knowledge organiser GCSE Media

1. Media Studies GCSE
KNOWLEDGE ORGANISERS
Plus Keywords / Vocabulary
Paper 1: TV and Lego
Paper 2: Music and News

2. Paper 1 (TV and Advertising) Paper 2 ( Music and News)
Camera angles and shots e.g. establishing
Cross-cutting
Fast-paced editing
shot/reverse shot
juxtaposition
Mise en scene
Diegetic and non diegetic sound
PSB
Regulator
Active/passive audience
Anti-stereotype
Conglomerate
Vertical integration
Connotation
Convergence
Diversification
House style
headline/masthead/copy/caption/strapline
Serif and sans serif fonts
Typography
Formal and informal register
Colour choices
Links /hyperlinks
Navigation bar
Graphics
mass/niche audiences
Coverlines
Double page spread
Rule of thirds
Colour saturation
Remember:lots of these terms cross over
and can be used across the different
topics!

5. The Lego Movie Video Game - Made by TT Fusion.The video game offers 15 levels and 90 playable characters, many of
which can be purchased as Minifigures, so the Lego brand benefits from this as both the game and the film also act as an advertisement for
their consumer products.
Released across all major video consoles and platforms (Microsoft X360, Sony PS3, Nintendo 3DS, Sony PS4, Nintendo WiiU, Xbox One and
360, Sony PSV and PC) in 2014.
The Pegi Award for The Lego Movie Game is ‘7’ years of age. This is as the content of the game includes ‘non-realistic looking violence
towards fantasy characters’ and ‘violence that is set in a cartoon, slapstick or child like setting that could be upsetting to very young children’
(Video Standards Council)
cross-media promotional product as it advertises a range of Lego characters and icons, like the superheroes and ‘Benny the Spaceman’.
Look at the shot types in the trailer and
the tv adverts- what do they connote?
What gender, age, race, social class
stereotypes can you see?
The LEGO Trailer
and TV advert
break
6 million saw it live
British Heart Foundation (BHF), British
Telecom, Confused.com (insurance
) and Premier Inn hotels
These four brands paid their own
production and media costs to
ensure they could be part of it.
Media Language = bright
colours/lego characters/relatable
mise en scene and intertextuality
Representations = gangsters are
male/tattooed/work in car
workshopsmale teenagers like cars
and girls are impressed by this/
males look after females by buying
them BT/Premier Inn- positive role
model of black actor/comedian.

6. GCSE Media Studies – Paper 2 Music
Music Videos – Set Texts = Little
Mix and The Vamps
Narrative music videos Tell the story that is suggested in the
song lyrics. Can often go in a different direction or tone to the
expectation of the lyrics. May contain the band/artist playing a
‘role’ within the video, or all roles may be played by actors.
Usually linear structure- conventions of a ‘mini film’. Contains
narrative features such as enigmas, clear plot points, rising and
falling action, character roles etc Characters may be
stereotypical or easily recognizable/accessible to the audience
(as there is usually no dialogue for character development, so
need to be fairly simple).May be some elements of
intertextuality to other moving image genres or cultural/social
events, settings, ideas etc
Theoretical Framework: Representations
Little Mix – issues of gender/ beauty,
stereotypes, being popular.The Vamps
– objectification of women,
stereotypical boy meets girl
Both – heterosexual love represented
as the norm.
Both – attractive people are
represented as young, thin and able-
bodied
You will compare the two videos. You will NOT get a
clip in the exam, so have to rely on memory!
Make sure you use
Point/Evidence/Terminology/Analyse/Compare
Key words
Narrative
Performance
Editing
Effect
Connotations
Performance Music Videos
Clips of band/artist performing on stage
Shots of audience/venue.Behind the scenes with the artist-
dressing room, warming up, soundcheck, messing around
Direct mode of address for performer- performing ‘to
camera’ or ‘off camera’ to audience.
Performing in unusual situations or locations, lip- synched
to the music
Music videos fulfill multiple purposes:They promote the
artist/band, raising their profile and their popularity. This will help in
selling albums and tours.They help develop the band/artist, giving
more information about their genre/style/values, allowing the
audience to connect with the performer.They entertain the audience,
particularly narrative videos, and allow fans for the band an
alternative perspective or angle on the music of the artist or
band.Streaming or viewing videos raises revenue for the bands
through royalties and adverts on platforms such as YouTube
Camera angles and
shots/setting/editing
(CGI)/naturalistic
lighting/casual and
glamorous clothing

