December mock exams: revision and preparation

Your December mock exams are another opportunity to practice exam skills and revise the CSPs we have studied so far. 

Your December exams will be two mini-versions of the real exams you'll do in the summer. Below is a full guide to what you need to revise for each section of the exam.   

Know your exams

One of the most important aspects of preparing for examinations is knowing exactly what topics could come up in each exam. For your December exams, this is what might come up:

Paper 1 - Thursday 8 December

Paper 1 Section A: Language and Representation

• Unseen text: advert, social media screengrab or music promotion of some kind. Multiple choice questions plus media language analysis. 
• Advertising & Marketing: OMO advert, Galaxy Audrey Hepburn advert and the NHS Represent blood donation campaign. 
• Magazines: Tatler and Heat.

Paper 1 Section B: Audience and Industry

• Media Industries questions - media terminology / theory / regulation.
• Film: Black Widow and I, Daniel Blake.
• Radio: Launch of BBC Radio 1 - Tony Blackburn show (1967) and the KISS Breakfast show. 
• Music Video: BLACKPINK - How You Like That and Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Paper 2 - Thursday 15 December

Paper 2 will be Section A only - Television.

Section A: Television

• Short extract from either Doctor Who – An Unearthly Child (1963) or His Dark Materials – The City of Magpies (2020).
• The extract will be shown twice and you can make notes. There will then be three questions on the extract (2 marks, 8 marks, 12 marks).
• The final question is a 20-mark essay on BOTH of your TV Close-Study Products.
• The TV index with links to all original blogposts is here.

Your real Paper 2 will also have a Section B with two 20-mark essays on either Newspapers or Videogames and Online, Social and Participatory Media. However, these will not appear in your December mock exam as we have not studied them yet.

How to revise

Revision is a very personal thing and everyone has different techniques. Personally, I strongly recommend using flash cards (they are often called record cards if you are trying to buy them online or in WHSmiths). The simple act of distilling topics into a few key words or phrases to put on the card will seriously help in remembering the key information in the final exams. I have spare flash cards in DF07 if you'd like some.  

Good luck with your revision and give these exams your best shot!

Due date on Google Classroom

Coursework: Statement of Intent

The first 10 marks of our coursework are for a written Statement of Intent.

This is simply a Word or Google Document in which we write what we are planning to make for our coursework. Your completed summer project will give you most of the information you need for this - particularly the music video planning section - but you may have changed or developed your idea since the summer. Your preliminary exercise learner response may also help you consider what you plan to create for your real music video coursework.

Our coursework brief for 2023 can be found here - we are working on Brief 5 - Music Video.

The Statement of Intent word count is 300 words - you can go slightly above this if you want to but you need to keep it close to 300.

This Statement of Intent guidance will help you if you're not sure what to write - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access it. The most important thing is that you cover media language, representations and the target audience in your Statement of Intent.

Another tip is that you can use subheadings and bullet points in your Statement of Intent - it doesn't need to all be in paragraphs. In fact, bullet points are very useful for keeping the word count down. 

Finally, here is an example statement of intent from a previous year - note this was a different brief but the layout and use of media terminology and theory may help you. 

Here's the Statement of Intent mark scheme: 

Statement of Intent: task

1) Write your Statement of Intent on a Word or Google Doc - word count 300 words. Use this Statement of Intent guidance document to help you.

Submit your Statement of Intent to your teacher by emailing them the Word or Google Document. 

Due date: on Google Classroom

Preliminary exercise feedback and learner response

The preliminary exercise is a brilliant opportunity to learn the basics of filmmaking before creating your actual coursework project.

After the screening of the preliminary exercises in class, you need to create a blogpost called 'Preliminary exercise learner response' and complete the following tasks as your feedback and learner response:

1) Type up your teacher's feedback in full plus a summary of the comments you received from other students in the class. If you've received your feedback via email, you can simply cut and paste it from the email into your blog.

2) Using a combination of your own reflection on the preliminary exercise and the feedback you were given, write three WWW bullet points and three EBI bullet points for your preliminary exercise.

3) What have you learned from the preliminary exercise that will help you in the actual coursework project?

Deadline on Google Classroom.

Coursework: Pre-production and filming

Pre-production tasks are vital - this is where you plan all the key details that make your video coursework successful.

