Transition pack for starting A Level Media Studies

By the end of this course, you will be able to do the following:

● Demonstrate skills of enquiry, critical thinking, decision-making and analysis● Demonstrate a critical approach to media issues ● Demonstrate appreciation and critical understanding of the media and their role

both historically and currently in society, culture, politics and the economy ● Develop an understanding of the dynamic and changing relationships between

media forms, products, media industries and audiences ● Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the global nature of the media ● Apply theoretical knowledge and specialist subject specific terminology to analyse

and compare media products and the contexts in which they are produced and consumed in order to make informed arguments, reach substantial judgements and draw conclusions about media issues

● Engage in critical debate about academic theories used in media studies ● Appreciate how theoretical understanding supports practice and practice supports

theoretical understanding● Demonstrate sophisticated practical skills by providing opportunities for creative

media production.

You will need to do this through a solid understanding of the theoretical framework of Media Studies. This is the following:

● Media language: how the media through their forms, codes, conventions and techniques communicate meanings

● Media representations: how the media portray events, issues, individuals and social groups

● Media industries: how the media industries’ processes of production, distribution and circulation affect media forms and platforms

● Media audiences: how media forms target, reach and address audiences, how audiences interpret and respond to them and how members of audiences become producers themselves.

1: Write out a definition of the theoretical framework in your own words:

Theoretical framework

Definition

Media Language

Media representations

Media Industries

Media Audiences

You will also need to know, understand and apply a range of academic theorists and apply them to news and online news, and also Long form television, both of which are synoptic units (meaning you will need to know them in lots of detail).

2: Research the following theorists and write a definition of their theories. This will need to be in your own words. You will find this factsheet useful: https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/421658-academic-ideas-and-arguments-factsheet.pdf

Media Language

Barthes - Semiology

Neale - genre theory

Levi-Strauss - Structuralism

Todorov - Narratology

Baudrillard - Postmodernism

Representation

Hall - Theories of representation

Gauntlett - Theories of identity

Van Zoonen - Feminist theory

hooks - Feminist theory

Butler - Theories of gender performativity

Gilroy - Theories about ethnicity and postcolonial theory

Industries

Curran and Seaton - Power and media industries

Livingstone and Lunt - Regulation

Hesmondhalgh - Cultural industries

Audience

Bandura - Media effects

Gerbner - Cultivation theory

Hall - Reception theory

Jenkins - Fandom

Shirky - ‘End of audience’ theories

COMPONENT 1: Media MessagesYou will also need to be able to analyse a range of different types of media, ranging from music videos, magazine front covers, newspaper front covers, radio and television shows. These will be both seen and unseen.

This will look a little like the example you see here:

3: Use the above as a model to analyse this example of a front cover of the Big Issue (this is one of the set texts you will study for A2 Media Studies).

You will need to research any of the terms you do not know from the above analysis.

4: You will also be studying the Daily Mail and the Guardian newspapers. Research and answer the following questions:

1) What is the circulation of both newspapers?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) What is the political ideology of both newspapers? Which political parties do they support?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3) What is the current number of followers on Twitter for both newspapers? Do either newspaper have more than one Twitter feed?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4) Who are the targeted audiences for both newspapers? Who are the typical readers of both newspapers?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5) What is the ownership model of both newspapers? Who owns them and what structure is in place?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5: You will also need to analyse music videos. Choose any music video from the list below and answer the following questions:

1) Who is represented in the music video and how do you know?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) How is the mise-en-scene* used to create an effect?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Mise-en-scene: camera shots, angles, lighting, settings, locations, costumes, props, makeup, editing and sound as appropriate.