7. Paper 2 Music Radio – Set Text = Live
Lounge Audience:
Aimed at 15-29 year olds
How it attracts them:
● Use of mainstream artists/bands
● Live music
● Casual atmosphere/well-known
+ informal hosts ike
Rickie/Melvin and Charlie
● Can access online/on
phone/smart speaker/in
car/youtube = CONVERGENCE
Why it attracts them:
● Live music
● Feels like a gig
● Mainstream artists
● Convergence-easy to listen to
Industry
Regulation – OFCOM
Owner of Radio 1 = BBC
BBC – PSB – Broadcasting to educate, entertain and
inform (Lord Reith)
1967 Radio 1 started-part of BBc Radio which has lots of statins
eg Radio 2, 3 ,4, Radio 5 Live, BBC Asian Network, Radio
Leicester etc
Compare to Commercial Radio with no PSB remit- Capital/ Kiss
all funded by advertisements
Radio 1 Remit – to entertain a broad range of young
listeners. It should promote British music, new music
and provide platform for live music. It should
provide news and documentaries for young viewers.
Paid for by Licence Fee £140/yr
RAJAR – official body that measures radio audiences.
Radio 1 A distinctive mix of new music and
entertainment for 15-29 year olds, as
well as providing tailored news,
documentaries and advice campaigns
for young adults.
Radio 1Xtra Plays the best in modern black music,
with a strong emphasis on delivering
high-quality live music and supporting
new artists
Live Lounge
Presented by Ricky Melvin and Charlie
Monday-Thursdays, 10.30am-1pm
Presented on Radio 1 and 1Xtra
Format: 2 acoustic tracks of their own and a
cover from a different genre
Website provides extra material (including
galleries and video)
Annual compilation released by Sony
Available outside the UK on the iplayer radio
app.
Radio 1 has video channel on iplayer
Reasons for big stars going on Live Lounge: To
promote their music (especially when they
have released new material), Fandom –
another platform for fans to access them, it’s
unique, not auto-tuned and live, it feels
intimate for fans
Convergence and Live Lounge
The sessions are:
• played on the radio
• broadcast on BBC4 television
• available as CDs
• available online via the BBC iplayer or
the BBC Radio 1 channel on
YouTube/Vevo
STUDY
Industry
Audience
Social/Cultural/
Political
contexts

8. Paper 2 Section B Music
Music Magazines– Set Text = Mojo
How to compare Media Language:
Masthead
Main image
Colour palette
Layout
Make a judgement about how similar they
are / or different and why
Audiences
Weekly magazines have a more working class audience while
monthly magazines have a more middle class audience
Uses and Gratifications Theory (Blumler and Katz) – Information/
Identity/ Diversion/ Social Interaction
Mojo is partly a quality monthly magazine and available online. This
allows it to survive in print.
MOJO
Published by Bauer (600+ magazines
Cover price £5.50
Bought by males who like rock music
Niche as not seen as mainstream
music in 2000s
Lots of stories about how rockstars are
rebelling against society
You will have to compare MOJO with
another music magazine
Vocabulary:
Masthead
Coverlines
Puff
Main image
Secondary image
Strapline
Rule of thirds
Male gaze
anchorage
Representations:
Most artists/bands on the
cover are male and white
They are stereotypes of a
rock star
Positive representation of
age- they are over 50 and
still ‘rockstars’
Seen as rebellious and
edgy
Any women on the cover
are seen as ‘rockstars'
How is MOJO using
these differently to
the other music
magazine?
Total 15 marks
Stereotypes
Anti-stereotypes
Symmetrical
Cluttered
low/high camera
angle
Direct address
Superimposed ( over
the top)
low/high key lighting
Music genres: ( on the other unseen magazine)
Rock/Pop/R ‘n’
B/Grime/Jazz/Classical/Folk/Indie/Dance
/Country
Make sure that you know the differences
between these genres!

