A couple of reminders:
Research and planning will be marked from Monday 19th December at 9 a.m., so you can't post any more after that time.
Don't forget to pick up your camera if you've booked one.
Remember the filming advice - lots of close ups, lots of unusual angles, plenty of camera movement, changes of location and costume, lots of cutaways to instruments, surroundings, audience, performer looking moody etc. All this will give you choices in the edit. Film the performance lots of times, make sure you take the music with you for your performer to lip synch to.
And also, have a good holiday. Here's a Christmas message for you.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Friday, 9 December 2011
Audience
Audience in your blog:
Audience profile – 1 post detailed, with visual illustration
Audience research – 1 post for now, updates as you produce more work in progress. Show the audience work in progress: this could include moodboards, storyboards, animatics, actor photos, costume ideas, location pictures … Give details of responses from your Facebook group, and for a high grade, at least one filmed focus group.On Facebook, ask specific questions, not ‘what do you think of this’ type questions. For example: ‘What genre of music do you think this moodboard suggests?’; ‘What one word would you use to describe this storyboard?’; ‘Would you like to be friends with this girl?’. In a focus group, your questions can be more open and you can use follow up questions if you need more information.
Later you should do regular blog posts updating on what your audience think of work in progress.
Audience theory – 1 post answering the following questions and mentioning Morley
Cultural Studies Approach to audience: according to Morley, audiences aren’t just passively affected by media texts – they take an active role in reading a text. How might audiences read the values expressed in your video and print work in a preferred, negotiated and oppositional way? What are you going to do to encourage the target audience to take a preferred reading? What kind of person might take an oppositional reading?
Reminder of cultural studies approach:
The Cultural Studies Approach Perspective on Audience:
• Developed within the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies. BCCCS, principally by David Morley.
• Attempts to understand how the media might be powerful and influence audiences (effects research), but also encourages researchers to understand the active nature of certain audiences (uses and gratifications theory).
The approach tries to understand the intended effects of media texts, but also sees audiences as active, stating that different audiences adopt different standpoints in relation to the values expressed within a media text. These different standpoints are:
• Preferred (or dominant) reading (Morley) - the audience recognise the values being offered by the text and accepts them as natural and correct.
• Negotiated reading (Morley) - the audience recognisethe values in the text as legitimate and accept them in general, but adapt their reading of the text to fit in with their experiences and interest.
• Oppositional reading (Morley) - the audience understands the values in the text, but disagrees with them and rejects them.
For example, take a print advert which represents a sexually objectified women as a victim of violence.
• A preferred reading would be
• A negotiated reading might be .....
• An oppositional reading might be produced by someone concerned by violence against women who would completely reject the values offered by the advert, and would see it as degrading and offensive to women.
Audience profile – 1 post detailed, with visual illustration
Audience research – 1 post for now, updates as you produce more work in progress. Show the audience work in progress: this could include moodboards, storyboards, animatics, actor photos, costume ideas, location pictures … Give details of responses from your Facebook group, and for a high grade, at least one filmed focus group.On Facebook, ask specific questions, not ‘what do you think of this’ type questions. For example: ‘What genre of music do you think this moodboard suggests?’; ‘What one word would you use to describe this storyboard?’; ‘Would you like to be friends with this girl?’. In a focus group, your questions can be more open and you can use follow up questions if you need more information.
Later you should do regular blog posts updating on what your audience think of work in progress.
Audience theory – 1 post answering the following questions and mentioning Morley
Cultural Studies Approach to audience: according to Morley, audiences aren’t just passively affected by media texts – they take an active role in reading a text. How might audiences read the values expressed in your video and print work in a preferred, negotiated and oppositional way? What are you going to do to encourage the target audience to take a preferred reading? What kind of person might take an oppositional reading?
Reminder of cultural studies approach:
The Cultural Studies Approach Perspective on Audience:
• Developed within the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies. BCCCS, principally by David Morley.
• Attempts to understand how the media might be powerful and influence audiences (effects research), but also encourages researchers to understand the active nature of certain audiences (uses and gratifications theory).
The approach tries to understand the intended effects of media texts, but also sees audiences as active, stating that different audiences adopt different standpoints in relation to the values expressed within a media text. These different standpoints are:
• Preferred (or dominant) reading (Morley) - the audience recognise the values being offered by the text and accepts them as natural and correct.
