Ernulf A level Media: 2015

Friday, 20 November 2015

A2 blogs

this is what I think should be on your blogs so far...

Initial brainstorm of thriller and being scared
1408
When a stranger calls
2 trailers
Research on a whole film (characters, settings, narratives)
Film titles
All your research on film posters and film magazine covers from June 2015

Initial planning ideas
Pitch film with comments from you on what went well, what you could/should have included and audience response
Record any changes to your ideas (there have been lots so far) with reasons
Storyboard
Shot lists
Settings (ideas and decisions)
Characters, costumes, props,
Scripts
Production schedule with days, times etc
Communications with people to make plans for filming or rehearsing
Ideas for posters and film magazine covers
Music research and initial ideas and decisions
Editing plans (transitions, effects, sequencing) with reasons

target audience: demographics and psychographics
Risk assessment
links to the 5 key concepts: audience, narrative, genre, representation and media language including links to theories and theorists
all research, planning, filming and editing should be linked to target audience
editing decisions and revisions

Friday, 8 May 2015

Film Revision Podcast

Film revision wav file
AS Film Revision

Wednesday, 25 March 2015

Year 12 Easter Homework

Due for Wednesday 15th April

Learn all the facts and figures from your 2 case studies.

Fill in details on all 7 grids in your booklets (one for each possible exam topic)

Answer this exam question. Plan it first by deciding 4 or 5 main points that you then expand into a paragraph on each using your case studies as evidence. Draw a conclusion at the end to actually answer the question.

"What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audiences in the media area you have studied?"

Year 13 Easter Homework

Due for Wednesday 15th April:

Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.

Revise theories and theorists for genre, narrative, representation, media language and audience. Expect a test on 15 April.

Wednesday, 18 March 2015

Terminology for A2

synergy
Transition
Lassoo
Protagonist
Names of camera shots
Connotative effect
Conventions
Layers
Iconography
Synchronous
Diegetic
Non diegetic
Miss en scene
Serif
Snaps serif
Blending options
Chronological
Non chronological
Juxtaposition

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

Define a contemporary Film Audience

This is asking you have a modern audience deals with films. This is a possible plan but you MUST become independent in deciding how you answer these exam questions.

1. I have studied the medium of film and my case studies are The Selfish Giant (2014) and The Hunger Games (2015). These provide a good comparison between British independent film and a Hollywood release.

2. Technological convergence has allowed audiences to access film on a wide range of devices. Tablets, iPods.....hardware and software. Dvd, Bluray, streaming, subscription services.

3. High broadband speeds and a proliferation in copying software and hardware has facilitated illegal access to films. This costs the industry over £7m per year in lost revenue. Audiences want to see the latest releases....

4. Audiences use a range of ways to find out about film and decide what to watch. Websites such as rotten tomatoes....reviews... Word of mouth...viral...cookies...

5. Cinema audiences have increased in recent years with cinemas offering a range of experiences. Multiplexes ........ Art houses such as Curzon cinemas.....

6. Opportunities to interact with film have increased with easier online facilities. Audience as prosumer...You tube...forums...Capitol TV,

7. You could discuss audience preferences in terms of content. Eg HG is part of a trilogy, established audience. SG a new concept but both come from a fable background.

Examiner commentary for AS and A2 exams

Examiner comments

AS students please read p26-28

A2 students please read p35-37

Feel free to read the whole document as well!

Lesson Wednesday 18th March

"Cross media convergence and synergy are vital processes in the successful marketing of products to audiences." To what extent do agree?

Define success in terms of a film?

How did HG use cross media convergence and synergy?

How successful was this? Evidence?

Compare this to SG. Did it need them to be successful?

What other processes were used to market the films that did not include cross media convergence and synergy? Were these successful?

Year 12 homework due 25 March

Evaluate the role of digital technologies in the marketing and consumption of products in the media area you have studied.

Evaluate = how successful
Marketing = advertising
Consumption = watching
How did SG use digital technologies and how successful was this?
Compare this to HG.

Use your notes and aim for 500-700 words.

Also please fill in the grid on page 26 about new digital technologies ready for the lesson on Wednesday.

