1. Unit 1 G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media (worth 50% of the marks
available at AS)
The Foundation Portfolio is a Coursework Unit, consisting of 2 video
productions and an online blog. The first video piece will be a short
sequence produced to demonstrate basic technical ability and understanding
of continuity technique. The second is a fully developed production
produced to demonstrate skill development, consisting of the first 2 minutes
of a fiction film, based on an original idea developed by the students. The
students will work in groups but will be assessed individually on their work in
the following stages:
Pre-production: research, planning, development of ideas, scripting,
storyboarding,
Production: shooting, lighting, working with sets, actors and
scripts
Post-production: editing, special and sound effects, music.
Evidence for the different stages will be presented via an online blog.
Students will be expected to evaluate the finished film production according
to specific theoretical criteria and this will also be presented through the
blog.
Assessment: Marking is out of 100 (20 marks for research + planning, 60
marks for practical work, 20 marks for the evaluation).

2. LEARNING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN 1ST 8 WEEKS OF AS MEDIA
Leading towards your coursework production: Foundation Portfolio
Teacher 1:
Still and video camera skills

Framing, shot composition/ camera movement/ creativity

Working with sound and lighting

Editing/ sfx/titling/ consideration of soundtrack, sfx - Photoshop, Premiere, After FX,

Encore, Audition, Garage Band, Final Cut Pro
Continuity, storyboarding, constructing a simple sequence, construction of a narrative

Blogging, podcasting, uploading to Youtube

Research, planning and evaluation

Production processes and practices, working in groups, setting up coursework,

project development
Teacher 2:
Semiotics, signs and signifiers, codes, Barthes, Propp, Todorov, Levi-Strauss

Textual analysis, process of deconstruction, denotation and connotation,

anchorage, dominant and alternative readings
Genre codes and conventions, narrative/character/theme/iconography

Film production, style, narrative structure, mise-en-scene, use of sound

Opening sequences: function and form

Audience issues: consumption, pleasures, target audience, audience appeal

Institutions: institutional practices, finance, lifecycle of a film, marketing +

distribution, branding, narrative image
This learning will centre around the analysis of:
Film stills
DVD covers
Film extracts
Opening sequences
Past student work
Please ensure you attend all the planned film screenings this term
WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR COURSEWORK

3. Must be a group project
Must demonstrate clear evidence of individual contribution
An electronic portfolio, providing evidence of research, planning, production and

evaluation
A preliminary exercise

A 2 minute opening sequence for a fiction film, including titles and a soundtrack

You can make a start on your coursework research and planning straight away. For
example:
Research:
 Genre moodboard
 Reading around the films on the screening list
 Organise your own group screenings; keep a record
 Discussion of films that have inspired you
 Storyboard a short sequence from a film and analyse it
 Analysis of a selection of genre stills – mise-en-scene, character, camera
 Analysis of a film website of your choice
 Exploration of Barthes, Propp, Todorov and Propp theory – apply to a film you
have seen
Planning:
 Recces of possible locations for filming
 Selection of actors
 Test shots and sequences
 Brainstorming ideas
 Planning a treatment and a script
Recommended reading:
You can’t go wrong with ‘OCR Media Studies for AS’ by Julian McDougall published by
Hodder (Amazon stock this book – it retails for around £15.00)
Thinking about the Brief:

4. 2 minute opening sequence for a fiction film, including titles
Your sequence must include:
 titles throughout
 some form of copyright-free soundtrack, including sound fx
 evidence of understanding of continuity editing
 clear generic signifiers through character, action, mise-en-scene, dialogue etc
Your sequence should be based on:
 a single narrative event or idea
 only a few characters
 one location ideally
It should be really clear from your sequence who the target audience is (age, gender,
lifestyle, cultural tastes)
You should avoid:
 Anything too complicated
 Making a film sequence that only targets you
 Lots of confusing cross cutting, flashbacks etc
In the planning stage, you should each come up with ideas (keep evidence for
portfolio) but should test your ideas first against the following questions. If the
answers to the questions are no, or they are vague, rethink the idea before suggesting
them to your group
1. Is it practical?
2. Is it an idea that works to the strengths of the group?
3. Will it show off the skills you have learnt so far on the course?
4. Is it something you can reasonably shoot and edit in the time available?
5. Can you get access/ permission to shoot in the chosen location at the chosen
times?
6. Can you organise lighting to use in that location?
7. Have you included dialogue? If so, will it work to shoot conversation in that
location?
8. Do you have guaranteed high quality reliable actors to play the characters?
Word of advice:
If possible, base your idea around a ‘constant’ – something that will have instant