Over the next two weeks we will be both finalising our pre-production and doing our filming. Here's a reminder of the video we watched in class that might help with making a no-budget music video:

Music video pre-production: blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Music video pre-production'. You may want to look over the original AQA brief here. 

Work through the following four tasks:

1) Create your music video treatment

A treatment is a like a script for a music video - it will give someone a very good idea of what the final product will look like. To write a treatment, you need to make sure you have the basic details for your music video. Remember - this will hopefully be the same as your preliminary exercise so you already have a good idea of what you will produce.

Artist and song you have chosen: 

Two-minute section of song you will use: 

Style of music video (narrative/performance etc.): 

What will happen in your two minute music video: 

If you want to take this further and write a professional music video treatment for your project, have a look at this example for Alt-J and Breezeblocks that we use for A Level Media. 

2) Write your full shot list

Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film for your music video AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word or Google Docs to set out your shot list - you can find an example here for a student film shot list. It makes sense to write your shot list by scene or location rather than a huge list of every shot in the music video in chronological order. 

3) Plan your mise-en-scene

What iconography or mise-en-scene are you including to ensure your audience understands the music genre of your artist and song? Plan your cast/performers, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. This can be simply completed using your blog or Microsoft Word - the key aspect is to have planned all the critical details. Remember the mise-en-scene mnemonic: CLAMPS.

4) Write your shooting schedule 

Plan a shooting schedule for your filming over the next two weeks. Include when, where, who is required and what shots you will complete at each time/location. Again, this can be on Word or Excel or you could simply use your blog. The most important thing is that you've planned it!

Deadline: on Google Classroom

Coursework: Preliminary exercise 2022

The first aspect of your GCSE Media Studies coursework is a preliminary exercise that introduces the basics of filmmaking.

This is a brilliant opportunity to get to know the basics of planning, filming and editing. You may even film something that you can end up using in your actual coursework production!

Preliminary exercise: Narrative music video extract

Your preliminary exercise involves filming and editing a mini narrative music video featuring two characters/performers. 

Here's an example of some great music videos that do this:

SAARA - Superpowers

Death Cab For Cutie: A Movie Script Ending

Halsey - Now or Never

Jessie Ware - You & I (Forever)

Deadline: two weeks

Help and advice

Watch this great YouTube video on five mistakes to avoid when making a music video. You'll also find it gives you loads of ideas to use in your own production:

Preliminary exercise: Narrative music video

Task: Film and edit a mini narrative music video featuring two characters/performers. 

Length: approximately 30-45 seconds.

Equipment: Smartphone or a school camera (limited numbers available). Note: you may need to bring in the cable to capture the videos from your phone or use data to upload to Google Drive.

Groups: None. You MUST work individually. However, other people can act in your music video or operate equipment (e.g. camera operator) as long as they are directed by the candidate submitting the work. Keep a note of this as you'll need to fill in a form for AQA when the coursework is sent off at Easter. For this preliminary exercise, you may want to get into groups of two or three to help each other complete this task.

What your music video needs to include

Content: Your scene must include some kind of narrative or story. It can match the song lyrics if you wish or alternatively simply fit the mood or atmosphere of the song you have chosen. It can be a chase scene, a friendship/romance or something completely different.

Camerawork: You must include at least one long shot, medium shot, close-up, extreme close-up, over-the-shoulder shot and either a high or low angle shot. You also must include both fixed camera shots using a tripod and camera movement (e.g. handheld, tracking, pan etc.)

Editing: Your editing should reflect the song you have chosen in terms of pace, style etc.

Graphics on screen: You must include text on screen with the name of your artist and song. Use font/typography and colour to create a brand identity for your artist. 

Deadlines

Planning and filming: This week's lessons 

Editing and final deadline: see Google Classroom


Initial tasks: planning

Before creating anything in Media you need to plan out exactly what you are going to do. You need to complete the following planning tasks on your blog before you can film anything:

Statement of intent: 100 words explaining what you plan to make.

Example statement of intent [117 words]: 

I plan to make a 30-second music video for the song Centuries by Fall Out Boy. The story is of an athlete training for their big event - using the key line 'Remember me for centuries'.  

