The first part of this task is a multi-part task worth 16 out of the total 72 marks.  The exam board recommend you take around an hour of the final 6 hours assessment time on it. I think, as they suggest two hours in total for Activity 1 – The Rationale and Activity 2 – The Pitch, you will probably take more of that time for this task, perhaps an hour and a half, and less for The Pitch. That is very achievable so long as you have worked at your preparation and your notes are ready for you to write up.

Your answer on the Activity 1 – The Rationale needs to come in the follow sections:-

1. Platform of Production

   • What are you making – a video – why, and how will it be effectively distributed to its audience

2. Understanding the Commission

What is a comission?

2. • Explain the purpose of the Commission – what are you being asked to do

   • Show that you understand who the client is

   • Identify the themes and issues that the Commission wants you to investigate and represent

   • Identify and explore the target audience – the core audience and a secondary audience (lots of things aimed mainly at young people may also be aimed at their parents, for example)

   • Use technical language to discuss the audience demographics, and if relevant make reference to geographical issues (the information with the commission often gives you data about different regions of the country)

   • Identify any restrictions on the Commission – suitable content for age range and means of distribution, budget, time, copyright issues.

3. Secondary Research – Textual Analysis and Content Research

   • I know this sounds like it’s in the wrong order but this fits better here

   • You are going to produce brief textual analysis of two short films similar to the one you are required to plan

   • Clearly identify what they are and where you saw them – who made them, what they were made for and the web address

   • Identify interesting cinematic ideas, interesting takes on the themes and issues, and interesting ways they address their target audience

   • WWW/EBI

   • In addition, think about what information you need to research in order to plan out your film, on top of the statistical information you have been provided with, and write up the findings of that research here too.

4. Ideas Generation

   • Set out, briefly and concisely, the ideas for three different videos you could plan in response to the commission

   • Not lots of detail, just a clear oversight of what the film would be like. Guideline – around 100 words (for comparison, the introductory paragraph at the top of the page is just under 100 words).

5. Primary Research – audience research on your plans

   • Start with a statement of what you want to achieve with your research – I want to identify what my target audience know about this issue and what would interest them about it.

   • Your questionnaire should be about the issues in the brief and not about the technical aspects of your film making. Don’t ask them about your potential use of music, or animation, or if they prefer voice-over to captions. Ask them about the issues around the subject of the video.

   • Your questions should relate to your three different ideas (but shouldn’t say ‘choose for me’)

   • You should ask a small number of focused, specific questions.  I would suggest between five and 10.

   • You could also have a focus group discussion with half a dozen people in your target audience where you more directly discuss your plans and take feedback on them

   • You should end with a statement summarising you research and what you’ve learned from it, and what you intend to do with what you’ve learned

6. Final Plans

   • Explain which of your ideas you are going to go ahead with

   • Briefly expand on your chosen idea – map it out in a little more detail (but don’t go to town – you’re going to write about it again briefly in the pitch, summarise the whole thing in the proposal and storyboard a section of it in the treatment.)

   • Justify your final decisions in relation to the brief, the client’s requirements and the target audience and explain how you will be able to make this on time and on budget.