g324 · soap operas – or „continuing drama serials‟ – are one of the most dominant forms of...
TRANSCRIPT
G324
Advanced Portfolio in Media
Steps to success in your A2 project
Foreword
I cannot promise that this will be the most exciting thing you’ve ever read. It doesn’t have heroes and villains, mysteries to unravel or love triangles to untangle.
Sorry.
But there is a prize for following its instructions carefully: an A grade.
It has taken a lot of time and effort to compile it, so you should take your time with it too. Read the sections that are relevant to you (your choice of project, plus the section at the back which applies to everyone) and make some notes.
Then read it again.
A third time won’t hurt. You’d be amazed how many times I’ve had to read the exam board’s specification!
Your coursework – and what you are able to write about it afterwards – is worth 75% of your marks this year. If you take shortcuts, your marks will be cut too.
Enjoy
Mr Allison
G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media
The purpose of this unit is:
1. to assess your ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and
creative skills (AO3)
2. to assess your application of knowledge and understanding in evaluating your own work,
showing how you created meanings and responses
3. to assess your ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research (AO4).
This is a coursework unit, in which you will produce:
a media portfolio, made up of one main text and two ancillary (additional, lesser) texts, using at
least two different media.
a presentation of your research, planning and evaluation in electronic format.
Assessment
The Advanced Portfolio represents 50% of the marks at A2, 25% of the entire A level. The unit is
marked out of 100 marks:
20 marks for the planning and research and its presentation;
60 marks for the production itself
20 marks for the evaluation.
At Salesian… This year you will be given some choice in the selection of your coursework production. We have made
the following choices already – but the rest are up to you.
1. The two media you employ will be:
o moving image (building on what you learned from your Foundation Portfolio.)
o print media (building on what you learned in July on the magazines project.)
2. Although you may work in groups of up to three people, you will compile evidence of your
research, planning and evaluation individually, using a blog.
The Briefs
As we have selected moving image and print as your two production media, you have a choice of three
briefs from a list of 13 provided by the board. They are listed below:
5. A promotion package for a new soap opera, to include:
o A TV Trailer (main text)
o a listings magazine front cover featuring the new soap
o a poster for the soap
6. A selection of materials related to an original children’s TV
drama, to include:
o The title sequence to the TV programme (main text)
o the front cover to a magazine for the series
o a DVD cover for the series
7. An idea for a new documentary TV programme, to include:
o An extract from the documentary, approximately five
minutes long (main text)
o a double-page spread from a listings magazine focused on the
documentary
o a newspaper advertisement for the documentary
Brief 5: Soap Opera
What is Soap Opera? Soap Operas – or „continuing drama serials‟ – are one of
the most dominant forms of drama on British television.
Many Soap Operas purport to present a version of real life
very close to one we might recognise. This kind of drama is
frequently described as being „more realistic‟ than crime
and fantasy-based dramas, but are soaps really a dramatised
version of real life?
Origins of Soap Soap Operas were born on US radio in the 1930s. They were serialised daytime dramas, and were
sponsored by major detergent manufacturers. Most men were at work when these were broadcast, so the
audience was mainly female. Most of the drama revolved around female characters too - often
professional women, presenting lives that the listeners could only aspire to.
The most long-lasting British television soap is ITV‟s Coronation Street. It began in 1960 and focuses
on day-to-day community and family life in the fictional Manchester suburb of Weatherfield. It was
originally slated for just 12 episodes, but clocked up its 7000th episode in January 2009!
Soap Sub-genres The social realist soap
A „warts and all‟ presentation of the world as people experience it, rather than an idealised version of
reality. Soap operas like EastEnders and Coronation Street may reasonably be described as social
realist serials: they explore lives and issues that seem broadly „realistic‟, even if the idea that all these
issues could arise in one small place is dramatic licence. The most common form in Britain.
Light entertainment Soaps
The sunny, upbeat opening titles for Neighbours and Home and Away tell us that these are
programmes designed to entertain their audiences without presenting too much of a challenge to their
audience. They deal with issues less confrontationally, and characters are frequently redeemed.
Glamourised Soaps Characters are always immaculately presented and beautiful, and the idea that there is anything realistic
about their lives for all but the rarest of people is patently absurd. Technically shows like Footballers‟
Wives aren‟t soaps at all - they have seasonal, rather than on-going, runs.
