TARA PILKINGTON A2 MEDIA BLOG

At A2 your practical work is expected to be realised to be a far higher standard, both technically and conceptually than at AS with a highly competent use of technology. That means that you should be competent with the equipment and various software programmes before you start this project because you will be marked down if your work suffers because of your technical skills.

 

There is one major difference though between AS and A2. Instead of a preliminary task that was not marked in terms of quality, but was rather done as a development 'stepping stone', at A2 you are required to produce a main task and two other media outcomes that are equal in quality.

 

Production work for the main task in the Advanced Portfolio may be in the same medium as AS work (in order to allow for the development of skills within a particular medium) or a different medium (in order to allow for breadth of experience of different media forms). The ancillary tasks will ensure that you have the opportunity to explore a different medium at some point in your production work. So you will be working across media areas and you will need to develop skills in each of them If your music video is accomplished, but the website for the band is shoddy, the mark comes down.

 

The production element and presentation of research, planning and evaluation may be individual or group work (maximum group size is four). If you work in a group, the evidence for assessment may be presented collectively but I will still assess you on an individual basis for your contribution to aspects of the work, from planning, research and production to evaluation.

For this brief, you will need to produce:

 

• a media portfolio, comprising a main and ancillary texts;

• a presentation of your research, planning and evaluation in electronic format(s)

 

The portfolio will be produced through a combination of two or more of the following media:

 

• Video

• Print

• Web-based

• Audio

• Games software

 

As at A2 this unit it marked out of 100.

Planning and Research 20

Construction 60

Evaluation 20

 

Having produced this portfolio, you will not only be assessed on your creative skills, but also on your ability to theorise your work formally in an exam context (in unit G325 Critical Perspectives in Media, section A - Theoretical Evaluation of Production.) So the electronic evaluation and work-in-progress blogging will build up to a more traditional written outcome.

Here you have to answer two compulsory questions. The first requires you to describe and evaluate your skills development over the course of your production work, from Foundation Portfolio to advanced Portfolio. The second asks you to identify one production and evaluate it in relation to one theoretical concept.

 

1. A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following three options:

 

• a website homepage for the band;

• a cover for its release as part of the digipak (CD/DVD package);

• a magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package).

 

 

2. A promotion package for a new film, to include a trailer, together with two of the following three options:

 

• a website homepage for the film;

• a film magazine front cover, featuring the film;

• a poster for the film.

 

 

3. The first level of a new computer game, together with two of the following three options:

 

• the cover for the game's package;

• a magazine advertisement for the game;

• a radio advertisement for the game.

 

 

4. A promotion package for a new computer / video game, to include two TV afvertisements. together with two of the following three options:

 

• the cover of the game's package

• two hyperlinked pages from the game's website;

• a magazine advertisement for the game.

 

NOTE: All material for all tasks are to be produced by you yourself with the exception of acknowledged non-original sound or image material used in a limited way in video / radio work.

Formats - Video work must be in DVD format and must be playable on standard domestic DVD players for moderation purposes. Audio work must be in CD format. Print work should be presented as a jpeg or pdf. Games should be either in Flash format or playable on an existing console.

 

REMEMBER:

 

• Maintain a consistent house style throughout all 3 platforms i.e. same colour schemes, page layouts, mode of address etc.

• Maintain a tangible link between all 3 media products e.g. use still frames from a video sequence within a poster or DVD cover and or embed clips of video within a webpage.

• Create a logo that will brand the product across all 3 platforms.

• Incorporate the expectations of your audience into your product.