MIGRAIN: Structuralism

Structuralism is one of the key theoretical perspectives in A Level Media and builds on our work on semiotics.

Structuralism and post-structuralism sound complicated but they don’t need to be - you will already be familiar with aspects of both without realising it.

Structuralism: a definition

Structuralism is a theoretical perspective that emphasises the existence of universal structures underlying the surface differences of media texts. 

For example, the way universal aspects of narrative and genre help us to understand cultural products.

You can find out more here from Tom Nicholas's WTF channel and his introduction to structuralism:

Key theorist: Claude Levi-Strauss

Levi-Strauss argues we are socialised by our culture - we understand the world based on the structures of society and media.

He suggests that media and culture is often based around binary oppositions - a key narrative theory we will return to.

Narrative and genre

Two of the key aspects of structuralism and the media are narrative and genre - the next two topics we will study. 

Another classic structuralist approach is auteur theory - the idea that media producers (e.g. film directors) communicate distinctive visions identifiable by audiences through themes or conventions. 

Post-structuralism: a definition

Post-structuralism questions structuralism's emphasis on fixed meanings and underlying structures, arguing that meaning is fluid, unstable, and shaped by power dynamics and context. 

Post-structuralism challenges the idea of fixed truths, suggesting meaning is polysemic and emphasising the audience’s role as a producer of meaning rather than a mere consumer. It feels relevant to the digital social media age we now find ourselves in.

Structuralism: blog tasks

Create a new blog task called 'Structuralism and post-structuralism' on your Media 1 Exam blog (exam teacher). Complete the following tasks:

Part 1: Media Factsheet reading

Use our brilliant Media Factsheet archive to find Factsheet #90 Applying Structuralism and Post-Structuralism. Read the Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What is the definition of structuralism provided by the Factsheet? 

2) What are binary oppositions and why are they important?

3) How do genre and auteur theory link to structuralism? 

4) Look at page 4 of the factsheet. What is post-structuralism?

5) What is your own opinion on this theory? Do you agree that we use established structures to understand the media (such as narrative and genre) or is the power now with audiences in a digital, post-structuralist media landscape? 

Part 2: The Mitchells vs The Machines analysis

Watch the trailer for The Mitchells vs The Machines: 

Write an analysis of the trailer from both a structuralist and post-structuralist perspective. 

The following may help you:

Structuralist: what established narratives, genres or conventions can be found in the trailer? 

Post-structuralist: how does the trailer reject traditional structures and instead offer something new (e.g. incorporating elements of YouTube meme culture, audiences as producers of meaning or subverting expectations of narrative or character).

Due date: on Show my Homework

Film & TV Language: Mise-en-scene video feedback and learner response

 Your mise-en-scene recreation videos were a brilliant introduction to the creative challenges demanded by A Level Media.

Video projects take time - as well as comprehensive planning, organisation and execution. The more projects you complete the better prepared you will be for the practical coursework when we come to it in the summer. As a first assignment, it's fantastic to see how many of you have created well planned and technically proficient videos that meet the brief you were given. 

Mise-en-scene recreation: Learner response

Create a new blogpost called 'Mise-en-scene video feedback and learner response'. Make sure your completed recreation video is uploaded to YouTube and embedded in the blogpost.

1) Type up your feedback from your teacher in full.

2) Type up a summary of the feedback you have had from the rest of the class - bullet points is fine.

3) Use all the feedback you've been given to write your own self-assessment of your video using WWW (What Went Well) and EBI (Even Better If...)

4) Now reflect on your own work in more detail. How did your planning (script, shot list) help clarify and develop your ideas?

5) Thinking technically, how could you improve your work for future videos? (E.g. filming, editing, audio levels etc.)

6) Finally, what have you learned regarding the importance of mise-en-scene in film and television? Write a paragraph to answer this.

Due date: on Satchel One

Film & TV Language: Lighting

One aspect of mise-en-scène that is particularly important in film and TV is Lighting.

