BBFC tightens guidelines on depictions of sexual violence

The BBFC (the British Board Of Film Classification) periodically review their guidelines on what content is suitable for each age certificate. It's fascinating (for me) to note how British society and values have change by looking at how films are classified ad reclassified. For example, I was surprised the the recent Yorgos Lanthimos film The Favourite was awarded a '15' certificate despite including 'the C-word' seven times (I counted). In previous years, this would have guaranteed an automatic '18' certificate, though the context of the swearing must also be taken in to account.

The BBFC have now updated their guidelines to state the minimum restriction a film can receive if it depicts scenes of rape is a '15' certificate. The depiction of sexual violence in films raises an interesting moral point. While swearing is easily imitable by young people (and older audiences), it hardly causes the immediate degradation of society, and our attitude towards swearing has slowly shifted. However this new ruling reflects a very definite change in societal attitudes. While rape and sexual violence are extremely important topics to explore, at what stage does it become exploitation, included merely to entertain the audience? Is a younger teenager going to be able to analyse the scene to the level of an adult? Will the scene cultivate an ideological perspective that sexual violence is permissible? Are some things simply out of bounds for depiction in a media product?

This ruling also means that films with rape scenes that have previously been rated as low as 12A will now need to be re-rated. It will also possibly lead to a situation where American films will e pre-cut for UK audiences, in order to ensure a more profitable ''12A' theatrical certificate. For Straight Outta Compton, there are several problematic scenes which may qualify as depictions of sexual assault, though it is important to note that the BBFC rated a '15' on the basis of "strong language, sex, violence, drug use". Clearly a particularly unpleasant scene depicting the sexual humiliation of a groupie is just 'sex' in the eyes of the BBFC.

When considering the regulation of the film industry in the UK, you should consider: how effective is film regulation by the BBFC anyway? For theatrical and retail physical distribution, it has absolute say in the United Kingdom, yet online it's influence is lacking. Streaming services such as Netflix are able to flout rules, or at the very least make it incredibly easy for younger teenagers to watch adult films like Straight Outta Compton. Illegal file-sharing sites are out of it's jurisdiction entirely. Ultimately, the question you as media students must ask is:

To what extent is the regulation of the film industry effective in an age of digital convergence?

Note the 'unrated' qualifier. In the US, it is legally possible to release a film tat has not been given an age certificate, though many cinemas will flat-out refuse exhibition, meaning it is usually left as a blu-ray selling point...

The legacy of IPC

After a period of aggressive conglomeration, IPC media was formally established in 1963, publishing a rang of newspapers and magazines, including The Sun (long since sold off) and, of course, Woman magazine. As with many media conglomerates, things got pretty crazy after that, but now IPC still exists in the form of Time Inc UK, which continues to publish Woman and a range of other magazines targeting a broadly conservative, middle aged audience. 

The Time Inc UK website is an excellent example of a corporate website, hosted by the horizontally integrated conglomerate primarily in order to  sell advertising space. And in order to sell advertising space, it is absolutely essential to demonstrate explicitly the target audience of the brand itself.

Below is the corporate page for Woman magazine. As you can see, it is not targeting readers of Woman, but the potential advertisers. Read through the screencaps below, collected in January 2019, and consider the following:

What brands primarily target 40 plus women, and therefore would be interested in advertising in Woman?

What is the implication of the term 'mass-market'? 

What are the consequences of targeting a mass-market audience?

Curren and Seaton argued that media concentration from aggressive conglomeration (of which IPC would be an EXCELLENT example) leads to standardised, boring, non-challenging and potentially ideologically manipulative products. Clearly this applies to the 1964 edition of Woman. But can you pick out some explicit examples?

Does IPC (now TI) offer it's audiences a pluralised range of experiences? No? Why not?

Late Night Women's Hour - initial notes and analysis

Broadcast date: Fri 28 Oct 2016, 11pm

'Home'

