Exam Section A: Writing about Representation

The word banks that I stuck on the wall in IT1 suggest some of the key things you might want to mention.  Here they are.  I have put each on into a couple of sentences for you (key words are in bold):

Representation

This media text represents recognisable stereotypes, for example…

The way the subject is represented in this media text is not stereotypical because…

There are clear ideologies represented in this media text such as…

This media text represents a very ideological view of the subject matter due to…

This media text gives a very positive representation of the subject matter by…

In this media text the subject is represented in a very negative way through the use of…

The way gender is represented in this media text is interesting because…

This media text represents people of different ethnicities, for example…

Age is represented in an unusual way in this media text because…

The representations in this media text represent globalisation through the use of…

There are a variety of cross-cultural references represented in this media text, such as…

The representations in this media text are very traditional because…

As you can see, I have deliberately used the word represent or representation in each of these sentences to help the examiner see that I am focusing on the key concept.  Each sentence also encourages me to go on to use an example from the media text to support my point.

Using these sentences to answer a question

Have a look at this (rather shocking but genuine) Burger King advert:

Here is a paragraph about representation using some of the sentences above:

This media text represents recognisable stereotypes, for example the stereotype of a blonde woman being ‘stupid’ is suggested by the slogan “It’ll blow your mind away” and the vacant expression on the face of the blonde woman in the image.  The way gender is represented in this media text is interesting because the image of the woman is highly sexualised – it is implied that the women is performing a sex act.  The copy at the bottom of the advert also support this idea with the words “Fill your desire for something long, juicy…”.  This media text offers an alternative representation of the subject matter by including this provocative idea as big global brands such as Burger King and McDonalds are usually more associated with traditional family values but this print advert is quite controversial and some people would definitely find it offensive.

TASK

Use the sentence starters to help you write a paragraph about each of these media texts:

1.  Front page of The Sun



2.  Advert for Nike Women:

3.  Website for the Royal Marines:

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/royalmarines

Exam Section A: How is it marked?

How is it marked?

All examinations are now marked on the computer.  The examiner will get a scan of your exam paper on the screen and will use a series of annotations to mark where you have done well.  The more of these annotations the examiner can include, the better the mark you will get.

Here are the annotations that the examiner can include:

R         Comment on representation

A          Comment on audience

Inst      Comment on institutions

G         Comment on genre

N         Comment on narrative

V/I       Comment on values or ideologies

ü  Good point made

üü  Very good point made

Eg        Example/Illustration used to back up a point

Egü Good Example/Illustration used to back up a point

Ex        Further explanation of a point

T          Terminology used

Th        Theories/Ideas/Debates/Issues identified

F          Clear focus on question

The examiner can also include negative marks when you have done things badly.  You want to avoid getting any of these on your paper.

Here are those annotations:

Eg?      Needs an example to support the point

Ex?      Needs further explanation

Rept    Repetition of the same point

I           Irrelevant – nothing to do with the question

?          Query or Questionable Point

Desc    Describing the text without analysing

Remember that Roland Barthes chap?...

Well done to Harry, Pierre and Stephen for submitting responses.  Where the hell are the rest of you?  I am not very impressed!

To Harry, Pierre and Stephen; you may remember the lesson we did towards the end of last term on Barthes ideas on deconstruction.  This is a good one to "slip in" to your Question 1 response in order to get a little tick for media theory - you are all deconstructing the media texts you are analysing; just be specific about it. 