9. Paper 2: Section B Newspapers
Set text ‘The Observer’
Industry
OWNERSHIP Guardian Media Group, owned by The Scott Trust
SCOTT TRUST VALUES: liberal tradition – rights of the
individual; democracy; internationalism; progress in society
FUNDING: Circulation, paywalls, membership, print and online
advertising, sponsored content, events, sales.
REGULATION: IPSO or IMPRESS but The Observer/Guardian has
not signed up to either, preferring to be self-regulating.
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS: not censored or controlled by the
state to provide democratic freedom of expression.
Newspapers being regulated was after Leveson Inquiry after
phone hacking scandal.
Positives
Free/updated all the time/accessible
on many platforms
(convergence)/24/7 in any part of the
world/interactive
Negatives
Difficult to regulate/limited to the
“look” of that social feed/need
internet connection/need to check for
fake news
1960s covers
Male/female representation
unequal
Marriage/divorce not common ( inter-rical
marriage on cover and divorce allowed)
Multiculturalism - lack of non- BAME events
or stories
Cold war/nuclear threat references in stories
Union strike actions common and lots of
coverage of this with Industrial reporter
‘Lawyers will urge divorce by consent’ –
starting to get more equal rights for women
‘Jackie: we’re very happy’ -
She is only on cover as was married to famous
man
‘Briton shoots a gold’ – mention Black Power
protest at Mexico Olympics shows anti-racist
movement BUT mostly white males on stories
‘So polite, this North Sea spy game’
Lots of coverage of the Cold War
Keywords:
Convergence
Narrative
Ownership
Freedom of the
Press
Masthead
Broadsheet
Clickbait
Active/passive
Audience
Columns
Headlines
Headers
Image
Serif font
High copy to
image ratio
Sophisticated/
professional
colour palette
Audience- who reads The Observer
newspaper?
ABC1 - people in good jobs who have more
disposable income to buy nicer things and
go on holidays and trips
More male readers of print/equal
male/female readers online + social media
Interested in politics/international and
national news/hard news
Like the magazine inside- has
sport/cooking/reviews/fashion
Uses and Gratifications Theory ( why do people
read papers?) PIES
Information - get news!

10. Point - make a
statement in one
topic sentence
Evidence - use
evidence from the
text to support what
you are saying
Terminology - use
specific words e.g.
mid-shot/diegetic
sound
Analysis - what does
this
mean/show/suggest?
Command words
State - one word answer
Identify - one word answer
Explain - give a reason (s)
Analyse how/how far - give evidence from the text to
support your answer
Make judgements and draw conclusions - do you agree or
disagree and explain why
Point- The extract shows that police are not respected/the Lego
Movie is aimed at families/the music videos are escapism …
Evidence- At the top of the poster, there is a tagline ‘The story
of a nobody…’
Terminology- the use of a bird’s eye view suggests that/the
slow-motion/the bright primary colours suggest…
The audience would feel sympathy for the police, as they are
seen in a negative light./ The use of muted colours on MOJO
suggests that it is a serious magazine.
10 mark questions need 2-3
PETAs
15 mark questions need 2-3
PETAs and then a judgement or
conclusion
You must
answer every
question!
2 egs for 4 or 5
marks
3 PETAs for 10
mark
questions
3 PETAs plus
judgement for
15 mark
questions
For Grade 4 or
below- aim to
fill half the
space for each
answer with a
quality PETA!
GCSE Media Studies Exam Technique
Key phrases for
10 mark
questions:
This suggests...
This has
connotations of...
The use of
[technique]
highlights/reinfor
ces…
This is a
stereotypical
representation
because…
Both magazines
have music
magazine

11. Topic: ______________________(
released in March)
Cover:
At least five original images including photographs,
using a range of camera angles and appropriate
mise-en-scène. Consistent use of colour, layout,
typography and language to create a house style and
address the intended audience. Front cover
conventions such as masthead, cover lines, main
cover image and key information such as the
barcode, price, edition date/number.
Make sure that you can use
Photoshop- attend drop-in sessions if
you need support. You can use
Photopea if you prefer and then you
can use at home for free!
Please use google docs to write all
text- it will word count/spell check
and be easier to drop into text boxes,
rather than type as you go!
DPS (Double page spread):
A double page spread including a
feature article of approximately 300
words that links to one of the cover
lines on the front page, and
appropriate layout including headings,
columns, images and use of space.
Flatplans:Before you are allowed to use
Photoshop to create your magazine, you will
need to have done research and planning,
written a Statement of Intent and created
flatplans of your magazine cover and DPS
Key
conventio
ns:
( Media Language)
Masthead
Strapline
Coverlines
Main image
Secondary image
Puff
Skyline
Rule of thirds
Symmetrical
Columns
Headlines
Headers
Image
Serif font
Sophisticated/
professional
colour palette
Text boxes
High key
lighting
Audience- who is it aimed at?
Teenagers? How will you ‘speak’ to them?
This is called mode of address and can
include:
● Informal language ( slang)
● How old the models are
● How much the magazine costs
● What the models are doing in the
photos / what the images are of
● The colour and style of fonts
● Are there
interviews/hyperlinks/instagram
links/references to famous people
or role models they know?
NEA: Magazine Cover and DPS
worth 30%
Statement of
Intent:up to 300
words
This will outline what
you intend to do (
media language) and
how you will use
representation (
through images and
mode of address)
You MUST choose something you can actually
achieve- buying a magazine of the genre you are
going to do will help you to see what you could
create.