Welcome to

AS MEDIA STUDIES

COURSE GUIDE
2010/11

Exam board:

Introduction
 You may be very familiar with broadcast drama, but have you
thought about how editing contributes to storytelling in subtle, often
“invisible”, ways? Similarly, have you ever considered how social
groupings, such as age, gender and ethnicity are represented through
these dramas? How are the media texts you consume, such as the
videogames you play, the films you see at the cinema or the magazines
you buy, produced, funded, marketed and distributed? These are the
kinds of question that the course will encourage you to consider.

Pete Fraser, Chief Examiner for OCR

On this course, you will analyse media texts in depth and to find out more about how
they are produced. This year you will focus particularly on Video Production for your
coursework portfolio, then you will study TV drama and the film industry. You will be
encouraged to “read” media texts in analytical and creative ways.

50% of the new specification for AS is devoted to coursework, whilst the

examination paper covers two topics (as highlighted above, TV Drama and Film
industry) and accounts for the other 50%. In the Foundation Portfolio unit, you will
get plenty of hands-on experience and develop some quite sophisticated skills with
equipment and post-production software. However, you will need to show evidence
of research and planning, reflection, and evaluation to accompany the practical
work.

So…

… an exciting course: yes

… a challenging course: yes
… an opportunity to develop a whole new set of skills: yes
… a demanding, analytical and reflective course: yes

… just a bit of fun watching films and handling a camera: NO …

…though you will do both but so much more besides! We do expect

the motivated modern student to get a lot out of this course,
including an enjoyable but challenging experience. We also expect
you to develop as a confident, independent and reflective reader of
a range of media texts, and to learn to express your responses
effectively through speech and writing.

Expectations
• You should have high expectations of yourself, of your learning, of the
teaching, of the course.

• We have high expectations of you, of ourselves, of your learning, and

the teaching.

• You must do your best to engage with the subject, and participate in the
activities. Some you will enjoy, and others you may find challenging, because
they don’t suit the way you prefer to learn. Do your best. Additionally, AS
Media Studies involves a fair amount of reading and research and it is
expected that you will complete all of it, largely in your own study time.

• You must meet all deadlines. If you miss a deadline we will write home and
inform your parents/guardians, and you will be expected to attend a meeting
with either of us after school. Meeting deadlines is important for the purposes
of on-going assessment and the completion of coursework (including
intermediate deadlines for different stages of the Portfolio). If work is not
submitted, you will trigger a Negative Referral which will be logged on your
personal file and used when the school completes your UCAS reference. You
must also understand that feedback can only be given on completed work
and is essential for your progression.

• You must complete at least 5 hours work outside the lessons each
week. Some of this time will be taken up by tasks we set for your home
study. However, you will have independent study time. You are expected to
use this, and we will want to see evidence of your independent study each
week. Look at the suggestions on how to make effective use of your study
time later on in the booklet and we will suggest wider reading over the
course.

• You are expected to attend every lesson. You should not book
appointments during lesson time unless it is absolutely unavoidable.
If you miss a lesson due to illness then you must catch up the work you have
missed, by the next lesson if possible. To be eligible for the A2 course, you
must attend all the summer sessions (post-exam) as we will start looking at,
planning and researching for the Advanced Portfolio (music video production
at A2); you will also need to have achieved a D minimum at AS Level.

About the course…

AS Media Studies – Two Units
The aims of these specifications are to:

 enhance candidates enjoyment and appreciation of the media and its role in
their daily lives;
 develop critical understanding of the media through engagement with media
products and concepts and through the creative application of practical skills;
 explore production processes, technologies and contexts;
 become independent in research skills and their application.

1. G321 Foundation Portfolio in Media

Coursework unit – 50% of AS Level
Learners engage with contemporary media technologies, producing two paired
video products from a brief.

This process involves progression from a pre-production to production and finally

post-production.

This is the set brief for VIDEO:

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character

opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another
character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.
This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-
degree rule.

Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two
minutes (We focus on Thriller openings)

All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with
the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source.

Assessment Objectives:

1. To assess candidates’ ability to plan and construct media products using

appropriate technical and creative skills (AO3);
2. To assess candidates’ application of knowledge and understanding in evaluating
their own work, showing how meanings and responses are created (AO2);
3. To assess candidates’ ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate
research (AO4).
The presentation of the research, planning and evaluation take the form of a
a blog.

In the evaluation the following questions must be answered:

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
• How does your media product represent particular social groups?
• What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
• Who would be the audience for your media product?
• How did you attract/address your audience?
• What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this
product?
• Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the
progression from it to the full product?

