Clarification details
Updated December 2017. This document has been updated to address issues that have arisen from moderation.
Focus of the standard
At level 6 of the curriculum, students will gain knowledge, skills and experience to explore media conventions and technology to create media. The standard assesses a student’s ability to use at least five media conventions in the design and plan for a media product.
The brief
Student work is assessed against the brief, which must clearly state the intention of the media product. This includes identifying the target audience, purpose of the product, duration or length of the product, possible conventions, and other relevant factors to be considered such as legal and ethical concerns.
Use of conventions
A list of possible conventions, from which students select at least five, should be provided in the brief. The convention list should be specific to the chosen genre and/or medium. For example, the convention list for a music video might include ‘jump cuts’ rather than ‘editing’, or the conventions for a magazine spread might specify conventions such as typography, angle or rule of thirds.
Students need to show how they will use each of their selected conventions. For example, a sticky note could indicate where the lyrics are reflected in the visuals on a music video storyboard. Students should explain how the conventions will help their product appeal to their target audience.
Reflection and reworking
Reflection and reworking may be more meaningful if it is undertaken throughout the design and planning process. This means that students are not being asked to produce a polished copy of their design and plan, but a working document with revisions and/or drafts which include reflections on the pre-production process and reworking.
Preparation of design choices
The design and plan created for this standard may be the design used for AS90994. In order to show well considered choices, it is important that any style guides issued as part of the brief allow students the opportunity to make design choices.
For example, using the style guide of an existing media publication may limit a student’s ability to show their own selection of conventions such as font, colour and layout design.