Unit 5: Ideas generation for media products (LEVEL 3) Learning outcomes By completing this unit, candidates will be able to understand how professional media producers come up with new ideas. They will realise the importance and scale of research and development in the initial stages and that from the start producers have to take feasibility, including legal and ethical constraints into consideration. Candidates will be able to recognise how the mediation process affects all media products and contributes to their final success or failure. They will be able to research, produce, present and evaluate their own ideas in line with working practices within their chosen pathway. Finally they will be able to amend or improve their ideas based on objective feedback rather than subjective personal opinion. Assessment objectives 1 Investigate ideas generation in professional media products and record your findings Knowledge, understanding and skills Two contrasting media products chosen from one pathway Pathways: eg radio television print and electronic products film electronic games journalism Products: eg news stories magazine articles computer game television soap radio quiz show films adverts Contrasting in terms of purpose: to entertain inform educate persuade for escapism Ideas for: content treatment to meet needs of target audience/listeners/readers/consumers (continued overleaf) OCR Level 3 Nationals in Media 1
Assessment objectives 1 Cont Investigate ideas generation in professional media products and record your findings 2 Evaluate the mediation process in the success or failure of media products 3 Research, produce and develop ideas for a new media product Knowledge, understanding and skills Ideas for content: sources of ideas for fictional products: eg real events, social issues, sequels, plays, spin-offs from other media products such as television programmes, radio programmes, books, comics, films, fashion trends, art movements sources for ideas for non-fictional products: eg emergency services, local and national government reports, general public, trends in fashion, social issues, manufacturer s product information reasons for developing ideas: eg seasonal, topical, fresh look at old idea/news feature, shock, aesthetics, appeal to mass audience, financial cheapness, public demand, flavour of the month, demand for a sequel, vehicle for a star, similarities to/differences from existing media products, is suitable for spawning merchandising, eg children s toys Ideas for treatment: use of structure: eg meets audience expectation by following conventions, attracts audience by novel structure, makes changes if based on another media product such as adapting the storyline for a film, alters location or period, makes changes to characters Aesthetics: eg changes in style to suit current fashions, use of stars/celebrities or unknowns, influence of movements in art, music or photography, influence of western/non-western cultural values Evaluate two media products chosen from one pathway Evaluate: extent of mediation: eg financial constraints, censorship, globalisation, legal and ethical issues such as shocking pictures in news, editorial decisions, director s cuts, competition with other products such as more important breaking news, release of similar films success or failure: eg financial, popularity with audiences/listeners/readers/consumers, critical reviews, becomes a cult product Two contrasting ideas produced for one media product Research: existing media products current trends in fashion art and music Produce ideas for: content treatment Indicate approximate scale of: resources (financial, human, materials and equipment, time) legal and ethical constraints (continued overleaf) 2 OCR Level 3 Nationals in Media
Assessment objectives 3 Cont. Research, produce and develop ideas for a new media product 4 Evaluate ideas for a new media product Knowledge, understanding and skills Develop: produce storyboards sample scripts mock-ups photographs style/mood boards synopses as appropriate for chosen product Present and justify initial ideas: to a target audience/focus group, producer or commissioning editor as appropriate for the chosen product Evaluate: appeal of content and treatment to the target audiences/listeners/readers/consumers feasibility in terms of: resources (financial, human, materials and equipment, time), legal and ethical constraints consider feedback from presentation of ideas to a target audience/focus group, producer or commissioning editor suggest amendments and improvements Assessment This unit is centre-assessed and externally moderated. In order to achieve this unit, candidates must collate a portfolio of evidence showing that they can meet all the assessment objectives. Portfolios of work must be produced independently. They will need to be made available, together with witness statements and any other necessary supporting documentation, to the OCR Visiting Moderator when required. Guidance on assessment and evidence In studying this unit, candidates will come to realise that ideas are not plucked out of thin air but can come from a variety of sources that may seem mundane. Only later will these ideas be creatively changed or developed to make a successful and original media product. The importance of these initial stages cannot be exaggerated. The initial conceptual stages of producing a blockbuster film can take years to achieve, book rights have to be purchased, finance gathered, scriptwriters and casting agencies have to be aware of the style of the production. But even an advert lasting