Your evaluation needs to be reflective and presented in a series of creative tasks

rather than a long written essay. For instance you might want to present one
question using Prezi, or create a director’s commentary for another question.

The production element and presentation of research and planning may be

individual or group work (maximum group size is four candidates).
Where candidates have worked in a group, the evidence for assessment may be
presented collectively but we will still assess candidates on an individual basis
for their contribution to aspects of the work, from planning, research and
production to evaluation and submit our evidence. Video work must be in DVD
format.

The unit is marked out of a total of 100 marks:

• 20 marks for the presentation of the planning and research;
• 60 marks for the construction;
• 20 marks for the evaluation.

2. G322 Key Media Concepts

Examination: TV Drama + Film Industry
50% of AS Level
This paper covers textual analysis and representation alongside institutions and
audiences.
• In section A, learners answer questions on an unseen moving image extra which
is then linked to some aspect of the representation within the sequence.
• In section B, they answer a question about the film industry.

Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation

An ‘unseen’ extract from a TV Drama with one compulsory question dealing with
textual analysis of various technical aspects of the languages and conventions of
moving image media.
Candidates will be asked to link this analysis with a discussion of some aspect of
representation within the sequence. Learners need to demonstrate textual analysis
of all of the following technical areas of moving image language and conventions in
relation to the unseen extract.
Below is a list of what students should learn and also provides as the source of the
questions in the examination papers.

Camera Shots, Angle, Movement and Composition

 Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide
shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, and
variations of these.
 Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle.
 Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse
zoom.
 Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and shallow focus,
focus pulls.

Editing

Includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-continuity systems.

 Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump
cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway; insert.
 Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long
take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production,
visual effects.

Sound

 Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound

effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of
address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective.
 Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.

Mise-en-Scène

 Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up,

properties.
 Lighting; colour design.
In brief, the focus of study for Section A is the use of technical aspects
(micro-level) of the moving image medium to create meaning for an audience
(macro-level), focussing on the creation of representations of specific social
types, groups, events or places within the extract.

Section B: Institutions and Audiences

One compulsory question to be answered by candidates based upon a case study

of the film industry.

Through specific case studies of the film industry, candidates must demonstrate
understanding of contemporary institutional processes of production,
distribution, marketing and exchange/exhibition at a local, national or
international level as well as British audiences’ reception and consumption.

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 will require you to research, make notes and LEARN some hard facts about the
industry, based on some contrasting case studies.
Assessment Objectives:

1. To assess candidates’ media textual analysis skills and their understanding of

the concept of representation using a short unseen moving image extract (AO1,
AO2);
2. To assess candidates’ knowledge and understanding of media institutions and
their production processes, distribution strategies, use of technologies and
related issues concerning audience reception and consumption of media texts
(AO1, AO2).

Assessment Objectives
Candidates are expected to demonstrate the following in the context of the content
described:

AO1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media concepts, contexts and critical
debates, using terminology appropriately and with accurate and coherent written
expression.

AO2 Apply knowledge and understanding to show how meanings are created when
analysing media products and evaluating their own practical work.

AO3 Demonstrate the ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate
technical and creative skills.

AO4 Demonstrate the ability to undertake and apply appropriate research.

AO % of AS GCE
weightings in
AS GCE Total
AO1 AO2 AO3 AO4
Units
AS G321:
Foundation
0 10 30 10 50%
Portfolio in
Media
AS G322:
Key Media
30 20 0 0 50%
Concepts
(TV Drama)
30% 30% 30% 10% 100%

AO % of Advanced GCE
weightings in
Advanced AO1 AO2 AO3 AO4 Total
GCE Units
AS G321:
Foundation
0 5 15 5 25%
Portfolio in
Media
AS G322:
Key Media
15 10 0 0 25%
Concepts
(TV Drama)
A2 G324:
Advanced
0 5 15 5 25%
Portfolio in
Media
A2 G325:
Critical
15 10 0 0 25%
Perspectives
in Media
30% 30% 30% 10% 100%

Quality of Written Communication

In Media Studies, the quality of written communication will be taken into account in
assessing your work in the two externally assessed units.

Candidates will:

- ensure that text is legible and that spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate so that
meaning is clear;

- select and use a form and style of writing appropriate to purpose and to complex subject
matter;

- organise information clearly and coherently, using specialist vocabulary when appropriate.

*****************************************************************

And next year… A2 Media Studies – Two More

Units

The Advanced GCE is made up of the two mandatory units at AS and two further units at
A2.

