Coursework: Summer Project 2023

 

Coursework: Summer Project 2023

The summer project is a vital element of your coursework - an opportunity to plan an outstanding crime drama video/print project and then present it to class in September.

Your summer project contains compulsory and optional elements; everybody will be researching music videos and promos, creating a concept, writing a first draft Statement of Intent and presenting this to class as an Ignite presentation in September. However, you may wish to also plan and film elements of your production over the summer while you have time and actors available - this is up to you.

Summer project tasks

Complete the following tasks on a blogpost on your coursework blog called 'Summer Project: coursework planning': 

1) Research: TV crime drama extract analysis 

You need to write a close-textual analysis of six TV crime drama extracts. For each extract, focus on a different aspect of media language, and embed each one on your blog:

Breaking Bad - editing

Heavy contrast on fast and slow pacing. This gives an adrenaline rush to the audience and also delivers tension. The close-ups create a sense of discomfort and a "sitting on the edge of your seat" feeling. The timing with the cuts such as the explosions is also on point to constantly keep the audience engaged.

Top Boy- The characters are all dressed up to match the typical gang/hood stereotype such as hoodies, jackets and chains. The body language and the way the walk is used to show the dominant and aggressive nature of the drug dealers. The props used were typical weapons like guns and knives as a action code and also fits the crime genre.

Prison Break- Sound

The music used was often creates a suspense and intense atmosphere which is done on purpose to create an emotional bond between the audience and the characters. The sound effects also are all action codes due to them being chases, explosions and fights. This also shows that the target audience might be thrill seekers.

The Shield- Camera

The use of high angle shots in this show are used to reinforce weakness and inferiority. On the other hand, the use of the low angle shots are used to show lots of power and superiority. Close ups are heavily in order to capture the reactions of the characters. Close framing was also done in the crucial scenes during the show.

Peaky Blinders- Narrative and genre

This show was based in post WW1 in Birmingham and uses old fashioned clothes and the way they act in order to fit in the older genre. This show covers family issues within the households while also showing being a crime drama.

Never Have I Ever- Makeup and Props

There is a use of lots of typical Indian clothing and props like Indian food and jewellery in order to fit the culture of the main character Devi. Makeup is used in order to show scars and injuries conducted throughout. 

2) Planning: TV crime drama concept

TV crime drama

In order to produce a successful crime drama extract, you will need to plan out an overall narrative arc for the whole episode or season of your drama. This may include the main characters in your drama and the narrative conflict driving the main protagonist for example. This overall picture of your crime drama will inform both your TV extract and the TV listings magazine feature.

Your three-minute extract

What will your three-minute extract involve? A chase scene? Dialogue? Disequilibrium? It needs to feature the typical codes and conventions of TV crime drama. Look at the minimum requirements of the brief in order to ensure you plan for everything you need.

Complete this TV crime drama extract pitch template to plan these elements (you can copy the questions into your blog or complete on your own Google Doc and link from your blog) to demonstrate you have planned your video production. 

magazine

TV crime drama concept

Our coursework brief requires us to create our own TV drama extract and TV listings magazine for an original crime drama. Plan the following for your video production:

Your new TV drama

Crime drama title: The cruiser

Tagline: The best time to face the pace.

Streaming platform (note brief – streaming service, 12+ audience):Netflix/ ITV

Logline – one sentence that sums up the whole TV drama series and hooks people in (25 words or fewer): Car racing, adrenaline chasing, crime facing, fast pacing, trauma fazing and record setting entertainment which gets you launched into the extreme.

Other successful TV dramas that are similar to yours: Fast and Furious, Top boy, BREAKING BAD

Narrative arc – what happens in the overall series: There

Main protagonist – their motivation, conflicts etc.: Ken Kamel- The typical main character who murders the evil however commits crimes occasionally and drives cars like he has 10 lives and does all the typical badass stunts. He's loaded in cash.

Other characters, their narrative role and their audience appeal:

Bob Job - The stupid sidekick who lacks common sense and often gets himself and the main character in trouble but it is all a facade.

Miss Adams- The love interest/ typical damsel in distress the main characters tries to save.

Target audience for your TV crime drama (note brief – 12+, older youth and adult viewers): age, gender, social class, psycho graphic groups etc.

