Making media – Planning (Preparatory Activities) — OCR A-Level Media Studies

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.

• →Audience research: Methods like surveys, interviews, and focus groups to identify demographics, psychographics, and viewing habits. Use this to tailor content, mode of address, and distribution.
• →Pre-production documents: Storyboards (visualising shots and transitions), scripts (dialogue and action), shot lists (camera angles and movements), and production schedules (timeline and resources).
• →Genre conventions: Analysing existing media products in your chosen genre (e.g., horror, documentary) to understand typical codes (e.g., lighting, sound) and narrative structures.
• →Institutional context: Considering the production company, budget, and regulatory constraints (e.g., BBFC age ratings) that shape your product's form and content.
• →Creative development: Iterative process of generating initial ideas, refining them based on feedback, and justifying choices with reference to media theories.

• Application of knowledge and understanding of the media theoretical framework to create a media product (25 marks per product)
• Application of knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of contemporary media to create meaning (10 marks)
• Excellent realisation of the chosen brief addressing all requirements
• Sophisticated use of media language techniques
• Highly developed use of codes and conventions appropriate to the media form
• Sophisticated construction of representations
• Highly developed awareness of digital convergence and branding across products

• 💡Ensure the Statement of Intent is submitted with the final production
• 💡Use original footage, images, and text to avoid mark capping
• 💡Ensure the cross-media production demonstrates clear digital convergence and branding
• 💡Check work on a universal media player before submission to ensure compatibility
• 💡Ensure all elements of the production are completed under formal supervision within the centre
• 💡Use the 'best fit' approach when selecting band descriptors for marking
• 💡Show development: Include drafts, annotations, and reflections on how your ideas changed. This demonstrates the iterative process and critical thinking, which can push you into higher mark bands.
• 💡Link to theory: In your planning documents, explicitly reference media theories (e.g., uses and gratifications, representation theory). For example, note why a close-up creates a particular representation or how your soundtrack appeals to a niche audience.
• 💡Be realistic: Your plan must be achievable within the time and resources available. Overly ambitious plans (e.g., multiple locations, complex VFX) often lead to incomplete products. Examiners reward well-executed simple ideas over poorly executed complex ones.

• Failure to carry out sufficient research into relevant genres and media forms
• Inadequate planning of the chosen production
• Submitting work longer than the specified length (only the specified length is credited)
• Not using original footage, images, or text (marks capped at Level 1)
• Failing to supply a Statement of Intent (10-mark penalty)
• Over-reliance on software packages or pre-existing templates
• Inconsistent links between the two cross-media products
• Misconception: Planning is just about writing a script or storyboard. Correction: Planning also includes audience research, genre analysis, and logistical planning (e.g., locations, props). All elements must be documented and submitted.
• Misconception: You can skip audience research if you 'know' your target audience. Correction: Examiners expect evidence of primary or secondary research. Without it, you cannot justify how your product appeals to a specific audience, losing marks for research and application.
• Misconception: Storyboards need to be artistic masterpieces. Correction: Storyboards are functional – they should clearly show shot type, camera movement, and key action. Simple stick figures with annotations are acceptable if they communicate your vision.