12D Focus group write-up

The audience research focus groups for our MEST2 TV show ideas have been incredibly useful and so many good ideas have been shared and developed. You now need to write up your own group's recording in a blog post. The blog post should include the following:

• A brief introduction to what the focus group involved
• A list of key quotes from the focus group recording (you don't need to identify who said each quote and using bullet points is fine)
• What you learned from the discussion and how this will impact on your final product
• A detailed breakdown of the target audience for your TV programme now you have completed some audience research: gender, age, social class, education/employment, race/ethnicity, psychographics etc.

The focus group audio recordings are available on the GHS VLE. Go to: Departments > Media Studies > Shared Documents

I expect your blog post for this aspect of your audience research to be AT LEAST 500 words - it may well be a lot longer and remember you will use bits of this later in your evaluation.

Key Concepts Revision PowerPoint

Use this PowerPoint from the lessons you've had on media Key Concepts to help you revise/prepare for next week's Unit 1, Section A exam practice...

• 12E: Monday 11/12
• 12D: Tuesday 12/12

Sections in the exam (15 minutes each)...

• Language and forms
• Audience
• Representation
• Institution

Useful Links for Production Planning

The OFCOM Broadcasting Code outlining the pre-watershed rules. Read these carefully and make sure you don't fall foul of the guidelines.

The Mise En Media blog set up by Media students last year that contains all the document templates you need to fill in for your pre-production planning.

12D: Audience focus group pitch

You will be pitching your idea to your focus group (the rest of the class) on Monday. You need to be able to sell your idea to them and communicate the genre, style and content clearly and concisely. The only way you will manage this is by KNOWING your idea inside out.

Your pitch needs to include the following:

• A clear explanation of your idea, possibly referencing other programmes/films
• Details from the brief: characters, narrative themes and location
• Why your idea might appeal to the key 15-35 audience demographic
• Scheduling details - when it might be broadcast and on which channel

The focus group will  be recorded and feedback from others will make up a key part of your research and planning process.

Due: Monday

12E homework - Mr Halsey

Representation collage on Photoshop

Your homework is as follows:

Finish your Photoshop collage showing the dominant and alternative representation of one of the following group:

• Islam
• Men
• Britain
• Europeans
• Teenagers

When you have finished it, save it as a JPEG and upload it on your blog.

Due: Monday 9 December

MEST2: Research and Planning

You need to complete the following tasks for your Research and Planning/pre-production. Everything MUST be posted on your blog and regular tutorials will check progress.

Deadline: Christmas

Existing product research (INDIVIDUAL)

Find five programmes similar to the idea or genre you plan to work with. Remember the E4 target audience specified in the brief.

Write an analysis of the two-minute opening sequence to each TV programme you research using the aspects of film language you have learned (camerawork, editing, sound, mise-en-scene).

Research the target audience for each show and write about why the show would appeal to that audience.

Institution research (INDIVIDUAL)

Research E4 and BBC3 - two channels that boast a similar target audience to your brief. Find out their history, what type of shows they focus on and notable successes.

Audience research and planning (GROUP; INDIVIDUAL WRITE-UP)

Outline a highly detailed target audience for your TV show. Use demographics AND psychographics to profile your audience.

Conduct audience research to test how appealing your idea is to your target audience. This may involve conducting a focus group interview in class.

Pre-production (GROUP; INDIVIDUAL WRITE-UP)

In your group as a whole, you need to produce the following planning documents:

·         Project schedule

·         Script

·         Storyboard

·         Shot list

·         Mise-en-scene: casting details, location scouting with photographs, props, costume and make-up, lighting.

Each of these planning documents MUST be in the correct format - e.g. TV script layout, storyboard sheets etc. and uploaded to your blog (you may need to scan/photograph documents to do this). You can also use online resources such as the BBC Writers' Room (bbc.co.uk/writersroom) to help with script layouts and more.

Audience theory - tasks

We've covered a LOT of audience theory this week - now it's time to apply it to some examples and answer some questions.

Hypodermic needle theory
Read this article from the Daily Mail. How can you link this news article to the hypodermic needle theory?

