AS Coursework - MS2

Coursework is worth 50%. It consists of 3 parts:

• Pre-production (20 Marks)
• Production (40 Marks)
• A Report (40 Marks)

Pre-production (20 Marks)

Mark Scheme:

(AO3: Demonstrate the ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills.)

Level 4: 16–20

• Excellent ability to plan and construct media products appropriate for pre-production. Sophisticated technical and creative skills will also be demonstrated.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be sophisticated.
• A high degree of accuracy. Sophisticated ability to structure ideas effectively.

Level 3: 12–15

• Sound ability to plan and construct media products appropriate for pre-production. Technical and creative skills demonstrated will also be sound.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be sound and clear. Reasonable level of accuracy.
• Sound ability to structure ideas.
• At the upper end of this level, there will be a good ability to plan and construct media products appropriate for pre-production.
• Good technical and creative skills will also be demonstrated.
• Quality of written communication will be good.
• Good level of accuracy.
• Good ability to structure ideas.

Level 2: 8–11

• Basic ability to plan and construct media products appropriate for pre-production. Technical and creative skills demonstrated will also be basic.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be basic but sufficiently clear to allow communication.
• Frequent errors in the use of language.
• Limited ability to structure ideas.
• At the upper end of this level, there will be some ability to plan and construct media products appropriate for pre-production. Some technical and creative skills will also be demonstrated.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be mainly clear. Some errors in the use of language. Some ability to structure ideas.

Level 1: 0-7

• Limited ability to plan and construct media products appropriate for pre-production. Technical and creative skills demonstrated will also be limited.
• Quality of written communication (were appropriate) will be limited, frequently unclear. Frequent errors in the use of language.
• Little or no evidence of an ability to structure ideas.

Production (40 Marks)

Mark Scheme:

(AO3: Demonstrate the ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills.)

Level 4: 32–40

• Excellent ability to construct media products.
• Sophisticated technical and creative skills will also be demonstrated.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be sophisticated.
• A high degree of accuracy.
• Sophisticated ability to structure ideas effectively.

Level 3: 24–31

• Sound ability to construct media products.
• Technical and creative skills demonstrated will also be sound.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be sound and clear.
• Reasonable level of accuracy.
• Sound ability to structure ideas.
• At the upper end of this level, there will be a good ability to construct media products.
• Good technical and creative skills will also be demonstrated.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be good.
• Good level of accuracy. Good ability to structure ideas.

Level 2: 16–23

• Basic ability to plan and construct media products.
• Technical and creative skills demonstrated will also be basic.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be basic but sufficiently clear to allow communication.
• Frequent errors in the use of language.
• Limited ability to structure ideas.
• At the upper end of this level, there will be some ability to construct media products.
• Some technical and creative skills will also be demonstrated.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be mainly clear.
• Some errors in the use of language. Some ability to structure ideas.

Level 1: 1–15

• Limited ability to construct media products limited.
• Technical and creative skills demonstrated will also be limited.
• Quality of written communication (where appropriate) will be limited, frequently unclear.
• Frequent errors in the use of language.
• Little or no evidence of an ability to structure ideas.

Group Work

Audio-visual productions can be produced individually or by a group (maximum of four). For group tasks, the candidates will need to select one of their pre-productions to develop into a production. There must be appropriate opportunities for a significant and definable contribution to be made by each candidate. Audio-visual productions should be up to 3 minutes in length, depending on the nature of the production and the number of candidates.

Interactive media (other than audio-visual productions) and print-based productions must be produced individually and must contain at least two pages of original material. The majority of the images within the production should be originated by the candidate.

The Report

The pre-production and production must be accompanied by a report of 1200 – 1600 words. This report must be completed individually and will include:

• a discussion of the most significant research findings which informed the pre-production (outline the research you undertook)
• a brief justification of the target audience for the production (outline and justify the target audience for the production AND explain HOW the audience has been targeted)
• an evaluation of the production, which highlights its strengths and weaknesses through, for example, a comparison with existing (similar) media products

The report may be submitted in one of the following formats:

• an illustrated report
• an essay
• a suitably edited blog

Advice:

Briefly outline the task:

• What have you decided to create?
• (e.g. promotional materials for a new romantic comedy).
• Why have you chosen this?
• Does this appeal to your demographic?
• Is it a popular genre?
• Does it offer the possibility of an interesting narrative?
• Is it an area of Media Studies that interests you?
• Can you see the possibility of offering something new to this genre?
• Could you see the opportunity of expressing your creativity/interest in something?

