REMEMBER - YOU HAVE 2 DEADLINES BY THE END OF TOMORROW!

POSTER - BY TOMORROW (FRIDAY NIGHT) YOU SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN THE FINAL 2 DESIGNS TO TAKE THROUGH TO COMPLETION, AND TAKEN THESE TO A MORE ADVANCED DRAFT STATE, USING REAL IMAGES FOR EXAMPLE.

REVIEW - YOU NEED TO HAVE DONE ALL OF THE RESEARCH INTO 'LITTLE WHITE LIES' - THESE ARE LAYOUT CONVENTIONS AND AUDIENCE PROFILE. THERE IS ONE INDIVIDUAL DEADLINE, AND THERE ARE 3 GROUP DEADLINES.

YOU CAN USE THE FOLLOWING POINTS IN YOUR BLOG TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU HAVE CHOSEN 'LITTLE WHITE LIES' FOR YOUR REVIEW (BUT YOU MUST NOT SIMPLY COPY AND PASTE - GET SOME EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE POINTS):

• LWLs editorial staff are interested in independent, non-mainstream film makers, as well as the usual mainstream movies, reflected in the copy overall, but also in reviews
• there is an interest in the magazine in experimental and alternative styles of film making, often found in short films
• the magazine reports on the nominees and winners of international film festivals - often the first place a short film is showcased
• the magazine targets a student audience (perhaps also specifically students in subjects such as Media, Film, Cultural Studies) , and this is useful for us as many of your films target an audience of your age (students) with film knowledge
• the magazine has strong links with the Picturehouse chain of cinemas, which screens short films every day as part of the main film programme (virgin media shorts)
• no other film magazine carries reviews of short films, instead, usually focussing on very mainstream films (you can provide evidence of this)

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE READ BOTH BOOKLETS ON THE ANCILLARY TASKS CAREFULLY AND DON' T MISS REMAINING DEADLINES.
THERE ARE ONLY 2 AND A HALF WEEKS NOW TO THE FINAL PORTFOLIO DEADLINE!

THE EDITING DEADLINE HAS NOW PASSED - ANY FURTHER EDITING NEEDS CAREFUL EXPLANATION TO JUSTIFY. NEXT DEADLINE THIS FRIDAY

Here's an excellent example of a recent poster for US Independent film, using a similar style to that used by UK independents of the kind we've suggested. This is a great film anyway, worth catching, but good for seeing how a single image, well lit, with slightly less conventional layout can draw the eye. Notice the sources for reviews - what kind of audience do you think is being targeted here?

YOUR POSTER RESEARCH DEADLINE HAS ALSO PASSED AND YOU SHOULD NOW HAVE ALL MOVED ON TO CONSTRUCTING YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL DRAFT POSTER IN PHOTOSHOP - THIS DEADLINE ALSO PASSED ON FRIDAY:


Deadline 3

Second draft of final TWO POSTER DESIGNS in photoshop to appear on blog, showing draft layout, branded title, funding information etc (see checklist), as an image file (photoshop file saved as jpeg)

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK ON DESIGN IDEAS RECORDED ON BLOG

Audience feedback on THIS DRAFT POSTER AND FINISHED FILM products (perhaps gathered using Facebook or similar) to be recorded on blog (homework
Friday November 29th midnight 

You should also be starting to revise the work you did in the Transition period on Little White Lies magazine. This will involve reminding yourself of the target audience for this magazine, the style of its reviews, the kinds of films reviewed, and the distinctive design and use of themes that are especially seen in the print version of the magazine (you can read this using page-turning technology online). You will very soon have a deadline for research into LWLs reviews, and then a COPY (written content) deadline for your own group's review. This will NOT require a separate review draft from all of you, BUT WILL REQUIRE EVIDENCE OF EACH GROUP MEMBER CONTRIBUTING TO THE DECISIONS ABOUT CONTENT, MODE OF ADDRESS, AND PHRASES TO USE.

I AM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT EACH INDIVIDUAL'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE BLOG NOW AND SINCE HALF TERM, AND CONTINUING TO RECORD MY ASSESSMENT ON A TRACKING SHEET. THESE COMMENTS WILL FORM THE BASIS OF YOUR REVIEWS BEING WRITTEN THIS WEEK.

POSTER WORK BEGINS

You have been given the brief and guidelines for the first of two ancillary tasks.