• Negotiated reading (Morley) - the audience recognisethe values in the text as legitimate and accept them in general, but adapt their reading of the text to fit in with their experiences and interest.
• Oppositional reading (Morley) - the audience understands the values in the text, but disagrees with them and rejects them.
For example, take a print advert which represents a sexually objectified women as a victim of violence.
• A preferred reading would be
• A negotiated reading might be .....
• An oppositional reading might be produced by someone concerned by violence against women who would completely reject the values offered by the advert, and would see it as degrading and offensive to women.
Filming your music video
Some good advice here. Remember to film the performance lots of times, from different angles, with some close ups and some long shots, and with plenty of camera movement.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Deadlines
More deadlines:
Research and planning: by the end of Sunday 18th Decmeber. Whatever is there when I start marking at 9 on Monday morning is what will be marked. There won't be a media lesson on the last day of term.
Draft music video: 27th January. Better get filming soon!
Final music video 10th Feb.
Research and planning: by the end of Sunday 18th Decmeber. Whatever is there when I start marking at 9 on Monday morning is what will be marked. There won't be a media lesson on the last day of term.
Draft music video: 27th January. Better get filming soon!
Final music video 10th Feb.
Excellent blog
A really good blog here, to help you see how it's done
http://millymorris1993.blogspot.com/
http://millymorris1993.blogspot.com/
Friday, 2 December 2011
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Print deadline
Just a reminder - the deadline is now on 5th December to make up for the day we'll miss this Wednesday.
You should be putting work in progress on your blog and on your Facebook group for audience responses. It all looks good so far, but don't forget the details that will help increase your marks.
Good luck.
You should be putting work in progress on your blog and on your Facebook group for audience responses. It all looks good so far, but don't forget the details that will help increase your marks.
Good luck.
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Print research
Print research:
You need to look at 2 or 3 digipacks and 2 or 3 magazine adverts, in the genre you’re going to work in.
What are the significant elements in the digipacks and adverts? Comment on:
• Use of images – what is connoted by the angle, shot type, mise en scene, lighting etc.? How does this use or challenge the conventions of the genre? How does it contribute to the creation or reinforcement of a star image?
• Use of font and layout - how does this use or challenge the conventions of the genre? How does it contribute to the creation or reinforcement of a star image?
• Use of detail – e.g. copyright, thanks, critics quotes, release date, i-Tunes link .... make a list of important details you want to feature in your print work.
• Size of advert – quarter, half, full or double page? Why?
• Who are the target audience and what elements are likely to appeal to them?
You should also look at:
• Redundancy and entropy – how redundant or entropic is the advert/digipack? Is this appropriate for the genre and target audience?
You could also comment on this question:
• How useful are digipack covers and print adverts when most people download their music and do their reading online? Why is it still important to have appealing and appropriate print work, as well as a music video, as part of a marketing package
Key words: you should be using all these words in your print research
audience genre star redundant entropic
connotation anchorage font layout colour costume
make-up lighting props setting lighting shot type
angle detail
You need to look at 2 or 3 digipacks and 2 or 3 magazine adverts, in the genre you’re going to work in.
What are the significant elements in the digipacks and adverts? Comment on:
• Use of images – what is connoted by the angle, shot type, mise en scene, lighting etc.? How does this use or challenge the conventions of the genre? How does it contribute to the creation or reinforcement of a star image?
• Use of font and layout - how does this use or challenge the conventions of the genre? How does it contribute to the creation or reinforcement of a star image?
• Use of detail – e.g. copyright, thanks, critics quotes, release date, i-Tunes link .... make a list of important details you want to feature in your print work.
• Size of advert – quarter, half, full or double page? Why?
• Who are the target audience and what elements are likely to appeal to them?
You should also look at:
• Redundancy and entropy – how redundant or entropic is the advert/digipack? Is this appropriate for the genre and target audience?
You could also comment on this question:
• How useful are digipack covers and print adverts when most people download their music and do their reading online? Why is it still important to have appealing and appropriate print work, as well as a music video, as part of a marketing package
Key words: you should be using all these words in your print research
audience genre star redundant entropic
connotation anchorage font layout colour costume
make-up lighting props setting lighting shot type
angle detail
Print brief
A2 Media Studies
Print Research Deadline: 11/11/11
Print Production Deadline: 02/12/11
Print production work must be created individually.