Thursday, 12 March 2015

Year 12 Homework due 17 March

Right year 12, here is a technological convergence task!

Please can you record the main facts from your PowerPoint slide about The Hunger Games or The Selfish Giant in a few sentences. Ideally I would like you to do this on your phone, save it as an MP3 and e mail it to me by Tuesday lunchtime. If you do not have the means to do this on a phone you need to use a voice recorder in school.

I will then put all these together as a podcast that you can use for revision.

Secondly please write this essay and hand in Wednesday 18th March:

"Define a contemporary film audience."

You need to use facts from your 2 case studies as well as personal experience and any other information we have discussed or you have read. Think about how people watch film, find out about film and interact with film. Aim for about 500 words.

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Year 12 Research Task

You have each been given a topic to research in preparation for the exam. You will need to prepare at least one Power Point slide with the key information which will then form part of one large presentation which can be given to all students for revision.

Your slide must be posted in media studies hand in work by lunch time on Tuesday 10th March. You need to be prepared to expand on the slide with some notes in the lesson on Wednesday 11th March.

I have given you some ideas where to look for the information but there are many more.

Name	Topic	Resources
1. Laura	The Selfish Giant. Production What cameras were used? Why? Which actors? How were they chosen? What are they known for? How will these target a local, national or international audience? Who is the director? What is he/she known for? How will this target an Audience?	Imdb Interviews with Clio B
2. Ian	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Production What cameras were used? Why? Which actors? How were they chosen? What are they known for? How will these target a local, national or international audience? Who is the director? What is he/she known for? How will this target an Audience?	Imdb Google search
3. Sam	The Selfish Giant. Production Content: Where do the ideas come from? What were the reasons the film was made? Where was it first seen? Do these ideas help target a local, national or international audience?	DVD interviews imbd
4. Alice	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Production Content: Where do the ideas come from? What were the reasons the film was made? Where was it first seen? Do these ideas help target a local, national or international audience?	Imdb Website You tube interviews
5.Alex	The Selfish Giant. Production/distribution What is the production company? How well are they known? What is their culture/ethos? How was Curzon and Artificial Eye used by the film? What kind of institutions are these? How can they survive in a modern media age?	Websites
6.Amy	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Production What is the production company? How well are they known? What is their culture/ethos? What kind of company is Lionsgate? How can they survive in a modern age? How did they promote the film successfully?	websites
7.Taylor Eve	The Selfish Giant. Exchange What was the budget? What was the opening week end takings in US and UK How many cinema screens did it open on? What is the gross income to date?	Imdb Google searches
8.Dan	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Exchange What was the budget? What was the opening week end takings in US and UK How many cinema screens did it open on? What is the gross income to date?	Imbd Google searches
9.Eva	The Selfish Giant. Distribution How do the posters promote the film? How do they target the Audience? Who do they target Where can they be seen?	imdb
10. Adam	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Distribution How do the posters promote the film? How do they target the Audience? Who do they target Where can they be seen?	imdb
11. Georgia	The Selfish Giant. Distribution How do the trailers promote the film? How do they target the audience? Where can they be seen?	You tube
12. Joe	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Distribution How do the trailers promote the film? How do they target the audience? Where can they be seen?	Imdb website
13. Lucy	The Selfish Giant. Distribution How does the film use the Internet, social media and digital marketing for promotion? What evidence is there of success of these methods?	Websites Google search You tube
14. Peter	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Distribution How does the film use its website to promote the film, create an audience, engage an audience and enable the audience to interact? What is the evidence of success?	Website
15. Jared	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Distribution How does the film use social media to promote the film, create an audience, engage an audience and enable the audience to interact? What is the evidence of success?	Adoperations article on blog First half of minttwist article
16. Callum	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Distribution How does the film use digital marketing to promote the film, create an audience, engage an audience and enable the audience to interact? What is the evidence of success?	Nytimes article on blog
17. Sean	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1 How was Capitol TV used to promote the film? How did the audience respond?	Second half of minttwist article on blog
18. Taylor	The Selfish Giant. Distribution Below the line advertising. What awards, film festivals, magazine articles, TV spots were used as promotion? What opportunities are there for the audience to get involved in the film? Be a prosumer? Any links on You Tube? Any cross media convergence?	Imdb Search Own research from October
19. Louis	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1. Distribution Below the line advertising. What awards, film festivals, magazine articles, TV spots were used as promotion?	Searches PPT in shared
20. Victoria	The Selfish Giant and The Hunger Games Mockingjay. Exchange Releases of DVD. Any extras? Reviews How did this target the audience?	Websites, imdb, Amazon searches
21. Bonny	The Selfish Giant and The Hunger Games Mockingjay. Exchange Reviews on imdb, rotten tomatoes, Amazon, Netflix etc Any other info that gives an idea of success or audience responses	Imdb etc websites fansites
22. Danni	The Hunger Games Mockingjay part 1 What opportunities are there for the audience to get involved in the film? Be a prosumer? Any links on You Tube? Any cross media convergence?	Mazda ad on blog O2 competitions Merchandising on blog searches

