Internal assessment 50%
This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally
moderated by the IBO at the end of the course.

Production portfolio 50%
One completed film project, with accompanying written
documentation: no more than 1200 words
Length of the film project: between 4-5 minutes [including titles].
Length of individual rationale: no more than 100 words for the film.
While the film project may be undertaken as a group project, all
accompanying documentation must be individually produced.
Group work: While students at SL and HL may work together in a production group, they cannot
present the same edit of their film projects for internal assessment due to the different assessment
requirements.


Internal assessment
Internal assessment detail – Standard level
Production portfolio
50%
The production portfolio is worth 50% of the final mark. It consists of a student’s completed film
project and its accompanying documentation. Students at SL submit a single production piece.

Each project may be the work of an individual or of a group of students. Group size must not
exceed four. However, this restriction applies only to the number of students who will be assessed
on their work in the project. There may be any number of performers or assistants involved in a
project.

The roles to be undertaken for assessment purposes must be one of the following:
• director
• writer
• cinematographer
• sound designer/recordist/mixer
• editor.

Although other functions (such as musical composition, costume design and acting) are integral to
many kinds of film-making, they are more appropriately assessed in other DP courses and
therefore will not be considered suitable for film. A student may undertake more than one role in a
production, and some roles may be carried out by more than one student. However for the
purposes of assessment each student must identify their principal role to the examiner on the
cover sheet provided and this is the role on which they will be assessed. Two students from the
same group cannot choose to be assessed in the same principal role. It is essential that
teachers assess each student’s individual contribution to the finished products. It is important to
note that each HL candidate must produce their own trailer, working alone and not in
collaboration with others even if they have worked with others in the production of the film.
Film projects must be no longer than five minutes and no shorter than 4 minutes at SL, including
titles. Material can be created and edited using any available technology. However, viewing copies
for submission to moderators will need to be in one of the approved standard formats notified to
schools. Each school must choose only one such format and will be required to identify this when
registering students for examinations. Every film should be preceded by a production slate (a black
screen with white lettering) stating the candidate’s name and number, the school and school code,
the title of the film and the student’s designated role.


The content of students’ project work must be guided by the following considerations:

• Content and treatment: The content and treatment of the films made must be appropriate for
a young person no older than 15 years of age. Mature themes are acceptable but their
treatment must be suitable for young teenagers. The use of strong language must be rare and
fully justified by the context. Violence must not dwell on detail and there should be no
emphasis on specific injuries or blood. Sexual violence may only be implied and indicated
without physical detail. Dangerous techniques of combat should include no imitable detail, and
realistic and contemporary weapons should not be glamorized. In horror films, sustained threat
and menace is permitted but only occasional gory moments. If drug use is referred to, only
brief and occasional references are permitted, which must be justified by the context and
demonstrate the dangers of such behaviour. There must be no indication, in any instructional
form, as to how the drugs are taken.

• Assistance and support: Teachers must use sound judgment as to how much assistance or
support can be provided, remembering at all times that this is a student orientated task. In
general, teacher assistance in work intended for assessment should be confined to asking
questions and making suggestions. The situation is comparable to a teacher commenting on a
draft of an essay, offering pointers for ways to improve the work but refraining completely from
doing any of that work for the student. Any specialist technical support must be acknowledged
in the individual commentary: students must not pass off others’ work as their own.


Documentation

Each film project must be accompanied by:
• at SL: an individual rationale for the film of no more than 100 words.
• an individual written commentary of no more than 1,200 words at SL. The written
commentary should be based on the student’s personal production journal.
• the candidate declaration form must be signed on the appropriate form to be found in the
Handbook of Procedures for the Diploma Programme and attached to the candidate’s work
The rationales are required so that the moderator will know the intentions of the project.
The individual written commentary should be the student’s own unaided work. It should give a
concise, reflective account of all stages of the production process, and should also include an
evaluation of the completed project as a whole. Any special circumstances surrounding the
production process should be mentioned, and any outside help received (for example, technical
support) must be acknowledged. Where appropriate, students must incorporate sample production
materials (for example, frames from storyboards, schedules, floor plans) into their commentary.
However, such materials should not stand apart from the commentary or form an appendix.
The portfolio as a whole must reflect a clear understanding of how meaning is constructed through
the appropriate use of film language.
Teachers will be asked to authenticate the production portfolios and give brief comments on each
production, to assist moderation. The coversheet for the portfolio must include details of the
principal production role played by the student in each project.


Internal assessment criteria – Standard Level

The method of assessment used by the IB is criterion-related, not norm-referenced: the method of
assessment judges the students’ work by their performance in relation to identified assessment
criteria and not in relation to the work of other students.

For internal assessment, the production portfolio is assessed using five assessment criteria (A–E).
For each assessment criterion, level descriptors are defined that concentrate on positive
achievement, although for the lower levels failure to achieve may be included in the description.

