This document provides guidance for students on summarizing their skills development from foundation to advanced portfolio work. It outlines areas of focus like digital technology, creativity, and research. It also provides layout tips for evaluating a selected production using media theory. Students are advised to clearly demonstrate their improved skills in each year and relate their work explicitly to theorists without assuming the examiner's background knowledge. Past exam questions and reports emphasize analyzing one's own creative and technical growth while directly applying relevant concepts from theorists to evidence from the production.

1. Section A 1a.
Describe and evaluate your skills develops over the course of your production work, from foundation to advanced portfolio.
Main area of focus 1 Main area of focus 2 Main area of focus 3
Digital
Technolo
gy
Foundation - iMovie
Fade to black
Text templates – had to do what was on
the programme.
Advanced – Final Cut Pro
Editable text; wider choice of typography.
Wider variety of transitions.
Foundation – PowerPoint printed as slide for hand
in.
Advanced – online Blogger platform; editable,
embedded and visually demonstrated work as
opposed to typing with still images.
Foundation -
Advanced -
Creativity
Foundation
Restricted to one, teacher-chosen location;
conventional but not very creative.
Advanced
Chose to use 9 backgrounds and used green
screen to create the illusion of having more.
Foundation
Advanced
Foundation
Advanced
Research
and
Planning
Foundation
Advanced
Foundation
Advanced
Foundation
Advanced
Post-
producti
on
Foundation
Advanced
Foundation
Advanced
Foundation
Advanced
Using
conventi
ons from
real
media
texts.
Foundation
Advanced
Foundation
Advanced
Foundation
Advanced

2. Section A 1b.
Select one production and evaluate it in relation to a media concept, using theory to discuss it.
Theory Focus 1 Theory Focus 2 Theory Focus 3
Genre
Foundation
or
Advanced
Narrative
Foundation
or
Advanced
Representation
Foundation
or
Advanced
Audience
Foundation
or
Advanced
Media
Language
Foundation
or
Advanced

3. Layout
Content
Introduction Two lines stating the production(s) you will be discussing.
Body Paragraph 1 1a. Discuss your foundation portfolio through to your advanced portfolio in relation to one thing (in each
paragraph) that you did in both, but have improved and advanced in, during the A2 year.
1b. Discuss your chosen production in relation to a theorist, using evidence from your production to show
whether you conformed or subverted the theorists suggestions.
Body paragraph 2
Body paragraph 3
Conclusion
2/3 lines suggestion how you developed through the things you have stated in the main body of each
essay.
1a Tips 1b Tips
• For each paragraph, mention both portfolios,
indicating how you did something in the first
year, and improved your approach in the second.
• Introduce what the theorists said; don’t assume
the examiner knows the theories, plus it’s a test
of your knowledge – show them what you know!
• Be explicit with evidence; the examiner hasn’t
seen your work.
• Be explicit with evidence; the examiner hasn’t
seen your work.
• Complete each paragraph with a summary of
how these changes benefited you production
and your own development; how did your work
improve?
• Only discuss ONE production; not both.

4. Examiner’s Report 2013
• Read through the section A report; do not
worry about references to Propp’s ‘spheres of
action’, hegemony (position of power or
leadership) and Hall’s dominant, oppositional
and negotiated – these are all possible
theorists and theories; we have selected a
focused, relevant group to discuss.

5. 1A is about the process from AS to A2 and
what you have learnt in that time; what
decisions did you make and how did they
benefit your work at A2.
1B is about analysing evidence from your
production with relation to whether in
conforms to the theories which should relate
with the concept you’ve been given (genre,
narrative etc…)

6. 1a. Outnumbered
The question was about digital technology and creativity.
• Creativity – thinking outside of the box; coming up with
original ideas.
• Quality – how good something is.
Students were mistaking the
idea that if your A2 was
better than your AS
production, that the
improved quality
automatically made it
creative.

7. How can the theory be applied to my text?
INSTEAD OF
I applied this theory to my text when I was designing it.

8. Another examiner’s report from the same year

9. Jan 2013

10. June 2012

11. Jan 2012

12. Jan 2011

13. Jan 2011

14. June 2010

15. Jan 2010

16. Past Exam Questions
Areas No. of times occurred
Digital Technology 2011, 2013
Creativity (2011, 2012, 2012, 2013)
Research and Planning 2010, 2013
Post-production 2012
Using conventions from real media texts 2010, 2011, 2012
Genre 2010,
Narrative 2011, 2013,
Representation 2010, 2012, 2013
Audience 2011,
Media Language 2012,