1. G324 Advanced Portfolio in Media (coursework unit –25% of A Level)

In this coursework unit, learners engage with Contemporary media technologies to

produce a media Advanced Portfolio through a combination of two or more media.
Students have to create a music video and promotional package for an album.
Then they present their research, planning and evaluation in two or more forms
including PowerPoint, blog and podcast. This is a development of the skills you
learn in unit one at AS.

2. G325 Critical Perspectives in Media (Exam - 25% of A Level)

This paper covers theoretical evaluation or production alongside a study of

contemporary media issues.

In section A, learners describe and evaluate their skills development in their

production work and then select one production to evaluate in relation to a media
concept.

In section B, we choose one topic and learners demonstrate their understanding of

a contemporary issue through a range of texts, institutions, audiences and debates.
Examples of contemporary media issues include global media, media and collective
identity, ‘we media’ and democracy. Two questions are offered on each topic.
This unit is externally examined.

*****************************************************************
You will have two AS teachers sharing the delivery of the course in 2010/11:

Mrs H. O’Shea h.o’shea@parkhighstanmore.org.uk

Mr R. Molloy rmolloy.310@parkhighstanmore.org.uk
 What do I do outside of
lessons?
In addition to the home learning tasks set by your teachers, you will need to do
independent study. It is for you to decide how best to spend your time and how you
can learn most effectively. To get you started there are some suggestions below:

• Read through your notes and write down key words for each study/unit. Put your
notes away and try and explain why you chose each word.

• Watch the recommended films, possibly in groups, and discuss how they use or
subvert the conventions of the genre. Discuss which films you’ve enjoyed and why.
Keep track of your viewings on your blog.

• Use IMBd (http://www.imdb.com/) to look up information about films.

• Find out details about how the films you watch, at home or at the cinema, have been
produced and distributed. Keep notes.

• Use the recommended websites and search them for more information about your
subject. Make good use of all the links on the Media blogs.

• Create a mind map. Use different starting points each time e.g. title of the unit,
strengths/weaknesses, key word/themes/ concepts, case study. How much can you do
without your notes? How much can you add once you have your notes in front of you?

• Go to the library (or come to us) and read a recommended book, or relevant
chapters of a book. Look in the index and find relevant pages.

• Take notes on what you have read. Find interesting quotes.

• Write down five questions you could ask the authors / directors / scriptwriters /
producers etc.

• Write down five things you want to know more about from what you have read. Find
the answers.

• Find images to represent key points/units/studies. It is essential that your blog should
use a range of media rather than being overwhelmingly solid text. You need to engage
with the technologies mentioned on the course.
.
• Plan a lesson on a particular subject. How would you teach it to someone else?

• Create mnemonics – where the first letter of each word makes a word, or a sentence
e.g. Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain tells you the order of the colours of the rainbow
(red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).

• Practise answering exam questions. Use the exam board website or the blog. Do the
exam questions with your notes. Do them without your notes and then check your
answers.

• Organise your file- make sure there is nothing missing. Update your blog weekly to
keep to deadlines. You will need to purchase a lever arch file or 3 ring binders.

• Practise analysing media texts at home. Become more critical when watching
different programmes or films. Write down some key observations about representation
and share with the class.
• Do any or all of the above with a friend. Test yourself, and test each other.

www.ocr.org.uk

Useful Resources
The library is your friend. We also have a range of relevant books
you may borrow from us.. You will use it to study in, and you will also find
resources in there to help you. You will need to read books or simply relevant
chapters. Start small and work up. Reading and
making notes is a skill you need to develop.
Practise now!

You will need to read outside the remit of the

course. This will help your understanding, help
your language and literacy skills, and support your
university application. USE THE LIBRARY!

Using the Internet. The internet can be a valuable

resource, but use it carefully, use it wisely. Always remember
anybody can write anything and put it on the web, so what you
find there might not be what you thought you were looking for.

Internet sites will be recommended below, and you should use

these regularly. You will also be asked to use the internet to
watch tv programmes (using things like bbc iplayer) or videos
(e.g. on YouTube).

Useful websites:

OCR:
http://www.ocr.org.uk/Data/publications/key_documents/AS_ALevel_GCE_
Media_Studies_Specification.pdf
for a full version of your specifications

Media UK
www.mediauk.com
Useful for any media research related to UK institutions. Includes useful articles
such as ‘An introduction to UK television’.

BFI EDUCATION
www.bfi.org.uk/education
The British Film Institute’s education resources – very useful for moving image
analysis.
BBC ONLINE
www.bbconline.org.uk
Archives and daily news – essential site
FILM EDUCATION
www.filmeducation.org.uk
Great film study resources

Daniel Chandler’s Media and Communications site

http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/
Fantastic array of great articles of the topics you will be studying, including
Representation on TV and films. USE IT!!!

