Exam Topic Question 1a - Conventions from Real Media Texts

If the question you are given in the exam is focussed on the area of REAL MEDIA CONVENTIONS, you need to be able to give a full and detailed answer in the time allowed (30 minutes).   In order to do this you must have carried out the necessary preparation and practice activities.

What are Real Media Conventions?

A question based on Real Media Conventions is simply asking you to identify how you have used conventions from the real media texts you studied during the planning process.  

These could fall into one of two categories:


Genre conventions
Conventions of the genre you used - dark and isolated setting in a thriller for example.

Formal conventions
Conventions of the media form - an opening sequence will often have non-diegetic music and titles for example.



Essential Preparation

1.  Select 3 examples of real media conventions you identified and used to create your AS production. 

2.  Select 3 examples of real media conventions you identified and used to create your A2 production.

3.  Make sure that you remember all examples well and are able to write about them in detail.  Be sure to state exactly what texts you identified each convention in.  NOTE:  Be careful not to use a feature of a specific text rather than a convention of the genre.


4.  Think about and take notes on how your CREATIVITY developed in this area in reference to these examples.  Remember - every decision you made was a creative one - the whole process was a creative one.  Everything you did was creative to some degree - the question is, how effective was it?

Sample Exam Question

Describe how your analysis of the conventions of real media texts informed your own creative media practice.  refer to a range of examples in your answer top show how these skills developed over time.

Theme in Fight Club

Themes of Fight Club

Year 13 Film Studies - Current Lesson and Homework Information

Thursday 19/4/12

Topic of lesson:  Fight Club Revision

Areas covered: Creative revision exercise - preparing a lesson to deliver next week.

Homework: Write a detailed lesson plan/presentation script to hand in after your lesson next week.

Due in:  Thursday 26/4/12

Thursday 5/4/12

Topic of lesson:  Wider knowledge.  

Areas covered: Screening of The Social Network

Homework: Choose one of the emotional response questions on the blog and answer it.

Due in:  Thursday 19/4/12

Thursday 29/3/12

Topic of lesson:  Creative revision

Areas covered: How emotions are created in your own text.

Homework: Write an analysis of how you provoked emotion in the film sequence you planned out in class.

Due in:  Thursday 

Thursday 22/3/12

Topic of lesson:  Analysis of key text -  Insidious (James Wan 2011)

Areas covered:  Emotions provoked in the film, use of sound, imagery, alignment, representation, narrative structure, key scene analysis.

Homework:  Write a detailed close analysis of the scene you looked at in class.  Include all correct terminology and make reference to specific textual examples using the micro-elements. 

Typed 600 words minimum.

Due in:  Thursday 29/3/12

Thursday 15/3/12

Topic of lesson:  Key text screening - Insidious (James Wan 2011)

Areas covered:  Film screened.

Homework:  The film, Insidious (James Wan 2011) attempts to provoke the emotions of fear, shock, suspense and sympathy in the spectator.  Referring to detailed textual examples and narrative structure and theme, representation of characters and use of sound and imagery discuss how successful it is at doing this. 

Typed 1000 words minimum.

Due in:  Thursday 22/3/12

Thursday 8/3/12

Topic of lesson:  Analysis of manipulation of emotions in The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont 1994)

Areas covered:  Exploration into what the main emotions created in the film are and how this is done.  Key scene analysis, personal response, preferred and oppositional readings.

Homework:  Write a close analysis of the escape scene in The Shawshank Redemption.  Explain what emotions are provoked and how with reference to both macro and micro elements and using correct terminology.  700 words.  Typed

Due in:  Thursday 15/3/12

Thursday 1/3/12

Topic of lesson:  SCREENING - The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont 1994)

Areas covered:  Key text viewed.

Homework:  Write an account of what emotions the film is trying to provoke and how it does this.  500-700 words.  Typed

Due in:  Thursday 8/3/12

Thursday 23/2/12

Topic of lesson:  Spectatorship:  Popular film and emotional response - intro.

Areas covered:  Emotions, how they are provoked and manipulated, immersion, manipulation and identification.

Homework:  Choose a scene from a film that you find particularly emotional and write an account (500 words- typed) of what emotions it provokes and how.  Use the specific terminology. 

Due in:  Thursday 1/3/12

Thursday 2/2/12

Topic of lesson:  Schuchardt's theory of Fight Club.

Areas covered:  Detailed explanation of the Schuchardt article and how it applies to the text.

Homework:  Revise Fight Club theories, themes, context and key sequences for mock exam next lesson.

Due in:  Thursday 9/2/12






Thursday 25/1/12

Topic of lesson:  Key scene analysis.

Areas covered:  Recap of John McCullogh's theory in Tedium and Torture, recap of themes of Fight Club, Analysis of 3 key scenes.

Homework:  Write an analysis of the second key scene in Fight Club and how it illustrates the film's themes as well as how it relates to McCullogh's interpretation of the film.