Two-step flow model

Read this article on young YouTube star Jamal Edwards. How can you link Jamal Edwards to the two-step flow model?

Uses and Gratifications theory

For each of the four categories (diversion, personal relationships, personal identity, surveillance), choose one media text and write about how it fits that particular audience use or pleasure. Use images and clips to illustrate your points.

Dependency theory

1. What do YOU primarily use the media for: entertainment or information? (Or something else?)
2. To what extent do you feel we are dependent on the media?
3. Has our dependence on the media changed over the last 10 years? 

All of these questions are your homework this week - due next Monday 2 December.

12E cover work: Monday 18 November - Mr Halsey

Hopefully you're getting a good idea of Psychographics and audience profiling - it's crucial that you think about audience in this kind of depth. Today I've got three tasks for you:

Task 1
Take the Psychographics questionnaire that will tell you what YOUR motivations are and which group YOU fit in best. There are 50 questions so it will take you a little bit of time. However, one important point: it DOESN'T work on Google Chrome (I know we always ask you to use Chrome!) so you need to copy and paste the following link into Internet Explorer and complete the questionnaire on there:

http://www.4cs.yr.com/uk/

The website is very slow so wait for it to respond and then click the big red button to do the questionnaire. Make sure you save your results - copy and paste them into a document so you have them for future reference.

Task 2
Type up the results of your Psychographic profile on your blog, explaining whether you agree with the profile you have been given. Write down TEN brands that appeal to you AND fit your Psychographic group.

Task 3
For each of the seven Psychographic categories, find an advert on YouTube that appeals to that group. Explain WHY you think each advert would appeal to that psychographic group, using some of the descriptive words from the original handout and linking to specific details in the text. (This link will help you if you don't have your handout).

You have both Monday and Tuesday to complete these tasks - anything you don't complete is homework due next Monday 25 November. I will be back in soon and I look forward to seeing what Psychographic group each of you is placed in.

Good luck!

12D cover work: Monday 18 November - Mr Halsey

We were going to screen our preliminary exercises today but I'm going to postpone that until Thursday's lesson - I hope to be back later in the week if everything is OK at home.

Today, you firstly need to make sure your preliminary exercise is finished - that is very important. Mr Babu can help you with the final edit or exporting from Premiere Pro - you also need to hand in a copy to Mr Babu and upload it to YouTube so we can screen it on Thursday.

When you've finished the preliminary exercise, you now need to evaluate it - this is a crucial skill that you will need for your main coursework production later in the year.

Your evaluation needs to include the following:

• Clear reference to the brief, your planning process, how your storyboard/shot list helped create the final product and what you would do differently next time in terms of pre-production
• Detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your film
• Confident use of media language, particularly film language, showing clear understanding of the key concepts of Media Studies (MIGRAIN)

Here's a good example from last year to help you.

Your evaluation needs to be a minimum of 500 words and is due for next Monday 25 November.

Good luck!

12D cover work - Preliminary exercise

Year 12 - I'm sorry I won't be in but the good news is I am a father! Baby Samuel was born this morning and we're doing OK.

You need to continue your Preliminary Exercise - the deadline is Monday. Mr Babu can help with editing and exporting your finished films.

I'm sorry I'm not there to help but I'm sure you're going to produce some excellent examples of good quality filmmaking.

Tue 12/11/13: 12D Cover Work p5/6

Get in a pair and do an additional Psychographics exercise (as well as ensuring last week's homework is complete and on your blog).

All completed work is due in the lesson on Thursday 14/11/13.

Tue 12/11/13: 12E Cover Work p2

Make sure you've completed your detailed shot lists and that everyone in your group has posted them up to their individual blogs.

Book out a camera with Mr Babu and start shooting!

He'll have to give you a quick tutorial about how to use the basic functions. Make sure you're confident about this before leaving the classroom.

And remember not to disturb other classes going on!

Audience - psychographics

In your pair, you need to put together a presentation in which you create an example couple for your particular psychographic group and suggest what their media consumption might involve.

First, create an example couple that represents your psychographic group (just like the Mosaic profiles). This Mosaic profile of UK groups and types might help you - can you find a group that matches your psychographic group?

