STATEMENT OF INTENT 2023/4

WHY DO WE NEED AN SOI?

The purpose of the Statement of Intent is threefold:

First, it is worth NOT MINUS TEN marks. You are not graded on the SOI, but if it is missing or short, I need to take away marks up to a maximum of ten.

Secondly, it gives you a place to justify the reasons you have for the decisions you make about the content of your texts. This is important, because examiners (and me) will not always agree with your choices, but if they are well justified and well executed they can still score a very high mark.

Thirdly, and most importantly, it forces you to focus on your intentions and to ask yourself if what you are intended to create fulfils the brief and will also achieve a good score. 

Rose Carrington Media Studies Blog: 02 STATEMENT OF INTENT (rosecarringtonchsmediablog.blogspot.com)

Joanna Attwell Media Studies Blog: 02 STATEMENT OF INTENT (attwelljoannachsmediablog.blogspot.com)

With that in mind, let's start by looking back at two of the best from last year. As we examine them, you should ask yourself the following questions:

1: Do they have a clear grasp of Media Language, Representation, Industry and Audience?

2: Do they have a sense of the way that these elements function in existing media?

3: Have they clearly explained how they intend to use/develop/challenge these elements in their own production?

4: Did you get a sense of what their finished product/s would look like as you read their SOI?

5: Did it live up to your expectations?

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN. 

05 Planning Production and 06 Planning Website

In the section of your blog entitled 05 Planning Production, you need to include details of your planning.

PRINT

For magazine productions, this MUST include mock ups of your final production using CAREFULLY CHOSEN found images, but may also include any sketches that you produce, or any experiments with lighting or with photoshop effect. It could also logistics lists, location scouting, mood boards etc.

MUSIC VIDEO / TV

For both audio-visual productions, this MUST include a storyboard and shooting script (which can be combined). This should give a very clear sense of the intended production. You may also include any sketches, experiments with lighting, visual effects etc. You may also include logistic lists, location scouting, screen tests, mood boards etc.

In the section of your blog entitled 06 Planning Website

You should post a link to your website. Initially, your website will be a mockup using found images. Make screengrabs of the process at regular intervals. As with print productions, this may also include sketches, experiments, logistics lists etc.

Deadline for completion 26th May 2023

Camera Research

 Over the next week, I would like to give you the opportunity to get used to the way that different cameras available in school will allow you to achieve different effects. So, the list of equipment that you have available is:

iPhone 14 + Gimble

Canon M50 + Speedbooster + Canon 50mm 1.4 lens (Prime lens).

Canon 200D + Sigma 1.8 - 18 to 35 mm (Zoom lens)

Canon 550D/600D + Various lenses.

Panasonic G3 + 25mm 1.7 (Prime lens).

You should try to get hands on with every option, unless you already know that it will not work out for you. Whatever experiment you do, post it to your blog in the 11 Camera Research section.

Here are some suggestions about what you might try.

Put the camera on auto and see how it copes with both low light and bright conditions. Try both stills and video.

Put the camera into manual and experiment with various different settings for:

iso (film speed), iris (fstop), shutter speed 

NB: I am not going to explain how any of these cameras work. You will need to find tutorials online to help you with that. If you find a good tutorial, post it to the camera research section of your blog. 

ADVICE

When filming, try to keep the shutter speed at 1/50 and the iso no higher than 800.

When shooting stills, try to keep the iso no higher than 400.

03 C and C Production and 04 C and C Website

BOTH OF THESE SECTIONS SHOULD TAKE YOU APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS

You should make a careful examination of the codes and conventions of the genre you are producing. This can be displayed in the form of a blog post, a video essay, a PowerPoint presentation, or any combination of these. You should include a variety of examples and finally a list of codes and conventions. THIS LIST IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL INFORM YOUR STATEMENT OF INTENT.

For Print - Magazines

Image - including Mise en Scene, Lighting, Framing, Representation

Shot Type - Shot Length and Angle

Typography - including fonts, colour choices, size of text

Layout and Design - including relationship of text and image, use of linearity, use of columns, use of edges, captions, empty space, sections, placement, sell lines (don't forget date, price, barcode)

Language - Consider tone, register, techniques, word choice - also consider how this relates to typography

Colours - This should be applied across Image, Typography, Language and Layout

Audience - In all cases, you need to consider how the codes and conventions appeal to the target audience.

For Audio-Visual - TV/Music Video

Mise en Scene - Costume, Hair and Makeup, Props, Proxemics, Framing, Representation

Lighting - Naturalistic, Expressionistic, Specific Styles (See Chart on LIGHTING website)

Shot Type and Camera Movement - Shot Length, Angle, Tilt, Zoom, Track, Pan

Editing - Relationship of Sound to image, Continuity editing, Pace, Relationship of shots

Sound (FX) - Diegetic, Non Diegetic, Relationship to editing

Credits - Typography, Layout, Language

Audience - In all cases, you need to consider how the codes and conventions appeal to the target audience.

For Website:

All the same elements as Print and Audio-Visual 

PLUS - Opportunities for interactivity.

LIGHTING

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/tutorials/photography-cheat-sheet-lighting-setups-for-for-professional-portraits

Digital Convergence

Acknowledge anything that encourages the audience to access digitally convergent technology. 

e.g. Web address, Q.R. Code (including call to action), Links to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc., Subscribe button etc. 

Deadline for completion 21/04/2023

SELECT A BRIEF

Deadline for completion: 

Either - P1: 09/03/2023

Or - P1: 10/03/2023

For some of you, this is an easy choice. You still have until the end of the week to make a choice, so feel free to change your mind. 

