Cover Work Weds 18.03.09

A reminder that you must MUST...

• Stay in DF07 throughout the duration of your lesson, signing in on a sheet of A4.
  
• Complete all of yesterday's tasks if you haven't already done them (see posting below).  A lot of you haven't got your homework (Med 5 targets) or yesterday's work (Halloween: UK ideas) on your blogs yet.
• Complete second draft of coursework by next week...Tue 24.03.
  
• Go to Film Club on Thursday (19.03...'Scary Movie').
  
• Read the slasher pack about this week's two films, highlighting key points (by Tue 24.03).
  
• Fill in 'repertoire of elements sheets' for this week's two films (by Tue 24.03).
  
• Make sure you've decided which two students are responsible for leading the discussions about this week's films (say who's doing what as a comment on this posting).

13D1 (p1 & 2)

• Class discussion of 'Friday 13th' led by two students who haven't led a discussion before.  Rest of class take notes and fill in 'repertoire of elements' sheets with as much detail as possible.
  
• Research project (pairs).  Go online (imdb.com is a good place to start) to find out about the 'Friday 13th' horror franchise.  Look at how it has developed since 1980, paying particular attention to the contemporary, post-2000 examples, and especially the hybrid cases (when Jason is matched with Freddy; when the genre combines with sc-fi, etc.).  Write a summary of your research on your Med 5 blogs.  
• Then create a studio pitch for your own 'Friday 13th' hybrid movie. Decide which elements you'll repeat and which you'll vary, being clear about your reasons why and linking them, particularly, to the wider contexts.  How will your film reflect the current zeitgeist and match audience expectations and industry developments?  Write a summary of your ideas on your Med 5 blogs.

Remember - Parents' Evening on Thursday...make sure we can feed back positive comments!!

Cover Work Tues 17.03.09

Both Year 13 classes MUST...

• Stay in DF07 throughout the duration of their lessons, signing in on a sheet of A4.
  
• Complete second draft of coursework by this time next week (Tue 24.03).
  
• Go to Film Club today (17.03...'Scream') and Thursday (19.03...'Scary Movie').
  
• Read the slasher pack about this week's two films, highlighting key points (by Tue 24.03).
  
• Fill in 'repertoire of elements sheets' for this week's two films (by Tue 24.03).
  
• Decide which two students are responsible for leading the discussions about this week's films (say who's doing what as a comment on this posting).
  

13D1 (p2)

• Class discussion of 'Halloween' led by Lanzel and Hardeep.  Rest of class take notes and fill in 'repertoire of elements' sheets with as much detail as possible.
  
• Small group project (threes).  You have to update the Halloween franchise for a 2010 remake with the working title 'Halloween:UK'.  Decide which elements you'll repeat and which you'll vary, being clear about your reasons why and linking them, particularly, to the wider contexts.  How can your film better reflect the current zeitgeist and match audience expectations?  Write a summary of your ideas on your Med 5 blogs.
  

13C2 (p2&3)

• Finish peer marking activities from last lesson.  You will need to work in pairs.
  
• Firstly, download the presentation from last week's lesson, available here. Just click on the 'Med 5 Peer Marking' file.
  
• Then, do Pair Task 3 (p.15, WCs), Task 4 (p.16, research techniques), Task 5 (p.17, synoptic ability).
  
• Finally, get started on the Homework activities on p.19 (complete for Friday 20.03).
  

13D1 & 13C2 Cover Work: Wed 10.03

Read the Film Genre pack (Unit 1, Unit 2...and so on...ALL THE UNITS) and highlight key ideas as you go along.

Complete all of this reading before your next lesson (you should also read through each activity but you do not need to do them).

Summarise each unit on your Med 5 blog - just bullet points.  Three key things you've learnt from each unit is fine.

Job Opportunities - Media Mentors

• Do you want valuable and rewarding paid work?

• Are you responsible, mature and capable of being a positive role model?

• Have you got excellent video editing skills?

We invite Year 13 students to apply for the post(s) of Media Studies Student Mentors. The appointment(s) are intended to improve the provision of video editing support for Year 12s undertaking their production coursework.

The successful A2 students - to be selected at formal interview - will work different shifts in the video editing suite on Mondays to Fridays (exact times to be negotiated; a combination of 8am to 8.45am, lunchtimes, and 3.30pm to 5.30pm) starting on 09-03-09 for a total of 9 weeks at a rate of £7.50/hour for each student.

The students will only work (and be paid) when necessary as there are likely to be some occasions when they are not needed. They will report directly to Ms. Holliday, Mr Bush, Mr Shelley or Mr. Babu, one of whom will be on call every day to direct them, help out with any problems and lock up at the end of the sessions.

Tasks will include...

