The document provides guidance for a media exam on science fiction films. It outlines that the exam will have four questions worth 15 marks each, requiring independent research on the sci-fi genre as well as a proposal for a new sci-fi film and its marketing. Students will need to demonstrate knowledge of key concepts like media language, audience, representation, and industry. They are advised to focus their research on 2-3 recent case studies, analyzing elements like marketing campaigns, representations, and industry context. For their proposal, students must pick one of three outlined film ideas and demonstrate how it would appeal to a family audience while reflecting researched genre conventions and key concepts.

1. Media Exam PreparationMedia Exam Preparation
You have a 90-minute exam with four questions each worth 15 marks.
These will be a combination of questions requiring you to demonstrate your independent,
individual research into, and the knowledge and understanding developed of, the
science fiction film genre, plus outlining your own proposal for a new sci-fi film and the
marketing of this (especially online and through social media).
You will be required to draw to demonstrate some of your ideas. Such tasks could include,
as examples, a trailer storyboard, a promotional website or a poster. Your proposal must
be clearly linked to your research.
Audience analysis will most likely be a specific topic for one question.
Overall, you will be required to demonstrate knowledge and understanding, including
specific terminology and media theories, linked to the four Key Concept areas (‘MARI’):
 Media language
 Audience
 Representation
 Institution [companies; the business/industry]
PREPARATION IN A NUTSHELL
Research the genre so you can explain, with clear and specific examples, the
conventions
Focus on 2 or more recent main case studies (eg Avatar, The Force Awakens,
Cowboys vs Aliens, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Terminator Genisys, Pacific
Rim, Paul), but make notes of specific additional points from other films
(including older examples)
Analyse marketing campaigns, including not just trailers and posters but
websites and social media (tie-ins and product placement are also relevant)
When noting examples, use semiotic terms and note specific details of the
media language used
GCSE Media Exam 1

2. Consider carefully how a specific audience has been targeted
(niche/mainstream? Outline primary and secondary. Four quadrant?) Your
brief is specifically for a FAMILY AUDIENCE – all the sci-fi film titles above
have the same BBFC age rating bar one – you could usefully compare these
Analyse representations within sci-fi, especially of gender, age and
nationality, but you can also consider social class, government,
business/industry, privacy/democracy and military (does the
threat/villain/antagonist [‘the other’] symbolise any current Western ‘threat’ or
‘enemy’, eg terrorists, Russia, Syria, or issues such as global warming,
privacy, media power, AI/VR?)
Research the industry context (Institution): budgets/box office and the
production strategies that reflect low budget Indie and/or high
budget/tentpole studio/conglomerate/big six films: cast, franchise, hybridity,
settings (what impact has the rise of China’s box office had?), the role of
CGI/SFX and 3D/IMAX, targeting specific age ratings (BBFC/MPAA), the
release date, etc.
Develop your own proposal which will need to demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of all four Key Concepts and demonstrate clear links to your
research into existing examples. Pick one of the three film outlines, and
remember this must be clearly for a FAMILY AUDIENCE (female, male,
younger, older [parents]: the four quadrant strategy), including taglines,
casting, director, budget, projected box office, choice of distributor, any
franchise links or hybridity, basic plot (you can include narrative
terms/concepts), key settings, key characters, how CGI/SFX will be used, the
genre conventions this will reflect … and how this will be marketed using both
traditional methods and online.
GCSE Media Exam 2

3. PAST EXAM PAPERSPAST EXAM PAPERS
To give you an idea of what to expect, here are some past exam papers. You
can find the full paper and prelim materials (plus sample marked exam
answers) in the shared folder. Here’s how the front will look, with its
instructions:
GCSE Media Exam 3

4. GCSE Media Exam 4

5. GCSE Media Exam 5

6. STARTING POINT: DEFINING CONVENTIONS
You need to have a very clear grasp of the specific genre conventions for sci-fi films.
You can use the readings and websites, plus playlists and other material, in blog posts to help
with this (as well as your own research and reading – the Library has a good selection of
useful books, you can buy books for ebook readers or in paper form of course!). Use the label:
http://gcsemeeja.blogspot.lu/search/label/sci-fi
TASK – FOR WEDNESDAY 4TH
Including DETAILED examples from any two or more of the films contained in the playlists,
or sci-fi films of your own choice, prepare a PowerPoint using screenshots to demonstrate any
point being made in which you set out your list of key sci-fi film genre conventions. Include
key institutional information (where available) for any film you analysed: budget, box office,
production companies, distributor, stars, director. Also include taglines and posters (you can
refer to additional marketing material).
GCSE Media Exam 6

7. STARTING POINT: DEFINING CONVENTIONS
You need to have a very clear grasp of the specific genre conventions for sci-fi films.
You can use the readings and websites, plus playlists and other material, in blog posts to help
with this (as well as your own research and reading – the Library has a good selection of
useful books, you can buy books for ebook readers or in paper form of course!). Use the label:
http://gcsemeeja.blogspot.lu/search/label/sci-fi
TASK – FOR WEDNESDAY 4TH
Including DETAILED examples from any two or more of the films contained in the playlists,
or sci-fi films of your own choice, prepare a PowerPoint using screenshots to demonstrate any
point being made in which you set out your list of key sci-fi film genre conventions. Include
key institutional information (where available) for any film you analysed: budget, box office,
production companies, distributor, stars, director. Also include taglines and posters (you can
refer to additional marketing material).
GCSE Media Exam 6