Monday 9 September 2024

Coursework: Preliminary exercise 2024

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

This is a brilliant opportunity to get to know the technical skills you will need to excel in your coursework. You may even film a production that you can end up using as part of your actual coursework!

Preliminary exercise: Health drink advert

Your preliminary exercise involves filming and editing a 30-40 second health drink advert - similar to your coursework. The advert needs to be appropriate to the advertising brief we have been given in terms of content and target audience. 

The advert must include the product (a 'pack shot' or the product being consumed), a main character, match-on-action editing and at least three different shot types (e.g. establishing shot, close-up, over-the-shoulder shot) and two types of camera movement (e.g. pan, handheld camera etc.) It also must include a logo and slogan at the end of the advert.

Key filming and editing skills

Watch this great introduction to filmmaking - it covers the basics of the creative process:



Match-on-action

Match on action (or cutting on action) is an editing technique for continuity editing in which one shot cuts to another shot showing the same action of the subject in the first shot.

This creates the impression of continuity - the action creates a 'visual bridge' which is easy for the audience to follow.

Look at this YouTube clip for a basic match on action example: 




Health drink advert examples

Here's a reminder of some health drink adverts you can use as inspiration for your preliminary exercise:

Lucozade (this is an energy drink not a health drink but the advert is great):

 
Boost energy (note: this is another energy drink, not a health drink, but it's a great, well-edited advert): 


Vitamin Water: 


Huel: 



Preliminary exercise tasks: Health drink advert

Task: Create a 30-40 second health drink advert - similar to your coursework. The advert needs to be appropriate to the advertising brief we have been given in terms of content and target audience. 

Length: approximately 30-40 seconds.

Equipment: Smart phone or a school camcorder (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 / iCloud.

Groups: None. You MUST work individually. However, other people can act in your scene or operate equipment (e.g. camera, sound) as long as they are directed by the candidate submitting the work. You may want to get into groups of two or three to help each other complete this task.

What your TV advert needs to include

Content: The advert must include the product (a 'pack shot' or the product being consumed), a main character, match-on-action editing and at least three different shot types (e.g. establishing shot, close-up, over-the-shoulder shot) and two types of camera movement (e.g. pan, handheld camera etc.) It also must include a logo and slogan at the end of the advert.

Camerawork: You must include at least three different shot types but you will hopefully include much more (e.g. 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 and camera movement (e.g. handheld, tracking, pan etc.)

Editing: You must include match-on-action continuity editing and edit to clearly communicate the meaning of your advert.

Sound: You must include diegetic sound (from within the world of the TV advert) which will be dialogue and any background sound. You also need to include non-diegetic sound (e.g. music or voiceover) to help communicate your key messages about the product. 

Deadlines

Planning and filming: This week's lessons.

Editing and final deadline: Next week.

Specific deadlines: 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:

Create a blogpost called 'Coursework preliminary exercise' and produce the following.

1) Write a 100 word statement of intent explaining what you are going to make for your preliminary exercise.

Statement of intent: 100 words explaining what you plan to make.
Example statement of intent [147 words]: 
I plan to make a 30 second advert about a student struggling in school due to tiredness and behaviour issues who is helped by their rehydrating health drink. The beginning of the advert will have a montage editing sequence of different issues that the student is having with a soundtrack that fits a negative overall mood. My character will be in school uniform that is deliberately messed up to help communicate the struggles the student is experiencing.
The middle of the advert will involve the character discovering the product with close-up shots of the product (pack shot) and also the character drinking the product. The advert will then end with the character alert, in perfect uniform and answering a question in class and being successful. The final seconds will have a logo and slogan of the health drink with a voiceover saying the product name and slogan. [147 words]
2) Write a script for your preliminary exercise on your blog. This needs to include stage directions AND dialogue. To see how a TV drama script is presented, and to look at professional examples, check out the BBC Writers' Room and click on Script Library. These will not be advert scripts but the layout will be the same.

3) Casting: Who will be in your preliminary exercise advert?

4) Plan your locations: Where you will film your preliminary exercise? (You can film off-site if you wish to do this for homework - this is what we would strongly recommend). Important note: You CANNOT take any students out of any other lessons OR disturb any other lessons in the school. If you wish to film in-school then you will need to film with Mr Ray supervising or after school with a Media teacher present. 

5) Write your shot list: every shot you plan to film. This needs to be far MORE shots than you will actually use in the final edited version - plan extra angles, close-ups, long shots and more. You can find an example shot list here. This is for a narrative film but the layout will be the same. 

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

Your planning needs to be completed this week. Good luck! 

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