Once you have made your choice, post your chosen brief into the relevant place on your blog:

01 Coursework Brief

You should look carefully through the brief and make notes around it. For example, one of the points in your brief is:

• At least two characters representing at least two different social groups (e.g. as defined by age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality)

You should think carefully about who you have available to you.

Marking Task

With the release of your coursework briefs now imminent, this task is intended to give you a clear picture of how your coursework will be marked/should be structured.

Start by opening the following document: BRIEFS AND GUIDANCE 2023

Using the mark schemes provided, give a grade to each of the following coursework blogs:

RADIO AND ONLINE

https://williamsrosachsmedia.blogspot.com/

MAGAZINES AND ONLINE

https://rosecarringtonchsmediablog.blogspot.com/

MUSIC VIDEO AND ONLINE

https://attwelljoannachsmediablog.blogspot.com/

Brief 2: Online Media - Plan and Produce

The brief:

You work for an independent media production company that have just been purchased by a news conglomerate. You specialise in webpage design and have been tasked with producing the homepage for a new newspaper aimed at a target audience of 16 to 25 years olds, with diverse interests including: celebrity, sports, lifestyle, the arts and politics.  

Your homepage must contain 5 original images and a short audio-visual piece. In addition, you should include at least two different social groups. All posts must be displayed appropriately on your blog.

Your response to this brief must include:

1)  A PowerPoint presentation that shows your investigation into the Codes and Conventions of the following newspaper websites:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/

https://inews.co.uk/

2)  An evaluation of the relative effectiveness of these websites at targeting you audience and a justification of your choices regarding your selection of codes and conventions:

   >>> Will you use, develop or challenge existing codes and conventions?

3)  The homepage for the website using wix.com or other suitable site.

 

NB: ALL your posts should be labelled to appear in your 12 Practice Tasks section and should be titled in the following way:

a) Post Title: Investigation into Codes and Conventions of websites.

    (This post should contain an embedded PowerPoint of your research into existing media)

b) Post Title: Evaluation of websites.

    (This post should contain your evaluation of the codes and conventions and your justification for your choices regarding using or challenging existing media)

c) Post Title: Newspaper Website

    (This post should contain the link to your website plus an explanation of how to access your audio-visual piece)

Research - Plan - Produce

The next production task is a little bit more complicated, but it should help you to learn the following things:

• How and what to research when exploring CODES AND CONVENTIONS. 
• How to create mock-ups. 
• How to produce a front cover and contents page for a magazine.
• How to follow a brief.

The brief:

You work for an independent media production company that specialises in producing content for teenagers and young adults who are well educated and socially conscious. You have been contacted by The Big Issue, and have been tasked with producing a front cover and contents page for their magazine, which is designed to attract 16 to 25 years olds who would identify themselves as socially conscious. Your magazine should be recognisable as a copy of The Big Issue magazine, but you may make some changes to the format to target your audience more specifically. 

Your response to this brief should include:

1) A PowerPoint presentation that shows your understanding of the codes and conventions of The Big Issue. 

(Post title - BIG ISSUE - Research into Codes and Conventions of The Big Issue).

2) Mock-ups of two possible front covers. 

(Post Title - BIG ISSUE - Mock Up Covers)

3) A Mock-up layout of your contents page.

(Post Title - BIG ISSUE - Mock Up Contents)

4) Your finished production, including one front cover and one contents page.

(Post Title - BIG ISSUE - Finished Production)

Your cover MUST use ALL ORIGINAL IMAGES. Your contents page must contain a minimum of TWO ORIGINAL IMAGES.

NB: All of these posts should be included in the Practice Tasks section of your blog. You will be graded against a real mark scheme, but it will not count toward your ACTUAL coursework mark. 

Below is a link to the briefs being followed by the current Year 13. 

H409/03/04 Making media Non-Examination Assessment (NEA) Briefs June 2023 (ocr.org.uk)

The marking criteria can be found on pages 9 and 10. 

11 Camera Research - Experiment with available equipment

The following task is designed to give you the opportunity to experiment with the image making capacity of equipment that you already have available: i.e. your phone, your own camera, photoshop on school system, any apps you have already.

1st: In the 11 Camera Research section of your blog, create a post entitled:

Experimenting with available equipment. 

2nd: Find a series of images that match the following descriptions. ALL your images MUST include representations of people. Display and label these images clearly in your blog, acknowledging that they are FOUND IMAGES. You MAY find more than one image in each category.

a) A monochrome portrait.

b) A medium close up that uses shallow focus (also known as shallow depth of field).

c) A medium long shot that uses deep focus.

d) A group shot.

e) An image that uses low key lighting.

f) An image that uses high key lighting.

g) An image shot outside at night.

h) An image shot outside during the daytime.

i) A mid shot using backlighting.

2: Look carefully at your chosen image/s. If you have selected more than one, choose the one that you will be able to replicate using the equipment you have at your disposal. If you don't think that you would be able to take something similar, keep looking.

3: Using your own equipment, take a photograph that resembles the found image you have chosen. 

SEE EXAMPLE BELOW

 

a) FOUND IMAGE - A monochrome portrait

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

CREATE YOUR BLOG

 1: Sign in to Blogger.com 

(You may need to set up a gmail account ... Make your password easy to remember) 

2: Create an account using the following format:
Blog Address - Surname First Name CHS mediablog
Account Name - First Name Surname Media Studies Blog

3: Choose a format similar to the blog below:
https://angelicabarellimediablog.blogspot.com/

4: Unless you are experienced with the new blogger format, go to the left of the screen, scroll down and click on 'revert to legacy blogger'  

5: Also on the left, click on layout, find side bar right 1, add a gadget, labels.

6: Create a series of posts so that your blog matches the example blog. 

7: When you have finished, post you address in the comments section of this post.