Understanding Paper 1 Requirements for Y12 A-Level Media Summer Exam 2020
Paper 1 of the Y12 A-Level Media Summer Exam 2020 focuses on music videos, advertising, and magazines. It consists of three questions, each worth 15 marks, requiring analysis of media language and representation. Questions cover topics such as music videos (using set texts like Titanium or Heaven), unseen advertising (for energy drinks, fragrances, or charity), and magazines (analyzing an unseen front cover of The Big Issue). Contexts explored include social, cultural, and political contexts. Students should prepare by revising key concepts and elements of media products covered in the exam.
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Y12 A LEVEL MEDIA SUMMER EXAM 2020 LQ: DO I UNDERSTAND WHAT I SHOULD WRITE FOR PAPER 1? Paper 1 MUSIC VIDEO, ADVERTISING & MAGAZINES
SUMMER EXAM 2020 PAPER 1 Paper 1 will be 1 hour and 15 mins long and have 3 questions. You should therefore spend 25 mins on each question. Each question is worth 15 marks. The paper is worth just under 40% of the total mark for the Y12 exam. In each answer you only have to write about Media Language and Representation in other words how the product is constructed and the messages the product gives. Question 1 is on Music Video. This will be an essay on ONLY the set texts (Titanium or Heaven). You should revise both as it might be a question that asks you to use bits from both video eg compare media language or representation in 2 videos. Question 2 is on Advertising and will be an Unseen advert. It will either be an advert for an energy drink, a fragrance product or a charity advert. You are expected to take 5 mins making notes about the advert and so this essay should be shorter than the one on music video. Question 3 is on Magazines and will be an Unseen front cover of The Big Issue. Again, you are expected to take 5 mins making notes about the advert and so this essay should again be shorter than the one on music video. The questions are ONLY on media language and representation.
CONTEXTS All 3 questions might (seem to) ask you about contexts. All 3 (Magazines, Advertising and Music Video) might ask you about SOCIAL & CULTURAL contexts. Magazines ONLY might ask you about POLITICAL contexts as well. SOCIAL contexts are really the same as REPRESENTATION how is society shown in the media product ? CULTURAL contexts are either intertextuality(a direct reference to culture art, music, films) and/or how typical is it of the genre and/or how the product is consumed/presented (The Big Issue). POLITICAL context is of the outsider/anti-government/ left-wing.
MUSIC VIDEO - TITANIUM David Guetta Titanium The song is about inner strength. The video does reflect this theme (the way an individual has to stay true to themselves against pressures from society) but develops it to consider superpowers and conspiracy theories a bit like Stranger Things. Camerawork and Editing Use of tracking cutting speed special effects? What does this remind you of ? Mise-en-scene Does this feel like 1980s USA of Spielberg & ET (lonely teenage boy misunderstood bike threat from the state) ? Who are the other characters in the small town what could they represent? Is there a narrative - if so, what is it ? Is it complete or with gaps ? Enigma narrative (who is the boy ?) that seems unresolved. Intertextual link to Super 8 (and Spielberg) What messages do these key representations give the boy - The female teacher - the police (both town and military) ? - any others ?
MUSIC VIDEO - HEAVEN Emeli Sande Heaven The song is about wanting to be a better person, to overcome temptation (possibly religious ?) and the video reflects these ideas. Fundamentally it shows contrasts between light and dark. Camerawork shot types ? Who is in focus ? Why ? Editing Is it edited to the beat? Juxtaposition of which images? Why ? What genre is the song and is the video typical of the genre ? Of the artist ? Is there a narrative and if there is, what is it ? Mise-en-scene where is this set why ? Who are the characters and how are they represented? Why ? How is Emile Sande and East London (Hackney) represented in the video (think about the range of representations)? What ideas is she trying to suggest by these representations? Could these regarded as intertextual ?