Hybrids
Some Soaps use elements of more than one style. Hollyoaks, for example, sometimes appears to be
social realist, but also borrows from the light entertainment tropes of Neighbours which its teenage
audience finds more enjoyable.
Genre codes conventions Stock settings:
Localized settings with communal areas like
pubs, corner shops, a cafeteria etc. Characters
need places to meet, and producers save on
costs by using the same set for many different
encounters.
Stock characters:
Soaps do not have central characters: they are
ensemble pieces with large casts. Mostly enter
the soap as stereotypes: the loveable rogue, the
tart with a heart, the put-upon wife, the fussy widow, the loveable softy, the stroppy (and prematurely
pregnant) teenager...
Stock narratives and themes:
Several stories run in parallel in each episode. Episodes do not have clear endings: there is no overall
narrative closure. Rather, they have cliffhanger endings, or what Todorov would call narrative
disequilibrium, designed to bring audiences back to see what happens next.
Soap Opera plots are often built around personal, human stories and family conflict, rather than crimes
or adventures. Alternatively, soaps like EastEnders, Grange Hill and Hollyoaks have become
increasingly interested in storylines built around issues, rather than stories driven by characters. Most
famously, EastEnders decided one of its regular characters would contract AIDS.
Iconography: There is probably not an iconography of soap, but each soap opera develops its own iconography. The
cobbled surfaces of Coronation Street are iconography, and the drum beats that signal the beginning and
the end of each EastEnders episode are aural iconography.
Soaps and Institution Soap Opera is produced quickly and relatively cheaply. Therefore it tends to be heavy on dialogue
(cheap and quick), light on action (time-consuming and expensive).
Soap Operas are consistently the most watched form of television in Britain. For ITV, successful Soaps
represent a guaranteed , risk-free audience. They can confidently charge advertisers a great deal of
money for placing their adverts around these kinds of programmes. They used to be a prime opportunity
to „capture‟ an audience, and keep them for the programmes that follow, although in today‟s multi-
channel, multi-media households, this is becoming more difficult.
The BBC has fewer Soaps, although their number has grown in recent years to include Casualty, Holby
City and Doctors. Because the BBC is a public service broadcaster paid for by the licence fee, it has to
balance the need to be different from other broadcasters (offering shows the commercial sector won‟t)
and be popular (because everyone has to pay for it). EastEnders has also proved a useful money-maker
for the BBC, which has sold the show to be broadcast overseas.
Soap Audiences
Women
Analyse the commercials screened during soap ad breaks. Broadcasters schedule adverts with great care
to maximise their target audiences - if the adverts appear to target mainly women, then women are the
dominant audience still. But why are they?
They are mostly built around domestic, relationship and family concerns, which women tend to
be more invested in than men.
They frequently feature strong female characters of all ages and appearances, who are less
well represented in other TV Dramas.
They offer characters that women can identify with, including those who suffer at the hands of
men – as it is a convention that villains are always punished, these plots are comforting.
They offer a harmless subject for gossip, a stereotypically female preserve. They provide a host
of characters to gossip about harmlessly, without fear of the subjects biting back!
They present narrative enigmas based on character and relationships, which women enjoy
resolving, just as men enjoy crime drama because they like to solve puzzles and mysteries
Teenagers
While women still form the biggest audience for soap opera, it is also worth noting how many teenagers
(of both genders, but especially girls) have become soap opera fans. Certain mainstream soaps
(Neighbours, Hollyoaks) have been structured around a teen audience, with many settings (schools,
cafés, bedrooms) familiar to that age-groups.
The Soap Opera assignments
Main assignment: TV trailer for your new soap The exam board does not say how long your trailer should be, or how it should be presented, so you
must research this. Set your VCR, Sky+ box or similar to record the gaps between programmes over the
course of an evening, or do a search on Youtube. Conduct a close analysis of one or two trailers for
fictional programming (including, but not limited to, soaps). Identify:
When (and why) the trailer has been scheduled.
The likely target audience.
The structural codes and conventions.
The ways in which the trailer functions as an advertisement, persuading the audience to tune
into the show through humour, visual impact, music etc.
The key information included in the trailer.
