Question 1a

Adapted from OCR , Victoria Allen, Head of Media Studies, Thomas Rotherham Sixth Form, Examiner for A2 Media Studies S H

Section A 1a is entirely concerned about skills develop ent, but you will be expected to write about one specific area: Digital Technology Creativity Use of Real Media Texts Research and Planning Post Production

Applying a simple structure:

e.g. explain what you did in each of these areas Pre-Production Production
AS A2

Post-Production

!" A tripod is not di#ital technolo#$%

Marks and Timing

All that does see "# inutes$

a lot for to !rite in

%ut to get the arks you need examples from your work$ So & could limit the examples to 3 per
section 'e$g$ " digital technologies at AS at pre(production stage and at A) " develop ent exa ples*

Q1a)

Research
refers to looking at real media and audiences to inform your thinking about a media production also how you record all that research; Planning refers to all the creative and logistical thinking and all the organisation that goes on in putting the production together so that everything works again gives you the chance to write about how you kept records of it.

Q1a)

Conventions
Real media conventions involve consideration of other texts that you looked at and how skilfully you were able to weave their conventions into your work or ways in which you might have challenged them.

Q1a)

Digital Technology
refers to hardware, software and online technology: the cameras, the computers, the packages you used, and the programs online that you have worked with. It is worth considering how all this interlinks. onsider how you used digital technology in :

Q1a)

Post Production
falls under digital technology as well, so if it would probably represent an expansion of points you!d make in one section of digital technology. It is really about everything you do after constructing the raw materials for your production; so once you have taken photos and written text, how do you manipulate it all in "hotoshop or desktop publishing for a print product or once you have shot your video, what do you do to it in editing.

Q1a)

Creativity
involves thinking about what the creative process might mean.
+ aking of the old, re(arranging of the ne!-, +so ething ne! that co unicates so ething to so eone-, +so ething original-$

consider where your ideas came from how you worked collaboratively to share ideas, how you changed things or how you used tools like the programs to achieve something imaginative.

Q1a) Theory and Terminology...

.ou ay include /asic theory or references to ideas and key ter s that you can put into your essays$ (audience reading= preferred meaning =Stuart Hall) 0t isn-t vital that there is theory /ut if it helps support your ans!er then your application of it and understanding can /e credited$

Q1a) Marking Criteria

Clear sense of Development Broad range of Examples Correct use of Terminology

Question 1b
Adapted from OCR S H

Q1 ) !reakdown of the "ptions#

Genre

#enerally, this should cover not $ust generic conventions of the particular sub-genre of your product but should include ideas a/out ho! genres develop1evolve %in relation to their particular product (e.g. Changing sub genres of film, maga!ines) and ho! institutions use genre to target audiences$ Moretti 2uote

Q1 ) !reakdown of the "ptions#

Narrative

3ssentially, the /asic and fa iliar narrative theories can /e applied to any video pieces you have undertaken$ 0deas a/out 4uxtaposition of ele ents are useful in helping to explain ho! shots are positioned next to each other creating eaning for the vie!er$

Q1 ) !reakdown of the "ptions#

Representation

There are nu erous theories a/out representation of gender, age, ethnicity, regional identity etc$ !hich you have already covered at AS$ 3valuate ho! your product has representations a/out social groups1artists1characters$ ediated certain

.ou can also evaluate ho! certain su/cultures have /een represented !ithin the product$

Q1 ) !reakdown of the "ptions#

Audience

Again, there are nu erous !ays to tackle this and an idea a/out each allo!s the students to fully sho! they understand the concept$ 5o! the audience is represented, ho! the product can /e applied to audience effects1reception1pleasures theories, ho! the product is a reflection of ideas a/out changing audience consu ption ha/its, ho! the audience for the text !as constructed and researched$

Q1 ) !reakdown of the "ptions#

Media Language

This is all a/out the specific ediu and ho! the language of the ediu has /een used to create eaning for the audience$ The eanings generally are a synoptic round up of other options covered 'genre, narrative1stories, representations*$ As part of this it is i portant to include ter inology a/out ho! signs !ork in the edia$ 3ssentially, ho!ever, this is one !here a generic approach is ore difficult and the language of the ediu needs careful revision so that you can textually analyse your o!n essay against ediu specific theory 'e$g$ %arthes*