1. L1 –
Section A – Question 1 b)
Genre and Preparation
Wednesday 23rd April 2014
Unit G325: Critical Perspectives in
Media

2. Why?
Aims & Objectives
• Re-cap prior learning in relation to what is
expected of you for this Section of the exam.
• Go through the Key Concept Genre and establish
and introduce some new theories YOU SHOULD
apply in the exam IF you get a question for Genre.
• Plan and complete a Practice question on Genre.
• Review the learning.
AO2
Apply knowledge
and understanding
to show how
meanings are
created when
analyzing media
products and
evaluating your own
practical work
(Section A)

3. Unit G325 – Question 1 b)
YOU SHOULD refer to your A2 Production as this is more in depth in terms of the Products
(Main & Ancillary) that you can refer to.

4. This will be different
dependent on what Question
you have to answer in the
exam.

5. Genre –
What elements of ‘repetition’ (Steve Neale) and ‘difference’ (Steve Neale) are there in
the trailer compared to others from the Soap Opera genre?
e.g The ‘repeated’ theme of a working class community or “kitchen sink” feel to the
narrative of the trailer.
Roland Barthes ‘Enigma codes’ theory – Can the audience identify any clues that would
entice them into consuming this text OR does it say anything about the genre itself?
This is theory YOU MUST apply in the exam IF you get a question for Genre.

6. Genre Theory
We are going to go through some Genre theory that WILL improve the overall
quality of an answer given for “analysing one of your coursework productions in
relation to the concept of Genre” – 25 Marks (OCR)

7. Nicholas Abercrombie (1995)
“Television producers set out to exploit genre conventions”
Kate Wales
“Genre is an inter-textual concept”
What did you exploit in your trailer?
YOU MUST watch the trailer of influence and identify (List) x2-3 examples YOU
“exploited” in your own trailer.
In what ways does your trailer provide some form of Inter-textuality to other
trailer(s)? (E.g Recognition of influence from other soap opera trailers/media
products)
YOU MUST watch the trailer and identify x1 example.

8. An outline of some of the theory we have covered today is available on the Blog
under:
• UNIT G325: SECTION B – GLOBAL MEDIA AND MEDIA IN THE ONLINE AGE
• Useful Links – A2 and Unit G325: Section A Revision

9. YOU MUST prove what you have learnt by FINISHING these sentences off.
YOU MUST use a theory for EACH product – for example Steve Neale (Poster); Abercrombie (Trailer)
Extension – YOU COULD consider what “stage” of genre (Metz) EITHER of your products belongs in
and why.

10. http://ncrafts.wordpress.com/unit-g325-section-b-global-
media-and-media-in-the-online-age/useful-links-a2/
Visit the following page and go to the link:
http://faculty.washington.edu/farkas/HCDE510-
Fall2012/Chandler_genre_theoryDFAnn.pdf
You have 5 minutes to locate a theory we have NOT covered today that you
could contextualize to your Main and/or Ancillary products.

11. FEEDBACK

12. Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to the concept of Genre
(25 marks)
YOU SHOULD designate no longer than 25-30 minutes answering this question
(dependent on how much planning you want to do for Section B).
1-2 Minutes – BRIEF Plan and Introduction
15 minutes – Main Task (Trailer) – 3-4 detailed examples and links to theory.
10 minutes – Ancillary Products – 2-3 detailed examples and links to theory.
1-2 minutes - Conclusion

13. What you have learnt– Plenary
3 minutes
YOU MUST write down x1 thing
genre theory we have covered
today that you have learnt.
YOU COULD give more than x1
example.

14. Homework:
1) Complete your Genre Answer (if it is incomplete)
1) Revise!
Due: Wednesday 30th April 2014 – Period 3