Dear Parents and Student

Thank you for taking the time to read your student booklet. If you follow the advice given within it then it will help you immensely in succeeding and enjoying your time on the BTEC course.

BTEC courses are 100% portfolios that are internally assessed. For that reason it is vital that the work produced is their own and that they feel that the grade awarded is a fair assessment of their work. To that end can I draw your attention to the sanctions and consequences of plagiarism.

The Student Handbook should be stored in a safe place at home so that it can be referred to, when necessary. We ask that you and your parents will complete and sign the slip below and return it to your next BTEC lesson.

Many Thanks

I have read the BTEC Student Handbook and fully understand the course requirements and what is expected of me as a Student enrolled on the Cardinal Heenan Creative Media Production course.Signed:..(Student)

Signed:..(Parent)

Date:.

The BTEC National in Creative Media Production has been developed in the Performing Arts sector to focus on:

Develop the fundamental research skills which underlie all media production

Gain an understanding of employment opportunities, job requirements, and working practices in the media sector

Develop an understanding of how media products are constructed for specific audiences or markets.

Whats it all about?

BTEC NATIONALS LEVEL 3 SUBSIDIARY DIPOLMA

CREATIVE MEDIA PRODUCTION

This handbook will explain all the ins and outs of your BTEC course.

Student handbook

2011-2012

2011-20122011-2012

The edexcel Level 3 BTEC National is designed to provide highly specialised work-related qualifications. It is designed to give you the knowledge, understanding and skills needed for employment in the media industry.

What is a BTEC National?

Index Page

Whats it all about?Pg 1

What is a BTEC Diploma?Pg 1

Course structure diagramPg 3

How BTEC is markedPg 4

Equipment You Will UsePg 5

AssignmentsPg 5

GradesPg 6

Help and SupportPg 6

Assignment brief examplePg 7

Assignment examplePg 9

Assessment feedback sheetPg 10

Student LogPg 11

Unit introductions (year 12)Pg 12

Unit Introductions (year 13)Pg 13

What do we expect from you?Pg 14

Special circumstancesPg 14

Appeals procedurePg 14

Grading appeal formP15

Glossary of BTEC TermsP16

Plagerism and ReferencingP17

Dear Parent/ CarerP18

Year 12 Units

Completion of these gives you the AS level

Course structure diagram

Unit 29 Music Video Production10 credits

Unit 26 Film Studies10 credits

Unit 3Research Techniques for the Creative Media Industries core unit 10 credits

All of the above and: 500/7930/XCATION TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTIONPRODUCTION

Year 13 Units

Completion of these will give you the A2 award.

Unit 30 Advertisement Production for Television

Unit 33 Stop Motion Animation Production

Unit 2 Communication Skills for Creative Media Production Core Unit

Ten Credit Units

Unit 1 Pre-Production Techniques for the Creative Media Industries Core unit

Year 12 Units

September to June

Core Units worth 5 credits each

GradeUCAS PointsD*140D120M80P40

UCAS Points

All BTEC units carry a credit value of either 5 or 10 credits and the grade that you obtain in these units will give you your final points total for it. Although sounding complicated it really is not. At Level 3 each pass gains you 7pts per credit a Merit gains you 8pts per credits and a Distinction gains you 9pts per credit.

That means if you were to gain a Distinction on a 10 credit unit you would gain 90pts towards your final total.

Distinction = 9pts X 10 credits =90 pts

Your course is made up of 7 units, which consist of either 30 or 60 guided learning hours (GLH) each, depending on their weighting of credits. These units are internally assessed through assignments set and marked by your teachers.

Size of unit (credits)PassMeritDistinction107080905354045

The points are added together to give your final grade as follows:

Qualification Pass grade Merit Grade Distinction Distinction *BTEC National Subsidiary Diploma420-459460-499500-519520 and above

How is Btec Marked?

Grades Explained

Each of the lessons you have will involve you using a range of ICT

Classwork

The Media BTEC base is entirely kitted out with brand new iMacs for all students to familiarise themselves with

When completing practical work each student will use the latest software such as iMovie, InDesign and Photoshop: all of which are industry standard.

