A selection of Foundation Portfolio Blogs

As a exercise, why not apply the mark criteria from OCR to each of the following blogs and try to determine what grade they deserve.
The Research and Planning sections of the blog are marked with the following criteria –

Level 1 0–7 marks
 Planning and research evidence will be incomplete;
 There is minimal research into similar products and a potential target audience;
 There is minimal organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props;
 There is minimal work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding;
 There is minimal care in the presentation of the research and planning;
 Time management may be very poor.

Level 2 8–11 marks
 Planning and research evidence may be partially incomplete;
 There is basic research into similar products and a potential target audience;
 There is basic organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props;
 There is basic work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding;
 There is a basic level of care in the presentation of the research and planning;
 Time management may not be good.

Level 3 12–15 marks
 Planning and research evidence will be complete;
 There is proficient research into similar products and a potential target audience;
 There is proficient organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props;
 There is proficient work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding;
 There is a good level of care in the presentation of the research and planning;
 Time management is good.

Level 4 16–20 marks
 Planning and research evidence will be complete and detailed;
 There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience;
 There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props;
 There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding;
 There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning;
 Time management is excellent.

Marking Criteria for the Evaluation as follows –

Candidates will evaluate their work digitally. Where candidates have worked in a group, the evaluation
may be presented individually or collectively but the teacher must allocate a mark according to the
contribution/level of understanding demonstrated by the individual candidate. Each candidate should
give a clear indication of their role in any group evaluation.

The questions that must be addressed in the evaluation are:

 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
 How does your media product represent particular social groups?
 What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
 Who would be the audience for your media product?
 How did you attract/address your audience?
 What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
 Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to
the full product?

Level 1 0–7 marks
 Minimal skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.
 Minimal understanding of issues around audience, institution, technology, representation, forms and
conventions in relation to production.
 Minimal ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
 Minimal understanding of their development from preliminary to full task.
 Minimal ability to communicate.

Level 2 8–11 marks
 Basic skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.
 Basic understanding of issues around audience, institution, technology, representation, forms and
conventions in relation to production.
 Basic ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
 Basic understanding of their development from preliminary to full task.
 Basic ability to communicate.

Level 3 12–15 marks
 Proficient skill in the use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.
 Proficient understanding of issues around audience, institution, technology, representation, forms
and conventions in relation to production.
 Proficient ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
 Proficient understanding of their development from preliminary to full task.
 Proficient ability to communicate.

Level 4 16–20 marks
 Excellent skill in the use of appropriate digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.
 Excellent understanding of issues around audience, institution, technology, representation, forms
and conventions in relation to production.
 Excellent ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
 Excellent understanding of their development from preliminary to full task.
 Excellent ability to communicate.

The finished film is marked with these criteria –

Video
Level 1 0–23 marks
The work for the main task is possibly incomplete. There is minimal evidence in the work of the creative
use of any relevant technical skills such as:
 Producing material appropriate for the target audience and task;
 using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;
 using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
 shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to
framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;
 using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of
shot transitions and other effects.

Level 2 24–35 marks
There is evidence of a basic level of ability in the creative use of some of the following technical skills:
 Producing material appropriate for the target audience and task;
 using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;
 using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
 shooting material appropriate to the task set;, including controlled use of the camera, attention to
framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;
 using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of
shot transitions and other effects.

Level 3 36–47 marks
There is evidence of proficiency in the creative use of many of the following technical skills:
 Producing material appropriate for the target audience and task;
 using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;
 using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
 shooting material appropriate to the task set;, including controlled use of the camera, attention to
framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;
 using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of
shot transitions and other effects.

Level 4 48–60 marks
There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:
 material appropriate for the target audience and task;
 using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;
 using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
 shooting material appropriate to the task set;, including controlled use of the camera, attention to
framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene;
 using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of
shot transitions and other effects.

amazinggrace94
jackandgrace
rusteeproductions
jayeles
wideboys2011
noidea2456
bruce1993
charm2011
wackojacko2011
epiccuff
waj4
thunderbomb
detective2011

Media, Gender and Identity

Here is a link to the final chapter of this important book, which contains, in summary form some fascinating observations on changing gender roles in society and the media. This could be useful for answers to G325 question 1b, for the evaluation of both the Foundation and Advanced Portfolios and for general discussion and consideration.

Foundation Portfolio level 4 blog

Here is an example offered up by the board as a high scoring blog, for all three categories.

Exemplar Presentation for G321

From the board – an example of a powerpoint incorporating what they think is a (low) level 4 effort in planning and evaluation.

ocr_52660_sm_gce_unit_321_rp_eval
 

Foundation Portfolio

Ok Yr 12 – here is the official section from the OCR specifications for this module

3.1 AS G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media

The purpose of this unit is firstly to assess candidates’ ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills (AO3); secondly to assess candidates’ application of knowledge and understanding in evaluating their own work, showing how meanings and responses are created (AO2); and finally to assess candidates’ ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research (AO4). The unit requires candidates to engage with contemporary media technologies, giving them the opportunity for development of skills in these technologies.
This is a coursework unit, internally assessed and externally moderated. Candidates produce a media artefact in response to briefs set by OCR plus some appropriate evidence of research and planning. The task provides progression from a pre-production, preliminary exercise to a more fully realised piece in the same medium. This offers the opportunity for skills development to be assessed, as well as a final finished piece.

That was all pretty general – as there are a number of possible media formats to choose from. We have chosen the moving image – as usual – as we feel it’s challenging and enjoyable, and most likely unlike anything else you are likely to encounter in your school experience.

here is the detail…..

Video
Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.
Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.
All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source. Both preliminary and main tasks may be done individually or as a group. Maximum four members to a group.

That’s an awful lot to be getting on with – and we only have a few months to complete everything. The deadline is the first of April, so a sensible schedule needs to be created and adhered to. More on this later.