Teddington School Sixth Form

Transcription

1 Teddington School Sixth Form AS / A level Media Studies Subject Induction and Key Course Materials

2 AS and A level Media Studies Exam Board: Eduqas Year 1 - AS Level Media Studies (Year 12) This booklet is designed to give you all the information you need before starting the AS Media Studies course. Your course will consist of three components: Component 1: Investigating the Media (1hr 45min written exam: 35% of qualification) There are two sections to the exam, each requiring you to write both short stepped answers and essay-style responses. These sections are: Investigating Media Language and Representation; and Investigating Media Industries and Audiences. SECTION A: Investigating Media Language and Representation. One of the key skills in Media Studies is in-depth and specific analysis of media language (the way in which a media text communicates something to its audience). In your answers to this section, you will respond to the representations of people and places in advertising, music videos and newspapers. You will analyse the use of technical aspects of the print and moving image mediums to create meaning for an audience, focussing on the creation of representations of specific social types, groups, events or places within the products. SECTION B: Investigating Media Industries and Audiences. It is important to consider the business side of the media industry as well as analysing at a textual level. This includes considerations for how audiences are targeted by producers and the various ways in which these audiences respond to media products. Questions in this section relate to advertising, film marketing, newspapers, radio shows and video games. Component 2: Investigating Media Forms and Products (2hr written exam: 35% of qualification) There are three sections to the exam, each requiring you to write both short stepped answers and essay-style responses. These sections are Television, Magazines and Online Media. SECTION A: Television. We will explore one episode of a television product set by the exam board. In your answers to this section, you will respond to: the dynamic and historically relative nature of genre; TV regulation and marketing strategies; economic and industry contexts; and differing audience readings and responses. SECTION B: Magazines. It is important to consider historical media texts (pre 1970). This includes considerations for: the historical, social and cultural contexts that impact on the production of media texts; the way in which publishers target, attract, reach and address particular audiences; and how media language conveys values, attitudes, beliefs and ideologies. SECTION C: Online Media. This section will include a focus on YouTubers such as Zoella and the role played by blogs and vlogs in the media today. The interrelationship between media technologies and patterns of consumption and response will be the primary area of investigation. We will also explore how online products facilitate audience participation and interaction, and the impact of technology on media language.

3 Component 3: Media Production (Non-Examined Assessment: 30% of qualification) The coursework assesses your ability to plan and construct an advertising and marketing campaign for a film product. You will be assessed on the finished product and a 350 word statement of aims. As part of your process, you will undertake a variety of pre-production tasks in line with real-world media industry practice, including: research and development, drafting, audience research and location recces. You will learn practical photography skills and camera technique during production of your marketing campaign and then use Adobe Photoshop to edit your final pieces in post-production. Further information on course content, including past exam papers, can be accessed via the Eduqas website:

4 Year 2 - A Level Media Studies (Year 13) Your second year will also consist of three units: Component 1: Media Products, Industries and Audiences (2hr 15min written exam: 35% of qualification) There are two sections to the exam, each requiring you to write both short stepped answers and essay-style responses. These sections are: Analysing Media Language and Representation; and Understanding Media Industries and Audiences. SECTION A: Analysing Media Language and Representation. One of the key skills in Media Studies is in-depth and specific analysis of media language (the way in which a media text communicates something to its audience). In your answers to this section, you will respond to the representations of people and places in advertising, music videos and newspapers. You will analyse the use of technical aspects of the print and moving image mediums to create meaning for an audience, focussing on the creation of representations of specific social types, groups, events or places within the products. This section develops the work done at AS Level by introducing extra media products to compare against those studied in year 1. SECTION B: Investigating Media Industries and Audiences. It is important to consider the business side of the media industry as well as analysing at a textual level. This includes considerations for how audiences are targeted by producers and the various ways in which these audiences respond to media products. Questions in this section relate to advertising, film marketing, newspapers, radio shows and video games. This section develops the work done at AS Level by introducing extra media products to compare against those studied in year 1. Component 2: Investigating Media Forms and Products in Depth (2hr 30min written exam: 35% of qualification) There are three sections to the exam, each requiring you to write both short stepped answers and essay-style responses. These sections are: Television in the Global Age; Magazines- Mainstream and Alternative Media; and Online Media. SECTION A: Television. We will explore one episode of two television products set by the exam board, each from a differing social and cultural context. In your answers to this section, you will respond to: genre theory and fandom; how television audiences are defined, constructed and targeted on both a national and global scale; and economic and industry contexts, including the role of public service broadcasting. SECTION B: Magazines- Mainstream and Alternative Media. It is important to consider the differences between historical and contemporary media products. This includes considerations for: contextual factors that shape production, distribution, circulation and consumption; the way in which publishers target, attract, reach and address particular audiences; and how media language conveys values, attitudes, beliefs and ideologies of different eras. SECTION C: Online Media. This section will include a focus on YouTubers such as Zoella and digital magazines aimed at specialised audiences such as attitude.co.uk. An exploration of the way in which convergent media platforms increasingly overlap, as well as investigating the potential that they offer for self-representation, will be the primary area of investigation.

5 Component 3: Cross-Media Production (Non-Examined Assessment: 30% of qualification) The coursework assesses your ability to plan and construct an advertising and marketing campaign for a film product which covers both print and audio/visual mediums. You will be assessed on the finished product and a 500 word statement of aims. As part of your process, you will undertake a variety of pre-production tasks in line with real-world media industry practice, including: research and development, drafting, audience research and location recces. You will learn practical photography skills and camera technique during production of your print products and then use Adobe Photoshop to edit your final pieces in postproduction. You will learn practical filmmaking skills and camera technique during production of your audio/visual products and then use Adobe Premiere to edit your final piece in post-production. Further information on course content, including sample exam papers, can be accessed via the Eduqas website:

6 Annual Deadlines for Coursework Year 1 (Year 12) Film product adverting and marketing 1 st draft: end February 2018 Film product adverting and marketing final version: end March 2018 Year 2 (Year 13) Film product cross-media adverting and marketing 1 st draft: end February 2019 Film product cross-media adverting and marketing final version: end March 2019 Whole School Deadline for ALL year 12 coursework: (proposed) Friday 20 th April 2018 Essential Wider Reading (particularly for students wanting to study the subject at university): Revision Express AS & A2 Media Studies: Complete Introduction Representation Hall & Holmes Joanne Hollows Stewart Hall

7 Tasks to complete over the summer: This booklet contains a selection of tasks that need to be completed in order to prepare yourself for the AS Media Studies course. Each of the tasks relates to a different area of the course and will provide some important background information for each unit. Task 1: Key Terms Definitions Here is a list of key terms you will be using throughout the course. Can you research the definition to each and produce a personal glossary? pre-production production post-production mise-en-scene cinematography cuts diegetic sound non-diegetic sound soundscape representation messages and values ideology establishing shot close-up mid-shot tracking Shot pan tilt composition Rule of Thirds focus transitions connotations institution genre narrative media language Task 2: Analysing a favourite film opening All the elements of media language fit into four categories: mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound. Re-watch the opening from a film within the genre you are interested in producing a twominute sequence for. Can you find three examples of media language in each of the four categories? Consider why the filmmaker has made these decisions- what impact do they have? Task 3: Decoding messages and values Here is the cover for Nicki Minaj s 2011 album Pink Friday. This image (like all images) is mediated in some way. It is encoded with some very clear social and cultural representations, messages and values. Can you identify five representations, messages and values (cultural, social or otherwise) this text is giving an audience? In what ways are these ideologies presented?