Practical Work

You will become familiar with all elements of production including how:

to Research using online technologies,

to plan a media production,

to manage people in a production team

to film from a concept or storyboard and

to edit and finely polish a media aretefact.

With the total completion of the first year, you will move onto year 11 (2012-13) were you will be able to study enough units to achieve the BTEC Diploma.

Equipment Used

Each type of qualification is recognised by colleges, Universities and the work place.

Units 1,2,30 and 331 AS levelAll of the above plus Units 3, 26 and 291 complete A level

BTEC as an A level equivalent

Each Unit has its own assignments, which will be handed to you by your tutor. Each assignment has a range of marks to be gained from it. Always ask for support and try your best as the more work you do the better grade you will achieve.

All assignments have deadlines which your tutor will help you meet in class but you should attempt to do some work at home in order to hand them in on time.

Assignments

As well as there being a range of certification, there are different grades that can be obtained by doing more work. The assignments briefs will highlight how to obtain the higher grades in each unit.

You can achieve a

PASS

MERIT

DISTINCTION

Each grade is recognised by colleges and the work place on its own credit. All students should complete the work for a pass, then move on to the work required for a merit and then finally a distinction.

There will be many opportunities over each Unit to achieve a higher grade, so dont be deterred by a pass the first time, this is a good start and you should always be looking for ways to improve.

Assessment and grading criteria ExampleTo achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:To achieve a merit grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to:To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to:P1

Outline research methods and techniquesM1

Describe research methods and techniques with some detail and with reference to appropriate illustrative examplesD1

Evaluate research methods and techniques with reference to precise and detailed illustrative examples

Each Unit has a specialist teacher who should be your main contact for support. Other teaching staff within your BTEC also have skills and knowledge within the field, so please ask for help from the people you feel most comfortable with.

Some of the teachers are making resources available on moodle and they will inform you on how to access them.

Grades

Help and Support

Assignment sheet Example

Assignment Example

Assessment feedback form

Unit TitleYour grade

(P/M/D)Your points Unit 1 PRE PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES FOR THE CREATIVE MEDIA INDUSTRIES (5credits) Yr12Unit 2 COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR CREATIVE MEDIA PRODUCTION (5credits) Yr12Unit 3 RESEARCH TECHNIQUES FOR CREATIVE MEDIA INDUSTRIES (10 credits) Yr13Unit 26 FILM STUDIES (10 credits) Yr13Unit 29 MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION (10 credits) Yr13Unit 30 ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION FOR TELEVISION (10 credits) Yr12Unit 33 STOP MOTION ANIMATION PRODUCTION (10 credits) Yr12

BTEC FIRST DIPLOMA

Creative Media Production

Student log

TOTAL POINTS:

OVERALL GRADE:

Unit 1 PRE PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES FOR THE CREATIVE MEDIA INDUSTRIES

This unit will develop your understanding of and skills in pre-production. The unit covers planning and resourcing requirements for production and post-production, how to locate resources and how to organize your deployment. You will also develop your understanding of health, safety and legal issues in relation to pre-production.

Unit 2 COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR CREATIVE MEDIA PRODUCTION

The aim of this unit is to ensure that you are able to communicate effectively in creative media production contexts in writing and orally.

Unit 30 ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION FOR TELEVISION

The aim of this unit is to enable you to apply production skills to create an advert for television. You will examine existing television advertisements to investigate how persuasive messages can be constructed. You will then plan and produce an advertisement for television, and evaluate the effectiveness of your finished product.

Unit 33 STOP MOTION ANIMATION PRODUCTION

This unit aims to develop your skills in the production of stop motion animation, using traditional frameby-frame methods to animate 3D materials such as objects, puppets, clay figures and other models.

Unit Introductions (year 12)

Each unit is unique in its skills and techniques it provides. All of the units together form a sound base of media knowledge that will enable you to enter the world of work as animator, music technician, film maker and more.

What can I do at the end of the course?

Unit introductions (Year 13)

What happens if I move to another school?

If you move to another school registration for the course will remain open for two years.

Unit 3 RESEARCH TECHNIQUES FOR CREATIVE MEDIA INDUSTRIES

The aim of this unit is to develop understanding of and skills in research relevant to creative media production. You will present your findings in both written and oral forms and will learn how to cite and reference your sources.

