TBC - i'm editing from an AS template...
KEY:
LL = links list
RSS = RSS feed!
OG = other gadget
You should have a top (horizontal) links list, with:
- Group partner/s blogs
- your YouTube
- their YouTube/s
- any group YouTube
- the track
- track lyrics
- why this track (link to blog post)
- pitch
- audience summary
- industry summary
- social media1 [make context, eg as artist or as record label or manager or design agency]
- social media2
- social media3 (if in a group of 3)
- final cut
- digipak
- website
- EvalQ1 Conventions/representations
- EvalQ2 Promo package branding
- EvalQ3 Aud engagement/distribution
- EvalQ4 Technologies
In the right-hand column, your lists/gadgets should have
OG pageviews
OG blog archive
OG followers
OG About me (optional, feel free to remove)
You need to add these links lists/gadgets, + edit each as you blog
LL Eval Qs
Obviously no posts in this until January! Make sure the links are clearly described; DON'T just use Q1, Q2:
- Q1 Conventions/representations
- Q2 Promo package branding
- Q3 Aud engagement/distribution
- Q4 Technologies
LL: Vodcasts (all)
You'll have separate, shorter lists for topics like General Conventions, but this helps highlight the range of your vodcasting.
LL: Key websites I've used
eg Guardian Music, Blabbermouth, VideoStatic, PromoNews, artist Wikis, NME, try this google ... Any further suggestions (great sites for music industry/vid-related research), please pass on as a comment to this post
LL: Blogs I've used
That includes individual past student blogs you've looked at; musividz; prodeval; mediareg; A2 blog
RSS: This only works for some sites; see the 3 examples I've added to MusiVidz, but add whichever you'll find useful - including artist/genre sites or site sections/pages. See this post for instructions/examples.
- Music Guardian (+ possible additional Indie micro-site)
- Video Static
- Promo News
OG our Twitter feed see links at the bottom of this post
OG our Insta feed
These require some HTML tweaks - see the links at the bottom of this post.
LL: Media theories I've tackled
As you encounter theories, you should add individual posts on each, eg THEORY1 auteur. Other examples: Stuart Hall's readings, Proppian archetypes, narrative enigma, binary opposites, Todorov, Butler/queer theory, Baudrillard's simulacrum + postmodernism... Avoid copy/pasting from me or websites; explain in your own words (adding detail with hyperlinked/sourced quotes if you like). Give an example of how YOU would APPLY this (eg detail Proppian archetypes seen in 1 or more music videos), even if you simply copy/paste from 1 of your own posts. This will help hugely with exam prep!
LL: General Conventions research
LL: General Music Videos I've Analysed
General is simply defined as openings explored before research switched to genre examples. Don't just rely on playlists; this immediately shows how wide or narrow your research has been.
LL: YouTube playlists of films I've analysed + other resources
Build playlists as you go, using shared or individual YT channel. These can overlap (1 film in multiple playlists) + would include: Past coursework film openings; General film openings [break this + others down into topics if you wish]; X Genre film openings; Key influences. Other resources might be themed by director/s, SFX, company/ies, age rating; any area you think useful. You'll also embed these eventually into a single post.
LL: Podcasts
These should be posted weekly, with brief textual summary of contents, eg PODCAST1 Introducing the group/idea
LL: Genre Videos I've Analysed
Probably not links to posts, the YT link instead.
Once you've finished this you should add an updated, comprehensive VIDEO: KEY INFLUENCES SUMMARY post/vodcast.
LL: Genre: Additional research
A sense of historical context/knowledge: key bands (eg Pixies), key videos and/or singles/albums, key directors, key record labels (eg Mute, Beggars, 4AD, Creation), impact on pop charts over time. Include key contemporary examples.
LL: Ideas: the evolution
You should have (usually short but ...) clear posts on every idea thats been considered. Once the final idea has been detailed in a post, further changes would be noted in posts entitled IDEA UPDATE1 etc, not just IDEA. That include posts like IDEA UPDATE3 romantic scenes long list or IDEA UPDATE4 final list of domestic vignettes.