• The concept of 'home' is explored from a range of theoretical and historical  perspectives, with Lauren Laverne compering an all female panel who discuss this in an orderly and egalitarian manner 
• A round table discussion on the Danish concept of 'hygge', which in 2016 was a popular buzzword
• "available on one popular book website" - obligated to avoid any accusations of advertising, in order to retain impartiality
• "Danes...are very good...at being equal, having a great time" - Danish commentator plays up to Danish stereotypes for a British audience
• The ideological implications of this concept are analysed... briefly. Is it an exclusionary concept? This idea is clearly too depressing to dwell on, and moves on to Ikea instead!
• "The accoutrements of this imagined lifestyle" -  a sophisticated lexis, making reference to hyperreality
• Provides female, middle aged, middle class women with the pleasure of listening to people who share a similar lifestyle
• A range of accents, from stereotypically middle-class, received pronunciation, to Laverne's friendly, approachable Geordie accent
• Discussion of social media, for example Instagram, and how it relates to our life
• An all female panel is an absolute rarity, even for a PBS like the BBC who have a remit for appealing to a range of particular audience
• However... is an all female panel potentially sexist? Does it reinforce the notion of a gender binary?
• Resolutely middle-class lexis and mode of address
• Sudden shift to a jokey, friendly mode of address, discussion of shared experiences at the breakup of marriages in IKEA, once more suggesting a particular target audience. It also demonstrates a peculiar brand of gentle snobbery against mass produced products such as those fabricated by IKEA...
• Discussion of how patriarchal hegemonic norms were reinforced by white, male Anglo-Saxons, reinforcing a broadly feminist ideology
• Exploration of the public and private sphere and the division of labour... very different intended audience than the 1964 edition of Woman magazine, for example!
• In depth discussion of female autonomy and shifting societal expectations of women following the 2nd world war
• Themes of anti-consumerism and anti-capitalism...but...
• ...an anecdote regarding only having access to "20 books" draws a collective gasp, again suggesting the value of books to the middle-class audience
• "boxes of stuff you spend ages packing up, that you think are expendable..." frequent assumptions that the middle-class target audience own a variety of middle class items
• Middle class language: "I'm using it as an metonym!"

Microsoft questions the accuracy of The Daily Mail's reporting

"Mail Online rated one out of five for credibility by new feature to fight fake news"

What are the implications of this, given the Mail Online's absolutely vast circulation? And, given that we can can accuse The Mail Online for misleading reporting, ideological bias, gross sexism and breaching child protection laws, why is it the site is still able to operate with impunity? The answers to these questions are vital to understand when discussing the concentration and the power of media industries!

Link and image via The Guardian

Criticisms of the concentration of media ownership

Curren and Seaton argued that when media industries are owned by a select few individuals with disproportionate power, the audience are not only given straightforward and manipulative ideological perspectives, but also a less interesting, more generic product.

While C&S primarily criticised the concentration of traditional print media, this situation has only become intensified through the convergence of digital technology. Organisations like Facebook are financially incentivised to share vast amounts of garbage 'news' to it's approximately 2 billion active users, with little accountability.

In the exams, you may well be asked something along the lines of "how have factors of ownership shaped [this media product]"? So do you know who made it? Why they made it? Are they indie or major? Who financed it? Who buys it? What messages are spread through the product? And why?

Check out this Twitter thread from US politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who points out the need for an alternative, a range of challenging, independent news sources.

Are you an A-level beauty?

Extra Special on Men!

First year key assessment two - rundown and rationale

First year students will soon be able to find their second key assessment grade on ProPortal

Very soon you will be assigned a grade for key assessment two. Unlike for other key assessments, this grade has been taken from your overall performance based on four different assignments and assessments:

1 - The recent 'newspaper mini-mock' question
2 - An assessment of the quality of your notes and the tidiness of your blog*
3 - The whole-class newspaper practical
4 - The peer marked and teacher moderated magazine mini-mock question 

If you would like any further elaboration on this, please have a chat with your teacher at the end of the lesson

*This might sound silly, but the organisation and design of your blog has a very strong correlation to the final mark you are award in the exam. And it makes absolute sense: your blog is your notes, your thinking space, your revision guide and your workbook. So keep it as tidy and as logical as possible!

Second year mock analysis

The mock

Key assessment six – January 2019 – total time allowed: 120 minutes – please answer all questions

Component one section a

Question one is based on the Lucky Strike: Thanksgiving (1950) print advert (which can be found overleaf)  and the Tide’s Got What Women Want (1950’s) advert you have studied. Please spend 30 minutes on this question.

1)  How does media language incorporate viewpoints and ideologies in the Lucky Strike: Thanksgiving (1950) print advert and the Tide’s Got What Women Want (1950’s) advert you have studied? (15)

Component one section b

Please spend 40 minutes in total on the questions in Component one section b.

2a) How have recent technological changes had an impact on the production and distribution in the film industry? (8)

2b) To what extent is the regulation of the newspaper industry effective? Make reference to The Daily Mirror (12)

3a) How do media producers  meet the needs of audiences? Refer to Assassin’s Creed III – Liberation (2012) to make your points (12)

3b) Explore how national and global audiences can be targeted through different technologies and platforms. Refer to Assassin’s Creed III – Liberation (2012) to make your points (8)

Component two

Please spend 50 minutes answering the question in Component 2.

Television in the global age

1) Explore the ways in which gender is represented through the use of media language in Humans and The Returned (30)

The mark scheme

The mark scheme has been simplified, partly to make it easier to mark for teachers (!) and partly to make it straightforward for you to understand the decisions that have been made. The same mark scheme has been used for each question, which is a little unorthodox, but it's very similar to the available mark schemes. 