You should now be in a position to start your print production work. This is worth 20% of the coursework mark (10% of the A2, 5% of your A-Level)
Prior to production you should have should have:
• Researched some existing print work (deadline – 11/11/11)
• Created a mock up of a digipack to practice your skills (last summer)
• Explored digipack templates
• Pitched your video idea and so have an idea of the visual style you’ll use.
There are two print tasks:
1. Cover for a digipack release of the music video you’ve made and CD track of the song you used. You will need to create a minimum of four ‘panes’: front of digipack, rear of digipack, inside cover front and inside cover rear. (A digipack is a CD release with special features such as a video clip – it usually has folded cardboard rather than plastic packaging).
2. A magazine advert for the digipack.
• You need to decide how big the advert is – full page,half page, or quarter. (You may need to consider the position of the artist in the marketplace and the target audience here – would an indie/folk artist be able to afford a full page advert?)
• Ideally you would not simply re-use the photo from the digipak, but rework the imagery and photography in some way. I
Along with your video, this will make up a promotions ‘package’, so all your work will need to be similar in visual theme and recognisable as promoting the same artist.
Good marks come from:
• Using a recognisable ‘house style’ which is appropriate for genre/audience
• Paying attention to detail – e.g. including credits and record label logos
• Taking a range of good quality photos and not repeatedly using the same one.
Some A and B grade examples from last year:
http://leahdennisona2mediastudies.blogspot.com/2010/12/finished-moodboard.html
http://jessmediaa2.blogspot.com/2010/12/print-production-final-digipak-full.html
http://staceya2media.blogspot.com/2010/12/final-digipak-for-tiffany-queen.html
C grade:
http://stefansmediaa2.blogspot.com/2010/01/cd-digipack.html
http://chloea2media.blogspot.com/2010/01/final-digipack-cover.html
http://chloea2media.blogspot.com/2010/01/final-magazine-advert.html
D and E grades:
http://3rffffhfhgg.blogspot.com/2010/01/digipak-cover-cd.html
http://3rffffhfhgg.blogspot.com/2010/01/cd-advert.html
http://emilyjane-a2.blogspot.com/2010/01/advert.html
Research
You will need a blog post analysing some existing products. Look at 2 or 3 CD covers and 2 or 3 magazine adverts, preferably from a similar genre to your own. How are these covers constructing/maintaining a brand image? How are they likely to appeal to their target audiences?
Look at your own CDs or go to these links.
http://www.stpaulsgallery.com/
http://rockpopgallery.com/items/cd-album-cover-art/list.htm?1=1
You can also go here: http://www.allcdcovers.com/ to look up specific artists – this site also has backs and insides.
Look at music magazines to find adverts, or try a google image search.
- Make use of the 'theories' of media language and genre in your analysis.
Print Research Deadline: 11/11/11
Print Production Deadline: 02/12/11
Print production work must be created individually.
You should now be in a position to start your print production work. This is worth 20% of the coursework mark (10% of the A2, 5% of your A-Level)
Prior to production you should have should have:
• Researched some existing print work (deadline – 11/11/11)
• Created a mock up of a digipack to practice your skills (last summer)
• Explored digipack templates
• Pitched your video idea and so have an idea of the visual style you’ll use.
There are two print tasks:
1. Cover for a digipack release of the music video you’ve made and CD track of the song you used. You will need to create a minimum of four ‘panes’: front of digipack, rear of digipack, inside cover front and inside cover rear. (A digipack is a CD release with special features such as a video clip – it usually has folded cardboard rather than plastic packaging).
2. A magazine advert for the digipack.
• You need to decide how big the advert is – full page,half page, or quarter. (You may need to consider the position of the artist in the marketplace and the target audience here – would an indie/folk artist be able to afford a full page advert?)
• Ideally you would not simply re-use the photo from the digipak, but rework the imagery and photography in some way. I
Along with your video, this will make up a promotions ‘package’, so all your work will need to be similar in visual theme and recognisable as promoting the same artist.
Good marks come from:
• Using a recognisable ‘house style’ which is appropriate for genre/audience
• Paying attention to detail – e.g. including credits and record label logos
• Taking a range of good quality photos and not repeatedly using the same one.