What do you have to do?

1. Research up to 12 posters as a group (British, independent , low budget)
2. Here you will document conventions and discuss layout and graphics.
3 In addition, discuss each poster applying the 5 main concepts

4. Start designing your brand logo.
5 Decide how you will integrate the title with the images (remember the work you did last year on titling?)

WHAT DOES A HIGH LEVEL 4 BLOG LOOK LIKE AT THIS STAGE?

Take a look at the excellent work on Laura, Mark, Megan and James's blog from last year here http://advancedportfolio201279.blogspot.co.uk/2012_12_01_archive.html

EDITING STAGE

You are now well into the EDITING STAGE for your short film.
THE DEADLINE FOR THIS STAGE IS NOVEMBER 22ND - 2 WEEKS TIME.
It's essential that you check the list of work needed by this date, so that you are fully prepared for the next stage (POSTER). As advised earlier, you need to be getting high resolution images ready for use in your posters. You will EACH be required to produce a draft of the poster, and a possible 2 taken through to completion by the group by the final deadline for this part of the portfolio.
THERE WILL BE FORMAL TEACHING ON THE POSTER NEXT WEEK WHICH WILL TAKE UP TO 2 LESSONS. BE PREPARED FOR THIS AND MAKE TIME IN STUDY PERIODS TO DO MORE EDITING.

DEADLINES PAST AND DEADLINES APPROACHING!

The EXTENDED deadline for improving your individual RESEARCH grade ENDS TONIGHT. AFtTER TONIGHT, ANY IMPROVEMENTS MAY NOT BE MARKED. At this stage, there appear to be many people who have not acted on our advice or in any way improved their work. This is a serious situation, and very likely to affect your individual grade. However, you are reminded that you must also let us know if you have improved your work - don't expect us to re-read all of your work on the chance that you might have done something to it! So far, only one person has contacted me to say this.
In the meantime, ANY MISSED PLANNING TASKS ARE ALSO NOW VERY LATE AND  AFTER THE DEADLINE FOR THIS WORK.  You will already have lost marks for late work, as this is recorded on our Tracking Grids, but there are still several groups who have not completed all of the tasks listed on the checklist (mentioned many times by myself and Andrew). Your blogs should have a heading for each of the tasks on the list, and these should now have plenty of detailed information about planning, using terms, theory, detail, analysis and varied visual material. This should have been shared within the group, with your names appearing in headings and archive. Any changes to planning must also be blogged. YOU MUST STILL ASK FOR PERMISSION TO START FILMING, AND CLEARLY YOUR FILMING TIME IS NOW SQUEEZED BY YOUR LATE WORK.
AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOW COMING TO THE END OF THE FILMING PHASE, AND THE DEADLINE FOR THIS IS THE END OF THIS WEEK. Any filming to take place after this time MUST be agreed by us as this must be a permitted extension. Do not assume that cameras will be available at Half Term as there are not enough for all groups to do this.
AS WE APPROACH HALF TERM, WE EXPECT VERY HARD WORK FROM ALL GROUPS THIS WEEK, INCLUDING EVIDENCE OF WORK AS HOMEWORK AT HOME AND IN STUDY PERIODS. 

YOU MUST CHECK WITH US THAT YOU ARE PERMITTED GO ON TO FILMING.YOU ARE OVER HALF WAY THROUGH THE FILMING STAGE!

Although we are now half way through the FILMING TIME ALLOWED, you are not permitted to begin filming until we have given you the go-ahead based on how well you have completed the planning as a group. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE LIST OF TASKS POSTED BELOW (ALSO IN YOUR BOOKLET), AND AS A GROUP, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BLOGGED YOUR RESPONSES TO THE APPLICATION OF THE 5 KEY CONCEPTS TO YOUR FILM. IF YOU GO AHEAD WITHOUT CHECKING THIS, YOU RISK COMING UNSTUCK IN THE EXAM (SECTION 1B)! The longer you continue to plan, the more delay you are creating! Deadlines are fixed, and so this will squeeze time later for editing, and so on. REMEMBER, THIS IS YOUR INDEPENDENT STUDY/HOMEWORK TOO, AND REMAINING TASKS SHOULD BE COMPLETED IMMEDIATELY. NO-ONE SHOULD STILL BE PLANNING AFTER THE END OF THIS WEEK.