AS Media Studies Revision Guide 2016

AS MediaStudies –Exam RevisionGuide
Additional resourceson www.mediastudiesnwcc.blogspot.com (follow ASMediaInstitutionsorAS
TV Drama linkat the top of the page). Twitter - @nealewademedia Email –jhibbert@neale-
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AS Media Studies G322 Key Media Concepts Revision
The AS Media Studies exam is 2 hours long. There are 2 sections to the exam, Section A: TV
Drama, and Section B: Institutions and Audiences. You must answer both questions. In
the exam you will be shown a 5 minute extract from a television drama 4 times. You will
have 45 minutes to answer a question on representation in the extract. You will then have
45 minutes to complete a second question on the film industry. You will not be told when
to move onto the next question – you must make sure you leave yourself enough time for
the second question.
Section A: TV Drama
You will be asked to answer a question on how one social group is represented in the
extract through camerawork, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene. The question will specify
which social group to focus on from one of the following:
● Gender
● Age
● Sexuality
● Ethnicity
● Social class and status
● Regional identity
● Disability/ability
In order to do well you should:
● Use a wide range of specific and relevant examples from the extract
● Explain how the examples construct representations of the specified social group
● Use a range of examples from all four technical areas
● Use terminology consistently and accurately
The four technical areas:
Camerawork can be used to represent characters in a variety of ways:
● High/low angles/tilts to show dominance/inferiority
● Point of view/over the shoulder to encourage the audience to identify with
the character
● Camera movement to suggest the character is fast paced and energetic, or
chaotic, anxious, etc.
● Two shots to emphasise the relationship between characters
● Zooms for emphasis
● Close-ups to show emotions/reactions

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● Long/establishing shots to show setting/costume
Establishing shot Shot showing the location the scene is taking place.
Master shot Shot showing where characters/objects are positioned in a scene
Close-up Showing someone from the shoulders up.
Mid-shot Showing someone from the waist up.
Long shot Showing someone from head to toe.
Wide shot Showing a wide view of the scene.
Two-shot A shot showing two people.
Aerial shot Shot filmed from the air.
Point of view shot A shot showing the perspective of a character.
Over the shoulder
shot
What it says.
High angle The camera looks down on someone.
Low angle The camera looks up at someone.
Canted angle The camera is at a slanted angle.
Pan The camera moves from side to side.
Tilt The camera moves up and down.
Track The camera follows a person or object.
Crane The camera moves up or down on a crane.
Steadicam The camera is strapped to camera operator’s body, creates a gliding
effect.
Hand-held A shaky handheld effect.
Zoom The camera zooms in or out.
Reverse-zoom The lenses zooms in or out whilst the camera moves in the opposite
direction, creates the impression that the background is constantly
moving.
Editing can be used to construct representations by:
● The pace of editing (e.g. fast paced – young, energetic, slow –old)
● Contrasting characters or settings (crosscutting, shot/reverse shot)
● Creating links between characters or settings
● Showing us what a character is looking at
● Showing us what a character is thinking about (cutting, superimposition)
Cutting The process where one shot is replaced on screen immediately by
the next.
Shot/reverse shot Cutting back and forth between people in a conversation.
Eyeline match Cutting to show what a character is looking at.
Graphic match A similar shape or colour linking two consecutive shots.
Action match Cutting to show another angle of the scene.

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Jump cut Cutting out the middle section of a shot.
Crosscutting Cutting back and forth between two or more scenes happening
simultaneously.
Dissolve One shot fades out as the next shot fades in.
Fade out/fade in The image fades out to a blank screen, or fades in from a blank
screen.
Superimposition One image is placed on top of another image.
Slow motion What it says.
Long take A single continuous shot that does not cut for an unusual length of
time (e.g. over a minute).
Fast paced/slow
paced editing
When the editing is fast paced the action will cut rapidly from shot
to shot with each shot lasting only a few seconds. Slow paced
editing will involve limited cutting from shot to shot.
Sound can represent social groups in a range of ways:
● The language and accent of a character
● Use of music can tell you about the character
● Ambient sounds can tell you about the setting
● Dialogue
Diegetic Sound originating from a source in the scene, e.g. dialogue.
Non-diegetic Sound added in postproduction, e.g. background music.
Sound motif A sound or piece of music associated with a character, place, or
theme (like the JAWS).
Sound bridge Sound linking the end of one scene and the beginning of the next.
Dialogue Words spoken by actors.
Voiceover Dialogue spoken by an unseen character over related images.
Direct address When the actor speaks directly to the camera.
Sound mix The way in which the different sounds in a scene are mixed
together.
Ambient sound Background noise
Mise-en-scene is very important to representation:
● What a character wears
● Where the scene is taking place and how it appears
● Props can signify information about characters
● Lighting connotes certain meanings about characters
Location Where the scene takes place
Set design How the setting is designed
Costume Clothes worn by the actors

