You have THREE TASKS to complete over Christmas

TASK ONE
* Add a ‘narrative’ label to your blog
* Upload a description of your narrative (you need to choose whether in the exam you will evaluate narrative in your A2 music video or your AS film)
* Research into theorists and apply these theories to your products. Theorists to research are Barthes and Todorov

You also need to begin considering your Digipack Album Cover Design

Have a look at some of previous years' creations below

Exemplar CD Digipaks-Reena's YearGroup

Your SECOND TASK is to research into CD covers (in your genre) and upload your initial research onto your blog.

Have a look at an A grade student's research and design from last year...


reenachadeeadvancedportfolio.blogspot.com

Your THIRD TASK is to finish filming your final scenes in preparation for editing in January 2011

You've worked incredibly hard this term. Enjoy the Christmas break. Look forward to seeing you all in the New Year. Merry Christmas to you all, from Miss P

FILMING TIME!!

In recognition of Eleanor, Emily, Akua and Elizabeth's filming escapades last week (were you trying scare the living daylights out of me??) please remember...

...SAFETY FIRST! Have fun filming but PLEASE do not put yourself (or others!) in any danger.
On a lighter note, I'm so impressed with the creative shots you've already filmed and edited: a great basis for your final productions. Well done all!

TASKS FOR THIS WEEK

As discussed in lesson, please research into framing and composition, noting the rule of thirds, upload onto your blog and use when framing your shots.

You can have time to film during lesson next week but please come to O8 first to get registered.

Have fun and BE SAFE!

Free Phoenix Theatre Tickets

Don't forget The Phoenix Theatre is offering YOU a FREE ticket to see 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'!

When? Tuesday 7th December
Where? Phoenix Theatre, Finchley
How? Send Ms Poulten a Fronter sticky to add your name to list of attendees
Why? Because you are conscientious Meda Studies students who want to augment your media knowlege in preparation for you exam
Another Why? Because there will be a post-film discussion and a 'camera corner' for you to review your impressions of the film: great blog fodder
And Another Why? Because you will be given FREE popcorn and a drink!

Already signed up, we have...

Oyinda, Dom, Charlotte, Molly, Jess, Emily, Jasmin...

Andrew Goodwin and Questionnaire Design

Your tasks due on Friday are to:
a) copy up Andrew Goodwin's (Routledge 1992) analysis of music video
b) write and create your questionnaire

See notes below

1. Music videos demonstrate genre conventions
(eg stage performance in rock/metal videos, dance routine for girl/boy band)


2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
(either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting)


3. There is a relationship between music and visuals
(either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting)


4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs that run which recur across their work
(there is a creative style)

5. There is frequent reference to looking and the notion of looking
(screns within screens, telescopes and voyeuristic treatment of the female body)

6. There is often intertextual reference
(to fims, TV programmes, other music videos etc.)


Designing a Questionnaire

• Who are your audience?
• Where are they?
• How do they access music videos?
• What are there expectations of a music video from your genre?
• What do they want in a music video?

Include a variety a qualitative and quantitative questions
How will you distribute your questionnaire? Face to Face? Online? Fronter?
Will your respondents agree to being filmed on your Flips, so you can upload to your blog?

Hopefully you are all well underway with your storyboarding and have been inspired by last week's excursion to the RichMix conference (MTV to Youtube) at Shoreditch

Your tasks are:

Copy up notes from RichMix lectures and add to your blog

Upload any footage you filmed on the Flips and add to your blog

Continue storyboarding: the cameras will be with you soon!

Storyboarding

Congratulations to everyone for presenting outstanding treatment pitches!

Your task for the next two weeks is to plan and script your storyboard

Remind yourselves of the mark scheme to ensure you cover the construction brief requirements...

Creating a Band Brand

This week's task is to create a BAND BRAND

• Think of a BAND NAME: evaluate your decision processes as well as your final choice
• Create a wordle for your brand image

http://www.wordle.net/

• Under your 'band brand' label, consider your INSPIRATION for your music video
• Perhaps it's linked to your LYRICS?
• Perhaps you have a THEME for your music video?
• Find images/YouTube clips of celebs / style icons to upload: clothes, make-up, style
• Link your brand to your genre - and your research of bands in your genre

Be prepared to present your treatment in Friday's lesson

Tasks this week are to work on your TREATMENT PITCH

Your presentation date is Friday 8th October

You will present your treatment to the class who will provide AUDIENCE FEEDBACK for your proposal. This will be a PROFESSIONAL PITCH for your music video concept. You will be filmed, so dress appropriately.

Your treatment needs to INCLUDE
• Background on song
• What is the basic narrative or concept of your video? Are you creating a performance, narrative or concept and why? Link this to your lyrics
• What ‘feel’ do you want to provide for your audience?
• How will you achieve this?
• What are the codes and conventions of your genre?
• In what ways are you conforming to or subverting them?
• What themes do you have running through your video?
• How will you use costume and make up to convey your messages?
• Where is your location and why?
• Have you obtained the band’s permission?