One of my characters will be the performer and the second character will be the athlete. I will use the opening 40 seconds of the song for this preliminary exercise (up until the start of the first verse). I will film the singing/lip-syncing from multiple angles in a dark gym with only a little light on my performer. Alongside this, I will film my athlete training - running, lifting weights etc. There will lots of close-ups on both of their faces. [117 words]

Treatment: Write what will happen in your music video - this is basically a script/stage directions for your production. You can find a real music video treatment here.

Casting: Who will be in your music video - remember, you don't need to be in your own production.

Location: Where you will film (ideally film off-site as this will create a stronger production). 

Shot list: Every shot you plan to film. This needs to be far MORE shots than you will actually use in the final version - plan extra close-ups, long shots, unusual angles and more. You can find an example shot list here. 

Extension - Storyboard: Draw a 5-frame storyboard mapping out your key shots. Storyboard sheets are available in DF07.

Planning deadline: on Google Classroom. Good luck!

Music video: Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Our second music video CSP is Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.

Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band from Sheffield. The lead singer is called Alex Turner. Since forming in 2002, they have released six albums and won seven Brit Awards. They were one of the first bands to come to the public’s attention due to the internet, heralding a new way that bands are produced and marketed.

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor is their first single from debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not released with niche, independent record label Domino. It was released in 2005 and went straight to number 1 on the singles chart.

Unlike BLACKPINK, Arctic Monkeys weren’t put together by an entertainment company, they were all friends from school. They formed in 2002 and wrote songs based on their lives and what they saw on nights out in Sheffield. They played pubs and small venues in and around Sheffield, and built up a huge following online using Myspace. You can read more about the Myspace phenomenon on Forbes here and specifically find out more about Arctic Monkeys and Myspace here.



This background video on the Arctic Monkeys is relevant for us up until around 3mins 30:

Video analysis and audience appeal

The power of the internet

• Social Media was only starting to be introduced in the early 2000s.
• You could chat to people with similar interests on chatroom or forums.
• You used AOL or MSN Messenger to talk to your friends, send emojis and share pictures and music.
• Myspace was released in 2003 and was one of the first major social networking sites. Myspace was used by bands and artists to gain fans without the need for a record company.
• Arctic Monkeys' music was shared on P2P sites, though this wasn’t known by the band or promoted when they found out. It allowed their music to be heard by a much wider audience.
• The sharing of their music encouraged people to talk about and share their music, which created a buzz about the band.
• Their fan base moved online, creating online communities where they could share songs and information.

Convergence and technology

• Technological convergence is the development of technology (such as phones and tablets) that allows us to access all types of media through one device. This has fundamentally changed the way music videos are produced, consumed and shared. 
• Technological convergence has created both challenges and opportunities for the music industry - both artists and record companies.

Arctic Monkeys: performance video

• This is a performance video designed to look like a 1980s TV performance on programmes such as Top of the Pops or The Old Grey Whistle Test. It was filmed using old 1980s Ikegami 3-tube colour TV cameras to give it an authentic, nostalgic effect.
• The simple performance video subverts music video conventions that became steadily more complicated and narrative-based in the 1980s and 1990s.
• It opens with the singer introducing the song and adding the words 'Don't believe the hype'. This could be a reference to the online following the band built up using Myspace.  

Audience 

• Arctic Monkeys' audience are likely to be predominantly white, middle class and reasonably young. Psychographic groups might include Reformers and Explorers. Recent global success pushed the band into bigger psychographic groups such as Mainstreamers.
• Audience pleasures would include diversion - the song is upbeat and fast-paced. Fans who followed the band from the early days might find a sense of personal relationship while many young people would get a sense of personal identity from the lyrics to the song (about going out to a club and drinking).
• Older fans would enjoy a sense of nostalgia from the 1980s-style performance video.

Music video regulation

Music video regulation is controlled by the BBFC who set certain standards and ratings for different age groups who they believe should be exposed to content specific to their age via age ratings and certification. YouTube and Vevo work in partnership with the BBFC to age rate all music videos for artists who are signed to Sony Music UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK (the 'big three').  However, not all music producers sign up to this though and the BBFC does not have the power to regulate content on YouTube.

