Proposed changes to Media
Permit exam boards to accept a prototype or mock-up, with supporting evidence as necessary, of an individual media production (single product) in response to an exam board set brief. Supporting evidence may include original and non-original photographs, images, drawings or sketches with annotations to illustrate intentions/storyboards/television screenplay/shooting script/radio script and directions. Exam boards to provide clarification about their requirements
MARCH MOCK EXAM
- 13A Wednesday 24th March 1:00pm start (2hours)
- 13E Thursday 25th March 9:00am start (2hours)
- 13D Friday 26th March 1:00pm start (2hours)
Mock Content
As mentioned in class my aim is to ensure that the mock exam is rigorous, while at the same time not creating too much difficulty or anxiety for students as they prepare for this (and presumably many other) assessment. As such, overall this will be a mock paper that follows the structure of Media Paper 1 (ie it will have 7 questions: Q1: 8 marks, Q2: 12 marks, Q3: 9 marks, Q4: 20 marks, Q5.1: 3 marks, Q5.2: 3 marks, Q6: 9 marks, Q7: 20 marks). However, the questions will be a mix from different papers. There will be three separate papers – so you do not know which paper you will get! The following table lists the key theoretical areas that will be covered by all three papers alongside the CSP’s that will need to be referred to. Hope this helps.
CSP’s | Theoretical Perspective | Theorists and academics that could be useful |
1. Music Video: Ghost Town 2. Music Video: Letter to the Free 3. On-line Marketing: Maybeline campaign 4. Film: Chicken 5. Radio: War of the Worlds 6. Radio: Life Hacks 7. Newspaper: Daily Mail 8. Newspaper: The i 9, Advertising (print): Score + there will be 1 x unseen product (= 10 CSP’s) | > Semiotics > Genre > Narrative > Postcolonialism > Representation > Feminist Critical thinking > Liberal Free Press > Transformation of Public Sphere > PSB > Ideology > Audience theories > passive / active > reception theory / theory of preferred reading > Cultivation theory > Culture, politics, history > (Fandom / Moral Panic) | ~ Barthes ~ Pierce ~ Saussure ~ Neale ~ Todorov ~ Propp ~ Levi-Strauss ~ Chatman ~ Freytag ~ Gilroy ~ Said ~ Fanon ~ Butler ~ Mulvey ~ Van Zoonen ~ Hooks ~ Habermas ~ Curran ~ Seaton ~ Livingston & Lunt ~ Hesmondhalgh ~ Gerbner ~ Hall ~ Lasswell ~ Lasarzfeld ~ Shirky ~ Jenkins ~ Giddens ~ Gauntlett ~ McDougall / Fenton |
SCHOOL DAY TIMINGS | ||
From 22nd – 26th March 2021 only. | ||
Period 1 | 09:00 – 10:00 | |
Break | 10:00 – 10:15 | |
Period 2 | 10:15 – 11:15 | |
Period 3 | 11:20 – 12:20 | |
Lunch | 12:20 – 13:05 | |
Period 4 | 13:05 – 14:05 | |
Break | 14:05 – 14:20 | |
Period 5 | 14:20 – 15:20 |
A level Close Study Products (CSP’s)
AS level Close Study Products (CSP’s)
Revision Matrix
Key theoretical areas:
- MEDIA LANGUAGE
- REPRESENTATION
- INSTITUTION
- AUDIENCE
CSP’s
Language & Representation • Music videos • Advertising and marketing | Audience & Institution • Radio • Newspapers • Film (industries only) | All Four Areas • Television (audio/visual) • Magazines (Print) • Online, social and participatory media • Video games. |
Letter to the Free Ghost Town Maybelline Score | War of the Worlds The i Daily Mail Chicken Hidden Figures and this link | Television Men’s Health Oh Teen Vogue Tomb Raider |
Other Key Theoretical Areas
In preparation for your exam:
Remember this is a ‘subjective’ subject, BUT you must use evidence. Your own opinion is NOT enough to support or develop an argument. Think about how you can show evidence, which is either quantitative (numbers) or qualitative (statements). Without evidence you have no knowledge. Without knowledge you have no understanding. facts (key people, institutions, names etc)
figures (eg numbers)
dates
quotes
key words
theories / theoretical models
key theorists / thinking
primary evidence (your own research)
secondary evidence (wider reading)
PAST PAPERS & MARK SCHEMES
A2 MEDIA 1 PAPERS
A2 MEDIA 1 MARKSCHEME
A2 MEDIA 2 PAPERS
A2 MEDIA 2 MARKSCHEME
AS MEDIA EXAM PAPERS
AS MEDIA MARK SCHEMES
WEEKLY PLANNER
PHASE 1: INDUCTION AND SETTLING IN
Week | Overview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | H/W or Tasks TBC |
1 | Induction: getting settled, key ideas, overview, discovering media studies | INSET first day. Only 2 days of contact time during this week | Introduction student names. Intro videos Task 1: Pair writing, statements: what is media? What is media studies? Develop 3 questions you want answered by studying the media (eg impact of social media, ‘truth’, careers, favourite programme, actor etc, creativity, ownership) and contextualise them (text, audience, industry) | Task 2: Media Forms / Platforms: teacher lead, students to fill in table. Purpose and specific example. Introduce idea of CSP | Task 3: Create a flow chart that links each media form so that the ones that are most similar are connected. Set up task 4 create a media timeline for Monday and Tuesday. | H/W Source a specific example of each media form (remember this needs to be digital) |
2 |
1
continue induction 2 start uploading work to blog including summer task 3 start assessing work | MM HE trip Monday 9th – Tuesday 10th Task 4: Put together a timeline of media development in terms of the emergence of new forms of media Task 3: Complete the media forms table | Photoshop Skills: File size, pixels, file type, colour block, gradient, layers, type, scale, aspect ratio. Creative activity (AO3) students to make header on Photoshop for blogs (1260 x 240 px) Students to upload current workload into blog including summer task | BoB 1 teaching lesson lost Make sure induction tasks and summer tasks are complete and uploaded to blog Track initial progress |
PHASE 2: CSP 1-3: LANGUAGE, REPRESENTATION & AUDIENCE
3 |
1 start
key academic skills Key Concepts AO1 & AO2: Semiotics, media language
(print) 2 Use conceptual text and theorist | Introduce Key Theorists: Barthes, Pierce, Saussure. key terminology: Semiotics: Sign,Signifier, Signified, Icon, Index, Symbol, Code Dominant Signifier, Anchorage, Ideology, Paradigm, Syntagm, Signifcation, Denotation, Connotation and Myth. Technical Codes including shot distance and camera movement, lighting and sound. | Student activity: Apply key terms and concepts to both real media product (magazines) and student produced work (front page games magazine). |
Make sure
there is evidence of understanding the concept of Semiotics & Media
Language Revise for Kahoot Quiz! | Kahoot on Semiotics: key terminology, theorists, theories |
Gather quiz
data and use for feedback, revisiting key areas.