Unit 26 FILM STUDIES

This unit aims to develop your understanding of how films are created for specific audiences and how they make meaning for those audiences through an exploration of industry practices and the application of a range of theoretical approaches. The insights that you develop will inform their future production work.

Unit 29 MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION

In this unit you will explore the purpose, styles and conventions of music video. You will then develop, plan and produce a music video.

Attend all classes.

Attend all performances.

Show your commitment to the course and respect for your group by being punctual.

Participate in lessons be prepared to share your ideas.

Keep your log book and place your work in an organised and labelled folder.

Carefully prepare for all assessments.

Read feedback and assignments carefully this will help you to improve the standard of your work.

Keep records of your grades on the tracking sheet provided.

Attend arranged trips.

Do not be afraid to ask questions if you do not understand.

Special circumstances

Special Circumstances

If, for a valid reason, you need some extra time to complete an assignment you must submit a written request to your teacher five days before the hand in deadline. You will need to agree a new deadline that cannot be broken.

Any student who is unhappy with the grade of an assessed assignment has the right to appeal according to the guidelines and regulations issued by Edexcel.

You must lodge an appeal within one week following grading. The formal procedure is as follows:-

1. Inform the assessor (your teacher) that you are unhappy with your grade and seek an appointment with him/her to discuss the matter.

2. Should you still be unhappy, you must ask your teacher to arrange a meeting with the Internal Verifier for that unit.

3. If you are still unhappy, a Senior Manager in the school will be informed and they will make a final decision.

4. If at this stage you are not satisfied, you will be referred to the BTEC appeals procedure.

What do we expect from you?

Appeals procedure

Student: Tutor:

Unit number and Title:

This form must be returned to the tutor within 5 days of the work being marked. Student Appeal Reasons:

Student signature: Date:Tutor comment:

Tutor signature: Date:Internal verifier comment:

Internal verifier signature: Date:Student feedback:

Decision accepted: Yes/No

Student signature: Date:

BTEC GRADING APPEAL

This glossary lists the most common BTEC terms that are used in unit assessment criteria

together with indicative definitions.

ANALYSEBreak down a complex topic into simpler parts, exploring patterns and explaining significance.ASSESSSee evaluate.COMPAREIdentify and explain the similarities and differences.CONTRASTIdentify and explain the differences.DEMONSTRATEShow awareness and understandingDESCRIBEGive a description of the major features.DISCUSSPresent and examine clearly the various views on a topic or issue.EVALUATEExamine the strengths & weaknesses.EXAMINELay out the essential elements of an issue and investigate in detail. EXPLAINShow clearly knowledge and understanding of topic.EXPLOREExamine or investigate a topic or issues, often in an imaginative way.IDENTIFYPick out and describe the main points.INTERPRETClarify or explain the meaning. INVESTIGATEA careful and systematic inquiry into a topic or issue.JUSTIFYProvide reasons why something is valid.OUTLINEIdentify the main features.RESEARCHUse a variety of sources to establish facts or collect information. REVIEWWrite a critical assessment.SIGNIFICANCEConsequence or importance.SPECIFYIdentify clearly and definitely.STATEProvide information in a brief uncomplicated form.

Glossary of BTEC Terms

Plagiarism and Referencing

Plagiarism is an offence we take very seriously at

Cardinal Heenan and is something you need to be aware of.

Plagiarism is where you copy someone elses work and pass it off

as your own. The most common types of plagiarism are:

Copying work from someone in your class

Cutting and pasting work from the internet and passing it

Off as your own

Copying work from someone in a year above or someone who has finished the course recently

If you are found guilty of plagiarism then a number of serious sanctions could be taken ranging from work being failed and made to do it again to expulsion from the course.

When using material from other sources you must make sure you reference the author or publisher fully. If you reference a book you are required to submit:

The Full quote

The title of the book

The page you took the quote

The author

The publisher

The date the book was published

For Example:

If you reference from an internet page you must submit:

The full quote

The FULL url

The date you accessed the page

For example:

An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). Advertising campaigns appear in different media across a specific time frame.

HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising_campaign" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising_campaign 1/09/11

Parent and Student Pledge

PAGE 16