This document outlines workshops to help students develop skills for an advanced media portfolio. Over 5 weeks, workshops will cover lip syncing, composition, editing, and narrative structure. The first workshop focuses on composition and framing, explaining techniques like symmetry, depth of field, framing, perspective, use of space, and color. Students will complete a composition challenge taking photos on a given theme to apply these techniques and present their work.

1. Learning Aims:
Develop creativity
Introduce advanced portfolio
Skills preparation for advanced portfolio
Across the 5 weeks there will be workshops on:
Lip-syncing,
Composition and Framing,
Editing,
Narrative Structure.
You will be working in small groups and so attendance is important.
AS to A2 Workshops
Objective: Students develop skills required for A2 Media Productions
Task 1; Skills review
Why? Links to A2 exam – important that skills develop over time – can only identify
what needs to develop through acknowledgement of processes learnt and processes
which need improvement.

2. Workshop 1: Composition and Framing
Why?
AS to A2 Workshops
Objective: Students develop skills required for A2 Media Productions

3. Composition and Framing is
really important in order to
create a visually exciting
music video
A video is really a series of still images – so can you take a good
photograph?!!!
AS to A2 Workshops
Objective: Students develop skills required for A2 Media Productions

4. Symmetry
Depending upon the scene – symmetry can be something to go for – or to avoid
completely. A symmetrical shot with strong composition and a good point of interest
can lead to a striking image – but without the strong point of interest it can be a
little predictable. Experiment with both in the one shoot to see which
works best.
AS to A2 Workshops
Objective: Students develop skills required for A2 Media Productions

5. The depth of field that you select when taking an image will drastically impact the
composition of an image. It can isolate a subject from its background and foreground
(when using a shallow depth of field) or it can put the same subject in context by
revealing its surroundings with a larger depth of field.
Depth of field
AS to A2 Workshops
Objective: Students develop skills required for A2 Media Productions

6. Framing - Most of us use ‘frames’ to display our images when we hang
them on walls for viewing – however ‘framing’ can be used within the
composition of a shot to help you highlight your main point of interest in
the image and and/or to put it in context to give the image ‘depth’.
AS to A2 Workshops
Objective: Students develop skills required for A2 Media Productions

7. A frame serves numerous purposes:
• It gives the image depth and helps to give the perception to viewers of it that they’re looking at
something that is more than 2 dimensions.
• Use correctly, framing can draw the eye of the viewer of an interest to a particular part of the
scene.
• Framing can bring a sense of organization or containment to an image.
• Framing can add context to a shot.
• Frames can take many forms – from an overhanging tree, a window, a bridge, arch or even part of
another person etc. When using this technique – look for a frame that has a similar shape to the
main subject that you’re framing.
• Frames can also be in the foreground or background of images (although more often than not they’re
in the foreground).
AS to A2 Workshops
Objective: Students develop skills required for A2 Media Productions

8. Perspective
The perspective that a shot is taken from is another element that can have a big
impact upon an image. Shooting from up high and looking down on a subject or shooting
from below looking up on the same subject drastically impact not only the ‘look of
the image, emphasizing different points of interest, angles, textures, shapes
etc – but it also impacts the ‘story’ of an image.
AS to A2 Workshops
Objective: Students develop skills required for A2 Media Productions

9. Space
• There can be a fine line between filling your frame with your subject (and creating
a nice sense of intimacy and connection) and also giving your subject space to
breathe.
• Either technique can be effective – so experiment with moving in close and personal
and moving out to capture a subject in its context.
• Sometimes it is what you leave out of an image that makes it special!

10. •The colours in an image and how they are arranged can make or break a shot.
•Bright colours can add vibrancy, energy and interest – however in the wrong
position they can also distract viewers of an image away from focal points.
•Colours also greatly impact ‘mood’. Blues and Greens can have a calming
soothing impact, Reds and Yellows can convey vibrancy and energy etc.
•Think about using contrasting colours in your shot – blue and purple, orange and
blue or green and red.
Colour

11. The Composition Challenge
You will each be given your own theme!
You must use the composition tips to take
4 photographs keeping to your theme
You will present your final images to the
class

13. Workshop 1:
The Composition Challenge
• What did you find easy/difficult?
• What have you learnt? What new skills can
you take away with you and apply to the A2
advanced portfolio?
AS to A2 Workshops
Objective: Students develop skills required for A2 Media Productions