Lighting notes

Traditional studio lighting usually comes from three sources:

• The key light is the brightest and most influential.
• The back light helps to counteract the effects of the key light making the subject appear more ‘rounded’.
• The filler light helps to soften any shadows created by the other lights.  There may be more then one filler light.

The key light can be directed from a variety of angles to create different effects.

Underlighting comes from below the subject leading to a distorted effect.  This is often used in horror or science-fiction films.

Top lighting comes from above and can be used to accentuate the features of a character.  It is often used to make film stars look more glamorous.

Back lighting is when the source comes from behind the object to create a silhouette.    

High-Key and Low-Key Lighting

Low-key lighting is created by using only the key and back lights.  This effect produces strong contrasts of light and dark and creates dramatic shadows.  The effect is known as chiaroscuro, which comes from the Italian words for light (chiaro) and dark (oscuro).

High-key lighting means that more filler lights are used.  The effect appears more realistic and might depict either a sunny day or a more dimly lit scene.  The major difference is that, although shadows are still created, the contrast between light and dark is much less pronounced.  

The video we watched the opening to for mise-en-scene has an excellent focus on lighting:

Lighting blog tasks

You'll need to use the Film Language Powerpoint to work through the Lighting tasks. 

Create a blogpost called 'Lighting blog tasks' and complete the following:

1) Still image analysis

Look at the still images on slides 33-37 of the Film Language Powerpoint linked above. Copy the images into your blog and answer the following questions for each image:

1. Identify examples of high and low-key lighting.
2. Say which depict top, back or under lighting.
3. What effects are created by the lighting in each image?     

Note: if the images don't display correctly in your blog then simply use the number of each image and answer the three questions for each.

2) Film noir research 

Research film noir - focusing on the genre’s distinctive lighting style. Make notes on the genre and particularly the use of lighting - bullet points are fine. 

3) Film noir YouTube clip analysis 

Finally, find a YouTube clip that fits the film noir genre and embed it under your research (the clip can be classic noir from the 1950s or something more recent - neo-noir). How does the clip's lighting fit the film noir genre? 

Due date on Satchel One.

MIGRAIN: Reception theory

Reception theory is extremely useful when decoding media texts - and allows us to explore how different audiences may react to a media product.

It's also one of AQA's key audience theories for the new specification which means there may well be an exam question asking you to apply the theory to a particular media text. Make sure you have confidently learned these notes then complete the blog tasks below.

Reception theory: notes

Studying media language means looking at the way in which the sign or text is interpreted and how the meaning comes across to the audience. 

All media is thought to be polysemic in that it can be interpreted in different ways – it is not simply passively accepted by the audience. Stuart Hall introduced the idea of three different readings.

Stuart Hall: reception theory

Hall suggested there are three types of reading:

Dominant, Preferred or Hegemonic Reading: what the producer/creator intends – the ‘natural’ reading

Negotiated Reading: a middle ground between the producer’s intentions and the audience’s individual views

Oppositional or ‘Counter-Hegemonic’ Reading: an alternative reading that is actively against the producer’s intentions.

Here's a video from the excellent Media Insider on Reception theory:

Reception theory: example exam question

Sample AQA question for Paper 2:

According to reception theory, ‘the media attempts to transmit specific messages to audiences, but audiences are free to interpret these messages in a variety of ways – or even reject them’.

How valid are reception theory’s claims about audience responses? [25 marks]

Reception theory: blog tasks

Create a new blog post called ‘Reception theory’. Work through the following tasks:

Part 1) Applying Reception theory to adverts

Look back at the adverts you have been analysing in last week's lessons on Reading an Image and media codes (RBK 50 Cent and one of your choice). 

1) What are the preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings for the RBK 50 Cent advert?

2) What are the preferred, negotiated and oppositional readings for the advert of your own choice that you analysed for last week's work?

