BTEC Production - Gone!

With just a few days to go before the BIG deadline - for Year 12 AS Practical Productions to be completed - we thought it might be nice for you to see a finished piece from some other students on another Year 12 course.

Making its premiere - exclusively here on Macguffin - is a thriller film opening by a group of BTEC Media students (Parminder, Satvinder, Sabah and Fahad) for their video production unit. Called 'Gone!', it has a range of interesting camera angles and a clever non-linear narrative.

Mock Exams

For all Year 12s...

Don't forget...mock exams are next week and you should all be revising hard for them this weekend. This is your only chance to practise these questions and develop these skills under full test conditions so make the most of the opportunity - if you haven't prepared you'll be wasting both your own and your teacher's time as the only feedback you'll get is 'do some work' - not very helpful when the purpose is to help you improve for the real thing on June 8th.

The dates/times are (in case you've forgotten)...

• MODULE 2 Mock for 12C - Monday 27-03, periods 1 & 2 (in E01)

• MODULE 1 Mock for 12C - Tuesday 28-03, periods 7 & 8 (in P06)

• MODULE 2 Mock for 12D - Tuesday 28-03, periods 3 & 4 (in P06)

• MODULE 1 Mock for 12D - Wednesday 29-03, periods 3 & 4 (in P06)

Your revision/preparation should be...

MODULE 1

• Revision of MIGRAIN - key questions to ask, keywords/glossary + film language worksheets.

• MIGRAIN analysis of 'Neighbours' title sequence (15 minutes note-taking/planning;one hour writing).

• MIGRAIN analysis of any non-fiction title sequence of your choice (15 minutes note-taking/planning;one hour writing).

MODULE 2

• Read through all notes on the key texts...
• Film & Broadcast Fiction - 'Bullet Boy', 'City of God', 'Curb your Enthusiasm'.
• Documentary - 'Bowling for Columbine', 'Big Brother', 'Man With a Movie Camera', 'Triumph of the Will'

• Read through all 'Film & Broadcast Fiction' & 'Documentary' past questions.

• Write essay plans for as many different questions as possible.

• Complete at least one timed essay for each topic (Film, Doc - 45 minutes/question).

Good luck and make sure you turn up on time!!

Blog Comments

For 12C and 12D students...

Each group needs to appoint one person to create a post title called 'Blog Comments' and to cut and paste the following to it. It must be posted to your group blog before the end of Monday 20-02...


1. What do you think of our blog?

• What do you particularly like about it? What's especially impressive?

• What could be improved? What's missing or could be added?

2. Based on what you've read on the blog (and maybe seen in test screenings in class) what suggestions do you have regarding what we could do to make our Practical Production really successful?

• What other things could we include in the production?
  

• How should we go about filming any remaining scenes or editing the footage during post-production (+ suggestions for music, etc.)?

Then it's the job for everyone in Year 12 to go to each blog, read through it and answer the questions above about each one (there will be thirteen in total) as a comment on the above post. DO THIS WORK ON YOUR OWN!

The more detail and feedback you give, the more you are likely to receive and it could be very useful to you, especially as most of you are targetting your productions at this very demographic - it's like a perfect focus group setting. By the end, each group should have 40+ comments.

Also, by reading each other's blogs carefully you should get extra ideas about how to improve your work. The aim is for you to be inspired! Make sure you include your name with each post so you can be identified by the group concerned and Macguffin (who will be closely monitoring what's going on - no unfair negative comments).

This must be completed before Monday 27-02.

Blogs Looking Good!

For 12C and 12D students..

It's great to see so many groups getting on with their Practical Productions so enthusiastically and your blogs are providing an excellent medium to record your progress, reflect on achievements and plan new ideas and actions.

Your blogs are also great to read - I'm a big fan and I check in each day to see what's been added. Hopefully, you're all doing the same with each other (just follow the links on the sidebar). It would also be helpful for you to post some comments on each other's blogs - words of encouragement, advice etc.



What's been particularly impressive so far?

The producers of the arthouse film trailer Guilt were one of the first groups to get blogging and they've set the standard much of the way. They have documented many of the twists and turns that their production has undergone so far (the crises as well as the good things) along with lots of shots of the production team in action and links to websites that they've found useful. Well done, grrrls. Credits all round.

One of the most visually appealing blogs has to be Gahoongsta which contains info about their documentary on teenagers' obsession with image. It is very pink and has loads of uploaded images of both celebrities and the Gahoongsta Crew - lots of pouting. There's some good research here into some of the issues they're hoping to cover too. Good stuff...credits.

Another good blog is called The Life of Grime and tells of the work underway to produce a documentary on this important music genre. There are links to pirate stations that play the music (one of which the team visited to shoot footage) and there is some interesting discussion of new ideas as they emerge. The two producers have also been invited to come into some Yr 10 Media lessons after half term to share their wisdom. Brrraapp! (Credits).

There is loads of detail on the Bullycide blog demonstrating the careful research they've undertaken for their documentary about the topic of bullying. Horrific examples of this social problem (taken from both tabloid and broadsheet sources) are posted alongside clear information about how the group intend to progress. Well done and credits to you too.