3) How are the artists presenting themselves in the music video? (If they’re not in the music video, think about what that shows about the artists – are they presenting themselves as edgy, cutting edge, avant-garde etc.?)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

COMPONENT 2: Evolving MediaSection A: Media Industries and Audiences

In this section, you will need to have a broad knowledge of media industries and audiences. In other words, how media producers create films, radio shows and video games and how audiences consume and interact with these products. We will study set texts relating to film, radio and gaming industries but here are some research tasks to get you prepared: Film

o Create a timeline of the history of film, starting with the first motion pictures of the later 19 th

century and early 20th century, then through the ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ and through to modern day cinema. Consider how changes in technology have changed the film industry and also how factors such as the changing economy and historical events (such as World Wars) impacted how films were made and how audiences responded to films.

o Research one of the following cinematic movements: o French New Waveo Soviet Montageo Italian Neorealismo British New Waveo The Movie Bratso New Queer Cinemao Domge 95o Mumblecore

o What are the differences between arthouse films and blockbuster films? To what extent are the boundaries between arthouse and blockbuster films being blurred in modern cinema?

o Which 10 films have made the most money in history? Which companies made these films? What are the similarities (or differences) in genre, style, actors, directors?

o Create a timeline of Walt Disney Studios, including key films that the studio has produced from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) to modern day remakes like The Jungle Book and The Lion King. Also include films from subsidiary studios which Disney own, such as Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios. Select 10 films on your timeline and create fact files for these films, including key personnel (directors, actors, etc.), budget, opening weekend box office figures and cumulative worldwide gross.

You could present your findings to the above research tasks as a PowerPoint presentation or as an infographic (a poster with graphs/charts to present information in an interesting visual way).

Additional ideas:

Watch films! Watch a wide variety of films to broaden your appreciation of the media format. Below are some online lists of films you could check out: https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/200-essential-movies-to-watch-now/https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/top-your-watchlist-film-studentshttps://www.gamesradar.com/uk/best-oscar-winning-movies/An interesting film about the regulation system in the U.S. is This Film Is Not Yet Rated

Radio

o Listen to a daily BBC radio show for a week and keep a log of what the presenters talk about, the type of music they play, the ways which they interact with the audience and how often news bulletins are aired.

o Listen to a daily radio show on a commercial radio station (non-BBC) for a week and keep a log of what the presenters talk about, the type of music they play, the ways which they interact with the audience, how often news bulletins are aired and how often adverts are played. How is commercial radio different from BBC radio?

o Research the history of the BBC. Some things to consider: o Who founded the BBC?o What is the BBCs mission statement? o How is the BBC funded?

o Create a timeline of the history of BBC Radio 1, including presenters, key events and other significant moments.

o How have people’s radio listening habits changed over the past 50 years? What are the most popular radio stations in the UK? Are more or less people tuning into the radio? When do people listen to the radio? Where do they listen to the radio? On what devices do people listen to the radio?

RAJAR is a brilliant resource for researching radio audience figures: https://www.rajar.co.uk/A great film about the history of ‘pirate’ radio is The Boat That Rocked.

Gamingo Create a timeline for the history of video games, starting with the first computer games of

the 60s, moving through the ‘golden age’ of arcade video games to modern day gaming consoles and online gaming.

o What are the 10 most successful console games of all time? Why were they so successful? Are there any similarities in genre, gameplay, target audience?

o Create a box design for a new game, including title, blurb, imagery and PEGI rating.

The following documentaries about video gaming offer interesting insights into the gaming industry and audience behaviours:

o Indie Game: The Movie (particularly useful for our set text – Minecraft)o Second Skin o The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarterso Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade

Section B: Long Form Television DramaIn this section, you will analyse and evaluate long form television dramas (LFTVD), applying a variety of media theories to set two texts. LFTVD generally refers to any on-going series which form a cohesive narrative with recurring characters, events and themes. Some famous examples are The Sopranos, The Wire, Killing Eve, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland, Breaking Bad, House of Cards, Stranger Things and The Walking Dead. LFTVD run in seasons of (approximately) 10 hour-long episodes and often have cinematic production qualities; therefore, soap operas and sitcoms are not counted in this category.

