Make sure the FULL question appears at the top of each Eval post!!! Its not a bad idea to do as I do below + include all 4, to help you remember the range of Qs you'll need to address.
Creative critical reflection On completion of the product, candidates must creatively reflect upon their work. Candidates may use any digital format, such as director commentaries, a presentation with voiceover, podcasts or screencasts. Candidates may use a different digital format to explore each of the compulsory questions. The creative critical reflection should be produced and presented individually. Candidates must explore the following compulsory questions:
How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
I've also provided an Eval overview, including an extensive list of creative suggestions. Whatever format/s you use, provide link/embed to whatever source/s inspired your presentation style so examiners can see its not random (assume they won't be familiar with whatever show etc you're reflecting).
You need to provide clear detail on each rough cut - look at the Eval Qs again ---- which of these will require specific detail like this?
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Give a general intro, then cover each rough cut separately, starting with the earliest.
I/We produced a range of rough cuts before settling on a final cut - testing out ideas and checking for elements that needed tighter/different media language to enable audiences to follow our encoded preferred reading. Each rough cut is detailed below, including information on:
any focus of that rough cut
key section/s
any FX used (differently than before)
any added media (sound, fonts, images etc)
evidence of audience feedback
main points from audience feedback
our conclusion on what to change for the next cut (including any planned new/reshoots + narrative tweaks)
ROUGH CUT 1: MISSING SHOTS, NO MUSIC YET; TESTING THE NARRATIVE
For this one I/we was/were particularly focused on building on the previous sample scenes and providing a near-complete narrative cut to see if sample viewers could follow the basic preferred reading ... and if not, which particular element/s were attracting contested/oppositional readings (ie, lacked enough exposition to be anchored).
At this stage we were missing a few shots (noted with titles in the cut) and music (we used some placeholder copyrighted music in places).
You need to provide clear detail on each sample scene - look at the Eval Qs again ---- which of these will require specific detail like this?
>>>>>>
Give a general intro, then cover each sample scene separately, starting with the earliest.
I/We produced a range of sample scenes before settling on a final cut - testing out ideas and checking for elements that needed tighter/different media language to enable audiences to follow our encoded preferred reading. Each sample scene is detailed below, including information on:
any focus of that sample scene
any FX used (differently than before)
any added media (sound, fonts, images etc)
evidence of audience feedback
main points from audience feedback
our conclusion on what to change for the next sample scene or cut (including any planned new/reshoots + narrative tweaks)
SAMPLE SCENE 1: 1ST SCENE WITH 3 DIFFERENT TITLE STYLES
I/we wanted to immediately see if the audience was likely to follow our general intended preferred reading - and if not, what was being misinterpreted or simply not understood. Alongside this, I/we tested out 3 distinctive approaches to our titling - incorporating 9 titles (3 in a row with one font/style, then next changed + again). My/our teacher had advised us to be careful in simply assuming audience confusion meant I/we must make changes - I/we had been studying the genre + media language, they hadn't!! - but here's the sample scene together with a summary of audience feedback + our response to it in a single video. A text bullet list follows (then I/we cover the 2nd sample scene...).
Every time you have an idea, right from the very start, or tweak and evolve a more detailed idea, record the key details here, using dates within a subheading
When you're finishing up, provide a link to the screenplay but outline (in post or Ppt/Word) your final narrative using the hopefully familiar theories...
An eg of an update:
MY EARLIEST ROUGH IDEAS (Sept 8th)
Nothing specific just yet, but I think I'd like to work within the horror - specifically slasher - (sub-)genre, possibly a chase scene. I really liked Evie's AS production, which features a chase scene, obvious intertextuality with classic horrors, and even a postmodern twist!
...
This ties in with the CCR Q3 (and the AO2 assessment criteria). This post will make answering that question much easier...
Use the Largest for each sub-heading (practice film) in turn. This post is closely linked to Eval Q3.
...
Check: you've used LARGEST for main sub-heads like PRELIM.
