Coursework: Preliminary Exercise 2025 - Music Videos

Coursework: Preliminary Exercise 2025 - Music Videos

Initial Tasks: planning

Before creating anything in Media you need to plan out exactly what you are going to do. You need to complete the following planning tasks on your blog before you can film anything:

Create a blogpost called 'Coursework preliminary exercise' and produce the following.

1) Write a 100 word statement of intent explaining what you are going to make for your preliminary exercise.

Statement of intent: 100 words explaining what you plan to make.

Example statement of intent [147 words]: 

I plan to make a 30 second advert about a student struggling in school due to tiredness and behaviour issues who is helped by their rehydrating health drink. The beginning of the advert will have a montage editing sequence of different issues that the student is having with a soundtrack that fits a negative overall mood. My character will be in school uniform that is deliberately messed up to help communicate the struggles the student is experiencing.

The middle of the advert will involve the character discovering the product with close-up shots of the product (pack shot) and also the character drinking the product. The advert will then end with the character alert, in perfect uniform and answering a question in class and being successful. The final seconds will have a logo and slogan of the health drink with a voiceover saying the product name and slogan. [147 words]

I plan to make a 2-3 minute music video based of a person (the protagonist) who tried to make something of their life based off what they're good at. However it will include the protagonists struggles which mainly include things like making the protagonist not feel good enough or worthy of whatever they want to do, yet they try anyway because it's their dream. This music video represents how others will always degrade people based off what they like to do or what they love. It features the build of confidence and proving others wrong as the protagonist does what they want instead of following the ideas of society just to fit in and be seen as normal by their peers. [148 Words]

2) Write a script for your preliminary exercise on your blog. This needs to include stage directions AND dialogue. To see how a TV drama script is presented, and to look at professional examples, check out the BBC Writers' Room and click on Script Library. These will not be music video scripts but the layout will be the same.

. The scene starts with 1 single character alone in a dark room as the music builds up.

. By the time the beat drops the music video will transition to concert videos that have ready been pre-recorded in July.

. Plane scenes and scenes of places in other countries will be additionally as to represent the protagonist as finding themselves.

. Videos with friends and family will be added as if they're methods of support.

. Singing (lip syncing) and maybe a potential dance cover will be shown for an extra effect of the music video.

3) Casting: Who will be in your preliminary exercise music video?

Friends, family (maybe) and myself will be used in the music video.

4) Plan your locations: Where you will film your preliminary exercise? (You can film off-site if you wish to do this for homework - this is what we would strongly recommend). Important note: You CANNOT take any students out of any other lessons OR disturb any other lessons in the school. If you wish to film in-school then you will need to film with Mr Ray supervising or after school with a Media teacher present. 

. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

. The O2 Arena

. Jamaica (Specifically Montego Bay)

. A beach (No specific beach)

. A park (No specific park)

5) Write your shot list: every shot you plan to film. This needs to be far MORE shots than you will actually use in the final edited version - plan extra angles, close-ups, long shots and more. You can find an example shot list here. This is for a narrative film but the layout will be the same.

. High/low angle shots

. Birds eye view (Maybe)

. Medium shot

. Eye level shot (Maybe)

. Point of view shot (Maybe)