541. More Tim Burton – Auteur study definition

click here

507. Print Screen on a Mac – and other hints

Built-in Mac Screenshot Commands Key & Combination Result :

Command+Shift+3 Capture entire screen and save as a file

Command+Control+Shift+3 Capture entire screen and copy to the clipboard

Command+Shift+4 Capture dragged area and save as a file

Command+Control+Shift+4 Capture dragged area and copy to the clipboard

Command+Shift+4 then Space bar Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and save as a file

Command+Control+Shift+4 then Space bar Capture a window, menu, desktop icon, or the menu bar and copy to the clipboard

One handy trick to know about when using the dragging methods (Command+Shift+4) is how the cursor crosshairs work. To delineate an exact pixel region, the cursor crosshairs should overlap the top and left edges of the area you want to capture, but extend one pixel below and to the right of it (see Figure 2). This technique works with the selection crosshairs in other applications as well

462. Media terms for revision

AUDIENCE
http://www.robertsmyth.co.uk/media/audience.htm
http://www.stevewlb.zen.co.uk/Frame.htm
http://www.mediaknowall.com/alevkeyconcepts/audience.html
http://www.mediaed.org.uk/posted_documents/Audience.html

INSTITUTION

http://www.robertsmyth.co.uk/media/institution.htm
http://www.mediaknowall.com/alevkeyconcepts/Institution.html

GENRE
http://www.robertsmyth.co.uk/media/genre.htm
http://www.mediaknowall.com/alevkeyconcepts/genre.html

REPRESENTATION

http://www.robertsmyth.co.uk/media/representation.htm
http://www.mediaknowall.com/alevkeyconcepts/representation.html
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/represent.html

NARRATIVE

http://www.robertsmyth.co.uk/media/narrative.html
http://www.mediaknowall.com/alevkeyconcepts/narrative.html

SEMIOTICS
http://www.robertsmyth.co.uk/media/semiotics.htm

IDEOLOGY
http://www.mediaknowall.com/alevkeyconcepts/ideology.html

460. Women and horror

This site offers some insight into important feminist theories around Women and Horror films including Carol Clover’s exploration of representations of women in Horror. You should be making reference to these theories if you want the A-C grades! 

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1775841

Another theory based site this time drawing upon the work of feminist theorist Laura Mulvey

http://www.helium.com/items/132886-women-in-horror-films-ripley-the-alien-and-the-monstrous-feminine

Top 25 Women of Horror – useful maybe

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/816579/top_25_women_of_horror.html?cat=40

405. Film statistics link

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/

388. Bafta stuffta

http://www.bafta.org/

356. Free online Research

http://www.biggerpictureresearch.net/

355. Online Survey machine

http://www.surveymonkey.com/

339. The Small Scale Research Project

                  50% of the A2 coursework marks. 

Texts and Contexts …

The project is based on ONE focus film, and must make reference to at least TWO other films.  You must define your investigation by relating the focus film to ONE of theses contexts:

• 
  

  CHOOSE THREE FILMS & ONE CONTEXT   ANNOTATE A CATALOGUE OF RESEARCH ITEMS   WRITE A PRESENTATION SCRIPT   WRITE AN EVALUATION

   

  star/performer

• genre
• technology
• social, historical and/or political context
• institution
• auteur (as Director, Star or Studio)

 

IMPORTANT RESTRICTIONS

Your focus film cannot be the one used for your ‘micro’ or ‘macro’ reading in FS1.  Neither can it be any focus or close study film in FS3 or FS5.

 

BEFORE YOU START

A title for your project will need to be approved by the exam board.  The task is to identify what is distinctive about the chosen films and demonstrate how this contributes to a meaning.  It means working from text (films) to context.

 

Three Parts to the Project …

 

1.  An Annotated Catalogue of key items of research                      (500 words = 15 marks)

Each of 10 to 15 items, which have been selected from primary and secondary research, should have a brief note (5 lines) to explain its relevance and assess its importance.

 

A short paragraph will conclude and identify 3- 5  items that were not included, explaining why.

 

2.  A Presentation Script                                                      (1000 – 1500 words =  20 marks)

This is NOT an essay!  It MUST be notes for a presentation.  It could include subheadings, bullet points, reference to extracts, short pieces of prose.  It MUST reference key catalogue items.  All quotations MUST be credited (these are excluded from the word count).

