WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Media Studies: Student Book

Beginning the creative process This will vary depending upon the brief you have chosen, but will include plans and drafts to make sure you have the best chance of success when you create your final production. If you are going to construct a print or online product you should create draft designs and mock- ups of the pages of your production. Draft designs allow you to experiment with ideas before you decide on your final product. At this stage you do not need to focus on much specific detail. You might wish, for example, to sketch in your images and show where you will place blocks of text. This will help you to visualise your product, and from here you will begin to think about the design elements in more detail. Creating mock-ups will prompt you to think about the key elements of the layout of your print or online pages, for example the positioning of key elements of the text and images. It is advisable to use the software that you will be using for the actual production. Here, you will ‘flesh out’ your ideas, such as applying a colour palette, or incorporating passages of text and images, which could be as a result of a visit to your shoot location or practice shots that you have taken. Audio-visual productions usually have a storyboard and, if you are creating a television sequence, a script is also a standard preparatory task. A storyboard is a visual outline of your production. It will help you to meet the requirements of the brief and include the relevant details. When you create a storyboard you need to think in detail about all the elements – visual, technical and audio codes – and how these will communicate meaning to your audience. You will also focus on the structure of the sequence, for example how the narrative will be pieced together, and how the sequence will be edited. Your storyboard should include: • images that give a clear idea of what will appear in the frame (you can sketch pictures or take some practice shots to use in your storyboard) • shot duration – the length of time each shot will last • type of shot – details of the distance, angle, movement • editing transitions • audio notes such as dialogue, sound effects and music • notes about mise-en-scène. The storyboard will help you to plan the footage you will need to film. Pay close attention to shot duration and camera angles here, to ensure you have a sufficient range of shots when filming. Your storyboard will also be helpful at the editing stage as it is a plan of how the footage will fit together to construct your sequence. When creating your draft designs, make sure you include the elements listed in the brief. This will help you to meet the requirements when you construct the finished production. Top Tip Remember to include a range of shots in your storyboard; use the findings from your research to help you to plan this. Top Tip Mock-up A detailed draft version of designs for a print or online product, showing elements such as the layout and composition of the pages. Key Term 192 WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Media Studies