Year 12 AS Media Studies

1. AS MEDIA STUDIES – Course Outline
Unit G321: CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT
Foundation Portfolio in Media
Film - Opening Sequences
Unit G322: EXAM
Key Media Concepts (TV Drama)
Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation
Section B: Institutions and Audiences
Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media
The purpose of thisunitis firstlytoassesscandidates’abilitytoplanandconstructmediaproducts
usingappropriate technical andcreative skills(AO3);secondlytoassesscandidates’applicationof
knowledge andunderstandinginevaluatingtheirownwork,showinghow meaningsandresponses
are created(AO2);andfinallytoassesscandidates’abilitytoundertake,applyandpresent
appropriate research(AO4).
The unitrequirescandidatestoengage withcontemporarymediatechnologies,givingthemthe
opportunitytodeveloptheirownskillsinthese technologies.Italsoenablesthemtodevelopthe
skillsof presentationthatare requiredforfurtherstudyathigherlevelsandinthe workplace.
Thisis a courseworkunit.Centresmustsetthe brief fromwhichcandidateswillproduce:
 A media product
 A presentation of their research, planning and evaluation in digital format(s).
Our Brief:
 PREMLIMINARY EXERCISE: Continuity task involving filming and editing a
character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite
another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.
This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-
degree rule.
 MAIN TASK: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two
minutes.
All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with the
exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source. Both preliminary and main
tasks may be done individually or as a group. Maximum four members to a group.

2. The following is a checklist of items that you must include in your portfolio (which is
essentially your blog):
RESEARCH
 Analysis of film opening sequences (x4)
 Credits Research
 Research into Film Director of your choice
 Genre Case Study
 Research into Target Audience
 Institutional Research
PLANNING
 Lighting Task
 Moodboard
 Treatment
 Character profiles
 Location recce and planning (issues & permission)
 Costume planning
 Script
 Storyboard and Shot List
 Risk Assessments and Contingency Plans
 Call Sheets
 Production Schedule
PRODUCTION
 Job Roles
 Record of production process (diary format)
 Action shots/photographs from shooting
 Screenshots of editing
 Record and explain the development of your record label.
 Record and explain the development of your Website.
 Record and explain the development of your Digipak.
 Audience Feedback
EVALUATION
Answer the following questions:
 In whatwaysdoesyour mediaproductuse,developorchallenge formsandconventionsof
real mediaproducts?
 How doesyourmediaproductrepresentparticularsocial groups?
 What kindof mediainstitutionmightdistribute yourmediaproductandwhy?
 Who wouldbe the audience foryourmediaproduct?
 How didyouattract/addressyouraudience?
 What have youlearntabout technologiesfromthe processof constructingthisproduct?
 Lookingback at yourpreliminarytask,whatdoyoufeel youhave learntinthe progression
fromit to the full product?

3. Unit G322: Key Concepts in Media (TV Drama)
The purpose of these unitsisfirstto assesscandidates’mediatextualanalysisskillsandtheir
understandingof the conceptof representationusingashortunseenmovingimage extract(AO1,
AO2);secondto assesscandidates’knowledge andunderstanding of mediainstitutionsandtheir
productionprocesses,distributionstrategies,use of technologiesandrelatedissuesconcerning
audience receptionandconsumptionof mediatexts(AO1,AO2):
The examinationistwohours(including30minutesforviewingandmakingnotesonthe moving
image extract) andcandidatesare requiredtoanswertwocompulsoryquestions.The unitismarked
out of a total of 100, witheachquestionmarkedoutof 50.
There are twosectionstothispaper:
SectionA: Textual Analysis and Representation(50 marks)
SectionB: Institutionsand Audiences(50 marks)
Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation
An ‘unseen’movingimage extractwithone compulsoryquestiondealingwithtextual analysisof
varioustechnical aspectsof the languagesandconventionsof movingimage media.Candidateswill
be askedto linkthisanalysiswithadiscussionof some aspect of representationwithinthe
sequence.
The movingimage extractwill be providedbyOCRinDVD format,withfull instructionsforthe
administrationof the examination,viewingconditionsandnote-makingtime.Centresmustprepare
candidatesinadvance of the examination,usingarange of examplesfromtextsfromthe genre
statedbelow,todemonstrate textual analysisof all of the followingtechnical areasof movingimage
language andconventionsinrelationtothe unseenextract:
• CameraAngle,Shot, MovementandComposition
• Mise-en-Scène
• Editing
• Sound
The focus of studyfor SectionA isthe use of technical aspectsof the movingimage mediumto
create meaningforan audience,focussingonthe creationof representationsof specificsocial types,
groups,eventsorplaceswithinthe extract.Itisnot necessarytostudythe historyof the genre
specified.Centresshoulduse examplesof the genre specifiedwiththeircandidatestoprepare them
for undertakingunseentextual analysis.
The unseen movingimage extractwillbe fourtofive minuteslongandwill be fromthe following
genre:
TV Drama
The sequence will be takenfromacontemporaryone-off dramaorseriesorserial drama
programme scheduledonBritishtelevisionstationsincludingsome sourcedfromothercountries.