Remember to highlight or bold any media terminology you are using.

Part 2) Reception theory factsheet #218

Use our extremely useful A Level Media Factsheet archive to find Factsheet #218 Spotlight on Stuart Hall: Encoding, Decoding and Reception Theory. Read the factsheet and complete the following tasks and questions:

1) Complete Activity 1 on page 2 of the factsheet. Choose a media text you have enjoyed and apply the sender-message-channel-receiver model to the text. There is an example of how to do this in the factsheet (the freediving YouTube video).

2) What are the definitions of 'encoding' and 'decoding'?

3) Why did Stuart Hall criticise the sender-message-channel-receiver model?

4) What was Hall's circuit of communication model?

5) What does the factsheet say about Hall's Reception theory?

6) Look at the final page. How does it suggest Reception theory could be criticised?

Complete for homework - due date on Show my Homework.

A Level Media reading list and wider opportunities

It's brilliant to see several of you already asking about reading lists or additional work you can be doing to get ahead in Media.

This kind of attitude is exactly what you need if you want to aim for A/A* grades in your A Levels and below you will find all the extras you need to aim for that A* in Media. 

Media Theory at A Level by Mark Dixon

I'd be tempted to make this my top recommendation for A Level Media. It covers all the theories in the A Level Media specification and if you visit Mark Dixon's Essential Media Theory website you can sign up to view sample exam answers and more for free. Highly recommended! Note that if you are eligible for the Post-16 bursary then you will have some resources provided for you (including this book). If you do not qualify for a bursary and want to purchase this, it is available from Amazon here.

A Level Media Textbooks

There are textbooks available for the AQA A Level Media Studies course. These are written by the people writing the AQA exams so they can be helpful to understand what the exam board are thinking about a topic or product.

Important note: if you're eligible for the Post-16 bursary (or even think you might be eligible) then the school may be able to buy some of these books for you! Speak to your tutor or Mr Pall to find out more.

The textbook details:

AQA Media Studies for A Level: Student Book - Revised Edition

• Author(s): Stephanie Hendry, Elspeth Stevenson
• Paperback ISBN: 9781398388017 
• Paperback cost: £46 (ex VAT)
• Digital edition ISBN: 9781398387911
• Digital cost: £11.50 (ex VAT)
• PAGES: 344 

AQA Media Studies for A Level : Close Study Products

• Author(s): Stephanie Hendry, Elspeth Stevenson
• Paperback ISBN: 9781398388024 
• Paperback cost: £14 (ex VAT)
• Digital edition ISBN: 9781398387942
• Digital cost: £8.50 (ex VAT)
• PAGES: 96

Reading around the subject

I've been incredibly impressed that so many Year 12 students want to read beyond textbooks and have requested some university-level reading to help boost understanding (and personal statements further down the line!) Here's our top tips for reading around the subject in Media:

Media Magazine

The best reading for A Level Media is free to you - by reading copies of Media Magazine (you can find these in our Media Magazine archive.) This magazine is designed specifically for A Level Media students and contains articles about the terminology, concepts and media products we are studying - plus lots more!

If you're looking for books by media academics, it really depends what topic you are interested in. For example...

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky is a great read if you're interested in the impact the internet has had on business, media and the world. Shirky is a great writer and you'll find this easy to read.

Gender Trouble by Judith Butler is the classic text for feminism and gender discussions - it's still a key media theory today and can also help with Sociology and English Literature. Beware though - it's a challenging read!

There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack: The Cultural Politics of Race and Nation by Paul Gilroy can also be a tough read in places due to its complexity (very much university-level academic writing) but is highly recommended if you're interested in the representation of race and ethnicity and the experience of British culture for black Britons.

Creative Mentor Network

The Creative Mentor Network is an incredible opportunity for post-16 students to make connections in the creative and media industries by shadowing a professional for several weeks. We’ve had a number of students complete the project and develop a fantastic range of contacts and experiences that will help them to get a job in the creative industries in future.

