2. Coursework Deadlines
21st of October – Research into similar products to be completed.
16th of December – Deadline for Research and Planning.
10th of February – Initial versions of coursework products to be completed.
30th of March – Final deadline for the Advanced Portfolio.
You will need to set up an individual blog for your coursework. The
recommended site is blogger. Don’t forget your log in details.
Blog address:
All resources for the Advanced Production will be placed on
the Media Department A Level blog.
Mediastudiesnwcc.blogspot.com
Links to exemplar student blogs are also available through
the blog.
Coursework drop-in sessions are available every lunchtime,
and after school Tuesday-Thursday in the new Media room.
3. The Advanced Portfolio is worth 50% of your marks for A2 Media Studies, and 25% of your
final A Level grade. You have the choice from the following coursework briefs:
Brief 1
A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with:
a cover for its release as part of a digipak (CD/DVD package);
a magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package).
Brief 2
A promotion package for a new film, to include a teaser trailer, together with:
a film magazine front cover, featuring the film;
a poster for the film.
Brief 4
A promotion package for a new computer/video game, to include two TV advertisements, together with:
the cover of the game’s package;
a magazine advertisement for the game.
Brief 5
A promotion package for a new soap opera, to include a TV trailer, together with:
a listings magazine front cover featuring the new soap;
a poster for the soap.
Brief 6
A selection of materials related to an original children’s TV drama, to include the title sequence to the TV
programme, together with:
the front cover to a magazine for the series;
a DVD cover for the series;
Brief 10
A short film in its entirety, lasting approximately five minutes, which may be live action or animated or a
combination of both, together with two of the following three options:
a poster for the film;
a film magazine review page featuring the film.
All material for all tasks to be produced by the candidates with the exception of
acknowledged non-original sound or image material used in a limited way in video/radio
work. For music video, permission should be sought from the artist for use of the audio
track.
You may complete the main task as a group, however you will need to complete the two
ancillary tasks individually.
Research and Planning
The Research and Planning is worth 20% of your total marks for the Advanced Portfolio. To
achieve a Level 4 (A) you will need to:
Conduct excellent research into similar products and the target audience
Show excellent organisation of actors, props, locations, costumes, etc.
Produce excellent planning (shotlists, storyboards, scripts, drafts, layouts)
Demonstrate excellent time management
Make excellent use of ICT and digital technology
4. Have excellent presentation of research and planning
Show excellent communication skills
You will need to set up a blog for your coursework. If you are working in a group you will
need to set up individual blogs to present your work. It is expected that you produce your
research individually.
Your mark for the Research and Planning is partly based on your use of the blog format. Try
to include videos, images, links, surveys, etc. to show you have made creative use of the
blog.
Tips on how to do well:
Use a broad range of research methods
Identify your target audience clearly at the start of your project
Use audience research throughout your project (i.e. get feedback from your target
audience during planning stages)
Demonstrate a range of planning activities
Produce detailed textual analysis of similar products (don’t just describe the
products, analyse the effects, discuss connotations, appeal to audience, link to
institutions where relevant)
Update your blog regularly
Make creative use of your blog – you are assessed on your use of ICT and digital
technology (embed videos, documents, include links to relevant webpages, images,
etc.)
Audience Research
Produce a questionnaire to find out who your target audience is (the demographic), what
their interests are (the psychographic), and how to make your product appealing to them.
Internet research – some information about the audience for certain media products is
available on the internet.
Focus group – interview a group (or individuals) who are the target audience for your
product. Show them extracts from similar products and ask them to explain what they like
about them. You could also discuss your ideas for your product and get some feedback.
Filming the focus group and embedding the video on the blog will help you achieve higher
marks. It is a good idea to complete the focus group when you have begun to plan your
own products so you can get feedback on your ideas from your target audience.
Summarise the findings of each piece of audience research you do and explain how it will
help you to produce a successful product.
Research into similar products
Research into similar products – you will need to analyse at least 3 examples each of similar
products for your main task, and ancillary tasks.
5. Print Based Media Audiovisual Media
Layout Camerawork
Font Editing
Colours Sound
Image (shot type, mise-en-scene) Mise-en-scene
Language Narrative
Representation Representation
Conventions Conventions
In your research into similar products remember to use specific examples from the text you
are analysing, and explain the effect of the example. You need to ensure your work is
analytical rather than descriptive in order to achieve a Level 4. Try to use images from the
texts you analyse, and link to or embed the videos/print products you are discussing.
Your research into similar products for your main and ancillary tasks should be completed
and uploaded to your blog by Friday, 21st of October.
Planning
You need to produce planning for both your main and ancillary tasks.