The BBFC regulate many different aspects of music videos. The sort of issues the BBFC considers in classifying music videos include:

• drug misuse
• dangerous behaviour presented as safe
• bad language
• sexual behaviour and nudity
• threatening behaviour and violence 

Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor: Blog tasks

Arctic Monkeys: Audience

1) What is the main Arctic Monkeys audience - demographics and psychographics?

2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor?

3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to Arctic Monkeys fans. Why did you choose those moments?

4) How did fans take a leading role in making Arctic Monkeys famous back in 2005?

5) How are fans positioned to respond to the band? What does Arctic Monkeys want fans to think about their video?

Arctic Monkeys: Industry

1) How did the Arctic Monkeys first achieve success and build up their fanbase?

2) Why was P2P file sharing and MySpace an unexpected aspect to Arctic Monkeys' early success?

3) How does the rise of Arctic Monkeys differ from how BLACKPINK were formed and became famous?

4) Who is Arctic Monkeys record label and how many copies did they sell of their debut album? Why did they choose an independent record label?

5) Looking at the wider music industry, has the internet been a positive or negative development for record companies and artists? Why?


Grade 8/9 extension tasks

Read this excellent Guardian feature on the Arctic Monkeys on the 10th anniversary of I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor. What key statistics can you take from the article concerning developments in the industry and the Arctic Monkeys' role in these changes?

Read this BBC News report from the time - documenting the records Arctic Monkeys broke.

Read this short blog on how the social media website Myspace helped the Arctic Monkeys make it big. What did the website allow the band to do?

Finally, read this short Guardian feature asking if Arctic Monkeys changed the music industry. What does the article suggest?


You'll need to finish this case study for homework - due date on Google Classroom.

Music Video: BLACKPINK - How You Like That

Our first music video CSP is BLACKPINK - How You Like That.

This 2020 video promoted the lead single from Blackpink’s first Korean-language studio album, The Album. The video, released on 26th June 2020, was premiered on Blackpink's YouTube channel at the same time as the single was released. 

The video broke many YouTube records, including most-watched premiere (1.66 million concurrent viewers), most views within 24 hours for a music video (86 million views) and fastest video to achieve 100, 200 and 600 million views. It was the 3rd most viewed music video of 2020. As of Autumn 2021, the video has had over 1 BILLION views.

BLACKPINK: How You Like That

K-pop: global phenomenon 

The K-pop genre reflects the global nature of the media and music industries. Over the last 20 years, K-pop has become a cultural sensation as groups like BTS and BLACKPINK enjoyed global success. This has also resulted in Korean culture becoming mainstream in the West.

Audience

BLACKPINK’s audience: Blinks

BLACKPINK fans are known as ‘Blinks’ and are largely teenage girls and young women. Their fans are worldwide but they are particularly big in the Philippines and Indonesia as well as western countries such as the UK and USA.

From Vogue’s feature on How BLACKPINK became the biggest K-pop girlband on the planet:

Avril, a 16-year-old Blink (Blackpink’s fandom name) from Peru discovered them in 2018. “Everything about them made me become a fan,” she tells Vogue over Twitter. “The way they perform, their iconic songs and choreos, their friendship, even the way they dress. Blackpink were on a whole new level.”

Audience pleasures

Applying Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory:

• Diversion: music video conventions – performance, effects, fast pace etc.
• Personal relationships: Fan interaction online through social media is a key element of K-pop’s global success. Fans feel like they ‘know’ the band members.
• Personal identity: K-pop fandom often involves copying the look of band members and seeing their own style reflected on screen.
• Surveillance: Western audiences gain knowledge of Korean music and culture.

Marketing and promotion to the audience

The video’s release was preceded by a series of teasers on the band’s social media accounts (including posters, photos focusing on individual band members and videos) and a reality show (24/365 with Blackpink, available on YouTube). 

A “dance performance” video including the choreography for the music video was released in July 2020; by March 2021 this had achieved over 600 million views and was placed in the top 20 videos of the year by Billboard magazine.

Dance performance:

BLACKPINK 24/365 - Behind the scenes of the How You Like It music video shoot:

Industries

BLACKPINK: manufactured by YG Entertainment

Blackpink was formed in 2016 by Korean entertainment company YG Entertainment and by 2020 was one of the most successful K-Pop bands in the world. As of 2021, the band was the most followed girl group on Spotify and the most-subscribed music group, female act, and Asian act on YouTube.

