Making media – Planning (Preparatory Activities)

Planning is a critical phase in the creation of any media product. For OCR A-Level Media Studies, the 'Making media – Planning (Preparatory Activities)' component requires you to systematically prepare for your non-exam assessment (NEA) production. This involves researching your target audience, developing initial ideas, and creating pre-production documents such as storyboards, scripts, and shot lists. Effective planning ensures your final product is coherent, meets the brief, and demonstrates your understanding of media language, representation, and industry conventions.

This topic is assessed through your NEA, which counts for 30% of your final grade. The planning stage is where you can secure marks for research, creativity, and technical skills. You must show evidence of audience research (e.g., surveys, focus groups), genre analysis, and how your ideas develop over time. Strong planning reduces the risk of errors during production and helps you justify creative choices in your evaluation. It also mirrors professional practice, where pre-production is essential for managing budgets, schedules, and resources.

Planning fits into the wider subject by linking theory to practice. For example, when you research your target audience, you apply theories of audience reception (e.g., Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding). When you storyboard, you demonstrate understanding of media language (e.g., mise-en-scène, cinematography). This component also prepares you for the 'Making media – Production' and 'Making media – Evaluation' stages, as your planning documents directly inform your final product and its critical reflection.