LL: Industry research
Some of this is directly linked to genre research, but its worth highlighting your attention to all of CIA. See this post for lots of pointers. You can blog on this theme at any time.
Big themes include:
DISRUPTION/MONETISATION: data + analysis on how digitisation has impacted the music industry. How have labels/bands responded to the decline in direct revenue from recorded music?
STREAMING: be very clear on how YT + Spotify especially have been forces of disruption. Give some idea of possible future directions.
DISTRIBUTION: try the tag for posts like this on Indies + disruption/self-distribution, Vevo, and try this case of Bicep and their blend of labels and self-distribution. This will accelerate your evaluation too.
LL: Initial audience research
There is a top link for audience in which you'll find a simple Word guide on what to research, and lots of posts with the audience tag for secondary research
Primary: audience survey to establish suitability (if the numbers aren't encouraging, respond: what will you do to boost hopes of successfully appealing to this aud?) - familiarity with artist, genre; their ideas of what you'd expect to see in vids of this genre; their initial response to your idea.
Moodboard of male + female aud members.
Secondary: quotes from articles, books etc on that genre's audience or challenges it faces. You'll find for all genres some analysis/discussion of typical age range and gender for example. Address/consider the BBFC issue: age ratings
typical BBFC, MPAA + any other national ratings (its useful to note the huge differences across countries); typical box office to establish appeal (there are outliers like Secrets and Lies, Slumdog Millionaire, Billy Elliot that break the trend);
LL: Pre-production planning docs
This is where marks are often lost - many of these are specifically in the markscheme: script/screenplay; storyboards; shotlists/call sheets; animatic; moodboards; pitch.
LL: Pre-production organisation
Casting, rehearsals; costume, props, make-up; location scouting. Its a good idea to add a post, IDEA: summary of how it evolved, to link here.
LL: Practice exercises
Prelim; Tyrannosaur swede; microdrama if there's time
LL: Production schedule and updates
The pitch should include an early draft plan to get done by Xmas, regularly updated with a SCHEDULE UPDATE1 post whenever required (eg for re-shoot or a shoot is cancelled)
A google calendar (from the combined group account) is a smart tool to use, + screenshot in schedule posts. It could be usefully embedded at the bottom of the blog (not the side) - google to see how (I've blogged on this in mediatechtips too)
LL: Sample scenes, rough cuts, final cut
The sooner you start sample scenes - these would boost any pitch - the better. Never film without blogging - if it looks awful upon review, fine - blog it, explain why, and detail what you'll change to get better results. Such material is important to evidence "THE JOURNEY", a key phrase in the markscheme.
LL: Audience feedback
As much as possible, try to blog some audience feedback on every sample or rough cut, no matter how minimal, + post a clear response to this (which could be disagreeing with sample audience views sometimes). Include within a single post with the footage or split as you prefer. If in a single post, then add + AUDIENCE FEEDBACK to the links list title for sample scenes etc
LL: Shoots
Best to keep a single post for every shoot, in which you post (updating the post as you go): PLANNING (shotlists etc; script updates; location scouting; set dressing/costuming/mise-en-scene plans); RUSHES (a few clips before you've had time to actually edit; any edited behind-the-scenes which evidences set-dressing, production [using call sheets], directing, cinematography setup etc - such material is key for the social media); REFLECTION (how did the shoot go? Anything unplanned added? Re-shoot or follow-up shoot needed? Sound issues to note and tackle in post as Foley sound? Logistical issues with transport, catering, lighting etc?)
LL: Uses of technology
You can set up single posts to add to, and later tidy up, or multiple posts (in which case, multiple links lists). Topics include: Final Cut Pro X, Blogger, online research, sharing documents, group comms + communicating with cast, AV kit, social media, etc
LL: Misc
The brief, assessment criteria etc - anything that doesn't fit in with another links list. If you spot a useful theme, then give it its own links list.
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