This document provides guidance for students on maintaining a blog to document their research and planning for an AS Media coursework project on creating an opening title sequence for a film. It instructs students to identify their chosen genre, conventions of that genre, target audience, and provide examples and analysis of similar openings. It emphasizes maintaining the blog on a weekly basis to show planning and receive full marks. Key tasks outlined include identifying production roles, researching sound design, and taking photos of equipment used.

1. courseworkAS Media portfolio

2. BlogsIdentify research and planning techniques

3. Record and log your research

4. Embed a video clip

5. Upload an image

6. Create a disciplined schedule of workResearch and PlanningFor your coursework you will need to keep a diary blog as evidence of all your research and planning.

7. The blog should be kept up to date alongside the practical work and planning that you are doing in class.

8. The quality of work is your responsibility. You need to schedule time each week to maintain your blog (you have less change of obtaining the grade you want by leaving it to the last minute)

9. Each week set yourself an achievable goal

10. Take one step at a timeIdentify your chosen Genre (horror, thriller, social realism etc.)What are the Conventions of your Genre (i.e what are the typical elements that an audience would identify with that Genre?)Identify your Target Audience (who is going to watch your film?)Show your Mise en Scene (Use pictures – ;Where? –Location /setting; Who? – Characters, costumes, hair, makeup, & acting; What? - Props)Give examples of similar Openings (embed You-tube clips)Then do an analysis (see the example on the Blog page “Clerks”)Write a Synopsis for your film (Outline of plot –summary)Create a Moodboard (see examples at www.artofthetitle.com)

11. This is to help you with ideas but do use your own ideas too and do write explanations of anything you do :The examiner wants to see that you understand the “rules” =conventions of an Opening Title Sequence and evidence of how you achieved yoursThis is a Guideline only

12. Identify your chosen Genre Action Adventure

13. Conventions of GenreChase ScenesBeautiful femaleSpecial EffectsAction AdventureGadgetsTheme SongsExplosions

14. Audience ResearchDo some research into audience and film:Create an audience survey and ask as many people of different ages, gender, work etc. as possible to tell you want for example, kind of films they prefer, or how often they go to the cinema, or what genre was the last film they watched…

15. Collaborate the information into a graph or chart.Identify your Target AudienceWhere do you shop?How do you watch films?What’s your favourite film?What social network site do you use?Male aged 16-35

16. Mise en SceneLocationTypical location for an Action Adventure is somewhere ExoticSince we were unable to fly to anywhere exotic we had to research local places for our film. We thought that Reigate Castle was an interesting location. The tunnel proved an excellent setting for our chase sequence.

17. Characters Since we don’t have professional actors we all acted in different scenes. The girls did most of the filming as our Opening is predominantly male.In order to fit with the genre style I chose to wear a suit, which is more in keeping with other James Bond style action adventure films.PropsCostume:Suit, shirt,& tie

18. SynopsisA plot has been discovered that will render the British intelligence unprotected to enemy surveillance satellites.Left to his own devices Martin Brand single-handedly goes undercover to seek out the dark ops who have infiltrated the Secret Service. Taking refuge in an abandoned castle he soon discovers he can trust no one.

19. Inspirational Film OpeningYou-tube embedded codeWe decided to base our Opening Sequence on the James Bond Action Adventure Film: “Never Say Never Again”Click play to watch