Here is an example for each of you:

Pierre - first paragraph of your Sucker Punch essay:

The film has arguably a huge audience capability. By deconstructing the text in the manner suggested by Roland Barthes we can see that it’s targeted towards women by using mainly teenage girls throughout the entire trailer. In a male dominated genre such as action, a female orientated film may seem like a special exception because women will be able to relate to it easier. It’s possible that they relate to the character, because of the non dietetic voiceover at 0:07 seconds of “I lost everyone I ever love, then the locked me away”. This casts a narrative early on and since the character is victimized, there is sympathy generated from the female audience. This may encourage that part of the audience to go and watch the film because they want to see how the story ends. It also appeals to males in general because of the action genre itself; there are frequent explosions throughout the video and constant close ups of the sword. The explosions are a frequently used convention of the action/thriller genre, this may appeal to the more war orientated interests of men, thus making the film more appealing. Another convention that is used is that it uses the “best bits” of the film, this shows the audience what the film is capable of and makes the trailer a visually pleasing experience, and this is proven by the huge amount of action snips throughout the video. By using snips of action scenes, it makes the audience more interested in watching the full scene rather then a collection of short images.

Stevie - Sucker Punch

In order to understand how this trailer uses media language to engage the audience it is first necessary to deconstruct it.  The trailer engages the audience by firstly using non-diagetic sounds of the main character explaining a little about the plot of the film and what has happened to her. This instantly gets the viewers attention because the viewer wants to know about the film. There is also non-diagetic sound when the rhythmic music is playing and when a man is talking over the action about what they have to do (the five tasks). In the trailer you can see the impressive special effect. This impresses the viewer and urges them to watch more of the trailer. During the trailer there is a series of fast paced cuts with explosions and text to help you learn about the plot. Nearer the end of the trailer there is some very rhythmic music which gives the impressions of a very upbeat futuristic action film. Right at the end it says when the film is coming out and who it is by.

Harry - Compare the Market

The advertisement stereotypes the conventions of an epic war movie. By using Roland Barthes theory of deconstruction, however, we can see how the different elements of this genre are used to comedic effect.  When the scenario is presented in the advertisement, there is a transition from a full screen format to a wide screen format, which is almost always used in all war movies. Non Diegetic sound is introduced, as the use of string based music is used to create the ‘epic’ atmosphere. This is presented comically as the setting and mood is presented in a very serious manner, but the characters involved are mongooses and meerkats. Throughout the advertisement, the seriousness is maintained – save from one part where there is a comic play on the death of a hero in a typical war movie – while involving a silly scenario and talking animals.

Forms and conventions: Streaming video from the web

It is possible that you will be shown something that was initially broadcast on the web, rather than on TV or in the cinema.  This may still be an advert or a trailer and therefore your revision from the previous posts still applies, but there are certain other considerations that you need to take into account.

Have a look at the latest viral advert from T Mobile:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kav0FEhtLug&feature=aso

It is a parody of another viral video that was passed around on the web a while back (it wasn't advertising anything - just someone having some fun).  Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

In terms of analysing the T Mobile video, there are a lot of important factors you need to take into account.  The video was first released on the T Mobile wedding page and advertised as a "live event" before being uploaded to YouTube.  It comes in the wake of several other similar "flash mob" stunts from T Mobile such as these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB3NPNM4xgo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orukqxeWmM0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUZrrbgCdYc

The use of camera work, editing and sound on all of these videos has been carefully chosen to create an amateurish feel - as though someone is just recording the event on their phone.  But if you think about how much the Royal Wedding video must have cost to make - the venue, the decor, the costumes, the number of extras, employing look-a-likes etc etc, you realise that this was actually a very expensive stunt. 

I think this type of thing is a fairly likely choice from the exam board - it's using modern technology and it's interesting in terms of how it gets its audience and how it places the product in the marketplace.

If you do get a viral or something a bit "quirky" be sure to read the blurb so you understand exactly what it is, who made it and where it was released.

Here are four questions (so a whole Section A) on the T Mobile Royal Wedding Dance.  Give yourself 1 hour and answer them under exam conditions.  You should find Question 1 fairly straight forward now and I will be looking at the other key concepts in forthcoming blogs but have a go first.

Section A Questions

1.  How does the advert use media language to appear "real"?
2.  How does the advert represent the royal family?
3.  How does the advert encourage the audience to pass it on to their friends?
4.  What does the advert suggest to the audience about the values and ideology of T Mobile?

Forms and Conventions: Clips from TV show or film

Although it is possible that the exam text could be a short clip from a much longer film or TV show, this is extremely unlikely since without seeing the whole thing it would be very difficult to make much useful analysis.  Also the exam board would run the risk that some candidates would have seen the whole thing and some wouldn't, meaning it would not be a level playing field.  However just in case they have a moment of madness, here are a few pointers:

• If it's fiction think GENRE.  Once you've identified the genre, you can identify the conventions.
• Always look for aspects of the narrative - what do we learn about characters, setting and plot
• It's a moving image text so moving image terminology is essential.  Revise it.  Know it!  The BBC GCSE Bitesize page for moving image is a nice concise revision tool:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/writingtoanalyse/filmlanguagerev1.shtml
• Read the blurb that is included in the exam paper very carefully.  It will contain essential clues about the media text that you are watching such as what it's from and when it was broadcast

As I said, this is very unlikely but you never know!  Another blog to follow with revision tasks.

Time to catch up

Hey guys - no post today as I think you need time to catch up.  Let me know if you're up to date and ready for more but otherwise I will leave it until tomorrow.

Pierre's Answer to Question One

This is Pierre's response to question 1 from the "Film Trailers" blog.  I thought it would be good to share your work on here as well so you can see examples of good answers.  This answer would be likely to get an 'A' or 'B' in the exam....

The trailer of the film “Thor” created by marvel films, incorporates many elements of both fantasy and action trailers.

The first 30 seconds of the trailer can be classed as a typical action trailer. Dark colours are used to create a silhouette and set a grim mood. The silhouette of the main character helps build suspense for the audience, this suspense is also furthered by the fading black in and out of camera shots. One could say that this teases the audience because of the limited glimpses at the trailer, and that the silhouette gives uncertainty. There is nothing to suggest that the character is good or evil, thus building up suspense in order to find out. Suspense is often used in the thriller and action genre. In addition to the theme of action this there are glimpses of physical violence, yet another key theme of the genre. There is also non diegetic sound used in a voice over asking how the protagonist gained his power. This may intrigue the audience because of the subtle implications, making them want to see the film.

The trailer then goes into a traditional fantasy format. It does this at 0:47 seconds by using CGI to create a fantasy setting including two moons and otherworldly architecture. This immediately distinguishes that the trailer is also fantasy because of the surrealism. In addition to this, extreme long shot angles are used so that the audience can take in the surreal surroundings, and mid shots are used on the characters to highlight their costumes which would stand out from the action genre.

By combining two genres the trailer appeals to a wider audience and makes it stand out in both genres. One could argue that the suspense created by the camera angles in the first part of the trailer creates a more grown up fantasy theme because it highlights uncertainty on weather the subject follows the traditional morally good fantasy protagonist.

Forms and Conventions: TV Trailers

There are three possible options the exam board might use for a TV trailer.  These are:

• A trailer for a single TV show like this one
• A trailer for a TV channel featuring clips from multiple shows like this one
• A trailer for a particular service from a TV channel such as HD or 3D like this one

Conventions of a trailer for a single TV show

• A variety of clips often featuring moments of drama, conflict or comedy
• Non-diegetic sound such as music or a voice over to tie the whole thing together.  The voice over is often delivered by one of the characters.
• Diegetic sound such as dialogue
• The programme or series ident
• The channel ident
• On screen text giving key information such as the air date
• Generic conventions (similar to those discussed in previous blog on film trailers)

Revision Task 1:  Watch the trailer for Doctor Who and make notes on where each of the conventions listed above appear, giving examples (they may not all appear)

Revision Task 2:  Some modern TV shows break away from this traditional formula and create a TV trailer that features footage filmed especially for the trailer, rather than clips from the TV show itself.   These types of trailers are generally designed to intrigue the audience and leave them with questions, rather than to give them a taste of the show.  The trailers for Skins and Lost are two good examples of this.  Watch these trailers and make notes on how they encourage people to tune in.

Conventions of a trailer for a TV channel

• A broad variety of clips in a number of different genres that appeal to a wide number of different audiences
• Non-diegetic sound such as music or a voice over to tie the whole thing together
• Very little diegetic sound, since the clips are short and it’s likely to get confusing
• On screen text such as the names of the programmes
• The channel ident very prominently displayed
• Usually designed to advertise programmes for a particular season (e.g. “This summer on E4…”)

Revision Task 3:  Watch the trailer for BBC TV and make note on where each of the different conventions listed above appear.

Conventions of a trailer for a particular service

The trailer for a particular service is designed to showcase the benefits of subscribing, since there is usually a charge.  The most common ones are trailers for HD channels, and we are just starting to see trailers for 3D channels.  The problem with these types of trailers is that it is likely the audience does not currently have an HD or 3D enabled TV, so they can’t really show them what it looks like.  Therefore the advertisers have to find new ways of promoting the product.  Some common ones are:

• Use of a split screen to show a possible comparison in quality
• Showing the reaction of the consumer to this new technology
• Using an unusual or comedic concept to get the viewer on side
• Offering some kind of promotion or deal for subscribers

Revision Task 4:  Watch this example of a trailer for the HD service from the BBC.  What technique are they using to sell the product?

Exam Practise

Watch the trailer for a series called Life on the Discovery Channel.

Question:  How does the trailer use media language to engage the audience?

Make sure you consider:

• What type of trailer it is
• 
  How it uses the conventions of a TV trailer
• How it uses certain generic conventions such as those you would normally expect from an action movieHow it emphasises the different types of camera work used

2 out of 7 ain't bad...

Well done to Pierre and Stephen for getting on top of your revision!  I am sure your hard work will be refelcted in your grades.

Where the hell are the rest of you...?

Today's blogs to follow shortly.

Forms and Conventions: Film trailers

There are two things you need to consider when looking at a film trailer.  The general conventions that all film trailers share, and the generic conventions (conventions of that particular genre) which depend on the type of film it is.

General conventions

• Include a variety of shots from the film that establish the setting, basic plot and main characters
• A graphic of the title of the film (usually at the end, followed by a release date).
• Title cards with the names of the main stars (usually near the beginning) and numerous close up shots featuring them
• Text to help the audience understand the plot (without giving too much away)
• Names of the production team or production information such as “From the makers of…”
• Logo of the production studio
• A voice over
• Diegetic sound that goes with the clips used
• Non diegetic music to bring it all together

Generic conventions

Action:             Lots of explosions and stunts

                        A male voice over with a powerful tone

                        Fast paced editing

                        Use of some kind of cliffhanger

                        Rhythmic music, often from the rock genre

Features stars associated with this genre such as Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone

Example:         The Expendables

                       

Drama:             Greater focus on the characters

                        Slower editing

Less likely to use a voice over but rather focus on dialogue from the film

Classical music

Features stars associated with this genre such as Keira Knightly and Tom Hanks

Example:          Atonement

Comedy:          Inclusion of some of the funniest bits from the film

                        Strong focus on the characters

                        No voice over unless used as a parody

                        Lots of dialogue

                        Recognisable music, often with lyrics

Features stars associated with this genre such as Steve Carrell and Jin Carrey

Example:          Superbad

Thriller:             Less of the plot is given away

                        Shots are chosen to create suspense or tension

                        Editing starts slowly and builds to a dramatic climax

                        A short final shot is shown after the title to shock the audience

                        Music is used sparingly to add to the tension

                       

Example:          Black Swan

Horror:             Very little given away

                        Often gaps of darkness between edits

                        Editing becomes faster and more frantic as trailer continues

                        Brief glimpses of suggested horror

                        Sometimes use a voice over

                        A final shot at the end designed to make the audience jump

                        Subtle, intense music or no music

Example:          Saw I (sorry about the quality!)