You can find more details on the CMN website or watch the video below (featuring our very own Hussein from a few years ago!)

BFI Film Academy

The BFI Film Academy is a national talent development project for young aspiring filmmakers organised by the BFI. It is aimed at 16-19 year olds and this year's focus is on Animation & Video Effects. It's extremely competitive and difficult to win a place but if you do there are funds available to pay your expenses and it's a quite incredible opportunity to meet people from the industry and learn professional-level skills. You can find out more about this project and other opportunities at the BFI Film Academy website here. 

Film & TV Language: Mise-en-scene blog tasks

Mise-en-scene is a critical aspect to our work on film language and textual analysis.

Remember the mnemonic that will help you recall the different aspects of mise-en-scene: CLAMPS.

• Costume
• Lighting
• Actor (placement and movement)
• Make-up
• Props
• Setting

This is a great video introduction to mise-en-scene from YouTube:



Mise-en-scene blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Mise-en-scene blog tasks' on your Media 2 Coursework blog and complete the following tasks from your Film and TV Language booklet:

1) Find a distinctive still image and write an analysis of the mise-en-scene. Use each of the aspects you've learned in the lesson.

2) Find TWO film or TV extracts on YouTube from different genres (e.g. horror, sci-fi, costume drama). Embed them in your blogpost and write a comparison of the mise-en-scene in each.

 Deadline on Satchel One

Reminder: your Mise-en-scene scene recreation video project is also homework for mise-en-scene - make sure you complete all aspects of the practical filmmaking task too!

MIGRAIN: Media codes - Reading an image

The ability to 'decode' a media text is a critical skill for A Level Media students.

It's vital that you can break a text down into its key conventions (typical features) and explore what effect the different aspects may have on an audience.

Media codes

A media code is simply something in a media product that communicates meaning to an audience.

There are several different types of media code: 

• Technical
• Written or verbal
• Symbolic or non-verbal
• Narrative

Technical codes

Technical codes include the following:

• Camerawork/photographic
• Lighting
• Sound
• Editing

Written or verbal codes

Written or verbal codes involve the words selected for the media product and what they communicate:

• Language/words
• Slogan or anchorage text (for advert)
• Cover lines / main flash / title (for magazine cover)
• Dialogue (if analysing a TV/film text)

Written codes are sometimes called lexical codes (simply another way of saying ‘related to language’).

Symbolic or non-verbal codes

Symbolic or non-verbal codes include the following:

• Mise-en-scene (CLAMPS)
• Body language/facial expression
• Colour codes
• Typographic codes (e.g. font/typography)

Narrative codes

Roland Barthes suggests narratives are driven by specific codes. The two most common narrative codes he discusses are:

• Enigma codes: something that creates a question the audience want to see answered.
• Action codes: something that promises drama.

Media codes - reading an image blog tasks

Your blog tasks are to be completed on your Media 1 Exam blog (exam teacher) and are as follows:

Create a new blogpost called 'Media codes - reading an image'.

1) Analyse this RBK 50 Cent advert using the media codes you learned in the lesson: Technical, Written or verbal, Symbolic or non-verbal, Narrative. Write a paragraph for each one exploring the way meanings are created using those media codes.

2) Next, analyse a print advert of your choice using the same media codes: Technical, Written or verbal, Symbolic or non-verbal, Narrative. Make sure you add your chosen print advert using the 'Add image' button in blogger (use Google Images to find the advert first and save it to your pictures or downloads).

For both adverts, remember to put media language in bold or highlight/colour it. 

When writing any media analysis, always ask yourself key questions: What meanings are being created for the audience? How? Who do you think is the target audience for this product and what effect might the product have on that audience? How does it address/attract that audience? What are the deeper connotations created by the media language choices in the product and do they reflect aspects of culture, society or ideology?

Due date on Show My Homework