1. A2 FINAL TIPS 2016 – UNSEEN – spend about
50 mins on this section
1. At your first opportunity, read the unseen information and
highlight just the key areas. Remember that this information
has been given you to help you understand the texts.
2. Look carefully at the substance and requirements of the 3
questions; these are examples from last year:
• contrast the techniques used by each product
• in what ways are issues of personal identity presented in the
media
• how important is it to media producers that audiences adopt a
positive attitude to the use of new and digital media
The underlined areas really show what the examiner wants you to
deal with.
2. A2 FINAL TIPS 2016 - UNSEEN
Here is a list of unseen questions from the last available papers:
• Evaluate how the narrative techniques used attempt to position the audience and
create excitement
• How has digital television transformed the viewing behaviour of audiences?
• How is female identity represented in the texts?
• How are media language techniques used to make the texts appear believable and
authoritative?
• How successful are audiences in using new and digital media to represent
themselves?
• How is brand identity created in the two products?
• How is a masculine identity created to appeal to audiences?
Notice the preponderance of HOW, in the majority of questions.
The examiner wants you to evaluate the success of the
techniques mentioned. REMEMBER, don’t be afraid to disagree
and be willing to put forward an alternative view.
3. A2 FINAL TIPS 2016 - UNSEEN
The old chestnut – MEDIA LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES!!!
Remember that this is not concerned with LANGUAGE as we know it but the
techniques that media creators use to achieve the desired effect, through
pictures, words, effects and dialogue. SHOULD ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED AS
PART OF GENRE. Also you must take into account the cultural background.
Remember also DENOTATION and the CONNOTATION that results from use
of media language.
Here is a list of the more obviously used media language techniques:
• Gestures, facial expressions, character placement
• Clothing and props
• Camera work – shot size, camera angle, camera movement, mise en
scene, lighting, editing
• Sound – diegetic and non diegetic, theme music, foreign language?
• SFX – consider the genre and how important the effects are in sustaining the
genre eg Lord of The Rings would have vastly different effects than Star Trek
4. A2 FINAL TIPS 2016 - UNSEEN
Lets take one of the questions – how successful are audiences in using new
and digital media to represent themselves?.
It would be easy to just go along with the assertion that audiences are successful,
however, it would be better to firstly define what successful actually means:
• Is success down to money?
• Do we need to bring in Maslow and consider higher sense of achievement and
the pleasure gained from seeing your work out there?
• Is it down to how your peers see you?
• Is it having the most hits on YouTube?
• Is it being able to use your technical expertise to help others?
In other words, it’s not just about posting or tweeting although those are areas to
cover.
It would make good sense to say that in the real world, most people don’t earn a lot
of money or have the most hits on YouTube from representing themselves digitally
BUT they may get a great deal of personal satisfaction from creating their own
websites, tuition sites and blogs, none of which may earn them anything. DON’T BE
OBSESSED WITH THE FORMULA THAT MONEY = SUCCESS.
5. A2 FINAL TIPS 2016 – ESSAY – spend about an
hour on this
Here are the 4 questions from last year’s paper. Remember that this was the first
time that Identity had replaced Representation but they are not that different.
IDENTITIES AND THE MEDIA
1.Access to social media has empowered people to assert their true identity. Does
evidence from your case study suggest that this is the case?
2. “To argue that audiences have their identities shaped by the media they
consume is simply to insult them. People are much smarter than that.” Does your
case study indicate that ‘people are much smarter than that’?
THE IMPACT OF NEW DIGITAL MEDIA
1.One of the great benefits of new and digital media is that they have enabled
audiences to set their own agenda in terms of how they use the media. Does
evidence from your case study support this view?
2. “We stand for a single internet where all of humanity has equal access to
knowledge and ideas”. Hilary Clinton, former United States Secretary of State,
January 2010.
Does your case study suggest that new and digital media have made a positive
contribution to humanity?
6. A2 FINAL TIPS 2016 – ESSAY – spend about an
hour on this
Obviously you have your own case study prepared.
The questions usually involve some kind of debate or argument for which there is
no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer. What you need to do is argue your case. Decide which
tack you’re going to take and show how your case study supports that view.
If we take the second question on the Identity section, you are either going to have
to mainly agree that audiences do have their identity shaped by the media they
consume OR you are going to argue that yes people are much smarter than that.
This type of question will reappear as it’s saying that either audiences are
manipulated or that audiences are able to manipulate the media to make it suit
them.
The same applies to the empowerment question; it’s really a very similar question
to the other as it’s trying to suggest that audiences are now able to assert
themselves within a media landscape.
The new digital media section is largely based around the concept that new digital
media either is a benefit or a problem. Again, depending on your case study and
examples, you can support either.
7. A2 FINAL TIPS
FINAL POINTS:
• Media language – use the correct word and terminology rather than
generalisations. This will gain you marks immediately. Use words such as
denotation and connotation, signs and signifiers, voyeurism, high and low
key lighting, diegetic and non diegetic sound, protagonist, narrative rather
than storyline, hand held camera, anchoring text, cult of celebrity,
equilibrium, disturbance, new equilibrium etc
• Refer to the question - which ever question you are answering, show the
examiner that you are answering that question. Refer to the question
whenever you make a point to anchor your views. Use terms such as
however or on the other hand – to show that you are aware of the other side
of the argument.
• For the essay question, end with a solid conclusion – show the
examiner that you have clear thoughts on the subject. If you can end with a
quote by a famous person – Sir Peter perhaps – that would be impressive.
• Try to enjoy the experience – an examiner wants to reward you so the
more points you make, the better. They don’t deduct marks if you make a
mistake.