MEDIA WEEK
http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/
Check through their podcasts particularly, and their analysis of media news.

BRITISH BOARD OF FILM CLASSIFICATION

www.bbfc.co.uk
Regulatory body for UK film, DVD and games.

LONG ROAD COLLEGE MEDIA SITE

www.longroadmedia.com
See how it’s done!!! Look at the coursework produced by Long Road past students
and read their accompanying blogs. Soon, yours will be online too!

BRITMOVIE
http://www.britmovie.co.uk/
Find details about any British film, director or actor. You can also watch film trailers.

THE INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE

www.imdb.com
Find details about any film.

MEDIA GUARDIAN
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/mediaguardian
Online version of the Monday supplement. Essential for studying institutions and audiences.

UK FILM COUNCIL
http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/ and in particular http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/ukfilms
Essential for statistics, information on piracy and fantastic articles for your film Industry unit.

OFCOM
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/
Regulatory body for broadcast media and telecommunications. Great for studying
institutions.

NEW MEDIA
http://www.newmediastudies.com/
Useful for up-to-date facts and figures on the ne media and great resources for your
understanding of key concepts.

Recommended books:

The Media Student’s Book (Branston and Stafford, Routledge)

The OCR Media Studies for AS (Julian McDougall, Hodder)Note: You will be
able to use them in class. We highly recommend that you get The Media Student’s
Book, particularly if you intend to continue at A2.
 Blogging

As part of your coursework, you will have to complete an electronic portfolio, in the
form of a blog, providing evidence of research, planning, production and evaluation.

You will receive training and guidance from your teachers, and the blogs will be
launched at the beginning of the Autumn term. Your students’ blogs will be linked to
a central “Media Studies” blog from which you will also be able to access resources,
instructions, links and important documents. You will be reading and evaluating
each others’ blogs in lessons as well, for example as part of the starter activity of a
lesson.

Consequently, there are some important guidelines which you MUST follow to
ensure that blog content is appropriate and adopts a “professional” mode of address
as this is a “work area” rather than a personal blog and will be seen by external
moderators.

BLOGGING GUIDELINES

 You must use appropriate language, grammar and punctuation. You will not
use ‘txt’ speak and adopt an appropriate register. Remember that the blog is
a showcase into your production process and part of your coursework.

 You must use an appropriate title for your blog; this means you MUST
choose an appropriate nickname as well.

 You will not add any unnecessary widgets and gadgets on your blog.

 You will check carefully any link which you include on your blog. Do not add
unnecessary links.

You will be expected to sign a copy of this document in September.

 List of recommended films
To get you started, here is a list of recommended films you really ought to see in order to
get a firmer grasp of the Thriller genre.

Of course you cannot see them all but you'll be expected to have seen at least 10 by the
end of the first half-term, then keep watching throughout the coursework unit.
Arrange viewings between yourselves and keep a record of what you have watched with
some review notes. Discuss what makes these films good thrillers or at least iconic ones.
You should develop a better understanding of thriller conventions and sub-genres, and of
course get much inspiration for your own project.

Some of these films can be borrowed from the Department. However some of the films from
the list are 18-certificates so you will need to have that discussion with your parents /
guardians; you also need to consider your own feelings.

1. Heat 27. The Killing

2. Se7en 28. Blood Simple
3. The Silence of the Lambs 29. The Usual Suspects
4. LA Confidential 30. Cape Fear
5. The Departed 31. No Country for Old Men
6. Reservoir Dogs 32. Double Indemnity
7. Chinatown 33. The Manchurian Candidate
8. North by Northwest 34. Les Diaboliques (Clouzot)
9. The Conversation 35. The French Connection
10. The 39 steps 36. Rebecca
11. Psycho 37. Le Samourai (Melville)
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's 38. City Of God
Nest 39. Delicatessen
13. Charade 40. Three Days of the Condor
14. Strangers on a Train 41. After Hours
15. The Third Man 42. Rebecca
16. Memento 43. Minority Report
17. Enemy of the State 44. What Lies Beneath
18. The Servant 45. Copycat
19. The Night of the Hunter 46. The Bourne Identity
20. Rear Window 47. The Machinist
21. Rosemary’s Baby 48. Fatal Attraction
22. The Others 49. Fargo
23. Blue Velvet 50. Schindler’s List (not a
24. The Ipcress File / Get Carter thriller but a masterclass in
25. The Fugitive directing)
26. The Shining

Use the Media blogs to get a head start…

http://parksmediagateway.blogspot.com/

http://msinduction.blogspot.com/
(Add these links as favourites; you will need to refer to the blogs for information, advice and
home learning tasks throughout the course)