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Make up
Props Objects used in the scene
High key lighting Bright lighting
Low key lighting Dark lighting
Try analysing sequences from TV dramas in relation to how they represent one of the social
groups through their use of camerawork, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene. BBC iPlayer
and 4OD are useful resources. Extracts for this topic are on the Media Department blog.
Section B: Institutions and Audiences
You need to be able to discuss issues of production, marketing, distribution, and
consumption in the film industry in relation to the following topics:
● Media ownership
● Cross-media convergence and synergy
● Technology
● Proliferation of hardware and content
● Technological convergence
● Marketing
● Consumption
MediaOwnership
The concentration of media ownership has led to the media industry being dominated by a
small number of major global media conglomerates such as Time Warner and Disney
creating an oligopoly.
In the film industry the market is dominated by the Big Six studios, such as Warner Bros.,
20th Century Fox, and Walt Disney Pictures. Each of the Big Six studios is a subsidiary of a
major conglomerate, for example Warner Bros. are a subsidiary of 21st of Time Warner.
The Big Six Studios took 63% of global box office revenue in 2012, and take around 70-75%
of UK box office revenue every year. As the studios are all subsidiaries of huge
conglomerates with billions of dollars of annual revenue this allows the studios to have big
budgets, meaning they can afford to use spectacle to appeal to a mass audience by using
the most advanced special effects, impressive set design, and big name stars. This makes it
harder for independent filmproduction companies to compete.
The Avengers (2012) is an example of a typical studio blockbuster. Produced by Marvel
Studios, a subsidiary of Disney, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures the film was made
on a budget of $220 million. As a result the filmmade extensive use of special effects with

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over 2,000 effects shots, including use of CGI and motion capture (to create the Hulk
character). The filmalso has mass audience appeal typical of Hollywood products. The film
appeals to a wide range of different demographics by including characters from a mixture of
age groups, ethnicities, and genders. The film is also pre-sold as it is based on a successful
series of comic books. Using superheroes makes it easier for the film to appeal to a global
audience as the characters are archetypes that can be easily recognised, and are not
culturally specific. The Avengers demonstrates the mass audience, blockbuster model used
by the major studios which allows them to dominate the film industry. This benefits the
studios, but makes it difficult for independent, and non-American films to achieve global
success. This may reduce the variety of types of films available to audiences.
Cross-media convergence and Synergy
Because the Big Six studios are all subsidiaries of major conglomerates they benefit from
cross-media convergence and synergy. The Walt Disney Company is an example of cross-
media convergence as it produces and distributes a wide range of different types of media.
Disney is made up of five different divisions, including Walt Disney Studios (filmstudios,
record labels), Media Networks (television channels), and Disney Interactive (video games,
web-based media).
Disney have been described as the ‘masters of media synergy’, and have developed a range
of multi-platform brands, such as The Avengers which includes television series, theatrically
released films, live shows, magazines, merchandise, and online games. Using synergy in this
way helps Disney to maximise ancillary revenue and maintain brand awareness.
Disney made extensive use of synergy to promote the release of Star Wars: The Force
Awakens (2015). A Pixar clip showing characters from the Disney film Inside Out (2015)
reacting to the trailer for the latest Star Wars film was released on YouTube attracting over
1.3 million views. This is an effective way to use the popularity of Inside Out to help
promote Star Wars: The Force Awakens to a younger target audience, whilst further
promoting Inside Out prior to the DVD/VOD release of the film.
Disney also released a Marvel Star Wars crossover comic book as an effective way of
promoting both the Star Wars and Marvel brands. Disney used their television platforms to
further promote Star Wars with ABC’s Good Morning America featuring a Star Wars-themed
segment. One of the trailers for Star Wars premiered on Disney subsidiary ESPN’s Monday
Night Football, this helped market the film to an older male target audience, and further
demonstrates the benefits of synergy as this also boosted the ratings for the programme by
13%. Star Wars attractions have been added to Disney Cruise Line ships, and are being built
at two Disney theme parks. The popularity of Star Wars is likely to encourage people to visit
these attractions, whilst increasing the profile of the Star Wars franchise further.

