Category: Exam Paper 1

Media Concepts & Contexts…game

Exam Paper 1, Exam Paper 2

4 Concepts

The Spec says…”The AS & A Level Media Studies course is developed around the four key concepts of Language, Representation, Industry and Audience. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of these across all components.”

Task / Game

PRINT CONTEXT CARDS

Print in A3

Rules

  1. Teams of three, teacher is a team of one.
  2. Deal out seven cards to each team.
  3. Starting with the teacher, place a CONTEXT card within one of the FOUR KEY CONCEPTS on the board.
    • Explain / analyse the significance for or impact of that CONTEXT TO THAT KEY CONCEPT.
      • If you can make a clear argument that all the class agree with, then you can play your card.
      • If you can’t or there is a agreed COUNTER ARGUEMENT, then you have to pick up another CONTEXT card from the pile.
    • If you can give a clear example or case study of this CONTEXT in process or action, then you can give one of your remaining CONTEXT cards to another group.
  4. The first team to run out of CONTEXT cards is the winner.
  5. YAY!

Best of Luck

Exam Paper 1, Exam Paper 2

So much luck to be thrown your way for tomorrow. We are absolutely convinced that you are going to smash it.

  • Remember:  Component 2: Paper 2: Thursday 4 May – TOMORROW either 1.30pm or 2.00pm at the Lecture Theatre – bring 2 pens!

We will then focus over the remaining few lessons (about 6 for each class) starting on Friday with 2 lessons on PMM, 2 lessons on MR and 2 lessons on Ecology.

Once again, over the long weekend, practise some essays and I am sure your teachers will find time to give you some feedback.

Final, official (but optional) revision sessions are:

  • Monday 22 May: 1 – 3pm PMM and MR with Mrs C
  • Tuesday 23 May: 1 – 3pm Ecology with Mr G

Component 4: Paper 2:  Wednesday 24th May PM

You can all do this. We have absolute faith that you will all try your best and after all, that is all that matters.

Best of luck and we hope you can look back on your Media Studies with a smile and a fondness for the fun and laughter we have had. You might hopefully have learnt a thing or two along the way.

Love ya’ – mean it!

Mrs C and Mr G

06 Media Disruptors and their influence – case studies – Tik Tok and Spotify

Audience & Institutions, Exam Paper 1, Exam Paper 2, Media Ecology

LEARNING INTENTION:  To research and understand how two global giants have disrupted the media landscape and impacted on audiences worldwide.

Following on from our introduction to Media Conglomerates yesterday, let’s now look at some case studies to get some specific facts, stats and ideas about how we could use them to answer the following questions:

  • ‘HOW HAS GLOBALISASTION AFFECTED THE MEDIA YOU CONSUME?’  
  • ‘WHY IS SO MUCH OF THE MEDIA OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY FEWER AND FEWER BIG COMPANIES?’

Using the template in classroom, begin to layout some ideas, bullet points related to the two media giants of Tik Tok and Spotify.

You will need to read the articles that are linked in the sheet and use them to evidence the various assessment criteria. Remember to add in relevant theories and terms that you could use in conjunction if you were to be writing an answer to the above two questions.

 

 

 

02 The Four Key Concepts in Media Studies

Audience & Institutions, Exam Paper 1, Exam Paper 2, Media Ecology, Media Regulation, Postmodern Media, Textual Analysis

Learning Intention:

To review, define and refine your understanding of the four key concepts in media.

First off, some study / revision advice for all your subjects…
A presentation… including a task.

Independent study.

Memorise the definition of the following four key concepts, which we came up with in class. There will be a test!

Remember, these are relevant (to a greater or lesser extent) to both your exams in May. So you need this keystone understanding.

Mini Mock – TV Drama

Exam Paper 1, Textual Analysis

The Clip.

Which you can use for revision. Watch it as many times as you like…seriously…

…but you will also be watching it four more times in the exam…so!

Remember just be clear about the issues and representation particularly that of gender, social class…and other stuff (to be discussed in class)

Also feel free to look for some example signifiers… (camera, editing, sound, editing…)

In class we will be going through:

You will need to revisit all the key terms, microfeatures on your own.

  • Camera
  • Editing
  • Sound
  • Editing (lots of you were weak on this in the summer).
    • Remember it’s ‘cut’ it’s also about important eyeline matches and the significance of shot reverse shot (action / reaction).

You can prep as much or as little as you like for this timed essay – the choice is yours.

Here is slideshow with lots of useful revision links / resources…

Fargo – Full Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis

Watch this TV drama in class together.

Question:  Discuss the ways in which the extract from Fargo constructs meaning through the following:

  • camera shots, angles, movement and composition
  • editing
  • sound
  • mise-en-scène.

Extract:  Fargo 

Viewing 1 – watch for narrative sense – what is it about – what are the main themes and issues and how are the characters represented?

Viewing 2 – you can now make notes:  Pick out all of the relevant MES (CLAMPS) you can that are relevant to representing the main themes and issues and characters.

Viewing 3 – Pick out all the Camera and Editing you can that are relevant to  representing the main themes and issues and characters.

Viewing 4 – Pick out all the Sound you can that is relevant to representing the main themes and issues and characters.

Once  you have some notes – you will discuss them in class.

Your goal is to write up your first full (ish as we are limiting how many examples you need to include) TV Drama textual analysis. The template and guidance is in classroom.

You will have one lesson to complete this and if it is not submitted then there will be a deadline for submission in classroom.

Good luck.

TV Drama – Editing

Textual Analysis
Editing is a key skill when making media – it is how you sequence, place or construct your media in order to convey a narrative or represent ideas, themes, issues and characters.
As you are also going to making a music video soon, editing is an important skill to learn to communicate meaning and help construct a sense of time, place and story:

Slideshow on Editing:

Practice Sequence

Identify and analyse the editing techniques in this sequence:

A template for completion is attached here or in classroom.

Glossary of Editing Terms

Here is a handout on editing terms and definitions.

 

TV Drama – Sound

Representation, Textual Analysis
Sound is our final microfeature – they say a picture tells a thousand stories but sound is hugely important – it includes dialogue, music and sound fx – all essential to convey a narrative, craft and represent characters and convey themes and issues.

 

There is quizlet to take in classroom that you should take to see how much of the presentation you have taken on board.

You should then analyse the sounds in this TV drama sequence and complete the worksheet on classroom.

Analyse the sound in this sequence from Merlin directed by James Hawes. Analyse how the sound helps develop and represent a sense of place, character and story and in particular, overarching themes and issues. You should analyse the following features of the sound:

  • Diegetic Sound
    • Ambient Sound
    • Environmental Sounds Events
    • Dialogue
  • Non-Diegetic Sounds
    • Music
    • Sound Effects

A worksheet with all the terminology included: Sound Notes

Here is a site which is about to describe music.

GLOSSARY OF SOUND TERMS (along with all the terms you need to know linked here).

 

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