Digital resource finder for Film Australia

This website is an excellent tools for find resources for teaching a number of subjects. Could be used to address all of the units across VCE, you just need to search

Grid systems in graphic design: a visual communication manual for graphic designers

by Josef Mhuller-Brockmann, 1996, Heer Druck AG
Outlines conventions that are used in good magazine and/or poster layout. Also explain type and it's history. Good to use for Unit 2, Outcome 1, Media production, when explaining the codes of newspapers or magazines.

michael's yellow book

Edited/ collated by Michael Considine
This a selection of articles, examples, explanations of everything in the current VCE media study guide. Good to keep and add things too. Useful for all sections of the study guide.

A stop motion animation

This could be used to show students a clever and simple stop motion animation. It could be adapted students making an animation that explains communication theory.

Cinematic Sociology: Social Life in Film

Jean-Anne Sutherland, Kathryn Feltey, 2009 Pine ford press.

This book looks at ways to interpret and develop analytical skills when watching film text. It has a focus on how culture is reflected in film. good to use for Unit 3 outcome 1, narrative , and Unit 4 outcome 2, social values.

Cut to the Chase: A guide to teaching, Film as Text

By Andres Hayes, 2007, Screen Education, 2007, pp 46- 53.

A great article to assist in teaching students about film as text. It covers cinematic techniques (the codes and conventions) and how they influence the story, where to start, genre, and suggested activities.

Good resource to address Unit 1, Outcome 2, ways in which codes and conventions (such as visual, audio, technical and written) are used to convey ideas and meanings.

Better photoshop techniques

A magazine published by Better publishing that outlines ways to use photoshop and digital camera techniques.
Good to have for personal professional developement and as a resource to help students with production pieces.

Heinemann Media 1

Roger Dunscombe, Melinda Anastasios-Roberts, Juliet Francis, Karen Koch, George Lektsas, Nick Ouchtomsky, 2004

Chapters in this book cover representation, techniques of representation, Australian media organisations,  media industry developments, the process and techniques of storytelling. Particularly good for the Australian media organisation and video production process. It has a step by step process of video production tasks. The book could assist in addressing Unit 2 outcome 2 and 3, and Unit 1, outcome 1.

White Fellas Dreaming: A Century of Australian Cinema

([Dr] George Miller, 1996

Examines how movies have represented different Australian identites over the past 100 years. Includes: The Bushman, Convicts, Bushrangers, Diggers, Sheilas, Gays, The wogs, Black fellas, and Urban Subversion. Uses different short sequences from different films as examples of the identities. Would be good to use with a sheet that asks students to identify what codes and convention have been used to create these stereotypes.

Could be used to address outcome Unit 2, outcome 3 Australian media organisations, and  Unit 3 Narrative, outcome 1

Understanding aperture

Need a refresher on taking a good shot? I did. This web page Moving Toward Manual Settings: Understanding Aperture (a beginner’s guide) by Natalie Norton helped me understand the basic around aperture and depth of view. It's easy to understand and could be adapted fto use in a classroom environment.
Useful for Unit 3 outcome 3.

Drawing a basic storyboard

John Hart 1999, The art of the storyboard, Focal press pp27-37
There is a section that outlines how to make a good storyboard. It covers questions that need to be answered such as: who are the characters?, what do they say? etc. It also gives examples of sketches.
Useful for Unit 3 , outcome1 and outcome 2.

DIY documentaries

DIY Documentary explains what a documentary is in an informative and engaging way. Covers areas such as: production (camera editing);  style and genre; and narration. Easily used to address Unit 3 Narrative and production process.

I got this link thanks from Kate mitchell who also has a many media great resources - very impressed!

Layers Magazine

Layers Magazine website has many tutorials which are free to learn the Abobe Creative Suites. A great resource for teachers to use in a classroom, or just to give to the students in the classroom.
This asssist when addressing outcome Unit 4, Outcome 1 when the students need to use the practical tasks of a each stage of the production. However, it would be also useful during many other times, to increase their knowledge of photoshop.

It could be a used as a way to break up the lessons, and increase their knowledge slowly of photoshop throughout the year with different exercises to complete.

Creating a horror movie DVD cover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aAXpurOUG8

This a a tutorial to help you create horror movie DVD cover. Getting students to do this will give them insight to genre and audience. This could address Unit 3, outcome : the relationship between individual texts and the genre(s)

animation presentation

Kate Mitchell

A powerpoint presentation available online that ways to use animation in the classroom for media education. Including stopmotion animation, powerpoint animation, rotoscoping, 2d animation, etc. Links to the types of software that can be used.

LessonBucket web site

http://lessonbucket.com/

A media education resource that focuses on the Victorian education curriculum study guides. A great place to start when thinking about how to approach a topic with media. It covers areas such as production processes in various media, to the different areas of study within media education (representation, social context, narrative etc)

Has focus areas in at different levels (year 9 - VCE year 12). The VCE sections are particularly helpful as they break up the content into the various units 1-4.

Grammar of the shot

Roy Thompson & Christopher Bowen 2009

A book that outlines the basics when it comes to shooting video. From types of shots, camera angles, rule of thirds, composition, and lighting etc. A great resource for those starting to shoot with cameras.
Useful as a resource for Unit 3, Outcome 1: the nature and function of production elements in fictional media narrative and more.
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