Briefly discuss the research undertaken to inform the pre-production:

• Choose a style model (an existing product, which is similar to what you want to create)
• Examine its use of codes and conventions, for example:

• typography

• visual codes/mise-en-scene

• genre codes/tropes

• audio codes

• narrative codes

• Explain how these codes and conventions would appeal to the target audience.

Discuss the intended target audience and explain how they have been targeted:

• Who is target audience?
• Use at least four criteria – e.g. gender/age/interests/size.
• What is mode of address and appeal to audience?
• Explain why the direct/indirect mode of address may appeal to the target audience.
• Ensure that you have explained how the codes and conventions used (above) appeal to the target audience.
• Make use of the Uses and Gratifications theory and Richard Dyer’s ‘Utopias’ – explaining how your style model appeals to the needs and desires of the target audience.

Briefly evaluate any feedback received from the intended audience.

• Use your friends/family (if they are the target demographic) as ‘focus groups’.
• Show them your style models. Perhaps compare them to other similar texts. Ask them about what they find appealing in the text. Make a note of their answers. Explain how you are going to use these responses to design your pre-production & production.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the pre-production/production through, for example, a comparison of their production with existing media products.

• Similarities (e.g. typography / narrative codes / mise-en-scene / codes & conventions / colour & visual codes etc.)
• Speak again to your focus group(s). Ask them for their opinion on your pre-production (e.g. likes and dislikes? Would they buy the product and why/why not). Use these responses to design your final production.
• Differences (e.g. Why you have you chosen to do something different to that of your style model. Originality is to be commended, but it must be backed up with a solid rationale).

Mark Scheme:

AO4 Demonstrate the ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research.
AO2 Apply knowledge and understanding when analysing media products and processes, and when evaluating your own practical work, to show how meanings and responses are created.

Level 4: 32–40

• Excellent ability to research independently.
• Sophisticated use of research to inform the pre-production.
• Excellent ability to apply knowledge and understanding when evaluating the production.
• Sophisticated evaluation of the production’s effectiveness.
• Evaluation incorporates sophisticated reference to comparable media products.
• Quality of written communication will be sophisticated.
• A high degree of accuracy.
• Sophisticated ability to structure ideas effectively.

Upper Level 3: 28-31

• Good ability to research independently.
• Good use the research to inform the pre-production.
• Good ability to apply knowledge and understanding when evaluating the production.
• Good evaluation of the production’s effectiveness.
• Evaluation incorporates good reference to comparable media products.
• Quality of written communication will be good.
• Good level of accuracy.
• Good ability to structure ideas.

Level 3: 24–27

• Sound ability to research.
• Sound use of the research to inform the pre-production.
• Sound ability to apply knowledge and understanding when evaluating the production.
• Sound evaluation of the production’s effectiveness.
• Evaluation incorporates sound reference to comparable media products.
• Quality of written communication will be sound and clear.
• Reasonable level of accuracy.
• Sound ability to structure ideas.

Upper Level 2: 20-23

• Some ability to research independently.
• Some attempt to use the research to inform the pre-production.
• Some ability to apply knowledge and understanding when evaluating the production.
• Some evaluation of the production’s effectiveness.
• Some reference to comparable media products as part of that evaluation.
• Quality of written communication will be more than basic and mainly clear.
• Some errors in the use of language.
• Some ability to structure ideas.

Level 2: 16-19

• Basic ability to research independently although this may lack a clear focus.
• Basic attempt to use the research to inform the pre-production.
• Basic ability to apply knowledge and understanding when evaluating the production.
• Basic evaluation of the production’s effectiveness.
• Basic reference to comparable media products as part of that evaluation.
• Quality of written communication will be basic but sufficiently clear to allow communication.
• Frequent errors in the use of language.
• Limited ability to structure ideas.

Level 1: 0–15

• Limited ability to research.
• Little or no attempt to use the research to inform the pre-production.
• Limited ability to apply knowledge and understanding when evaluating the production.
• Limited and inconsistent evaluation of the production’s effectiveness.
• Possible reference to comparable media products.
• Quality of written communication at Level 1 will be limited, frequently unclear.
• Frequent errors in the use of language.
• Little or no evidence of an ability to structure ideas.