1. G324 – Advanced Media Portfolio
A2 Media Studies
Overview of the Coursework
Planning

2. Objectives To understand the requirements of the coursework unit G324
To explore some examples of pupil’s work and identify strong features

3. Production Briefs Music Promotion – for a new album: A music video (V)
A website homepage (W)
A cover (P)
A magazine advertisement (P)
Film Promotion - for a new film:
A teaser trailer (V)
A film magazine front cover (P)
A poster (P)
Short Film:
The short film in its entirity (V)
A film magazine review (P)
A poster for the film (P)
A radio trailer(A)
TV documentary:
An extract from a documentary (V)
A radio trailer (A)
A double-page spread from a listings magazine (P)
A newspaper advertisement (P)

4. Media Coursework The board are looking for you to:
Plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills (AO3)
Apply knowledge and understanding in evaluating your own work, showing how meanings and responses are created (AO2)
Undertake, apply and present appropriate research (AO4).
G325 Exam - Link
You will also need to reflect on your work and analyse it in detail in Section A of the G325 exam.
Your blog is for the evaluation but also your revision and work towards this section of the exam.

5. Remember
All material for all tasks is to be produced by you with the exception of non-original sound or image material used in a LIMITED way in video/radio work
An example of limited use of video and audio would be using a video extract of an explosion and a sound of an explosion.

6. Remember
For music video, permission should be sought from the artist for the use of the audio track.
All music choices will need to be approved by LP and DB
Copyright free options available for Music Video:
Approach local bands and get permission to use their material
Approach unsigned bands on ‘My Space’ etc. and get permission to use their material.
Collaborate with music department/students in your centre on the project
Create your own music or sound track
See LP or DB for more suggestions

7. Task Look at these examples of coursework and their planning
Make notes on elements that you would like to use in your own work

8. Examples of Moving Image Work
Film Trailer:
Music Video:
Example of blog and film:
Examples of blog and music video:

9. The Marks Research and Planning – 20 marks
Construction Main – 40 marks
Construction Ancillary – 10 marks each
Evaluation – 20 marks
Total = 100 marks

10. Pre-Production Phase Worth 20% of your marks.
1. Forms & Conventions
Genre conventions
3-5 in-depth similar text analysis
Conclusions drawn
2. Target Audience Research
Minimum of 10 questionnaires with analysis & conclusions drawn.
Target audience research and audience theory
Contemporary media landscape
3. Subject Matter Research
Research into the artist, genre etc. with conclusions drawn.
Research into ideas / mise-en-scene, shooting & editing styles, fonts etc. you will be using.   
4. Representation issues
Research into Ideology, Representation, Star Image & Power & Conclusions drawn using Goodwin’s Analysis
5. Institutional Context & Professional Practice
Indie / major record label interests, professional job roles, film company
Worth 20% of your marks.
Your blog will be the main evidence of this phase, as well as your class work next year

11. Research and Planning Level 4

12. Media Coursework Timeline
June-Sept
Research and planning
Detailed pre-production work
Sept-Dec
Shooting and editing main
Finish main piece
Finalising planning for print/web pieces
Dec-Feb
Print and web pieces produced
Finish ancillary pieces
Feb-March
Feedback on products
Evaluation
= 10 months
= 40 weeks
= 280 days
There will be a series of interim deadlines throughout this time.

13. Profiling your target audience
You need to understand the demographic or audience profile for your films, etc. so you can focus your adverting efficiently for your target audience. Who might consume your product:
age
sex
income level
education
tastes in film genres
tastes in music
class
considering technological convergence, the platform they would most likely watch your film
where in the media, including WEB 2.0, they might find out about your film. This would include social networking sites, like Face Book, etc

14. Primary and Secondary Research
Primary Research
Distribute a questionnaire to a specific target audience.
Use a variety of open and closed questions.
Use a focus group to discuss ideas and give feedback at different stages.
Analyze your findings to identify what should be included in your final products
Secondary Research
Analyze a variety of related media texts.
Use a variety of sources i.e. websites, journals, media products.
Cite research sources accurately i.e. name and date of websites accessed, name and publication year date of journals used.

15. The Best Candidates:
Had a broad range of research and identified target audiences early on in the project.
Planning of the final product and ancillary tasks was also best when a broad range of appropriate planning methods had been used such as call sheets, story boards, scripts, animatics, shot lists etc. Other vital planning elements included risk assessments; letters requesting permission for the use of music tracks; ‘contact sheets’ of images and subsequent drafts showing the development of the use of some of those images into print-based work.
Blogs, when updated regularly and creatively used, tended to gain the higher levels.
All sorts of methods for evidencing were employed, links to YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo, embedded PPT movies, or using other web 2.0 like Issuu, Prezzi and Slideshare to show PowerPoints. Most of the artefacts were also embedded in the Candidates’ blogs.

16. Group Task Your starting point is the mark scheme.
You are going to produce a detailed mind map identifying what information and skills you will need to achieve a Level 4:
What skills do you require?
What can you build on from last year?
What equipment might you need?
What permissions should you request?
What are the possible media theories relating to the brief?
Who are the potential audience?

17. Possible Areas to Cover
Mark Scheme
Technical
Audience
Textual Analysis
Institution
Project Management
Theories