AS Coursework evaluation questions and suggestions: Horror specific

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Your horror film: what research did you do? What did you find out and what did you use in your own film? Were there any things / ideas that you thought were useful or were there any aspects you definitely did not want to copy? WHY? NB the key words here are USE [ie copy], DEVELOP [ie go beyond] CHALLENGE [ie subvert, change or twist away from expectations]

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups ?

Your horror film: what social group/s have you got in your film? [e.g young people? Young girls? Adults?] How did you dress them? How did you have them behave? Speak? What props did you give them? What locations did you put them in? Key words are HOW and WHY?

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Your horror film: which film making company might make this and who would distribute it? Look at existing distribution companies and see who makes your kind of film. Choose a company and justify your choice – e.g is it existing products? Audience? Geography? Intended audience? Cost? Reach of dist. co.? Advertising? Expertise? History? WHAT?

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

Your horror film: Who precisely is your target audience? Draw up a profile of their gender, age, interests and hobbies, education, social background, looks, income etc and state how and why you have targeted them. [e.g. have a photo of a typical viewer and write a para or so about them...] This one is WHO?

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

Your horror film: What precise methods have you used? Image? Representation? Language? Subjects addressed in your film?  Posters? Advertising e.g. viral? This one is HOW?

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Your horror film: So this is all the technical stuff! Cameras? Editing techniques? Photographic techniques? Sound?  Drawbacks, difficulties and advantages – what are you most proud of? Key word here is TECHNOLOGIES!


7. Looking back at your preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

Your horror film: questions to ask yourselves: did you integrate the preliminary task into the main? Why / why not? How did your skills improve between the one and the other? Same technologies as previous question. Key word here is PROGRESSION!

Your main coursework task

As you know, your blog research which you have been working on up till now is worth 20 marks, the film itself is worth 60 and the final evaluation is worth 20 marks.


To complete your blog work you need to add these posts to your blogs:

1. The story board
2. The script
3. The shooting schedule [this should include: date, actors, place to be, time, props and equipment to bring with them.]
4. Behind the scenes: footage, stills, diary ... this is your opportunity to comment on how things are going and went and can be fun!
5. Editing: this is not a blow by blow account but a few highlights of getting to grips with the process, creative differences in your team, decisions made and why, particular editing tools or functions which you used to enhance your project e.g filters, colour saturation, slow motion etc
6. Finally [I don't expect this to be done till mid January at least] upload your film and write a short evaluation of it. Ideally do this after we have had a screening and you have got feedback.

1-4 above should really be mostly complete by the end of term and certainly by the beginning of January. We will have 2 weeks of lesson time to complete the editing and to have the screening and feedback. After that we expect ALL of this to be finished by 31st January.


The evaluation questions you have longer to complete but will have to be done entirely in your own time. 28th February for these.

Coursework update for November to December 2016

These are the last posts you need to complete other than the actual preparation and completion of your main task:

1. Evaluation of preliminary task film   
2. Prelim task on blog   
3. Prelim task planning   
4. Film Analysis 4       
5. Film Analysis 3    

Deadline for these December 2nd   

From now on all your work should be about your main task:

1. [Presentation to class of] initial ideas for horror opening
2. Script/ storyboard/ shooting schedule
3. Your production company logo, ideas, final idea, why, and how you made it.
4. Behind the scenes: locations / filming fun! etc maybe a video diary - short!! or diary with stills.
5. Actors auditions / screen shots photographic shoot style
6. Description and evaluation of the editing process
7. Final film on blog
8. Short evaluation of film including how well the group worked together, what went, well problems etc

Deadline for these completed and on blog January 20th 2017

THEN there is the actual evaluation section of the coursework. See post before this for a link to these but we will go through them at the end of this term and possibly again beginning of next term.

THE POSTS FOR THE EVALUATION QUESTIONS MUST SHOW A RANGE OF DIFFERENT WAYS OF PRESENTING THE INFORMATION.

Evaluation Questions

These questions are a separate strand of your coursework and are worth 20 marks in their own right.


Follow this link to find them but I will be putting them up here properly.
http://www.slideshare.net/rockinmole/as-evaluation-31071682

How to get good marks for this part of your blog

This is taken from the exam board's mark scheme, I have only included Proficient and Excellent since I assume you will all be in these categories! Good luck!


Level 3 12–15 marks Proficient

There is proficient research into similar products and a potential target audience.

There is proficient analysis of existing texts and proficient evidence of understanding of conventions of film openings and establishing genre/narrative.

There is proficient organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.

There is proficient work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.

There is proficient care in the presentation of the research and planning

Time management is good. 

Proficient means your work is generally good. Analysis considers technical aspects of the film opening, such as framing  lighting, mise-en-scene, camera movement, sound, editing as well as what conventions feature on the opening credits and how narrative is established. You are up to date with the work and using your own initiative with research and planning. Your blog is creative, using varied presentation methods to clearly explain and demonstrate conventions and your ideas. Planning has been influenced by your research and is workable/supportive in your production. 

Level 4 16–20 marks Excellent

There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience.

There is excellent analysis of existing texts and excellent evidence of understanding of conventions of film openings and establishing genre/narrative.

There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.

There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.

There is excellent care in the presentation of the research and planning

Time management is excellent. 

Your work is excellent. It is up to date and much of the work is creative, varied and highly analytical.  There is sharp focus on the tasks and excellent awareness/understanding of conventions of film openings. There are clear links between your research and your planning - your choices made for your preliminary/main task have been clearly influenced by the research tasks and you have explained all choices made for films (all technical/mise-en-scene choices) in detail. Planning is very detailed, with a clear storyboard  animatic and production schedule that is clearly being used to guide production.

Blog Check update

I have checked your blogs again today and again there are some students whose blogs are not up to date. Next check will be 31st October but already some of you will find you have penalised yourselves for the Autumn reports due out soon.
I will be handing out a checklist and copy of my comments in the lesson on Tuesday, please make sure you get up to date.
Here is a list of posts you should have by 31st: Please note this does not include any of the posts of your preparation for your film which is a separate list!!

1. Audience survey collation of results    [with diagrams]       
2. Mise en scene                 )        
3. Editing                            )         these were all class work  and should have been finished
4. Sound                              )         for homework
5. Directors /use of camera ) 
6. Audience Q’aire link to questions          
7. History of horror              
8. Horror conventions       
9. Media in My Life               
10. Film Analysis 1                  
11.  Film Analysis 2
12. Film analysis 3
13. Film Analysis 4
14. Camera angles
15.  Mood board / Summer holiday work

Planning Resources and Templates

Find below some templates to help you consider your film in more detail.

Using a call sheet will show evidence of organisation of actors (a key part of the mark scheme) and help you plan your filming in more detail.

This is an example one. A blank one is below (and in the shared area at school too).




This sheet will help you plan your location - so you know where to go and any additional information. I recommend you do one for each possible location - and definitely for the actual locations you use. If you add pictures to the sheet to to demonstrate the location - even better!