Instructions
This exam is OPEN BOOK. You may take as long as you require to answer these questions, and are encouraged to consult any resource (for example the Toolkit for Textual Analysis) that may help you to complete it. The minimum recommended time to complete this assignment is 120 minutes total (two hours)
Please write each response in essay format, with an introduction, several exploratory paragraphs and a conclusion.
You will be marked on your knowledge and understanding, ability to form an argument or point of view, and ability to make explicit reference to the set products using media language.
Please submit work to both Teams AND your A-level media blog. We recommend completing your answers in a program like Word or Open Office, before copying and pasting your answers.
Questions
Music videos - MEDIA LANGUAGE
Explore how the combination of media language creates meaning for the audience in the video to Riptide [15]
Video Game industry - INDUSTRY
In what ways has ownership shaped the media products you have studied? Make reference to the Assassin’s Creed franchise [15]
Advertising - AUDIENCE
Explore how the WaterAid advert you have studied appeals to its target audience(s) [15]
Magazines - REPRESENTATION
Liesbet van Zoonen argues that representations of gender are encoded through media language to position audiences and to reinforce dominant ideological perspectives. In what ways do the producers of Woman use representations to position their audiences? [15]
Notes and help
Why open book?
Exams have many functions, but mainly they're an assessment of your learning. This means, arguably you actually learn very little from completing an exam: it's the revision and preparation for the exam that will see you progress! We've set up this assessment to be open book to allow students to identify what they do not yet know and to revise it. You can then take the time to look through the case studies we looked at, pick out examples, and remind yourself of how much you know. You can also ask me if you have any questions. It's very different from a standard exam, but it's going to be way more useful... as long as you take it seriously!
Remember: this exam being open book is an advantage everyone else has as well, and your responses will be marked with higher expectations than usual!
Resources
You don't need to look far for resources: everything you need is on this blog and the detailed notes you have been making.
You can use the labels bar at the top of the blog to find specific posts on any of the four industries and the four topics the exam covers.
The toolkit for textual analysis remains the most important page on the whole blog!
There are loads of videos on the A-level media studies YouTube channel for both the videogame industry and the music video industry.
Remember this video from last week that goes through exam technique from planning to conclusion!