GCSE Media Studies Unit 4: Responding to a Media Brief Controlled Assessment Sample Brief: Social Networking Sites and Personal Security
General Certificate of Secondary Education Sample Brief For immediate release to candidates for GCSE Media Studies (Double Award) Unit 4 Responding to a Media Brief All teacher-assessed marks to be returned to AQA by 07 May Controlled Assessment Topic: Social Networking Sites and Personal Security BRIEF AND GUIDANCE TO CANDIDATES In this unit you are expected to work on the set brief which is given on page two of this document. You should read it carefully and discuss it with your teacher before you start work. The flowchart on page three of this document and the guidance which accompanies it is intended to assist you in meeting the demands of the brief. Copyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 1
GCSE MEDIA STUDIES (DOUBLE AWARD) Unit 4 Responding to a Media Brief Millions of people use social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo. These sites have revolutionized the way in which information, including videos, photographs and music, can be circulated and shared. However, research suggests that many people have never read the privacy policies of social networking sites and do not understand how they can manage and protect their personal information. This lack of awareness has made people vulnerable to identity theft, bullying and sexual and financial exploitation. As a media student with knowledge of social networking sites, you have been asked to contribute to a government initiative to publicise the need for people to be more aware of security while online. You need to research the issues surrounding social networking sites and develop your own ideas for a media campaign that highlights the do s and don ts and promotes safe social networking. You will need to plan and produce an integrated campaign using two of the following media forms: Print and Electronic Publishing Moving Image (Film, Television, Video) Radio Web-based Technologies/New Media Your teacher is fully committed to this initiative and will set you a strict deadline which you must observe. How you will be assessed: You need to produce the following: (1) A Portfolio of your Research and Planning, and a Presentation, which will include: your research into the issue of security and social networking research and pre-production materials detailing information about the content of the campaign, its target audience and how the production work will be organised and scheduled one idea and treatment for each of the two media forms you choose to work in a presentation of your ideas to the client prior to production to gather feedback detailed pre-production work for each of the two linked media products that form your campaign. (2) A campaign that consists of two linked media products (eg a promotional video and a website, or a radio advert and a poster). (3) An Evaluation which will consider the success of your campaign and your own role in the production process. This review and evaluation should be approximately 500 words (or equivalent) in total. 2 Copyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
You may, if you wish, work as part of a group of up to four members to complete your planning and production. You will, however, be assessed on your individual contribution, so you must record the contribution you personally make to the final outcome. The Portfolio and Evaluation must be individually produced, even if you are a member of a production group. Copyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 3
Candidate Guidance Research and investigation into the issue given in the brief. Decisions about target audience and suitable content for the campaign eg its purpose, overall ideas/themes, slogans. Media Form 1 eg Radio. Media Form 2 eg Print. Ideas and Treatment. Integrated campaign ideas. Ideas and Treatment. Presentation of treatments to client. Pre-production work for Media Form 1. Further development of ideas. Pre-production work for Media Form 2. Integrated Production (eg a campaign that combines radio and TV products). Presentation of products to an audience. Evaluation. 4 Copyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
This flowchart shows you an example of how you could approach your integrated production What you need to do You will work with two different media forms from the following main headings: Print and Electronic Publishing Moving Image (Film, Television, Video) Radio Web-based Technologies/New Media. In your response to the brief you will: carry out research (primary and secondary) into the issue(s) contained in the brief in order to identify appropriate content for your response decide on the appropriate target audience (or audiences) for your campaign and carry out some research into the media products that appeal to them so that you understand how to attract their attention put together suitable ideas for your response to the brief using tools such as mind maps, brainstorms and flow diagrams decide which of these ideas are most appropriate to your target audience and which elements can be used across the integrated campaign write a treatment for each of the two media forms you choose to work within. The treatments you create will need to be credible, workable and drawn up with a clear audience in mind in a presentation to your client explain the reasons for your choice, providing detailed and realistic assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of your treatments within a media context develop detailed pre-production work for the two ideas, selecting the most appropriate tools for your chosen media. Depending on the media chosen, these could include storyboards, net plans, dummies, mock-ups and shooting scripts practise a range of different skills in your two chosen media, with an emphasis on selecting a variety of appropriate production techniques to add interest and reward audience expectation create two products in two different media forms, bringing the products to a high level of realisation suitable for exhibition to an audience as a linked campaign present your work to an audience, using this as an opportunity to gather feedback. offer an evaluation of your integrated production. This will include: Copyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 5
- your response to audience comments, providing a critical response to feedback including potential for modification or fine-tuning where applicable - a critical account of your role in the production process showing what you have learnt about the working practices of the media industries - your assessment of the success of your products in meeting the demands of the brief and the needs of the target audience. Where appropriate, you will learn to work effectively as part of a team, demonstrating the skills necessary for group work, such as co-operation, consultation, delegation and shared responsibility. How you will be assessed In this unit candidates are required to: AO3 Demonstrate research, planning and presentation skills. (15%) AO4 Construct and evaluate their own products using creative and technical skills. (15%) The work you produce will be marked out of a total of 90. Your marks will count as 30% of the Double Award. You may work on the brief either on your own or in a group of no more than four people. Where you work in a group, you will be assessed on your individual contribution. You will be assessed using the assessment criteria for Unit 4 in the specification. 6 Copyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.