Target audience would be teenagers/ young adults 15 rated. Due to the violence and blood shown, definitely not for family audiences. Male gender, middle class would be targeted. The psycho graphics may be the aspirer by wanting to be just like Ken and also the succeeder to see himself through Ken.

 

Your extract

When would your extract appear in the drama (e.g. season 1 opening scene, cliff-hanger scene at end of season finale etc.): The opening starts with both the main character and side character in a fast car chase along the marina driving away from the police after stealing millions of dollars in jewellery and do drifts into misleading their direction. The cliff-hanger of that episode would the side character gets held at gun point yet again by doing a stupid act. The final would be the side character betrays the main character kills him and steals all his money. He pretended to be stupid the whole time as manipulation for his true goals.

Setting (note brief – at least two locations): Italy coast side and the London city.

What will happen in your extract (note brief – identifiable narrative features, crime genre codes and conventions etc.): Fighting- action code. Mystery and cliffhangers- enigma code. Criminal activity.

 

3) Statement of Intent

Write the first draft for your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.

My TV crime drama extract will be called "The Cruise" which will appear on Netflix. My 3 minute extract will be the ending scene of the show. Where Ken is shot dead by his close childhood best friend in greed and pure sabotage. 

There will be 2 filming locations including inside of a house and a neighbourhood.

The original AQA brief is here: NEA Student Booklet 2024 submission - brief 1. 

We also strongly recommend you look at our Statement of Intent 2024 questions to consider document too (you'll need to log in with your Greenford Google account to read this).


4) Ignite presentation

Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover: MY MEDIA COURSWORK.pptx

• Your TV crime drama concept: title, tagline, narrative, characters etc.
• Media language: how you will use conventions, camerawork, editing, mise-en-scene and sound to create an effective TV crime drama extract.
• Media representations: how you will use or subvert stereotypes; representation theory.
• Media audiences: your target audience demographics and psychographics; audience pleasures; audience theory.
• Media industries and digital convergence: the potential companies or organisations that could produce or stream your TV drama; how your extract will encourage audiences to discuss your new TV drama on social media. 

Ignite presentations have very specific rules: you must create exactly 20 slides with each slide set to 15-second auto-advance. This means your presentation will be exactly five minutes followed by questions and comments from the class. You will deliver your presentation on your coursework planning in September.

Your Ignite presentation will be marked out of 30 on the following criteria (each worth a possible 5 marks):

1) Research (through the presentation AND your blog) 
2) Coursework concept
3) Language: terminology and theory
4) Representations / social and cultural contexts
5) Audience and Industry / digital convergence
6) Presentation delivery

You can find more information about Ignite presentations - including examples - in this Ignite presentation blogpost here.

Summer project deadline: all tasks above due in second week back in September

Summer project: optional extensions

Pre-production tasks

Some students in previous years expressed an interest in filming their video production over the summer break. This makes a huge amount of sense - far more availability of actors, much more time to schedule filming etc. If you do want to film over the summer, make sure you complete the following pre-production tasks here:

Crime drama script
Write a script for your TV drama extract. You'll find guidance for writing a script in the BBC Writers' Room (click on the Script Library to read real examples of professional TV drama scripts from recent BBC drama productions). 

Storyboard 
Sketch out a range of critical shots from your extract, take a photo of the storyboard and upload it to your blogpost. What visual style are you trying to create? Storyboard sheets are available in DF07 or you can download and print out an AQA storyboard template from here.

Shot list
Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film for the extract AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find an example here. It makes sense to organise your shot list by scene or location rather than a huge list of every shot in the trailer in chronological order. 

Mise-en-scene
What iconography are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre you have chosen? Plan your cast, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. This can be simply completed using your blog or Microsoft Word - the key aspect is to have planned all the critical details. 

Shooting schedule 
Plan a shooting schedule for your filming over the summer. Include when, where, who is required and what shots you will complete at each time/location. Again, this can be on Word or Excel or you could simply use your blog. The most important thing is that you've planned it! 

Non-assessed participants
You will need to provide a written record of all non-assessed participants in your production work (both video and print). Keep a record of everyone involved - actors, camerawork, sound etc. You will also need a keep a record of any non-original sound and note it on the Candidate Record Form (this is allowed - you just need to keep a record of it). Keep these on your blog for easy reference when submitting your work in Year 13.

Production: Filming and photography
Once you have completed your pre-production tasks, you can film or carry out photoshoots as you wish.