Tell us a bit about the couple – who they are, where they work/study, what they like doing in their spare time. Bring them to life.

Next, outline their media consumption:

Print: What newspapers/magazines does your group read (if any)? Is this on paper or tablet?

Broadcast: What TV programmes/channels do your group watch? Radio stations? TV package – Freeview or Sky? Films?

E-Media: What technology do they own? What websites do they visit (if any)? 

Finally, work out who is going to present what - one person should introduce the couple before the other talks about their media consumption.

The presentations will be in Tuesday's lesson - so be ready!

Preliminary Exercise - Example

Here's an example from last year with a good evaluation, using media terminology well.

Also, this Prezi has examples of the three features you need to include in your production.

Homework (12E, for Tue 12/11)...complete shot list and post up on blog. Make sure you have organised locations/props for your shoot next lesson and rehearsed dialogue etc. 

Match on action, shot/reverse shot, 180 degree rule

The following clips and links should help you with the key skills you need to demonstrate in your preliminary exercise.

Match on action

Look at this YouTube clip for match on action - the cuts you want to look at in particular are at 2 seconds, then again at 18 seconds:

Shot/reverse shot

Shot/reverse shot uses over-the-shoulder shots to show a conversation between two characters. Look at this example from the Hunger Games movie - specifically between 0.50 and 1.30.

With shot/reverse shot, you need to observe the 180 degree rule. Draw an imaginary line between the two characters facing each other and then make sure the camera never crosses that line during the filming of that scene. This video is a brilliant explanation of the rule:

Good luck!

Y12 Preliminary exercise

Preliminary exercise: continuity task

Your preliminary exercise involves filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. 

This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule. 

Time allowed: two weeks

You are advised to work in the group that you will work in for your MEST2 coursework project.

Good luck!

12E Narrative task (homework/Tuesday lesson)

I'm sorry I won't be in for Tuesday's lesson - I'm on a course. The work is as follows:

Come up with your own narrative for a new film or TV programme. Write a 250 word summary of the storyline using everything we have learned:

• Protagonists
• Linear or multi-stranded narratives
• Enigma and action codes
• Equilibrium
• Propp’s character types

You have Tuesday's lesson to do this but will need to finish it for homework.

Due: next Monday 11 November

12E - Brand values (Mr Halsey)

According to Gillian Dyer (Advertising as Communication, 1988) advertisers use, among other techniques, lines of appeal to create brand identities and attract their target audience.

Institutions use these images, references or suggestions to tap into our desires and make us ‘feel part’ of the brand. Dyer suggested lines of appeal could be classified into 13 groups:

• Happy families - everyone wants to belong 
• Rich, luxurious lifestyles - aspirational 
• Dreams and fantasy 
• Successful romance and love 
• Elite people or experts 
• Glamorous places 
• Successful careers 
• Art, culture & history
• Nature & the natural world 
• Beautiful women - men AND women like looking at beautiful women, so the thinking goes: men admire them, women admire what makes the men admire them. 
• Self-importance & pride 
• Comedy & humour 
• Childhood - can appeal to either nostalgia or to nurturing instincts 

Brand values task 100-10-1

Choose 5 brands. For EACH brand:

1) Sum up the brand values in 100 words, making reference to Dyer’s lines of appeal.

2) Distil the brand values into one sentence of no more than 10 words. 

3) Sum up the brand in ONE word.

Example: Starbucks

1) The Starbucks brand is clever because it comes across as a friendly, local-style company when it is in fact a massive global business. Its brand values would be about quality, lifestyle and a personal touch.  Starbucks could fit into several of Dyer’s lines of appeal: Happy families - everyone wants to belong, hence Starbucks asking your name when you order. It could also fit into Successful careers – Starbucks is for hard-working, successful people who want to enjoy life. Finally, Self-importance and pride links to Starbucks taking coffee seriously and its employees and customers having genuine passion for the brand. (100 words)

2) The Starbucks brand is about quality with a personal touch. (10 words)

3) Starbucks in one word: Passion.