The marks awarded and the grade boundaries were reached through analysing the grade boundaries set for an AS Media Studies exam, and are therefore speculative. Remember, the grade boundaries change every year, and the grade boundaries used for this mock may be harsh, or generous!

The analysis (AKA: what you could have wrote...)

First of all, this exam was almost completely randomly generated. The questions that came up were not trying to predict anything that may come up in the final exam, and they were not selected to be especially challenging or straightforward. The wording was either lifted and slightly adapted from past papers available from the blog, They are what they are.

Secondly, this exam differs from the final exam in a number of ways. It's a combination of component one and component two. It's shorter than either of your two real exams. C1a is much shorter than it should be (there will be another unseen comparison in the final exam, with the other question being worth 30 marks). C1b has no short answer questions, but it probably will do in the final. Component 2 only has one question, but in the final component 2, all three C2 industries and texts (magazines, TV and online) will definitely feature.

Below you will find a list of things you COULD mention for each question. It's not exhaustive, and on the other hand, it's not indicative (you don't need to cover EVERY bullet point!). But if you found yourself coming up short in a particular question, take a look at the bullet points below and don't get caught out next time!

BIG TIP:

For component one section b, there is less emphasis on textual analysis and more emphasis on cold, hard fact. For each and every industry, you MUST know as a bare minimum the publisher, production company, distributor, circulation figures, production costs, the body that regulates the industry, and a range of other key facts. These are generally easy to find and if you do not have them in your notes, you can crib all this information for every media product with about an hour of half-hearted internet research.

MEDIA LANGUAGE: How does media language incorporate viewpoints and ideologies in the Lucky Strike: Thanksgiving (1950) print advert and the Tide’s Got What Women Want (1950’s) advert you have studied? (15)

• Normally, you would have a longer component one section a. One section had to be longer than the other to fit in the exam, and it was randomly decided that it was industry and audience that won out. 
• A singular, stereotypical representation of women that reflects the socio-historical context of when it was released
• Cluttered layout, with dense walls of text suggests female target audience has the time to read it
• Aspirational images of working class housewives reinforces patriarchal hegemonic perspectives
• Both adverts use explicit American iconography for an American audience
• Lucky Strike may subvert representations of women, through depicting them smoking, though only for economic reasons
• Hand-painted fonts demonstrate gentle and casual mode of address, reinforcing the target audience
• Both adverts are from the early 1950's, before widespread protests by the women's liberation movement
• Use of intertextuality: the romance genre in Tide, the comedy genre in Lucky Strike
• Reinforces dominant. hegemonically enforced images about female beauty, for example the ubiquity of wearing make-up
• The ideological implications of the term 'mild' which markets a carcinogenic product towards women 
• The use of binary oppositions for comedic or dramatic purpose
• The use of symbolic, proairetic and hermeneutic codes, particularly the symbolism of the love hearts and the thanks giving turkey. 
• The use of anchorage

INDUSTRY: How have recent technological changes had an impact on the production and distribution in the film industry? (8)

• THIS ANSWER MUST MAKE REFERENCE TO THE CASE STUDY FILMS STUDIED IN CLASS
• A move towards digital distribution, though both Compton and Blake where theatrically distributed
• Blake was exhibited in a range of unusual situations, for example at community centres and village halls, demonstrating it's non-mainstream ideology
• Both films had extensive marketing campaigns, with many examples to include, which could be a way of ensuring profit in a digital age
• Marketing campaigns for both films made heavy use of digital technology, for example trailers 
• distributed and hosted on streaming platforms
• Digital distribution allow producers to bypass restrictions enforced by BBFC ratings
• Daniel's use of social media and hashtags, as well as publicity stunts
• Compton's iconography (the parental advisory sticker) became a meme, and a successful example of viral marketing
• Students may also briefly refer to historically important examples of digital technology in production and distribution, such as The Blair Witch Project and it's multimedia advertising and marketing campaign leading to previously unheard of exposure for a micro-budget horror

INDUSTRY: To what extent is the regulation of the newspaper industry effective? Make reference to The Daily Mirror (12)

• Published by Reach PLC since 2016
• Newspapers under extreme pressure since the phone hacking scandal
• As a left Wing newspaper, Mirror tends to avoid ethnically inflammatory language, for example in the toddler hammer death story
• Mirror is part of IPSO, a self regularly body that monitors press standards
• Online media and digitally convergent technologies now means regulation of newspapers is often largely ineffective
• Livingstone and Lunt to back up the idea of digital technologies rendering regulation ineffective
• The Mail Online frequently breaks laws, for example child protection laws in order to aggressively market it's website to middle aged women (sidebar of shame)
• The relationship between audience desires ('if it bleeds it leads') and journalistic impartiality (being balanced)
• Mirror takes a broadly left wing and potentially biased political perspective, and is largely critical of Donald Trump and Theresa May. 'Trump on The Gropes' a good example of an exploitative and ideologically invested headline.