Use distinctive (eg colouring, highlight) options to make those stand out
Add a clear IN THIS POST intro, LISTING whats in the post with a short sentence or 2 on what this shows
Use this as a clearer guide for the Eval Q3; for each practice prod add a sub-heading of COMPARISON TO PREVIOUS PRACTICE + just bullet list key points. You've then get a nice easy list for that eval Q.
SUMMARY Again, this is as much to help with the eval Q3. Reflect on how you've developed; a short overview.
WHAT TO INCLUDE WITH EACH PRACTICE FILM
With clear sub-headings:
PLANNING
Any + all evidence of planning: this helps showed how you DEVELOPED your skills from start to completing the final coursework. So, any shotlists, storyboards, organising/scheduling shoots/cast, equipment used, degree of shot variety, props/costume/make-up/set-dressing, soundtracking/titles + research on these (clearly indicate what conventions you have reflected - refer to specific film/s that influenced your work).
THE SHOOT: WHAT I DID
You can combine to create a single post to copy/edit. Make sure its CLEAR what YOU, INDIVIDUALLY did: camera work, acting, producing (ie organising! call sheets, set dressing, cast + travel, sorting equipment etc), directing. The only way to evidence that is some simple (probably phone) video footage! Basically, a brief look behind-the-scenes showing each of you carrying out the various roles.
THE EDITED FILM
Embed the final result. BRIEFLY outline what each INDIVIDUAL contributed to POST-PRODUCTION: sound, titles (fonts), FX, organising clips/Library
REFLECTION: WHAT WE'VE LEARNED
It would be smart (and quick) to do this as a group vodcast - a simple 3-shot where you sum up what you've learned from this process (planning, the shoot, editing, media language/theory) AND how SPECIFICALLY you think you might take a more sophisticated approach next time, and what you might experiment with (eg dolly, gimbal, drone, downloading fonts, specific FX, plug-in FX).
THE PRELIM TECHNICAL TERMS
That's covered nice + briefly here. The idea of this is to carry out some continuity editing techniques, made possible by observing the 180 degree rule for example...
PAST PRACTICE FILMS
Here's an example with added on-screen commentary from here from Simon etc - as we've discussed, its intentionally very silly and exaggerated!
NARRATIVE THEORY PRACTICE FILM
Using the above as a reference point for how intentionally silly it can be, create a film opening that incorporates the concepts of Todorov + Campbell; Propp; Barthes; Levi-Strauss. Use costume/props to distinguish the archetypes even if its the same actors repeatedly - using a tripod would help you to fake two-shots: film person A as character A; change costume, with camera not moved person A plays character B, being careful not to step into the same space on the frame. Stack the two layers in FCPX + use the crop tool to remove half of the top layer! ... or use a greenscreen!
Include titles that you think reflect the specific number and wording expected from your research, and some use of music. As you're aiming for full Todorov, you won't really be replicating a film opening, but do think about how you might start it still.
Length: likely to be somewhere over 2mins.
Shot variety: aim for 2+ takes of important (especially action) scenes - the rule is for shot variety where you can cut between shots of the same thing: at least 2 steps up or down the shot scale eg ELS to MLS.
Include: My hopes...and fears!; My favourite film; The Brief; The Evaluation (CCR); The assessment criteria; thoughts on past AS coursework; …
Basically, the basics!
Start your post with MY HOPES...AND FEARS!
Type that as a sub-heading, and press return.
Now highlight the heading; make these formatting changes:
FONT: Arial
FONT SIZE: medium
FONT: bold
FONT COLOUR: red
Now type Greetings! into the blank line. Press return.
CMD+A, then CMD+C
Make sure you're on the bottom, blank, line.
CMD+V (5 times)
Now highlight each sub-heading and type in the sub-heading from the list at the top (My hopes...and fears!; My fave film; The Brief; The Evaluation (CCR); The assessment criteria; thoughts on past AS student vids).
That's TIP1 - do this to save time with formatting! You can have tabs open and copy formatting across posts too. TIP 2 is to always apply clear headings to make posts, some of which will get long, easy to navigate (including for YOU!).
notes on all the sections are included under the read more link if you didn't access the post by the direct hyperlink