Due: by the end of Tuesday's single lesson

12E homework - Mr Halsey

Your homework is to make sure everything we've done on Institution is up on your blog. That means the following needs to be posted:

For your 8 minute lesson on a particular media institution:

1. Write up your feedback on your blog, dividing the points into WWW and EBI.
2. Upload your Powerpoint, notes and anything else from your lesson (videos, images etc.) on the same blog post.
3. Write an evaluation of your lesson, reflecting on what went well and not so well from your perspective.

In a separate blog post:

Write a channel profile for the TV channel you have worked on in class.

Due: Monday 21 October

12D homework - Mr Halsey

We're getting towards the end of our Film Language unit and have seen clips from some of the best films in cinema history. In order to finish the unit, we've got a lot of homework to get through but this week you'll have plenty of time due to the training day and strike.

The tasks are as follows:

Cinematography task (camera shots and movement)
Choose two extracts from different eras (e.g. one from the 1940s and one from the 2000s) and analyse the cinematography.  What are the key differences? Upload the extracts on your blog by embedding the YouTube videos and write the analysis below.

Editing task

Choose an extract that you think has been edited in a distinctive way and write a 750 word analysis. Upload the extract on your blog by embedding the YouTube video and write the analysis below.

Film Language revision

Before half-term you will have a written test that will involve analysing a film clip. Revise everything we have covered in this unit: mise-en-scene, sound, camerawork and editing.

Due: Monday 21 October

Institution: Teaching a lesson

With Media institutions, there is no substitute for knowing a variety of institutions in detail.

In your pair, you need to teach a 6-8 minute lesson on the institution you are given. The lesson needs to involve the following…

Starter activity
This could be image or clip-based, or perhaps involve a quiz to engage the class. It should introduce your institution and grab the attention of your students.

Teaching
Make sure you cover the following in your lesson:

Their history: how did they come to be where they are now?

Their influence: What audiences do they reach? Do they have political influence?

What they control: What companies or other media institutions do they own or have authority over? How many phases of production and distribution are they involved in?

Who influences them: Are they owned or controlled by powerful individuals, families or governments?

Synergy: In what ways do their different businesses support each other? Give specific examples.

Why is any of this important? Explain what we need to know about this institution.

Handout
You need to produce a handout to give to the class for their Media folders. No more than one page of A4, this needs to summarise the main aspects of the institution.

Plenary
Finish up with something that will help your students remember your institution. It might return to the starter activity or be a memorable or important fact about the organisation.

Think about…

• Using audio-visual materials (clips, images etc.)
• Interactivity – involve other students
• Role play or performance
• Key questions you may be asked at the end of your lesson

The topic you’ve been given is HUGE, so try to take a step back. Individually, do some preliminary research, and get a sense of the most important elements of the institution. Then, as a pair, you can decide how to use your research to plan an effective and memorable lesson.

Good luck!

12E homework - Mr Halsey

Today we learned a lot of key words - denotation, connotation and then how to break down an image or advert (colour, framing, composition etc.) This ability to 'read' an image is absolutely crucial in both Media coursework and exams.

Your current task is to write an analysis of the Reebok 50 Cent advert using the key terms we have learned: denotation, connotation, colour, pose, framing, composition, size, type of shot, subject matter, setting, lighting. Finish up by writing about the audience: Who do you think is the target audience? How does it address its audience?

If you don't finish it in class, complete it for homework - due Monday 30 September.

Your main homework is to write an analysis of another advert of your choice - it can be for any product but make sure you use the same headings, demonstrating your knowledge of media language.

Finally, for both analyses, highlight, underline or write in bold each time you use media language. This is a brilliant habit to get into and doing it in the exam can get you crucial extra marks.

Overall due date for all this work: Monday 30 September

12E: Media consumption

In a blog post, type up our starter - the list of media you have consumed in the last 24 hours.

Next, answer the following questions to create a more detailed picture of your media consumption:

Newspapers

• Which daily newspapers (if any) do you read?
• What sections of newspapers do you turn to first, and why?
• What sections do you never read, and why?
• What kinds of stories do you usually read and why?
• Do you, or someone else, buy the newspaper you read?

