Chew Valley

School MEDIA STUDIES A-LEVEL

An ability to analyse how media products are constructed

How to produce media products across different platforms -

either on your own or as part of a team

This includes skills in using digital still and video cameras, sound

recording equipment, and industry -standard software for desktop

publishing and video editing

How to do individual research

How to evaluate your own media products and those of others

WHAT SKILLS WILL I LEARN?

Year 12 – AS Level

G321 Coursework: Foundation Portfolio in Media Creating a range of media

texts and analysing and evaluating them via a blog

G322 Exam: Key Media Concepts (TV Drama) A case study of

representation and construction of TV Drama

A case study of a key media industry such as film, music or magazines

Year 13 – A Level

G324 Coursework: Advanced Portfolio in Media

Creating a range of media texts and analysing and evaluating them via a blog

G325 Exam: Critical Perspectives in Media

Exploring key critical theories in the media

Evaluation of production skills from across the course

WHAT WILL WE STUDY?

All units are equally weighted

All your coursework is assessed via your blog

We will be using the Tumblr blogging platform

See your booklet for guidance

All blogs are organised around a central hub

The “central” blog will be administered by me and can be

found at chewvalleymedia.tumblr.com

This blog will be updated with lesson content, links, additional

guidance and material

BLOGGING

Customise the theme of your blog.

Try to customise it so that it represents your interests and

personality.

Remember, media is a creative subject with an eye on design

and originality! Make your blog stand out.

Post an introductory text post that explains:

who you are

why you have chosen to study the media

how you’d like to use the subject in the future

OVER THE SUMMER…

Post:

A music video you like, embedded from YouTube or similar, with a brief analysis of why you like it

A film trailer you like, embedded from YouTube or similar, with a brief analysis of why you like it

An advert (still or moving image) that you like, posted as an image or video clip, with a brief analysis of why you like it

A link to a media website (see overleaf for some options – but don’t be limited to this list!) that you like with a brief analysis of why you like it.

See chewvalleymedia.tumblr.com for some examples

OVER THE SUMMER…

Objectives

We will learn:

How a trailer is constructed

The difference between a teaser and a full trailer

How trailers are used in film marketing

INTRODUCTORY TASK

In pairs, analyse this teaser trailer

Try to answer the question:

How does the trailer build up suspense?

First viewing – watch the trailer to get the sense of it.

Second viewing – divide the trailer up:

Person A: note the use of the camera (framing, distance, movement)

and editing (how the sequence is put together and how one shot links

to the next)

Person B: listen to the soundtrack (music, dialogue, sound effects)

and note what you see in the frame (mis-en-scene – includes setting,

costume, props, lighting)

Link to trailer

INTRODUCTORY TASK

Discuss together: how does the trailer build up

suspense using:

Camera

Editing

Sound

Mis-en-scene

HOW DOES THE TRAILER BUILD UP

SUSPENSE?

What genre is the film?

Who is in it?

What is the story about?

What would you expect if you went to see the film in the

cinema?

Who do you think the target audience is?

How effective do you think the trailer is overall?

For each question, be prepared to answer “how do you know?”

or “why?” questions!

Five minutes in pairs before feedback

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE TRAILER?

That was a “teaser” trailer for The Woman in Black (2012)

Here is the full trailer.

What are the differences?

Why?

How would a film production company use a teaser and a full

trailer to market a film?

Which trailer did you prefer, and why?

TEASER VS TRAILER

Customise your blog

Post an introduction and then:

A trailer

A music video

An advertisement

A link to a website

Briefly explain what you like about each one

See you on results day…and then in September!

SUMMER WORK