genre appeal without too much trouble: the perfect soundtrack, the perfect actor,
the perfect location. Then build your idea around that, rather than starting with a
blank sheet.
Don’t get into detailed planning until the practicalities have been sorted –

permissions to shoot, shoot dates and times, actors booked etc
Talk to the year above about the issues they faced, what worked and what didn’t

Y12 – THINKING AHEAD –

5. WHAT COULD GO WRONG ON THE SHOOT
Key headings would probably be:
Organisation
Communication
Technical
Group dynamics
Organisation
Not having permission to film in location
Forgetting to pick up equipment
Leaving equipment behind on shoot
Returning equipment lateincomplete
Not knowing what you’re doing on the shoot or why
Coming back to school with hardly any footage
Actors/ team members not turning up or being late
Absence from school
Not turning up to the planning meetings
Time wasting on the shoot
Everything taking too long
Not pre-empting the weather
Not leaving enough time for transport problems
Communication
Not explaining yourself properly
Not speaking out and saying how you feel
Losing your patience with other people
Actors/ team members not answering phones, or responding to
group requests
Arguments in group
Last minute changes to the plan without full group agreement
Actors getting bored/ annoyed/ cold/ hungry
Teachers left in the dark about changes to plans
Not recording notes/ minutes/ agreements on the blog
Absence from school, absentees not communicating with group to
find out what’s going on
Technical

6. Batteries not charged
Don’t know how to use equipment
Not checking camera settings
Poor lighting
Poor sound
Shaky camera
Poor framing
Limited variety of shot distances, angles, movement
Poor consideration of continuity issues
No understanding of technical H+S issues
Forcing tapes or batteries and breaking the camera
Group dynamics
One person doing everything and not delegating
Some people being lazy
Factions/ divides in the group
‘Spur of the moment’ meetings without everyone there
Not sharing the ‘boring’ jobs
Not sticking to the rule of everyone doing equal amounts of
shooting/editing/lighting/directing etc
Not listening
Not compromising
Getting stroppy
Not working as a team/ being supportive of each other
Making it ‘personal’
Making excuses rather than getting the job done
Not tackling issues in the group as they arise
Being rude to another group member and upsetting them
Being too sensitive
Allowing personal problems to dominate proceedings
GROUP BLOGS

7. • Really visual and high standard
• Should demonstrate communication between the group
• Should be clear on who posted what
• Please make a link back to the class blog for easy navigation
• Check the links to your indiv blogs work
• Check all other links work
AIM TO
• Remember to post daily (as a kind of running commentary)
• Link your film from youtube as soon as possible
• Storyboards/ logs/ lists – must have evidence – scanned (high quality) or
photographed, lists typed up
• Storyboards essential for higher level marks
• Footage from locations and photos – actors
• You need demonstrate development in the technical process – should select
specific shots and test sequences to upload and discuss
• Gather audience feedback along the way, needs to relate to genre + plot
recognition, character, institutional identity (British, independent etc) – these
are the things you will be writing about in your essay so feedback on these is
essential
• Feedback should be summarised on blog, with your responses as you get it
INDIVIDUAL BLOGS
• Should demonstrate evidence of individual processes, contribution and
reflections
• Link your final video
• Make a link back to the group blog
AIM TO
• Update and improve as you go along
• Consider any influences along the way that have inspired you
• Add feedback results if its been organised by you personally
• Make links between your own and real films – compare + contrast
• Add some notes regarding your own aims for the project – how it has gone,
your own ‘journey’ and development
• Make continuous reference to the key evaluation questions