Linked Production tutorial 17.03.17

• ·         Your chosen brief is achievable and fits your critical investigation very well. The high school movie is a classic genre and you have the location and cast to pull it off pretty convincingly. The challenge will be technical – things like framing shots and recording professional-quality audio will be the defining factors for this project. It was notable these were areas that the preliminary exercise highlighted so we must make sure we learn from that.
• ·         Your planning on your blog is mixed – some is very good but there is also a lot missing or incomplete. Particularly worrying is the lack of research – I’m pretty confident you’ll have done a lot more than is currently posted but obviously there’s no evidence of this. One positive is that the strong link between this and your critical investigation means you should know The DUFF and The Breakfast Club well.
• ·         Your schedule looks good – but are we on track to meet it? It’s good you’ve built in time and we have days over the Easter holiday available too if you need to re-edit anything.
• ·         I like the script – it’s not in the correct format but it reads well. You develop your character nicely and I can see a teen audience quickly recognising certain scenarios typical of the genre and their own experiences. There are notable typos and errors in written English in the script – this doesn’t need to be submitted to AQA but it’s another reminder this is an area we have to pay more attention to. In addition, the script repeats a scene and then stops suddenly – is this where the extract will end? Be careful the overall production isn’t too short.
• ·         Locations and costumes will obviously not be a problem – hopefully the cast is set too. Your biggest challenges will be framing and focus for cinematography and recording dialogue effectively in terms of sound – this may require multiple re-shoots so be prepared. The rough cut deadline is Wednesday so we’ll know more then.
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•  ·      Post these tutorial notes to your MEST4 coursework blog as a new blogpost.
• ·         The rough cut deadline is Wednesday 22 March – make sure you are on track to meet this deadline.
• ·         After pasting these notes in your blogpost, write a numbered list of THREE things you will do in the next seven days in order to move your Linked Production project to the next level.

 -  Filming the rest of my production 

-      -  start editing 

       - research and look at other teen movies opening scenes 

MEST4 Linked production: Research and planning

1) Confirm your production brief. You write this yourself but it's absolutely crucial this is clear, appropriate and achievable. You should have done this already - the original blogpost was here - but it may have changed as a result of your preliminary exercise.

 ~ an opening scene ~

Everyone is soon to be coming back to school from there summer holidays. This opening scene would follow the protagonist evening; a hard worker, determined and a strong female. This opening scene would show that the protagonist doesn't need a boy to be there for within the last year of high school/college unlike others girls think..  

2) Research: detailed notes on at least THREE texts similar to what you are creating. What are the key conventions? What can you learn/borrow from the examples you have looked at?
-  Mean Girls - The appearance of how they are towards people 

3) Project schedule: when will you shoot and edit this production? Make this a week-by-week schedule leading up to Easter. Key dates: we break up for Easter on Friday 31 March and the final deadline is Wednesday 19 April.

4) Script - see the BBC Writers' Room for advice/script formatting. 

1. 1.      SUMMER. 1 
   2.      2 GYM_ 2 
   Audience are presented with the gym location, Katie, late teens, is on the treadmill, running quite fast. She is tall, and in causal gym clothing, quite sweaty. Shots of her on different gym equipment. Realising she has been running for a while on the treadmill, she then stops and puts her hands on the front of the treadmill, getting her breath back. 
   KATIE (V.O.)
   breathing out heavily, chest heavily moving, heads facing down.
   "Breath Katie” 
   She then takes out a deep sigh, moving away from the treadmill. Looking around, she realises she's had enough and drinks her water, walking towards her bags, sees her phone lit up with a text reading; 'School tomorrow, can't wait, you ready for the last year?' Sighing deeply, Katie ignores the text and leaves the building in frustration. 
   
   2. Northolt Hills - KATIE (V.O + P.O)
   walking up a hill; different clothing but same day- evening/night.
   Taking the view in front her, thinking about last year about herself being bullied... KATIE; voiceover – ‘you know that workout didn’t mean anything, your still the fatty that everyone saw you as last year” Katie heavily sighing and shaking her head down looking very disappointed and hurt. KATIE then sits around and admires the view in front of her; the city. VOICEOVERS- ‘can’t believe she wears the same clothes everyday, everyone’s knows how poor she is’ ‘try not to hurt yourself while your at PE; full of laughter”
   3.      HOME SCENE
   Katie at home, getting ready for school, packing backs and getting clothes ready to show that she is going back to school from summer.
   
   
   4.      School. – KATIE (P.O)
   Audience are introduced to the school location; clock, classrooms, students etc. KATIE hurrying inside and to her first lesson without getting unnoticed by anyone in a empty school hallway, keeping her head down and not seeing where she is going, causing her to bump into the person who she was dreading to see the most on the first day back.
   
   
   MAGGIE
   ‘Hey! Watch where your going and who you bumping into” without raising her head and on her phone
   
   
   KATIE
   “Sorry, I wasn’t looking”
   
   
   MAGGIE with a disgusted face;
    “Yeah bet you weren’t, stay out of my way otherwise, don’t say I didn’t warn you” with that Maggie leaves.
   
   
   Katie
   Staying put to where she is, whilst out a deep breath, “didn’t think by working out the whole summer would make her not remember me” With the school bell going off, KATIE; “today’s going to be eventful.”  
   
   
2. 
   

