Unit 21 Grading Criteria

Grading Criteria – The Learner can:
Pass The grading criteria are the pass requirements for this unit. In order to achieve a pass grade, all pass criteria must be achieved.
Learning Outcome 1: Be able to generate ideas for an original media product based on a client brief
P1: Explain different ideas for an original media product based on a client brief
Learning Outcome 2: Be able to create a proposal and pitch for an original media product based on a given brief
P2: Create a proposal and client documentation to support the pitch
P3: Create a pitch to communicate an idea to the client
Learning Outcome 3: Be able to pitch ideas on a proposed media product and respond to questions
P4: Pitch ideas to a client
Merit Criteria The grading criteria are the merit requirements for this unit. In order to achieve a merit grade, all merit criteria must be achieved and all pass criteria must also have been achieved.
Learning Outcome 1: Be able to generate ideas for an original media product based on a client brief
M1: Discuss strengths and weaknesses of the different ideas
Learning Outcome 2: Be able to create a proposal and pitch for an original media product based on a given brief
M2: Identify potential client questions and amend pitch and proposal documentation
Learning Outcome 3: Be able to pitch ideas on a proposed media product and respond to questions
M3: Show an understanding of feedback and be able to respond to questions
Distinction Criteria The grading criteria are the distinction requirements for this unit. In order to achieve a distinction grade, all distinction criteria must be achieved and all merit and pass criteria must also have been achieved.
Learning Outcome 3: Be able to pitch ideas on a proposed media product and respond to questions
D1: Discuss the client considerations for the creation of the product from the pitch

 

 

Inspirations for ‘Wildlife’

Below I have attached images and scenes which have been a direct influence on my thought process in imagining ‘Wildlife’, a sci-fi action-adventure TV show set in post-apocalyptic Britain. This art has helped me conceptualise ideas and themes prominent in my pitch and treatment.

SIMON STÅLENHAG’s dystopian art is a great reference point for apocalyptic suburban settings and sci-fi ideas.

Many SCI-FI FILMS are a great reference point in framing and creating living apocalyptic worlds. Here is a presentation of some sci-fi films with beautiful cinematography that create a specific feeling or atmosphere.

sci-fi cinematography

 

3.5 Response to Client Questions

The e-mail response below addresses client questions from the BBC regarding the pitch of my programme idea “Wildlife”. Here I have identified the questions and responded to them. Now I will take the replies I have given the BBC and alter my pitch based on them. 

Dear Christina Zaidinski,

Thank you for your email. We have been able to reduce the budget of the show by 40% from the £300,000 overall budget mentioned in the pitch. Therefore, we will be looking for £60,000 for the pilot episode and £120,000 for the remaining episodes – having an overall budget of £180,000. We will do this by reducing any special effects in the show, such as green screen or models for inner-world objects, such as the militarised wall referenced in the treatment. Instead we will use practical effects or reuse props in the BBC model workshops at a reduced price. Another method to avoid this absence of higher SFX quality is to use a crowdfunding source such as Kickstarter or social media to raise more money for the show, allowing for a higher production value or more popular talent. This will also grow a loyal viewership before the show even releases.

We will also be using a viral marketing campaign to target a specific audience of British teenagers. Corporations such as Netflix are hiring members of their target audience to control the activity of their social media accounts, meaning teenagers will see the account as less like an advertisement and more like a viral source of information about the programme. This will also reduce costs dramatically by being almost free of charge.

In terms of the audience profile, our target audience character ‘Adam’ is the main crowd we think we’ll be drawing in, but there are other elements we will include to make sure the show is fully representative of the complete viewership. This includes making some characters members of the LGBT community and including ethnic minorities in some major roles. While we will be focusing on ensuring our talent is of excellent quality in terms of acting ability, we think Daniel Kaluuya would be the perfect pick for the role of Ken, the gang member killed in the first episode. He is Academy Award Nominated and British, as well as being prominent in the African-American film community, working with directors such as Jordan Peele, Steve McQueen and Ryan Coogler. We think this will attract a viewership that may not have initially watched the film from around the world and in our own country of the UK. We also want to target a female audience as more and more women and enjoying sci-fi than ever before, especially with the casting of a female doctor in the latest season of “Doctor Who”. The character of “Kayla” will be a strong and vital character in the story, not just a minor sidekick or even a love interest. There will also be female soldiers, police officers and gang members to accurately represent the British population. The representative cast will ensure the world is realistic and immersive.

