The document provides guidance on using examples to exemplify progress when answering skills-based exam questions. It emphasizes that examples from research and own work are crucial. Good examples are specific and cite details, like referring to the character Roger Thornhill in North by Northwest and what he wore. The document also evaluates example answers, showing how more detailed, specific examples that discuss editing techniques and story elements are better than vague, general answers. Students are encouraged to rewrite previous answers using the advice.

1. Use of examples in
Question 1a
Objective – to develop better strategies for
exemplifying our progress when tackling the
skills development question.

2. Exam practice feedback
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
Out of the exam practice pieces handed in (!), it
seemed that all but a couple were struggling a
bit with using examples.
It is crucial to select and present clear
definitive examples from both texts you have
researched and your own constructions.
See if these good/bad examples clarify this.

3. What’s good/bad?
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
“When researching the conventions of real media
products, we focused on the thriller genre as it
matched our given brief. Viewing various
thrillers gave us the idea that they use the
‘everyman’ stereotype. As Buscombe says ‘genre
is marked by its iconography’ we thought we
should include an everyman character in our
opening scene, so we did.”

4. What’s good/bad?
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
“When researching the conventions of real media
products, we focused on the thriller genre as it
matched our given brief. Viewing various thrillers gave
us the idea that they use the ‘everyman’ stereotype,
for example the character of Roger Thornhill in North
By Northwest, who was clearly marked as such by being
portrayed at work, wearing a business suit. As
Buscombe says ‘genre is marked by its iconography’ we
thought we should include an everyman character in our
opening scene, so we did.”

5. What’s good/bad?
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
“When researching the conventions of real media products, we
focused on the thriller genre as it matched our given brief.
Viewing various thrillers gave us the idea that they use the
‘everyman’ stereotype, for example the character of Roger
Thornhill in North By Northwest, who was clearly marked as such
by being portrayed at work, wearing a business suit. As Buscombe
says ‘genre is marked by its iconography’ we thought we should
include an everyman character in our opening scene, so we did this
by including the character ‘Peter’, who we dressed in a silver-grey
suit like Thornhill’s and showed walking out of an office in the
opening shot.”

6. What’s good/bad?
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
“In terms of the use of technical codes, we
looked at the opening scene from the film
Sicario and noticed that there was a balance
between suspense and shocks, so thinking about
Steve Neale’s assertion that “genre consists of
incidences of repetition and difference” we
repeated the technique but switched it up a
little bit.”

7. What’s good/bad?
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
“In terms of the use of technical codes, we looked at the
opening scene from the film Sicario and noticed that there
was a balance between suspense and shocks. This happens in
the pace of editing at the start when the cops go into the
building, followed by a bit of an anti-climax before the
shock revelation that there are bodies in the wall. This
happens for a second time later in the sequence when the
bomb goes off. Thinking about Steve Neale’s assertion that
“genre consists of incidences of repetition and difference”
we repeated the technique but switched it up a little bit.”

8. What’s good/bad?
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
“In terms of the use of technical codes, we looked at the opening
scene from the film Sicario and noticed that there was a balance
between suspense and shocks. This happens in the pace of editing
at the start when the cops go into the building, followed by a bit
of an anti-climax before the shock revelation that there are
bodies in the wall. This happens for a second time later in the
sequence when the bomb goes off. Thinking about Steve Neale’s
assertion that “genre consists of incidences of repetition and
difference” we repeated the technique but switched it up a little
bit by creating a fairly ordinary domestic situation intercut with
BCU shots of weapons being prepared, leading to a sudden
outbreak of violence when the gunmen enter the house.”

9. Homework Part 1
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
Following the given advice, rewrite a section of
your first attempt to address the issues
described.

10. Digital Technology Question
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
Discuss in table groups all your favourite things
about media-related technology. What modern
inventions exist that you think have changed the
way media products are used and consumed?
How do you think this has impacted on media
producers’ abilities to be creative? Do you need
a budget, or a sponsor? (e.g. a film
studio/record label)

11. Digital Technology Question
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
Your own work:
On your own now, write a list of all the items of
digital technology you have used during the
course, for whatever reason.
Once you have done it, go through and highlight
things you have learned the most about during
the course.

12. Sample Question (HW Pt.2)
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
Describe and evaluate the ways in which your
use of digital technology has progressed and
allowed you to make more creative decisions in
the research, planning and production of your
work.

13. Approaches
Objective – to develop better strategies for exemplifying our progress when
tackling the skills development question.
For a start, remember you already wrote about your use of DT in
your AS evaluation (or at least someone in your group did).
Next, as you hopefully know by now, it is not just about your use
of cameras and editing platforms. It can be about understanding
how to change the f-stop on your DSLR, but it can also be how
better use of Survey Monkey at A2 helped you get a more
inciteful idea of what your audience wanted.
Draft a commentary, focusing on the DT you improved on, about
how knowing you had improved made you dare to do more
interesting things with your A2 work.