BTEC Year 10

1) Overview of Course
2) How is BTEC different to GCSE?
3) Research for Creative Media
4) Photography
5) Animation
6) Advertising
7) Factual Media
8) Communication Skills for Creative Media
 __________________________________________________________________

Overview of the Course
In Year 10 we work through one of the compulsory units - Research for Creative Media Production focusing on Music Production. We also cover units in Photography and Animation. In Year 11 we cover the second compulsory unit of Communication Skills for Creative Media whilst working on Factual Media and Advertising.

How is BTEC different to GCSE?
BTEC is graded through ongoing tasks and assessment - there is no examination at the end of the course. Each unit is broken down into 3 or 4 tasks, often involving an investigation into the media form, planning your own creative work, creating your product and evaluating your work. Work is graded in levels of Pass, Merit and Distinction.
BTEC in Creative Media Production requires a different way of learning and working. Much of what you do, you will achieve through independent research and creative work. You will be encouraged to work to your strengths and build up skills in areas you are not so familiar with.

Research for Creative Media

Photography 




Unit assignment tasks:
a) Portfolio of Ideas - a powerpoint slideshow which is a detailed investigation into an area of photography and which shows why you like that strand of photography
b) Produce three images for our Photographic Exhibition - The Media and Music Showcase
c) Evaluate your work, considering your successes and anything you would change. 


a) Your Portfolio of Ideas really should give evidence that you have looked at and appreciate the immense body of work by a vast range of talented photographers who have a diverse range of photographic styles. Your slideshow should include an examination of one area of photography for example Fashion, War, Urban, Macro, Landscape, Abstract, Architectural etc. 
  • You should show you have looked at the pioneers of this type of photography, showing key photographs or photographers. 
  • You should look at how the area of photography has changed over time, how the style might have devloped from the origins to the present day.
  • You should show that you understand the key features of this type of photograph in term of techniques and elements (composition, lighting, colours, etc.)
  • You should show some examples of your favourite types of photographs in this area which shows what you would like to produce.
  • Your slideshow should include separate slide notes to give detailed information about each slide or can include notes on the slideshow itself.
You will need to show your slideshow to the class and be prepared to answer some questions about what you have shown.

A good starting point for photographers to include appears below:

Landscape -             Ansel Adams, John Sexton
Still Life -                  Edward Weston
Portrait/Celebrity -  Cindy Sherman, Richard Avedon, Herb Ritts, Annie Liebovitz
Wildlife -                   Fleurbec, Mitsuaki Iwago, Steve Parish, Steve Bloom
Macro/Abstract -     Edward Weston, George Lepp
Architecture -           Bernd and Hilla Becher
Fashion -                  Richard Avedon, Herb Ritts, Steven Meisel, Mario Testino
Urban -                     Robert Doisneau, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Weegee
War -                        Robert Capa, Don McCullin
High-Speed -          Harold Edgerton
Children -                 Anne Geddes


To complete you Portfolio of Ideas you will need to make some detailed notes about the three images you would like to create - the location, people or objects involved, layout or composition, lighting, camera techniques involved and how you would like your photographs framed. 

b) Your three photographs will be displayed at the Showcase. They need to have a title. They should have a theme or concept which links them together. You will probably need to take many photographs in order to select your favourite 3 and you should get opinions from other people as well. you will also need to make decisions about frame style, colour and size. Again, these should link the three photographs together in some way. 

Things to think about when you take your photos......
  • find the unusual on your back doorstep - some of the best pictures can be taken in the home, of your friends and family or of the street where you live that you know so well.
  • Don't be afraid to change your ideas and photograph something new and unexpected. It is all about the process of learning and you can write about your change of mind in your evaluation.
  • think about the composition or layout of your shot. Remember to think of your page divided into threes and put the interesting things on those gridlines. Your investigation should show you whether the professional photographers you looked at stuck by this 'rule' or broke it. If you have taken a good photo but the positioning isn't great, don't delete it, remember you can always crop and resize.
  • Check background. When you see everything that will be in your picture, be very critical - does it add to or distract the overall look of the shot?  Sometimes taking a step to the right or left makes all the difference.
  • Think about your camera angle. Kneeling down or standing on something can make all the difference in perspective, making an interesting picture that people would not usually be able to see themselves.
  • Check your lighting. When it is too bright or too dark the picture can only be changed a certain amount on the computer.
More help with completing your photography work


c) Your evaluation will be based on feedback from the viewing audience and from everything you learned (good and bad) throughout the whole Photography unit.
Guidelines for completing the evaluation:
  • At least one side of A4 typed
  • Explain what area of photography you investigated
  • Why is this area of interest to you?
  • What did you notice the most about the photographs you looked at ? (especially with reference to what you wanted to achieve in your photographs)
  • Describe your photographs in technical terms - refer to the composition (layout and framing of the photographs) the lighting, the colour and contrast, the subject matter and any techniques (slow shutter, focusing, macro function etc) you applied either in the production stage or post-production (cropping, colour splash, adjusting contrast etc.)
  • Critically reflect on the success of your photographs and what you would change.
  • Gather critical responses from others and reflect upon their views.  
  • State clearly overall what you learnt in the process - what was difficult and what skills did you acquire to overcome the issue. 



Photographic Forms& Techniques

Example Images for Assessment 1 











'Auteur' Photographers (for BTEC Unit 9 Assignment 1):


Andreas Gursky
Anne Geddes
Annie Leibovitz
Ansel Adams
David Bailey
Dorothea Lange
Hilla & Bernd Becher
Robert Doisneau
William Eggleston

How to Analyse a Photo:

____________________________________________________________________
Animation
Unit Assignment Tasks
1) Create an Animation information product for 11-16 yr olds including information on the history of animation, key animators and studios, animation today.
2) Plan ideas for a short animated film
3) Produce a short animated film
4) Evaluate your short animated film

1) To create your Animation Information product we will:
a)      learn about and describe historical and contemporary animation techniques using appropriate illustrative examples. These include zoetrope, kinetiscope, flick-book, cel animation, rotoscoping, drawn on film, digital applications, claymation, cut-out, dynamation and stop-frame.
b)      Consider the aesthetic, narrative and audience appeal of animation
c)      Show evidence that we have looked at and seen a range of animation styles and can comment on the signature styles of key animators or animation production companies.
                  ·         Use the information above to help you organise what should be included in your   
                        ‘product’
·         The product can be presented in any form that you choose. Look at some of the examples below –
·         A video documentary with clips
·         A Podcast or Audio commentary with supporting clips
·         A booklet
·         A fold out poster
·         A comic
·         A slideshow presented to group
Be creative. Be imaginative.
 
Useful resources
 List of Animators                                                       List of Companies
Eadward Muybridge                                                     Pixar
Walt Disney                                                                   Aardman
Don Bluth                                                                       Dreamworks
Willis O’Brien                                                                Disney
Ray Harryhausen                                                          Cosgrove Hall
Norman McClaren                                                        Warner Bros
Chuck Jones                                                                 Hanna Barbera           
Will Vinton
Steve Barron
Michel Gondry
John Lasseter
Hayou Miyazaki
Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Nick Park
Blu
Lavie, Yuval and Merav Nathan