, inside covers including image under CD holder). You could however choose a more innovative layout that has more sides. This is up to you.

Magazine advertisement
This should also be drawn to scale. Decide an appropriate magazine that your advert would run in, like NME, and what style of advert you will design (full page, half page) and why.

RESEARCH DEADLINE - 23rd

All groups,

You should have completed all research tasks set up to now, including animatic and your primary/secondary research improved/completed by Friday 23rd. We will be reviewing and marking up to this stage over half term.

CF

Audience Research - analysis

Your post outlining the results of your audience research should include the following:

1. What were the results?
2. What results were useful and could feed into your production?
3. What were shortcomings of the research?

THE PITCH - Monday 12th October

Your pitch should be no more than 4-5 minutes long and contain in any order the following:

• 1. play extract of the track to the group - what is your BRIEF
• 2. initial response (images from moodboard?)
• 3. What did you learn from your product analysis?
• 4. What did you learn from your technical analyis?
• 5. How did your audience research inform your concept development?
• 6. What is your proposed idea? Style, type, narrative
• 7. the visuals - ideas on costume, location, types of shot
• 8. What will be your biggest challenge? How will you overcome it?
• 9. How will this video promote the band?
• 10. How will your coverart on digipak and in advertisement further reinforce this band/artist image (initial ideas at this stage)

The purpose of the pitch is for you to CONVINCINGLY explain your proposed idea. Would we, as record company executives think this is a suitable idea for your genre/group? Are we convinced of your vision? Would we give you the GREEN LIGHT?

I suggest that you use PowerPoint - but not as a script - just to show us relevant images.

Good luck! We are looking forward to hearing your pitches - so far your ideas seem very creative.

Blog checklist for research..

On 13D's request - here is your final checklist. This is a MINIMUM. Your blog should contain the following AS A MINIMUM by the pitch deadline in two weeks Monday 12th

As a group:

• Institutional research
• track response
• reflections on audience research, postmodernism
• Your chosen track
• Brighton field trip clips and detailed evaluation
• clear record of ideas development, including costume, props, performers
• A variety of visual ideas and stimulus (videos, interesting shots, films, TV, adverts - anything goes...)
• Clear group discussion through commenting on posts
• Location reccie planning
• Location reccie evaluation
• Audience research planning and evaluation of method
• audience research results and evaluation

As an individual student you should EACH contribute:

• moodboard response to track with written evaluation
• collage of album covers / advertisements from your genre
• Reflection on auteur videos viewed
• 2 x video analysis
• 1 x technical video analysis
• 1 x digipak analysis
• 1 x advert analysis

Once the pitch is complete and your proposal has been agreed, you should then work on and add the following to your blog (per group).

• evaluation of pitch - feedback and ideas
• animatic of storyboard

As soon as this is completed (latest upon return from half term) you can begin to shoot.

After half term, we will focus in class on print texts and you will add:

• Ideas development for brand image through print
• Draft layout of digipak artwork
• Draft layout of magazine advertisement

Your blog then becomes a production log and all shoots / editing / DTP progress should be evaluated.

Week 4 Blog Tasks due Monday 28th Sept

This week is Brighton trip week. On our return, you will use the remainder 3 lessons and homework time to work on the following posts - due Monday 28th September 3.45pm ON BLOG

Blog post 1 – Brighton reccie evaluation
To include photographs and edited clips of shots taken with an evaluation of what you have learnt

Blog post 2 – Technical analysis of music video
Shot list breakdown. This can be done on paper and then the EVALUATION of findings posted on blog

Blog post 3 – proposed reccies
Decide on potential locations and when you will do a reccie. This will help you start to move the project forward.

Auteur videos.. some ideas

In addition to the auteur research booklet we have given you, you might like to have a look at http://www.bugvideos.co.uk/. This event celebrates cutting edge music videos and on the home page you can view their featured videos (see programme links at the bottom). There are some very interesting examples here...

Blog post list for Monday 21st Sept

13C and 13D - We expect the following to be posted on your blog as a minimum by Monday 21st September 3.45pm (before the Brighton trip)

1. Track response
2. Institutional context
3. Reflection on auteur videos
4. Audience consumption & postmodernism questions
5. Music video analysis x1
6. Album cover/advert analysis x1
7. Details of chosen track / band / artist
8. Individual moodboard response to chosen track

Any questions / problems you must come and see us before the deadline. Remember - your analysis should be packed with key terminology and critical ideas in order to acheive a level 4. A level 4 blog will also be a record of discussions, ideas, videos, inspiration and would therefore contain posts beyond the above. You should be using the comment function collaboratively too...

Good luck!