Some A and B grade examples from last year:
http://leahdennisona2mediastudies.blogspot.com/2010/12/finished-moodboard.html
http://jessmediaa2.blogspot.com/2010/12/print-production-final-digipak-full.html
http://staceya2media.blogspot.com/2010/12/final-digipak-for-tiffany-queen.html
C grade:
http://stefansmediaa2.blogspot.com/2010/01/cd-digipack.html
http://chloea2media.blogspot.com/2010/01/final-digipack-cover.html
http://chloea2media.blogspot.com/2010/01/final-magazine-advert.html
D and E grades:
http://3rffffhfhgg.blogspot.com/2010/01/digipak-cover-cd.html
http://3rffffhfhgg.blogspot.com/2010/01/cd-advert.html
http://emilyjane-a2.blogspot.com/2010/01/advert.html
Research
You will need a blog post analysing some existing products. Look at 2 or 3 CD covers and 2 or 3 magazine adverts, preferably from a similar genre to your own. How are these covers constructing/maintaining a brand image? How are they likely to appeal to their target audiences?
Look at your own CDs or go to these links.
http://www.stpaulsgallery.com/
http://rockpopgallery.com/items/cd-album-cover-art/list.htm?1=1
You can also go here: http://www.allcdcovers.com/ to look up specific artists – this site also has backs and insides.
Look at music magazines to find adverts, or try a google image search.
- Make use of the 'theories' of media language and genre in your analysis.
Monday, 31 October 2011
Blog Check for November
Blog check: 1st November
These should all be on all your blogs, not just on the blog of one group member. You might have other posts too – don’t take things off your blog just because they aren’t on this list.
Please title your posts very clearly. To rearrange your blog: go to view blog, click the pencil icon to edit post, click the post options button, change the date of publication.
At this stage, you get marks for: research and planning. Please make sure all your blog title posts so far include the word research, the word planning, or both.
1. Introductory post – briefly describe this year’s coursework – you could now add who you’re working with and which song you’re using.
2. Busted planning – storyboard, shot list, casting, health and safety etc.
3. Lip synch and Busted video – embedded and working.
4. Analysis of your own skills and weaknesses during the Busted and lip synch video – discuss what you have learned and what you need to improve on in terms of planning, organising, filming and editing.
5. NEW: quick intro to the ideas of Andrew Goodwin – you could paste some relevant bits from this presentation and introduce it briefly in your own words.
http://www.slideshare.net/katewolstenholme/andrew-goodwin-on-music-video
6. Video research
• analyse at least two music videos
• embed the videos
• make sure everything is arranged properly and clearly titled.
• refer to Andrew Goodwin by name
• apply Goodwin’s ideas to your examples
• refer to aspects of cinematography, editing and mise en scene
• do at least one of the research extension tasks
7. Creativity
• what is creativity?
• how do you rate your own creativity?
• examples of creative things you’ve done in the past.
• creative task(s) you’ve done in preparation for the music video
.
8. Copy of your pitch
9. Summary of feedback from your pitch and your responses to it. You should explain what positive feedback you had, and what criticisms you received. What will you do to address the criticisms? Can you solve the problems that the feedback raised?
These should all be on all your blogs, not just on the blog of one group member. You might have other posts too – don’t take things off your blog just because they aren’t on this list.
Please title your posts very clearly. To rearrange your blog: go to view blog, click the pencil icon to edit post, click the post options button, change the date of publication.
At this stage, you get marks for: research and planning. Please make sure all your blog title posts so far include the word research, the word planning, or both.
1. Introductory post – briefly describe this year’s coursework – you could now add who you’re working with and which song you’re using.
2. Busted planning – storyboard, shot list, casting, health and safety etc.
3. Lip synch and Busted video – embedded and working.
4. Analysis of your own skills and weaknesses during the Busted and lip synch video – discuss what you have learned and what you need to improve on in terms of planning, organising, filming and editing.
5. NEW: quick intro to the ideas of Andrew Goodwin – you could paste some relevant bits from this presentation and introduce it briefly in your own words.
http://www.slideshare.net/katewolstenholme/andrew-goodwin-on-music-video
6. Video research
• analyse at least two music videos
• embed the videos
• make sure everything is arranged properly and clearly titled.
