Lesson 05: Narrative and the Planning Lock
Media Studies · Unit 2 · Lesson 05 of 16 · ← L04 | L06 →
At a glance
| Days | 4 — Mon, Tue, Wed double, then Fri after the National Day break |
| Dates | Mon 2026-09-28 · Tue 09-29 · Wed 09-30 · Fri 10-09 |
| Band/Unit | U2 Media Language (S1 Unit 2) |
| AO focus | C1 planning (blog evidence); HW1 rehearses A1 (AO1+AO2) |
| Deliverable | C1 planning locked on the blog to a shootable standard (LB1, LB2 inside) |
| Feeds | A2, A1 |
| Homework | HW1 break task: A1-format analysis of a self-chosen 2–3 min sequence, plus a shooting window (3–4 h total) |
Goal
Over these four days, narrative theory and production planning come together. On the Wednesday double — the last double before the break — you lock your C1 plan to one standard: a plan someone else could shoot without asking questions. HW1 goes out the same day because it must be set before the holiday. The Friday return is a debrief — annotated, not graded — and your first work with the sound and editing vocabulary your shoots will have made real.
How it runs
D1 — Mon 09-28: Todorov
- Input via WS 3.2 (30 min) — I-do: Todorov’s arc (equilibrium → disruption → recognition → repair → new equilibrium) modelled on one short narrative; We-do: the class tracks it on a second text together; You-do: you map a story you know. Note the limit: the model fails on non-linear narratives, and saying so earns marks.
- Application (10 min) — apply the arc to your own C1 plan: where is the disturbance in your opening? If the answer is “nowhere,” that is a fix for Wednesday.
- Close (5 min) — theory card: Todorov.
D2 — Tue 09-29: Propp, and blogs brought current
- Retrieval (5 min) — the five stages, no notes.
- Input (15 min) — Propp: characters classified by what they do, not who they are — hero, villain, donor, helper, princess, dispatcher, false hero — with its limit attached (folk tales, 1928; apply with judgment). Binary oppositions via the worked Lupin table: narratives run on conflicts of value, not just people.
- Mapping (15 min) — in pairs, map one known story’s cast onto functions, then your own C1 opening: who is your donor? Do you have one?
- LB1 + catch-up (10 min) — LB1 posted (blog punctuality, posts 1–5); ten minutes in the room to bring lagging blogs current. Theory card: Propp.
D3 — Wed 09-30 (double): the planning lock
- The standard (10 min) — the ten-item shootability checklist on the board: numbered shots, confirmed locations, cast attached to dates, equipment per session, contingency day, assigned roles, costume/props, storyboard↔shot-list match, schedule fits the break, no outside dependencies.
- Peer review (45 min) — another group reviews your full planning suite (WS 6.8 storyboard or 6.7 flat plan, shot list, WS 6.3 schedule, WS 6.1 roles, WS 6.2 casting) against the checklist, using the protocol describe → question → suggest. No “it’s fine”; every item checked or challenged.
- The lock (20 min) — apply fixes, then post and date your final plan on the blog before leaving. Locked means locked: changes after today are documented decisions in the production diary, not silent swaps. WS 6.4 production diary issued — its decisions/consequences columns are used at L10 for the CCR.
- Announcements (15 min) — HW1 set and sized: an A1-format analysis of a self-chosen 2–3 minute sequence (on a teacher-viewable platform, not a taught text). Break production window: 3–4 hours of shooting, with diary entries as you go.
D4 — Fri 10-09 (post-break): the return
- Footage first (20 min) — sound and editing vocabulary (the WS 2.2/2.3 terms) taught against your own break footage where you have it: find a J-cut you made by accident; name the ambient sound you forgot to control.
- HW1 debrief (20 min) — annotated, not graded: the margin notes are A1 feedback five days early. Common gaps collected on the board.
- LB2 (5 min) — posted: HW1 returned on time, glossary current. A1 is Wednesday, so keep the lexicon with you.
Assessment
| Item | Date | What |
|---|---|---|
| LB1 | Tue 2026-09-29 | Blog punctuality, posts 1–5 |
| HW1 | set Wed 09-30 → due Fri 10-09 | A1-format break analysis (AO1+AO2); debrief annotated, not graded |
| LB2 | Fri 2026-10-09 | HW1 returned on time; glossary current |
See the full register.