Student
activity: make sure key terms and definitions are on blog post(s) . |
4 | Creative Skills Students to develop Games front cover in Photoshop You should create a front cover, for a magazine for gamers similar to PC Gamer, Pocket Tactics, Games TM | Breakdown of front cover into individual elements. Start with title and main image Breakdown elements into plan, sketch, brainstorm, list of what to do and what is required in this week. Write up a statement of intent and upload to blog | Photoshop Skills: File size, pixels, file type, colour block, gradient, layers, type, scale, aspect ratio. Introduce DSLR main functions for still image, focus and exposure. | Book studio, and introduce studio lighting – continuous and flash | Students to take pictures and produce content for front cover. | Capture / secure / record / produce material that is required for front cover. |
5 | Key Concepts AO3 Practical Skills & Creativity, Semiotics, Print, Games Magazines. Audience theory |
Continue
with practical work.
Post
production on main image to create games character?
Revisit and complete statement of intent |
Use
Photoshop to design key elements
-masthead, colour block, adverts.
Use
Photoshop for overall layout. Copy over individual elements into front page. |
Complete
product. Revisit Audience Theory from induction task: Demographics and Psychographic Segmentation, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs etc Uses and Gratifications | Complete product and upload to blog, Test and review with peers. Make corrections, and amendments in light of feedback. |
6 | Practical Task: 1st drafts for NEA (front cover and SoI) | Lesson on Adobe Fuse to create CGI games character (animate in Photoshop at home as CC Library not accessible in school) | Build on summer work and induction work to produce front cover and 1st draft statement of intent | Year 12 Autumn Assessment for Learning. Feedback, reflect and revisit work in light of assessment, tracking and monitoring process. Using live data from Go4Schools |
7 |
Key
Concepts AO1 & AO2: Representation & Reception CSP 1: Tomb Raider (Games) | Look at videos about representation and video games Introduce and start, presentations. |
Student activity: Pair
presentations produce a comparative analysis of how representation can be
seen as either radical or reactionary or both, as well as recognising key
terms from Gauntlet. Students also need to show understanding and ability to
apply theories of reception. |
Presentations | Section A Media Language & Media Representations in relation to two of the following media forms: • advertising and marketing (Maybeline) • magazines (Men’s Health) • video games (Tomb Raider) |
8 |
Key
Concepts AO1 & AO2: Representation & Reception CSP 2: Men’s Health Magazine (Print) | Theories of Representation featuring key terms by Gauntlett including: Positive and Negative Stereotypes, Countertypes, Misrepresentation, Selective Representation, Dominant Ideology, Constructed Reality, Hegemony, Fluidity of Identity, Constructed Identity, Negotiated Identity and Collective Identity. Apply ideas to front cover. | Hall’s Reception Theory including Encoding / Decoding and Negotiated / Dominant / Oppositional | Written essay / assignment on blog to write up analysis of Mens Health and Tomb Raider using key terminology. Long form exam answer. | Section A Media Language & Media Representations in relation to two of the following media forms: • advertising and marketing (Maybeline) • magazines (Men’s Health) • video games (Tomb Raider) |
HALF TERM Complete essay on representation over ½ term |
9 | CSP 3 Maybelline ‘That Boss Life’ Advertising and (Marketing) | An Exploration of the use of Persuasive Techniques in Advertising and Marketing. Reception Theory including: Agenda Setting, Framing, Myth Making and Conditions of Consumption. | Re-cap on: RepresentationMedia Language (inc Semiotics)Audience Gather key concepts Apply key concepts to Maybeline campaign Compare with Tomb Raider and Men’s Health | Produce a presentation that answers a number of key questions in the CSP booklet (TBD). Use key language. | Present to class or to small groups. Look at a range of resources to help discussion (link) | Section A Media Language & Media Representations in relation to two of the following media forms: • advertising and marketing (Maybeline) • magazines (Men’s Health) • video games (Tomb Raider) |
PHASE 3: CSP 4-6: INSTITUTION & AUDIENCE
10 | CSP 4 The Missing (Television) Narrative, Genre Cross National Ownership / Audience | background & details of production (cross-production). understanding of TV landscape in new media environment Focus on the rise of foreign language serialised TV Drama in UK & consumption of “box sets” by audiences. | Watch episode Application of Narratology featuring Narrative Codes, Diegesis, Quest Narrative, Character Types, Causality, Plot, Masterplot. | Identify narrative and genre codes in episode. Introduce Key language: Barthes, Narrative Codes, Propp: Character Type and Archetype Levi-Strauss: Binary Opposition, Todorov: Theory of Equilibrium | Produce class time line of this episode with pairs of students identifying key elements in 10 minute sections. Stick together, display, feedback and discuss. | Section B Media Industries & Media Audiences in relation to two of the following forms: • music video (Letter to the Free) • television (The Missing) • film (industries only). |
11 | Film CSP 5 Hidden Figures (Film) Teaching focus on Film Industry NOT textual analysis. | Issues of Film Production, Marketing and Distribution. Issues of race and gender representation in Hollywood featuring an exploration into the #Oscarssowhite debate | Produce mind map / brainstorm of key facts, figures, people, companies, dates, times, costs, etc | Watch Film? Introduce Genre Theory Neale, Conventions and Rules, Sub-Genre, Hybridity, Genres and Orders of Integration, Genre as Cultural Category. | Watch extract from Film? | Section B Media Industries & Media Audiences in relation to two of the following forms: • music video (Letter to the Free) • television (The Missing) • film (industries only). |