• refer to Andrew Goodwin by name
• apply Goodwin’s ideas to your examples
• refer to aspects of cinematography, editing and mise en scene
• do at least one of the research extension tasks
7. Creativity
• what is creativity?
• how do you rate your own creativity?
• examples of creative things you’ve done in the past.
• creative task(s) you’ve done in preparation for the music video
.
8. Copy of your pitch
9. Summary of feedback from your pitch and your responses to it. You should explain what positive feedback you had, and what criticisms you received. What will you do to address the criticisms? Can you solve the problems that the feedback raised?
Monday, 10 October 2011
Pitches
The Pitch
Guidance:
1) The idea is to sell your concept/idea to financial backers/sponsors. Therefore, it is important to be confident that your idea is strong and that it has been well thought through.
2) Use any presentational technique you want to show, tell and sell your idea/concept. E.g. Powerpoint, Prezi, dressing up, dance routines, drawings etc.
3) The pitch should last no longer than five minutes and no less than three minutes. (Pack as much as you can into this time).
4) The rest of the group will provide feedback - positive and helpful comments only will be accepted. Comments will be made anonymously.
5) The pitch materials will eventually be posted on to your blog and will contribute to the research and planning.
Contents
- Moodboard
- References to your research and how it has been useful to you. (what ideas did you get from it?)
- Theorists names and ideas that you have used to help develop your idea.
- Examples of similar ideas/concepts that already exist. (How will yours be different?)
- Logistical, health and safety issues (only rough ideas at this stage). How will you achieve your ideas? How will you ensure that you stay safe?
- Target Audience – a good, clear profile, revealing you know who your promotion package is aimed at.
- The song/piece of music you are going to use (be prepared to play the first 30 seconds of this.)
Remember you are selling the idea, so don't just talk – show, tell and sell!
The pitches will be given on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st October. THEY MUST BE ON YOUR BLOG BY THE END OF WEDNESDAY 19TH OCTOBER.
Good example: http://jodiepackwooda2media.blogspot.com/2010/11/research-and-planning-post-pitch.html
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Creativity
Creativity
For the next couple of lessons you should focus on creative planning activities
In the exam there may well be a question about how your creativity has developed during your time as a media student.
It would be wise this week to consider carefully how you have been creative and how your creative 'process' has changed over the last two years.
Make some (brief) blog posts this week that discuss creativity. Simple and quick blog posts that you can use later when you start to revise for the exam.
- What is creativity?
- How can you be more creative?
- Where does it come from?
- What role does it play in creating a media production?
Creativity is a big issue in education and teaching at the moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&feature=related
4.44-6.35
13.08-14.00
Creativity depends on ….
Creativity is …
Do you agree?
Being more creative – a how to guide...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPC8e-Jk5uw&feature=fvw
Do you think this makes you more creative?
Is it as simple as this?
Creative things to do this week...
1) Listen to your song and generate (draw, photograph, copy etc etc) images that result from the process of synaesthesia.
2) Quickly film some shots, in rough, that you think would look good in the video.
3) Choreograph some movements, actions etc that you think could go in the video.
4) Don't just sit and blog - a chore – do something that inspires and makes you feel positive about your project – even if it’s wrong!
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Music video research extension
Music Video Research
Once you have completed two analyses and made improvements as I’ll suggest, you’ve done the basics for your music video research.
For a high grade, it is worth doing a bit more. However, remember that most of the research and planning marks are for PLANNING.
You COULD also:
1. Analyse another one or two videos – perhaps videos that are a bit more disjunctive or unusual, and which don’t fit with Goodwin’s ideas.
2. Find other theorists and consider what you have written compared to what they say. For example, when Sven E Carlson (http://filmsound.org/what_is_music_video/) says that the performer embodies one of three mythic roles, commercial exhibitionist, televised bard, electronic shaman, you might want to consider whether the video you have just analysed contains one or more of these roles.
Here are some other links you might look at:
Analysing music video: http://www.sibetrans.com/trans/a254/cultural-approaches-to-the-rhetorical-analysis-of-selected-music-videos
Youtube and its impact on music video: http://www.quora.com/What-effect-has-YouTube-had-on-music
History of music video: http://www.nypress.com/article-16889-official-history-of-music-video.html
3. Use Prezi to create an annotated version of one of your chosen videos, like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA3x1jxzvz0
Whether you choose to do these extras or not, the deadline for the music video research is Friday 14th October.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Monday, 19 September 2011
After Busted
Here are some jobs to do after you've finished editing your Busted video, uploaded it to Youtube and embedded it in your blog.