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The use of synergy and cross-media convergence was key to the success of The Avengers
(2012). Disney bought Marvel Entertainment is 2009, and oversaw the release of a series of
films such as Iron Man, and Hulk which built towards the release of The Avengers film. An
extensive range of merchandise for the Marvel characters helped to increase brand
awareness and generate ancillary revenue, as a result of synergy between the studio
division, and the Disney Stores and merchandise divisions.
The development of the Avengers Alliance Facebook game is another example of cross-
media convergence and synergy, with the Disney Interactive division developing a game to
promote the Avengers filmthrough social media. The game has had over 70 million users
and been used to promote a range of films in the Avengers franchise.
After the success of the Avengers film Disney produced two television programmes, one of
which is shown on the Disney XD channel, and one (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) which is shown on
the ABC network, another subsidiary of Disney. Disney is using the popularity of the
Avengers’ filmfranchise to encourage viewers to watch their television subsidiaries. The
television programmes also maintained interest in the film franchise before the release of
Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015.
This demonstrates the way in which cross-media convergence and synergy allow major
conglomerates to maximise revenue from a film brand, and help a range of subsidiaries to
be successful. The successful use of synergy is another factor in the continued dominance
of the film industry by the Big Six studios, as independent companies do not have the
opportunity or resources to use synergy on the same scale as the studios.
British Film Industry
The British film industry is much smaller in scale than the American filmindustry.
Independent British production companies such as Warp Films tend to be relatively small.
As a result production companies often work together, and may rely on funding from
government organisations such as the British Film Institute (BFI).
The Selfish Giant (2013) is an example of an independent British film. It was funded by Film
Four and the BFI with a budget of £1.4 million, and focuses on two working class boys in
Bradford. The filmis culturally and regionally specific, and includes two unknown actors in
the lead roles. As a result it lacks the mass audience appeal of studio films such as the
Avengers. The Selfish Giant made £300,000 theatrical box office, showing the film made a
loss. This reflects the fact that according to research by the BFI only 4% of low budget (less
than £2 million) British films make a profit. The contrast between the social realist style of
The Selfish Giant, and the mass audience appeal of blockbusters such as The Avengers is
another factor in the dominance of US studios.

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One of the challenges facing British films is distribution. In the UK film distribution is
dominated by the Big Six American studios. They are consistently the top six distributors in
Britain every year. As the studios are vertically integrated in terms of production and
distribution this makes it harder for non-studio films to compete. The effect on distribution
is suggested by the fact that films distributed by Disney such as The Avengers, and Captain
America: Winter Soldier (2014) opened on wide release in the UK on over 500 screens, The
Selfish Giant opened on just 35 screens. However, developments in technology affecting
distribution may make it easier for independent films to reach their audiences.
A Field in England (2013) demonstrates how new technology can help the distribution of
independent British films. The film’s budget of £316,000 was financed by Film4’s Film4.0
division. The low budget nature of the film fitted Film4.0’s innovative model. Film4.0 was
created to find new ways of connecting talent and ideas to audiences using digital
technology. The low budget also reduced the financial risk involved. P&A spend of
£112,000, including £57,000 from the BFI (British Film Institute).
A Field in England used day-and-date release, being released simultaneously on 17 cinema
screens, DVD, Blu-Ray, Transactional VOD (iTunes etc.), and free-to-air television through
Film4. Using this release model built momentum around a single release date, maximising
the marketing campaign’s effect. Using a range of different release platforms helped the
film to reach its audience. Nearly 400,000 people watched the film on free to air television
through Film Four. Around 10,000 people bought or rented the film either using TVOD or
on Blu Ray/DVD, and the filmtook £50,000 in theatrical box office. By making the film
available in all formats simultaneously it allowed the audience to watch it using the most
convenient platform for them. The unusual nature of the film’s release also generated
publicity in newspapers and broadcast media. This demonstrates the benefits of day-and-
date release for independent film releases. It also suggested that fears that day-and-date
release will reduce theatrical box office are exaggerated, as 77% of the cinema audience for
the film knew they could watch the film for free on television but wanted to pay for the
experience of watching the film in the cinema.
Technology
Production Technology
3D
Technological developments have been central to the revival of 3D. Whilst there have been
3D booms in the past, notably during the 1950s and 1980s, these have been short-lived due
to image-quality issues. The emergence of digital technology has gone a long way to
tackling these problems. The invention of the Reality Camera System by James Cameron
and Vince Page allowed them to develop a camera, the Sony 3D-T, which captured