12 | CSP 6 – Letter to the Free – Common ft Bilal (Music Video) On-line content Genre Narrative | Look specifically at institution and audiences. Produce A2 mind map in big groups (6-8) divide groups into specific tasks: research, production, presentation etc. | Revisit audience theory: Hall’s Reception Theory including Encoding/Decoding and Negotiated / Dominant / Oppositional Readings. Cultivation Theory: Gerbner Uses and Gratifications | Music Video Industry Socio-historic Context. Look at extracts of 13th Amendment | Using A3 boards and blog posts, feedback, discussion, presentation, check learning, knowledge and understanding through discussion. | Section B Media Industries & Media Audiences in relation to two of the following forms: • music video (Letter to the Free) • television (The Missing) • film (industries only). Year 12 Parents Evening |
PHASE 4: NEA / COURSEWORK
13 | Coursework: Phase 1 Introduction You should create a front cover, contents page and double page spread for a magazine for gamers similar to PC Gamer, Pocket Tactics, Games TM | Examine brief Revisit first draft front cover. Revisit statement of intent Evaluate / reflect to move forward. Make SMART plan for next 12 lessons (3 and ½ weeks) | Revisit Audience Theory from induction task: Demographics and Psychographic Segmentation, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs etc Uses and Gratifications Adjust and complete statement of intent (in light of above) | Brainstorm / spider diagram / list Planning with paper, making clear designs for all 3 pages Identifying codes and conventions of magazine contents page and double page spread, note images. | Create Written Content (Word) Create Graphical elements: logos, masthead, colour boxes etc (Photoshop) Think about images. | Catch-up or start creating content, particularly with regard to original images. |
14 | Phase 2 complete content and 1st draft (layout). Transfer initial content to layout in In-Design | Continue to create Written Content (Word) Continue to create Graphical elements: logos, masthead, colour boxes etc (Photoshop) | Introduce In-Design, building skills with some practice tasks Capture and manipulate images | Build paper designs into In-Design. Transfer content already developed into In Design. | Complete initial layout, with some content. Upload this first draft to the blog for feedback. | Catch-up or start creating content, particularly with regard to original images. |
15 | Phase 3 Final layout and upload for assessment and feedback | Work on design featuresRevisit contentCapture and manipulate imagesWork on design featuresRevisit content | Upload work to the blog for assessment and feedback over xmas break |
CHRISTMAS BREAK | Mr M to mark 2nd draft coursework so PLEASE UPLOAD OR SEND YOUR 2nd DRAFT BY 9:00 AM JANUARY 1ST 2020 – you can then start re-drafting / supporting improvements |
16 | Phase 4 complete second draft (full layout with graphical features, original images and written content) Revisit revise / C/W | Complete all work as required for all 3 pages. Revisit, evaluate and change Students to use this week to improve coursework and resubmit 2nd draft, both as blog post and as appropriately sized PRINT OUT which may not necessarily be A4. Peer assessment and teacher feedback used to identify where and how improvements can be made. FINAL SUBMISSION: FRIDAY 10TH JANUARY AS A PRINT OUT INC. ALL ADMIN DOCUMENTS (ie statement of intent on correct form, authentication sheet, signed with candidate number) | INSET Mon 6th |
PHASE 5: CSP 7-9
17 | CSP 6 – Letter to the Free – Common ft Bilal (Music Video) On-line content Genre Narrative | revisit video, trailer for 13th & rhyme and reason clip. Look at exam question and feedback from thi s question. Start making some blog posts and notes in preparation. Produce more blog responses to topic 1) suggestions from board & 2) feedback from exam essay. A2 mind map in big groups (6-8) divide groups into specific tasks: research, production, presentation etc. | Continue with class preparation for class exam. Look specifically at institution and audiences. Revisit audience theory: Hall’s Reception Theory including Encoding/Decoding and Negotiated / Dominant / Oppositional Readings. Cultivation Theory: Gerbner Uses and Gratifications. Look at profit / non-profit media ie media (Curran & Seaton) with a social message. | Music Video as Industry Socio-historic Context. Look at extracts of 13th Amendment. Hot seat, Q & A, small group 1-2-1 support, discussion (presentation?) | exam question in class, | YEAR 12 INTERIM ASSESSMENT WEEK |
18 | CSP 8: The I (Newpapers) | Introduce new topic: Newspapers: Language, Representation, Audience and Industry CSP 3 The I –the language and layout of The I | Understanding the Political Compass and mapping The i to the political compass (using evidence from CSP). Identify bias, agenda setting and target audience | Curran (Mass Media and Democracy) show understanding of ‘the public sphere‘ and the media as pubic watchdog | Noam Chomsky et al the media as a mechanism deliberately used by the rich and the powerful (the elite) as a way of ‘Manufacturing Consent’ as briefly discussed in The Sociology of News Production by Michael Schudson | Spring Assessment |
19 | CSP 9 Advertising Teen Vogue | Work through AQA Study Guide Teaching Focus on Gerbner Cultivation Theory including: Cultivation Differential, Mainstreaming, Resonance and Mean World Index | Links to McLuhan, new technology, Curran, public sphere (Habermas) JS Mill etc | Section C Language, Representation, Industries & Audiences: • radio (War of the Worlds) • newspapers (The i) • on-line (Teen Vogue). |
20 | CSP 7: War of The Worlds (Radio) | Listen to broadcast | Research context, question ideas and ‘myths’ surrounding broadcast. Relate to audience theory. Link to institution | . | Year 12 Formative Assessment week |
PHASE 6: EXAM PREPARATION
21 | Re-cap and revisit in preparation for mock exam in week 23. | Mini-mock for Section C – ‘blind response to a choice of 2 out of 3 questions’. | Year 12 parents evening |
HALF TERM Revise, re-cap, revisit |
22 | REVISION IN PREPARATION FOR MOCK EXAMS | Semiotics, Barthes, myth, signs, etc Section A: CSP’s 1-3 | Kahoot quiz (Semiotics and print language) representation theory (get quote from Gauntlett or Giddens) CSP’s 1-3 | Audience theories: specifically Uses & Grats, Stuart Hall Theory of Preferred Reading / Encode~Decode model. Narrative and genre theory. | marketing & advertising in the digital age. Look at this link to get started Social, cultural and political contexts to the media |
23 | Mock exam week | Mock exam week: | Mock exam week | Mock exam week | (Mock exam week) |