AUDIENCE: How do media producers  meet the needs of audiences? Refer to Assassin’s Creed III – Liberation (2012) to make your points (12)

• The balance between targeting a specialised and generalised audience
• The subversive and challenging representation of a black female protagonist
• A 'triple A' game with extremely high production values
• Yet another Assassin's Creed game with a range of generic conventions allows Ubisoft to target existing 'core' fans
• Jenkins and fandom: a range of participatory experiences available through merchandise, online forums and conventions
• Initially released on PS4 Vita, a handheld console that provides audiences with a private, immersive experience... 
• ...or not. In Western territories, handheld consoles are far less popular around adult consumers, and it was necessary to re-release the game on home consoles instead. 
• PEGI 18 rating may limit it's distribution to younger audiences, yet emphasises it's 'hardcore' status
• Language and mode of address similar to a big budget Hollywood film, attracting a generalised audience
• Intertextual references to films and other media
• Other examples from other games, for example Death Stranding's highly participatory marketing campaign, Dark Souls III providing a hardcore experience that encourages audience interaction and creation of fan videos (Shirky) and Fallout 4 as a triple A game providing audiences the pleasure of interacting and negotiating (Hall)

AUDIENCE: Explore how national and global audiences can be targeted through different technologies and platforms. Refer to Assassin’s Creed III – Liberation (2012) to make your points (8)

• Released on a variety of platforms, and re-released twice
• Ubisoft a French company, yet present a generalised experience for a global audience
• Trailer: widely viewed and shared on social media, and a potential example of word of mouth or even viral advertising
• The differences between handheld and console gaming
• Easily distributed globally, through Steam, PS Store and so on, as well as physical media
• Louisiana, bayou setting may especially appeal to US audiences 
• Reception theory, and different audience responses
• References to other games, for example The Silver Case being released initial on mobile phones, then re-released to an extremely niche international audience through limited physical and digital release

REPRESENTATION: Explore the ways in which gender is represented through the use of media language in Humans and The Returned (30)

• This is a broad question with many possible responses
• In order to access the higher marks, students MUST take an explicit point of view and present a strong argument, for example Humans and Les Revenants depict a diverse range of subversive representations which allow the producer to explore and to challenge dominant ideological perspectives.
• Examples of arguments could include a diverse range of representations, or a limited range of representations, the use of female sexualisation for allegorical reasons, or many, many more
• Responses should focus on an analysis of key scenes, making reference to a broad range of media language and discussing how and why gender is encoded,
• The best responses will explore the impact of stereotypical gendered representations on the target audience and in society, and may consider how the set texts subvert this
• The best responses may consider how dominant ideological perspectives are constructed for hegemonic purposes 

Humans

• Examples of key scenes could include the ending montage, Anita being purchased, and the mother returning home and being introduced to Anita for the first time
• Humans as an allegory, using sexualised representations of women to explore sexism in modern society
• Challenging range of female representation
• Binary opposition formed between the mother and Anita, and the roles that they serve
• Emotional and sexual labour
• Leo as an active stereotypically male protagonist, confirming Van-Zoonens notion of gender being constructed through media language
• Anita constructed through mise-en-scene, bought from a shop, and an exciting present for the daughter, and a sexual object for the son
• Intertextual reference to films such as Blade Runner reinforces themes of gender inequality
• Bell Hooks: Anita's status as female is emphasised by her status as East Asian, reinforcing themes of sexual exploitation, ad post colonialism 
• Critical of sexual labour and prostitution
• A broad representation of gender roles, and also ethnicities
• Anita as a stereotypical housewife, constructed through setting and mise en scene
• Comparison to the Swedish version, with more emphasis on sex and sexuality, yet also a wider range of well developed female characters from the start. Scene of Odi's new maid being smacked in the face, and scenes of domestic violence missing from the British version
• Hyperreality: representations of representations. Anita is a simulation and idealised representation of a male fantasy
• Anita through her construction functions as a sex object, mother, cleaner, nanny, and sexual rival
• "I hope she's pretty. Can we change her if she's not pretty?" reinforces the notion that women are purely to be looked and, and valued only visually

Les Revenants

• Examples of key scenes could include Camille returning home, Julie returning home, and Lena and Simon walking home
• Allegory of sexuality and sexual awakening
•  range of traditional and subversive representations of gender
• Frank and explicit representations of teenage sexuality that make the show difficult to market to a mainstream international audience
• Julie confirm and rejecting gender stéréotypes. Dressed in conservative and unrevealing jumper, with unflatterng spectacles, and signs of either self-harm or scars of another nature demonstrates a non-sexualised and complicated representation of women
• However, Julie is forced by circumstance in to a maternal role
• Focuses representation on white, middle class people
• Patriarcal hegemonic représentations: a lone woman is murdered in a subway, and women are often positioned in threatening situation
• David Gauntlet, and varied representations of male and female identité, that allow for a wider number of target and secondary audiences
• Lena as a responsible teenager with a job at the pub, who assertively calls Simon a 'dickhead' (connard) 
• As a cult sow, Les Revenants can explore a wider and more diverse range of représentations than a show with a mainstream audience 