The extent to which the trailer‟s contents reflect a) the contents and b) the style of the
programme being promoted
The length of the trailer
The use of media language (CESM) to create meaning.
Your finished trailer should be edited using either iMovie (on the Macs) or Premiere Elements (on the
edit-enabled PC.)
Ancillary 1: A listings magazine front cover featuring your soap Visit a large supermarket or newsagent (Tesco is the biggest magazine vendor in the UK) and compare
the covers of a range of different listings magazines. Note the importance of soap to many of the listings
magazines. Which ones are the exception to this pattern? Why do you think that is?
Buy two different TV listings magazines and conduct a comparative textual analysis:
How are images arranged, captured and manipulated to promote TV programmes?
What codes and conventions govern the use of colour, cover lines and other layout devices?
What additional material will you need to research and/or create before you design your front
page?
Your magazine front page should be produced using Photoshop Elements 2 on the PCs.
Ancillary 2: A poster for the soap Posters promoting TV Dramas are a rather
rare breed. You will need to research these on
the Internet, being creative about your search
terms. As with the magazines, you should
conduct a comparative analysis of two or
three posters – as different as possible -
identifying:
codes and conventions
marketing techniques
You are, however, free to be more creative
with this task, provided you meet the demands of the brief.
Your poster should be produced using Photoshop Elements 2 on the PCs.
Don’t forget to plan and shoot digital stills photographs for your print work – you will NOT be
able to capture ‘stills’ from your video work.
Soap Opera: Getting underway
Pre-production: Devise a soap opera that meets some of the codes and conventions outlined above – and perhaps
challenges some of them too. Use Lacey‟s Repertoire of Elements as a guide. Think carefully about
which British broadcaster and channel you would produce this show for, and why.
Identify target audience(s) using a range of appropriate criteria, and research their tastes and interests.
Conduct close analysis of one or two soap operas that yours would compete with, so that you can
identify
How casts of characters have been assembled to provide a range for audiences to identify with
How characters are introduced and represented – especially those which have become „fan
favourites‟
How the programme is shot and edited (CESM)
The kinds of narratives and themes used
The range of narratives (dramatic / melodramatic / comedic?)
The extent to which the shows follow or break from generic expectations
Produce as a team (and record in your blogs):
A written comparative analysis of two soap episodes (individual).
A written „pitch‟ for your show, explaining to your chosen broadcaster why they would want to
commission your soap – how it will appeal to a wide audience, following most soap
conventions but challenging one or two of them.
A comprehensive list of central characters, with bullet-point biographies.
Detailed character descriptions for those you plan to use in your trailer.
A marketing plan for capturing the interest of your target audience, including (but not limited
to) the three production tasks set by the board.
A script, storyboard and animatic (animated storyboard) for your trailer.
Recce notes and photographs of potential locations
A cast list.
A selection of flat plans (sketched designs) for your magazine cover and poster.
A production schedule, allowing sufficient time for the phases of production, and the ongoing
completion of your blog.
See the back of this booklet for a list of prompt questions which, as a group, you should consider
as you develop your project.
Brief 6: Children’s Drama
The evolution of kids’ TV drama (adapted from Screenonline)
Drama aimed at young audiences became a feature of
the BBC‟s postwar television service in 1950. Dramas
were shown live, to all intents and purposes as studio-
bound theatre productions. Most of these early
productions were adaptations of turn of the century
literary standards such as The Railway Children
(BBC, 1951, 1957, 1968). The BBC at this time
viewed American westerns as less worthy and as a
result children turned over to ITV to enjoy
swashbuckling US imports such as The Adventures of
Robin Hood (1955-60).
New approaches to realism saw working-class characters and inner-city settings introduced to
children‟s drama by the mid-70s. Among these were the phenomenally successful Grange Hill (BBC,
1978-2008) which examined all kinds of adolescent issues from drugs to pregnancy, eliciting outraged
responses from parents and teachers.
A „golden age‟ of sound investment saw both channels provide a huge number of dramas with a variety
rivalling that of the adult service. Adventure stories, issue-led contemporary tales, science-fiction,
fantasy, period classics and one-off plays were all produced for children. By the mid-80s, the BBC was
making concerted efforts to produce programmes for international sale. These included The Box of
Delights (1984) and several Chronicles of Narnia (1988-90), both produced with American finance. Co-
production finance also supported expensive remakes of Tom’s Midnight Garden (BBC, 1989) and
(BBC, 1997), while The Borrowers (BBC, 1992-3) was particularly successful in America.
