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.