2. Section A Theorists
Sort the theorists into either Representation,
Audience, Narrative, Genre.
Propp
Baudrillard
Mulvey
Hall
Neale
Morley
Dyer
Perkins
Barthes
Ryall
Saussure
Todorov
Blumler and Katz
O’Sullivan
Levi-Strauss
Williamson
3. The Exam
The exam is 2 hours long, and has 2 sections.
Spend 1 hour on each section.
You may want to do the Section B question
first as it is worth most marks.
Remember to number your answers.
4. Section A
Section A is based on your coursework. You answer both questions 1(a) and 1(b).
Question 1(a) you must talk about both AS and A2 coursework products.
Question 1(b) you choose one coursework product, either AS or A2 to discuss.
5. 1(a)
In this question you will be asked to discuss
the progress of your skills from AS to A2 in
relation to one or two of the following:
Research and Planning
Digital Technology
Post-Production
Creativity
Use of Conventions
YOU MUST
TALK ABOUT
BOTH YOUR AS
AND A2
COURSEWORK
FOR THIS
QUESTION.
6. 1(a) Past Questions
Describe how you developed research and
planning skills for media production and
evaluate how these skills contributed to
creative decision making. Refer to a range of
examples in your answer to show how these
skills developed over time.
Describe the ways in which your production
work was informed by research into real media
texts and how your ability to use such
research for production developed over time.
Digital Technology
7. 1(a) Examiner Advice
Strong answers have a range of specific
examples.
Weaker answers are descriptive.
Technical and conceptual terminology needed
Evaluation and critical reflection on your work
is needed.
There needs to be a sense of progression
over your A Level – Journey.
8. Examiner’s Checklist for 1(a)
Creative decision making
Process
Progress over time
Specific examples
Reflection on own development
It’s about the Candidate
9. 1(a) Production Terminology
Production Terminology:
Moving image
Print
What key terms will you be
able to use in your
answer?
Conceptual Terminology:
Encoding, preferred reading, signifier, signified,
connotation/denotation, narrative codes.
Link to key terms from theoretical areas
(representation, audience, narrative, genre,
media language)
10. 1(a)
Discuss AS and A2 coursework
Reflection
Progress
Range of specific, relevant and clear
examples from your coursework
Terminology – technical and conceptual
This question is worth 25 marks. You should
spend 30 minutes answering it.
11. 1(b)
In this question you will be asked to apply one
of the following theoretical concepts to either
your AS or A2 coursework:
Representation
Audience
Narrative
Genre
Media Language
For this
question you
choose either
your AS or A2
coursework to
discuss.
12. 1(b) Past Questions
Analyse media representation in one of your
coursework productions.
Analyse one of your coursework productions
in relation to genre.
Analyse one of your coursework productions
in relation to narrative.
13. 1(b) Examiner’s Advice
Stronger answers do 3 things well:
Outline the concept for discussion with reference
to relevant theorists
Apply these ideas to a range of specific elements
from your coursework
Discuss how well the concept/theories
relate to your product
Poor answers will lack reference to theory and
specific answers.
Choice of text is important.
14. 1(b) Examiner’s Checklist
Showing understanding of the concept (ideally
with references/quotations)
Applying the concept
Textual analysis of the work (ONE
PRODUCTION) using the concept
It’s about the work.
15. 1(b) Terminology
What key terms can you think of in relation to
each of the conceptual areas:
Representation
Audience
Narrative
Genre
Media Language
16. 1(b) Terminology
Representation – visual pleasure,
object/subject of the gaze, objectification,
signs, signifier, signified,
connotation/denotation, hyperreality,
simulation, simulacra.
19. 1(b) Terminology
Genre – convention, iconography, codes,
product differentiation, capitalist, systems of
expectation and intelligibility, socio-cultural,
myths, genre supervises the relationship
between producer and audience
20. 1(b) Media Language
Production Terminology - effect of technical
choices
Print Media
Moving Image
Use of genre conventions
Use of narrative structures/codes
Encoding of meaning- using varying
processes of signification including camera
movement, angles and framing of shots,
editing, mise en scene and sound.