5) Sketching and drafting - for video-based productions this means a storyboard - sheets available in DF07 or you can print out your own AQA storyboard sheet. For print productions, this means detailed sketches of all your pages.

6) Shot list - use Microsoft Word or a template like this to help you. Remember, you need a shot list whether you are filming or carrying out a print photoshoot - professional quality original images are essential if you want to reach the top level.

7) Mise-en-scene: casting/model details, costume and make-up, props, lighting, location scouting for video productions etc. Use photographs to document and plan your mise-en-scene - using your phone is acceptable for this.

           

Critical Investigation tutorial - second draft.

   Some improvement from first draft but still some very real issues we need to resolve for the final draft.

·         The critical issue is the lack of a clear argument running through the essay. You seem to argue at the start and end that teen movies have changed over the years but the middle bit is how similar Breakfast Club, The DUFF and Mean Girls are in terms of using stereotypes. This lack of clarity will really restrict what level the essay can reach.

·         Similarly, there is a lack of clarity with the second part of the question: audience effects. What point are you trying to make? You have some brilliant quotes but don’t introduce them properly or use them to advance an argument. I strongly advise you to get angry! Why not argue that these films are reinforcing very negative messages to young women (like representation of women in advertising – Killbourne).

·         Written English is still nowhere near the standard required for A2 – either you are not proofreading or you seriously need to work on your proofreading. Look at my comments on the first page alone.

·         Research is good – plenty of footnotes and extensive bibliography. If you can change the argument to make use of these quotes then there’s the potential for a good essay.

·         Perhaps consider adding some recent theorists from the exam side – e.g. Jean Killbourne and the representation of women. You can discuss the negative impact these images of women have on young audiences to cover the second part of your question.

·         Copy and paste this feedback into a new blogpost on your MEST4 coursework blog called ‘Critical Investigation tutorial – second draft’.

·         Your immediate priority needs to be the Linked Production: this is worth 32 marks.

·         When you have a Linked Production in draft form, return to this essay with fresh eyes and look to make three or four key improvements before submitting the final draft.

·         Your final deadline is immediately after the Easter holiday: Wednesday 19 April.

Critical Investigation learner response

Critical Investigation: first draft learner response

On your MEST4 coursework blog, complete the following tasks:

• Type up your teacher comments from your first draft - these are your main targets that you must address.

www: 

[] Your bibliography is impressive and you clearly know your genre. There is definitely the potential to improve this by a grade or two - but a few key areas to work on first. 

ebi: 

[] Written English is a huge problem: look at the number of errors highlighted just on the first page. It is essential to write grammatically correct sentences at A2 level (frankly: at GCSE level) 

[] There isn't a clear argument running through this ... it seems like the essay can't decide between the representation of youth and gender. I think you need to offer a positive and negative impact on audience for stereotypes and then explore these two sides throughout the essay.

[] Your bibliography is very good but there isn't enough evidence of this in your essay.Where are all the academic quotes discussing the impacts the impact of stereotypes? You also need to learn how to introduce a quote. 

[] Textual analysis is lacking: where is the detailed media terminology? Far too often you are simply describing the film and quoting lines.  

• Write what level/mark/grade you are aiming for in your second draft.

30+ [ Level 3 high] 

• Write a numbered action plan of at least five things - ideally one for each of the eight EBIs you received in feedback in your Peer Assessment lessons - that you will do or change for your second draft that will help you get there. Be specific and explain in detail.

- add in more references from my bibliography

- add in media terminology within my textual analysis 

- fix my written English - re-reading my paragraphs 

- present my argument clear - separate them in paragraphs  

MEST 4: Preliminary exercise: evaluation

1) Why did you choose this particular recreation and how does it link to your main production?
The location of clip i had chosen what quite easy to film, as it was during a school environment. In addition, to get 3 girls who aren't doing much whilst saying their lines was something that made it a little more easier for me to chose the clip that i did.
2) What difficulties did you face in producing this recreation?
As all of this had to be recorded outside, sound was difficult as it wasn't very clear because you could hear the wind within the clip. Another difficulty that came along with shooting the scene was that we rushed it as because it was during break time too this was because we couldn't get everyone together before this had to be submitted. 
3) What are the strengths of the production?
I was able to edit the clips very closely to the actual clip i had chosen to do. I was able to meet the brief of 30 seconds. 
4) What aspects would you look to improve?
-Sound 
- attention to detail.

5) What lessons will you take from this process that will help you with your main production?
- always check the sound 
- never rush a shooting - taking time and going over the clips once shot properly would be a benefit. 

6) Now that you are ready to start your actual linked production, explain clearly what you will be creating and how confident you are in delivering this. 
I will be creating a teen movie narrative - subverting from the traditional storyline (not 100% sure yet) but I'm fairly confident that i would be able to meet the standards that are required. 

preliminary exercise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnBtYVdiaIc 

                                         

(0:40 - 58)

                           

Preliminary exercise: Recreation Task

Name of the text you plan to recreate:
Bratz


Scene/section you will recreate:
6:20 - 6:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5SFco7DAAo&t=410s

Location you will use for your recreation:
outside -


Actors you will require for your recreation:
3 girls 

Props/costumes you will require for your recreation:
spare clothing

Equipment you plan to use:
tripod 
camera
mic 


Any other relevant information: