Question 1a

Adapted from OCR , Victoria Allen, Head of Media Studies, Thomas Rotherham Sixth Form, Examiner for A2 Media Studies SLH

Section A 1a is entirely concerned about skills development, but you will be expected to write about one specific area:
Digital Technology Creativity Use of Real Media Texts Research and Planning Post Production

Applying a simple structure:

e.g. explain what you did in each of these areas

Pre-Production
Production
AS A2

Post-Production

NB A tripod is not digital technology!

Marks and Timing

All that does seem a lot for to write in 30 minutes. But to get the marks you need examples from your work.

So could limit the examples to 3 per section

(e.g. 3 digital technologies at AS at pre-production stage and at A2 3 development examples)

Q1a)

Research
refers to looking at real media and audiences to inform your thinking about a media production also how you record all that research; Planning refers to all the creative and logistical thinking and all the organisation that goes on in putting the production together so that everything works again gives you the chance to write about how you kept records of it.

Q1a)

Conventions
Real media conventions involve consideration of other texts that you looked at and how skilfully you were able to weave their conventions into your work or ways in which you might have challenged them.

Q1a)

Digital Technology
refers to hardware, software and online technology: the cameras, the computers, the packages you used, and the programs online that you have worked with. It is worth considering how all this inter-links.
Consider how you used digital technology in :

pre-production production post-production

Q1a)

Post Production
falls under digital technology as well, so if it would probably represent an expansion of points you'd make in one section of digital technology. It is really about everything you do after constructing the raw materials for your production; so once you have taken photos and written text, how do you manipulate it all in Photoshop or desktop publishing for a print product or once you have shot your video, what do you do to it in editing.

Q1a)

Creativity
involves thinking about what the creative process might mean.
making of the old, re-arranging of the new, something new that communicates something to someone, something original.

consider where your ideas came from how you worked collaboratively to share ideas, how you changed things or how you used tools like the programs to achieve something imaginative.

Q1a) Theory and Terminology...

You may include basic theory or references to ideas and key terms that you can put into your essays. (audience reading= preferred meaning =Stuart Hall)

It isnt vital that there is theory but if it helps support your answer then your application of it and understanding can be credited.

Q1a) Marking Criteria

Clear sense of Development
Broad range of Examples Correct use of Terminology

Question 1b
Adapted from OCR SLH

Q1b) Breakdown of the Options?

Genre
Generally, this should cover not just generic conventions of the particular sub-genre of your product but should include ideas about how genres develop/evolve (in relation to their particular product (e.g. Changing sub-genres of film, magazines) and how institutions use genre to target audiences. Moretti quote

Q1b) Breakdown of the Options?

Narrative
Essentially, the basic and familiar narrative theories can be applied to many video pieces you have undertaken. Ideas about juxtaposition of elements are useful in helping to explain how shots are positioned next to each other creating meaning for the viewer.

Q1b) Breakdown of the Options?

Representation
There are numerous theories about representation of gender, age, ethnicity, regional identity etc. which you have already covered at AS. Evaluate how your product has mediated certain representations about social groups/artists/characters. You can also evaluate how certain subcultures have been represented within the product.

Q1b) Breakdown of the Options?

Audience
Again, there are numerous ways to tackle this and an idea about each allows the students to fully show they understand the concept.
How the audience is represented, how the product can be applied to audience effects/reception/pleasures theories, how the product is a reflection of ideas about changing audience consumption habits, how the audience for the text was constructed and researched.

Q1b) Breakdown of the Options? Media Language

This is all about the specific medium and how the language of the medium has been used to create meaning for the audience. The meanings generally are a synoptic round up of other options covered (genre, narrative/stories, representations). As part of this it is important to include terminology about how signs work in the media. Essentially, however, this is one where a generic approach is more difficult and the language of the medium needs careful revision so that you can textually analyse your own essay against medium specific theory (e.g. Barthes)