under 30 seconds can take a year to prepare. Ideas are rigorously tested through the use of focus groups. For Assessment Objectives 1 and 2, it may help candidates following a specialist pathway to choose products from that pathway. Evidence should take the form of two case studies. Evidence could be presented either as a written report or as a verbal presentation. Visits and visiting speakers, eg journalists, advertising copywriters or video producers can give upto-date information on how ideas are conceived and affected by a range of factors such as time, competition, cost of production, etc. For Assessment Objective 1, although candidates only have to provide evidence related to two media products, they should be encouraged to have an overview of a range of media products in order to gain an appreciation of how they interact. For instance, during the last century there were many newspaper and magazine articles written about the Holocaust. Later a book was written OCR Level 3 Nationals in Media 3
about the Holocaust called Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally. This book then formed the basis of the film Schindler s List. This film was then reviewed in newspapers and discussed in a wide variety of magazine articles. The character Bob the Builder can be found on television programmes, as a short film on video, in pre-school children s magazines, as a music CD and as a game on the CBeebies website. Ideas for media products usually come from a range of sources. A computer game may be based on a cartoon character but its design elements may be based on an entire art movement and its music from a particular period. For Assessment Objective 2, candidates should gain an understanding of how much a media product is affected by external considerations. This mediation process affects all media products. For example a disaster occurs on the other side of the world. The initial idea is to report the story as fully and accurately as possible. However, this news story may have to be translated and sent to an agency. A Western reporter will perhaps choose a human interest angle rather than factual information on the cause of the disaster. The editor shortens the piece and alters words to make it fit the ideology and style of the newspaper. The story is then tucked away on an inside page because there is another story breaking that is more important. A film can undergo similar translations. The book on which it is based may be too long so characters are cut out, the ending is changed from sad to happy to please a mainstream audience. The costumes and locations are updated to give it a contemporary feel. The film s backers want the film to reach a large audience so some scenes containing violence are cut so that the BBFC can give the film a PG rating. Candidates should be encouraged to evaluate the success or failure of a media product through accessing official statistics such as BARB, RAJAR or ABC. They should compare the popular response of the public with the opinions found in critical reviews. For Assessment Objective 3, candidates should create an ideas file. This could later contain ideas for other products they will make in other units. The ideas could be for a small product such as a news story or a large scale product such as a television programme. It is not necessary for the candidates to make the products. The file should include research details and describe content and treatment. Candidates are not expected to make a detailed list of resources. Estimates of time, money or personnel should reflect the scale of the project. These estimates could be based on figures they have found when researching similar media products. Detailed breakdown of costs or personnel are not necessary. The development and presentation of ideas should reflect the working practices of the chosen pathway. For a magazine article, a journalist will present their idea to a commissioning editor. It will include a suggested title, number of words, synopses of content, sample paragraph and suggestions for illustrations. A games designer may present their ideas to a focus group and included sketches of characters, a storyboard, and explanations of the game plan. The presentation should be verbal and supported by either video/audio tapes or a tutor witness statement. For Assessment Objective 4 the evaluation could take the form of a written report or a verbal report supported by taped evidence or a tutor witness statement. The tutor may take the role of client, commissioning editor or producer as appropriate to the pathway. A focus group should reflect the target audience/consumer at which the product idea is aimed rather than consist of members of the candidate s peer group. 4 OCR Level 3 Nationals in Media
Signposting to Key Skills 4 The unit contains opportunities for developing the Key Skill, and possibly for generating portfolio evidence, if teaching and learning is focused on that aim. Key Skill reference Key Skill reference Key Skill reference C3.1a 4 N3.1 IT3.1 4 C3.1b 4 N3.2a IT3.2 4 C3.2 4 N3.2b IT3.3 C3.3 4 N3.2c N3.2d N3.3 Mapping to National Occupational Standards Occupational Standards Arts Department Animation/Graphics (General) for Skillset Unit Number DMI10 Title Research requirements based on the design brief. Resources This section provides suggestions of suitable resources. The list is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive, and candidates should be encouraged to gather information form a variety of sources. Some suggested resources are intended for tutor use. The resources in this section were current at the time of print. For the most up-to-date list of resources please refer to our website: www.ocr.org.uk Publications Fiske, John. (1990) Introduction to Communication Studies: 2nd ed Routledge Franklin, B & Murphy, D. (Ed.) Making the Local News (1998) Routledge Hagen, Ingunn & Wasko, J. Consuming Audiences? (2000) Hampton Press Harries, Dan. (Ed.) (2002) Lacey, Nick. (2000) The New Media Book British Film Institute Narrative and Genre St Martin s Press Seymour, D & Seymour, E. A Century of News - (Ed.) (2000) A Journey Through History with the Daily Mirror Contender Books OCR Level 3 Nationals in Media 5
