1. Lesson 1: G322 Exam
Section A (TV Drama)
L/O: to understand the main objective
and marking of this section of the exam
2. Knowing the Purpose
O Section A: Textual Analysis and
Representation
O COPY AND ANSWER QUESTION. Use
examples.
O 1. What is a text?
O 2. What does analysis mean?
O 3. What does representation mean?
3. Knowing the Purpose
1. What is a text?
O An original item or representation of an
item created by an author/speaker
O Example: a page in a novel, a quote from
a speech, a video clip from a film
4. Knowing the Purpose
2. What does analysis mean?
O The process as a method of studying the nature of
something or determining its essential features or
relations. Breaking down something into it’s
components.
O Analysis: Examination, study, deconstruct, investigation,
scrutiny, breakdown, exploration
O Example: to analyse the meaning in a book you might
investigate and explain the character’s feelings or
actions. Or to analyse a character in a film you might
breakdown and explore their costume and speech.
5. Knowing the Purpose
3. What does representation mean?
O The way in which something is shown; or
the way it is intended to be shown.
O Analysis: Depiction, symbol, sign
O Example: representation of youth in the
riots = rebellious, crazy, selfish, angry,
6. Aim
O Candidates are expected to study an ‘unseen’ moving
image extract with one compulsory question dealing with
textual analysis of various technical aspects of the
languages and conventions of a television drama.
O Candidates will be asked to link this analysis with an
aspect of representation within the sequence.
7. Sections
O Candidates will demonstrate textual analysis of all the
following technical areas of moving image language and
conventions in relation to the unseen extract:
O CAMERAANGLES, CAMERA SHOTS, CAMERA
MOVEMENT, COMPOSITION
O MISE-EN-SCENE
O EDITING
O SOUND
O The focus of study for Section A is the use of technical
aspects of the moving image medium to create meaning for
an audience, focusing on the creation of representations of
specific social types, groups, events or places within the
extract.
8. CAM SAMC
O CAMERA ANGLES, - the perspective from
where camera is placed
O CAMERA SHOTS, - the distance between
person/object and camera
O CAMERA MOVEMENT, - how the camera
moves
O COMPOSITION – how a frame is laid out
9. MES
O MISE-EN-SCENE
O French term means = ‘put in the scene’
O arrangement of scenery and properties to
represent the place where a play or movie is
enacted
O refers to almost everything that goes into the
composition of the shot, including the composition
itself: framing, characters & their costumes/props,
lighting, set design and general visual environment
10. E
O EDITING
O The process of placing frames/scenes/shots into a
sequence to make a motion picture
O There are different skills and techniques involved in
this
O Different techniques are applied to create certain
meanings (ex fast pace (short cuts) for action car
chases scenes)
O http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_editing
11. S
O SOUND
O Both real and ‘non real’ sounds
O Example – the real sounds of a restaurant
(crowd murmurs, tapping of cutlery, voices in
kitchen etc)
O Example – or the music to create
mood/atmosphere
12. Representation
O The only thing that changes each year is the
possible topics of representation.
O Gender
O Age
O Ethnicity
O Sexuality
O Class & Status
O Ability/Disability
O Regional Identity
13. People Representations
O How can a person/character be
represented?
O Give an example
What does representation mean?
O The way in which something is shown; or the way it is intended to be shown.
14. People Representations
Google search: ‘school girl’ = they are all represented differently
Young, happy
responsible
zombie
Sexually
suggestive /
fantasy
18. Assessment Focus
O Marks in 3 categories: (50 marks for this section
total)
O Each category is marked with
O Level 1 (minimal/incomplete) U grade equiv
O Level 2 (basic) E-D grade equiv
O Level 3 (proficient) C-B grade equiv
O Level 4 (excellent) A grade equiv
EAA =
Explanation/
analysis/argume
nt
20 marks
EX = use of
examples
20 marks
T = use of
terminology
10 marks
19. TV drama
O You may be shown ANY type of British or
Amercian TV drama, so you need to
watch a variety of them!
O Write down some different examples of
British & American TV Dramas
British TV dramas American TV dramas
Eastenders Grey’s anatomy
20. Types of TV Dramas
O How do we differentiate TV dramas?
(How can we tell they are different in
category)
O Can you think of types of dramas?
21. Types of TV Dramas
Teen Dramas Example
School Dramas (like teen) Waterloo Road
Soap Operas
Costume/Period/Historical Dramas
Medical/Hospital Dramas
Police/Crime Dramas
Docu-Dramas
Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
Misc
Romance/relationships etc
22. Types of TV Dramas
Teen Dramas Example
School Dramas (like teen) Waterloo Road
Soap Operas East Enders
Costume/Period/Historical Dramas Downton Abbey
Medical/Hospital Dramas ER
Police/Crime Dramas Law & Order, CSI
Docu-Dramas
Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi Dr Who, Merlin
Misc
Romance/relationships etc
Lip Service ……..
23. How can you watch them?
O TV
O -terrestrial
O -on demand
O Online
O -save episodes, watch later
O -bbc iplayer, 4OD etc
O -youtube
24. Timing of section a
O 1 hour total (part of 2 hour exam)
O =30 min watching, 30 minutes writing
essay
Timing What happens
View #1 Watch clip, no notes
View #2 Watch clip, some notes
Break 2 mins for notes
View #3 Watch clip, more notes
Break 2 mins for notes
View #4 Mostly taking notes
25. Accessing OCR info
O Google
O Ocr
O Media
O Specification
OR
O Read all documents
O Mark schemes, specifications, exam
reports etc
26. Key terms map
O Keep this in folder
O Revise the key terms regularly – A LOT of
terms!
27. Homework
O 1. go onto OCR website and try to find the
following:
O Spec for A level media
O Examiner reports from last year
O Past papers from last year
