RECOMMENDED MEDIA AND FILM UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTS

• University of the West of England School of Creative Arts
• Warwick University Department of Film and Televsion Studies
• Royal Holloway University of London Department of Media Arts
• Goldsmith's University Department of Media and Communications
• De Montfort University Department of Media, Film and Journalism
• Ravensbourne College
• University of the Arts, London
• Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies
• University of Sussex School of Media, Film and Music
• University of Kent at Canterbury School of Film Studies
• University of East Anglia School of Film and TV
• University of Lincoln School of Media
• Westminster University School of Media
• Leeds University School of Communication
• Bournemouth University Media School
• University College, Falmouth

WHAT CAN YOU DO DURING THE SUMMER AND IN SEPTEMBER?

1. Try out the links here to different courses and information about them. Have a good read of the specific detail or the courses on the websites - if you like the sound of the detail of the course, then take your research further. The course content should inspire you! If it doesn't, don't go any further. You should be aiming to prepare a short list of courses. In September you can discuss your choices with either your Media/Film teacher or your form tutor.

2.Think about your future, where you see yourself in the industry and possible careers opportunities out there. Do some research! Find our what kinds of jobs are out there. Mr Williamson has a great dvd about what it is like to work in the industry. Have a look on the following website: http://creativeskillset.org/

3. Register on UCAS - there is specific school guidance on how to do this and Mr Course is in charge of this process. You will start this process before the end of term with your form teacher. 

4. Check your predicted grades in Sept - probably the same as your AS grades - and see whether it looks as if you will be qualified for the courses to which you want to apply. Be realistic! There is no point applying for courses that require A grades if you only achieved C grades!

5. Draft out a personal statement, using Mr Course's guidance, you will be given examples and guidance from your form tutor. Find a teacher with relevance knowledge about your chosen subject to read it for you. It seems silly to ask your Maths teacher to read your application to study French! 

6. Fill in your UCAS form bit by bit and get clued-up on what you need to provide for your application to be sent off successfully. All the information will be in the pack Mr Course will provide for you. There is a lot of competition for production courses, the later you leave it the less likely you will be to get in. An application by October half term latest is recommended but earlier is ideal. After half-term - these courses fill up quickly and you may not get a look in.

7. Visit the places you want to go to and talk to students about what they think of the courses and facilities.  Prepare a set of questions before you go so you don't forget anything! 

8. Put together your DVD portfolio (production courses only). This is known as a showreel and should contain anything relevant that you have done. This would normally include projects completed in Media or Film over the last 2 years, and any outside project work you have done that demonstrates creativity.

9. Read around the subject - Media Magazine and Empire for example are all stocked in the Media Department and will help you get up to date with current industry developments and academic debates. If you get invited for interview you will need to show you are really interesting in the industry.   Follow @robertclackfilm to keep up to date with current articles without having to even look on the internet! 

10. If you can get some work experience - great, but this is not essential. What is more important is providing evidence of a passion for Media that goes further than just enjoying/doing well at GCSE or A level Media. Presenting yourself as a creative person with initiative and drive is important for many of the production degrees - work experience is helpful but so is having made a film, doing photography or other related creative activity outside school/ in your own time.

MEDIA AND FILM DEGREE COURSES

Typically, you will find courses under the following headings:

Film and Television Studies - academic/ largely theoretical courses
Cultural Studies - academic/largely theoretical courses, strong links with sociology
Communications - academic/largely theoretical courses/strong links with New Media and Cultural/Social Studies
New or interactive media/digital media/multi-media/media technology - practical and theory mix, focus is on interactive/online media and technology
Media/TV/Film/Video Production - largely practical, industry driven courses which include placements and specialised training
Media Arts, Media Design - highly creative content, strong links with Art + design
Journalism/Broadcast Journalism - practical and theoretical mix, industry driven courses with strong focus on specialised training and industrial placements
Advertising/PR/Marketing - academic and theory mix, focus on specialised training and placements. You may be better specialising later on if you are not sure you definitely want to work in this area of the industry

A different approach is recommended for those of you applying for theory courses as opposed to practical.
Theory courses - you have more time to apply, you don't need a showreel, they interview less and are looking for a different set of skills evidenced in your application. They are still very competitive but the process is more standard and less specialised.
Practical courses - usually require a showreel of work and almost always interview applicants. These are very competitive courses and you really should have more film work than just the projects you have completed on your course. 

TV Drama Exam

Below is a selection of past exam clips from Section A. Have a go at writing your own analysis at home.

Clip 1: Age

Clip 2: Gender

Clip 3: Sexuality

Clip 4: Gender

Clip 5: Gender

Clip 6: Disability

Clip 7: Ethnicity

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin’s 6 Features of Music Videos

In his book Dancing in the Distraction Factory, Andrew Goodwin points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos. Below is the six characteristics he believed to be conventions of the music video genre.

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
   (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.
   (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

From Andrew Goodwin, DANCING IN THE DISTRACTION FACTORY, 1992.