Exploring BBC radio

The homepage for BBC radio services, here rebranded as 'BBC Sounds' meets the needs of it's
audiences through it's well designed and logically laid out structure. Each station has
a completely different brand identity, and broadly targets a different audience demographic.
Additionally there are many opportunities for audiences to pick and mix their identity,
for example from choosing between the mainstream BBC Radio One
and the more niche and middle-class BBC Radio Four

We're going to be listening to a range of BBC radio show and making notes on their production and audience appeal. So yes, this is a chilled out session, which you've earned after your mocks. However, it serves a really important purpose, by providing you with the context essential to scoring the highest marks in the exam. It will also give you an opportunity to consider industry and audience theory, which unfortunately were not explored to their full potential in the January mock...

Audience prompts

• How are audience grouped and categorised for this show? Think age, gender, class, lifestyle, cultural capital…
• How does this show attract/target it’s audiences? 
• How can audiences interpret this show in different ways?
• How does this show use technology to target a specialised/niche/cult audience?
• In what ways can audiences use this show, and how does this reflect their identity and cultural capital?
• Reception, fandom and the end of audience: theoretical approaches

Industry prompts

• How is this show produced, distributed and circulated, and by who?
• In what ways does radio use specialised forms of production, distribution and circulation?
• How have recent technological changes in radio changed production, distribution and circulation?
• What economic factors may have affected this show? How financially successful do you think it was? Was it made commercially or not for profit?
• How have new digital technologies affected how this show is regulated?
• Power and regulation: theoretical approaches

How does the third Death Stranding trailer construct audiences?

• Intentionally bizarre iconography, and completely lacking in genre conventions
• Many invitations for active audiences to create 'fan theories' and to decide what they believe the game is actually about
• However naturally, this can be disappointing for audiences who do not get what they expect
• Actors, famous A-list Hollywood actors, and their likenesses being placed within the game. VERY high production values, and VERY high budget
• Sony funding an extremely expensive and likely fail videogame in exchange for exclusivity. An example
• Little merchandising options, a direct contrast to Assassin's Creed, and little opportunity for DLC or multiple sequels
• Immersive array of shot types. Positions the audience directly with Sam/Reedus. Single take: exceptionally hard to achieve in film, though possible with CG
• Hideo Kojima's name being repeated thrice indicates the potential for the game to be marketed to a pre sold audience, aware of Kojima's other works (Snatcher, Metal Gear, Policenauts etc)

First year three hour fun time media bonanza

Mini mock

How does the front cover of the set edition of Woman reflect the socio-historical context in which it was made? Make reference to the front cover and one other article from the set edition. Yes you can look at your notes, and the toolkit. But don't copy/paste anything. We can see you.

20 minutes prep

40 minutes writing

Peer marking

This is a simplified mark scheme to assess the work of your media buddy. It's basically the same as what teachers use when assessing your work.

Firstly, read the essay. As you read it, underline or highlight every example of media language (toolkit language) or media terminology (eg. patriarchal hegemony, ideological perspective, paradigmatic feature etc etc etc). If there's a lot of underlined words, it is likely that the essay is going to score highly. Not guaranteed, but more likely.

Secondly , read through the statements. There are different statements in each 'band'. Pick the statement that best suits the essay you read.

A band is a level of attainment. It doesn't quite match up to a grade, but it pretty much does. The reason why it says 5, 4, 3 etc instead of A, B, C etc is that the mars required for a certain grade change year after year, depending on the attainment of the country as a whole. So if marks go up, so will grade boundaries. So if you genuinely get a rock hard question in the real exam, don't fret. If everyone found it hard, then the grade boundaries will go down!

Finally, pick a score within the range given by the band. For example, if you decide the essay is reasonable and satisfactory, then it's band three. But if it's almost 'good' then give it 9/15. If in doubt, mark it down. This is the OPPOSITE of what examiners are trained to do, but remember it's not an exact science. Sorry to any examiners reading this.