Magazines

• What magazines (if any) do you buy regularly?  Why
• What sections of the magazines do you read and not read, and why?

Television

• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend watching television?
• What times of day do you usually watch television?
• What programmes do you like best and why?
• Do you watch alone or with others?
• If you watch with others, who decides what you will watch?

Radio

• What stations do you like best and why?
• Approximately how many hours a week do you spend listening to the radio?
• What times of the day do you usually listen to the radio?
• What stations do you dislike most and why?
• Do you listen alone or with others?
• Where do you listen to the radio?
• What other activities (if any) do you do whilst listening to the radio?

Cinema

• What films, if any, have you seen in the cinema in the last month?
• What films have you seen in other places – for example, through rental, satellite film channels (free or otherwise) or through video-on-demand?
• Who else watched the films with you?
• Who decided what films to watch?

Internet

• How often do you access the internet?
• Where do you access the internet?  At home, at college or school, or at work?
• What are the main sites that you access?
• What are the main reasons for accessing these sites – for example, for information, to make purchases, communicate with friends or for entertainment?
• What other activities (if any) do you do whilst accessing the internet?

Finally, write a paragraph suggesting ways you can increase and widen your media consumption now you are an A Level Media student.

Finish for homework - due next Monday

Good luck!

12D Homework - Mise-en-scene

Your homework tasks from our mise-en-scene lesson are:

1. Find a distinctive still image and write an analysis of the mise-en-scene.
2. View three extracts from films of different genres (e.g. horror, sci-fi, costume drama) and write a comparison of the mise-en-scene in each. 

Make sure these go on your blog with the image and embedded YouTube clips easily visible.

Due: Monday 23 September

The Key Concepts: MIGRAIN

12D homework for Tue 17/9:

Using the Key Concepts/Key Terminology handout, analyse the iPhone 5c promotional video that appears on the http://www.apple.com/uk/ website. Post up your work on your blog.

12D p2 10/9/13

Choose a feature film that you've watched over the past year (at the cinema or on DVD/TV/online) and particularly enjoyed...

Watch the trailer on YouTube (or another video sharing site) and embed the video on a blog posting on your new blog. (You may need to do some research to find out how to do this).

Analyse the trailer, considering:

- cinematography (camerawork: types of shots used, angles, camera movement...);

- editing (length of shots, changes of pace);

- sound (soundtrack, sound effects, dialogue);

- mise en scene (costume, lighting, props, settings). 

Try to give examples of the techniques used (in the PEE format you'll know from English) and explain how they're effective and encourage audiences to want to watch the film. 

Finally, identify the film's genre (what type of film is it?) and give at least five examples of the conventions it uses that would help audiences recognise it as such. 

Complete for homework for next lesson, Thur 12/9. 

Setting up your AS Media blog

Your first task is to set up your AS Media blog using blogger.com. You may need to do this at home while we wait for your blogger access to be added to your school account.

You'll find some instructions here.

Your first post simply needs to tell us why you chose AS Media and what you hope to achieve.

When you've set up the blog, post your blog URL and first name as a comment under this blogpost. Remember, the URL we need is the address you choose.blogspot.co.uk 

Good luck!

Welcome to AS Media!

Welcome to AS Media Studies - you have made a wise choice! Last year's students did superbly well and we will be looking to do even better this year.

Check this blog regularly for links, homework, deadlines and more.

12E Bank Holiday Homework - Section A Practice

You need to carry out TWO exam practices (one/week) in your books (not on your blogs)  for Tuesday 07/5 p3.

Watch each media product THREE times. In between viewings, for about five minutes, you should make notes in response to the questions below. 

Then you should spend approximately 15 MINUTES answering each question, supporting your answers with evidence from the media product.

Remember to include media terminology, media theory, and detailed examples.

Also, don't forget to use the AS Revision Booklet to help you, especially when it comes to knowing which theories/keywords to use for each question.

1. TV Advert: The Gospel According To GHD

• Media Forms: What techniques does the ad use to persuade the audience to purchase the product?
• Representation: How is the gender represented in the ad?
• Media Institution: What issues of regulation and censorship does this ad raise and what does it tell us about the values of the brand?
• Audience: On the basis of this ad, who does the GHD brand appeal to?

