1. Unit 25: Research for product development
L.O. – What is Unit 25 and what do we have to do to succeed?

2. How are we assessed for this unit?
Assessment for this unit is in the form of an examination
2 hour written paper
Worth 80 marks
Comprises of a research activity to be carried out before the examination using pre-release stimulus (see pre-release stimulus and exam paper)
Your research notes are allowed in the exam
Questions contain medium answer questions and those that require extended responses

3. When is the examination?
The exam will be in June 2018
I will be working on this unit with you for this academic year

4. What are your thoughts about the exam paper. Print it off
What are your thoughts about the exam paper? Print it off. Put it in your folder to refer to later in the course.

5. What are the aims of this unit?

6. All media products use research to inform the entire production process. Successful products are created using knowledge from the planning, production and testing stages
The aim of the unit is:
to develop skills to carry out research to underpin all production processes involved in creating a digital media product
to understand the impact of research findings on those processes

7. Students will:
investigate media organisations and the digital media products they produce
develop an understanding of how to source relevant relevant information in preparation for producing an audio-visual media product
develop skills in primary and secondary research to explore ways media production teams source, generate and evaluate usefulness and validity of information used for productions
explore how pre-productions of digital media products are informed by research

8. Unit 25 learning objectives
Unit 25 Research for product development
LO1
Be able to conduct research for a digital media production
LO2
Be able to use research to inform pre-production and planning
LO3
Be able to apply research findings to the proposed production processes
LO4
Be able to use research findings to promote the digital media product
LO5
Know how feedback is used within research techniques

9. What is primary and secondary research?
Primary research: The original research that is carried out by you, so things like audience surveys, questionnaires, textual analysis of media texts etc.
Secondary research: The use of information that someone else has already collected (so if you were to have used some existing research or theory). This could be audience figures produced by BARB or information found on IMDB

10. Questions:
What types of research might media organisations carry out and why?
What research have you carried out in previous units?

11. Your task:
Work with someone that enjoys the same media text as you do (or work on your own). Carry out some research on this text to find out:
Who are the target audience?
How do they aim the product towards the target audience?
Find various forms of secondary research to find out how successful it is/was
Why do you think it was successful/unsuccessful?
Be prepared to feedback you research findings

12. Homework
Ensure you have printed off the pre-assessment material and examination paper for Unit 25 (the mark scheme is at the end of the exam paper) and the insert
Highlight the key words in the questions (we will discuss these next lesson)