Band 5 

•Excellent knowledge and understanding
•Detailed analysis and use of theory
•Excellent examples
•Detailed reference to set product
13-15

Band 4 

•Good knowledge and understanding
•Logical analysis and use of theory
•Good examples
•Good reference to set products
10-12

Band 3 

•Satisfactory knowledge and understanding
•Reasonable and straightforward analysis
•Reasonable examples
•Reasonable reference to set products
7-9

Band 2 

•Basic knowledge and understanding
•Descriptive analysis
•Attempt at examples
•Basic reference to set product
4-6

Band 1 

•Minimal knowledge and understanding
•Superficial analysis
•No examples
•Almost no reference to set products
2-3

Band 0 

•No knowledge and understanding
•No analysis
•No examples
•No reference to set products
0-1

Follow a Photoshop tutorial

Create revision materials using Photoshop

Create a magazine cover that constructs a subversive representation of gender

Photoshop practice - do something strange

Learning conversation

Consider the following questions, which will be used as prompts for your learning conversation today

• What do you think has gone particularly well so far this year? What are your strengths?
• What is stopping you from achieving your goals? What threats might you face, (for example not enough time, lack of organisation, pressure from other subjects...)
• Identify 3 specific targets for yourself for the rest of this year. They can be both academic and organisational goals.
• What grade do you want to achieve in media studies?
• Do you have any suggestions about the course?

Compare and contrast the brand identity of Vogue (July 1965) and Woman (23-29 August 1964)

2nd year mock exam - revision tips and hints

The second year mock exam is coming up next week. We cannot tell you what is going to be on the mock exam, but we can give you pointers. So please pay special attention to the following

The mock exam is two hours long

The first 30 minutes will be spent doing final prep and asking your teacher for advice. The last half hour is used for extra time and revising for your next exam...

The mock exam covers component one and two

But because it is only two hours long, each component will only take roughly 60 minutes.

Component one is split into two sections: component one a and component one b

Component one a normally has a 30 mark question on either media language or representation, and then a 15 mark question on either media language or representation. For this mock exam, however, only one topic out of representation and media language will come up.

Additionally, while in the final exam a and b will be evenly split, with 45 marks in each, for this exam, one will be larger than the other. And we're not telling you which!

Component one a has an unseen media product to analyse

This is just like the final exam. Make sure you're ready to textually analyse!You will also be asked to make explicit reference to case studies that we looked at in class

The three industries that could come up in component one a are newspapers, advertising and music videos

Remember, advertising in particular is very broad, and could include film posters and TV spot adverts, to name just two examples! Likewise you may be asked to compare a case study from one industry (for example music videos) with an unseen text from another industry (for example  TV advert)

Component one b has shorter questions exploring industry and audience

For these questions, you will be asked to make explicit reference to case studies we have looked at in class.

The industries that could come up in component one b are advertising, newspapers, film industry, radio and/or videogames

Of course for this mock, radio will definitely not come up because we haven't looked at it yet! Make sure to check out the revision guide for more information. There's a few things to be aware of, for example with the newspaper industry, and how it differs between C1a ad C1b

The industries that will come up in Component two are TV, Magazines and online media...

...but for this mock, only one will come up! Please make sure you revise both the TV and magazine industries accordingly. Additionally, remember that the questions for C2 can and will focus on all four parts of the media studies framework: industry, audience, media language and representation, so read the question carefully to work out which aspect you should be talking about!

You must pay attention to the marks available and time your responses accordingly 

The rule for the mock exam and the final exam is this:

• Component one a - 1 mark = 2 minutes (this is longer because you will need to textually analyse an unseen media product in addition to providing a written response
• Component one b - 1 mark = 1 minute (this is shorter because you will not be analysing an unseen text)
• Component two - 50 minutes per industry

You must arrive on time, during your designated block

Aim to get to college at least an hour before your exam session is scheduled to start. Yes this will involve getting up early in the morning. The mock exam is a dry run for the real thing, and this includes getting here on time. You are only given leeway in extreme circumstances, and train/bus delays do not count

The exam is completed under exam conditions

Maybe fairly obvious, this one, but bare in mind the following:

• You will hand write your response, unless you normally use a word processor
• You will not be able to access any notes or resources during the exam period aside from the question paper and the unseen media product
• Arriving late may result in disqualification
• Talking will  result in disqualification
• Your phone going off or making any noise will result in disqualification

Some final tips

1. Use the blog and the revision guide in your preparation, as there's lots of detailed advice and examples on here
2. Write structured PEA paragraphs and for longer answer, a CAD introduction
3. Make sure to incorporate detailed semiotic analysis
4. Use media language at every opportunity
5. Talk to your teacher in advance if you have any worries
6. Look through the revision guide and make sure you are able to answer any question that comes up

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation - audience matters

Videogame related sites are routinely blocked within educational institutions around the UK, and, presumably
the world. Under what ideological pretext are articles and sites about games blocked, yet articles and
sites about films (including controversial or even technically illegal films) not? 

Initial research

Find eight pieces of promotional material related to Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. These may include the following:

• Posters
• Banner ads
• Promotional trailers
• Videos of events
• Fan produced media (example let's plays)
• Reviews
• Print adverts
• Merchandise, including soundtrack CDs and T -shirts

These promotional materials can be taken from 

• The initial 2012 release for the Playstation Vita (Assassin's Creed III: Liberation)
• The 2014 multiplatform re-release Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD, or
• The upcoming remaster

Responding to potential questions

This is your opportunity to use the evidence you just found to not only back up your excellent points in the exam, but also do make detailed responses in the next few lessons. 