24 | Revisit NEA for last time, to ensure quality of work is as good as can be expected. | Look at NEA submission & Marksheet. Make plan & develop strategy for week based on securing more marks | students to develop work based on their individual plans / targets | students to develop work based on their individual plans / targets | If work is complete or no more work can be / will be undertaken – construct 1 or 2 full page adverts for your magazine. Each advert should promote a different product, event or service and should demonstrate clear targeting of a segment of the niche audience likely to read the magazine. | NEA MARKS TO SLG |
25 | Mock Exam feedback Read, reflect, evaluate and compare | A4L: Understand how to improve work, develop ILP / strategies for improvement. Identify patterns of success and failure | Adjust, alter, adapt specific items in exam responses and resubmit as teacher and / peer assessment. | Get students to work in pairs or small groups to tackle limitations and learn from mistakes. | Students to prepare study / revision material and share on blog. | Extension |
26 | Last CSP | CSP 9 War of the worlds. Introduce topic particularly social, historical, political context. Students to undertake broad research of topic | listen to broadcast (full lesson) | Q & A listen to (some of) radio documentary, discuss context, reactions, ideas etc Prepare for essay. | Answer exam question in class | Year 12 summer assessment |
27 | Revision | Revisit Teen Vogue post and think again about the role of Big Data in New Media Technologies. Look at The Great Hack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX8GxLP1FHo and use this source to go back to the characteristics of new media technologies and the increasing use of consumer surveillance that is enabled through new media sites that are directly targeting individuals. Write up some notes on the Zuboff extracts that have been uploaded to the post. Post your notes on the blog & re-write the essay, this time look more broadly at the relationship between Big Data and individual consumers. |
EASTER HOLIDAY Revise, re-cap, revisit |
PHASE 7: AS-A2 TRANSITION
Week | Overview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | H/W or Tasks TBC |
1 | Introduce A2 NEA brief First week of lockdown Communicate: > No study leave > A2 course started straight away > Use blog for FAQ > Use blog to upload and share work. > Students to continue to revisit previous topics and send new versions of essays. | Students to look at NEA post for details on A2 NEA / coursework. Link above (NEA page) or click here. Students encouraged to use blog for FAQ – ie students to share questions, problems, ideas. | Students to: Research 3 style models and upload to blog. Students to plan / sketch out drafts (upload to blog optional) Make sure documents are the same size as the rest of the magazine. Make sure document is set to 300 dpi | Students to complete 1st drafts of all 3 by the end of the week. | Students to upload first drafts to blog by Monday April 27th | – |
2 | Complete 2nd draft of 3 x print products Submit them by email as a JPEG (make sure that your text is clear and sharp – if not you have not created your document at 300 dpi! | Make sure documents are the same size as the rest of the magazine. Make sure document is set to 300 dpi | Make sure documents are the same size as the rest of the magazine. Make sure document is set to 300 dpi | Students to upload second drafts to blog by Friday May 1st | – |
3 | 3 day week as bank holidays in this week Dr M to mark and feedback A2 NEA (adverts only) | Introduce first A2 CSP: Specials ‘Ghost Town’ Watch music video Undertake some background research to find out useful information: names, dates, numbers, companies, sales, costings, companies, artists, social historical background etc etc | Look at other students work, share ideas, thoughts, insights, understandings and knowledge | Watch the documentary Two Tone Britain (60 mins) and make some notes on the SOCIAL, CULTURAL & HISTORICAL context of this media production. | Go back to the ideas of narrative. Apply the 3 narrative ideas that we have looked at previously to both music videos. You will need to read around this topic. I will provide some support. |
4 | Compare and contrast the AS and A2 music video, focus particularly on LANGUAGE & REPRESENTATION. | You have a choice of two A2 exam questions: Either: Explain how representations used in Music Videos communicate information about their cultural and political contexts. Or: How useful are ideas about narrative in analysing music videos? Refer to both CSP’s in your answer s[12 marks] | Do this by following the instructions and the linked material on our blog. Make sure you read around this topic an prepare yourself for the answer. A lot of information has already been convered in AS – but you will need to re-cap. make notes notes on a blog post, or use screen grabs, or create a mind-map or brainstorm. | Complete this essay and send it to me for assessment; nb assessment sheets are on blog | Look at the theoretical ideas of Orientalism Edward Said and the notion of Double Consciousnes by Paul Gilroy. Both of these ideas will help to explain the idea of Post Colonialism. A key theory for A2. |
5 | Students to revisit A2 NEA and improve work in light of feedback. Practical Work: Video production | Both music videos that we have looked at have a theme of isolation. Imagine a music video in which the main character(s) is/are isolated listening to music on headphones. Produce and upload a mood board that visually reflects this idea. Make sure you mood board has at least 20 images. Make sure you images have people and places in them. Look for colours, shapes, angles and shot sizes that reflect and represent your idea. | Find a non-copyright / copyright free piece of music (look this term up if you don’t fully understand it) that connects to your moodboard. Upload this piece of music to the blog | Think about how you might realise your imagined ideas? For example, produce a brainstorm, or a list of ideas, or upload some of your own images, or describe some sequences and shots that you would like to use in a music video. | Produce a shot list for the whole music video. Upload this to the blog (use the half term break) Make sure it links to your mood board and your chosen music. |
HALF TERM Plan, prepare, think about, produce some initial ideas and material for your music video.
