Introduction
Your major product is where you focus on just one form to plan and create, be it film, photography, animation, game making, print (such as magazines, newspapers, posters, brochures, etc.) and you research plan, create and produce a polished finished product that is representative of the time you've had to create it and shows off your skills and development.
This is your chance to really hone your skills and try new things before you go into VCE Media, so it's the perfect opportunity to do something you haven't done before. If you've done film before, maybe don't do film this time around, or if you DO want to do film, make it a specific focus that will challenge you to develop your skills further using special effects programs such as After Effects, or developing your use of sound, lighting and camera skills to produce a polished piece of work.
There's no value in just doing the same sort of thing you've done before, because you're not challenging yourself to get better. You're much better off for this unit to challenge yourself to try something you have no idea how to do, research and develop your skills, watch tutorials and try and do something that is hard and maybe a bit overwhelming.
It's a much better option to try and do something that's really challenging, rather than just coasting through something you already know how to do. If you try something hard that you don't know how to do, but you don't quite pull it off in the end, at least you've pushed yourself and you'll learn from it going into Year 11. Whereas, if you just do something you already know how to do, you might complete it OK, but you won't have learnt much when you come out the other end, so you won't have gotten much out of it.
TL;DR - Push yourself with this unit. Try something new. Focus on developing your skills and creating a finished product that looks polished and professional. Don't take the easy option.
IMPORTANT: Throughout this page are the individual due dates for each step of the process. It is your responsibility to get the assigned work to me for each due date.
Even if you do not have class on the due date, or you are away that day, it is your responsibility to get your work in. It does not become my responsibility to chase you for it, just because you didn't happen to see me on the day it was due.
You are expected to work both in and outside of class time, to ensure that your work is completed and that you are able to submit the due work to me on or before the due dates you have been given.
If you do not do your work by the due date, you will get no marks for this section of the assignment, but you will still need to submit it in order to be able to pass the assignment overall.
This is your chance to really hone your skills and try new things before you go into VCE Media, so it's the perfect opportunity to do something you haven't done before. If you've done film before, maybe don't do film this time around, or if you DO want to do film, make it a specific focus that will challenge you to develop your skills further using special effects programs such as After Effects, or developing your use of sound, lighting and camera skills to produce a polished piece of work.
There's no value in just doing the same sort of thing you've done before, because you're not challenging yourself to get better. You're much better off for this unit to challenge yourself to try something you have no idea how to do, research and develop your skills, watch tutorials and try and do something that is hard and maybe a bit overwhelming.
It's a much better option to try and do something that's really challenging, rather than just coasting through something you already know how to do. If you try something hard that you don't know how to do, but you don't quite pull it off in the end, at least you've pushed yourself and you'll learn from it going into Year 11. Whereas, if you just do something you already know how to do, you might complete it OK, but you won't have learnt much when you come out the other end, so you won't have gotten much out of it.
TL;DR - Push yourself with this unit. Try something new. Focus on developing your skills and creating a finished product that looks polished and professional. Don't take the easy option.
IMPORTANT: Throughout this page are the individual due dates for each step of the process. It is your responsibility to get the assigned work to me for each due date.
Even if you do not have class on the due date, or you are away that day, it is your responsibility to get your work in. It does not become my responsibility to chase you for it, just because you didn't happen to see me on the day it was due.
You are expected to work both in and outside of class time, to ensure that your work is completed and that you are able to submit the due work to me on or before the due dates you have been given.
If you do not do your work by the due date, you will get no marks for this section of the assignment, but you will still need to submit it in order to be able to pass the assignment overall.
The Breakdown
There are very few limitations to this product. Most of the choices you make are entirely up to your creativity. The only real limitations you have is how much of a product you can, or must, product, depending on which form you choose. These are below:
Film: must be between 2 and 10 minutes
Photography: must be a minimum of 10 photos
Print (newspaper, magazine, brochure, zine, graphic novel, comic book, movie posters, etc.): must be a minimum of 8 pages
Animation: must be between 30 seconds and 10 minutes
Game: use the above times and requirements as a guide
Convergence: a unique product that combines elements of some of the above
Of course, the other main limitation for this product, which isn't really a limitation at all, is that, of course, all of the content in your product must be your own. If you choose to do a magazine, all of the articles must be written by you and all of the photos must be taken by you. If you choose to do photography, you can't just tweak photos off the internet. All of the photos have to be taken by you. With film, you have to be the writer, director and editor, but if you want to be in your own film, it's OK to get somebody else to be the cameraperson.