• For each assessment criterion a professional judgment should be made to identify the
markband descriptor that most clearly describes the achievement level attained by the
student, and which rewards the positive achievements of the student.
• Teachers should not think in terms of a pass or fail boundary but should concentrate on
identifying the appropriate descriptor for each assessment criterion.
• Only whole numbers should be recorded: partial marks, fractions and decimals are not
acceptable.
• The highest descriptors do not imply faultless performance but should be achievable by a
student. Teachers and assessors should not hesitate to use the extremes, including zero, if
they are appropriate descriptions of the work being assessed.
• It is recommended that the assessment criteria and markband descriptors should be
available to students during the course.


Level descriptors are outlined for the following assessment criteria.

Criterion A Planning and research
Criterion B Reflection and evaluation
Criterion C Professional and technical skills
Criterion D Effective use of film language
Criterion E Originality and creativity


A Planning and research

This criterion is concerned with the documentation of production processes, from preliminary
planning and research, pre-production and production/principal photography, through to postproduction.

0 Level 1 is not achieved.
1–2 There is little or no planning for and research into production processes. Little
documentation of the relevant development stages is displayed.
3–4 There is some planning for and research into production processes. Some
documentation of the relevant development stages is displayed, but this documentation
is likely to be incomplete, either lacking sufficient detail in parts, or omitting stages in
the process.
5–6 There is adequate planning for and research into production processes. Documentation
of the relevant development stages is satisfactory.
7–8 There is good planning for and research into the production processes. Documentation
of the relevant development stages is mostly thorough.
9–10 There is excellent planning for and research into the production processes.
Documentation of the relevant development stages is comprehensive.

B Reflection and evaluation

This criterion is concerned with artistic and logistical analysis of the relevant production processes
and the evaluation in the individual student’s written commentary on the project as a whole,
including the roles of the student and others (where appropriate).

0 Level 1 is not achieved.
1–2 There is a limited artistic and logistical analysis of the relevant production processes,
with little critical evaluation of the project as a whole.
3–4 There is some artistic and logistical analysis of the relevant production processes, with
some critical evaluation of the project as a whole.
5–6 There is a satisfactory artistic and logistical analysis of the relevant production
processes, with satisfactory critical evaluation of the project as a whole.
7–8 There is an effective artistic and logistical analysis of the relevant production
processes, with good critical evaluation of the project as a whole.
9–10 There is a highly effective artistic and logistical analysis of the relevant production
processes, with excellent critical evaluation of the project as a whole.

C Professional and technical skills

This criterion is concerned with professional and technical skills (including organizational skills),
which may be demonstrated during the production processes or in the finished product itself.

0 Level 1 is not achieved.
1–2 The student demonstrates little or no ability in the professional and technical skills
(including organizational skills) necessary for one principal production role, and makes
limited use of available resources and technology.
3–4 The student demonstrates some ability in the professional and technical skills
(including organizational skills) necessary for one principal production role, and makes
some use of available resources and technology.
5–6 The student demonstrates satisfactory ability in the professional and technical skills
(including organizational skills) necessary for one principal production role, and makes
competent use of available resources and technology.
7–8 The student demonstrates good ability in the professional and technical skills (including
organizational skills) necessary for one principal production role, and makes effective
use of available resources and technology.
9–10 The student demonstrates excellent ability in the professional and technical skills
(including organizational skills) necessary for one principal production role, and makes
highly effective use of available resources and technology.

D Effective use of film language

This criterion is concerned with evidence of the students’ effective use of film language, as seen in
the finished product.

0 Level 1 is not achieved.
1–2 The student demonstrates little or no ability to communicate effectively in film language.
3–4 The student demonstrates some ability to communicate effectively in film language.
5–6 The student demonstrates a satisfactory ability to communicate effectively in film
language.
7–8 The student demonstrates a good ability to communicate effectively in film language.
9–10 The student demonstrates an excellent ability to communicate effectively in film
language.


E Originality and creativity

This criterion is concerned with originality and creativity in the film-making process (referred to as
“creative intelligence” in the level descriptors below). This may be demonstrated by freshness of
approach, by intelligent work that goes either with or against the conventions of the genre, or by
problem solving. Another key indicator is the level of audience engagement with the work.
This criterion is intended to provide a holistic assessment of each candidate’s contribution to the
finished film.

0 Level 1 is not achieved.
1–2 There is little or no evidence of creative intelligence in the film-making process. The
production is of limited interest to audiences.
3–4 There is some evidence of creative intelligence in some aspects of the film-making
process. The production is of some interest to audiences.
5–6 There is adequate evidence of creative intelligence in most aspects of the film-making
process. The production engages audience interest satisfactorily.
7–8 There is good evidence of creative intelligence in all aspects of the film-making
process. The production engages audience interest well.
9–10 There is excellent evidence of creative intelligence in all aspects of the film-making
process. The production engages audience interest with great success.

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