-
21. 1(b) Terminology
You may be able to link terminology from other
concepts into your discussion, e.g.:
Encoding of representations
Use of iconography to encode meaning, and
communicate narrative information
Use of character types in representation
Signifer, signified, dennotation, connotation,
creation of desired readings, mediation and
ideology etc.
Accurate use of production terms (think of your
AS exams).
22. 1(b)
Understanding of concept
Relate concept to examples from your coursework
Range of specific, clear relevant examples
Use conceptual language throughout
Reference to theorists
Evaluation of usefulness of concept/theory to your
production
This question is worth 25 marks. You should
spend 30 minutes answering it.
23. Section B: Media and Collective
Identity
You answer one question from
Section B.
You are doing the Media and
Collective Identity topic.
You choose one of the two questions
to answer.
Do not answer more than one
question for Section B.
Only do the Media and Collective
Identity topic.
You need to spend 1 hour on this
question.
24. Section B Theorists
In media representations youth becomes an empty
category.
Hegemony allows one social class to dominate
society by making their way of life seem normal
and natural.
Media representations of delinquent youth
reinforce hegemony by showing what is
unacceptable. They also justify more state control
of young people – the ideology of protection.
Youth subculture resist hegemony through style.
Folk devils emerge from time to time creating a
moral panic which allows a society to reinforce its
moral boundaries (i.e. Hegemonic values).
Over time the media can influence how people
perceive the world. This is known as cultivation
theory.
25. Section B Theorists
In media representations youth becomes an empty
category.
Giroux
Hegemony allows one social class to dominate
society by making their way of life seem normal
and natural.
Gramsci
Media representations of delinquent youth
reinforce hegemony by showing what is
unacceptable. They also justify more state control
of young people – the ideology of protection.
Acland
Youth subculture resist hegemony through style.
Hebdige
Folk devils emerge from time to time creating a
moral panic which allows a society to reinforce its
moral boundaries (i.e. Hegemonic values).
Cohen
Over time the media can influence how people
perceive the world. This is known as cultivation
theory.
Gerbner
26. Section B – Media and Collective
Identity
In this section you will be asked to discuss the
representation of a social group (young
people) in relation to one of these areas:
How do the contemporary media represent groups of
people in different ways?
How does contemporary representation compare to
previous time periods?
What are the social implications of different media
representations of groups of people?
To what extent is human identity increasingly
‘mediated’?
27. Collective Identity Examiner’s
Advice
Stronger answers were able to explain 2 or 3
theoretical ideas about the relationship
between identity and media and apply these to
a range of examples.
Top level answers engaged critically with the
theories – either arguing for or against their
validity with reference to examples.
Link theory to specific examples from texts
Relate your answer to the specifics of the
question.
28. Collective Identity Examiner’s
Advice
You must refer to at least two types of media
(e.g. Film and television). If you only refer to
one type of media you won’t be able to
achieve above a Level 1 (U).
You must refer to both the past and give a
prediction future. If you don’t you will not be
able to achieve above a Level 3 (C/B).
The majority of your essay must be about the
contemporary texts. Limit your discussion of
historical texts to one paragraph.
29. Theory – Examiner’s Advice
When applying theory remember that the
theorists are usually not discussing the texts
you are talking about. You are applying their
ideas to your chosen texts.
30.
Learning adapted to the focus of the question
Clear argument
Balance of theory, texts, personal engagement
Terminology
34. Time Management
You need to spend 1 hour on this question.
Most of your time should be spent writing
about the contemporary texts.
Introduction 5-10 minutes
Historical text 5-10 minutes
Contemporary Texts 30-40 minutes
Conclusion 10 minutes
35. Conclusion
In your conclusion you need to sum up what
you have demonstrated in relation to media
representations of young people.
You need to consider the issue of the
relationship between media representations
and identity – how does the media effect out
understanding of social groups (Gerbner,
Gauntlett).
You also need to consider how this will
develop in the future (e.g. Social networking
sites, more power though still limited, e.g.
Tuition fees protests).
36. Review
How long is your exam?
How many sections?
How many questions do you answer in
Section A?
What topic are you doing in Section B?
How many questions do you answer in
Section B?
What’s 1(a) about?
What’s 1(b) about?
What’s Section B about?
