Wri L3 CMPT Final Major Project
Entries
This is where you think about your FMP learning journey and development.
Dont simply describe what you did - consider what you have learnt and how this has benefitted your project.
Week 1 / 2
How has writing a concept / proposal
helped you with finalising your idea?
How did the feedback help you adapt
your idea what did you change after
feedback?
How has the research for your target
audience helped you understand your
production more fully?
How did your primary research help
you?
How has researching the conventions
of your chosen genre helped you
understand what is required from you
in order to meet a distinction grade?
How has including a variety of
sources (primary and secondary)
helped with your understanding of
your medium / genre?
High Grade Tips
Reflective
WEEKLY REFLECTIONS
This week you worked on your initial ideas and started your FMP
concept
Writing a concept helped me finalise my idea. This because up until
having a proposal I struggled to visualise my idea. I managed to develop
the idea in my head and because I wrote it down on paper it meant I could
easily just keeping adding to in and in turn expand my idea. This was a
relatively straight forward process that helped me a lot. After writing the
concept I ended changing my idea because putting it into a written idea
made me start have doubts about how plausible my original idea was.
This helped a lot because I wouldnt now have the idea I do if I hadnt
written a proposal.
After getting my feedback, I changed a few key things. After originally
changing my idea anyway, the feedback helped to improve my new idea. I
changed from having a boy being chased by a doll to having a boy being
mentally disturbed and disrupted by the doll. This is because I was told it
was more feasible. I also changed some of the themes. Originally I had
wanted to go with the theme of being chased, but changed to the idea of
just being watched. This is almost more scary as it plays with the viewer
more. Its more disturbing because subtle things are happening and
gradually I want the film to build up and climax.
This week you worked on your initial ideas and started your FMP
Research
The research that I did for target audience really helped me a lot. It gave
me a clearer idea of my own production because I now know who I am
aiming my film at. I can start to come up with conventions and themes
that I can put in my film age appropriate. I can also see how gender is
going to affect my production. I can now further develop my idea based
around my research of target audience.
My primary research helped me in areas that secondary research could
not. Using surveys to find out about what my target audience want from a
horror short is helpful and will positively affect my film.
Researching conventions for genre has helped me a lot to gain
knowledge on how I am going to portray the horror genre into my film. By
using setting, narrative, and other conventions, I will be able to create
effect in my film and draw the attention of the viewer. I will hopefully be
able to create dynamics and drama and leave the viewer on the edge of
their seats. All of this leads to a distinction grade if manage to do what
Ive mentioned to a high standard.
Using different sources has given me different and useful perspectives of
horror as a genre. Ive learned more about medium and genre through
looking on websites and analysing them. As well as this secondary
research I have done primary. Doing surveys has helped me to
understand genre because I have gained knowledge from my peers who
answered my surveys.
Research
Thorough research - include plenty of sources and detailed analysis of this information
relevant & coherent make sure your research sources are not just the same as the Media product you
hope to make - and talk about how they inform your planning
sustained continue your research throughout the eleven-week project and dont just limit it to the first
two weeks
accomplished & considered all of the above referred to in your daily/weekly reflections

Week 2 / 3 This week you will start your planning

What did you learn from your I learned a lot from my research. I learned about how target audience will
research? affect how I make my film because I have age and gender in mind. I
learned a lot about platform through doing my focus group video and
secondary research. I now know that YouTube is the platform that I am
going to upload to. This is because after doing research I have learned
that it has a huge audience and is all over the world as opposed to Vimeo
and the other internet services. Ive learned about the conventions of
horror which means I will be able to hopefully make a dark and gripping
short film. I can now use my knowledge of artists and professionals to see
how they have made short films, and I have learned from this.

How will this be useful to your
planning?
This will be very helpful to my planning because I can refer back to the
research and see how I am going to plan the film. In other words, when
writing my script, I can look back at conventions and decide what kind of
stage direction to put in in order to make the film the most horror like it
can be. Some of my research is crucial to my planning. For example if I
hadnt researched target audience I might not know what profanities I can
use due to age and gender groups.

What sources of information did you
look at that were different from your
proposed project
I found a few short films similar to mine which I analysed. Some of these
were similar, I researched a few horror short films which I decided I
wanted to take features from. However I also analysed a few short films of
other genres. This was helpful because I could see the conventions of a
few different genres within short films.

What did you learn from your planning I learned about how to write scripts better and how to correctly draw up a
this week storyboard for a short horror film. From my planning I have learnt to better
adapt my work to the demographic that I am aiming for. Ive also learned
what pre-production you need in order to create a short film.

What issues did you encounter and I lost my original script which was on a USB that I lost so I re did it. Other
how did you overcome them? than that I had no issues with planning.

High Grade Tips

Planning & Production

effective planning, organisation your FMP Workbook will explain what you need to do in the next few
weeks to make sure all of your planning is completed, and also how this will help you
efficient production against timescales your FMP Proposal will clearly identify how you intend to
create your project before the deadline in May
commitment & subject engagement all of the above referred to in your daily/weekly reflections
Week 3 This week was the start of your production process

What practical work have you done
this week - and how helpful was your
earlier planning
I have started filming, I have started the first scene and it is going well.
Each element worked and I was on time. My earlier planning was very
helpful as it allowed me to work with ease as I knew when and where I
was doing everything. I have started searching for good audio tracks to
use earlier planning came in handy here because instead of just blindly
searching for a good audio track I had planned what kind of sound effects
I was going to go for. This meant searching for a refined amount of sound
effects and I have found somethings I could use.