The soundtrack will be electronic/experimental style as previously mentioned. We want to target an audience in touch with the quality of film and TV show production, with them understanding how music affects the living world of a media product. It is also possible to commission a track especially for the programme, similar to Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower”, made especially for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018). This will attract a general viewership and generate buzz for the programme if released prior to the show’s release. Also using music from up and coming bands will attract their loyal fanbases and introduce opportunities for partnerships with the musicians. Lesser known tracks will also be cheaper and easier to license.

In terms of the writing team, we want to ensure it is a diverse group of talented writers from varying backgrounds, whether or not they are already acclaimed or just starting out. Jamie Brittain, a co-creator of the British TV show “Skins” may be excellent in creating the inter-character dialogue and developing characters. Charlie Brooker, creator and writer of “Black Mirror” would be excellent in world-building and developing the sci-fi atmosphere and elements.

Finally, we are sticking with using local and easy-to-access locations for filming, in the desolate English and Welsh countrysides, using forest and natural environments. This will reduce overall costs and create a creepy and fitting atmosphere and tone.

Thank you for your interest in “Wildlife”.

Yours Sincerely,

Max Salisbury

3.1/3.2 Pitch

Here is the video pitch for my TV show ‘Wildlife’. It was edited by me on Final Cut Pro. I use the green screen to add images in the background which relate to and are inspirations for my idea. I give a general summary on the premise of the show, describe the characters, the motives, the target audience and the budget.

Strengths of this video:

• I think I come across as enthusiastic about my idea and have a detailed knowledge regarding my vision.
• I fleshed out the story as much as possible to inform the client as much as possible.
• I gave examples of inspiration and used art and other images to portray my vision.
• The video length is short enough to be within the limit but long enough to fully explain my idea.
• I covered most topics and possible queries regarding the show.

Limitations of this video:

• Due to a time constraint some of the editing is choppy and cuts off too quickly.
• I could have explained the budget or target audience more.
• Sometimes I repeat or ramble about certain aspects.

Overall I think I give a persuasive and detailed account of my thought process regarding ‘Wildlife’ and fully explain what my perspective is.

Audience Profiling

To focus the themes and content of my programme, I should create a template average audience member so that when creating my show, I can cater to this imaginary person which will thus create a niche fanbase while retaining the overall appeal.

Adam is 15 years old and male. He lives in the UK and is in class C2 (working class). He has no religion and is an atheist. His favourite genre is science fiction, especially contemporary sci-fi, so he loves watching the latest sci-fi shows and movies. Adam’s favourite film is ‘Children of Men’ (2006) because he loves the British setting, the realistic world and the story structure where the protagonist has to get from A to B while protecting something. His favourite TV show is ‘The Walking Dead’ because he likes zombie-apocalypse media but the character development in the show makes it better than most other competitors in the industry. Adam especially likes the fact that he can watch these products on streaming platforms and on the go; ‘Children of Men’ on Netflix and ‘The Walking Dead’ on Amazon Prime. Adam loves electronic music, especially when it’s used in a film or TV show to create an atmospheric setting or tension. Adam really doesn’t like pop music though, because he finds it too generic and overplayed – he likes originality and experimentation. His least favourite genre of film and TV is superhero for a similar reason – it lacks originality.

This video is good because I used different angles and camera techniques to add effect and make the video visually interesting. I also included editing, titles and music to elevate the quality. A problem with the video is that the script could have been more refined and representative of the initial script above, however I think the concept of the ‘template audience’ character was show.

3.3/3.4 Focus Group

A group of friends and I recorded a conversation about what makes a TV show good. I tried to link it to sci-fi and contemporary programmes to understand what general audiences are looking for in television products. The group represented the target audience effectively; they were British audiences actively engaged in the media.