PHASE 8: PRACTICAL WORK: MOVING IMAGE
1 | 1. Set up A2 NEA brief, think, reflect, adjust, tweak (mood board, recce shots, music choice 2. Choose 3 style models | Analyse models in terms of narrative theories (Levi-Strauss, Propp, Todorov, Chatman) | Develop your own narrative structure (PEOPLE, PLACES & THEMES) present a sketch, list, storyboard or any other tool that helps you to construct your narrative (PEOPLE, PLACES & THEME) | Produce a 500 word statement of intent (as with AS outline your intentions and ideas) | Answer exam question – How useful are ideas about narrative in analysing music videos? |
Practical Work | Theoretical Work | |
2 | • Analysis – make sure you have real media products to use as style models and answer the following exam question – How useful are ideas about narrative in analysing music videos? • Planning should involve: breaking down your product: what are you going to film? What do you need? Provide some documentation that illustrates and aids planning Intentions, Logistics (Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?), for example, notes on blog, mind map, brainstorm, list, photos etc. basically anything that shows your intentions – without this it will be difficult to do anything! • Development should involve: skills development – what do you need help with? How will you record your work? What equipment do you need? What other logistics, skills, knowledge, analysis etc do you need. • Practice and develop your ideas don’t wait until the real shoot, make sure you try some ideas out (ie ‘recce’) | • Analysis of style models in terms of representation – ‘postcolonialism’ – revisit post and make notes • Analysis of your music videos in terms of some key concepts around postmodernism: • Pastiche • Bricolage • Intertextuality • Implosion • cultural appropriation. • Introduce ‘gender identity’ – Butler, Mulvey, Van Zoonen etc Read post, make notes • Answer exam question: ‘Judith Butler describes gender as ‘an identity instituted through a stylised repetition of acts.’ In other words, it is something learnt through repeated performance. Discuss this idea in terms of your 3 style models. |
3 PRODUCTION: RECORDING MATERIAL | • PRODUCTION should involve: producing original material for your products (BREAK DOWN YOUR PRODUCT INTO INDIVIDUAL AND MANAGEABLE ELEMENTS BEFORE WORKING ON THE WHOLE) o Record footage from 1st setting o Record footage with 1st character o Record footage from 2nd setting o Record footage with 2nd character • DO NOT START EDITING YOUR FOOTAGE. | • Continue with Planning & Development should involve: eg skills development (practice with technologies before embarking on your actual work) equipment (logistics and skills) & make sure your planning and preparation is useful and appropriate. |
Video Production
4 PRODUCTION: RECORDING MATERIAL & ROUGH/ASSEMBLE EDIT | PRODUCTION should involve: producing original material for your products (BREAK DOWN YOUR PRODUCT INTO INDIVIDUAL AND MANAGEABLE ELEMENTS BEFORE WORKING ON THE WHOLE) o Record footage from 3rd setting o Record footage with 3rd character o Record footage that adds theme, motif, style, ‘B’ roll | • Start editing together sequences as a ‘rough cut’ or ‘assemble edit’ (it is really important that you keep this as a ‘rough’ outline – DO NOT SPEND TOO LONG ON THIS PROCESS. DO NOT START EDITING SMALL DETAILS! | • Continue with Planning & Development should involve: eg skills development (practice with technologies before embarking on your actual work) equipment (logistics and skills) & make sure your planning and preparation is useful and appropriate. |
5 POST-PRODUCTION – THE EDIT (SMALL DETAILS) | POST-PRODUCTION should involve: transforming your ‘rough / assemble’ edit into something more polished, detailed, nuanced – ie convincing and professional | Continue to edit together individual sequences and START EDITING SMALL DETAILS. Make sure you have a consistent visual style or look to your video. Focus on the details of your edits – make sure they are EXACTLY what you want. The small details will make a big difference. | Edit together your individual sequences so that you create a ‘whole’ structure. |
6 POST-PRODUCTION – THE FINAL EDIT | Set up week as post-production and reflection. | Post-production should involve: putting all of your individual elements together into the whole product | Reviewing, refining and revisiting each individual elements in light of your overall production | Re-recording in light of any new requirements. |
7 FINAL SUBMISSION | Set up week as evaluation and final production ‘tweeks’. | FINAL Post-production should involve: o Making sure your final product is completed. o Making sure it is a REALISTIC & CONVINCING PRODUCT. | Allow for evaluation and testing: Make sure you test your product and get some MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK Think about what method you use to gather feedback. Think about how you will collate and analyse your data. Think about how you will implement change. |
END OF WEEK 7 | FINAL DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION 1. Production submission: o Production work submitted in appropriate form: music videos submitted as AVI file and uploaded to YouTube and embedded into your blog. 2. Paperwork submission: o It would be useful if a completed statement of intent and coursework authentication sheet were also included (but we can revisit this in September) |
END. SUMMER HOLIDAY!