1. If you haven't done so already, send me your blog URL - cw@wsfc.ac.uk
2. Follow my blog by clicking the follow button at the top of the screen.
3. Add 4 short blog posts explaining and evaluating the Busted and lip synching activities: details of this are below.
A blogging task
This is to be completed individually.
During the A2 year you will be blogging throughout the year, constantly referring to skills you are developing and concepts you find yourself applying.
To begin this process, you are being asked to construct a blog post around each of the following skills. In each post, you must write a little bit – keep it short – about each skill and how it developed during these short production tasks.
1. Introduction: briefly explain what you’ve been doing (busted/lip synch)
2. Research and Planning
Which of the planning tasks was most useful? (Storyboard, Shooting script…)
What kinds of planning do you wish you had done more of?
Show the planning you did in this blog – images, lists etc.
What kinds of planning do you expect to be doing during the A2 year? (make a list)
3. Production:
How did your knowledge of production technology develop? (Cameras, edit suites, use of Youtube, blogging etc.)
What did you learn during this production task?
What sort of technology skills would you like to develop during the A2 year?
What did you learn during this production task?
How did the shoot go? What went wrong? What do you need to do make sure these things don’t happen again?
4. Post-Production
How did your editing go? What would have helped you edit more effectively?
Specifically - what are the tools and devices used editing that you felt were particularly useful?
Can you show images of the specific tools?
In all cases, you need to show and tell – include images and explain them.
Embed Youtube clips, upload images and produce screen grabs of work in progress.
You need to get all this complete by the end of the week.
1. If you haven't done so already, send me your blog URL - cw@wsfc.ac.uk
2. Follow my blog by clicking the follow button at the top of the screen.
3. Add 4 short blog posts explaining and evaluating the Busted and lip synching activities: details of this are below.
A blogging task
This is to be completed individually.
During the A2 year you will be blogging throughout the year, constantly referring to skills you are developing and concepts you find yourself applying.
To begin this process, you are being asked to construct a blog post around each of the following skills. In each post, you must write a little bit – keep it short – about each skill and how it developed during these short production tasks.
1. Introduction: briefly explain what you’ve been doing (busted/lip synch)
2. Research and Planning
Which of the planning tasks was most useful? (Storyboard, Shooting script…)
What kinds of planning do you wish you had done more of?
Show the planning you did in this blog – images, lists etc.
What kinds of planning do you expect to be doing during the A2 year? (make a list)
3. Production:
How did your knowledge of production technology develop? (Cameras, edit suites, use of Youtube, blogging etc.)
What did you learn during this production task?
What sort of technology skills would you like to develop during the A2 year?
What did you learn during this production task?
How did the shoot go? What went wrong? What do you need to do make sure these things don’t happen again?
4. Post-Production
How did your editing go? What would have helped you edit more effectively?
Specifically - what are the tools and devices used editing that you felt were particularly useful?
Can you show images of the specific tools?
In all cases, you need to show and tell – include images and explain them.
Embed Youtube clips, upload images and produce screen grabs of work in progress.
You need to get all this complete by the end of the week.
Monday, 5 September 2011
Welcome back to A2 Media
Welcome back everyone - hope you enjoyed your summer. You'll need to follow this blog so that you can access tasks, links and notes on your music video portfolio tasks, and I'll follow you in return.
The first task of the year is to create a lip synching video like this one:
Then you'll have a go at remaking the video for Busted's 'What I go to School For', like this:
Your efforts will be put on the department Youtube channel, which you should also subscribe to.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Photography and Photoshop
You should now be taking or have taken your pictures - you'll need the Photoshop guides for the digipak and advert, both in Student Deptfiles. Because of the possible strike action on Thursday, I'm hoping we'll be able to complete the work by the end of Tuesday's lesson - so please try to plan for that.
Remember, this is just practise which doesn't count towards your final grade, so feel free to experiment and make mistakes - that's the idea!
Monday, 13 June 2011
Summer Term Planning
Print Production - Planning
You need to show your 'working out' in Media Studies - how you developed an idea, your influences, your rough drawing, your first drafts, crossings out, ideas that didn't make it, ideas that did.... the full development from concept to final work needs to be shown.