Sci Fi/Fantasy:              Strong emphasis on the setting

                                    Action sequences

                                    Impressive CGI, special effects and technology on display

                                    More focus on the production, rather than the stars

                                    Often rhythmic, “futuristic” music

Example:                      Tron

Revision Task

Find a trailer for a film in one of the genres listed above.  While watching it make a list of which general conventions and generic conventions the trailer employs.  Then, for each convention write down a specific example of how this convention is used in the trailer using appropriate media technology.  Make sure you are using the official trailer for the film and not a fan made one.

For example (using The Expendables):

Convention:    Lots of explosions and stunts

Example:        Near the end of the trailer there is a high angle tracking helicopter shot of a jetty exploding having been shot by a plane

Exam Practise

Watch the extended trailer for Sucker Punch and answer this question. Remember to give specific examples using the correct terminology.

Question:  How does the trailer use media language to engage the audience?

Extension activity

I found a useful website that gives you example Section A questions focusing on a film trailer.  The website is made by a company (Routledge) who sell a text book for Media Studies so obviously they mention that quite a lot, but the example answers and tips are useful:  http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415448239/control.asp

You could have a go at answering the four questions in one hour, then read the answers they provide and see how well you did.

Forms and Conventions: Advertisements (moving image)

The style of adverts can be pretty diverse.  Here are some of the conventions you commonly see:

• Clear, close up images of the product and the brand name
• Images of the product being used
• Non-diegetic sound such as music or a voice over
• Use of a popular song, often in the current chart
• Catchy slogans or taglines
• A narrative that refers to sex or relationships
• An episodic narrative that allows the viewers to follow the story
• Use of a celebrity to endorse the product
• A quirky or unusual concept that does not specifically relate to the product (often used in the hope that the advert will go viral)

Revision Task 1: 

Watch each of these three adverts and make a list of the conventions that you notice.

Cadburys

Coco Madamoiselle

BT

Exam Practise 1:

Watch this advert for Dolce and Gabana "The One" Perfume.  Remember to give specific examples using the correct terminology.

Question:  How does the advert use media language to sell the product?

Please note:  In this type of question, when they use the term “media language” they basically mean the things the audience is expecting to see, ie. the conventions.  They do not just mean text or dialogue.  They could just have easily have said “How does the advert use the conventions of an advert to sell the product” but they like to try and confuse you!

Section A, Question 1: Forms and Conventions

For question 1, you need to be able to identify the conventions of whatever moving image text you are presented with.  Obviously we cannot know what that text will be, but there are a limited number of options:

1.                  An advertisement or promotional video

2.                  A film or TV trailer

3.                  A clip from a TV programme or film

4.                  A clip of streaming video from a website

It is possible that they might choose something really obscure that does not fall into any of these categories but it’s unlikely so let’s concentrate on these.  I will post separately on each one:  two today and two tomorrow.

Revision Blog 1: Moving Image Terminology

Today's blog will focus on moving image terminology.  This is particularly important for Section A of the exam and especially question 1 (the question that focuses on media forms).  If you are still a little confused about the format the exam takes, all of the past papers are available here.  Unfortunately, due to copyright laws, the exam board cannot post the moving image texts which the exam papers refer to so they are of limited use.  However I will be posted exam style questions on this blog for you to complete.

Revision exercise 1

A digital version of the sheet I use in class is available here.  You don't need to know ALL of this terminology but you should know how to describe different kinds of shot.  Read this through and use it to make a list of the vocaulary you will need.  This website is also useful for the same purpose.

Revision exercise 2

Watch this video on YouTube.  It is unlikely that you will need a lot of the specific terminology for your exam but it gives some helpful ideas about WHY a director might choose a particular type of shot.