The 1990s included gems like Byker Grove (BBC, 1989-2006), about a Tyneside youth club, and ITV‟s
brilliant Press Gang (1989-93), about a school newspaper.
The new millennium From 2002, however, investment in British children‟s television of all genres started to decline,
especially in the commercial sector. This coincided with Ofcom‟s decision to restrict the kinds of
advertising that could be shown during children‟s programmes (reducing income), and the rise of
foreign imports via multi-channel TV (Disney, Cartoon Network etc.) ITV stopped broadcasting
children‟s programmes after school on ITV1 in 2007, and with the recession following shortly
thereafter, the BBC currently appears to be the only UK broadcaster commissioning drama shows for
children at the moment. In 2009 the BBC announced it would boost spending on children‟s shows by at
least £25m over three years. Director of vision Jana Bennett said that the BBC‟s commitment to
children‟s, comedy, specialist factual and drama had become more important as commercial
broadcasters had been hit hard by the recession.
Among the BBC‟s biggest drama hits of the noughties has been The Story of Tracy Beaker, adapted
from the novels by Jacqueline Wilson. The original series has been broadcast an astonishing 84 times
and counting, but remains so popular that a new series, featuring a grown up Tracy, has been
commissioned for 2010.
Children’s Drama today The following material is an edited adaptation from the BBC Writers‟ Room website
(www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom), featuring an interview with Steven Andrew (Head Of CBBC Drama
and Acquisitions) and Elly Brewer, a children‟s and comedy writer whose credits include The Story Of
Tracy Beaker, and M.I.High.
What’s your vision for CBBC Drama?
Steven: [It‟s] about expanding the imagination of the next generation… The first notion is thinking:
have I got something that‟s really going to engage that audience, that‟s going to make those children
talk about it in the playground tomorrow… It‟s not a short term experience. Getting our audience to
think about the world [with] a fresh perspective. Trying to get them to look at the world and go: perhaps
not everything is always the way that it seems. And that, of course, is the stuff of great storytelling.
You have to think 22 channels, Disney, Nickelodeon, a lot of competition. What is it that we‟re going to
do that‟s going to really engage them, and how will it be unmissable?
What is it that’s really distinct about Children’s Drama?
Steven: Children‟s television can go anywhere. It‟s gloriously imaginative - or it should be, at its best.
You‟re not restricted by having to have a cop show or hospital show or a show because someone else
has got one. That said I think the best examples are very much rooted in the world of a child.
Elly: I agree. You have to have kids as the centre. So if you‟ve got problem solving or somebody‟s
going to come up with a big idea, it needs to be the kids, not the adults. I love writing kids‟ stuff
because I like the weird and the wonderful. I did a very bizarre French animation series last year called
Bunnyville, about two rabbit superheroes. And I did a thing called Paradise Café about ghosts in a café,
and there were long discussions about “Can the ghosts eat? Do you see the food going down? If a
ghost‟s serving as a waitress in the café then can she see other ghosts when they come in?” and so on.
Are there any things that you can’t do, or are difficult?
Steven: One of the things I‟ve found frustrating is that coming back to the BBC – and I entirely
understand it – is there should always be consequence. And you have a moral responsibility as a
storyteller to explore, but at the same time you‟ve got to tell a good story.
Elly: You‟re right, there has to be a consequence. If Tracy does bad stuff there have to be
repercussions. Because otherwise the kids think it‟s okay to behave like that. And the BBC is held up as
a great setter of standards, so you have to be careful what you do and what you say.
Steven: I think that in the good dramas, in the good kids‟ dramas especially, you need complex
characters. The other thing I just feel passionately about on character is [the problem of] types. You get
the geeky one. You get the pretty one. You get the difficult teenage girl who‟s fifteen. They are so
derivative of everything that you‟ve ever seen before. And that‟s one I really try and steer away from.
Is there anything in particular you want to see?
There are sort of five key genres that I like to think about. A good way of thinking about an idea to
pitch is does it fit within this?
We‟ve got sort of action adventure in Sarah Jane Adventures and in M.I.High.