1. Draw up a detailed pen portrait for the target audience for Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. Think age, gender, class, lifestyle, cultural capital…
2. How does Assassin's Creed III: Liberation attract/target its audiences (primary and secondary, niche ('core') and generalised ('casual'?) ? 
3. How does Assassin's Creed III: Liberation  construct an audience?
4. How does Assassin's Creed III: Liberation and its marketing appeal to its target audiences?
5. How does Assassin's Creed III: Liberation use technology to maximise audience consumption and to ensure sales?

Alfred Hitchcock unravels the mystery of British women

Liesbet Van-Zoonen argues that  gender and our expectations of gender is constructed through codes and conventions of media products. This could be through the selection of image, the shot type, costume, camera angle, anchorage of mise-en-scene, or any other contributing factor. Crucially, she also argues the idea of what is male and what is female changes over time. This interview with the then famous, now legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock is an excellent demonstration of the ideological representation of women, and allows us to explore the sociohistorical context that Woman was published in.

Van-Zoonen also argues women’s bodies are used in media products as a spectacle for heterosexual male audiences, which reinforces patriarchal hegemony. Patriarchal hegemony, simply put, is the hegemonic expectations of women in society as reinforced by men who occupy power. 

1. Read the Alfred Hitchcock article and make notes on content, ideology and lexis. Make sure to pick out several (at least three) example sentences that you can ultimately quote in the exam!
2. Analyse two of the images included in this article. Consider shot type, costume, and especially the anchorage provided by the lexis of the captions. What ideological perspectives are being constructed?
3. How does this interview reflect the representation of women in 1964? How does it differ from how women are represented in 2018?
4. In what ways does this article confirm patriarchal hegemonic ideologies relating to women?
5. Research Alfred Hitchcock, particularly accusations made about him by the actor Tippi Hedren. Discuss your findings.

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Playing games - Tasks

In this session, you will play a number of games, and observe others doing so. Complete the following tasks during the lesson. 

Fallout 4 (Bethesda, 2015)

What is the narrative style of the game? (non/linear? Equilibrium? Disruptions?)

What genre (s) can you identify? (paradigms, iconography, hybridity etc.)

How are we as an audience interacting with the game?

Does the game appeal to a mainstream or a niche audience? How?

What is the preferred reading of the game? 

Dark Souls 3 (From, 2016)

What is the narrative style of the game? (non/linear? Equilibrium? Disruptions?)

What genre (s) can you identify? (paradigms, iconography, hybridity etc.)

How are we as an audience interacting with the game?

Does the game appeal to a mainstream or a niche audience? How?

What is the preferred reading of the game? 

How does the marketing campaign for Assassin's Creed III - Liberation minimise risk and maximise profit?

Assassin's Creed III - Liberation features a black, female playable character.
This representation is rare in mainstream videogames, and could
be considered an example of Ubisoft attempting to target new audiences.

• A repetitive and 'samey' franchise, with the repetition of generic elements: white background, faded mise-en-scene, and a hooded protagonist
• Iconography of the main, usually male protagonist in a hood, directly facing the audience
• The gameplay - stealth based action game. The trailer indicates no major changes. Steve Neal - repetition and difference
• This time, protagonist is a black, female pirate, allowing audiences the preferred reading of being excited by the upcoming game
• An anti slavery narrative, based around the idea of liberating black slaves. Intertextual references to Django Unchained and 12 Years A Slave.
• Django reference: Aveline kills white slavers and delivers one liners. Shots of slavers whipping black slave
• Also an intertextual reference to the then extremely popular Pirates Of The Caribbean series, and a reference to the earlier Assassin's Creed: Black Flag a popular game in the series
• Conventions of action films, and a strong, film like narrative that will appeal to mass audiences
• Released for a variety of platforms, both console, handheld and computer, on Vita, PS3, X360 and Steam
• Re-release: allows the producer to make a new release using pre-existing assets (graphics, voice acting, soundtrack etc)
• Niche audience - pre-existing Assassin's Creed fans, perhaps obsessive
• "All new missions" - allows super fans who have bought the previous game to have an incentive to buy this one
• The protagonist's whip is unique selling point, and an intertextual reference to the Indiana Jones and Castlevania franchise. Additionally the whip functions as a symbolic code, demonstrating black female reappropriation of a symbol of white supremacy and racist violence
• Black, female protagonist subverts the expectation that the target audience for videogames is young straight white men
• New missions, new features: targets pre-existing fans
• Common industry practice to re release games to more popular consoles
• Tackles big, ideological issues about race, slavery and colonialism. A touchy subject potentially, but pushes boundaries and increases word of mouth sales
• High quality animation, graphics and locations, and soundtrack! Very high production values.
• A spin-off from the main series.
• Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, who have experience in creating successful Assassin's creed games.
• Multi platform release minimises risk, though lacks exclusivity.
• Trailer shares conventions of high budget Hollywood film. Extra diegetic voice over/narration. Lots of action/ proairetic codes, and high quality orchestral soundtrack, which suggests high production values and high quality

U and Q block second year media provided the suggestions for this potential industry question. 

