Weekly plan for the Main Task (AS Foundation Portfolio) - Term 2

Week 1

• Brainstorm your initial ideas.  Here are some typical film narratives: http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/ideas-for-film-narratives.html
• Create a pitch http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/how-to-write-pitch.html
• Get feedback on your pitch and upload the video to your blog.  Create an action plan of how you will use the feedback to improve your idea.
• Independent reading: http://petesmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/film-openings-event-at-nft.html and http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/how-to-create-good-film-opening.html

Week 2

• Class analysis of a film opening.
• Study the film opening analyses on artofthetitle.com  
• Create your own 9 frame analysis of an opening from a similar film to the one you are intending to make (Evaluation Q1 - conventions).  Your analysis should show the forms and conventions of: the titles (including style, typefaces, positioning, timing, how they appear and what they say), setting and locations, costumes and props, camerawork, the 'setup' of the story, the creation of genre, how characters are introduced, editing and effects, music, sound and dialogue.  You should use each frame to write about a different aspect of the opening; e.g. one frame could be about the title of the film and the next frame could be about how genre is created.
• Analyse the titles of your similar film in detail http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/analysing-title-sequence-film-opening.html   http://vimeo.com/60964497
• Independent study (Evaluation Q3 - institutions): What kind of media institution might distribute your film and why?  First of all you need to understand what distribution is; this post will help you: http://howardschoolfilm.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/what-is-film-distibutor-fm2.html
  Next, you need to find out who distributed your similar films (if your film is similar then maybe they would distribute your film too).  If your film is a UK one then here is a list of UK distributors: http://howardschoolfilm.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/fm2-uk-film-distributors.html
  You should also research the other institutions involved with films: e.g production companies, financiers and funding sources such as The National Lottery.  Use wikipedia and IMDB to find out the institutions involved with your similar film(s) and what role they had.  Upload your research to the blog.

Week 3

• Take photographs for a photographic 'animatic' storyboard and edit them together with sound and music http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/animatics.html  You could do a second edit of the animatic with a voiceover describing your ideas (camerawork, editing, mise-en-scene and sound).
• Get feedback on your animatic and upload to the blog with your thoughts on how you will improve your idea.
• Create a shot list (a written shot-by-shot plan of your opening) and a shot schedule (a similar plan but in the order you intend to shoot the opening): http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/shot-list-example.html  http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/shooting-schedule-example.html  Typically these will include information such as: date, shot, scene, int./ext., location, characters, props and description.
• Write a script in the correct format  http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Script  http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/how-to-write-film-script.html  You can use a program such as Celtx to do it all for you:  http://download.cnet.com/Celtx/3000-13631_4-10850080.html  Here is a guide to using it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX06J2cG9eo
• Create an equipment list of all the hardware and software you will be using.  Here is a professional example http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/example-of-equipment-list.html
• Take location shots of your planned filming locations; upload to the blog with information about why they have been chosen and which scenes they will be used in.
• Create a call sheet showing which actors are required for each shooting scene and on what day and time http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/example-of-call-sheet.html  You should also state what costumes, props and make-up are required.
• Create a budget for your film listing all likely costs including travel, food, props, equipment etc.
• Create a risk assessment if you have any potential hazards http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/example-of-risk-assessment.html
• Find copyright free music (if required) http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/copyright-free-music-as-a2.html
• Find (or make) sound effects (if required).
• Independent work (Evaluation Q4 - audience): Create questions for a focus group (based on your ideas and similar films - you can show extracts) and a profile for a typical audience member for your film http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/audience-research-some-ideas.html

Week 4

• Ask the class (focus group) your questions and upload the video to the blog with actions based on the feedback.
• Filming
• Independent work: complete question 2 of the evaluation (social groups) http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/evaluating-your-as-coursework-to-be.html

Week 5

• Filming /editing
• Independent work: complete /improve questions 1-4 of the evaluation http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/evaluating-your-as-coursework-to-be.html

Week 6

• Filming /editing
• Independent work: complete question 6 of the evaluation (technology) http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/evaluating-your-as-coursework-to-be.html

Week 7

• Show films and get feedback.  Re-edit.
• Independent work: Do a 9 frame artofthetitle style analysis of your own film opening (Evaluation Q1) http://howardschoolmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/evaluating-your-as-coursework-to-be.html
• Independent work: complete question 7 of the evaluation (skills progress).  This question can be completed over Christmas if necessary.