Then we have something which I like to call a sort of modern morality. We did a piece called
Runaway, a very straightforward story about a kid who‟s got a slightly abusive stepfather,
mother‟s out on the town all night. He‟s got to look after his younger siblings. Has a bit of a
row. Does a bunk. Gets himself into trouble. And we go on that journey.
And then we‟ve got classic – Narnias and things like that.
Comedy is unquestionably another key genre (but not for students! – DAN).
And multicultural – Bo And The Spirit World. It‟s not really a proper genre in itself because of
course you could have anybody in anything. But in another way if you really want to be
inclusive [and] get an insight into some different social and cultural perspectives.
What are the key differences between adult drama and kids’ drama?
Steven: All your stories want to be child centered and child driven. You want them to take charge of
the story and you want them to sort the story out. The question you might ask yourself is does it stray
into being unacceptable or inappropriate for our eight to 12 audience? We have to deal with that all the
time, which is does it suddenly get to a point where it‟s too scary and too terrifying?
Further reading: www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/marketresearch/audiencegroup1.shtml
www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/cbbc_qanda.shtml
The Children’s Drama assignments
Main assignment: Title sequence to your TV programme The exam board does not say how long your titles should be, or how they should be presented, so you
must research this. Set your VCR, Sky+ box or similar to record some children‟s programmes,
especially dramas. Conduct a close analysis of one or opening titles sequences and identify:
The duration (ignore shows with 5-second title sequences!)
How the target audience is addressed and lured into watching.
The structural codes and conventions.
The ways in which the titles act as an alert, calling children to the TV from other activities, and
reminding/informing them of what they have to look forward to.
The use of titles, fonts, graphics and special effects.
The extent to which the titles reflect and convey the genre, narrative and themes of the
programmes they belong to
The style and structure of the theme music
The use of media language (CESM) to create meaning.
Your finished title sequence may be shot on cameras or created in the computer, or through a
combination of techniques, but should be edited using either iMovie (on the Macs) or Premiere
Elements (on the edit-enabled PC.) Music must be compiled from copyright-free sources, using
programmes like Garageband. Aim for 30-45 seconds for your finished production.
Ancillary 1: Front cover to a magazine for the series Visit a large supermarket or newsagent (Tesco is the biggest magazine vendor in the UK) and compare
the covers of a range of different magazines aimed at your target market. Pay close attention to the
number of titles connected to other entertainment forms, especially TV and music. These magazines
will be your competition!
Buy two different magazines that promote TV shows to children, and conduct a comparative analysis:
How are images arranged, captured and manipulated to promote the TV show?
What codes and conventions govern the use of colour, cover lines and other layout devices?
What kinds of content do these magazines contain, and how are these promoted on the cover?
How do these magazines differ from similar titles aimed at older audiences?
What additional material will you need to research/ create before you design your front page?
Your magazine front page should be produced using Photoshop Elements 2 on the PCs.
Ancillary 2: A DVD cover for the series DVD sales are big business for TV broadcasters, and important for audiences too,
as they allow them to schedule their own viewing. You will need to research the
design features of these – www.cdcovers.cc is one useful (if copyright-breaking)
site. Pay particular attention to:
codes and conventions
use of photography
use of font, colour and marketing techniques
Visit at DVD store and browse the racks. Which covers would attract the
attention of children, and why? Your DVD cover (front, spine and back) should
be produced using Photoshop Elements 2 on the PCs.
Don’t forget to plan and shoot digital stills photographs for your print work
– you will NOT be able to capture ‘stills’ from your video work.
Children’s Drama: Getting underway
Pre-production: Devise a children‟s drama for a broadcaster, paying close attention to their requirements as an
institution, and bearing your target audience closely in mind. Identify a specific genre to explore, and
use Lacey‟s Repertoire of Elements as a guide, but don‟t be afraid to break some of the common
conventions. Use the ideas in the topic briefing (previous pages) to help you, but be imaginative – your
audience is!
Conduct close analysis of one or two children‟s drama series that occupy similar generic territory. For
example, if you wanted to produce an action adventure series about a ten-year-old boy detective, you
might study MI High. Identify:
How casts of characters have been assembled to provide a core group for the audience to
identify with
How characters are introduced and represented, especially through codes of dress and language
(dialogue)
The relationships between child and adult characters, and how these are represented
The „tone‟ of the show – light-hearted, comedic, dramatic etc.
