MEST4 Linked production: Research and planning

MEST4 Linked production: Research and planning

1) Confirm your production brief. You write this yourself but it's absolutely crucial this is clear, appropriate and achievable. You should have done this already - the original blogpost was here - but it may have changed as a result of your preliminary exercise.

2) Research: detailed notes on at least THREE texts similar to what you are creating. What are the key conventions? What can you learn/borrow from the examples you have looked at?

The Economist- Simple but ambiguous front pages usually colourful and one central image, some titles have a play on words, no space for 'cheap' advertising', usually some detailed background with meaning to the main article in the magazine. Simple contents page with colours mainly black and white with a similar theme to the front cover. Detailed and sophisticated articles inside with a large image professionally taken and/or edited, either on one side of the page or in the middle or somewhere else, double page spreads are quite varied but again kept simple yet sophisticated. 

Foreign policy- this is an American liberal magazine which is very similar to the economist even in terms of logo and colour schemes, they just take an American approach to things in the sense 'bigger is better' and the double page spreads are slightly more extravagant.

The New Yorker- This American newspaper famed for its hand-drawn cartoons and old fashioned font style is also very sophisticated but also simple with the one central image taking up the majority of the page. In some front pages they take events from the past and put the present events into it... eg: Trump as King Kong on the empire state building.

3) Project schedule: when will you shoot and edit this production? Make this a week-by-week schedule leading up to Easter. Key dates: we break up for Easter on Friday 31 March and the final deadline is Wednesday 19 April.

4) Script - see the BBC Writers' Room for advice/script formatting. If you're making a music video, you'll want to write a treatment instead. This is anexample treatment that I provide for GCSE Media students studying this topic. For print productions, this means writing all the text for the cover, contents and feature articles. Write this in Microsoft Word so you can proofread and spellcheck the work before moving it into Photoshop.

5) Sketching and drafting - for video-based productions this means astoryboard - sheets available in DF07 or you can print out your own AQA storyboard sheet. For print productions, this means detailed sketches of all your pages.

6) Shot list - use Microsoft Word or a template like this to help you. Remember, you need a shot list whether you are filming or carrying out a print photoshoot - professional quality original images are essential if you want to reach the top level.

7) Mise-en-scene: casting/model details, costume and make-up, props, lighting, location scouting for video productions etc. Use photographs to document and plan your mise-en-scene - using your phone is acceptable for this.