A2 REVISION:SECTION A

SECTION AIn the exam you should spend 1 hour on this section.

30 minutes for question 1(a), 30 minutes for question 1(b).

This section is worth 50 marks.

1(A) PROGRESSION

Question 1(a) will ask you to discuss the progression of your skills in one or two of these areas:

• Research and planning

• Digital technology

• Post-production

• Conventions

• Creativity

In this question you must talk about both your AS and A2 coursework.

CREATIVITY

CREATIVITY

‘creativity involves the physical making of something, leading to some form of communication or expression’ (Gauntlett).

Creativity should be understood as the production choices you made which allowed you to communicate meaning to the audience.

QUESTION 1(A) ASSESSMENT CRITERIAo Progression

o Reflection

o Evaluation

o Specific, relevant, clear examples

o Terminology

Sense of a journey

QUESTION 1(A)EXAMINERS’ REPORTThe highest marks were secured by candidates who were able to relate their decision making to the creative outcomes and deal specifically with how digital technology – for example, editing software and image manipulation either affords or limits creativity. Most candidates approached the question chronologically, citing examples of creativity stemming from production work, whilst level 3 responses broadened the discussion to explain how digital technologies had facilitated creative decisions at the research and planning stage, with reference to You-Tube for textual research, Survey Monkey for audience research and social networking for audience research and planning. Many candidates demonstrated how they had become more creative in the presentation of their work by making more effective use of a broader range of apps on their blogs/websites.

The least successful answers tended to list/describe the technology used and confused creativity with quality.

To achieve level 4, candidates also needed to provide detailed examples of progress in their use of technology over the course.

QUESTION 1(A) - PROGRESS

You must show evidence of the progression of your skills in your answer.

Each example should illustrate the development of a specific skill.

QUESTION 1(A) – REFLECTION/EVALUATION

For each example consider how successful this was, and what this allowed you to achieve.

QUESTION 1(A)Research and Planning

Digital Technology

Post-production Conventions Creativity

• Analysis of music magazines

• Audience Research

• Draft work

• Publishing software

• Image editing• Internet-based

research (e.g. Survey Monkey)

• Publishing software

• Image editing

• Layout• Language• Images (mise-

en-scene, shot types)

• Mode of address

• Typography

• Photography• Writing copy• Page design• Typography

• Analysis of videos

• Analysis of ancillary products

• Audience research

• Shotlist• Storyboard• Animatic• Production

Schedule

• Video editing software

• Image editing software

• Publishing software

• Internet-based research

• (Digital camera)

• Video editing software

• Image editing software

• Publishing software

• Conventions of genre

• Conventions of form

• Narrative• Mise-en-

scene• Camerawork• Sound• Editing

QUESTION 1(A) - EXAMPLES

You need to use specific and detailed examples, evaluate each example, and explain how this demonstrates progress.

YOUR EXAMPLES MUST BE SPECIFIC

Remember that lots of the examples will overlap (e.g. digital technology, post-production, creativity).

You should have decided on the examples you intend to use I the exam for each question.

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE

Identify a specific example of how research and planning helped you to identify a convention which you used digital technology to create in post-production.

Use the example – evaluation – progression structure.

THEORY

Question 1(a) does not require detailed reference to media theory, however it may be beneficial to bring in some relevant theoretical ideas.

Gauntlett – creativity

Hall – encoding/decoding

STRUCTURING YOUR ANSWER

STRUCTURE

Introduction – very brief description of what your coursework at AS and A2, e.g. For the Foundation Portfolio I produced a new music magazine focused on pop music, and at A2 I produced a horror film trailer, poster, and magazine cover.

Paragraph 2 – Skill area – you may want to briefly define the skill area and consider your level of skill at the start of the course – you could use the preliminary task to illustrate this.

Paragraph 3 – AS coursework – discuss specific examples of your use of the skill at AS, explaining how your skills developed.

Paragraph 4 – A2 coursework – discuss specific examples of your use of the skill at A2, explaining how your skills developed, and including some comparison with skill level at AS/beginning of course.

Conclusion – Briefly sum up how your skills have progressed.

QUESTION 1(B) - THEORY

Question 1(b) will ask you to apply one theoretical concept to one of your coursework productions.

o Representation

o Audience

o Narrative

o Genre

o Media Language

QUESTION 1(B) – ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

o Understanding of concept

o Theory applied to production

o Range of specific, relevant, interesting, clear examples

o Terminology

1(B)

1(B) EXAMINER’S REPORT

1(B)Representation Audience Narrative Genre Media

Language

Mulvey Hall Propp Neale Hall

Baudrillard Blumler & Katz

Todorov Altman All narrative theorists

Saussure Morley (Bourdieu)

Barthes Ryall Neale

Dyer Fiske Levi-Strauss Cawelti Ryall

1(B)

Introduction – identify the production you going to focus on. Briefly outline the concept you are discussing.

Paragraph 2 – introduce one theoretical approach to the concept. Explain how that can be applied to the product you are discussing (or how it cannot be applied). Remember to use specific examples, and approach the product with critical distance – textual analysis of the product not description of production process.

Paragraph 3-4 – continue to apply to relevant theorists.

Conclusion – how useful are the theories you discussed in making sense of how meaning is created/audiences would engage with your text.

1(B) - EXAMPLES

Identify one specific example you could use for each of the conceptual areas.

Representation

Audience

Narrative

Genre

Media Language

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO WELL IN 1(A)?

Show progression

Use specific examples

Evaluate examples

Use terminology

Spend 30 minutes on the question

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO WELL ON 1(B)?

Show understanding of theory

Apply theory to your product

Use specific examples

Use terminology

Textual analysis of product

Spend 30 minutes on this question