How the programme is shot and edited (CESM)
The kinds of narratives and themes used, especially regarding any moral issues
The extent to which the shows follow or break from generic expectations
Produce as a team (and record in your blogs):
A written comparative analysis of two children‟s TV episodes (individual).
A written „pitch‟ for your show, explaining to your chosen broadcaster why they would want to
commission your drama – how it will appeal to your young audience, following appropriate
conventions but challenging one or two of them.
A comprehensive list of central characters, with bullet-point biographies.
Single-paragraph summaries of one episode per team-member (to prove your idea has „legs‟)
A marketing plan for capturing the interest of your target audience, including (but not limited
to) the two production tasks set by the board. Consider especially spin-off magazine content –
why would your audience choose to buy a magazine when they can watch the show for free?
A very thorough storyboard and animatic for your opening titles, with a temp track.
A selection of flat plans (sketched designs) for your magazine cover and DVD sleeve.
A production schedule, allowing sufficient time for the phases of production, and the ongoing
completion of your blog.
See the back of this booklet for a list of prompt questions which, as a group, you should consider
as you develop your project.
Brief 7: Documentary
What is Documentary? Documentaries raise interesting questions when it comes to representation, because they typically claim
to be non-fiction, and therefore truthful. Fictional films might claim to be realistic, but documentaries
appear to claim to be real.
This is, of course, a nonsense: documentaries are as heavily constructed as fictional texts. A natural
history programmes that present the „story‟ of a lioness and her family, for example, is likely to use
footage of several different lions and their families to tell one story. The film-makers may not have
control over events, but they can certainly choose locations for interviews, and they have complete
control over editing, which we know has a major influence over story and representation.
Nick Lacey describes the following style of documentary.
Expository ‘voice of God’ documentary
Here, a voice-over anchors the meaning of everything we are shown. They extend the convention of
faith in the voiceover established in television news. By choosing imagery that matches the voiceover,
the audience can „see‟ that the presenter is telling the truth, so that interpretive aspects of the script are
read as factual.
Examples of this include most of the BBC‟s natural history output (with David Attenborough as the
expert voiceover) and, of course, March of the Penguins. The same style was used to create the Walking
with Dinosaurs series – works of speculation and fiction narrated by Kenneth Branagh, which were
widely read as scientifically accurate. Historical documentaries often employ this technique.
Attenborough aside, the voiceover artist here is usually a „voice for hire‟, rather than a journalist
involved in the production process.
Observational documentary
Often known as „fly on the wall‟ documentary, in which the camera crew film their subjects for lengthy
periods, until the subjects appear to accept them as part of the furniture and behave as though they are
not being observed. Historically these have typically been shot using a single camera. As the form
developed, film-makers wanted to make greater use of transparent techniques such as
continuity/invisible editing. This requires that the subjects be asked to repeat actions that were
originally spontaneous, in order to create a match-cut.
Interactive documentary
In this mode, the fact that we are watching a constructed text is
exposed, with the presenter seen or heard interacting directly with
the subjects of the documentary. Vox Pops and other „talking
head‟ interviews are a common feature of the interactive style.
Louis Theroux (right) has become famous on the back of this
approach. This style has evolved out of the news genre, and is
most typically seen in current affairs programmes such as
Panorama.
Reflexive documentary
Whereas the observational and expository forms of documentary
claim to offer a „window on the world‟, reflexive documentary is
postmodern – it reflects on its own identity as a text. In this it goes
further than the Interactive style, in that it invites the audience to
engage not just in the fact of the text‟s construction, but also the
process. Theroux gets a name-check here as well – when he
comments (for example) on difficulties gaining access to a
particular interviewee, he is foregrounding the production process.
Drama documentary / Docu-drama
Drama documentaries are based on, or inspired by, factual events. They sometimes also feature
documentary-style camerawork, editing and sound, but not always. Drama documentaries can be
fictions. For example, Loach‟s social-realist Cathy Come Home was based on interviews with homeless
people, but was a scripted drama that attempted to capture fundamental truths about contemporary
human experiences. It was shot in a documentary style.