4. Section B: Institutions and Audiences
Candidatesshouldbe preparedtounderstandanddiscussthe processesof production,distribution,
marketingandexchange astheyrelate tocontemporarymediainstitutions,aswell asthe nature of
audience consumptionandthe relationshipsbetweenaudiencesandinstitutions.Inaddition,
candidatesshouldbe familiarwith:
• the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;
• the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution
and marketing;
• the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of
production, distribution, marketing and exchange;
• the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and
audiences;
• the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences;
• the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British)
by international or global institutions;
• the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate
wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.
Thisunitshouldbe approachedthroughcontemporaryexamplesinthe formof case studiesbased
uponone of the specifiedmediaareas.We will be focusingon the filmindustry whichwillinclude:
A study of a specific studio or production companywithin a contemporary filmindustry thattargets
a British audience(eg Hollywood,Bollywood,UKfilm),including itspatternsof production,
distribution,exhibition and consumptionby audiences.Thiswill be accompanied by study of
contemporary filmdistribution practices(digitalcinemas,DVD,HD-DVD,downloads,etc) and their
impactupon production,marketing and consumption.

5. Key Dates
 W/c 26th September – Start Unit G321 – Foundation Portfolio
 Tuesday 4th October – Lighting workshop.
 Friday 4th November - Treatment Deadline
 Friday 25th November - Research and Planning Deadline
 Friday 6th January - Shooting Deadline
 23rd Jan – 3rd Feb - Lessons will focus on preparation for Mock Exam
 W/C 6th Feb - Mock Exam
 10th Feb - Rough Cuts Deadline for Group Critique
 10th March - FINAL DEADLINE – Portfolio and Video
 24th March - FINAL DEADLINE – Evaluation
 18th May - External Exam

6. Useful Websites
OCR is the A Level Exam board. You can find past papers, specification details and
mark schemes on here:
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qual i fi cati ons /type/gcse/aml w/medi a_studi es/i ndex.html
The below are media blogs and websites to enhance your understanding of media
studies:
http://bl ogs.warwi ck.ac.uk/mi chael wal ford/tag/med i a_studi es/
http://beauchampmedi a.ni ng.com/
http://petesmedi abl og.bl ogspot.com/
http://getaheadocrmedi a.bl ogspot.com/
http://www.engl i shandmedi a.co.uk/mm/i ndex.html
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/
http://www.medi aknowal l .com/as_al evel /al evkeyconcepts/al evel keycon.php?pageID=
represent
http://www.bfi .org.uk/si ghtandsound/
http://medi a.edusi tes.co.uk/
http://www.ani mateprojects.org/fi l ms
http://www.fi l msshort.com/
http://www.teachi t.co.uk/i ndex.asp?CurrMenu=132&T=303
http://www.bbc.co.uk/l earni ng/subjects/medi a_studi es.shtml
The following websites will help you make your blogs creative when doing research
and evaluations at A/S and A/2:
www.goani mate.com - create ani mati ons for free
www.voki .com - convert text to speech – onl i ne voi ce for websi tes
www.prezi .com - i nteracti ve presentati ons
www.pol l junki e.com - create onl i ne pol l s/questi onnaires
www.sl i deshare.com - upl oad and share documents to bl ogs
www.vi deo2mp3.net - convert vi deos from youtube to mp3
www.soundcl oud.com – upl oad audi o to turn i nto a podcast
www.wordl e.net - an onl i ne tool to produce creati ve themati c word
cl ouds/brainstorms
www.bubbl .us - onl i ne brai nstorm/mi ndmap creator

7. www.pi xton.com - an onl i ne comi c stri p creator
www.mashuparts.com - the abi l i ty to combi ne mul ti medi a to form another product
www.sketch.odosketch.com - onl i ne sketchi ng
www.mi ndmei ster.com - onl i ne mi ndmap creator
www.smartdraw.com - create 3d graphs or spi der di agrams
www.spi cynodes.org - onl i ne organi sati on tool for websi tes
www.gl i ffy.com - fl owchart creator etc
www.evernote.com - upl oad photos and make notes on top to preserve i deas
www.spri ngnote.com - create group notebook onl i ne
www.gl ogster.com - onl i ne poster constructi on
www.my-di ary.org - free onl i ne di ary
www.ani moto.com - create short 30 second vi deos out of photos or vi deo cl i ps
www.voi cethread.com - upl oad docs and al l ow peopl e to l eave comments
www.authorstream.com - upl oad and share powerpoi nts to bl ogs/websi tes
www.mi xbook.com - create photo al bums and share onl i ne
www.ti megl i der.com - create onl i ne ti mel i nes for projects/research
www.ti metoast.com - create onl i ne ti mel i nes for projects/research
www.prezenti t.com - onl i ne presentati ons
www.vcasmo.com - synchroni se vi deos and sl ideshows side by si de
www.wordi tout.com - word cl oud generator
www.sketchfu.com - Create a drawi ng, save and pl ay back as a movi e of the drawi ng
bei ng created. Embed i nto any webpage
www.openstreetmap.org - onl i ne edi tabl e worl d map useful for l ocati on detai l s
www.tadal i st.com - free to-do l i st creator
www.vi deo2mp3.net - convert vi deos from youtube to mp3
Magazines you should subscribe to and/or buy:
http://www.engl i shandmedi a.co.uk/mm/i ndex.html
http://www.empi reonl i ne.com/
http://www.bfi .org.uk/si ghtandsound/subscri be/