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stereoscopic vision in a way that mimicked the human eye. In order to do this they used
lenses which telescoped the image allowing them to use two HD cameras in a single rig,
which replicated the human depth perception by being only 70mm apart.
These cameras allowed James Cameron to use 3D effectively in the production of Avatar
(2009) to create a spectacular visual experience. This was the basis for the film’s huge box
office success, achieving the highest worldwide box office gross with $2.7 billion. One of the
benefits of 3D for studios is that more money can be charged for tickets (usually £2/3 more),
meaning 3D films can generate more money from less tickets. This success was one of the
economic factors that led to the revival of 3D. Following Avatar’s release a large number of
films were released in 3D, including Toy Story 3, Alice in Wonderland, and The Avengers.
Another factor that drove the revival of 3D was the threat of online piracy. The rapid
expansion of broadband has allowed audiences to stream or download filmreleases for free
from piracy websites, which is estimated to cost studios billions every year. Using 3D was
seen by studios as a way of producing a film that could not be pirated effectively due to its
use of 3D technology. Furthermore, in order to get the full 3D experience the audience
would have to watch the film in the cinema. Whilst the box office success of Avatar
suggests its use of 3D technology was effective in encouraging audiences to watch it
theatrically, it was also the most pirated film of all time, being watched illegally online over
21 million times in the year after its release.
The popularity of 3D peaked in 2010 when seven of the top eleven films globally were
released in 3D. 3D ticket sales accounted for 24% of UK box office revenue in 2010. Since
then the popularity of 3D films has declined, falling to 12% in 2014. Whilst 80% of tickets
sold for Avatar were in 3D, that had dropped to 52% for The Avengers in 2012.
From the audience’s point of view 3D offers what The Hobbit director, Peter Jackson, calls a
‘more immersive experience’. Especially in films such as Avatar and The Hobbit 3D helps the
audience to be drawn into the world of films. However 3D tickets are more expensive, and
3D can make the image appear darker. 2D films which have been cheaply converted to 3D
are often ineffective and may have contributed to the decline in the popularity of 3D.
Technological developments in both film production and exhibition were essential to the
revival of 3D, coupled with the economic success of Avatar and the attempt to use 3D to
counteract piracy. Whilst 3D appears to have peaked, it seems it has gone beyond the
novelty status associated with it in the 1950s and 1980s, and given the large number of 3D
screens globally filmproducers are likely to continue to use 3D. Audiences appear to have
become more selective in terms of which films they watch in 3D, only being willing to pay
for 3D tickets if the experience is likely to justify the additional cost.
CGI/Motion Capture

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Use of CGI has become a common feature of Hollywood studio blockbusters. Films such as
The Avengers, and Captain America: Winter Soldier feature over 2,000 effects shots, and in
Tron: Legacy (2010) 90% of background shots were created by CGI. For filmmakers CGI
offers the opportunity to create visually spectacular images, which provide audiences with a
more impressive viewing experience. The audience appeal of films that use lots of special
effects is demonstrated by the box office success of films like Avatar and The Hobbit.
However the high costs involved mean that only major studio productions can afford to use
advanced special effects extensively, creating a barrier to entry to independent producers.
Convergence
Tangerine (2015) was shot on three iPhone 5s smartphones. Using DSLR cameras would
have required more crew members and additional lenses which the filmdid not have the
budget for. The Filmic Pro app used which allowed increased control of focus, aperture,
colour, and image quality. An anamorphic adaptor was used to film in widescreen. Filming
with an iPhone also allowed the filmmakers to shoot without people noticing enhancing
realism. Tangerine premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and had a limited cinema
release in the US and UK making $700,000. Convergent technologies have lowered the
costs of producing a film benefiting independent filmmakers.
Distribution
Digital Cinema Projection
Digital cinema projection involves in the distribution and projection of films in a digital
format, instead of distributing films on 35mm filmreels. Over the last decade there has
been a huge increase in the number of digital screens around the world. This was largely
prompted by the economic success of Avatar (2009) which required digital projection
facilities in order to be screened in 3D. This encouraged cinemas to rapidly convert in order
to be able to make the most of any subsequent 3D blockbusters, despite the cost involved
(around £100,000) for a digital projector. 100% of UK screens are now digital, and in
January 2014 Paramount became the first major studio to stop distributing films on 35mm
in the US with The Wolf of Wall Street being their first digital only release.
The increase in digital screens has been largely driven by technological and economic
factors. Distributing films in a digital format to cinemas significantly lowers costs. Each
duplicate of a 35mm filmreel costs around £1,500, whereas digital distribution costs around
a tenth of that. Duplication of 35mm cost studios around £100m in 2002, with further
freight costs of £30m, meaning the introduction of digital cinemas has allowed studies to
save a large amount of money.

