1. A Level Media Studies: Revision Day
Question 1A

5. Talk about AS and A Level Projects
Talk about other media-related projects you have been involved in outside of
class (e.g. designing flyers for a friends gig night; designing T-Shirts or
merchandise for a local band using Photoshop; if you use Tumblr or other social
media to show-case your work)

6. The question will include one or two of the following terms:
1. Digital Technology
2. Creativity
3. Research and Planning
4. Post-Production
5. Using Conventions from Real Media Products

7. Question 1A is designed for you to evaluate the skills you have
developed during the course.
Students that achieve A grade for this essay evaluate their skills
development over time – they may be critical about their AS skills and
state how they approached the A Level project in a more organised,
mature manner, or that working with a band put pressure on to spend
more time on pre-production planning…..

8. 1. Digital Technology and Creativity
Does digital technology really encourage creativity?
David Gauntlett and Clay Shirky say YES;
Henry Jenkins says that Participatory Cultures encourage
creativity because you can share what you create online and get
feedback on it;

9. 1. Digital Technology and Creativity
But what if all the online stuff is crap?
Where is the quality control?
What has the feedback been line for your work
online? Was this feedback helpful, productive, kind?
David Buckingham talks about ‘loser-generated
content’
Dan Laughey's (Key Themes in Media Theory) – there
has been no digital revolution in media production,
distribution and consumption

10. Research & Planning and Using Conventions from
Real Media Products
Again it is OK to be critical of your AS research and planning
State that your research and planning was informed by:
Practical Induction Tasks: College Magazine; Summer Music
Video Project; ABC Project; Photoshop Animation Project
Researching professional products: finding out the forms and
conventions of magazines (masthead, cover lines, Drop Cap etc.)
Investigating the ways in which magazine are designed to appeal
to the Values, Aspirations and Lifestyles of the target audience

11. Researching media theory:
Research and planning made you aware of the key concept of
representation; you carefully represented your artists on the front
cover of your magazine (visual representation) and in the language
used.
This was also key to your research and planning for the music promo
project – Andrew Goodwin – artists use music videos to create a star
persona; women are often objectified in music videos; Diane Railton
on Art Music Videos and Joe Gow on anti-performance music
videos.
They are all designed to present (or represent) the artists in a way
that is appealing to the target audience.
You then used, challenged or developed these codes and
conventions in your work

12. 1. Post-Production
Post-Production is:
Photoshop manipulation (RGB Curves, Spot healing tool etc.)
Adobe Premiere/Final Cut Pro/Adobe After Effects – any visual effects
that you used in your music video

13. Post-Production and theory
You can state that learning Photoshop has given you a better
appreciation of the constructed nature of media
representations.
You can make someone look thin using the free transform tool
You can clear up spots using the spot healing tool
This process of mediation is fake; it offers the readers of the
magazine an idealised representation of the artist that is not
realistic.
This may have an impact on impressionable young people who
aspire to be like the artists in the magazine.

14. Post-Production and theory
Music Videos are also highly mediated
You have been actively involved in this process of mediation – you
chose the elements to include in the video – you chose the elements
to leave out.
You constructed the music video to offer a representation of the band
or artist that would appeal to the target audience.
Link this with genre characteristics (Diane Railton) and audience
expectations – e.g. metal fans expect to see ‘as live’ performance as
this is an established generic convention.

15. Questions?