Due in:  Thursday 2/2/12

Year 13 Media Studies - Current Lesson and Homework Information

Year 13 Media Studies (both groups) 
Week Beginning 22/4/13

Subject of Lesson:  Text 2:  ZombiU

Areas covered:  A detailed look at the second key text.

Homework: Write notes on the different audience responses to the text.

Year 13 Media Studies Exam - Question 1a: Post Production

If the question you are given in the exam is focussed on the area of POST PRODUCTION, you need to be able to give a full and detailed answer in the time allowed (30 minutes).   In order to do this you must have carried out the necessary preparation and practice activities.

What is Post-production?

This area of focus gives you a wide choice of examples to base your work on.  This includes the following:

Editing - choice of takes to use.

Sound design (diegetic and non-diegetic) - choice of music.

Adding digital effects - brightness/contrast, colouring, VFX

Editing to the beat.

Green screen and chroma keying.

ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording).

Removing sound.

Titles/credits.

Essential Preparation

1.  Select 3 examples of post-production activities you carried out whilst making your AS production.
2.  Select 3 examples of post-production activities you carried out whilst making your A2 production.
3.  Make sure that you remember all examples well and are able to write about them in detail.  Think about and make notes on WHAT you did, HOW you did it, WHY you did it and WHETHER it helped you create a more effective production.
4.  Think about and take notes on how your CREATIVITY developed in this area in reference to these examples.  Remember - every decision you made was a creative one - the whole process was a creative one.  Everything you did was creative to some degree - the question is, how effective was it?

Sample Exam Question

How has your creativity developed through your use of research and planning activities in the completion of your coursework productions?

British Film and Genre - Horror

EXAM TOPIC

British Film and Genre - Horror


Section B: British Film Topics (40 marks)

™You will have to answer one question from a choice of two.

You will be required to refer in detail to THREE key films.

™The first of the two questions will have a focus on narrative and thematic issues.
™The second will include a more broadly-based consideration of areas of representation, such as gender, ethnicity or age.
Key Texts

The Descent (Neil Marshall 2005)
Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright 2004)
The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy 1973)

Key Areas to Cover

British Culture and Iconography
Characteristics of British Film
Conventions of the Horror genre
Narrative Aspects in Film
Representation in Film
Close Analysis of Key Films
Exam Practice and Past Questions.

British Culture and Iconography

What is British culture?  What is 'British-ness'?

Is it waiting in line?  Cups of tea?  Scones? Village fetes? Council housing and urban decay? Bad teeth? The NHS? Pubs? Football?  

The list could go on and on but obviously being British has a slightly different meaning to each and every person.  There are some things however which are very frequently used to summarise Britain or are associated with it.

This is particularly true of IMAGES.  When an image is repeatedly used in conjunction with a place, issue, group of people or 'thing' it is called iconography.

What iconography is associated with Britain?

Perhaps the following could be considered...Double decker buses, red telephone boxes, beefeaters, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, the Queen, the Union Jack, Big Ben, bad teeth, bowler hats, briefcase and umbrella, London Underground...  How many more can you think of?

Characteristics of British Film

This section is under construction

Conventions of the Horror genre

Conventions are a set of specific characteristics which are associated with a particular genre.

What conventions are most commonly associated with the horror genre?

Characters:  Evil or monstrous characters, killers, zombies, vampires, werewolves, murderers, psychopaths, mutants, young people, attractive people, young women, victims.

Iconography:  Screaming faces, blood, wounds, weapons, kill scenes, beaten and bloody survivor characters.

Props:  Knives, scythes, guns, axes, hammers, weapons in general.

Costume:  Elaborate costume for villain, masks, special effects make-up.

Settings/ Locations:  Isolated settings, deserted farmhouses, gothic castles, abandoned mental hospitals.

Storyline/ Narratives:  Good vs evil, survival, unprovoked attacks by killers, purity and corruption.

Narrative Aspects in Film

Todorov's theory of the classic Hollywood Narrative:

Equilibrium
Disequilibirum
New Equilibrium

Syd Field's 3 Act paradigm:

Act 1: Set-up

Act 2: Conflict

Act 3:  Resolution

Representation in Film

What is representation?

A term used to describe how certain people/places/events/issues are presented to us by the media.
It is a constructed 're-presentation' of reality.
It is a way in which the media reflects and presents attitudes attitudes, behaviour and beliefs.
Representations vary over time.

What is dominant ideology?

Dominant ideology, when applied to an analysis of representation in the media, is a set of common values and beliefs shared by most people in a given society, framing how the majority think about that group of people. This is quite often in line with a stereotype or an often repeated idea or characterisation of a certain group of people.

EXAMPLE

The dominant ideology of gender in the media is that women are more sensitive, less physically able, less aggressive, more caring, better with children than men.  In contrast to this men are stronger, more aggressive, more prone to violence and usually the decision-maker.

These views are not an accurate presentation of reality but they are frequently seen and perpetuated in films and other media products nonetheless.