SEPTEMBER 2020: START OF YEAR 13
Phase 9: Re-cap, revisit, settle in
Short week, settling in, go over results (1-2-1 tutorials) | Re-cap 1 postmodernism – Memento (Amazon Prime: 2 hours / 2 x lessons). Revisit narrative. Link postmodern blog page to film ie pick out key themes, provide examples etc. |
Essay 1 Deadline: Friday 11th September
1 | aim re-cap NARRATIVE & POSTMODERNISM Use Memento as vehicle to explore these concepts Refer back to blog posts / presentations from lockdown | make new blog post linking key words, concepts, approaches. Discussion Q & A | revisit narrative essay (Ghost Town & Letter to the Free). How useful are ideas about narrative in analysing music videos? Look to make improvements | Revisit Postcolonialism Re-cap ‘Social and Historical Contexts‘ Watch 2 Tone Britain and/or Stuart Hall racism on TV |
Essay 2 Deadline: Friday 18th September
POSSIBLE ESSAY STRUCTURE
(note don’t forget to support all of your ideas with details, examples and illustrations from the 2 CSP’s)
- What is the link between society and media (ie McDougall/ Fenton)
- How best to link 2 music videos and society? Postcolonialism
- Postcolonial theory – Gilroy & WEB du Bois (double consciousness, hybridisation)
- Postcolonialism is a way of understanding ‘the other’ Lacan – mirror theory / Edward Said Orientialism
- How can music videos change ideas? Culture as a site of struggle – Althusser ISA / Gramsci Hegemony
- Conclusion
2 | Second presentation on Postcolonialism, | Introduce Bombshell as a re-cap of Feminist Critical thinking. | Complete Screening Link Althusser ISA + Interpellation and Gramsci, Hegemony | Set essay. Re-cap industry key terms Start Murdoch BBC doc |
3 | Viewing Murdoch Dynasty BBC | Re-cap on key ideas, theorists, events. Re-cap essay. Chomsky short video (re-cap) | post on CSP 11 Oh! looking at institutional organisation and working practices. As well as textual examples from CSP | Revisit Creative Work not completed during lockdown. Specifically print work: ie magazine layout for second NEA brief. |
Essay 3 Deadline: Friday 25th September
This is the last part of our re-cap, revisit section. So as a final part of catching up, please go back to your essay on Judith Butler & Gender performance.
POSSIBLE ESSAY STRUCTURE
- Characterise media institutions using key language (conglomerate, vertical, horizontal etc)
- Show you knowledge of the institutions responsible for producing your texts (your style model music videos, Men’s Health and Oh)
- Look to make a link between institutional analysis / critical thinking and Textual representation eg Chomsky ‘Manufacturing Consent’ eg Althusser (ISA, interpelllation) + Mulvey (Male gaze) & Lacan (mirror theory)
- Draw on a range of key Feminist Critical thinkers (you will need to read around and think)
- Illustrate your understanding of Feminist critical thinking in relation to institutional analysis and apply to
- specific references to your music video style models
- Include specific references to Oh (Comely) CSP.
- Include specific references to Men’s Health
- You could also try to include some reference to the #metoo movement and the scandal involving Roger Ailes at Fox News.
- HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT AN ANALYSIS OF BOMBSHELL – which is a narrative fiction film (based on real events). IT IS THEREFORE NOT A RELIABLE SOURCE FOR YOUR ARGUMENT – JUST A STARTING POINT TO HELP YOU THINK.
Phase 10: Re-cap, revisit and complete Practical Productions
4 | Practical work week 1 – magazine production Music Press, follow brief from the NEA | You should create four pages from a music magazine – specifically: a. a front cover featuring the artist/band promoted in task one b. a two-page interview with the artist/band c. a single page advert for the artist/band’s tour. The magazine targets a mainstream music audience. The front cover and interview can use some images from the same photoshoot but other original images that offer some visual variety should also be used. The interview should be used to promote the tour and the music video. It should also reinforce the brand image of the artist/band and integrate some reference to the headphone manufacturers who are sponsoring the band/artist. | Research, planning, discussion, development, drafting | Production of individual elements – writing, recording, designing. |
5 | Practical work week 2 – magazine production Music Press, follow brief from the NEA | writing, recording individual elements. Designing layouts | reviewing, adjusting, placing, positioning, essentially layout and design | submit (draft only) for assessment. Upload to blog as JPEG or email to Dr M |
CSP 12: NEWSPAPERS
6 | Introduce CSP 12 Newspapers Go back over key theory: Althusser Gramsci Chomsky Habermas | quiet reading – Curran & Seaton Q & A sweep, publish notes on blog (check learning ie knowledge and understanding) | introduce US Election 2020 – key concepts such as Electoral College, Voter disparity. Overall, make links between events in the real world (US election) with representation in the media (newspapers) | Watch first episode of Press – as a living embodiment of the working environment of a tabloid newspaper. |
7 | look at examples of CSP (not the actual CSP – which is decided by MM) The i & Daily Mail | Revisit research post and notes on The i Make a new research post on Daily Mail | Comparative table that looks conceptually, theoretically, academically etc at Daily Mail and The i | Presentation on ‘Post Truth’, Trump and Fake News | Provide an overview and summary of this topic and encourage students to follow coverage of Election through CSP’s (paper and on-line) Introduce essay (internal mock for year 13) |
HALF TERM BREAK |
1 | Re-cap on Political Compass. Students to come up with key words and pin up to display Left and Right class board display, students to extract examples from newspapers and pin up. | On-line voting, presentation including Ted Talk by Carole Cadwalldr | Audience theories linked to political persuasion, draw on Easter (extension) work. | Get students to make a start in class time (exam conditions – ish) but allow time outside of class to finish – set deadline) | Complete mock exam essay by the end of this week. Make it clear that this data will be used as year 13 mock assessment |
POSSIBLE ESSAY STRUCTURE (feel free to adopt, adapt, edit or ignore)
- Show your knowledge and understanding of Curran and Seaton
- Show your knowledge and understanding of the theory of the liberal press
- Show any knowledge and understanding you have of any related theoretical ideas (eg Habermas – transformation of the public sphere, Althusser, ISA/interpellation, Chomsky, 5 filters, Gramsci, hegemony). Make sure this section coherently links to the last.
- Show your knowledge and understanding of the distinctive identity of your case studies (Daily Mail & The i) in terms of patterns of institutional ownership in the culture industries. As illustrated by:
- statistics, names and dates related to your case studies.
- key terminology related to ownership (media as public good, capitalist media, vertical, horizontal, transnational, conglomerate, subsidiaries, concentration of ownership, diversification, production/distribution etc etc)
- Show your knowledge and understanding of the distinctive identity of your case studies by examining their audience profile & reach (eg ABC, psychographic profiles, readership, circulation, profit, costs, size)
- Show your knowledge and understanding of the distinctive identity of your case studies by looking in detail at some key stories, which help you to illustrate the political stance and point of views presented in your case studies (CASE STUDIES ARE EDITIONS PUBLISHED ON 5th NOVEMBER 2020). Make sure you refer to both print and digital be clear about what differences and similarities you find.
