Planning and Research Improvements Deadline: Mon 27 Feb.

Ok so none of your blogs are worth a level 4 (A/B) yet.


Most of you need to continue uploading planning documents such as storyboard, script and shotlist etc. Most of you also need to write up your audience research - write a summary of what you have learned from it or how it will influence your work.


All of you need to work on the presentation of your blogs. Add more images, embed more video and add more links to other blogs and websites... that is what blogs are meant to do.


Remember the level 4 grading criteria:


- Planning and Evidence will be complete and detailed
- There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience
- There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes and props
- There is excellent work on shotlists, storyboards, scripts
- There is excellent care taken in presentation
- Time management is excellent.




MAKE ALL IMPROVEMENTS BY 9am MON 27 Feb.

Shot-list

A shot-list is a checklist of all the shots you need to make your opening sequence. It needs to be specific. So if you are going to shoot a conversation you need to shoot the whole conversation in Midshot, over one shoulder in Close Up, then over the other shoulder in Close Up, then maybe over each shoulder again in Big Close Up. That's a total of 5 shots.... It will be the editor's job to cut it down into a flowing conversation.

You can use a blank shot-list form such as this... (Downloadable from Blackboard under 'course materials')

Cam Shot List

Scripting

Whether your opening sequence has dialogue or not, you must create a script for it. The script MUST appear in the correct format - or a very close approximation of it.

Scripts have very specific formatting rules. Have a look at the example below. It gives you some rules and asks you to observe and work out other formatting rules.

You script should look like the example given.

Type it up on word, then use http://www.scribd.com/ to upload it your blog - every member of the group should have it on their blog.

Scripting

Storyboards

Cinematographers - it is your job to produce a storyboard. You should draw it using pencils and preferably a black fine-liner to go over the outlines. You MUST do this BEFORE filming. It is useless to produce it after filming - and you won't get any marks for it.

Here's an example of what I want:

Story Ideas - how to show brainstorming on your blog

Target Audience research

You must show evidence of research into a potential target audience.

There are a few different of ways of doing this.

1. Questionnaires. Write a series of questions (about 10) which aim to establish what kind of thing your target audience want to see in a film/opening sequence.
2. Film responses. Do the same as with the questionnaire only film the responses, edit theme together and upload them to youtube - then embed on your blog. CLICK HERE to see an example
3. Focus group. Get about 5-8 people together and lead a discussion group on films and film opening sequences. Take photos, upload to blog along with a summary of the findings.
4. Use the blog - add a survey gadget to your blog and invite people to take part.

In all cases write a summary of what the research has told you about your target audience. The summary of what you have learned is the most important thing.... It is more important to do a small amount of research which is useful and relevant than produce a large volume of data which is not useful or relevant.

DEADLINES REMINDER...

Planning and Research.
All planning and research must be complete and on your blog by...9am Monday 13 Feb 2012

Production.
You must hand in a DVD of your preliminary task and opening sequence by 1pm Friday 9 March 2012

Evaluation.
All 7 questions of the evaluation must be creatively answered on your blog by 1pm Friday 30 March 2012