The main consensus of the video was that good characters and personal plotlines make a TV show. Other notes were that a high production budget, effective marketing strategy via word of mouth and viral marketing, high writing and story quality, a blend of genres and a believable sci-fi premise make a good science fiction show. In terms of genre, most agreed that the primary genre had to be decided before sci-fi, meaning the creators had to decide if the show would be centered around action, horror, thriller or drama before implementing sci-fi elements, examples being that ‘The Walking Dead’ is a horror show before being sci-fi, and ‘Game of Thrones’ is an action-adventure show before being a fantasy show. Teenagers are obviously attracted to ‘binge-watching’ over scheduled viewing, reasons being that you forget and thus don’t care about the characters or plotline of the show. The group also though authentic actors would be better than not, and good writing and dialogue was valued above the quality of the acting. They also thought shows needed a high production budget if they were going to attempt special effects or an ambitious element, otherwise the show could look poor in quality.

As far of criticisms regarding British drama, most said that British drama could be more unbelievable than its American counterparts, especially on a TV budget. They said British comedy works far better, citing ‘Game of Thrones’ for its comedic characters and comic relief, but saying “if ‘The Walking Dead’ was British” it wouldn’t work.

From this discussion I have realised that I should focus on high quality writing and characters, as well as an engaging premise and story before regarding the talent or other elements of the show. Due to the show being British, the script should contain some dry comedic relief. The programme can also blend genres effectively to cast a wide audience net and constantly keep the audience ‘on their feet’. We should also use a viral marketing strategy to target the desired demographic and create word of mouth about the show.

In terms of evaluating this video, I would say it is well made because I edited, partially scripted and mediated the discussion effectively. We had a clear overall talking point and came to some good conclusions. As far as limitations go, if the structure was more formal then we may have been more concise and gone over a wider range of topics, but the ideas may not have flowed as easily.

I will take what has been said in this discussion when making my video and creating my pitch. I have been able to use this as primary research and develop and adapt my pitch based on this information. I now know to ensure the writing talent is excellent otherwise the characters won’t be engaging. According to the focus group, characters come before story. I should also ensure I blend genre effectively, but have a clear main genre before the show includes sci-fi elements. It will be mainly ACTION with a blend of HORROR, COMEDY and ADVENTURE, in a SCI-FI setting.

After the discussion I also asked for peer feedback after pitching my idea to Adam. He told me he thought the idea was good but I needed to write up a synopsis or detailed explanation of my inspirations and genre of the show so I have a clear focus. He said the characters were good but needed more relatability and charisma, which I said would be fleshed out in the scripting stage. I will take Adam’s comments into consideration when conceptualising and finalising my pitch.

This focus group has been very effective in helping me develop my idea.

2.1/2.6 Pitch Project: TV Show Treatment

Linked below is the treatment for my show as well as a detailed synopsis of the first three episodes. The treatment is complete with a logline, synopsis, title, character profiles, and a budget. I have taken possible client questions into account to alter my initial draft of my pitch to create a detailed and accurate treatment.

Treatment

Synopsis of First 3 Episodes

I think the treatment and synopsis are well done and I have thoroughly explored how and what will happen in the first three episodes. The premise and basic summary of the show has been fleshed out thoroughly, but the characters could use some development. Going into conceptulisation and character design, I will begin to create profiles and develop their personalities.

Soundtrack Ideas

Soundtracks can make or break a film or TV show. They can drastically alter the mood or tone of a particular medium and make the audience feel emotional, excited, scared or happy. They also help audiences identify characters: who they are and what role they play in the story e.g. good or bad.

Some of my favourite soundtracks are:

• ‘Phantom Thread’ & ‘You Were Never Really Here’ by Jonny Greenwood
• ‘Suspiria’ by Thom Yorke – the song creates a creepy but melancholic atmosphere which perfectly fits Luca Guadagnino’s remake of the 1977 Giallo classic

• ‘Mr. Robot’ by Mac Quayle
• ‘Annihilation’ by Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow – the score is used perfectly in this scene ending the film, when our protagonist meets an alien for the first time. The synthesiser sounds are jarring and create a disturbing tone. The music makes the scene and I don’t think the scene would be as uneasy if it wasn’t there.

• ‘Interstellar’, ‘The Dark Knight’ & ‘Blade Runner 2049’ by Hans Zimmer
• ‘Isle of Dogs’ by Alexandre Desplat
• ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ & ‘Barry Lyndon’ by Various Artists
• ‘Under the Skin’ by Mica Levi
• ‘Star Wars’ by John Williams – ‘Binary Sunset’ is a classic theme by Williams and is perfect for the scene. It shows the hope Luke feels for the future and foreshadows the wonder and mystery of the Force.

