1. A2 exam

2. The exam
• 15 June (same as England v Sweden)
• 2 hours
• 3 questions
• 100 marks (25, 25, 50)
• worth half of the A2 (same as coursework)

3. chances
• 13% A - need 80/100
• 33% A to B - need 70/100
• 57% A to C - need 60/100
• 76% A to D - need 50/100
• 89% A to E - need 40/100

4. work out your target
• AS coursework+ AS exam+ A2 coursework
= score out of 300
• targets: A 320 B 280 C240 D 200 E160
• A* needs min. 320, but at least 180 at A2

5. what it looks like

8. how is it marked?

9. Section B
• 20 Explanation, Argument, Analysis
• 20 Examples
• 10 Theory/Terminology

10. Section A
• ‘global’ mark out of 25, but taking account
of same categories- EAA, EG, T

11. 1a

13. 1b

15. Strategies
• do the big question first?
• use a highlighter pen to emphasise key
words
• PREPARE

16. Question 1a

17. what can the question be on?
• digital technology
• creativity D
• research and planning
• post-production
• using conventions of real media

18. past questions

19. Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media production Jan
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. 2010
Describe the ways in which your production work was informed by research into June
real media texts and how your ability to use such research for production
developed over time. 2010
Describe how you developed your skills in the use of digital technology for media
production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your creative decision
Jan
making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills 2011
developed over time.
Explain how far your understanding of the conventions of existing media June
influenced the way you created your own media products. Refer to a range of
examples in your answer to show how this understanding developed over time. 2011
Describe how your analysis of the conventions of real media texts informed your Jan
own creative media practice. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to
show how these skills developed over time. 2012
? June
2012

20. what’s it about?
• what did you do?
• how did you do it?
• how did your skills develop?
• all supported with examples
• in relation to the area(s) in the question

21. your experience
• early production exercises; prelim task
• kids film opening
• film opening: camera, editing, blogging,
research and planning
• music video: camera, editing, blogging,
planning and research
• digipack and advert: photoshop,
photography, blogging

23. Question 1b

24. what can the question be on?
• genre
• narrative
• representation
• audience
• media language

25. past questions

26. Analyse media representation in one of your coursework productions. Jan 10
Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to genre. Jun 10
Apply theories of narrative to one of your coursework productions. Jan 11
Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to the concept of audience. Jun 11
Analyse media representation in one of your coursework productions. Jan 12
? Jun 12

27. what’s it about
• a detached analysis of one of your videos
• detailed reference to the video
• using the concept from the question
• using two examples of theory

28. AS production for 1b

29. using narrative
• Todorov’s model of equilibrium- disruption
• journey structure; enigmas?
• key moments in structure: realisation,
return, killing
• agents of the narrative (characters)
• but where can this narrative go from here?

30. using representation
• three character types with their genre
• weak male- how signalled?
• female victim- eliminated by narrative
• stalker (monster)- characteristics
• Dyer and stereotypes
• Clover’s character types from horror

31. A2 production

32. using genre
• type of music and our expectations
• Goodwin and how far it adheres
• Neale- genre as ‘instances of repetition and
difference’
• the romance narrative (fantasy?)- the
couple
• key moments to illustrate

33. using media language
• camera- key moments
• editing- key moments
• mise-en-scene- key elements
• sound- how far the music governs image; also
diegetic sound
• all from Bordwell and Thompson film grammar
• meaning from individual image: Roland Barthes-
semiotics- denotation/connotation

34. top tips
• use all your work for 1a
• know which video you will use for 1b
• practice the essays for content and timing
• choose and learn key theory points for 1b
• 1b you can learn five answers!
• 1a answer the question!

35. A2 exam
find this presentation and more tips at:
www.petesmediablog.blogspot.com
@petesmediablog