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Generally, now digital prints of a film are sent on a hard drive holding a data file of 150-200
GB. The projectionist uploads the film onto the digital projector and creates a menu for its
projection. A digital key is used to safeguard the filmagainst piracy. Another benefit of
digital projection is that unlike 35mm the film print will not deteriorate over time.
Independent productions also benefit from digital cinema. High prints and advertising costs
were widely seen as barrier to independent films being widely distributed, and in the UK
independent releases were rarely shown on more than 30 screens in the opening weekend
of release. This contrasts with major studio releases that generally open on 400-500 screens
in the UK.
Digital cinema also benefits audiences by increasing the availability of accessible cinema,
with subtitles available for the hearing impaired and audio-description for the visually
impaired, and event cinema allowing cinemas to show performances of plays, opera, and
sporting events.
Film distribution in the UK is still dominated by US studios. Major studio releases open on
wide release of around 500 screens (The Avengers, The Lego Movie), in contrast to
independent British films such as The Selfish Giant which opened on just 35 screens.
Piracy
The economic effects of online piracy are significant. The Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA) estimated in 2005 that online piracy cost the film industry $7 billion a year
in lost revenue. Further evidence of the economic impact of online piracy can be seen in the
rapid decline in DVD sales. Sales of DVDs peaked in 2004, and have declined since then.
Given that this coincides with the expansion of high speed broadband internet access it
seems likely that a contributing factor to declining DVD sales was the ready availability of
films through online piracy. DVD sales used to account for around half of a studio’s profits
on a film. The 30% decline in DVD sales since 2004 has posed a significant economic
challenge to the film industry. This is suggested by the fact the major studios are now
producing less films now than they did 10 years ago, before the emergence of broadband.
Loss of ancillary revenue from DVD sales has meant studios are finding more difficult to
finance films. In 2012 Disney released 13 films, compared to 22 in 2002, whilst Sony
released 18 films in 2012 compared to 31 in 2002. Clearly internet piracy poses a significant
threat to the filmindustry.
In order to tackle piracy film institutions are trying a range of tactics. This has included
increased use of 3D, use of legal online VOD platforms and shortening distribution
windows, as Disney did with the UK release of Alice in Wonderland making it available on
DVD 12 weeks after theatrical release, instead of the usual 17 weeks. This helps to tackle
piracy as consumers often pirate films as they do not want to wait for the film to come out

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on a home entertainment platform. Some films such as Veronica Mars (2014), and A Field
in England have used the day and date release strategy, making the filmavailable on all
formats in the day of its release, thereby removing the need to pirate the film. This strategy
is generally best suited to independent films, though Veronica Mars became the first filmto
be distributed by a major studio to use day and date release. Early electronicsell-through is
used by studios to make films available to buy by digital download four weeks before their
DVD release, a strategy used for the release of Iron Man 3.
Whilst online piracy has a significant impact on the filmindustry, it does appear that with
the development of online platforms and devices allowing consumers to access content
legally that the threat of piracy may be declining somewhat.
Video on Demand
Technological convergence has led to the rise of Video on Demand (VOD) as a distribution
method for films. Convergent technologies such as tablets, smartphones, laptops, and
smart TVs allow the audience to access filmcontent via the internet.
The popularity of Subscription Video on Demand sites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime
Instant Video has seen the market for online VOD in the UK increase by 123% in 2012.
Netflix now has 4.5 million subscribers in the UK. The proliferation of online platforms
including SVOD, and Transactional Video on Demand sites such as iTunes and Blinkbox, has
boosted the market. Technological factors have also driven this growth, with broadband
penetration of 76% in the UK, and average speeds increasing to 12 Mbps making it easier to
access filmcontent online. The development of internet-enabled Smart TVs, and the
popularity of tablet devices have also underpinned this growth.
VOD benefits independent producers as it lowers distribution costs, and allowing more films
to be distributed digitally to their audience. An example of this is the British film Pulp
(2012) which became the first film to premiere on the Xbox (an example of technological
convergence). Pulp was not given a theatrical or DVD release, meaning that games console
platform allowed it to be distributed to an audience.
Independent producers have made use of the opportunity to use VOD platforms as part of
day-and-date release strategies which maximise audience awareness around one release
date. Examples include Veronica Mars and A Field in England. The release of It Follows
(2015) demonstrates the benefits of digital distribution to independent films. It Follows was
planning to use a compressed window distribution strategy, coming out on VOD two weeks
after the cinema release. However, the film was very well-reviewed, generated positive
word of mouth, and was more successful at the cinema than expected. As a result the
distributors decided to delay the VOD release to allow the filmto maximise theatrical box

