This document provides guidance for a media exam, including: - The exam is 2 hours with 2 sections, spending 1 hour on each. Section B is worth more marks. - Section A includes multiple choice questions sorting theorists and analyzing a coursework product. - Section B involves applying a theoretical concept (representation, audience, narrative, or genre) to a coursework product. Strong answers outline the concept, apply it to specific examples, and discuss the relationship to the product. - Advice is given on choosing a coursework product, using terminology, and understanding the concept to score well on the question.

1. A2 MEDIA EXAM
Lesson Objectives: To develop your exam
technique.

2. The Exam
 The exam is 2 hours long, and has 2 sections.
 Spend 1 hour on each section.
 You may want to do the Section B question
first as it is worth most marks.
 Remember to number your answers.

3. Section A
Section A is based on your coursework. You answer both questions 1(a) and 1(b).
Question 1(a)you must talk about both AS and A2 coursework products.
Question 1(b) you choose one coursework product, either AS or A2 to discuss.

4. Section A Theorists
 Sort the theorists into either Representation,
Audience, Narrative, Genre.
Propp Baudrillard Mulvey Hall
Neale Morley Dyer Perkins
Barthes Ryall Saussure Todorov
Blumler and Katz O’Sullivan Levi-Strauss Williamson

5. 1(b)
 In this question you will be asked to apply one
of the following theoretical concepts to either
your AS or A2 coursework:
 Representation
 Audience For this
question you
 Narrative choose either
 Genre your AS or A2
coursework to
 Media Language discuss.

6. 1(b) Past Questions
 Analyse media representation in one of your
coursework productions.
 Analyse one of your coursework productions
in relation to genre.
 Analyse one of your coursework productions
in relation to narrative.

7. 1(b) Examiner’s Advice
 Stronger answers do 3 things well:
 Outline the concept for discussion with reference
to relevant theorists
 Apply these ideas to a range of specific elements
from your coursework
 Discuss how well the concept/theories relate
to your product
 Poor answers will lack reference to theory and
specific answers.
 Choice of text is important.

8. 1(b) Examiner’s Checklist
 Showing understanding of the concept (ideally
with references/quotations)
 Applying the concept
 Textual analysis of the work (ONE
PRODUCTION) using the concept
 It’s about the work.

9. 1(b) Terminology
 What key terms can you think of in relation to
each of the conceptual areas:
 Representation
 Audience
 Narrative
 Genre
 Media Language

10. 1(b) Terminology
 Representation – visual pleasure,
object/subject of the gaze, objectification,
signs, signifier, signified,
connotation/denotation, hyperreality,
simulation, simulacra.

11. 1(b) Terminology
 Audience – encoding, decoding, dominant,
negotiated, oppositional, socio-cultural
context, reception, uses and gratifications,
surveillance, escapism, personal identity/
relationships, cultivation theory, hypodermic
model, passive audience/active audience

12. 1(b) Terminology
 Narrative – character types, hero, villain,
princess, etc., equilibrium, disequilibrium,
resolution, binary oppositions, narrative codes,
action, enigma, semic, symbolic, cultural.

13. 1(b) Terminology
 Genre – convention, iconography, codes,
product differentiation, capitalist, systems of
expectation and intelligibility, socio-cultural,
myths, genre supervises the relationship
between producer and audience

14. 1(b) Media Language
 Production Terminology - effect of technical
choices
 Print
Media
 Moving Image
 Use of genre conventions
 Use of narrative structures/codes
 Encoding of meaning

15. 1(b) Terminology
 You may be able to link terminology from other
concepts into your discussion, e.g.:
 Encoding of representations
 Use of iconography to encode meaning, and
communicate narrative information
 Use of character types in representation
 Etc.

16. 1(b)
 Understanding of concept
 Relate concept to examples from your coursework
 Range of specific, clear relevant examples
 Use conceptual language throughout
 Reference to theorists
 Evaluation of usefulness of concept/theory to your
production
 This question is worth 25 marks. You should
spend 30 minutes answering it.