Task Criteria

Research and Planning must be presented in electronic format. Where candidates have worked as a group, the research may be presented collectively, but teachers are asked to differentiate the contributions of individuals within the group in arriving at a mark and justifying individual marks on the assessment sheet. As part of the moderation sample, the moderator will request some research/planning material.

Level 1 0–7 marks-

•There is minimal research into similar products and a potential target audience.
•There is minimal organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
•There is minimal work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
•Time management may be very poor.
•There is minimal care in the presentation of the research and planning.
•There is minimal skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the presentation.
•There are minimal communication skills.

Level 2 8–11 marks-

•There is basic research into similar products and a potential target audience.
•There is basic organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
•There is basic work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
•Time management may not be good.
•There is a basic level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.
•There is basic skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the presentation.
•There are basic communication skills.

Level 3 12–15 marks-

•There is proficient research into similar products and a potential target audience.
•There is proficient organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
•There is proficient work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
•Time management is good.
•There is a good level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.
•There is proficient skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the presentation.
•There are proficient communication skills.

Level 4 16–20 marks-

•There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience.
•There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props.
•There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding.
•Time management is excellent.
•There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning.
•There is excellent skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the presentation.
•There are excellent communication skills.

Marking Criteria for Evaluation:
Each candidate will evaluate and reflect on the creative process and their experience of it. Candidates will evaluate their work electronically. The format of the evaluation has some flexibility and its form can be negotiated between teacher and student: it may take place with individual candidates or with the production group as a whole, or each individual candidate or production group may make a formal or informal presentation to the whole class.

The questions that must be addressed in the evaluation are:
•In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
•How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
•What have you learned from your audience feedback?
•How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
•Ideas for the format for the presentation of the evaluation can be found in the Guidance Notes.

Level 1 0–7 marks-

•There is minimal understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
•There is minimal understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
•There is minimal understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
•There is minimal skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
•There is minimal ability to communicate.
•There is minimal use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.

Level 2 8–11 marks-

•There is basic understanding of the forms and conventions used in the productions.
•There is basic understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
•There is basic understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
•There is basic understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
•There is basic skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
•There is basic ability to communicate.
•There is basic use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.

Level 3 12–15 marks-

•There is proficient understanding of the forms and conventions used in the productions.
•There is proficient understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
•There is proficient understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
•There is proficient understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
•There is proficient skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
•There is proficient ability to communicate.
•There is proficient use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.

Level 4 16–20 marks

•There is excellent understanding of the forms and conventions used in the productions.
•There is excellent understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
•There is excellent understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
•There is excellent understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
•There is excellent skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
•There is excellent ability to communicate.
•There is excellent use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.

Conclusion of Codes and Conventions within Short Films

WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED-

I have watched 30 short films which i have gained lots of knowledge from as i can know recognise the key codes and conventions within them. Not only can i recognise them but i can also incorporate these in my production so that my short film is a propper short film by having the essential key elements which are needed.

Firstly i have noiticed that the central protagonist in short film is always the first characeter shown on screen, generally by using close up shots to encounter and emphasize there emotions are feelings.



Secondly i have noticed that the narrative is always strange as there is no introduction and it seems that the story line is a pointless aspect which doesn't make sense at all.



Thirdly i have noticed that most short films has a twist towards the end which reveals the story as a whole and it starts to make sense towards the audience. Also when the twist is revealed the genre of the film is finalised because as the narratives are usually very strange they always change the audiences mind about the genre throughout the productions. For my film i am going to have a twist which will signify to the audience the key structure towards a short film.



I have also recognised the different camera angle used and one popular one is the point of view shot, this is because it makes the story look like a documentary and in a way it is as most short films relate to the social realist aspect of what genneral people do in there day to day lives.



I have found that emotions play a key role in short films as they create the drama and conflict and build up towards the twist of the film which eventually the audience make sense of the whole narrative concept.



By watching 30 short films i have been suprised by how many of them are showed in black and white, but i suspect this is to attract a specific target audience and to create a particular genre.



I have noticed that the characters in the short films are generally working class or lower class characters, however the twists at the end of the films may attract the higher class audience as it could be seen as a sofisticated text, and also the films are limited to the amount of characters who play big roles in the films.



Voice overs are used in quite a lot of short film productions, this could also be shown because it is trying to signify a documentary style, but it is also good to use it when the film makers want thte characters emotion to be heard with out them speaking through out.



Lastlty an important point about short films is the title sequences, as they are very simple and basic, using a plain black background with a plain white serif font , nothing special. This could signify a low budget film or it could build up on the impression of a documentary style.