Film: must be between 2 and 10 minutes
Photography: must be a minimum of 10 photos
Print (newspaper, magazine, brochure, zine, graphic novel, comic book, movie posters, etc.): must be a minimum of 8 pages
Animation: must be between 30 seconds and 10 minutes
Game: use the above times and requirements as a guide
Convergence: a unique product that combines elements of some of the above
Of course, the other main limitation for this product, which isn't really a limitation at all, is that, of course, all of the content in your product must be your own. If you choose to do a magazine, all of the articles must be written by you and all of the photos must be taken by you. If you choose to do photography, you can't just tweak photos off the internet. All of the photos have to be taken by you. With film, you have to be the writer, director and editor, but if you want to be in your own film, it's OK to get somebody else to be the cameraperson.
Research & Production Planner - Week 7, Term 3
LEARNING INTENTIONS FOR THIS WEEK: Develop your practical skills. Complete, rather than just watch, tutorials that will teach you a new practical skill. Complete mini-practical tasks for techniques and skills for things you’ve never done before.
WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS WEEK: Three pages of Research with screen shots as evidence that you've completed online tutorials.
Your research consists of completing tutorials (not just watching them), that will assist in making a sophisticated product. Your goal this week ins't just to complete tutorials, but to develop your skills: put yourself in a better position to complete a high quality product when you are ready to make it.
The tutorials you choose and the skills you develop should be chosen wisely to assist you in the development of your own expertise. If you plan on making a film, or taking photos, but you don't have much experience using a DSLR camera, watch a demonstration video that explains all the settings and what all the things, such as ISO, aperture, shutter speed, etc., actually mean. Then put those skills into practice by filming/photographing a short sequence to practice what you've learnt. Write a little summary for your research page of what you learned.
You may want to make a print product when you create your major, such as a magazine, newspaper, calendar, etc. Part of your research might be to investigate the best program to use for setting out print layouts and designing pages. You might then work through some tutorials to learn that program (HINT: it shouldn't be Word. Programs like Adobe Indesign are closer to what's acceptable in the industry and the program is already installed on the Macs in the Media Room).
You get the idea anyway. This week is about researching what it is you need to make the best product and then figuring out how to use what you need to come away with a better set of skills at the end of the week. You need to include in your submission, evidence of you actually completing the tutorials, e.g. a photo that you've taken and then effected in Photoshop following a tutorial, a clip that you've filmed and then colour graded, a scene you've created using After Effects special effects, etc.
The tutorials you choose and the skills you develop should be chosen wisely to assist you in the development of your own expertise. If you plan on making a film, or taking photos, but you don't have much experience using a DSLR camera, watch a demonstration video that explains all the settings and what all the things, such as ISO, aperture, shutter speed, etc., actually mean. Then put those skills into practice by filming/photographing a short sequence to practice what you've learnt. Write a little summary for your research page of what you learned.
You may want to make a print product when you create your major, such as a magazine, newspaper, calendar, etc. Part of your research might be to investigate the best program to use for setting out print layouts and designing pages. You might then work through some tutorials to learn that program (HINT: it shouldn't be Word. Programs like Adobe Indesign are closer to what's acceptable in the industry and the program is already installed on the Macs in the Media Room).
You get the idea anyway. This week is about researching what it is you need to make the best product and then figuring out how to use what you need to come away with a better set of skills at the end of the week. You need to include in your submission, evidence of you actually completing the tutorials, e.g. a photo that you've taken and then effected in Photoshop following a tutorial, a clip that you've filmed and then colour graded, a scene you've created using After Effects special effects, etc.
Your Production Calendar/Planner is a week-by-week calendar/planner breaking down when you're going to complete every step of the planning and production for your Major Product. If you're making a film, it shouldn't just say "Filming" and then an arrow for two weeks. You need to have planned and organised specific dates of when you're going to film, where you're going to do it and what gear you'll need.
This is the same for photography and print. If you're doing print, such as a magazine, you should have set up interviews with people that are going to be in your magazine and you should have organised specific dates of when this is going to happen.
This is the same for photography and print. If you're doing print, such as a magazine, you should have set up interviews with people that are going to be in your magazine and you should have organised specific dates of when this is going to happen.
Due Date #1: Two Research Pages & Week by Week Production Calendar with all planning & production milestones -
Friday, 30th August (Week 7, Term 3)
Weighting - 20%
Planning - Week 8, Term 3
LEARNING INTENTIONS FOR THIS WEEK: Understand product planning. Understand the reason for planning and what goes into it. Understand how to plan effectively.
WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS WEEK: Your script and storyboards if you're doing film. Your mock-ups and outline of content if you're doing photography. Your articles, mock-ups of photos and page layout design if you're doing print.
Film
If you’re making a film for your major, the two major parts you need to plan this week are the script and the storyboard.
Your script is everything that happens in your film. It’s not just dialogue. Students often say, “We’ll there’s not going to be much talking in my film, so I don’t need a script,” but this isn’t the case. The way I describe it is: imagine that your film is finished and being projected up on a wall in front of you. Your script should describe everything that we’re seeing and hearing. If a character walks across a room, stops, smiles to himself and then picks up a phone then that’s exactly what your script should say. If two characters have an argument, your script shouldn’t say, “They have an argument”, but should say the actual words that they say in the argument. Your script should be detailed, precise and comprehensive enough that somebody else should be able to take your finished script and make your film and it should still turn out pretty similar to how you imagined.
Your storyboards are essentially a visual representation of your script and therefore your film. You don’t have to draw your storyboards you can take photos with a stand in if you don’t have your actual actor yet. Taking photos is much quicker than drawing, but if you’re good at drawing this can add a really impressive element to your planning.
The main point of storyboards is for you to think about the shots you’re going to be taking. You need to be thinking about the angles you’re going to film from, the levels (the camera is up high or down low), how close to your subject the camera will be (close up, midshot, etc.). By thinking about these shots and how best to shoot your film and then putting these ideas down in the form of your storyboards your actual filming should go smoother and you should have a more visually appealing film.
Your script needs to be formatted in the accepted format as set out by Screen Australia, including the correct font and font size. A sample script from Screen Australia showing this is here: Suggested Script Format
Sample scripts, to give you an idea of content, from actual films can be seen below:
Your script is everything that happens in your film. It’s not just dialogue. Students often say, “We’ll there’s not going to be much talking in my film, so I don’t need a script,” but this isn’t the case. The way I describe it is: imagine that your film is finished and being projected up on a wall in front of you. Your script should describe everything that we’re seeing and hearing. If a character walks across a room, stops, smiles to himself and then picks up a phone then that’s exactly what your script should say. If two characters have an argument, your script shouldn’t say, “They have an argument”, but should say the actual words that they say in the argument. Your script should be detailed, precise and comprehensive enough that somebody else should be able to take your finished script and make your film and it should still turn out pretty similar to how you imagined.
Your storyboards are essentially a visual representation of your script and therefore your film. You don’t have to draw your storyboards you can take photos with a stand in if you don’t have your actual actor yet. Taking photos is much quicker than drawing, but if you’re good at drawing this can add a really impressive element to your planning.
The main point of storyboards is for you to think about the shots you’re going to be taking. You need to be thinking about the angles you’re going to film from, the levels (the camera is up high or down low), how close to your subject the camera will be (close up, midshot, etc.). By thinking about these shots and how best to shoot your film and then putting these ideas down in the form of your storyboards your actual filming should go smoother and you should have a more visually appealing film.
Your script needs to be formatted in the accepted format as set out by Screen Australia, including the correct font and font size. A sample script from Screen Australia showing this is here: Suggested Script Format
Sample scripts, to give you an idea of content, from actual films can be seen below:
Photography
The two main things you need to do for your planning for photography are mock-ups and your outline of content. Your mock-ups are sketches of how your finished photos will be with annotations as to what each aspect of each photo will be and why it’s there. Your mock-ups MUST be drawn and can’t be photographed, so take care with them. They should be as detailed as possible and must be completed, like all planning, before you start creating your product.
Photography isn’t about just wandering around with a camera and hoping for the best. You need to have a careful and detailed plan before you start taking your photos so that they turn out how you imagined and turn out as well as they can and this starts with carefully sketched mock-ups. Here are some examples of mock-ups, sketches and annotations and how the finished product turned out:
Photography isn’t about just wandering around with a camera and hoping for the best. You need to have a careful and detailed plan before you start taking your photos so that they turn out how you imagined and turn out as well as they can and this starts with carefully sketched mock-ups. Here are some examples of mock-ups, sketches and annotations and how the finished product turned out:
An outline of content is, like a script for a film, a description of everything we’re going to see in each photo as well as a justification for why each photo will be like it is.
An example:
According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Utah Valley University and Humboldt University Berlin, a mindless scroll through Instagram, can be so damaging to one’s sense of self. Studies conducted on the negative effects of Facebook showed that users were likely to develop feelings of depression, loneliness, resentment and a lowered self-esteem.