WJEC Moving Image Awards 2014

WJEC Moving Image Awards 2014

Moving Image Awards

WJEC’s new Moving Image Awards are designed to recognise the best moving image productions made by students aged 14-19 at schools and colleges offering WJEC qualifications.

The awards are organised by WJEC and supported by the British Film Institute. The shortlisted entries will be screened at an awards ceremony at the BFI on Friday 19 September 2014. Shortlisted entrants will be contacted directly and the full programme for the awards ceremony will be published on WJEC’s website in July.

The Categories

1. Film sequence (any genre)
   This could be an opening, title, closing or climactic sequence from any genre of film.
2. Short film 
   This should consist of a complete narrative rather than a film extract.
3. Music video
   This should either use an original music track (e.g. by a local band/artist) or, for established bands/artists, one without an existing video.
4. TV sequence 
   This could be an opening, title or key sequence from any genre of TV programme.

There will be a prize for the winning entrant/s in each of the four categories, as well as one overall individual prize and one prize for the best entry for an individual under the age of 16.

The Criteria

We are looking for creative, original and high quality moving image productions in either English or Welsh.

The productions should:

• be submitted by Tuesday 20 May 2014
• be between 3 and 5 minutes in length
• use only original filmed material
• be made by 14-19 year olds between September 2013 and May 2014
• be made individually or in a group of 4 maximum (where each entrant must have a specific technical role, i.e. camera work, editing, sound design, but not acting)
• be made at a school or college offering WJEC qualifications
• be the entrant’s/entrants’ own work
• be suitable for a school/college audience

Copyright is the responsibility of the entrant(s).

All entries must be authenticated by both the entrant/s and an appropriate teacher on the application form.

Excellent Thriller Blogs

http://www.connormurrayrc.blogspot.co.uk
http://fundaosmanrc.blogspot.co.uk/
http://connorcahill-hayesrc.blogspot.co.uk/

AS Media - Thriller Coursework - TITLES

Format of TITLES for AS Thriller Coursework

After the IDENT use a FADE IN. The titles should then be in the following order:
(1) 'Your Production Company' Presents
(2) A Film by 'One name - usually the director'
(3) Starring or With
(4) Male star
(5) Female star or other way round
(6) Title of film - or could be at the end
(7) Also starring - 2/3/names - each on seperate title
(8) Then 3/4/5 of the following - you choose - each on seperate title
Editing
Music
Cinematography or Director of Photography
Casting
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Script
(9) Then Producer(s) - can be more than one
(10) Always finish with Director - one name, usually the same as A Film By ...
(11) Could put title here
Remember to use LiveType and try to make titles interesting. They can be either over black or superimposed over your film. Space them out over the two minutes of the film.Give the audience plenty of time to read the titles. 
(12) Finish with a fade out & fade music out

The Film Industry - Scheme Of Work

Areas of Focus.

•      the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;

•      The importance/influence of the ‘big six’: Disney, Paramount, Warner, Universal, Columbia and 20th C.Fox

•      The problems smaller film companies have.

•      the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing;

•       Internet, newspapers, radio, television, billboard posters, Social Media (Facebook/Twitter) etc.

•      the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange;

•      Such things as Netflix, Love Film, 3D, home cinema, Digital camera/projector.

•      the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences;

•      Eg. 3D, Digital Camera/projector, home cinema, Smart TVs, Laptops, Tablets , the effect of Piracy etc 

•      the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences;

•      Internet,  Netflix, Love Film, home cinema, Smart TVs, Laptops, Tablets etc. , Social Media like Facebook and Twitter.

•      the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions

•       How are we targeted? How much choice do we have?

•      the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.

•      Where, When and How do you watch films? What do you watch? How typical are you? Piracy?

The Film Industry Scheme of Work.

1.     The Exam - Make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 3-6.

2.     The Basics – the chain of events -- Make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 7-10.

An introduction to the problems faced by small, British independent film companies and the way they overcome these problems.

3.     ‘Films of a Life’.  - Make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 132-160

4.     ‘Shifty’ a successful ‘micro budget’ film - Make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 109-131

5.     Film 4- Make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 44-58.

In contrast an introduction to the big six film companies and the importance of the Blockbuster (some Case Studies)

6.     The ‘Big Six’ Production Companies - the importance of Blockbusters - Make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 15-24

7.     “Iron Man 3- including the importance of the Chinese market.

       Make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 210-240

8.     “The Hunger Games” (look out for how the next film in the series is being promoted)  – Make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 161-200

9.     “Prometheus”   - Make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 201-209

         The Chain – Production, Exhibition and Distribution.

10.                        Film Production - make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 11-44.

11.                        Film Distribution (including marketing / publicising a film)

12.                        make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 58-98

13.                        Film Exhibition make notes on the key points from the Main PowerPoint Slides 99-108

…………………………………………

14.                        Past Questions from slides 242 onwards.

You must make sure you can answer all of these questions before the examination.

Section B - The Film Industry