 

3.  An Evaluation of the project                                             (500 words = 15 marks)

Consider:

• the success (or not) of the project,
• your approach to research, advantages and disadvantages of different forms of research (i.e. books, internet, DVD extras, magazines etc.),
• skills developed (i.e. problems faced and overcome)
• selection process of catalogue
• reflection on findings

 

NOTES: Your research could also include your own notes from viewing the films or DVD extras, your own survey or interviews, getting other people’s responses etc.

 

Catalogue items should be organised into primary and secondary sources.  Research should also include items that help define your chosen context.

 

Credit is given for a logical structure in presenting material and appropriate use of language to communicate clearly.  Evaluation should focus on methods of research, the role of research and problem-solving.

325. A2 Film Studies FS4 – assessment tasks

Assessment Tasks

Candidates should complete a coursework portfolio containing the following:

(1) the small-scale research project (50%) comprising:

(i) an annotated catalogue

(ii) a presentation script and

(iii) an evaluation.

(2) the practical application of learning – creative work (50%) comprising:

(i) aims and rationale of the creative product

(ii) a creative product (film journalism, screenplay [including synopsis] or

film/video) and

(iii) an evaluation.

Mark Allocation:

Small-Scale Research Project

Annotated Catalogue plus Evaluation: 30 marks

Presentation Script: 20 marks.

Practical Application of Learning

Aims/Rationale plus Evaluation: 20 marks

Creative Product: 30 marks.

 

(1) The Small-Scale Research Project (50%)

The research project will be based on one focus film, making appropriate reference to at least two other related films. Candidates will define an area of investigation (through an approval process) that relates the chosen focus film to one of the following contexts:

star/performer

genre

technology

social, historical and/or political context

institution

auteur (in its broadest sense)

Candidates may not choose as a focus film either a film selected for their FS1 Written Analyses (macro or micro) or one which is identified as a focus or Close Study film in FS3 or FS5.

 

The project will highlight a focused area of investigation and must be approved prior to commencement. Whatever the area of investigation, the research should endeavour to identify what is distinctive about the chosen focus and related films within the chosen context and to demonstrate how this distinctiveness contributes to making meaning – in essence working from text to context. In practice, candidates will constantly be interrelating aspects of their chosen film(s) and their research materials.

 

The project will be submitted in three parts:

(i) An annotated catalogue of key items of the candidate’s research (approx 500 words)

The catalogue will contain approximately 10 to 15 items selected from the

candidate’s total primary and secondary research. Each catalogue item should be

appropriately referenced and be accompanied by a brief note (around 5 lines), which

explains how the particular item is relevant to the area of investigation and assesses

the importance of the item to the overall research.

The catalogue must conclude with a short paragraph, which identifies significant

items (e.g. between 3 and 5) which were not selected for inclusion in the catalogue,

offering reasons why.

Please note: there is no longer any requirement for a separate commentary, as

was the case up to and including the 2006 examination series.

(ii) A presentation script (1000 – 1500 words)

The presentation script must take the form of notes for a presentation and could

combine (for example) subheadings, bullet points, short pieces of connected prose

and reference to visual extracts to illustrate the presentation. Candidates are

encouraged to devise a presentation format appropriate to their needs. This is not an

essay but a presentation of research findings.

Please note:

Reference to key items of research from the catalogue must be made

explicitly in the presentation.

Short credited quotations may be used but care must be taken that the words

of the presentation are the candidate’s own. Credited quotations are

excluded from the word count.

(iii) An evaluation of the research project (approx 500 words)

The evaluation may include:

brief consideration of the relative success of the research project

brief discussion of the research methodology (i.e., approaches to research) used,

highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of different forms and sources of

research (comments on using, for example, the internet, DVD additional

material, magazines and books)

identification of research and problem-solving skills developed over the course

of the research project (problems faced during research with an indication of how

these were or could be overcome)

brief discussion of how the candidate selected appropriate material for the

presentation script

brief reflections on the findings from the research.

 

(2) Practical Application of Learning – Creative Work (50%)

The Practical Application of Learning may take one of three forms: film journalism,

screenwriting or film/video-making.

The creative work will be submitted in three parts:

(i) the aims and rationale of the creative work – including a statement on the target

audience and the stylistic/formal influences which will inform the work (500 words

maximum)

(ii) the creative product itself (either film journalism, screenplay or film/video)

(iii) an evaluation (500 words maximum).

