Blogs for St George's International School (2015-) and Ilkley Grammar School (2008-15) Media students' Foundation + Advanced coursework productions. At AS students are tasked with creating the opening two minutes of a new feature film, including some titles. At A2 a wider package is required, centred round a music video (from 2010-11 on).
Some of the material included in the blogs is not suitable for younger students - Dave Burrowes, Head of Media Studies
At A2 you produce a portfolio of productions: a promotion package for the release of an album, to includea music promo video, together with two of the following three options: a website homepage for the band; a digipak for the album’s release; a magazine advertisement for the digipak. So, that's a music video as your main text, plus two 'ancillary texts' linked to this.
Molly Harrisworked with Paige on a music video/promo package for Sly Antic's Lights Go Down. [Youtube channel] [final cut] [digipak] [mag ads]
Paige Holdsworthworked with Molly on a music video/promo package for Sly Antic's Lights Go Down. [Youtube channel][final cut] [digipak] [mag ads]
Playlists include some of the vodcasts and exercises created through the year, but the final cuts are always placed at the start of playlists.
Below, you can find playlists for each year, further split into AS and A2. First, here's a playlist gathering together all A2 music videos (including, and starting with, various practice exercises), up to and including 2015:
AS (2008- Opening 2mins of a new feature film, with titles)
Each student has their own Blogger blog and YouTube channel, and may employ additional social media too
Following the brief of the opening 2 minutes of a new feature film with titles. Student names link to that student's
individual blog; any company names link to the company blog; film names will
link to the final cut on YouTube.
We start in June with a 1-day video production challenge
At A2 you produce a portfolio of productions: a promotion package for the release of an album, to includea music promo video, together with two of the following three options: a website homepage for the band; a digipak for the album’s release; a magazine advertisement for the digipak. So, that's a music video as your main text, plus two 'ancillary texts' linked to this.
Following the brief of the opening 2 minutes of a new feature film with titles. Student names link to that student's
individual blog; any company names link to the company blog; film names will
link to the final cut on YouTube.
You can view a trailer with all 3 film openings here.
1 of 3 company idents from Amber/Conal's School's Out
The final cuts are also embedded below - click view more to see these. for a fuller rundown, including student vodcasts and rough cuts, have a look at the 2014 AS playlist on the IGSMediaStudies YouTube channel.
At A2 you produce a portfolio of productions: a promotion package for the release of an album, to includea music promo video, together with two of the following three options: a website homepage for the band; a digipak for the album’s release; a magazine advertisement for the digipak. So, that's a music video as your main text, plus two 'ancillary texts' linked to this.
This lot achieved a remarkable average coursework mark of 93%! You can see how they did this in my feature-length documentary DVD, IGS Media 2014: Storm Queens, QR Codes and Kittens
The final cuts, and other videos compiling the print texts, are embedded below (just click 'see more'); for a fuller rundown, including student vodcasts and rough cuts, have a look at the 2014 A2 playlist on the IGSMediaStudies YouTube channel.
At A2 you produce a portfolio of productions: a promotion package for the release of an album, to includea music promo video, together with two of the following three options: a website homepage for the band; a digipak for the album’s release; a magazine advertisement for the digipak. So, that's a music video as your main text, plus two 'ancillary texts' linked to this.
The three candidates this year worked together on a new music video for Daft Punk's Around the World, plus digipak and magazine ads. Some months into their work, rumours of Daft Punk's re-emergence surfaced, and by the week they handed in the final cut Daft Punk were at number one! It won't be immediately obvious to the uninitiated, but the dance routine in the video actually incorporates the sign language for 'around the world'!
The students had a brief of creating a package centring on a music video but also including ancillary texts of a digipak album cover and a magazine ad for this - with the extensive Research + Planning, plus an Evaluation, all evidenced on the individual blogs hyperlinked below.
At the time of writing (September 2011), we're just starting this year's coursework, but you can view the rather superb productions from 2010-11 on our YouTube channel playlist, and see the various digipacks/ads in those students' multimedia-rich blogs. As with last year, a playlist will shortly appear featuring behind-the-scenes mini-docs, vodcasts, rough cuts etc of our 2011-12 A2 students' work.
2012 PLAYLIST:
UPDATE: Another hugely successful year, with the average coursework beating last year's 79% ... now exceeding 80% (the starting point for an A-grade!), and 74% of these students emerging with a final grade of A*-B. Our proud record of national recognition continues with two of the videos successfully entered into the Co-Op's National Young Filmmakers Festival, and screened before a large audience in November 2012. A feature-length documentary DVD, including all of the final videos, tracking these students through their two years of Media Studies is available!
These are the blogs submitted for G324, the coursework unit, with the central task being to construct a music video (creating a song was not required!) plus two additional print texts (a digipak CD cover and inserts + a magazine for this), creating an overall promotional package. Some of the music videos embedded or linked to in these blogs may not be suitable for younger students to view.
Two of our A2 students' production groups had their video selected for screening at the 2011 Co-Op Film Festival, a national event that attracts entries from all over the UK (and beyond): "Disorder" and "Confessions". You can see the 2011 festival programme here (screenings on Thursday October 6th 2011 at Bradford's National Media Museum).
The success story does not stop there: the average mark achieved was 79% (that's 1 mark off an A!), with two students achieving 99%. Here's what our exam board said about the work of Ilkley Grammar's A2 Media students:
Candidates had clearly engaged very well with the task, with excellent evidence of research and planning. Research and Planning covered a range of areas, from looking at existing music videos through to the logistics of print design and layout. There was clear evidence that candidates were able to document the process of construction. Marking was accurate across the cohort sampled. Candidates had clearly engaged very well with the task, with excellent understanding of the codes and conventions of music videos and the associated promotional vehicles. The promos demonstrated excellent use of camera, sound and editing as well as careful choice of mise-en-scene. Print artefacts showed a solid appreciation of professional practice and were effectively realised. The register adopted evidenced their grasp of industry practice and there was a clear attempt to achieve synergy between the 3 artefacts. Some superb work was witnessed at the very top of the range.
In candidates’ Evaluations, coverage of the key questions in the specification was explicit. Candidates’ evaluations were detailed, honest and self critical, evidencing real insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the respective artefacts. The marking of the evaluations was considered to be accurate. A well organised centre and a pleasure to moderate.