My Photo Series aims to raise awareness of the obsession individuals have in portraying a false, glamorous life. Facebook and Instagram are linked to the pleasure-loathing phenomenon that accompanies stalking photos of others' seemingly superior lives, and sharing your own photos as a way to project an envy-inspiring social media persona. When individuals come across each other’s live’s that fit within perfectly filtered squares, we all inevitably indulge in harmful self assessment that keeps one thinking that “the grass is really greener on the other side.” In summary, everyone else’s lives are more fulfilling and pleasurable than our own.
The first image in my series of photos, captures a bird’s eye view of a beautiful table setting. Two plates will be on either side of the table, positioned in line of each other. The model’s face will not be revealed, and the audience will only be able to see her hands, covered in diamond encrusted gloves. The table will be set attractively, with silver cutlery, a crème table cloth, two gold plates and two red candles. There will also be two small vases containing peach and pearl roses, also positioned in line of each other. Each plate will contain a hamburger from McDonald’s. This scene ostensibly captures a romantic atmosphere involving a ‘couple’ who supposedly are deeply in love. However, my chosen model will be reaching over to the burger, opposite to where she sits, and here no one will be seated. This image will capture the need for love. By the model not having this reality, the image underlines a false depiction of love. So many people on Instagram manipulate their images to capture a perfect and ideal relationship. This persona people portray, inflicts pressure on the viewers and ignites how important it is to have a partner. As a result the model is fooling herself about being in love.
The above is an outline of content with an introductory paragraph about what their photos will represent and then a detailed description of what the first photo will be. This student then repeated this level of detail for each photo. This student’s outline of content was 1500 words in total. A photography task and its planning should be just as meticulously planned and take just as much time as film task if it’s done well. This is how the final photo being planned above in the outline of content turned out:
An example:
According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Utah Valley University and Humboldt University Berlin, a mindless scroll through Instagram, can be so damaging to one’s sense of self. Studies conducted on the negative effects of Facebook showed that users were likely to develop feelings of depression, loneliness, resentment and a lowered self-esteem.
My Photo Series aims to raise awareness of the obsession individuals have in portraying a false, glamorous life. Facebook and Instagram are linked to the pleasure-loathing phenomenon that accompanies stalking photos of others' seemingly superior lives, and sharing your own photos as a way to project an envy-inspiring social media persona. When individuals come across each other’s live’s that fit within perfectly filtered squares, we all inevitably indulge in harmful self assessment that keeps one thinking that “the grass is really greener on the other side.” In summary, everyone else’s lives are more fulfilling and pleasurable than our own.
The first image in my series of photos, captures a bird’s eye view of a beautiful table setting. Two plates will be on either side of the table, positioned in line of each other. The model’s face will not be revealed, and the audience will only be able to see her hands, covered in diamond encrusted gloves. The table will be set attractively, with silver cutlery, a crème table cloth, two gold plates and two red candles. There will also be two small vases containing peach and pearl roses, also positioned in line of each other. Each plate will contain a hamburger from McDonald’s. This scene ostensibly captures a romantic atmosphere involving a ‘couple’ who supposedly are deeply in love. However, my chosen model will be reaching over to the burger, opposite to where she sits, and here no one will be seated. This image will capture the need for love. By the model not having this reality, the image underlines a false depiction of love. So many people on Instagram manipulate their images to capture a perfect and ideal relationship. This persona people portray, inflicts pressure on the viewers and ignites how important it is to have a partner. As a result the model is fooling herself about being in love.
The above is an outline of content with an introductory paragraph about what their photos will represent and then a detailed description of what the first photo will be. This student then repeated this level of detail for each photo. This student’s outline of content was 1500 words in total. A photography task and its planning should be just as meticulously planned and take just as much time as film task if it’s done well. This is how the final photo being planned above in the outline of content turned out:
You can see it turned out a little different from what was planned, which is fine, but predominantly the planning is pretty close to the finished product.
Due Date #2: All planning for your major product - Friday, 6th September (Week 8, Term 3)- Weighting - 20%
Your planning must include:
Film/Animation: script, storyboards, shot list
Photography: statement of intention, outline of content, mock-ups.
Print: statement intention, outline of content, mock-ups,
Game: script, storyboards, level sketches, character sketches, flowchart
Film/Animation: script, storyboards, shot list
Photography: statement of intention, outline of content, mock-ups.
Print: statement intention, outline of content, mock-ups,
Game: script, storyboards, level sketches, character sketches, flowchart