The changing nature of the music industry

How You Like That demonstrates the changing nature of the music industry and how important YouTube and social media has become for music artists. 

The way people consume music videos has changed – now phones, tablets and YouTube are the primary ways audiences engage with music videos (known as convergence). It also shows music video has become a media form in its own right, not just a way to sell an album. 

BLACKPINK’s billions of YouTube views also bring in money through advertising. 

Music: a global industry

K-pop demonstrates the global nature of the industry with BLACKPINK selling out arenas across the UK and USA as well as in the East. They played Wembley Arena in 2019 as well as huge US music festival Coachella. 

Music videos: regulation

With music videos now largely consumed on YouTube, regulating the content of music videos is very difficult. Some UK-based record companies get their music videos rated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

The kinds of issues the BBFC considers in classifying music videos include bad language, dangerous behaviour presented as safe, drug misuse, sexual behaviour and nudity, and threatening behaviour and violence.

You can find out more about this process on the BBFC website here.

BLACKPINK - How You Like That: Blog tasks

Audience

1) What are BLACKPINK fans known as - and what would the demographics / psychographics be for the BLACKPINK audience?

2) What audience pleasures are offered by the music video for How You Like That?

3) Pick out three particular shots, scenes or moments in the video that would particularly appeal to BLACKPINK fans. Why did you choose those moments? 

4) How was the How You Like That music video marketed and promoted to the audience?

5) Why is K-pop a global phenomenon and what has helped it to become so popular?

Industry

1) How were BLACKPINK formed and what records have they broken?

2) What other successful artists have YG Entertainment created? You may need to Google this.

3) How has technology and the internet (known as technological convergence) changed the way audiences consume music videos?

4) How do BLACKPINK and K-pop show that the media and music industries are now global?

5) How are UK-based music videos regulated and what types of content require warnings? 


Grade 8/9 extension tasks

Read this Guardian review of BLACKPINK's album. What does the writer say about the band and songs?

Read this Variety feature on a controversy that offended some global fans of BLACKPINK. What was the problem and how did they respond?

Read this Teen Vogue feature on the music video release of How You Like That. How else did the group promote the release of the song?

Here's another Teen Vogue feature offering a brief history of K-Pop. How the genre go global? 

Finally, read this excellent Medium blog on the future of the music video in the digital age. Summarise the main points of the blog in 100 words.


You'll need to finish this case study for homework - due date on Google Classroom.

Music video: Introduction

Our final media topic is Music Video.

We will be studying the industry and audience contexts for this topic and need to cover two CSPs:

BLACKPINK: How You Like That

Arctic Monkeys: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor



We need to study the industry and audience contexts for these products: 

Industry: how music video is produced and marketed and how this has changed over time.
Audience: Target audience and audience pleasures. How music contributes to an audience's sense of identity. Fandom. How the internet has changed the position of the audience.
PLUS: Historical, cultural and social significance of the music videos and the impact of the internet on the music industry.

Music video will appear in Paper 1, Section B of Exam
Section B is only on INDUSTRIES and AUDIENCES and will consist of:
1 short answer question
2 medium answer questions – one on audience, one on industry
1 extended essay style question on one of the media forms we have studied - which is very likely to be Music Video due to the advance information we have from AQA about the Summer 2022 exams.  
This essay question will require you to make judgements and draw conclusions. 

Music video: introduction and history

Music video key conventions

Music videos typically feature movement – often fast paced either in terms of actors, camerawork or editing. Many contain a performance element or narrative. Music videos can also feature visual effects and intertextuality.

Music videos were originally designed as a promotional device to sell the band or artist’s music but have developed over time to become a recognised artform or product in their own right. Modern music videos no longer have the huge budgets of the 1980s and 1990s but digital media means they are now more accessible than ever. Videos such as Psy’s Gangnam Style have received over 3 billion views on YouTube.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is when one media text references another media text – through genre, conventions, mise-en-scene or specific cultural references.

Music videos often use intertextual references – often to classic films but also to television, popular culture, news, videogames or even other music videos.