• Providing induction and ongoing support to AS students with the use of Adobe Premiere Pro
  
• Offering feedback to students about the quality of their practical work (both verbally and in daily blog postings)

• Giving support and advice on the use of camera equipment
• Starting up and shutting down PCs
• Maintaining order in the edit suites & limiting access to Media students
• Troubleshooting minor software issues
• Reporting larger problems to Mr Babu
• Keeping the edit suites tidy & the equipment in good working order
• Helping students to source archived music & video clips
• Producing tip sheets and displays to help students use the equipment
• Making DVD copies of productions for the exam board

If you wish to apply for these posts you must write a letter outlining your reasons for wanting to take up the position and the qualities and experience that you think make you suitable for the role. You may also wish to comment on how this will help you in your future studies/career. This must be emailed to Macguffin before Monday 02-03-09.

You will be informed by email if you have been shortlisted and those selected will be called for interview (before a panel to include Ms Holliday, Mr Bush, Mr Babu and a Year 12 student) next week on Tuesday 03-03-09, lunch & period 5.

Good luck!

Slasher Genre Film Club

We will be running a compulsory Genre Film Club (for your Module 4 exam) over the next half term. It is vital that you attend the or twice weekly film showings (on  Tuesday and Thursday!) as without doing this you will not be able to follow what happens in the lessons each week or contribute to the discussions. Also, it's far less scary watching with friends!

Please don't say: "I've seen it already" because we've heard it already. Each performance will be in DF05 and will start at 3.30pm promptly. Registers will be taken and you will be expected to take notes so bring pen and paper. You'll be expected to fill in the 'repertoires of elements' sheets after each screening and a different pairing will be leading the discussion about the film in the next lesson.

Make sure you put all the following dates in your diaries and seek to cancel and re-arrange any prior appointments you may already have…your A Levels must be your priority!!

• Thur 26-02

Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock, 109 mins.)

• Tue 03-03

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper, 83mins.)

• Thur 05-03

Halloween (1978, John Carpenter, 91 mins.)

• Tue 10-03

Friday the 13^th (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980, 95 mins.)

• Thur 12-03

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984, 91 mins.)

• Tue 17-03

Scream (Wes Craven, 1996, 111 mins.)

• Thur 19-03

Scary Movie (Keenen Ivory Wayans, 2000, 88 mins.)

• Tue 24-03

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003, Marcus Nispel, 98 mins.)

• Thur 26-03

Switchblade Romance(aka Haute Tension) (Alexandre Aja, 2003, 91 mins)

Channel 4 Work Experience Opportunity for 14-19 year olds

Interested in working in the media? Then find out more with Channel 4's work experience programme. Check out the details from their 4 Talent website below or visit it yourself at http://c4talent.illumina.co.uk/index.shtml for more details.

This is the first step in the talent pipeline. This year Channel 4 are offering 80+ work experience placements in London to help students find out more about working in the media industry. The majority of our placements will be within Channel 4, though we are collaborating with independent production partners to increase the opportunities. Placements are usually for one or two weeks, within one or two departments and offer a variety of learning experiences across a wide range of areas from finance to website design.

Who's it aimed at and what are we looking for? This scheme is for 14 - 19 year olds who are motivated, enthusiastic, passionate and hungry to learn about what it's like to work in the media. Just as important though, we look for people who are keen to get stuck into whatever needs to be done. People who aren't afraid of a bit of hard work! And we'll want applicants to show these qualities right from the application stage.

How to apply? We are working with Education Business Partnerships (EBPs) who will provide full information to schools across London. It starts with two open days: one in January and one in April 2009. Each open day can take up to 150 students and will help them get a taste of what it's all about.
PDF download: April application form

Placements are limited and run on specific dates throughout the year so please check out our recruitment timelines before contacting us. Then what? To begin with, the experience and skills that you build with us will make a positive impact on your education. We also encourage you to keep a look out on the 4talent website to see what other schemes could be right for you - like Inspiration Week and the Generation Next Programme.

Camila - Work Experience placements in Creative Services and Marketing
"It was definitely busy, but I enjoyed the opportunities I was given and I was allowed to try different things. I would like to work in advertising even more now and this has definitely helped my career choices. Thank you very much for the opportunity, I loved it and learnt a lot about the industry and work environment."

13D1 MED 6 VW Protection & Fabia Car ads - homework

VW Protection TV ad for the Volkswagen Polo. 1 minute ad produced by ad agency BMP DDB (dir Jonathan Glazer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEVvlyHQVjs

Skoda Fabia Print advertisment

A typed comparative critical analysis of the 2 ads using MIGRAIN & SHEP with relevant theories. Min 1,000 words due Thursday 12th February.

13C1 Cover Work Miss Holliday 30.01.09

Go to Youtube and watch the Slumdog Millionaire trailer and Danny Boyle's account of filming in India. Read some of the comments on the latter.
Then go to The Guardian and read the article about 'Poverty Porn' and then the one about how British Asians have responded to the film. Post up all these links on your Med 5 blogs and then write your own response to the film, paying particular attention to the representation issues.
How does it represent India/Indians? How does this compare to our notion of The Other or the Oriental stereotype? Try to link your answer to the theorists/ideas we were looking at last week.