How will this be useful to you as your
production process continues
This will be helpful with the continuation of my production. This is because
I have everything planned and ready to go so when I continue shooting I
can do it knowing everything is in order. Because I have planned what I
am doing it means all I have to worry about is following my production
schedule in which Ive given myself more than enough time.

Upload and pictures you have taken

What issues did you encounter and
how did you over come them?
I have had a few problems:
My camera SD card stopped working but I countered this by going online
and searching for a solution which worked.
My microphone battery died but I countered this by buying a replacement
plus a spare in case it died again.
My lighting situation was far from ideal in one of the scenes but I sorted it
out by blocking all light from my windows and using some lamps to
simulate certain light.

High Grade Tips

Practical Skills & Presentation

Considered and capable demonstration of processes very detailed documentation of your
production process - such as still images, and annotated Screenshots of your specific production and
editing process including what and why, not just how
skills and knowledge used to develop alternative ideas evidence of different ideas developed for
more than one version of your Media product

Week 4 This week was the second week of your practical production

What did you learn in your sessions I learned better about how to work with people effectively and how to get
this week over camera problems. For example I had a problem with my camera
stopping recording but I searched for answers and managed to fix it. I
also learned a lot in camera work.

Have you tried anything new this Yes Ive tried doing light bounces using a big piece of card. It wasnt a
week - if so, was it a success success because the DIY light board didnt reflect light very well. I also
learned/practised my audio skills with using a microphone.
What feedback did you find most
useful verbal or written
How will this be useful to you as your
production process comes to a
conclusion
What issues did you encounter and
how did you overcome them?
High Grade Tips
Practical Skills & Presentation
Considered and capable demonstration of processes very detailed, annotated Screenshots of your
specific production and editing process including what and why, not just how
skills and knowledge used to develop alternative ideas evidence of different ideas developed, and
more than one version of your Media product
Week 5
What feedback did you find most
useful verbal or written
What did you learn in your sessions
this week
How has this helped you meet your
targets - see FMP Workbook
How helpful did you find the pitch
what feedback did you get?
How did your peer feedback help
I found getting verbal feedback helpful to a certain extent, however next
time I would write it down onto a list so I can improve on my filming and
audio techniques. Getting written was useful to an extent however the
verbal feedback was a few pointers which stuck in my head so I just
corrected them the day I was given the feedback.
This will be helpful because I can quickly complete the corrections that I
have been given. There will be last minute things that I havent thought of
which I can change/add to etc. This will positively affect my project. The
written feedback means I can have a list to work off.
I had one problem this week, after importing and editing all the footage to
produce my final render, I exported the film and there was no audio.
When running the play head through playback there was also now no
audio. After a day of trying to fix it I called adobe and sorted the problem
in a couple of hours. Ive now re-rendered and exported the project as my
final piece. There were no other technical issues with the practical.
This week was your finishing off week - for both your edits an
written work
I found verbal feedback very useful because I was able to make quick
edits and adjustments to my piece. It was clearer for me to understand
what to do because it was said to my face. I also wrote down a few tips
from my verbal feedback which has helped me.
I learned how to evaluate a large unit like this one. I learned how to make
last minute adjustments. This week I have learnt how to professionally
structure my work into my pitch in order for me to give a well thought out
and clearly prepared presentation.
It has helped me because it has given me the evaluative eye to complete
my goals with this piece. I reached my target by improving my pre-
production and completing it to a good standard. I also managed to
practise my production and research. The research was a personal target
as I have always struggled with it more than the practical. Getting
feedback and improving on this has helped me reach my targets.
I found the pitch very helpful to exploring my own ideas further. It helped
me summarise the unit and find anything that I hadnt completed. The
pitch was a good way of practising confidence a well as I had to do it in
front of teachers and students, as well as the camera. I got some helpful
feedback. The majority of it explained how I was confident but could have
had an aid on the board like Prezi. I also learned that people liked my
idea and thought It was well thought out. Students thought my finished
product was well executed.
My peer feedback has allowed me to understand better what parts of my
pitch are good and what parts are not so good. I learned that my delivery
was good, people thought I came across as confident. I found out that the
use of cards could have been upgraded to a presentation using
something like Prezi. This has helped me think about how I would re-do it.
What issues did you encounter and
how did you overcome them?
I had the problem that I lost my que cards. This was a problem because I
needed them to prompt me on what was the next bit of information to
share. However I had read them and remembered them thoroughly
enough to re write them so I managed to do the pitch fine, and I think it
went well.

High Grade Tips

Evaluation & Reflection

reasoned decisions and inform the development of ideas both your evaluation and the weekly
reflections above will clearly show both how and why your ideas developed throughout the project
demonstrating clarity in thinking all of the above plus very clear links between your research,
planning, idea development and the production of your poster and film trailer