Exam example

In the exam you will absolutely not have time to describe every single shot that you see.  Nor will you get a question that asks you to merely describe how the different shot types are used in a clip.  You need to know this vocabulary well enough that you can just drop it into your exam answer at the relevent points.

Here is an example question that is based on the question from January 2010 but that refers to this clip.

Question

How does the advertisement use the conventions of a typical film trailer?

Model answer

The advertisement uses a broad variety of conventions that are common to a film trailer, specifically a film trailer in the action genre. 

The first convention you notice when watching the trailer is the wide variety of shots, edited together in a very fast paced manner.  These are intercut with title graphics and are used to illustrate the various benefits of Blu Ray technology. 

In a film trailer the shots are chosen to illustrate the "best bits" of a film and to entice the audience.  In the case of this advertisement, the shots chosen are ones that illustrate Blu Ray's superior video quality; for example the low angle tracking shot of the plane shooting men on the ground contains a lot of complex action which is going to show up better on Blu Ray.  Similarly the high angle helicopter shot of King Kong on top of the Empire State Building features a lot of detail and colour that would show up best on Blu Ray. 

The use of non diegetic sound, such as the driving, string based music that builds up to a climax and the thumping sound effects as each title card comes in is also a convention of action film trailers and serves to emphasise what we see on screen.  One convention that is nearly always present in film trailers, but which is absent here is the use of a voice over.


As you can see, I have used the correct terminology to describe the shots I have chosen but this is secondary to answering the question.

Exam Practise

Here are a couple of example questions for you to have a go at.  Feel free to email me your answer for feedback.  In the exam you will have 15 mins total viewing time and only 15 minutes to then write your answer to each question.

Question 1 refers to this moving image clip.

Question 1:  How does the trailer use the conventions of both the action and fantasy film genres?

Question 2 refers to this moving image clip.

Question 2:  How does the advertisement manipulate the conventions of an epic war movie for comedic purposes?

Good luck and see you tomorrow!  Please post a comment when you read this blog so that I know who is keeping on top of their revision.  Also please let me know if you are coming to the coursework session on Wednesday 27th April, 10am - 5pm.

Welcome to the final countdown!

Dear A Level Students

Welcome to what will now be an exam revision blog.  Every Monday to Friday over the Easter holidays, starting on Monday 11th April, I will make a blog post about a different media concept or theory that you need to revise.  I will end the blog by suggesting a task that you could undertake.  This might be a research, practical or written task and you do not have to do them all, but obviously if you want to do well in your exam, this might be a good idea!

There will be 15 blog posts in total and I hope that you will follow them all, read them carefully, watch any videos that I post, and try to undertake the tasks I set you.  If you want to send me work to have a look at, please send it to my school email address and I will try to get back to you ASAP.

In addition to this delightful blog, I hope that you will all be able to attend the "coursework bringing together" day that is scheduled for Wednesday 27th April.  Please note that this is called the "coursework bringing together" day and not the "frantically trying to get my coursework done at the last possible minute so Emma has 2 hours to mark the whole thing and send it to the exam board" day.  I expect you to have done plenty of work leading up to this day!

A reminder that your finished coursework portfolio will contain:

Research...including information condensed from your blog and annotated texts that have informed your design work.

Pre-production...including hand drawn designs, storyboards, unedited still images - anything that is going to help the examiner understand the design decisions you have made.  If you're not sure what your storyboard should look like, this is an exemplar one from the exam board:  http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/pdf/AQA-3571-EXEMPLAR.PDF

Production work...you might want to use the session on Wednesday 27th to burn things to DVD, add labels or colour print in A3.  The school has the resources to do all of this.

Supporting account...you should all have a copy of the suggested plan for this.  If you don't, email me and I will send you the file. 

If you put the effort in over Easter you have a good shot at doing well in your exam.  If you don't put the effort in over Easter you have a good shot at failing your exam.  It's as simple as that.

GOOD LUCK!