You can present your treatment in any format EG word doc / PPoint / video…but you MUST have something to upload onto your blog

Also bear in mind that you will be presenting your treatment in the lesson – so your audience may need some VISUALS

ALSO also...bear in mind the examiner favours CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE media students: make your presentation INTERESTING, RELEVANT and EXCITING
EG You could show a YouTube clip of a video in your genre and explain how it’s inspired you/ how you plan to conform to or challenge conventions

Adding me as a member of your blog

Hi all,

You have a lot to work to get on with this week but there's some fantastic evidence of creativity on your blogs so far - well done!

Please ensure you add me as a member of your blog so I can provide individual feedback on your progress. If you've forgotten how to do this from last year, instructions can be found here... http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?answer=41440

Also, ensure you enable comments to be posted; instructions can be found here...
http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?answer=41443

Email Request

How to Structure your Copyright Email Request

Dear…

My name is…

I am studying… (explain the course)

Explain what this project involves

Request to use their song

You have no intent to sell your video

Assure won’t be copyright issues as it will solely be used for an educational purpose

Song Choice and Lyrics

You have FOUR TASKS to cover this week

TASK ONE
Explain why you have chosen your song (what decisions have made and why?)
NB You must also write about songs you have discarded

TASK TWO
Upload your song’s lyrics
NB add if you have any particular ideas for scripting particular words

TASK THREE
Contact the music producers for your song: write an email asking permission to use their song

TASK FOUR
Have a group meeting to discuss your ideas and add minutes to your meeting log

Useful videos for intertextuality:

Genre Theory

Tasks
Make notes on 'genre theory' in the lesson
Discuss ideas as a group, then upload your own notes onto your blog:

Areas to cover on your blog
* Genre theorists: what is genre / sub genre?
* Which genre have you chosen and why? ADD PICS
* What are the main GENERIC CHARACTERISTICS of your genre?
* Which ICONOGRAPHY does your genre use? ADD EXAMPLES AND PICS ONTO YOUR BLOG
* Is your genre narrative, performance or concept?
* Which props, location and set design, COSTUME, shot types, angles, stereotypical characters are archetypal of your genre? (EG gender in hip hop videos) ADD EXAMPLES AND PICS
* Is there a STAR, a DIRECTOR, PRODUCER or RECORD LABEL etc which is strongly associated with the genre? What MEANINGS and associations do they have? ADD PICS

Tasks for today
1. Finish your mood board, upload and justify your creative decisions in colours, iconography, symbolism etc. Entitle this ‘secondary research mood board’ remember to state where you found your images (search engine / NME etc…)
2. Create and maintain a Meeting Log on an Excel Spreadsheet
3. Make a list of bands for whom you would like to produce a music video

Week 1

Welcome back everyone!
I'm glad you're all looking so rejuvenated and ready for your final year at County.

As per today's lesson, please can you ensure you complete the following tasks

1. On your blog create a label called ‘Production ‘Log’ . Within this, create a label for ‘Secondary Source Research’ to contain your mood board.

2. Begin working on a mood board for your chosen genre. Add images and text explaining the rationale behind your chosen images. Use key terminology: representation; audience; atmosphere, iconography, symbolism, mise-en-scene etc. Make your mood board interactive with links to YouTube, MySpace etc. if possible.
Cite your sources: scanned images from (which?) magazines, search engines (google / yahoo etc), Facebook or MySpace pages.

3. Decide on your group members and chosen genre

REMEMBER TO BE CREATIVE!

Lesson Tasks
Write up notes on the definition of a performance vs narrative video

Find examples of each to upload and analyse.

Undertake further research into performance vs narrative videos online: make your notes different to others’!

Homework Tasks
Write an analysis of your favourite music video (performance/narrative/combination?)

But, in order to enhance the creativity of your blog we going to film your analysis and upload onto your blog

To prepare for this, you need to watch your chosen video and write your analysis - in script format - to learn before next Wednesday’s lesson.

You can use revision cards as an aid, or ask a friend to ask a series of questions which you then answer in ‘noddy shot’ interview style for the recording.

Well done everyone! You have made a conscientious start to your Yr 13 research and your blogs are already looking detailed and professional.

However, we have a few ‘blank blogs’.

The following students need to start uploading their artist research onto their blogs please:
Neelam
Akua

Initial Music Artist Research Project

Hi all,

Your tasks for this week are based on your music artist research project. Once you have decided on your chosen genre and are in your groups you then need to undertake some research.

You will be researching into your chosen genre (as a group)

You will choose 3 music artists to case study (independently)

It is vital that you upload all your research and planning onto your blog under the label ‘Music Video Research and Planning’

Weekly tasks to complete:

- Find 3 artists to research

- Look on artist(s) websites and My Space, in music magazines and use Google for information. State on your blog where you sourced the information

- Create a musical biography for your chosen artist(s): age, gender etc. How they came into music, band/solo artist? Awards and musical recognition? UK or international artist?

- Research into your artist(s) cord label. Who is the label? History of the record label, the ideological values they promote, who else is signed to them etc?

- Make sure you proof read spelling and grammar before saving your posts.

- Upload clips from YouTube / scan in magazine articles and use inventive ways of utilising technology in order to maximise your marks!

Welcome to A2 Media Studies!

Please save the 'AS and A2 Course Booklet' to your own blog for reference.

Ensure you READ THIS CAREFULLY as it contains important information about the assessment objectives for your A2 Media Studies grade.

ECS Media Studies Course Booklet