These soundtracks convey the feelings of the film as well as creating the emotions the filmmakers want the audience to feel. ‘The Docking Scene’ from ‘Interstellar’ by Hans Zimmer is not only a great track, but perfectly balances the emotional weight of the scene with its intensity.

These are just some examples of great soundtracks. Sci-fi films tend to have the best or most cinematic scores, especially those done by Zimmer or Williams. Using cinematic sounds to build intensity and strange experimental synthesizers for the climax create a tense and sometimes uncomfortable atmosphere.

Sci-Fi Paradigms

There are many paradigms and characteristics in the genre of science fiction:

• Alternate worlds – most sci-fi media is set in an extra-terrestrial world or alternate timeline. Frank Herbert’s novel ‘Dune’ is set on the fictional planet of Arrakis – it is also set to be adapted for the screen by director Denis Villenueve later this year – whereas ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ (1984) is set in an alternate timeline where 1984 Britain has been turned into a totalitarian socialist dictatorship.
• Non-human characters – many comedic relief or minor characters in science fiction are non-human, such as C-3PO in the ‘Star Wars’ saga.

• Allegories – most sci-fi plays as an allegory for the state of our current society, usually in a negative light. ‘District 9’ (2009) is an allegory and satire of systematic racism and apartheid in South Africa.

• Technology – although this may seem like a given, most, not all, science fiction features advanced technology and science. The ‘Star Trek’ saga features “subspace” which allows speeds faster than light to be reached in interstellar travel.

• Time travel – while this doesn’t appear in all sci-fi, most older stories in the genre feature a machine or technology allowing humans to travel forward and backward in time, e.g. ‘Doctor Who’.
• Journey – a common story structure in sci-fi is that of the journey. Classic sci-fi films like ‘Star Wars’ (1977), ‘Children of Men’ (2006) and ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968) feature the protagonist on a journey for the interest of humanity or their own personal cause.

• Dystopia – the antithesis of ‘utopia’, a dystopia features a society of poverty, apocalypse and radical political movement. ‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017) features a hyper-capitalist dystopia, whereas ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ is a hyper-socialist dystopia, where both radical movements seem to overlap.

These paradigms should all factor in to the pre-production of my idea. I will take this into account and adapt my synopsis to better fit the sci-fi genre.

The History of Science Fiction

Science Fiction or Sci-fi, is a genre of media containing themes of extra-terrestrial worlds, advanced technology, travelling into the future, dystopia and utopia and predictions about the future. It has been called the ‘literature of ideas’.

The first unofficial sci-fi novel is thought to be Lucian’s ‘A True Story’ from the 2nd Century AD. While there were many novels throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the genre itself came into fruition with Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’. The most prolific sci-fi writer, H.G. Wells, propelled the genre into popularity, with ‘The War of the Worlds’ and ‘The Time Machine’ defining ideas about the future of mankind in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The first known science fiction film is Georges Méliès’s 1902 film ‘A Trip to the Moon’. It became a landmark for film, bringing a creative flair to the cinematic medium.

Science fiction later reached the feature-length picture with Fritz Lang’s 1927 film ‘Metropolis’, which influenced the genre in film as we know it today.

Other influential science fiction films include:

• Ishirō Honda’s 1954 film ‘Godzilla’ which propelled the Japanese legend into cinema.
• Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ marketed as “the ultimate trip”.
• George Lucas’s 1977 film ‘Star Wars’ which created a billion-dollar franchise of multi-media products and a huge lore.

Science fiction allowed for speculative ideas about the future to become commercialised, often becoming negative with time and Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’, which was one of the first acclaimed sci-fi novels which would warn humanity in the way they were heading, rather than boast an escape from reality like Wells’s previous work.

Currently, science fiction is one of the most popular genres in cinema. Three of the highest grossing films of all time, ‘Avatar’ (2009), ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018) and ‘Black Panther’ (2018), are heavily influenced by science fiction, two of which take place on extra-terrestrial planets. Sci-fi is certainly one of the most considerable genres in contemporary cinema.