How to analyse representation:

You will need to ask yourself a series of questions:

What is the overall representation of the person/group of people in general terms?
Is it strong or weak? Positive or negative?  Does it conform to or challenge the dominant ideology attached to that group of people?

What makes you think this?


What other adjectives might you attribute to this person or group of people?

How is the character portrayed?


What do they look like?
Facial expression?  Clothes?  Jewellery? Stance and body language?


What do they sound like?
Tone of voice? Sound of voice? Soundtrack and music associated with them?


How do other characters see them?
What are the reactions of other characters to this person or people?  Accepting? Positive? Angry?  Lustful? Fearful? 

Overview of Key Films

The Descent

Strongest area of representation:  Gender - Women depicted as strong, capable, aggressive, courageous, almost masculine.  Men practically completely absent.

British film characteristics:  Pessimistic resolution, character drama, contained location, small scale, low budget, British creative team, British actors, British iconography - absent.

Horror conventions:  Presence of monsters, violence, jump scares, build up and release of tension, gore, blood and violent deaths.  Horror iconography - blood streaked faces, close-ups on monsters.

Narrative structure:  Follows the classic Hollywood narrative with the additional twist on the end where the escape is merely a hallucination.  3 Act structure followed with series of building climaxes.

Key sequence:  The Crawlers attack.


Shaun of the Dead

Strongest area of representation:  Age - Late twenty's adults - directionless, immature, not fulfilling potential, late middle aged adults - boring, naive, clueless, teenagers - disrespectful, intimidating, threatening.

British film characteristics:  Pessimistic resolution, British iconography - buses, corner shops, suburban London streets, pubs, pints, cricket bat, British humour and bad language, British creative team, British actors.

Horror conventions:  Presence of zombies, horror iconography, blood, gore, violent deaths, group of people whittled down.

Narrative structure:  Follows the classic Hollywood narrative and Syd Field's 3 act structure.

Key sequence:  Opening sequence.

The Wicker Man

Strongest area of representation:  Religion - Christianity and Paganism.

British film characteristics:  Pessimistic resolution, British creative team, British actors, British iconography used - police uniform, British landscape, low-budget, small sense of scale - takes place in a contained location.

Horror conventions:  atypical of conventional horror movies but conventions present are: deliberate sense of unease and fear created, horrific events (the climactic sacrifice), sense of paranoia.

Narrative structure:  Does not entirely follow the classic Hollywood narrative.  Unusually long set-up and exposition.  The film builds towards a final climactic scene rather than a series of smaller climaxes as in Field's 3 act structure.

Key sequence:  The final scene - Howie's sacrifice.

Exam Practice and Past Questions


Click here for  a sample essay plan for question on gender representation.

1.  Explore how the films you have studied for this topic use genre conventions.

2.  In what ways can the films you have studied for this topic be said to be 'British'?

3.  How are narrative devices used to increase the impact of horror or comedy in the films you have studied for this topic?

4.  How is gender represented in the horror films you have studied for this topic?

5.  How is age represented in the films you have studied for this topic?

Year 12 Media Studies - Practical Coursework

Focus Area

You will be basing all of your work in this unit on the genre of TELEVISION CRIME DRAMA.  You will need to have a thorough understanding of the conventions and format of this genre as well as a good knowledge of a number of examples of the genre.

For more information on Television Crime Drama please click here.

Introduction:

This unit is designed to enable candidates to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills in media production processes through research, planning, production and evaluation.

Content:

 Candidates will be required to produce three pieces of linked work. 

These will comprise:

• a pre-production reflecting research and demonstrating planning techniques (Script)

• a production which has developed out of the pre-production (Filmed extract from      

      crime/drama)

• a report of 1200 - 1600 words.

(a) Pre-production

"Pre-production tasks must be undertaken individually but may be set on a whole class basis. Pre-production work will focus on the research and planning skills needed to create media productions. Pre-productions may, for example, involve research into comparable products, key aspects of the appropriate industry relevant to the pre-production as well as research into the target audience."

Your pre-production task is to write a 4-6 page screenplay for an extract from an imaginary new crime drama television show.

For information and advice on how to write a screenplay click here.

(b) Production

The production must develop out of the pre-production planning.

Audio-visual productions can be produced individually or by a group (maximum of three). For group tasks the candidates will need to select one of their pre-productions to develop into a production. There must be appropriate opportunities for a significant and definable contribution to be made by each candidate. Audio-visual productions should be up to 3 minutes in length, depending on the nature of the production and the number of candidates.

(c) Report

The pre-production and production must be accompanied by a report of 1200 – 1600 words. This report must be completed individually and will include:

• a discussion of the most significant research findings which informed the pre-production

• a brief justification of the target audience for the production 

• an evaluation of the production which highlights its strengths and

        weaknesses through, for example, a comparison with existing media products.

Click here for detailed information on how to write the report.

Assessment:

This unit will be internally assessed and externally moderated.

Pre-production (20) Production (40) Report of 1200-1600 words (40)

Each of the three pieces of work will be assessed separately and then combined to achieve a total mark.