Monday, 2 March 2015

Hunger Games Merchandise

http://www.cafepress.co.uk/+hungergamesmovie+gifts

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Film Terminology

Film and Institution Glossary

Above the line advertising	Publicity that is controlled by the distribution company such as trailers, posters, links with companies,
Artshouse	Cinema specialising in films that are not mainstream e.g. art films, foreign films, classic films
Artshouse film	A low budget independent film that would most likely appeal to an educated higher class audience who follow unusual genres or like cult directors that few have heard of.
Below the line advertising	Publicity that is not controlled by distribution company and is usually free e.g. reviews, interviews, articles in magazines
Big Five	Biggest film studios: MGM, warner brothers, 20^th C Fox, paramount, Sony. Produce, distribute and own cinemas
Conglomerate	A company that owns large numbers of companies in a range of mass media such as TV, film and the internet. Eg Disney, news Corporation, Time warner
Contemporary	Up to date, modern
Convention	What we expect to see in a particular genre or text
Cross media convergence	Companies coming together vertically or horizontally for mutual gain e.g. orange Wednesdays, McDonalds happy meals
Demographic	Measurable characteristics of media consumers such as age, gender, race, lifestyle, education and income
Digital screen network	A project to convert 240 screens in UK cinemas to digital costing £12m.
Digital technologies	Any piece of technology that stores information by reducing it to digits then reassembles it for an exact reproduction e.g. internet, phones, HD cameras, I pads
Distribution	After the film is made it is distributed to cinemas, promoted on TV and radio and in magazines, marketed using posters, websites, trailers, links with companies such as McDonalds
Exchange	Ways of watching and sharing films e.g. cinemas, you tube, streaming, DVD, bluray, fansites, swedes,
Global	worldwide
Hardware	The physical equipment used to produce, distribute
Horizontal Integration	One company buying others in the same level of work to strengthen their business.
Independent film	Produced outside the major film studio format usually with a low budget
Mainstream	A high budget film that would appeal to most segments of an audience
Marketing	The way in which a media text or product is sold to a target audience
Mass audience	A very large group of people
National	Within one country
Niche audience	related to or aiming at a specialised group of people or a group interested in a particular theme
Online distribution	Delivery of media content without the use of physical media usually streamed or downloaded
Print	A 35mm film reel that is sent to cinemas to show. Costs 10 times that of a digital copy
Production	The process of creating film from the idea to the final edit
Proliferation	A huge increase or a huge amount
Prosumer	Audience member who makes film and distributes usually through the internet
Swede	A summarized recreation of a popular culture film using limited (or no) budget and a camcorder. The process is sweding and once done the film has been sweded.
Synergy	The combination of 2 separate media texts or products that share similar characteristics so that one helps market the other e.g. colour, font, image, logo
Target audience	The ideal audience member in terms of age, gender, income, lifestyle, race
Technological convergence	The merging of previously separate communication methods made possible by technological advances. Eg a phone is used for photos, videos, internet, messaging
USP	Unique Selling Point. What makes the film different or the aspect that most appeals to the audience
Vertical integration	Where an institution shares or owns each part of the production and distribution process e.g. 20^th C Fox makes and distributes films
Viral marketing	Being passed from one person to another usually via the internet and free

Ernulf A level Media