In preparation for studying this section, watch a long form television drama and keep a log of the following things:

o How do the characters develop over the course of the season? Do they fit into traditional roles of heroes and villains or are these boundaries crossed?

o What genres does the drama draw on? Is there one predominant genre or are multiple genres present?

o What are the key themes in the series? How do these themes develop throughout the course of the season?

o How are problems in the narrative established and how are they resolved? How does the narrative change from episode to episode?

o How does the drama draw on existing media and cultural references to engage the audience?

o How does the drama challenge conventional attitudes in regards to gender, race and class? Why do you think the media producers challenged these conventions? How would an audience respond?

o Does the drama uphold any conventional attitudes to gender, race and class? How and why? o To what extent has the rising popularity of online streaming services such as Netflix changed

how long form television dramas are made and received by audiences?

Component 3: Making Media

As part of the course, you will produce an item of coursework (NEA) which fits into one of the following sections:

Television and online Radio and online Magazines and online Music Video and online

As part of your preparation for A-Level Media, I would like you to complete one of the following projects. For your chosen project(s), research your chosen form and then make an appropriate plan prior to production. Research will include looking at similar products. Ie. if you are going to make a short documentary: look at existing documentary makers such as Stacey Dooley and make an information sheet pointing out the features you could use. Planning may include scripts, storyboards, timelines and sketches. You can present this however you choose. It may be on a blog you set up, an online portfolio using PowerPoint or a notebook/sketchbook.

Online: Every practical project for A-Level Media contains an ‘online’ option. This requires you to set

up a website to support your product. We usually use wix.com (just keep ignoring when it asks you to pay- there is a free option but they do try to take you to the premium option). Make a simple homepage to support the project you choose from below.

Moving Image: BEGINNER: Make a video diary of the next month. There is a really nice app called ‘1 Second

a Day’ which is a good way to get started: https://1se.co INTERMEDIATE: Make a short documentary film entitled ‘A Day in Lockdown’. Use your

phone or camera to film and edit. Free editing Software for phones: ‘iMovie’ is best for Apple devices and ‘FilmoraGo’ is apparently the most accessible for Android. If you already use any more advanced editing software such as Adobe PremierePro or Apple Final Cut Pro, feel free to use these. You may want to seriously present this significant time in modern history OR you may want to make a comedic film (I’ve seen some funny ones online from the perspective of pets!).

Audio: INTERMEDIATE: Imagine you are a Radio DJ and plan and present a 30 minute segment of a

Radio 1 Breakfast show. Choose several songs appropriate to a Radio 1 audience (you may need to research this to prepare).

INTERMEDIATE: Make a radio/podcast episode on the same theme as above: ‘A Day in Lockdown’. You may wish to interview a family member about their experience. You could play clips from TV reports.

ADVANCED: Make a series of Podcasts on a topic of your choice. (If you are not familiar with podcasts, can I suggest Serial Series 1 which is an outstanding Podcast which hugely increased the popularity of Podcasts!).

https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/the-best-free-audio-editor Read this article to find free editing software compatible with your hardware!

Print: INTERMEDIATE: Design the front page of a new magazine. You may choose your

preferred genre: fashion, film, music or any other genre of your choice. Look at existing examples to explore how this should be constructed. For example, if you have chosen to create a film magazine, look at recent editions of Empire Magazine.

ADVANCED: Create a page from inside the magazine to compliment the front page you have designed.

If you have Adobe PremierePro or the Apple equivalent, lucky you! If not, have a look at the following link and choose an appropriate free program such as Microsoft Publisher or you may wish to have a look at some of the alternatives: https://www.guru99.com/free-adobe-indesign-alternatives.html

REMEMBER, THIS IS JUST A TIME TO PLAY AROUND AND EXPLORE THE OPTIONS. DO NOT GET TOO STRESSED! JUST HAVE A GO AT ONE OF THE OPTIONS. SEND YOUR WORK TO

Miss Davies (s.davies@eatonbank.org ) or Mr Jenkins (s.jenkins@eatonbank.org) if you would like some feedback or advice.