Research and Planning

 Blog tasks: These do not have to be completed in this order. You may present this research in any format that you wish, as a powerpoint, a narrated short film, infographic, canva but it must be hosted on your blog. Remember a blog is a visual medium that you can add sound to so ensure it looks good. Many students have used their blog as part of their portfolio. Think of it as an online progress diary, where you are charting your research, how its useful to you, planning what you would like to do & tracking your progress and creative decisions. 

 

	Minimum tasks on blog- all tasks should be pre-fixed on your blog according to the bold heading.   Audience Research,   Industrial context,   Generic research,   Planning    Production  Statement of intent.   First edit/Second edit etc until Final Product	All Complete  By October 22
1.	Candidate number and Centre number 16607
2.	Brief you have chosen	4th March
3.	Audience research Define a 16–25 year old middle market aspirational audience that expects to be emotionally engaged.  Provide an audience profile of them.   What does this demographic engage with in terms of a) popular culture. b) your chosen brief?	By the end of March
4.	Audience research Set up focus group of four subjects who belong to this demographic (primary audience) and two alternative secondary audience members.
5.	Industrial context.    Brief history/timeline of your chosen medium for the primary product.  Contemporary context- who are the major players in this industry (info graphic). How do companies finance, distribute and exchange their products. How do audiences access them? (consider recent developments in technology)
6.	Industrial context. The brand. Research into the company for your chosen product, e.g. Channel 5, Sony, Hurst. Analyse their case studies and media packs to inform you and provide you with ideas for their codes and conventions.	-
7.	Generic research  Try to identify examples of brands that have the same cross platform presence that you will eventually create.   Close textual analyse on at least 3 case studies. One of which must share the same target audience. You may choose the others depending on whether they have the aesthetic that you are seeking or are a good example of branding.   Each analysis must comment on the following  how genre conventions are employed  • how and why intertextuality is employed  • how combinations of media language elements  are used to create meaning and construct representations that address an intended audience.  You can use any form of digital presentation to get this on your blog. A powerpoint, prezi, flipsnack, a selection is always good.
7.	Planning  A summation of your findings. What are the key codes and conventions that you have identified. What will you adopt or challenge/subvert?
8.	Planning   Your Pitch – this may well include the following- it will help you construct your statement of intent.   In addition whichever of these documents you use....  • draft script  • storyboard  • location report(s)  • notes on casting and mise-en-scène  considerations  • mock-up of a print advert layout or mock-up of  a webpage  • rough cuts/drafts  Contact sheets  Risk assessment and shot list- you will take this with you when you go filming  Once these have been completed you should refer to your focus group for feedback.
9.	Draft statement of intent  The Statement of Intent needs to outline the ways in which the learner proposes to link their media products to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of their production. The Statement of Intent also needs to outline the ways in which the learner proposes to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of their chosen brief, set by OCR.