An initial analysis of the front cover of Woman magazine

• Target audience - women, aged 30 - 50,  working class, heterosexual
• Cover model is roughly 30 years old. Stereotypical housewife, well presented with a sensible hairstyle, and n outlandish fashion choices
• Background colour, a rich purple, fashionable for the 60's, yet hideous today!
• Shoulder length hair, an easily repeatable style
• Hegemonically attractive, early middle aged model, stereotypically so,
• "Seven Style improvements for your kitchen" targeting and addressing a stereotypical female audience
• Large masthead, serif font, white/creme, handwritten, friendly mode of address
• Model is relatable, with natural looking makeup
• Simple, sparse layout, simple mode of address
• "British women have a special magic" - Appealing lexis. Celebrity endorsement, and a direct compliment to the target audience - low self esteem of target
• "Are you an A-level beauty" direct mode of address, and also a reference to a high school level of education
• Narrative code - star improvements for your kitchen, suggesting an exciting resolution
• Binary opposition - contrast between the bright yellow and the dark background, which emphasises the importance of the articles, based around kitchens and beauty
• Mentions of kitchens and makeup anchors audience further and reinforces hegemonic expectations of women
• Mise en scene of pastel colours is non threatening and welcoming, suggesting an ideal stereotype of women
• Primary target audience women aged 30 - 50, exactly the same as the cover model. Her hairstyle is conservative, and suggests a older woman
• Rhetorical question - are you an A-level beauty! Suggesting that if you read the magazine, you could achieve beauty. Functions as a proairetic code, and a sell line for the audience. It also reinforces hegemonic ideals of female beauty
• Lexis - "for your kitchen" direct mode of address confirming a 'housewife' stereotype
• Mise en scene of the flowery dress, fashionable for the contemporary audience
• Lingerie goes lively: connotations of sexualisation
• Airbrushed, ridiculously white teeth connotes wealth, health and confidence
• Costume - plunging dress and shoulders, potentially breaking stereotypes, and connotes confidence
• Airbrushed skin - removal of eyebags, wrinkles and spots, to present an aspirational image. This reinforces hegemonic ideals of female beauty
• Purple is symbolic of flowers and stereotypically associated with women
• The word kitchen is significantly larger than the word lingerie, suggesting that house wife duties are more important than sex. This is considerably different from modern women's lifestyle magazines, which emphasise exciting sex lives for the target audience
• Lexis "goes lively" - hermeneutic code suggesting sex, forming a binary opposition with the conservative model
• Gesture of forced, fake style, connotes the mold that women have to fit in to to appeal to male standards. The hegemonic expectations  enforced by men: patriarchal hegemony
• Multiple genres: women's lifestyle. But also fashion as a subgenre
• Bright yellow font is particularly noticeable
• Serif masthead has connotations of glamour and stylishness
• Serif font of masthead also is symbolic of the expectations of women
• Slogan - world's greatest women's magazine example of hyperbole
• ALFRED HITCHCOCK - capitals and bold connotes his importance.
• British women - discrimination, patriotic and ethnocentrism
• Lexis "special magic" suggests women have a power that men lack. Yet it also outlines that men and women are fundamentally different

These notes were compiled from T and R block first year media, and are presented 'as is', with only a few spelling errors corrected

Woman Magazine centre spread - A Present For Your Kitchen

According to David Gauntlett, audiences are not passive, and media products allow the audience to construct their own identities. Audiences can (and do!) 'pick and mix' which ideologies suit them, and completely ignore the elements of the product which they do not agree with. This is often referred to (aptly) as the 'pick and mix theory'.

After checking out the centre spread as a whole, explore the following tasks, prompts and questions:

1. What is the purpose of this article? Does the lexis of highlight 1 confirm or deny your expectations of the target demographic of woman?
2. What are the connotative aspects of the selection of the lexsis 'present'?
3. Give a brief textual/semiotic analysis of the image in highlight 2. In what ways does this image conform to and/or subvert hegemonic expectations of women circa 1964?
4. Write out three sentences from highlight 3 and 4 that demonstrate the sociohistorical context in which this edition of Woman was released
5. Explore the image in Highlight 4. How is the woman dressed? What do the aspects of mise-en-scene connote?
6. How much were d's, S's and £'s worth in 1964? Use a currency converter and a little Googling to get your head round pre-decimal money
7. How can audiences reject certain ideologies yet still enjoy and take use from this article?

Centre spread

Highlight 1

Highlight 2

Highlight 3

Highlight 4

Highlight 5