A2 Media Studies Advanced Portfolio

Research and Planning

To achieve a Level 4 (A) for Research and Planning you need to:

• Conduct excellent research into similar products and the target

audience
• Show excellent organisation of actors, props, locations, costumes,
etc.
• Produce excellent planning (shotlists, storyboards, scripts, drafts,
layouts)
• Demonstrate excellent time management
• Make excellent use of ICT and digital technology
• Excellent presentation of research and planning
• Excellent communication skills

Research into target audience:

Produce a questionnaire to find out who your target audience is (the
demographic), what their interests are (the psychographic), and
how to make your product appealing to them.

Focus group – interview a group (or individuals) who are the target
audience for your product. Show them extracts from similar
products and ask them to explain what they like about them. You
could also discuss your ideas for your product and get some
feedback. Filming the focus group and embedding the video on the
blog will help you achieve higher marks.

Internet research – some information about the audience for certain

media products is available on the internet.

Research into similar products – you will need to analyse at least 3

examples each of similar products for your main task, and ancillary
tasks.

Print Based Media Audiovisual Media

• Layout (route of the eye, • Camerawork
principle of thirds) • Editing
• Font • Sound
• Colours • Mise-en-scene
• Image (shot type, mise-en- • Narrative
scene) • Representation
• Language • Conventions
• Representation
• Conventions

Planning – you need to produce planning for both your main and
ancillary tasks.

Print Based Media Audiovisual Media

A2 Media Studies Advanced Portfolio

• Draft of layout • Outline (plot, characters)

• Sample fonts and colour • Script
schemes • Storyboard
• Drafts of text • Shotlists
• Planning for photography
• Draftwork showing
progress of use of images

You should also produce a Production Plan. This should include:

• Production activities and dates

• Locations
• Costume and props
• Equipment
• Personnel

You will also need to complete a risk assessment for your production
work where relevant.

Tips on how to do well:

• Use a broad range of research methods

• Identify your target audience clearly at the start of your
project
• Use audience research throughout your project (i.e. get
feedback from your target audience during planning stages)
• Demonstrate a range of planning activities
• Produce detailed textual analysis of similar products (don’t
just describe the products, analyse the effects, discuss
connotations, appeal to audience, link to institutions where
relevant)
• Update your blog regularly
• Make creative use of your blog – you are assessed on your use
of ICT and digital technology (embed videos, documents,
include links to relevant webpages, images, etc.)

Research and Planning Self-assessment

Have you…

Produced detailed analysis of a range of similar products

Conducted research to clearly identify a specific target audience
Produced a detailed production plan
Planned your products in detail using a range of methods
Met deadlines
Presented you Research and Planning clearly
A2 Media Studies Advanced Portfolio

Used your blog and other digital technologies creatively