Component 1: Foundation Portfolio
This is a coursework component, internally assessed and externally moderated.
Candidates produce a media product from a choice of two set briefs – a film opening or a magazine.
They present evidence of the process of their work (research, planning and production) on an online blog.
Candidates also reflect critically on their finished media product in a creative digital format of their choice,
answering a series of set prompt questions. All work involved in creating the portfolio, including process,
finished product, and creative critical reflection, is put online for moderation purposes.
This component assesses the following objectives:
AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding to show how meanings are created when analysing media
products and when evaluating their own practical work.
AO3: Plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills.
AO4: Undertake and apply appropriate research.
Brief:
Magazine task (print)
Main task: the front page, contents and double-page spread of a new magazine (if done as a group task,
each member of the group to produce an individual edition of the magazine, following the same house
style). There should be a maximum of four members to a group.
All images and text used in the main task must be original and produced by the candidate(s) with a minimum of four images per candidate.
This task should be preceded by preliminary exercises to build up learners’ skills with equipment and their understanding of conventions.
Critical Analysis
1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
4. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
This is a coursework component, internally assessed and externally moderated.
Candidates produce a media product from a choice of two set briefs – a film opening or a magazine.
They present evidence of the process of their work (research, planning and production) on an online blog.
Candidates also reflect critically on their finished media product in a creative digital format of their choice,
answering a series of set prompt questions. All work involved in creating the portfolio, including process,
finished product, and creative critical reflection, is put online for moderation purposes.
This component assesses the following objectives:
AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding to show how meanings are created when analysing media
products and when evaluating their own practical work.
AO3: Plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills.
AO4: Undertake and apply appropriate research.
Brief:
Magazine task (print)
Main task: the front page, contents and double-page spread of a new magazine (if done as a group task,
each member of the group to produce an individual edition of the magazine, following the same house
style). There should be a maximum of four members to a group.
All images and text used in the main task must be original and produced by the candidate(s) with a minimum of four images per candidate.
This task should be preceded by preliminary exercises to build up learners’ skills with equipment and their understanding of conventions.
Critical Analysis
1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
4. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?