Finally, there is some truly excellent work taking place on Teenagers: Behind the Scenes which is certainly the most comprehensive blog produced so far. The most important thing that makes it so special is the regularity with which the contributors make postings, keeping us informed of each development. But there's also some very good research, great pics (and diagrams!) and even uploaded video too. Superb effort, well deserving of credits.

Will you all, then, please take note of the things that make a good blog...

• regular, frequent posting by every person in the group (at least once/week) to include...
• outlines of the work planned and equipment to be used;
  
• reports on what was achieved;
  
• reflections on the outcome and whether it was different from what was planned and why.
  

• images (and video) as well as text

• hyperlinks and research findings

Please continue posting throughout the half term holiday. If you want to have a go at uploading video then use YouTube (the site that Macguffin uses - quite straightforward). What would be great would be for people to start uploading sneak peeks of their material that they've shot so we can give our opinions (like in lessons with the 'Test Screening Feedback Form'). This way you can gain vital knowledge about whether you need to re-shoot or re-edit...before it's too late!

Don't forget all filming needs to be done by the day you return Monday 20-02-06, along with all logging too. You have single log sheets in your packs - you may need to photocopy a load if you didn't pick up spares from school. Each individual shot must be logged accurately on the sheets...this may take some time!! When you return it is time to start editing (but only if you've finished filming and logging, so get going!).

Practical Production Blogs

For 12C and 12D students...

Each Practical Production group needs to set up a group blog by Monday 30-01-06...quite straightforward, especially as you've had it demonstrated in lessons. You may do this all together or one of your group can set up the account and then email you the username and password. Don't tell anyone else your password!

This is the first time that we have done this for Module 3 and it is hoped that it will be beneficial in a number of ways...

• It will be a place where your group can suggest ideas, make decisions and plan actions.
• As a result you will be clearer about what needs to be done - how and when.
• You will receive comments and feedback about your work in progress from other groups.
• Over time it will serve as on online record of your achievements (as a group and individual).
• This will be monitored by your teachers & will ensure you are rewarded fairly when it comes to assessment.
• It will be helpful to refer back to when writing your evaluation (for the examiner).

Once the blog is set up you each have three tasks to complete and submit as separate posts on your blog before the deadline...

• A short outline of your project (base this on what you said in your brief).
• An entry that summarises the work that both you and your group have completed so far.
• A plan for what you'll be doing over the next week.

Remember - every individual in the group must make their own separate posts. Also, make sure you include your name at the end of each one so you can be identified. You will be required to add to this on a weekly basis, to cover the following...

• outlining the work planned and equipment to be used;
  
• reporting on what was achieved;
  
• reflecting on the outcome and whether it was different from what was planned and why.
  

It will also be good to see photos and stills from your shoot and production as it starts to take shape. The whole thing should eventually look like a big online scrapbook of your project that will culminate in the finished piece - uploaded and streamed into people's homes via the internet. Of course there will be credits, commendations and perhaps even prizes for the most committed and interesting bloggers. Get going!!

Media Studies Conference

For all Year 12 students...

Don't forget to be on time on Monday - 8.45am outside school - and to bring pen/paper etc.

Homework to do this week in relation to the Media Conference...


TASK ONE

Read the three related internet articles either before or after (before is better) at the following links...

Tony Benn's views of politics and the media
He's the guy above on the right during his celebrated Ali G interview when he took offence at Ali G referring to women as 'bitches'. Do you agree with his criticisms of the media?

Fuad Omar's homepage
The Bollywood producer's site has an enthusiastic article about the pleasure to be had from movies called 'The Medium of Film' in the 'Outtakes' section. Do you share his passion about films?

Guy Cumberbatch's response to new media research
In this BBC website article, the leading researcher into media effects (the impact the media has on audiences) challenges a new finding that claims teenagers should only watch one hour a day or they will be damaged by it. What do you think?

TASK TWO

Go to the Macguffin Forum and follow the links to the discussions on Tony Benn, Fuad Omar and Guy Cumberbatch. (These won't appear until after we've been to the conference). Then respond to the questions posed, making use of your notes from the conference and the articles posted above.

Each posting needs to be at least one paragraph (so you'll write three in total) and there will be credits for the best ones. Make sure you log in before posting so that it gets counted. This needs to be done by Thursday 8th December for 12C and for Monday 12th December for 12D.

TASK THREE

Also, remember that you also need to type up your conference notes for each of the seven lectures. These have to be ready for the same time as the forum posts.

Date For Your Diary - Debate

For 12C & 12D students...

The first annual GHS Media Studies Debate takes place on Wednesday 14th December at 3.25 in the Post-16 Centre. It will be Year 12 homework that week for all students to attend - a register will be taken. For more info about the event please go to Annual Media Debate on the Year 13 page.

As Year 12 students, you are playing the part of the all-important audience but you will also get opportunities to ask questions to the debating teams and to give your opinions on the topics. In addition, we will be needing some Year 12s to act as the chairpersons during each of the three debates - to introduce speakers and to keep order. Are you tough enough? We will be asking for volunteers next week - it would look great on your UCAS form.

Crucially, you will all learn a great deal about important media issues by attending and find out how to debate for when it's your turn. Perhaps we need to have one sooner for you - before next year? 12C vs 12D anyone?