The document provides guidance on answering Question 1a which asks students to describe and evaluate how their skills in research and planning, using conventions of real media texts, digital technology, and post-production developed over time. It includes examples of different types of research and planning, conventions to consider, digital technologies, and post-production skills. The document also provides an essay structure for answering the question across the different skill areas and emphasizes using examples from the student's work to demonstrate skill development.

1. Q1a Revision
Only spend 30 minutes on this question.
The focus is skills development in the following
areas:
• Research & Planning
• Using conventions of real media texts
• Digital technology
• Post-production
• Creativity
You are asked to describe and evaluate your skills.

2. Research and Planning
In groups of 3 use post-it notes to
write down as many things as you can
remember doing as part of the
research and planning for your A2
production work. One thing per post-it.

3. Research and Planning
Now divide these Post-it notes into
those that you think come under
research and those that you think
come under planning.

4. Research and Planning
Research refers to looking at real media and also audiences
to inform your thinking about a media production.
 Institutional research (such as on how titles work in film
openings)
 Research into conventions of media texts (layout, fonts,
camera shots, soundtracks, everything!)
 Audience research (before you made your products and
after you finished for feedback),
 You can also consider logistical research - recce shots of
your locations, research into costume, actors, etc

5. Research and Planning
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, storyboards, animatics, filming schedules,
carrying out risk assessments, etc.
 Also, don't forget everything you planned as part
of the above to achieve continuity!

6. Research and Planning
 Now try to add some more Post-its
to each section.

7. Research and Planning
Research involves both primary and
secondary research.
 What is Primary research?
 What is Secondary research?
 Can you further divide your research
and planning sections into primary
and secondary research?

8. Research and Planning
 Access your coursework blog and look
back at what skills you said you had at
the end of AS. Have you improved
any of your skills in research and
planning?
 Is this demonstrated in the work you
produced?

9. Research and Planning
 Pick at least two aspects of research
and two aspects of planning that you
think you have developed over the
last two years.
 On different colour Post-it notes, and
for each aspect selected, write an
example from your AS and A2 work
that demonstrates this improvement.

10. Research and Planning
Write an essay plan for Q1a:
Q: Describe how you developed
research and planning skills for
media production and evaluate how
these skills contributed to creative
decision making. Refer to a range of
examples in your answer to show
how these skills developed over
time.

11. Research and Planning
Paragraph 1should 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 did the
development of these skills enable you to be more creative?
Paragraph 5 short conclusion

12. Q1a
You need to be able to do this for the following areas
as well to ensure you are fully prepared for this
section of the exam:
• Using conventions of real media texts
• Digital technology
• Post-production
• Homework – Work through the essay plan for
using conventions of real media texts. See
next slide for guidance.

13. Using Conventions of Real
Media Texts
Use of real media conventions involves consideration of other
texts that you looked at and how skilfully you were able to
weave their conventions into your work or ways in which you
might have challenged them. You could consider:
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. what elements you would expect a film opening,
teaser trailer, poster or magazine cover to include
Genre conventions, e.g. what kind of narrative, characters, setting and
location, iconography, style (camerawork, mise-en-scene, editing and sound)
you would expect from a product in that genre.
Tip: Your AS and A2 coursework evaluations required you to
consider if you reinforced or challenged conventions of real
media, so look back at these to help you.

14. Using Conventions of Real
Media Texts
Advice on this section from the Chief Examiner:
‘You need to do more than just say ‘I looked on
YouTube’ for conventions of real media, but
actually name specific videos you looked at, what
you gained from them and how they influenced
your work.’
Tip: Your AS and A2 coursework evaluations required
you to consider if you reinforced or challenged
conventions of real media, so look back at these to help
you.

15. Using Digital Technology
Digital technology refers to hardware,
software and online technology, so the
digital cameras, the computers, the
packages you used and the programs
online that you have worked with.
Tip: Your AS and A2 coursework evaluations required
you to consider how you used digital technology so
look back at these on your blogs.

16. Using Digital Technology
Now plan which skills and examples you would use to
answer to the following question (see help on essay
structure on the last slide):
Q: Describe how you developed your skills in the
use of digital technology for media production and
evaluate how these skills contributed to your
creative decision making. Refer to a range of
examples in your answer to show how these skills
developed over time.

17. Post-production
Post-production is about everything you do after
filming to complete your media product;
- Image manipulation
- Video editing (from cutting the shots and placing
them on the timeline to special effects)
- Creating and editing titles and graphics
- Sound production
- Sound & Video mixing
(So, post-production skills could include isolating a character
image from the background in Photoshop, organising clips on
the timeline in FCE, using the razor blade, adding transitions,
using particular effects, adjusting sound levels,
looping/layering sound clips, etc.)

18. Post-production
Now plan which skills and examples you would use to
answer to the following question (see help on essay
structure on the last slide):
Q: Describe how you developed your post-
production skills for media production and evaluate
how these skills contributed to your creative
decision making. Refer to a range of examples in
your answer to show how these skills developed
over time.

19. Q1a Essay Structure
Paragraph 1should 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 did the
development of these skills enable you to be more creative?
Paragraph 5 short conclusion