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What does the Media Studies A-Level look like?5

What does the Media Studies A-Level look like?5. Unit 1 – 25% Investigating Media.

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What does the Media Studies A-Level look like?5

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  1. What does the Media Studies A-Level look like?5

  2. Unit 1 – 25%Investigating Media • Section A (1 hour 15 minutes including 15 minutes reading/viewing time) will consist of four short answer questions, all compulsory, relating to a piece of unseen stimulus material. The unseen material will take the form of one of the following: • moving image, • audio, • e-media • or print.

  3. Unit 1 – 25%Investigating Media • Questions will require candidates to focus on: • media forms, codes and conventions; • media representations; • media institutions, • media audiences • and values and ideologies, and candidates will be required to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of these media concepts and the contexts in which they appear. 48 marks

  4. Unit 1 – 25%Investigating Media • Section B (45 minutes) will require a sustained response to one of a choice of two questions which will give the candidates the opportunity to write about their cross-media study. Questions will not be topic-specific but designed to allow candidates to show what they know and understand about media products and processes by applying their knowledge and understanding of media concepts and contexts. 32 marks

  5. Unit 1 – 25%Investigating Media • Section B (45 minutes) will require a sustained response to one of a choice of two questions which will give the candidates the opportunity to write about their cross-media study. Questions will not be topic-specific but designed to allow candidates to show what they know and understand about media products and processes by applying their knowledge and understanding of media concepts and contexts. 32 marks

  6. Unit 2 – 25%Creating Media • In this unit candidates will produce two linked media artefacts taken from two of the three media platforms studied in Unit 1: Investigating Media, with a single, accompanying evaluation and pre-production materials for both pieces.

  7. Unit 3 – 25%Critical Perspectives Section A (40%) 1 hour including 15 minutes reading/viewing time 32 marks The first section will be based around unseen stimulus materials which may be print, e-media, audio or moving image based. The stimulus materials will be designed to be easily assimilated by candidates in the space of 15 minutes and there will be time for note-taking and essay planning. The materials will be chosen to raise issues about: • media concepts (form, representation, institutions, audience, values and ideology) • wider contexts • media issues and debates. There will be three compulsory questions based around the stimulus materials. The questions will demand short answers to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the media.

  8. Unit 3 – 25%Critical Perspectives Section B (60%) 1 hour 48 marks Candidates will have been given two pre-set topic areas for study during the year. They will be expected to answer one question from a choice of questions linked to the pre-set topics. Questions will be open-ended so that candidates can respond to the question utilising the media texts that they have studied throughout this course through the application of their synoptic knowledge

  9. UNIT 4 You’re on your own! AKA: Media Research and Production

  10. Follow your interests...

  11. While some elements of Unit 3 will be relevant to Unit 4, your critical investigation should not overlap your case studies

  12. Pose a question, or just start an investigation, or…

  13. Start with a production idea and let it suggest an investigation…

  14. Assessment Objectives • AO1 — demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media concepts, contexts, and critical debates (5% — 16 marks) • AO3 — demonstrate the ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creativeskills (10% — 32 marks) • AO4 — demonstrate the ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research (10% — 32 marks)

  15. Mark Scheme

  16. Research/investigation top band... • fluent & analytical investigation … • clear, autonomous and critical,…extensive and wide- ranging research which has clearly been employed in the investigation and detailed in the bibliography… • a wide range of academic, media and contextual sources… • Sophisticated research and engagement with the primary text(s) and a range of secondary texts.

  17. Research/investigation middle band • proficient … autonomous research and exploration.… • research has been used and recorded … making use of some academic, media and contextual sources. … • The work is reasonably well presented with a basic bibliography. • The work contextualises the study and the linked production piece within the contemporary media landscape.

  18. Linked production top band • creative & aesthetically successful product … high production values … • highly competent use of technology. • Significant understanding of relevant institutional & genre codes and conventions.… • Highly appropriate technically, aesthetically and institutionally within the contemporary media landscape. • …possibly approaching professional standards.

  19. linked production middle band realised product • … appropriate production standards & … sound use of technology. • Appropriate technically, aesthetically and institutionally within the contemporary media landscape • … may not be entirely successful. Solid, secure and successfully realised • … some flaws

  20. No matter how good your production, it’s worth a maximum of 32 marks out of a possible 80.

  21. Choose a primary text...

  22. “Contemporary” means produced within 5 years of the start of your A2 year... So anything since Sept 2005

  23. Identify a number of linked secondary texts across media platforms

  24. Identify appropriate theories, debates, and contexts

  25. investigate research produce

  26. research investigate produce

  27. Examples

  28. idea: the changing role of the other in contemporary American horror films

  29. investigation/research: the development of American horror film, with a focus on the idea of the outsider/other

  30. theoretical toolkit: genre theory; media effects; postmodernism; Lévi-Strauss (binary oppositions); Freud

  31. linked production: an opening sequence of an American-style horror film which emphasises the role of the outsider.

  32. + 2,000-word written investigation (or director’s commentary)

  33. Example 2

  34. production idea: a few pages of a new sports magazine aimed at women

  35. investigation: the treatment and availability of women’s sport in the print media (and elsewhere)

  36. theoretical toolkit: gender and ethnicity (feminist theories); audience theories; semiotics; institutional sexism

  37. Collaboration?

  38. It is possible for a group of up to 4 students to collaborate on one (bigger) production, and then each investigate different issues, themes & debates arising from it.

  39. Investigation of the other Freudian approaches to American the horror genre American Horror Horror Influence of world cinema on American horror Censorship & the media

  40. Length / quantity of work

  41. Moving image productions: 5 minutes maximum (though, e.g. TV ads could be as short as 30 secs)

  42. Print productions: 3 pages per individual student

  43. Investigation: 2,000 words or equivalent spoken commentary

  44. Approval required! DON’T start work until this is confirmed!

  45. More exam board examples...

  46. Critical Investigation area: Gender representations in soap operas • Linked Production: The opening sequence for an episode of a new soap opera • Critical Investigation area: Viral marketing techniques • Linked Production: A viral advertisement suitable for distribution by mobile phone • Critical Investigation area: Japanese anime • Linked Production: Trailer for a new anime film

  47. Critical Investigation area: Contemporary men’s lifestyle magazines • Linked Production: Mock-up of the first edition of a new men’s lifestyle magazine • Critical Investigation area: Machinima & commercial game trailers • Linked Production: Machinima film for a new first-person shooter computer game • Critical Investigation area: Shock jocks & local commercial radio stations • Linked Production Opening section of a new late night ‘discussion’ programme for a local radio station

  48. The best research will always start with yourself: an investigation into why you like/dislike a particular thing

  49. What you’re going to produce by the end of Friday’s lesson: • You initial thoughts on a topic • Choice of Primary Text • List of linked texts (Secondary texts) for comparison – with notes supporting your ideas • What theories you may wish to bring in?

  50. Case Studies of initial research: • How can you transform an initial interest in a text into a workable and rich research area, together with a linked production?

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