Websites Teachers will find the websites for many organisations, eg BBC, OFFCOM, BECTU useful for finding up-to-date information. Advertising Standards Authority. URL:http://www.asa.org.uk British Board of Film Classification. URL:http://www.bbfc.co.uk Channel Four. URL:http://www.channel4.com Guardian Newspaper. URL:http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk National Museum of Photography, Film and Television. URL:http://www.nmpft.org.uk 6 OCR Level 3 Nationals in Media
Grading Assessment Objective AO1 Investigate ideas generation in professional media products and record your findings Pass Merit Distinction Candidates provide two short case studies of contrasting media products. They identify the sources of ideas and give a simplistic description of content and treatment. They show a limited understanding of the reasons why these ideas were developed. Candidates provide two detailed case studies of contrasting media products. They describe the sources of ideas and the content and treatment using examples. They will show a sound understanding of the reasons why these ideas were developed. Candidates provide two detailed case studies of recently produced, contrasting media products. They describe and evaluate the sources of ideas. They give a comprehensive description of content and treatment using examples and relating this information to the original idea. They show a thorough understanding of a range of reasons why these ideas were developed. AO2 Evaluate the mediation process in the success or failure of media products Candidates suggest a limited number of ways in which the media products were mediated and do not recognise the full extent of the mediation process. They provide general statements relating to the success or failure of the products based on personal opinion. Candidates describe a number of ways in which the media products were mediated and show some recognition of the extent of mediation. Their statements relating to the success or failure of the products are based on research and they may give statistics or provide reviews. Candidates describe, giving specific examples, a number of ways in which the media products were mediated and show a thorough understanding of the mediation process. Their statements relating to the success or failure of the products are based on comprehensive research and they give statistics and provide reviews. AO3 Research, produce and develop ideas for a new media product Candidates carry out limited research for two new ideas. They give a brief description of a few aspects of content and treatment. They make basic, possibly unrealistic estimates of one type of resource. They show a limited understanding of potential legal or ethical constraints. Their ideas may not be clearly fit for purpose. Their ideas are presented in a basic fashion Candidates carry out primary and secondary research for two new ideas. They give a brief but clear description of most aspects of content and treatment. They make rough estimates of the resources needed. They describe potential legal and ethical constraints. Their ideas are clearly fit for purpose. Their ideas are effectively presented, using eg storyboards, or Candidates carry out extensive primary and secondary research for two new ideas. They give a clear and detailed description of content and treatment. They make realistic estimates of the resources that clearly match with the scale of their product. They describe potential legal and ethical constraints, citing examples. Their ideas are clearly fit for purpose OCR Level 3 Nationals in Media 7
and they make general statements justifying their ideas. sample scripts/synopses and they make sound statements justifying their ideas. and original. Their ideas are effectively and attractively presented, using eg storyboards, or sample scripts/synopses and they are able to convincingly justify their ideas. AO4 Evaluate ideas for a new media product Candidates make basic statements about the quality of their ideas with little reference to audience/consumers. They show a basic understanding of the feasibility of the ideas. Their evaluation is based on personal opinion rather than feedback. They make limited suggestions on how to amend or improve their ideas. Candidates make a range of statements about the quality of their ideas with some reference to audience/consumers. They show a sound understanding of the feasibility of the ideas. Their evaluation is based on personal opinion and some feedback. They briefly describe how to amend or improve their ideas. Candidates make a comprehensive range of statements about the quality of their ideas with clear references to audience/consumers. They can explain effectively what makes their ideas feasible. Their evaluation expresses their personal opinion but shows a high level of responsiveness to feedback. They explain a number of ways in which to amend or improve their ideas. 8 OCR Level 3 Nationals in Media