Music video history

Originally, music videos were made like mini ‘films’ of the bands performing (e.g. The Beatles, Elvis)

MTV was launched in 1981 as a platform for music videos and the first music channel on television. Programs such as BBC show Top of The Pops also showcased music videos from the charts alongside ‘live’ stage performances. 

In the 1980s and 1990s big budgets were spent on producing innovative and creative music videos such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller that had a film narrative, a well known director and featured intertextuality (horror films)

Music video in the digital age

In 2005 the launch of YouTube changed the way that consumers access and enjoy music video. Now self-promotion is more common.

The rise of new and digital media paved the way for bands such as One Direction ‘manufactured’ by the industry and increasingly promoted through convergence on social media to maximise profits for the record companies.

Other artists were able to make it big thanks to YouTube, digital media and fans' word of mouth:









Problems with piracy

Piracy became a huge problem for the music industry as they could not keep up with illegal downloading and streaming services where fans shared content for free therefore… The 2000s saw the rise of streaming services with subscriptions such as Spotify, Apple Music, Beats Music and (most recently) Youtube Music. 

New platforms and music apps on smart phones mean that listeners are now becoming one-device consumers and using their phones for all media access. 

Introduction to Music Video: Blog tasks

Answer the questions below to complete your introduction to the Music Video topic: 

1) What are the key conventions of music video?

2) What is intertextuality?

3) When did music videos first become a major part of the music industry?

4) What launched in 1981 and why were music videos an important part of the music industry in the 1980s and 1990s?

5) How are music videos distributed and watched in the digital age?

Extension tasks

Read this Guardian feature asking whether YouTube is good or bad for the music industry. What is your opinion on this crucial question?

Read this Guardian feature on how videogames are now more important than music videos for breaking new artists. Do you agree videogames are now more influential than music videos?

Complete for homework if you don't finish it in the lesson - due date on Google Classroom.

Recap: Summer Project 2022

The summer project is a fantastic opportunity to start planning your music video.

Your summer project contains compulsory and optional elements; everybody will be researching music videos, coming up with a new music video concept and then writing a Statement of Intent first draft. However, if you wish to plan and film your production over the summer while you have time available we would fully support you in this approach.

Summer project tasks

Complete the following tasks on a blogpost on your Media blog called 'Summer Project: coursework planning':

1) Research: Music videos

Watch the following music videos and analyse an aspect of media language for each one:

Music video 1: Marshmello x YUNGBLUD x blackbear - Tongue Tied

How is narrative used in this music video to engage the audience?

Music video 2: Years & Years - I Wish I Knew

How is camerawork and mise-en-scene used in this video? Use CLAMPS to remember the different aspects of mise-en-scene.

Music video 3: Foals - Hummer

How is editing used in this music video to engage the audience?

Music video 4: Your choice

Select a music video of your choice and analyse an element of it e.g. narrative, camerawork, editing, visual effects etc. If you're not sure which video to use you could watch some of the following:

• Ariana Grande - One Last Time
• Ed Sheeran - Shape of You
• nojahoda - nojahoda

You may also want to look a completely different, creative approach to music video - such as these Lego stop motion productions and how they use narrative:

• Johnathan Pushkar - We Could Be Together
• Keep Me Music Video

2) Music video planning 

Plan out the basic details for your music video. What song do you plan to use? Will your video be performance or narrative based (or both)? Complete the following on your blog:

Artist and song you have chosen: 

Plan for music video (narrative/performance etc.): 

Actors/performers you plan to use: 

Locations: 

Costume/make-up/props required: 

 

3) Statement of Intent

On the same Summer Project blogpost, write the rough first draft of your 300-word Statement of Intent for the two-minute music video you plan to create. The final draft of this document will be submitted to the exam board alongside your music video production and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.

Guidance and minimum requirements can be found in the AQA brief from their NEA Student Booklet.

We also strongly recommend you look at our Statement of Intent suggested content document too.

Summer project deadline: all tasks above due in the second lesson back in September.


Summer project: optional extensions

Pre-production tasks
Some students have already expressed an interest in filming their music video over the summer break. This makes a huge amount of sense - far more availability of performers, much more time to schedule filming etc. However, if you want to do this, you need to complete the following aspects of pre-production and make sure you have parental permission and that you are staying safe at all times:

Music video treatment
Write a full treatment for your music video - this is effectively the script for your production. You can find an example of a real music video treatment here. 

