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Digital Film & Video Production BTEC Level 3

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Getting Ahead

Digital Film & Video Production BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate at Alton Campus

This work will help you get to grips with some of the key concepts involved in this course and the film and video industry. Building these foundations now will put you in good stead when you begin your course in September.

If in doubt, watch more films. The more exposure you can get to the industry, the better. Happy watching!

Did you know? The first moving image cameras were invented in the 1890s so filmmaking as a creative practice has been around for many years! Things have changed a lot in that time and having an awareness of the history of filmmaking is so important.

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Capture, in collage form (either digital or physical) your film consumption. Use this time to try new genres, discover old classics and re-live some of your favourites.

Write a diary of your film viewing and write reviews on each of the films you watch.

Using this worksheet to help you, analyse a film scene of your choice.

Please create a brief PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation using images you have taken around your home to illustrate a range of shot types.

  1. Look at this website to help you start familiarising yourself with these key terms
  2. Create as many examples of the following shot types as you can.
    • Long Shot
    • Cowboy Shot
    • Mid Shot
    • Close-Up
    • Extreme Close-Up
  3. Screenshot (or use Google images) to find professional examples from film and TV shows that use these shot types
  4. If you are feeling confident, can you ascribe meaning to these shots? (i.e., what message are they trying to convey and how are elements, such as lighting, used to tell a story?)

Please ask willing family members to be your subject(s); you should be behind the camera. If you are struggling, pets, action figures, etc. will do just fine!

Please think carefully about how you present this information, think of creative ways to use PowerPoint/Google to create dynamic presentations.

We will be asking for this work on the first day of College so please be ready to submit this digitally on the first day once you have been assigned login details for Google Classroom.

Resources

Meet your Teachers

  • creative media teacher barbara murray

    Barbara Murray (barbara.murray@alton.hsdc.ac.uk)

  • creative media teacher cara crowcombe

    Cara Crowcombe

  • creative media teacher laura ryan

    Laura Ryan

We look forward to seeing you soon!

My time at the college was definitely life changing, I have learnt a lot of new skills, and obviously it’s a completely new experience. The support was great, there was always people there to help and try make it as easy as they can for you. The college is really fantastic, it has helped me on the way to get to what I want to achieve within my career goals.

Erin Morgan, BTEC student

"I am delighted with my results and am really looking forward to studying Law at Oxford University. I really enjoyed my time at HSDC Alton and I really appreciate all the help and support from my fantastic teachers, without whom I wouldn't have got my place at Oxford."

Catherine Goldie, HSDC Alton A Level Student

The teaching and support was really great, the quality was really great, all the teachers really care about your education as well as your wellbeing, they take everything into consideration and they’re great.

Katie Whittingham, A Level student