This document outlines the course requirements and expectations for a Year 12 Media Studies course. It will involve 50% coursework, including creating the introduction scenes to a thriller film, and a 50% exam. Students will be assessed on their research, construction, and evaluation of their thriller film project. They will work in groups but receive individual marks. The document provides details on the assessment criteria and stages of the project. It also assigns summer homework for students to analyze thriller film genres and conventions.

1. Year 12 Media Studies
Course Outline
Coursework requirements
Expectations

2. How many of these films can you
name?

3. Answers….
Star Wars Planet of the Apes Usual Suspects
The Wicker Man The Crying Game
Dallas Harry Potter 6 Sixth Sense
Fight Club 300 Matrix
Citizen Kane The Others Psycho
Soylent Green The Village
Beautiful Mind Donnie Darko

4. Course Outline
• Examination Body –OCR
• AS Code is H140
– G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media (Coursework
50%)
– G322: Key Media Concepts -TV Drama and
Institutions and Audiences (2 hour Exam 50%)

5. Expectation
• 100% Attendance is the goal (You are expected to
catch up and this includes homework)
• 3 – 5 hours of study outside of class time
– Research topics (go beyond what has been set),
filming and editing, extension reading (borrowing
library at the back of the room, MediaMagazine,
internet and ask your teachers)
– Practice questions (go beyond what has been set in
class)
– Watching ‘stuff’
• Positive Attitude to everything

6. Course Work Set Brief – Intro scenes to
a new thriller film including titles
• Three key assessment stages
– Research and Planning 20 marks
– Construction 60 marks
– Evaluation 20 marks
• At each stage you are marked as an individual
even though you work in groups so you need to
participate in every stage
• Everything must be recorded on your
blog (blogger – works best with a gmail
accound)

7. Research and Planning
• Involves everything from finding out about the
Thriller genre through to creating the storyboard
and shot lists.
• Involves some class work but a lot of group and
individual work
• Will start by looking at the genre and then
brainstorm your initial ideas
• Preliminary exercise – chance to learn and
practice key skills (match on action, shot reverse
shot and 180 degree rule)

8. Research and Planning
• Marks given for the following:
– Research in to similar products (other Thriller
films and student work)
– Research into the potential target audience (both
at the start and throughout the project)
– Organisation of Actors, Locations, Costumes and
Props
– Shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting and/or
storyboarding
– Level of care in presentation – including use of
technology!!!!
– Time management

9. Construction
• Everything from the initial filming through to
editing and adding sound and/or special
effects.
• You will need to get approval for your footage.
• Produce a draft edit for marking.
• Keep your blog updated with progress reports
• Gather audience feedback
• Solely group work but there will be regular
meetings with your teacher to discuss
progress

10. Construction
• Marks are awarded for:
– holding a shot steady, where appropriate;
– framing a shot, including and excluding elements as
appropriate;
– using a variety of shot distances as appropriate;
– shooting material appropriate to the task set;
– selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure,
lighting, objects and setting;
– editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer;
– using varied shot transitions and other effects
selectively and appropriately for the task set;
– using sound with images and editing appropriately
for the task set;
– using titles appropriately.

11. Evaluation
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop
or challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
2. How does your media product represent particular
social groups?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your
media product and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing this product?
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you
feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the
full product?

12. Marking
• While you will work in groups you will get an
individual mark for all three stages.
• At the research stage ‘tagging’ on the blog will
be important
• ‘Teacher evidence’ is a big factor in the
construction and evaluation phases. You need
to be fully involved at all stages of your mark
will reflect a lack of involvement

13. Summer Homework
• What thriller films did you watch?
– Get into small groups. Discuss what thriller films
you have seen recently. Look at the list provided
to remind yourself of what you could have
watched.
– What things do thriller have in common? Think
about narrative (events) and characters, the
mood, effects on the audience, use of technical
elements like camera, sound, mise en scene,
editing etc)

14. Genre Recipe
• Genre Recipe
– Make a list of ten key ‘ingredient’ that would
make up a Thriller film (include measurements!).
– Write baking style instructions as to how you
would combine the ingredients to make the
perfect Thriller film
– Illustrate with pictures….

15. Homework
• If we could only watch one film this year what
should it be?
– Pick any film that you love and explain why it is a
film that everyone should watch
– Try to give strong reasons (think about the
narrative, characters, actors performance, impact
it had on you, the way it used film techniques –
sound, camera, mise en scene, editing etc)
– 300 – 500 words
– Due in 15th Sept