Shot list
Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film for your music video AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find an example here for a student film shot list. It makes sense to write your shot list by scene or location rather than a huge list of every shot in the extract in chronological order. You also need to plan FAR more shots than you think you'll need a - a two minute music video could easily have 120+ shots in it. 

Mise-en-scene
What iconography or mise-en-scene are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre and narrative of your music video? Plan your performers, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. This can be simply completed using your blog or Microsoft Word - the key aspect is to have planned all the critical details. 

Shooting schedule 
Plan a shooting schedule for your filming over the summer. Include when, where, who is required and what shots you will complete at each time/location. Again, this can be on Word or Excel or you could simply use your blog. The most important thing is that you've planned it!

Non-assessed participants
You will need to provide a written record of all non-assessed participants in your production work. Keep a record of everyone involved - actors, camerawork, sound etc. You will also need a keep a record of any non-original sound you used and note it on the Candidate Record Form. Keep these on your blog for easy reference when submitting your work later this year.

Production: Filming 
Once you have completed your pre-production tasks, you can film as planned. If you are unable to film over the summer, we will have time to film this production in September.

Good luck!

Post-exam project: Music magazine cover

Our second post-exam project will give us skills in creating print productions using Adobe Photoshop. 

Our work will be based on the 2021 Year 13 A Level Media coursework brief which was to create a music magazine.

Print brief: music magazine

You should create the front page for a music magazine – specifically:

• a front cover featuring your new artist/band promoting a tour and music video
• a selection of cover lines appropriate for the magazine and audience

The magazine targets a mainstream music audience.

You can either create a new, original music magazine or create your own front cover for an existing music magazine.

Research and planning blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Music magazine research and planning' and complete the following tasks to plan and prepare your print work:

1) Research music magazine cover key conventions. Look over the magazine cover key conventions notes sheet and write which of these you will use for your magazine cover. (This is for Tatler magazine but the conventions still apply).

2) Find at least five music magazine front covers (either current or former magazines as many have stopped their print editions) aimed at a similar target audience to your project (mainstream music audience). For each one, pick out one design idea or convention that you could use in your own print work. A few examples to start you off:

Planning, sketching and writing

Complete the tasks below in the same blogpost you have already created for research and planning:

1) Plan a title and slogan (sell line) for your new, original music magazine. Sketch out possible designs for the masthead - font, style, colour etc. If you are creating a front cover for an existing music magazine, make sure you recreate the magazine's style and branding accurately - what font do they use? What colours? What is their slogan?

2) Plan the content for your magazine front cover. What will be your main image? What cover lines will you include on the cover?

3) Produce an A4 sketch of your front cover including the key conventions and design tricks you have studied in existing magazines and then planned in the planning tasks above.

Photoshoot planning

1) Who will you photograph as your artist/band to appear on the front cover of your magazine? This is vital for planning your photoshoot (note: if it is you or someone in the class it will make things a lot easier in terms of running the photoshoot but you can do this at home if you prefer).

2) Write a shot list for your photoshoot. Make sure you plan the right camera shots for a magazine front cover - medium shots, medium close-ups etc.

3) What costume, props or make-up will you require for your photoshoot?

Photoshoot on Thursday!

Photoshop design

If you have completed all of the research and planning tasks above then open up Adobe Photoshop and create a new A4 document (portrait). You can start to create your title, cover lines and any other branding or colour on your cover and then add your photo when you have completed your photoshoot. The following videos will help with this:

Photoshop magazine tutorial:

Media Awards 2022: The Nominations

The nominations are in for the Media Awards 2022!

The ceremony is in two weeks and will be the first in-person Media Awards since 2019. We've had an incredibly difficult job finalising the nominations - the quality level at both GCSE and A Level is superb and there has been a lot of very good work that hasn't made the cut.

If you haven't been before, the Media Awards is our Oscars-style ceremony where we award trophies for the best Media coursework at GCSE and A Level. It's a major event in the Greenford calendar and tickets have completely sold out whenever we have run the event in the past. The details for this year's awards:

Date: Tuesday 5 July
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Tickets: £5

Tickets will go on sale on Monday 27 June (exclusive presale for Media students) before tickets go on general sale on Wednesday 29 June.