Print Based Media Audiovisual Media
Draft of layout Outline (plot, characters)
Sample fonts and colour schemes Script
Drafts of text Storyboard
Planning for photography Shotlists
Draftwork showing progress of
use of images
You should also produce a Production Plan. This should include:
Production activities and dates
Locations
Costume and props
Equipment
Personnel
You will also need to complete a risk assessment for your production work where relevant.
The Pitch
Create a pitch for your products. The pitch should contain the following information:
A summary of what you found out about the conventions of the type of products you
are producing
A summary of what you found out about your target audience
6. A description of your ideas for your product
An explanation of why your products will be successful
Draft/sample material
You should use your pitch as a way of obtaining further audience feedback on your ideas for
your product.
The deadline for your Research and Planning is Friday, 16th of December. This work will be
assessed and a mark placed on GO.
Construction
Your coursework products are worth 60% of your marks for the Advanced Portfolio. You
receive 40 marks for your main task, and 10 marks each for the two ancillary tasks.
The criteria to achieve a Level 4 are:
Film/Television/Video
The candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in the creative use of most of the
following technical skills:
shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera,
attention to framing, variety of shot sizes and close attention to mise en scene
editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and
appropriate use of shot transitions, captions and other effects
recording and editing sound with images appropriately.
Where a candidate has worked in a group, an excellent contribution to construction
is evident.
Print
The candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in the creative use of most of the
following technical skills:
awareness of conventions of layout and page design
awareness of the need for variety in fonts and text size
accurate use of language and register
the appropriate use of ICT for the task set
appropriate integration of illustration and text
framing a shot, 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, including cropping and resizing.
Where a candidate has worked in a group, an excellent contribution to construction
is evident.
7. Remember you are producing a package of products so try to create links across all three,
through the use of similar colours, fonts, images, etc. With film work think carefully about
your use of mise-en-scene – location, costumes, props, lighting. Remember to use a tripod.
Frame your shots thoughtfully to ensure they are effective. Make sure the sound quality of
your recording is of a good standard.
With print work make sure you plan your photographs carefully. Think about how your use
of layout, fonts, colours, and images relates to the genre and target audience.
The deadline for the first completed drafts/cuts of your products is Friday the 10th of
February. You will receive feedback and targets to improve. You will then have until the
30th of March to complete final improvements.
Evaluation
The Evaluation is worth 20% of your final mark for the Advanced Portfolio. The criteria to
achieve a Level 4 are:
There is excellent skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.
There is excellent understanding of the forms and conventions used in the
productions.
There is excellent understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages
of the production.
There is excellent understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary
texts.
There is excellent understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
There is excellent skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
There is excellent ability to communicate.
You should present your evaluation as a blog entry. You are marked on how you use the
blog format. Try to use the format in a creative way, e.g. through combining text, images,
videos, links, audio, etc.
Audience Feedback
Before you begin your evaluation you will need to get feedback from your target audience
on what they think about your products. You could use a questionnaire and/or a focus
group to do this.
The Questions
You will need to address the following four questions in your evaluation:
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
8. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and
evaluation stages?
Conventions In this section you need to identify the conventions of the media forms
you have produced. Include links to videos, and images to support the points you make.
You will need to explain whether you followed conventions or broke them. You may
want to think about conventions in relation to elements such as camerawork, editing, and
mise-en-scene (particularly choice of settings, costume, and props). In your discussion
explain why you followed or broke conventions, and what your intended effect on the
audience was. Stills or video clips from your own production should be used to support the
points you make.
You may also want to discuss your use of conventions in relation to the ancillary
products.
Combination of Main and Ancillary Tasks Consider how the three products
are integrated – is there continuity in use of images, colours, fonts, etc.? What effect does
this have? Have you created a brand identity for your product?
Your package of products is intended to market a specific product (e.g. an album,
film, etc.). How effectively does the package market the products?
Consider the use of different media and how this may help you appeal to your target
audience. Discuss where your print adverts would be placed and why, and consider where
your video product would be seen. Links to relevant websites or scanned images could be
used to support the points you make. A comparison of your package to a similar
promotional package may be useful.
Audience Feedback Discuss the findings of your audience feedback. Try to be
creative in how you present this. Consider filming a focus group, scanning in completed
questionnaires, and producing graphs.
You should discuss how effectively you have appealed to your target audience based
on the feedback you have received. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your product
identified by audience feedback.
Technologies You will need to evaluate your use of media technologies throughout
your coursework. How useful was the blog format? What were the strengths and
weaknesses? Did using the blog allow you to conduct your research and planning more
effectively? How important was the internet to your research?
Discuss your use of video equipment and editing software – evaluate the process of
using these technologies. You may want to include screen grabs to show how you used
programmes to produce your work, and what the technology allowed you to do.
The final deadline for your coursework is Friday, the 30 th of March. All work must be
completed and uploaded to the blog by that date. Your work will be assessed, your mark
will be recorded on GO and sent to the exam board.
