Lesson 3

1. RESEARCH AND PLANNING
Preparation for Exam Question 1a: Lesson 3

2. KEY CONCEPT POINTS:
Looking at real text examples and codes and conventions:
 For you to think about audience research (primary and
secondary research), Questionnaires, feedback (primary),
books, texts, online resources (secondary).
 To think about the organisation and planning of your blogs. (i.e.
Storyboards (AS) Animatic (A2).
 To evaluate your organisational skills working as part of group
(AS) or independently (A2) and the advantages and
disadvantages of working alone or within a team.
 To think about how audience feedback has affected your
decisions.
 How you presented your research using different tools started in
AS and then developed in A2.

3. SECTION A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production
1 (a) Explain how your research and planning skills developed
over time and contributed to your media production outcomes.
Refer to a range of examples in your answer. [25]
Example Exam Question
You may want to write the question down and familiarise yourself
with it.

4. Research refers to looking at real media and also audiences to
inform your thinking about a media production. This can be broken
down into the following areas:
1. Research into conventions of real media texts
 Institutional conventions, e.g. what you would expect a media
product from a certain type of organisation to be like/include.
 Format conventions, e.g. duration, and what you would expect a film
opening, teaser trailer, poster or magazine cover to be like/include
 Genre conventions, e.g. what kind of narrative, characters, setting and
location, iconography and style (camerawork, mise-en-scene, editing and
sound) you would expect from a product in that genre.

5. 2. Audience research
 Secondary research (Pearl & Dean data, IMDB info, etc.)
 Primary research (feedback questionnaires, vox pops, etc.)
3. Technical research, e.g.:
 How to achieve a particular camera shot
 How to use features in the software to achieve a particular effect
(many of you found YouTube video tutorials to find out how to do
something in Final Cut ProX or Adobe Photoshop)
4. Logistical research, e.g.:
 Recce shots of your locations
 Sourcing suitable costumes, props and actors

6. Planning refers to all the creative and logistical thinking and all
the organisation and record keeping that goes on in putting the
production together so that everything works. For example,
 writing a synopsis
 creating shot lists
 drafting shots/storyboards
 creating animatics
 compiling filming schedules (includes organisation of
equipment, costumes, props, actors, crew)
 carrying out risk assessments
Also, don't forget everything you planned as part of the above to
achieve continuity!

7. LESSON TASKS:
 Discussion: Can you give some examples of primary and secondary
research? (5 min)
 Get some sugar paper and create a carousel. Write the headings on
each piece of paper:
 Organisation
 What we researched
 Drafts
 Audience and Feedback
 Team work Vs. Independence
 Presentation
Add 3 points each on each piece of paper about how each heading
affected your work. (25 min)
 Go through each piece of paper and see if there is anything you may
have missed out. Question: Can you identify any links between the
headings? (15 min)
 Using the sheets you should make notes or take photos of the sheets
(10 min)

8. HOMEWORK TASK:
 Complete the example exam question on Research
and Planning. This should take you about 30 min
to complete. You may need to research some
theorists to use as examples.
1 (a) Explain how your research and planning
skills developed over time and contributed to your
media production outcomes. Refer to a range of
examples in your answer. [25]

9. Suggestion on how to structure your answer
Paragraph 1 should be an introduction which explains which projects you did.
It can be quite short.
Paragraph 2 should pick up the skill area and perhaps suggest something
about your starting point with it- what skills did you have already and how
were these illustrated. Use an example.
Paragraph 3 should talk through your use of that skill in early projects and
what you learned and developed through these. Again there should be
examples to support all that you say.
Paragraph 4 should go on to demonstrate how the skill developed in later
projects, again backed by examples, and reflecting back on how this
represents moves forward for you from your early position and how the
development of these skills enabled you to be more creative.
Paragraph 5 short conclusion

10. End of Lesson 3