Oliver Stone‟s JFK is presented in a largely transparent, Hollywood style, but is inspired by real-life
events. Care must be taken here, however – Stone‟s version of events is widely disputed! It would not
be appropriate for you to create a dramatised documentary for your coursework.
Documentary and hybridity
Just as genres in film have started to merge into hybrid forms, so have documentaries. The drama
documentary or docu-drama is an obvious example, but there are others. The Choir, for instance,
employs a mixtures of observational and expository techniques. You can also see documentary
techniques used in a range of magazine programmes, like Countryfile.
Ingredients of documentary A few ideas to get you started...
Archive footage and stills
Single-camera observational footage of a contemporary event, perhaps set up for the purpose of
the documentary (e.g. The Choir).
Interviews and vox pops.
Re-evaluation or revelation of an historic event.
Predominant use of synchronous sound.
Investigation of an issue or event.
The story of a contemporary event.
Travelogue.
Polemic (an argumentative documentary – rarely see on British TV as audiences expect balance
and neutrality).
Independent research Record two different documentaries which follow the kind of content and/or style / sub-genre that you
want to follow and conduct a close comparative analysis. Identify:
The purpose of the documentary.
The presentation style.
The use of CESM, especially camera and editing techniques and the construction of sequences.
Pay particular attention to features of film-making that are not found in film and TV drama, for
example:
o Features of an interview (2-shots, noddies, cutaways)
o The construction of cut sequences using only one camera
o The use of zooms and hand-held camera
How the programme is designed to reflect the aims of the broadcaster (institution) and the
needs and desires of the audience.
How people in the texts are represented
The likely target audience, and how they are addressed
The structural codes and conventions.
The Documentary assignments
Main assignment: five-minute extract for your documentary While the plan for your documentary should be at least half an hour, you are only required to produce a
five minute extract. This does not have to have a beginning, middle and end, although you should find
you can complete a segment of your larger narrative in five minutes that makes sense.
You should choose a topic for your documentary which will be:
Accessible (content, locations and interviewees)
Possible to research
Safe to film without risk to you or the subjects of your programme
Factual (not invented for coursework purposes)
Your topic, institution and target audience should lend themselves to all three production tasks.
You should plot out the structure for your entire documentary, then identify the five-minute segment
you will actually film.
Refine your documentary analysis (previous page) with a shot-by-shot analysis of a five-minute
sequence from a documentary of your chosen sub-genre and style. Use this to inform your production
decisions.
Your finished documentary should be edited using either iMovie (on the Macs) or Premiere Elements
(on the edit-enabled PC.)
Ancillary 1: A double-page listings mag spread on your doc’ You will need to choose Visit a large supermarket or newsagent (Tesco is the biggest magazine vendor
in the UK) and compare the covers of a range of different listings magazines. Note the importance of
soap to many of the listings magazines. Which ones are the exception to this pattern? Why do you think
that is?
Buy two different TV listings magazines and conduct a comparative textual analysis:
How are images arranged, captured and manipulated to promote TV programmes?
What codes and conventions govern the use of colour, cover lines and other layout devices?
What additional material will you need to research and/or create before you design your front
page?
Your double-page spread should be produced using a combination of Photoshop Elements 2 and
Microsoft Publisher on the PCs.
Ancillary 2: A newspaper advertisement for your documentary Again, this is a relatively unusual demand, which you will need to research on the Internet and through
the newspapers you get at home.
Advertising is usually designed to persuade, so compare and contrast a selection of newspapers
advertisements selling media products and identify the techniques used to promote their message, plus
the codes and conventions of this kind of text.
Your advertisement should be produced using Photoshop Elements 2.
Don’t forget to plan and shoot digital stills photographs for your print work – you will NOT be
able to capture ‘stills’ from your video work.
Documentary: Getting underway
Pre-production:
Produce as a team (and record in your blogs):
A written comparative analysis of two documentaries.
A shot-by-shot breakdown of a five-minute documentary sequence.
An outline of the structure of your documentary, outlining the story it will tell and the key
visual and auditory ingredients. This should be supported by a written „pitch‟ for your
documentary, explaining to your chosen broadcaster why they would want to commission it:
how it will appeal to their target audience by providing information and entertainment.
A list of potential interviewees, listed with reasons.
A log of research sources with summaries of key research findings.