2. TV Opening Sequence: BBC's Match of the Day

• Media Forms: What techniques does this opening sequence use to communicate the possible narratives of this programme?  

• Media Representations: How are footballers represented in this opening sequence?

• Media Audiences: On the basis of this opening sequence, what target audience would be attracted to regular viewing of this television programme?

• Media Institutions: How does this opening sequence reflect the institutional values of the BBC and its remit to 'inform, educate and entertain'?

12E Tuesday single - Film Promotion Institutional Research

Research the following questions and post on your blog. Be prepared to feed back your findings.

1. Identify and outline the main differences between the UK and US film industry and how those films are promoted. How are independent films promoted? Collect any facts and figures you could use in the exam.
2. What new technologies are used to promote films to audiences? Are there any changes on the horizon? What are the implications to the film and film promotion industry?
3. Research how people are consuming films. Are many audiences going to the cinema? Have ticket sales in general increased or declined in the economic downturn? Are audiences waiting until films are available to stream online or on Sky/Cable TV? Or do they prefer the cinematic experience? What about DVD sales?
4. Research the impact piracy and illegal downloads has had on the industry. What action is the industry taking to combat this problem?
5. Identify and outline all the ways audiences can engage, interact and shape film promotions. Are they given the opportunity to construct film promotion? Consider audience participation across the platforms and consider how you can apply the Uses and Gratifications Theory to any examples your find.

UNIT 1 Exam Revision

Here is your complete checklist to prepare you for the UNIT 1 exam that takes place on Monday 13th May at 9:00am.

(And don't forget that the mock exam is on Monday 29th April in the hall: 12E at 8.30am; 12D at 10.35am...please arrive at least five minutes early).
Firstly, make sure you use the 6 Part Active Revision Cycle whenever revising:

This is the most productive approach:

1. STEP 1 Read your notes/text book/online resources carefully
2. STEP 2 Reduce/summarise the information (e.g. draw a mind map, write key words on A5 card, write a table, draw a diagram)
3. STEP 3 Learn/memorise the reduced information - using rhymes, acronyms, etc.
4. STEP 4 Do an exam question under timed conditions
5. STEP 5 Review what you have done
6. STEP 6 Traffic light topics (red - don't know it; amber - know it a bit; green - know it well)

A. MediaMagazine

Spend as much time as possible reading and actively making revision notes (mindmaps etc.) using the MediaMagazine (login details: mediamagazine10/ly957mp). 

This is a great resource - up to date information, written by A Level media examiners, with all the key terminology and theory in bold in every article:

• MediaMag past issues library
• MediaMag FILM articles 

B. UNIT 1 Exam Papers (Section A)

Practice Section A questions, under exam conditions:

• AQA Past Question Papers and Mark Schemes

Typical questions (fifteen minutes per question)...

• Media Forms: What techniques does the extract use to establish the text’s genre and/or engage the audience?
• Media Representations: How is gender/ethnicity/age/disability/sexuality/a place represented in the extract?
• Media Institutions: In what ways is the extract typical of the film/advertising/television industry and/or what values does it promote?
• Media Audiences: Who does this text/brand appeal to?

Typical texts (it WILL be moving image in the May 2012 exam)...

• TV programme extracts (drama/soap, news, game show, documentary, etc.)
• Adverts
• Film extracts/ trailers (variety of genres)
• Music videos
• Video game extracts/trailers

C. MEST1 Past Questions (Section B)

Firstly, revise your case studies fully. Go back over the Ill Manors PowerPoint presentations you produced on them and posted on your blogs, looking at each other's for extra ideas. 

Also, make sure you do some additional research from the last few months so you have some up-to-the-minute examples.

These are the key questions you should be able to answer:

How are texts in the three platforms constructed?
• Are there similarities and differences in the way the area is dealt with in each platform?
• What type of media language is used and how?
• How are genre codes used?
• How do texts within the three platforms construct narrative?