This could be totally visual, images, sketches etc. However, you could also write brief comments why, for example, you thought one idea got ditched, or how your audience focus group made you change your ideas.
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Planning tasks:
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Summer Term Research
Research
You have two print tasks:
1. Cover for a digipack. You will need to create a minimum of four ‘panes’: front of digipack, rear of digipack, inside cover front and inside cover rear. (A digipack is a CD release with special features such as a video clip – it usually has folded cardboard rather than plastic packaging).
2. A magazine advert for the digipack. Ideally you would not simply re-use the photo from the digipak, but rework the imagery and photography in some way.
Some things to think about:
· How will the audience recognise the genre of music? How will you address your particular target audience?
· How will you create a ‘house style’ linked to the brand image of your band? How will you link the styles of the digipak and advert?
· The size of the advert is up to you – think about the magazine(s) it will be in and the amount of money your band would have to spend on marketing – could they afford a quarter page, half page, or full page? What magazines are appropriate for the target audience? Try to find out how much ads in these magazines actually cost. Can you save some money by using the same advert online? What will you need to consider when designing it if you want to use it in print and onscreen?
RESEARCH TASK: Create a Powerpoint or Prezi
1. Find 2 or 3 digipak covers and 2 or 3 magazine adverts, preferably from a similar genre to your own. Add images of these to your Prezi or Powerpoint.
2. Add notes to the images on your Powerpoint or Prezi, answering the following questions.
- Are there any features they have in common – e.g. colour, lighting, image type, image framing, font style ...?
- How can you identify the genre of music?
- How are they likely to appeal to their target audiences?
- What kind of details are on there – critics quotes and star ratings on the adverts, credits, logos, coptyright notices, parental advisory warnings etc on the digipaks?
3. Finally, add some bullet points listing the good ideas you can take from the digipaks and adverts you’ve looked at.
Digipak links:
http://www.stpaulsgallery.com/
http://rockpopgallery.com/items/cd-album-cover-art/list.htm?1=1
You can also go here: http://www.allcdcovers.com/ to look up specific artists – this site also has backs and insides.
Adverts for digipaks are harder to find, but you can try this:
Some good print work
Good digipaks and adverts – why are they good?
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_phfQUkxcg7k/TQtU6Bp9RpI/AAAAAAAAAN8/mmVhJi5NKj8/s1600/finished%2Balbum.jp
Level 4 print criteria
The candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:
· using IT appropriately for the task set;
· showing understanding of conventions of layout and page design;
· showing awareness of the need for variety in fonts and text size;
· accurate use of language and register;
· appropriately integrating illustration and text;
· framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate;
· using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
· shooting material appropriate to the task set;
· selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting;
· manipulating photographs as appropriate to the context for presentation,
including within text, within particular IT programmes, cropping and resizing.
Summer term
Welcome back. For the next three weeks, you'll be working on print production skills ready for your A2 coursework.
A2 Coursework:
· Research and planning (20%)
· Individual print work: digipak (10%)
· Individual print work: magazine advert for the digipak (10%)
· Group music video: (40%)
· Evaluation: (20%)
You can look at some examples of A* grade work here:
http://jodiepackwooda2media.blogspot.com/
http://leahdennisona2mediastudies.blogspot.com/
And you can watch some of the best videos here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediawsfc?feature=mhee#g/c/28AF162A99DD36AD
This term, we’ll spend time practising your print production skills so that you can create excellent print work next year. You will:
· Research some existing print work
· Learn some Photoshop skills
· Create a digipack to practice your skills: You will need to create a minimum of four ‘panes’: front of digipack, rear of digipack, inside cover front and inside cover rear. A digipack is a CD release with special features such as a video clip – it usually has folded cardboard rather than plastic packaging.
· Create a magazine advert for the digipak
The digipak and advert won’t be part of your A2 production work – but creating them will allow you to gain and practise skills, and the work you blog this term will count towards your research and planning grade for A2.
Good marks come from:
· Using a recognisable ‘house style’ which is appropriate for genre/audience
· Paying attention to detail – e.g. including credits and record label logos
· Taking a range of good quality photos and not repeatedly using the same one.
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