13C1 Cover Work Miss Holliday 27.01.09

Using the handout on 'representation of the other' discussed on Friday's lesson find a range of textual examples (both print and moving image) of 'the other'. Prepare a presentation based on these representations (including images) covering:

• How are these representations being constructed? (using media language)
• Whether the representations are fair and accurate?
• What stereotypes exist?
• How might the institution be affecting this representation?
• How could the audience read these texts? (consider a range of audience theories)
• Consider how SHEP factors may also play a part in the representation and your reading of these texts.

Be ready to present back in class on Friday

13D1 Cover Work 27.01.09

I may not make it to the lesson today but you MUST stay in the classroom throughout period 2 and do the following as it is quite possible I'll arrive before breaktime...

Go to Youtube and watch the Slumdog Millionaire trailer and Danny Boyle's account of filming in India. Read some of the comments on the latter.

Then go to The Guardian and read the article about 'Poverty Porn' and then the one about how British Asians have responded to the film. Post up all these links on your Med 5 blogs and then write your own response to the film, paying particular attention to the representation issues.

How does it represent India/Indians? How does this compare to our notion of The Other or the Oriental stereotype? Try to link your answer to the theorists/ideas we were looking at last week.

13D1 News Values MED 6 Analysis

Look at the 2 texts we used in lesson

13D1 News Values MED 6 Analysis

Analysis essay for homework based on the newspaper front covers we analysed in the lesson.

Remember the question, as always is: 'Using the comparison of these two texts as your starting point, explore the media issues and debates which they raise.'

Your analysis must address fully all relevant media language (MIGRAIN) when referring to specific examples from the 2 texts and account for why there are differences in content, production values etc through SHEP making sure you consider any other issues and debates raised by the two texts.

Essay due in next Thursday's lesson. Typed please!

Self-Evaluations 2

To be completed by Tuesday 27-01.

Your responses will be used to help us write your next Interim Reports which you'll be receiving in a few weeks time.

SELF EVALUATION
Write an evaluation of your progress on the Media course since the last report.
Post the work up on your Module 5 blogs.

a. Comment on each of the following, giving yourself a grade with an explanation outlining why:

(Grading should be 1-5: 1 = excellent, 2 = v. good, 3 = good/average, 4 = poor, 5 = v. poor)

• Attainment
• Effort
• Punctuality
• Submission and quality of homework
• Ability to work independently
• Quality of writing
• Organisation of Media folder
• Oral contributions in class
• Standard of Module 5 blog
• Standard of Module 6 blog

b. Make a list of three achievements (www) and three targets/areas for improvement (ebi) over the next half-term.

Coursework - First Draft

The following needs to be completed by Tuesday 3rd February. (Like you'd forget!)

• Complete your first draft of your Independent Study.

• It must be a word processed 3000 word essay (with a word count included at the end).

• Also, include correctly set out references, quotes and footnotes. (Footnotes should take the following form - Author Surname, Author First Name (year of publication), page number(s). eg...Craig, Steve (1992) p. 123.)

• A full bibliography must be submitted. (See the Book Research Task for help with this) . The first section should be titled 'Works Cited' and will contain everything that you make direct reference to in your essay. Divide it into 'Books', 'Newspapers & Magazines', 'Internet' and 'Moving Image Texts'. The second section should be called 'Works Consulted' and will cover all the additional research you did but that didn't necessarily get directly quoted. This should have the same subheadings as the first section. Use BibMe to help you do this correctly, using the APA format for books.

• Two copies are necessary. Hand in a hard copy (on paper) on the deadline day, and this needs to have one and a half spacing. Also paste it up on your blog.

If you're in any doubt about what this all should look like then please check out some of the finished grade 'A' and 'B' essays from last year (2008), the year before (2007), and the year before that (2006).

These will also be helpful when thinking about how to write your essay (what to include in the introduction and conclusion, how to structure the work, how to set out quotes, the correct tone, and how much research to include - they each contain between 20 and 40 footnotes, etc.)

But please ensure that all writing is done in your own words. Plagiarism is a very serious business and anyone found simply copying from other sources (either students or books/websites) will be in real trouble. And you will be found out if you do! We're not stupid - we know how you write, and we know very well what was in the previous studies (and there are numerous online checkers that we can feed your work into to see if it has been plagiarised).

This is the big one so no excuses and good luck!!

First Paragraph Rewrite

The following needs to be completed by Tuesday 27th January.

Following your individual tutorials, you need to re-write your Independent Study first paragraph and post it up on your blog. This should include your full title (and preceding quote) that may have been refined since your meeting.

Also, the paragraph needs to engage with the keywords in the title, outlining your hypothesis/argument, and should include at least two quotes/references (with properly presented footnotes).