How do audiences access texts across the three platforms?• Do the texts enable different types of audience activity and/or interaction?
• Are audiences able to play a role in the construction of media texts? (UGC)
• Are there differences in the audience gratifications offered across the three platforms?

How are representations constructed and are there similarities and/or differences across the platforms?
• What values and ideologies are communicated within the representation?

What institutional issues are raised by the topic areas?
• How are institutions reacting to change in technology?
• How are institutions attempting to reach and engage their audiences?
• What economic issues are behind the construction and distribution of contemporary media texts? 

Then, make sure you complete detailed essay plans on ALL of the past questions, and then practice as many as you can under timed conditions (45 minutes/question):

January 2009

To what extent do the media products in your case study do more than just entertain their

audience(s)?

In your answer you should:

● Provide a brief outline of your case study

● Consider how far the media products in your case study also inform, educate and

provide opportunities for interaction and participation

● Support your answer with reference to examples from three media platforms.

Consider the reasons media products from your case study are present across a range of

media platforms.

In your answer you should:

● Provide a brief outline of your case study

● Discuss the advantages for producers of each media platform

● Support your answer with reference to examples from three media platforms.

June 2009

 ‘Audiences are no longer just consumers of media texts but producers too.’

To what extent is this true of the media products in your case study?

In your answer you should:

● provide a brief outline of your case study

● evaluate how far audiences participate in and contribute to the media products in your case study

● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

Account for the similarities and differences in the codes and conventions used in the

media products from your case study.

In your answer you should:

● provide a brief outline of your case study

● compare how and why media products from your case study are similar and/or different within and across media platforms

● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

January 2010

Identify how media products from your case study make links with other media platforms.

What are the reasons for these links?

In your answer you should:

● provide a brief outline of your case study

● consider possible links such as targeting audiences, promotion and revenue generation

● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

‘All media texts tell stories.’ In what ways is narrative used in the media products in your

case study?

In your answer you should:

● provide a brief outline of your case study

● discuss the different ways narrative functions in the media products in your case study

● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

June 2010

'Audiences are becoming increasingly powerful in shaping media output.' With reference to your case study, how far is this true?

In your answer you should:

● provide a brief outline of your case study

● evaluate the roles of audiences in the creation of media products from your case study

● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

January 2011

How far have improvements in technology made a difference to the quality of audience experience?

 In your answer you should:

● provide a brief outline of your case study

● evaluate the impact of new technologies (eg red button, file-sharing, 3D) on the audience's ability to interact with and/or enjoy media products from your case study

● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

Do the institutions in your case study have an equal presence on each media platform?

In your answer you should:

● provide a brief outline of your case study

● evaluate how and why media products from your case study have more of a presence on some platforms than others

● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

June 2011

'To be successful, media institutions have to use a variety of media platforms'. To what extent is this true of your cross-media study?

In your answer you should:

● provide a brief outline of your cross-media study

● consider the possible advantages of using a range of media platforms

● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

'Our enjoyment of media products is influenced by the platforms we use to access them.'How far is this true of your cross-media study?

In your answer you should:

● provide a brief outline of your cross-media study

● consider how audiences use and respond to media products from different media platforms

● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

Jan 2012

1. Evaluate how far audiences are able to represent themselves and/or their ideas and opinions in media products from your cross-media study.

Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

2. Evaluate how successfully media products from your cross-media study are promoted within and across media platforms.

Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

June 2012

1. Consider how imaginative techniques are used by media products from your  cross-media study to attract and maintain audiences.

Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

2. Synergy is the process by which media institutions use a range of platforms to promote, sell and distribute their products. Assess the impact of synergy in your cross-media study.

Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.

D. Key Media Terminology and Audience Theory

Revise the following really well:

• Glossary: Key Concepts/Key Terminology (the more you include, the better your grade)
• Young & Rubicam's 4Cs (Psychographics)
• How to make sense of audience theories (include some of this in every answer)
• MediaKnowall audience theories

E. AS Revision Booklet

This excellent guide summarises the key theories and key terminology you need to include and provides examples of how to use them in the exam. 

Read this repeatedly in the run-up to UNIT1, revise ALL the main theorists here and practice using them in your answers.

AS Revision Booklet