- Evaluate the success of each of your case studies in terms of:
- quantitative / statistical analysis
- qualitative analysis (think about the stories that you are talking about, how can they be measured as successful?)
- Show your knowledge of audience theory to both support and criticise the way in which you can suggest qualitative success (point above). In other words, how does audience theory link to the particular identity (ie political and/or social stance) of your case study? (So you could reference Lasswell, 2 Step Flow / Lazarfeld, Skinner, U & G theory, Gerbner, Hall, Shirky, Zuboff)
- Make some astute judgements and draw some conclusions from what you have written in your essay
- Summarise (what you have presented as) your argument and try to end with a 2 sentence final thought.
CSP 13 ADVERTISING
2 | Introduce new CSP ‘Score’ – background reading, research, thinking, discussion Make links with other CSP’s (Maybelline, Men’s Health, Oh!) | re-cap theories from Autumn half term: break groups into small groups for presentations on: >feminist critical thinking >postcolonialism >postmodernism >narrative >social / historical backdrop | presentations | timed essay in class | make your own version of Score hair cream product |
Phase 11: FINISH A2 NEA
3 | Audit on theoretical approaches and CSP’s (that we have covered so far) using the revision matrix. First look at A2 papers. Check on A level CSP booklet | Watch Jean Kilbourne Ted Talk on advertising and representation | make sure you are clear on which NEA you are going to complete. Reflect on what you need to do. Plan your time – you have until xmas break Prioritise the work that you need to undertake | Research, reflect look at both other products and theoretical perspectives that could inform your production process |
4 | Production work – content development | Production work – content development | Start on Post production layout, design, edit | Continue on post production work – layout, design etc |
5 | Revisit Production work – content development | Revisit Production work – content development | Complete work – go back over small production details | Aim to complete work |
6 | Aim to complete work to allow feedback and testing in this week. | Complete work – go back over small production details – re-edit copy / text, re-take original images, re-design graphic features. | test reflect and evaluate success of your products |
7 | make changes in light of your audience testing and feedback | Make sure all work is complete and handed in |
XMAS HOLIDAY BREAK
Phase 12: LINEAR MEDIA FORMS
First week back postponed for a week, however screenings of all TV CSP’s will be narrowcasted on Teams available for all students, which will allow students to prepare for this topic. |
1 | Introduce next phase of work: linear media forms (Film, Radio and TV) to re-cap on some previous work: > narrative theories > genre theory > audience theories > patterns of ownership > postmodernism > introduce Livingstone and Hunt | Screenings: We will use this week for screenings after school for those students who need / want to watch a particular expisode. Re-cap: The TV CSP works as a comparative pair, ie the AS and A2 texts are coupled together (1 episode from each), so you choose EITHER: > Capital and Deutschland 83 > The Killing and No Offence > The Missing and Witnesses |
2 | Build up notes on specific episodes for exam Read, reflect and apply criteria as suggested by board | re-edit AS TV post in line with chosen A2 CSP’s (audit list) Apply Curran & Seaton Re-cap key terms: v / h integration, conglomerates, PSB v commercial broadcasting etc | Introduce new ideas and key concepts that have not previously been covered >Hesmondhalgh >Livingstone and Hunt). Apply to TV series and evidence by Q & A + blog posts | Revist narrative theory / theorist – map out in table. Revisit Steve Neale genre theory – apply to CSP’s |
3 | re-cap on audience theory. Apply to CSP’s | Respond to A2 exam question 4 (Media 2, 2019) | introduce Film CSP Students to make post | screening |
POSSIBLE ESSAY STRUCTURE (ie you don’t have to use this)
- Show knowledge of the changing media regulatory landscape and the shift towards globalisation (ie Livingstone & Lunt)
- Present your own CSP case studies (with institutional details) as illustrations and explorations of this issue
- Highlight Hesmondhalgh’s propositions for the way in which the media industry mitigate this ‘risky business’.
- Touch upon Curran and Seaton’s arguments for a more diverse media landscape.
- Present your CSP case studies (with specific textual reference) as examples that either support or refute Curran and Seaton’s ideas.
- Coupled with some reference to audience theory.
- Conclude your essay with a summative paragraph.
4 | Please note: this will be a tricky week for rooming as the year 12 Photo mock exam is taking place in our teaching room. Definitely note WEDNESDAY MINI-FORMALISH MOCK. First lesson make a post about the institutional context of ‘Chicken’ ie pre-production, production, post-production & production, marketing, exhibition, distribution, consumption (but not audience theory) | Focus on the institutional context of ‘Chicken’ ie pre-production, production, post-production & production, marketing, exhibition, distribution, consumption (but not audience theory) | WEDNESDAY MINI-FORMALISH MOCK. This will be in an exam (-ish) room – so basically becoming more like a real exam, but not quite yet. 1 x single unseen question on Chicken – on the institutional context (so not audience, language or representation) | Use Chicken to revisit and reflect on narrative and genre (although this will not be the assessment) | FRIDAY back in our classroom. Radio production |
POSSIBLE ESSAY STRUCTURE (ie you don’t have to use this)
- Start your essay with a short introductory paragraph that outlines your intention for this essay. So think – what is it you want to argue / discuss / present in this essay?
- Show knowledge of the film industry, specifically the key stages of: production, distribution, consumption
- position contemporary film production within a couple of key theoretical positions for example, any of the following:
- Hesmondhalgh‘s ideas that mitigate the ‘risky business’ of cultural production.
- Curran and Seaton‘s arguments for a more diverse media landscape.
- Henry Jenkins and David Gauntlett argue that the internet remains the capacity to work as a social good and that online communities created via ‘participatory culture’ have the power to change the world for the better. Web 2.0 refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, ease of use, participatory culture and interoperability for end users.
- Similarly, Clay Shirky argues that the media industry is increasingly driven by audience feedback systems rather than top-down control of proprieters.
- Livingstone and Lunt’s suggestion that cultural production exists in a loosely regulated framework, biased towards a consumers rather than citizen model.