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office. This demonstrates the flexibility offered by digital distribution which is especially
beneficial to independent productions.
Netflix have also begun to distribute films directly to the audience, as demonstrated by
Beasts of No Nation (2015). Netflix acquired the distribution rights for the film for $12
million. The film was given a limited theatrical release in the US and UK, before being made
available to stream on Netflix almost immediately. Box office revenue was less than
$100,000 and the four main cinema chains in the US refused to show the film as they are
concerned that the Netflix release model threatens their long term takings. However the
film was the most watched feature on Netflix worldwide during the first two weeks after its
release reaching a wide global audience, and went on to win a BAFTA for best actor
suggesting this model may have long term viability. This release model is especially
beneficial to independent productions which would traditionally struggle to reach a wide
audience.
Funding
The development of online technology offers new ways in which films can be funded. Some
films now use crowdfunding to obtain funding from the audience using websites such as
Kickstarter. An example of this was the film Veronica Mars (2014). Based on a cancelled
television show the producers were unable to get studio backing for the film, so used
Kickstarter to encourage the audience to pledge money in return for a variety of rewards.
The filmreceived $5.7 million in funding, and went on to be distributed by Warner Bros.
This suggests that online technology allows filmmakers to interact directly with their
audience in order to secure funding, making them less reliant on established studios. For
audiences offers the benefits of a sense of involvement in the project.
Viral marketing and the use of social media are examples of how technology affects the
way in which films are marketed (see below).
Marketing
Synergy is an important way in which the major studios promote their films. Synergy helps
the studios to maintain their dominance over the film industry as independent companies
are unable to use synergy to the same extent as the Big Six studios (see above).
Viral Marketing
Viral marketing involves using the internet to spread promotional messages (such as
videos), relying on the audience to forward them on. The benefits of viral marketing are

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that it is significantly cheaper than other forms of film advertising (e.g. broadcast and
ambient media), it engages the audience, and can create hype around the release of a film.
Viral marketing was used effectively to promote the release of Carrie (2013). A video
showing a prank involving someone appearing to have supernatural powers in a coffee shop
was uploaded to YouTube where it was viewed over 60 million times. This is a very cost
effective way of reaching a wide audience and generating word of mouth.
Social Media
Social media has become increasingly important in the marketing of films. Using social
media offers the benefits of being cheap, interactive, and immediate. It helps the audience
to feel involved with film, can also be used to data mine information about the
demographics of the audience.
Low budget horror film Unfriended (2014) made extensive use of social media to promote
the film, as social media was central to its plot. Social media profiles for the main characters
were created, and YouTube videos filmed by the characters were uploaded. Audience
members could also chat with one of the main characters using the Kik app. The use of
social media raised the profile of the film and helped it reach its young target audience. The
film achieved global box office takings of over $60 million from a $1 million budget.
A Facebook game was also used to promote the release of Avengers (see above), with the
Avengers Alliance game having 1.4 million daily users prior to the release of the film. This
allows for passive advocacy as information about the game will appear in the newsfeed of
Facebook friends.
As part of the marketing campaign for Veronica Mars (2014) the official website included a
Race to the Box Office page in which users could score points every time they mentioned
the film, liked or re-tweeted official pages, and gain access to exclusive content.
Trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens were uploaded to YouTube breaking records for
the most viewed film trailer and attracting almost 100 million views. This is a cost effective
way to promote a film to a vast, global audience and allow the audience to engage through
social media.
Section B Exam Advice
● Remembertoleave 45 minutestoanswerthe Institutionsquestion.
● Relate youranswertothe questionset.
● Use terminology.
● Use specificexamples.
● Evaluate the pointsyoumake.

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● Refertoyour ownexperience asa consumer.
● Include aconclusionsummingupandevaluatingyourargument.
● Get yourfacts right.
Past Paper Questions
2015
To what extent does media ownership have an impact on the successful distribution of
media products in the media area that you have studied?
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009

AS Media Studies Revision Guide 2016

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