Remember - you need to be quick. The event sold out in just four days when it last took place in 2019!

A Level nominations

BEST A LEVEL SOUND DESIGN

Kharina – Through the Eyes of K

Arianna – Sound of the Soul

Harneet – Love Theory 

BEST A LEVEL CINEMATOGRAPHY

Krystian – Teens In Tech: Social Media

Silver – London’s Latest Plan/Scam

Tegan – Obesity 111

BEST A LEVEL PRODUCTION DESIGN

Hannah – House of Riches

Assia – 90s Reload

Tianna – London Divided

BEST A LEVEL EDITING

Fabian – Rise of eSports

Kaashif - School: Work-Life Balance

Randa – Guilty Until Proven Innocent

BEST A LEVEL DOCUMENTARY CONCEPT

Dania – No Friend But The Mountains

Ibtihal – Mental Health in Ethnic Minorities

Sankavi – Culture Collage 

BEST A LEVEL POST-PRODUCTION

Ansa – Real vs Ideal

Gamid – Covid: Crushing the Economy

Jobanpreet – Knife Crime In Our Schools 

GCSE nominations

BEST GCSE TV DRAMA CINEMATOGRAPHY

Harrison – Galactic Escape

Lilly - Paranoia

Julia – The End of It

Orkena – Paranoia 

BEST GCSE TV DRAMA ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Khaterah – Purple Hyacinth 

Kemi – Elf/Human

Obaida – The Takeover 

Rubana – The Rise of Malignant 

BEST GCSE TV DRAMA EDITING

Nasra – Disappearance 

Watanpreet – Merge 

Shreyam - The Hallucination 

Ashleigh – Gone

Best Actress and Actor

BEST ACTOR 2022

Gamid

Kaidian

Diako

Shreyam

BEST ACTRESS 2022

Lilly 

Orkena 

Nasra 

Watanpreet 

Congratulations to all our nominees and we look forward to seeing you at the Media Awards on Tuesday 5 July! 

Post-exam project: TV Drama trailer montage

Now that we have finished the GCSE Media exams, we have the chance to take on more creative, practical projects.

Our first project is editing a TV drama montage using clips from our coursework projects. There was some amazing coursework produced this year and editing a montage of the best bits will highlight the quality of the work we've produced. 

Brief: Create a 1-2 minute trailer for a new season of TV Drama using the TV drama extracts we created for our coursework.

Research

The first aspect to any media project is researching professional examples so we know the codes and conventions of the media type we are creating.

Watch a range of TV drama season trailers to learn the conventions:

You can also find a great example on the website of Bad Wolf production company here.

Note the following conventions:

• Use of music
• Length of clips
• Pace of editing
• Close-ups
• Dramatic scenes
• Movement
• Lines of dialogue
• Text on screen
• Build up to dramatic ending

Planning

Before editing a montage, you'll need to make sure you've watched all the clips available to use. We will screen some in class for those willing to share their work. Whether you're watching in class or on the PC, make notes of the coursework projects and specific clips you want to use in your trailer.

Next, plan the music you will use for your trailer. This is a critical decision - many drama season trailers are more like music videos so getting the right song is vital. Look at the songs available on the Media Shared drive or you can bring your own MP3 file in next lesson. Important: the song must be appropriate for pre-watershed viewing so no explicit lyrics. Remember, you don't need to use the whole song so you can pick the 60-120 seconds that will be most cinematic. You'll find a selection of songs in the following folder:

Media Shared > Resources > GCSE > Music and sound effects > Music - songs


Editing

Open up a new project in Adobe Premiere Pro, save it in your folder on Media Student Shared and then import the video and audio files you want to use in your trailer. You'll find the video files in the following folder:

Media Shared > Resources > GCSE > Summer projects > June 2022 TV drama montage


Deadline

We will have two weeks to plan and edit our montage videos.


Extension

We think that most people will need a few lessons to complete their montage. However, if you finish and export your TV drama trailer, we have a brilliant extension task to take on. Turn your original coursework production into a 90 second Science Fiction / Fantasy film trailer using trailer conventions such as film institution logo, text on screen, actor names, title and release date.