The portfolio of coursework must be submitted together in a single folder accompanied by the Coversheet, FS4a.

 

The Creative Work: the three options

EITHER:

Film Journalism

The candidate will produce between two and four pieces of film journalism, possibly

differing in length, up to a maximum of 2000 words in total. The pieces of journalism

should be for intended publication in named magazines or newspapers, student magazines, fanzines or websites. Each piece should be based on a film critical approach – for example, one related to the subject of the small-scale research project (authorship in its broadest sense, stars/performance, genre, aspects of film technology, social and/or political context or aspects of distribution and exhibition, whether local or national). In this way the film journalism will clearly demonstrate the application of film studies learning.

The candidate should identify a publication and a target audience for each piece. Diversitybetween the pieces should be encouraged. It is, therefore, suggested that candidates should limit their journalism to one film review only.

Note: Alternatives to film reviews could include, for example, pieces on fans or cinema

exhibition. Intended publications need not necessarily include Sight and Sound.

 

OR

Screenwriting

The candidate will produce either

a synopsis (approximately 200 words) for a feature length film together with the

screenplay for a section (approximately 1800 words) of the film or

a complete screenplay (approximately 1800 words) for a short film.

The screenplay should not exceed 1800 words, including both dialogue and directions/visual information. The standard conventions of screenplay writing should be observed. Work produced for this unit will be expected to meet higher standards than screenwriting produced in FS1. The emphasis for this option in FS4 is on screenwriting skills.

The screenplay will clearly demonstrate the application of film studies learning.

 

OR

Film/Video Making

The candidate will produce either

a synopsis (approximately 200 words) for a film, together with a three to five minute

film/video extract from the film or

a complete short film of between three and five minutes in length.

The film/video will clearly demonstrate the application of film studies learning.

Group work

While a candidate may produce the film/video without support, it is more likely that it will

be produced in small groups. In this case, a maximum of four candidates may be assessed within a group – each of whose contribution must be clearly identifiable for assessment purposes. If, for example, a group of four divides responsibilities in terms of (i) direction,

(ii) cinematography, (iii) editing, (iv) sound, then for both the aims/rationale and

evaluation sections, each candidate is expected to discuss the work of the group and their own individual specialist contribution. If there is some overlap in the roles taken, then candidates must focus their evaluation on the dominant contribution that they have made. In some cases, collaborative work may lead to some students ‘helping out’ while not being assessed at all.

Assessment of the quality of the product will include some direct observation by the teacher of the group working together. Credit should be given for creative or organisational skills within the group.

308. A2 Film – Small scale research project

Welcome back everyone! 100% pass rate – we’re gonna need a bigger boat!

As soon as you have identified your ‘auteur’ study, post your blog that you will be using here as a comment. This should happen no later than 30 august 2008. If you are unsure, confused or have lost the will to live, do e-mail or call. The year promises to be full of fun and danger, learning and reflection. Look what we’ve done in 4 months though.

262. A2 Film Students – let’s make a blogroll for FS4!

Please add your blogpage for FS4 as a comment here – i will approve the comment and we will all share in the journey to wisdom!

259. Referencing – secondary research gets to this

Referencing

You will be using a range of sources from books to magazines to websites to TV shows. Here are some examples of how to record your details. Remember, you will need to keep this for your final draft so it will be a good idea to record the details in you blog area where it won’t get lost!

Book
Author name, book title (publishers, year)
e.g. Geoff Andrew, The Film Handbook (Longman, 1989)
The publisher and year is usually found at the front of the book

Magazine
Title and Volume, Issue, Date
e.g. Sight & Sound Volume 9, Issue 4, April 1999

TV programme
Genre: Title (company, country, year) time and channel
e.g. Documentary: Long Live the New Flesh (Jillian Films, Canada/UK, 1987) Broadcast as part of Channel 4′s Eleventh Hour scheduling.

Website
Website name and address
e.g. The Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/ - also give the date you accessed these – remember blogs, change, people change…

Big NB – remember to also reference the findings that are not helpful in the discussion – this proves breadth of research

257. The small scale research project

the-small-scale-research-project3

256. FS 4 Making Meaning

film-studies-a2-fs4-film-making-meaning-24

80. Interpreting Focus Groups

Interpreting Focus Groups

46. Focus Group Powerpoint

focus_groups.ppt