1. Top Five Tips for Exam Success……………………………….
1. Students must ensure they cover all four technical areas although depending on the
extract it may not be relevant to cover each in equal depth.
2. Whilst it must be written in continuous prose students should not waste time with an
introduction and conclusion-go straight into analysis
3. Students should look at a wide variety of TV Drama’s but representation and how it is
‘constructed’ through the technical areas must be the primary focus. They do not
need to study the genre in depth.
4. Whilst the extract will be a British TV Drama, US TV Dramas can be used a rich area
of study and provide some interesting representations that students can engage with.
5. Practical work is a great way to help students engage with textual analysis and
experience of filming, editing and sound is key to their understanding of how and why
these are used. Storyboarding, short practical tasks and blogging/DVD
commentaries are all useful ways to develop their media skills and consolidate
understanding.
Some suggested texts for each area of representation:
Sopranos, Mistresses (BBC 1), Cracker,
Gender
Teachers, Desperate Housewives, Eastenders,
Mad Men (BBC2) Spooks
Skins (C4) Fat Friends,Eastenders, Teachers,
Age
Waterloo Road
White Girl (BBC) Britz, The Wire (HBO)
Ethnicity
Eastenders, ER
Shameless, This Life, The Wire
Social Class
West LDN 10, Coronation Street, Eastenders,
Regional
Shameless
Identity
The Wire, Sugar Rush, Skins, Six Feet Under,
Sexuality
Queer as Folk
Coming Down the Mountain, Desperate
Disability
Housewives