G322: AS Media Section A & B

Section A: TV Drama and Representation

• 30 minutes to watch clip (4 times) and make notes.

• 45 minutes to write your response.• Don’t bother with introductions or

conclusions: these won’t gain you any marks.• Consider using note-making time to ‘plan’

your answer.

• Whatever you do you should always read the question and underline or circle its key words. Then make your plan for your answer. Remember to use key words from the question to keep your essay’s argument relevant.

• Make notes and make a plan of how you are going to tackle the essay but put a line through your notes once you have finished so examiner knows these are your notes.

• In your opening paragraph do not bother with an introduction get straight on with the question. You may want to start to answer the question in the opening paragraph and then move onto your key technical areas you must discuss: Camera Shot, Angle and Composition, Mise en scène,Sound and editing (see specs for further help)

How to answer

How to answer• Although you may address each technical area one by one for a higher

level mark make sure that you link technical features in creating representations.

• Ensure that all the technical elements are covered and that a discussion of the key concept takes place, not all technical elements will be covered in the same detail.

• It is important that candidates move from description of key technical areas to analysis of how representations are constructed. This will enable candidates to achieve higher marks for their responses.

• The mark scheme enables credit to be awarded to students at three different levels Explanation, Analysis and Argument (20 Marks), Use of Examples (20 Marks) and Use of Terminology (10 Marks).

Section B: Audience and Institutions: UK Film

• 45 minutes to respond to 1 question.• Question will ask you to discuss the processes

of production, distribution and exhibition in British Film

• Your answer should make reference to specific examples from the case studies we have studied.

Film

• A study of a specific studio or production company within a contemporary film industry that targets a British audience (eg Hollywood, Bollywood, UK film), including its patterns of production, distribution, exhibition and consumption by audiences. This should be accompanied by study of contemporary film distribution practices (digital cinemas, DVD, HD-DVD, downloads, etc) and their impact upon production, marketing and consumption.

• Candidates should be prepared to understand and discuss the processes of production, distribution, marketing and exchange as they relate to contemporary media institutions, as well as the nature of audience consumption and the relationships between audiences and institutions. In addition, candidates should be familiar with:

• the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;

• the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing;

• the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange;

• the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences;

• the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences;

• the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions;

• the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.

• This unit should be approached through contemporary examples in the form of case studies based upon one of the specified media areas.

How to answer• 1. Link your response to the question:

It is true, to some extent, that media production is dominated by global institutions, who sell and distribute their services to national audiences, however it is imperative that a media audience is aware of more localised institutions; often their products can resonate more effectively as contemporary cultural issues can be better explored by institutions that orignate from the same culture that they are presenting to a specific audience. In addition to this, it is often benefical for a global audience to experience the true culture, in an 'honest' and informed light - one could argue that this can only be done by a less global institution.

2. Debate & weigh up both sides of the argument:

e.g. ‘However’, ‘having said this’, ‘an exception to this is the film……..released in……..’

3. Explain which industries/ institutions you are going to discuss:e.g. ‘Issues faced by the British film production company Thin Man Films, set up in…….. by …………., are that it………’

How to answer• 4. You must use at least 3 different case studies:

a. Thin Man Films (production)b. Working Title (distribution)c. Film4 (was all 3, now only exhibits films)d. Cineworld/ Odeon vs. Electric Palace/ Curzon (exhibition)

5. You must mention a variety of different films to support your points/ ideas:a. Slumdog Millionaireb. This is Englandc. Trainspottingd. Atonemente. Four Weddings and Funeralf. Snatch/ Lock Stock/ Rock n Rollag. Any Mike Leigh films

How to answer• 6. Mention specific audiences and how they are targeted

-through age/ gender/ time era/ taste/ lifestyle/ location-do British audiences prefer British films? Is this a misconception?

7. Mention the threat of Digital Cinema to all institutions:a. Growth of internetb. Downloading/ live streaming/ file sharingc. Piracyd. DVD salese. Cost/ inflation/ credit crunchf. +ive: IMAX cinema/ digital reels

8. Engrain your essay with your own point of view and ideas.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Key Words

• Production – Processes and decisions that take place when making a film.

• Distribution – Advertising, merchandising and delivering the film to the market

• Exhibition – The different ways in which the audience can ‘consume’ the film.

• Audience – the group of people who are exposed to a media product.

• Institution – the cultural and political conventions within which media products are constructed and disseminated

Example Questions1) To what extent is multi-platform publication beneficial to

media institutions and audiences?2) With reference to your chosen case study consider how

important interactivity is to media institutions?3) What has the impact of increased connectivity been on the

media production, distribution and exhibition process?4) What issues / decisions do institutions face when releasing

their products?5) How do audiences influence institutional decisions?6) Discuss the issues raised by an institution’s need to target

specific audiences within a media industry which you have studied.