- The impact of new media technologies for cultural production.
- Present details of the CSP (Chicken) but make sure you focus on production, distribution and consumption and NOT on a textual analysis of the film – remember the examiner / assessor is assuming that you may not have seen the film.
- Feel free to add in some audience theory.
- Conclude your essay with a summative paragraph.
5 | Introduce CSP 16 radio. Go back over theory around Language of radio, semiotics of sound etc. Focus on work of Andrew Crissell | introduce students to radio station Introduce students to Adobe Audition editing and Sound FX folder (editing single sound files and creating session) | prepare for radio programme | record progamme 1 go back over CSP 9 War of the Worlds |
6 | individual recording sessions 2 in radio studio Look at Life Hacks post | In class preparation for exam question | In class preparation for exam question | radio unseen question (formalish mock) |
Half term break
Use this week to improve your coursework. School is open each day (usually 9am-2pm – but you may want to check). If you need my help, I will be in for a couple of days clearing up the TV studio. Remember you will need print out your work if it is print work |
PHASE 13 NEW MEDIA
1 | > Feedback and progress check. > Set catch up sessions for missing work ie exams) > Introduce last topic NEW MEDIA Give students a chance to engage with all 5 CSP’s for this topic | Re-cap on VOGUE CSP. McLuhan Gilmor Krotoski Cadwalladr Zuboff | Re-cap Virtual Revolution | Re-cap Postmodernism | Apply the concepts to CSP’s |
2 | Postmodernism mock essay (using notes, discussion etc). | Complete essay with Q & A discussion, Apply postmodernism to CSP’s for new media 17 | re-cap Shirky, Jenkins, Gauntlett and Gilmor (making and doing, participatory culture, fandom, we media) | Digital Human podcast: professional Trolls |
Possible essay structure
- Establish your knowledge of Postmodernism / Baudrillard
- Establish your knowledge of ‘simulation’ and ‘hypperreality’
- Apply these concepts to 2 of your case studies
- Make some assertions about the impact of new media in terms of society and the individual
- Conclude
3 | School NEA deadline mock essay in class | List of topics covered so far | List of theories covered so far | Essays completed so far |
4 | Study Leave |
5 | A2 EXAM | A2 EXAM | A2 EXAM |
Grade Boundaries for Exam
- A* 87
- A 80
- B 69
- C 58
- D 48
- E 37
6 | Preparation for RADIO INVASION – this will be your last year 13 assessment (see assessment below) | Identify assessments that you wish to revisit |
RADIO INVASION ASSESSMENT
This will be your last A2 assessment. It is based on skills and requires only planning, preparation and delivery. The assessment is as follows:
- Each individual student will produce a 30 minute radio show as a live broadcast
- You have to produce the show. You do not necessarily have to present it.
- The show will be part of Hautlieu Creative Radio Station and must therefore be appropriately constructed to fit into a school context (ie INSTITUTION & AUDIENCE). In other words, it will show knowledge of REPRESENTATION and RADIO LANGUAGE appropriate to context.
- As such, there will be a consistency in tone, register and content for each programme. But each programme will have a distinct identity and focus.
- Therefore, you need to provide a short summary of your programme (style, content, purpose, audience) ie PLANNING.
- You need to break your programme down into specific individual segments with specific timings (I suggest you use an excel sheet).
- You need to provide a copy of your programme breakdown well in advance of your broadcast. This must have exact timings for all of your content. The latest date for you to submit your detailed breakdown is the last day of the first week back after the Easter holiday (ie Friday 23rd April at 3:20). However, best practice would be to submit this document well before this date.
- Your programme will have a particular theme (your choice) and will reflect the timing of your broadcast.
- Your programme will essentially be a music based programme.
- But it must include: A JINGLE / IDENTITY SOUND BED; AT LEAST 1 GUEST; AT LEAST 1 SHORT FEATURE LASTING AT LEAST 2 MINUTES – these files must be MP3’s and be saved on an SD card.
- The guest can be any role or function you choose. For example, co-presenter, expert, performer (singer, poet, comedian, etc etc. . .). The guest needs to be part of the school community.
- The feature needs to be real (ie not imaginary or made-up).
- The guest may also feature in the feature. But you need both.
- You must make sure you have all of the sound files that you want to use (songs, idents, features, interviews etc) on a device that works in school (I suggest you ensure this by planning a run through). Do not rely on the internet. Or on the chance that it will just work when you turn up. PLANNING and PREPARATION is key to success.
- Remember the programme is LIVE and part of a broadcast schedule. There is no room for error.
- Your programme must last exactly 30 minutes.
- You must be ready to take over from the previous show and be prepared that the next programme will follow on from yours immediately after 30 minutes.
- Seen from a broader perspective your 30 minute programme will be broadcast as part of an all day broadcast schedule (8:30 -3:30).
- You can book / choose your slot by adding your name to this spreadsheet in a free time slot.
- We are currently planning to broadcast across 3 days. From Tuesday 27th – Thursday 29th April, with 2 slots only on Friday 30th).
- The broadcasts will be recorded for internal assessment purposes only. They will be live only in school, ie not broadcast on the web.
- You will be assessed by the same criteria as your NEA (ie INTENTION; LANGUAGE, REPRESENTATION; INSTITUTION & AUDIENCE). Which will be assessed by NEA criteria (see the assessment and feedback sheet below)
- Your assessment will contribute to your A2 grade. It will not carry an over proportionate weighting to the rest of your assessments.
- Any ideas, suggestions, issues or problems. Just ask!
EASTER HOLIDAY
1 | Preparation for RADIO INVASION (make sure |
2 | RADIO INVASION WEEK (make sure you know when your show is scheduled for LIVE broadcast) |
3 | Bank Holiday Monday | Timed essays (re-take) during this week. These will take place in our classroom at lunchtime. You will have 45 minutes (+ extra time if you need it). These are optional. | Tuesday: Film (no notes) | Wednesday: Radio (no notes) | Thursday: Score (can use notes) |
4 | YEAR 13 LEAVING |