1. ASSIGNMENT

2. Assignment
Remember this piece of work is worth 50% of your overall grade so you should be spending time making sure you’re putting your best foot forward.
The areas you will be asked to ‘write up’ about in a detailed and complex manner are:
your brief
your creative intentions
your audience
your content
your institutional context

3. Audience Research
SUGGESTED TASKS:
Look into the target audience and demographics of the channel you are thinking of producing for (focus only on audience as other institutional information is required to be submitted in the Institutions research and planning).
Look at similar TV shows and channels and identify characteristics of your target audience.
Create a questionnaire and/or hold a focus group.
Consider age ratings and scheduling positions of content similar to yours to gauge audience age.
Consider similar TV show content and identify audience expectations and wants.
Use the Audience Uses and Gratification Model to identify why your audience will engage with your text
Research social media/comments sections to find information on audience responses.
Look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to identify your audiences main needs.
Consult BARB data for information on trends and viewing figures.
Conduct a focus group comprised of people who would be within your demographic range and/or survey people within your demographic range.

4. Content Research
SUGGESTED TASKS:
research genre conventions/patterns seen in similar content
conduct some specific analysis of an opening sequence of similar content focusing on technical codes (shot sizes, camera angles, editing)
narrative research – Propp
narrative research – Todorov – create a table showing the Todorovian breakdown of the narrative of the pilot episodes of similar shows and give details of your own product in terms of overall narrative stages
narrative research – Barthes – codes from similar content opening sequence + codes you intend to use in your product
research representations and consider how you will construct representations in your piece
making a film on a budget –  – listen to podcast and make notes, write them up

5. Answer structure:
Bit of research.
What you decided because of the research.
How it will impact on your planning / content.

6. NARRATIVE
Write up the narrative structure for your TV show using TODOROV’s five stages. (Your storyboard might help with this)
Explain each stage
Describe how you will establish each stage in your TV show
Remember: The opening scene should establish normality (equilibrium) and quickly introduce a disruption to hook the audience in so they keep watching!

7. NARRATIVE
I am going to use Todorov’s narrative theory to plan my production. Todorov’s theory has five stages these are…
The equilibrium is used to establish normality. In my own production I will establish normal life for my characters by… (write a few sentences on how you will establish normality).

8. NARRATIVE
I am going to use Propp’s character theory for narrative too. I will show that I have a (name a few of the ‘character types’.)
Propp says that the Hero (describe what the HERO does) I will show that *CHARACTER’S NAME* is the hero by… (write a few sentences explaining what they will do in your film)

9. HERO
Name:
Age:
Occupation:
Personality traits?:
What do they do in the TV show?:

10. REPRESENTATION
How will you use the following to construct representations? Make sure they appeal to your target audience.
COSTUME
LIGHTING
CAMERA SHOTS
CAMERA ANGLES
MUSIC
PROPS

11. INTERNAL CONSTRAINTS
Any rules imposed by school.
No weapons in production
Location (filming on school grounds) (making sure rooms were free)
Seeking permission to film
Making sure your actors have permission slips to be filmed
Costume (uniform)
Equipment (how did filming on an iPad impact on your planning?)
Behaviour while filming (quiet in corridors)
Timetabling (you can only use actors in the class or who were free during Media.
Time – meeting deadlines.
Content
Language

12. EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS
research copyright law for the use of music in your piece: Google search “BBC Academy A Guide to Copyright” then apply what you learn to your own production.
consider the health and safety implications of any action stunts or location specifications – research health and safety legislation and figure out what procedures you may need to put in place. Google search: “HSE Health and Safety in the film, theatre and broadcasting industries” then apply this to your own production.
how does your media product fit in with the channel’s social ideology, values and/or role in media?
Bbfc film classifications. What are the rules for 12/15/18 – what will your show be and why?
scheduling – use the Radio Times website or similar to research schedules of major TV stations and figure out the best place for your product. Google search: The Watershed TV scheduling – apply what you learn to your product.