A2 MEDIA EXAMLesson Objectives: To develop your exam technique.

The Exam

The exam is 2 hours long, and has 2 sections.

Spend 1 hour on each section. You may want to do the Section B

question first as it is worth most marks. Remember to number your answers.

Section A

Section A is based on your coursework. You answer both questions 1(a) and 1(b).

Question 1(a) you must talk about both AS and A2 coursework products.

Question 1(b) you choose one coursework product, either AS or A2 to discuss.

Section A Theorists

Sort the theorists into either Representation, Audience, Narrative, Genre.

Propp Baudrillard Mulvey Hall

Neale Morley Dyer Perkins

Barthes Ryall Saussure Todorov

Blumler and Katz O’Sullivan Levi-Strauss Williamson

1(b)

In this question you will be asked to apply one of the following theoretical concepts to either your AS or A2 coursework: Representation Audience Narrative Genre Media Language

For this question you choose either your AS or A2 coursework to discuss.

1(b) Past Questions

Analyse media representation in one of your coursework productions.

Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to genre.

Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to narrative.

1(b) Examiner’s Advice

Stronger answers do 3 things well: Outline the concept for discussion with

reference to relevant theorists Apply these ideas to a range of specific

elements from your coursework Discuss how well the concept/theories

relate to your product Poor answers will lack reference to

theory and specific answers. Choice of text is important.

1(b) Examiner’s Checklist

Showing understanding of the concept (ideally with references/quotations)

Applying the concept Textual analysis of the work (ONE

PRODUCTION) using the concept It’s about the work.

1(b) Terminology

What key terms can you think of in relation to each of the conceptual areas: Representation Audience Narrative Genre Media Language

1(b) Terminology

Representation – visual pleasure, object/subject of the gaze, objectification, signs, signifier, signified, connotation/denotation, hyperreality, simulation, simulacra.

1(b) Terminology

Audience – encoding, decoding, dominant, negotiated, oppositional, socio-cultural context, reception, uses and gratifications, surveillance, escapism, personal identity/ relationships, cultivation theory, hypodermic model, passive audience/active audience

1(b) Terminology

Narrative – character types, hero, villain, princess, etc., equilibrium, disequilibrium, resolution, binary oppositions, narrative codes, action, enigma, semic, symbolic, cultural.

1(b) Terminology

Genre – convention, iconography, codes, product differentiation, capitalist, systems of expectation and intelligibility, socio-cultural, myths, genre supervises the relationship between producer and audience

1(b) Media Language

Production Terminology - effect of technical choices Print Media Moving Image

Use of genre conventions Use of narrative structures/codes Encoding of meaning

1(b) Terminology

You may be able to link terminology from other concepts into your discussion, e.g.: Encoding of representations Use of iconography to encode meaning,

and communicate narrative information Use of character types in representation Etc.

1(b)

Understanding of concept Relate concept to examples from your

coursework Range of specific, clear relevant examples Use conceptual language throughout Reference to theorists Evaluation of usefulness of concept/theory to

your production

This question is worth 25 marks. You should spend 30 minutes answering it.