T1| Wk 3 - Thurs (due Wed Wk 4) Major Task Planning PITCH

 Today you guys are going to create a PITCH for your short film.

A pitch is a short, persuasive presentation that sells a film idea to producers by proving:

• The idea is clear

• The story is engaging

• The audience is defined

• The film is achievable

 

For A2 Media, it must show:

• Narrative understanding

• Genre conventions

• Audience targeting

• Industry awareness

• Practical production thinking

  
  

  Activity: DUE WED 

  
  

  Create a Pitch using the 8 step pitch structure below. Create a slideshow that will be presented as though you were pitching to potential investors, filmed and uploaded to your blog as a Youtube video.

  This can be a shared task but should have equal input for marking purposes, both in the planning and the presentation.

  You'll be marked on the following areas;

  1. Content

  - the actual idea 

  - clarity (clear, structured ideas) 

  - researched

  - creative rationale for choices 

  - feasibility (realistic) 

  - audience awareness is specific and justified

  
  

  2.  presentation 

  - clarity in communication of idea (articulate and concise)

  - professionalism

  - persuasive and confidence in communicating the idea

  - technological tools used in a sophisticated way

  - articulate 

  
  

  The 8-Step Pitch Structure

  Use this framework:

  1. Title & Logline (Hook)

  1–2 sentence summary

  It must include:

  • Protagonist

  • Goal

  • Obstacle

  • Stakes

  
  

  Example:

  When a shy teen accidentally livestreams her private diary, she must track down the hacker before her secrets destroy her reputation.

  2. Genre & Style

  You should answer:

  • What genre?

  • Hybrid genre?

  • Tone? (dark, comedic, surreal, realist?)

  • Visual style?

  Use references:

  • “Inspired by Black Mirror…”

  • “Shot in handheld realism like This Is England…”

  This shows media literacy which is essential for A2.

  ---

  3. Target Audience

  You must define:

  • Age range

  • Gender skew (if relevant)

  • Psychographics (values, interests)

  • Where it would be distributed (festival? YouTube? streaming?)

  Go beyond:
   “Teenagers”
  Rather  “16–21 urban audiences interested in social realism and mental health narratives”

  ---

  4. Narrative Outline (Beginning–Middle–End)

  Not the full script,  just:

  • Setup

  • Conflict

  • Climax

  • Resolution

  Keep it under 1 minute when spoken.

  5. Characters

  Brief description of:

  • Protagonist

  • Antagonist (or central conflict)

  • Key supporting role

  Focus on:

  • Motivation

  • Internal conflict

  • Representation

  6. Themes & Messages

  • What issues are explored?

  • Why does this matter now?

  • How does it reflect contemporary society?

    
    

  This is where theory can be integrated ( Todorov, Hall, etc.)

  7. Visual & Technical Approach

  Students should mention:

  • Cinematography style

  • Colour palette

  • Sound design

  • Editing pace

  • Locations

  • Budget awareness

  This proves production understanding.

  8. Why This Film? (The Sell)

  End with:

  • Why it’s original

  • Why audiences will care

  • Why it’s relevant today

  This is the persuasive close.

  
  

  
  

  Common Mistakes

  • Idea too big for a short film

  • No clear conflict

  • No target audience

  • Confusing genre

  • Overcomplicated plot

  • No clear ending

  Reminder;

  A short film is about one moment of change — not a whole life story.

Short Film examples for inspiration

Good example of a quirky comedy that uses humour to address a more sinister issue. Also interesting use of sound as there's minimal dialogue.

T1 | Wk 3 | Monday - Tues - Cinematography Challenge

Shot Meaning Workshop

Your scenario - someone is hiding something 

They must plan (using a storyboard) and record;

• 5 shots

• thinking about...

  Shot type

• Camera angle

• Movement

  
  

  Write a short paragraph answering the question; "What does each choice suggest about power or emotion?"

  
  

  
  

T1 | W2 | Wed + Thurs - Conventions of short films (incl. Narrative conventions)

 Use the links below to do some research on  conventions (specifically but not exclusively, narrative conventions - essentially HOW a story is told).

Create a slide-show (or any blog tool for presentation) that summarises and presents your findings. 

You should have a minimum of 10 conventions that you've found AND include relevant examples from movies or TV series that demonstrate or use these effectively. 

(this task will lead into what we will do tomorrow)

Resource 1 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqdhrdm/revision/4

Resource 2 (slightly broader than just narrative but also effective research for HOW to tell a story in a short film)

https://raindance.org/3-elements-of-short-film-structure-you-need-to-know/

https://coggle.it/diagram/Wd6YvWgXiQABSh5g/t/short-film-conventions

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/codes-and-conventions-of-a-short-film/9389267

T1 | Wk 3 | Mon - Micro-narrative representation exercise

To make a good short film you have to be a good storyteller. 

Knowing what you know already of narrative conventions for a short film, pick a theme from the list below;

1. Guilt

2. Identity

3. Isolation

4. Redemption 

You must pitch a 1–2 minute story with:

• Beginning / middle / end

• One main character

• One turning point

  
  

• No dialogue allowed ('Show don't tell')

• Present your story pitch as a voice over, with a creative background video (this is fairly easy to create w/ AI)

You must use the conventions available to you to plan to convey your story. 

This will be out of 10 marks and will be assessed based on your ability to understand narrative conventions and construct a short film story, effectively. 

Representation in short film

 Activity;

You are being employed to write an article for the local newspaper. As a journalist you are going to base your piece on research.

You are going to 

1. Choose one of the core areas of society that we studied last year 

2. Find at least 2 films or TV series where we can examine this representation

3. Do a short study on how those characters are represented

4. Use your knowledge on Stuart Hall's reception theory to write a research piece on representation of this particular group in modern film or television 

T1 | Wk 1 Homework - Genre Study

 

You are going to choose 3 short films to analyse with the grid below;

Concept	Questions
Genre	How is genre signalled quickly? (conventions used)
Narrative	Linear? Open ending? Restricted?
Media Language	Camera, editing, sound choices
Representation	Who is shown? How? Why?
Audience	Who is this for? How do we know?

Actions: 

1. embed the short films into your blog, with correct title

2. draw up your table using a blog tool and use this as research for your major task

3. Publish to your blog 

Some examples below;

Thriller 

Dark Comedy