ADVERTISING The question on Advertising will be the analysis of an Unseen advert. However, it would be good to compare the advert to the appropriate set text So in view of this, it would be a good idea to start by making sure you have notes on the 3 set texts (Shelter, Lucozade and Old Spice). Also think about audiences (even though the question will be on Media Language and Representation it will explain why these are used) A, B, C1, C2, D and E s as well as MAINSTREAMERS, REFORMERS, EXPLORERS, ASPIRERS, SUCCEEDERS, RESIGNED and STRUGGLERS
AUDIENCES This is classic audience segmentation (dividing up audiences into segments) done by demographics demographics
MEDIA LANGUAGE IN ADVERTS Image Analysis Shot Type (CU, MS, LS) Angle (Low, High, Straight) Mis-en-scene Depth of Field Realistic or artificial looking? Single image or collage? Soft or hard focus? Direct or indirect mode of address? Plus... Colour palette Imagery / References (Intertextuality) Lighting low key? Harsh? Soft? Coloured? Natural? Text choices: fonts, colours, size, angle, position
REPRESENTATION The most likely representation to discuss are: 1. Gender 2. Age 3. Ethnicity 4. And possibly class You can remember these by using the word CAGE. Cclass Aage Ggender Eethnicity Sometimes Disability is added for CAGED.
EXPLAIN HOW REPRESENTATIONS ARE CONSTRUCTED IN THIS ADVERT Is it similar to the Shelter advert ?
HOW THIS ADVERT USES MEDIA LANGUAGE TO CONSTRUCT IDEOLOGIES? Is it similar to the Old Spice advert ?
EXPLAIN HOW REPRESENTATIONS ARE CONSTRUCTED IN THIS ADVERT Is it similar to the Lucozade advert ?
ADVERTISING (YOU COULD ANALYSE ANY OF THE 3 PREVIOUS ADVERTS) Question : Discuss how the representations in the advert use social and cultural contexts to appeal to the target audience You should make notes on: - the key representations - the media language used to construct the representations (shot type, mise-en-scene, lighting, colour, props, location) - who you think the target market might be and how the appeal to the audience is supposed to work - Social and cultural contexts (this should be tied into representations and stereotypes)
ESSAY PLAN Intro Reflect on the question -explain what the dominant representation/use of media language Also reflect on who advert is attempting to appeal to target market Para 1 Tie in question and focus on representation (could well be gender) and use of shot type / gaze Para 2 Tie in question and focus on representation (gender ?) and use of mise- en-scene which is setting/ location/ background / costume other characters Para 3 Tie in question and focus on representation (gender ?) and use of language / caption Conclusion Sum up by saying whether your analysis agree with the question s view of representation
THE BIG ISSUE Although this question is about Media Language and Representation, it s a good idea to know something about the Audience and Institution. 1. What age is the average reader ? 2. What is their class? 3. What are their political views ? 4. How many copies does The Big Issue sell a week approx? 5. What is the Big Issue slogan ? 6. How does the arrangement with vendors back this up ?
TASK: WHO READS THE BIG ISSUE? MAKE NOTES ON THE YOUGOV PROFILE
TERMINOLOGY FOR A TYPICAL MAGAZINE FRONT COVER
MAGAZINES Question: Analyse why The Big Issue magazine has used an image of an ice-cream on its front cover. In your answer you must: Analyse the images on the front cover Analyse the use of intertextuality to create meaning in the source make judgements and reach a conclusion about the advantages of this use of intertextuality to The Big Issue magazine You should make notes on: - the key representations and the messages they give - The intertextual references - the media language used to construct the representations (shot type, mise-en-scene, lighting, colour, props, location) - (who you think the target market might be)
ESSAY PLAN FOR THE BIG ISSUE Intro Reflect on the question -explain what The Big Issue is and what it s politics are Para 1 Tie in question and what you know about The Big Issue to a feature of representation /media language - alternative. Give a detailed explanation and analysis Para 2 Tie in question and what you know about The Big Issue to another feature of representation /media language - politics Give a detailed explanation and analysis Para 3 Tie in question and what you know about The Big Issue to another feature of representation /media language -readership (age, income, politics). Give a detailed explanation and analysis Conclusion Sum up by saying whether you agree with the question s view of The Big Issue
