Project Choice

For this years A2 Media Studies course, I have been given the opportunity to learn and develop new skills to use within my film project. There are a variety of different options I can choose for my project and this post is aimed to demonstrate the process I went through, when deciding which particular project suited me best. During this process I kept in mind the following quote from my exam board (OCR)"Advanced Portfolio in Media (25% of A2 grade)
You will create a main product and two smaller products for example, a music promo video together with a DVD cover and a magazine advertisement for its release.

You will produce a presentation of your research, planning and evaluation in an electronic format, such as a weblog."

Past Choices

Before looking at the many different options available for my A2 project, I took it upon myself to look at the three most popular types of projects from last years A2 students who took the course:
Horror Trailer
This proved a popular choice in the past, with many candidates achieving high grades for the video itself

• All settings must be representative of theme
• Tension needs to be present throughout
• Large mixture of shots is help full
• Typography must follow theme
• Colours need to be carefully thought out
• Dependant on approach screaming/crying is effective for providing distraught images
• Music should be synced with trailer well
• Realism within the trailer needs to be acceptable
• Display of emotions and/or ability to for audience to relate
• Action could be shown or implied
• Situational darkness is vital

  

Music Video
This was also a popular choice amongst candidates, with scattered grades throughout

• Planning and organisation is vital, with time management being a priority
• Equipment must be well thought out before 'diving in'
• Syncing with the music itself is necessary
• Conventions of the particular genre must be constantly kept in mind
• Filming stage should be made easier with decent preparation and planning
• Lighting is very important with most forms of music video
• Shots of the performers should be merged throughout the video
• Genre conventions must be apparent at all times
• Actors/participants should be thought out carefully

Short Film

This was the least popular of the selection, however many candidates supplied high quality pieces, working closely to the conventions

• Editing needs to be bold
• Written concept must be well thought out
• Casting must be considered carefully
• Non-diegetic sound must be used at necessary times
• Strong cinematography is important
• Editing must be continuous
• Conventions of genre must be kept in mind with all aspects of film production
• Rules and camera strategies are important (especially within scenes with a lot of dialogue)
• Including a structure and moment of dilemma which stands out within the short film can help a lot