Lists of questions for interviewees, using the who-what-why-when-where-how framework.
A marketing plan for capturing the interest of your target audience, including the two print
production tasks set by the board.
A shooting schedule, allowing sufficient time for the phases of production, and the ongoing
completion of your blog.
Shot lists for each location you plan to shoot in (including storyboard sequences for anything
that can be planned in advance).
A script, plus storyboard/animatic if appropriate.
A selection of flat plans (sketched designs) for your magazine layout and newspaper
advertisement.
See the back of this booklet for a list of prompt questions which, as a group, you should consider
as you develop your project.
Your production and the key concepts:
Conceptual focus As you develop your coursework project and accompanying blog, you should address the following
conceptual areas in detail and with care. Some may be more relevant to some projects than others, but
you MUST be able to address at least some of the questions under each heading. IF YOU CAN‟T,
YOU MUST REDESIGN YOUR PROJECT – ASK FOR HELP IF NEEDED.
You will have to address the questions marked with this set of arrows specifically in your
evaluation blogs.
Audience and Institution
What is the purpose of your text (think Uses and Gratifications theory)?
Who is your target audience? Do you have primary and secondary audiences?
What research can you do to help you to understand what your audience want from your
production? This should be a combination of primary research (talking to them), secondary
(reading) and analytical (from your analysis of other texts these audiences consume.)
What roles have the age, gender, ethnicity and sexuality of the target audience played in the
construction of the text?
What feedback can you/did you get from audience members during the production
process and how will/did this help you to refine your production?
Genre
You should be able to answer the following questions regarding your production, developed through
research and comparative analysis:
To which genre does your text belong?
How does the text make use of the iconography, stock characters, stock settings and stock
narratives/themes associated with the genre?
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of
real media products?
Narrative
How is the narrative organised, structured and conveyed?
What is the relationship between your production and the larger production to which it belongs?
For example, how do your titles fit into your children‟s drama?
How are characters defined? What is their narrative function? How are heroes and villains
created? How do you help the audience to identify with them, or be alienated from them?
To what extent does the narrative structure meet or undermine audience expectations?
How have editing (in moving image) and/or information hierarchy (in text/print design) been
used to guide the audience through the narrative of the text?
Representation
Who or what is being represented? In what way?
Why have you chosen to represent them in this way?
Is the representation fair and accurate? To what extent does it make use of – or undermine –
types, including stereotypes?
What is the role of the target audience in helping to construct this representation through
interpretation? How might other audiences interpret it?
What roles have the age, gender, ethnicity and sexuality of the target audience played in the
construction of the text?
What values, ideologies or assumptions underpin or are embedded within the text? How have
your beliefs or values influenced the production? What about the „institution‟ for which it has
been „produced‟ – how have its values influenced the production?
Production focus
Media Language and production technologies
Choose a combination of production activities that will allow you to demonstrate that you can:
complete thorough pre-production planning through shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or
storyboarding
organise yourself and others (actors, interviewees, locations, costumes, props etc.)
hold shots steady (where appropriate) and frame and compose them carefully and with
appropriate variety
shoot video and stills material appropriate to the task set
select mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting
edit / lay out so that meaning is apparent to the viewer
use appropriately varied transitions, captions and other effects
use sound with images and editing appropriately for the task
use IT appropriately for the task set.
show understanding of page layout conventions
show awareness of the need for appropriate variety in fonts and text size
make accurate use of language and register
appropriately integrate illustration and text
manipulate photographs as appropriate to the context for presentation, including within text,
cropping, resizing and airbrushing.
Digital technology and post-production
What did you learn from your first production that can help you to improve this time?
How has digital technology helped you to capture your ideas for media production?
How did digital technology influence your work in post-production – for example in the
creation of video effects, or the manipulation of images. How much of your text was created
only in post-production?
How have your skills with digital technology developed, and how has this influenced your
productions?
What role might digital technology plan in the distribution of work such as yours?
And overall…
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and
evaluation stages?
Overall You must see your primary and ancillary texts as one large overall production, as you will be asked to
reflect on this question:
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Other key areas
You will also be assessed on your…
Time management Presentation skills Communication skills Use of ICT
Notes
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Compiled by Mr Allison for Salesian School
2009 Edition