This document provides information about a media studies taster session that took place on two days. On the first day, it introduced media studies and discussed why it is a valuable subject. It explained the different units that will be studied, including analyzing TV drama extracts and producing a radio news bulletin. Students were assigned a media diary task for homework. The second day involved discussing media consumption habits, defining TV drama genres, and identifying representations of social class, age and gender by analyzing an extract from Downton Abbey.

1. AS Level Media Studies
Taster session
Monday 22nd June 2015
Welcome to…

2. What’s the point of
Media Studies?
• Media Studies has, in the past, attracted controversy for being a ‘soft subject’
BUT…
• Increasingly valued by universities and employers;
• Media saturates our lives 24/7;
• Improves literacy skills – analysis and evaluation (key skills in other A Level
subjects);
• Vocational – involves lots of hands-on application of key skills;
• Intellectually challenging – particularly the A2 exam called ‘Critical Perspectives
in Media’.
• Rigorously assessed;
• Fast-paced teaching and learning – there’s a lot to fit in to a short space of time;
• IT’S FUN! (Probably one of the most enjoyable A Level subjects available!)
• The Leahy Dream Team!

3. Why have YOU picked
Media Studies?
• 2 mins;
• Consider: what you’re hoping to learn; what you’re most interested
in, etc.

4. You will be expected to…
• Turn up to every lesson on time;
• Make comprehensive notes during lessons;
• Hand in completed homework tasks on time;
• Bring necessary equipment to every lesson;
• Catch up with missed work if you are absent;
• Keep your folder/s up-to-date and organised.

5. AS Level: Two units
• G321 - Foundation Portfolio in Media - 50%;
• G322 - Key Media Concepts (TV Drama) – 50%.

6. G322: Key Media Concepts
(TV Drama)
• Two hour exam (June 2016);
• Section A – TV Drama;
• Section B – Institutions and Audiences: The film industry.

7. Section A: TV Drama
• 5 min extract of TV Drama (unseen) – watch it four times;
• 45 minutes to answer one question on representation in TV Drama.
• Seven possible areas of representation (gender, age, disability, social
class and status, sexuality, ethnicity and regional identity).

8. Section B:
Institutions and Audiences
• Develop an in-depth case study of the film industry.
• Processes involved from production to distribution.
• Answer one question in exam – 45 minutes.

9. Foundation portfolio:
Radio news Production
• Working in a group of up to 4;
• Practical – radio news production.
• Preliminary task and main task.
• Similar to process in GCSE Media Studies controlled assessment assignment
3.
• Focus on independent learning and team work.
Process involves:
1. Research how the professionals create a radio news bulletin;
2. Plan how you will create your radio news bulletin;
3. Construct (make) your radio news bulletin;
4. Evaluate your radio news bulletin.

10. Preliminary task
• The introductory music/jingle for a show on the radio with a
presenter introducing and greeting their guest (who must respond)
and playing an archive sound clip relating to the guest (approximately
30-40 seconds duration in total). This exercise is to demonstrate
understanding of sound editing and mixing and conventions of radio.
• The preliminary exercise doesn’t carry any marks – but you can lose
marks if you don’t include it on your blog!

11. Main task
• A five minute local radio news bulletin, aimed at an audience of
teenagers and young people, to include title music, presenter,
specialist reporters, outside broadcasts, recorded interview, a vox
pop and appropriate sound effects and structure.
• All audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s),
with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free
source. Both preliminary and main tasks may be done individually or
as a group. Maximum four members to a group.

12. Blog, blog, blog…!
• All of your research and planning will be presented electronically
using Blogger.com.
• Emphasis of using ‘exciting and innovative ICT’ to present your
research, planning and evaluation, e.g. Prezi presentations, audio-
visual content uploaded to Soundcloud or Youtube.

13. Task for tomorrow
• Use the handout provided to keep a media diary;
• Detail EVERY type of media consumption you come into contact with
(TV, radio, internet, smartphone, video games consoles, billboards,
etc.).
YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED BY JUST HOW MUCH MEDIA YOU
CONSUME IN 24 HOURS!

15. Taster session 2
Tuesday 23rd June 2015

16. Media diary feedback
Discuss in pairs:
• How many total hours did you spend consuming media?
• Are you surprised by the results?
• Which media platform did you consume most of?
• Does this 24 hour media diary reflect your media consumption in
general?

17. What is TV Drama?
• How would you describe TV drama to someone?
• What sets it apart from other genres of TV programming?
In pairs, write a definition:
“TV Drama is……”

18. TV Drama is…
…dramatic programming that is scripted, normally
fictional and explores a range of genres through
storytelling.”

19. Examples of TV Drama
1. On individual post-it notes, write the titles of as many TV Dramas as
you can think of!
2. Using your flip chart paper, put them into groups and label them
appropriately.
3. How have you decided to group them? Why?

20. Sub-genres
TV Drama is a genre of TV programming (as is reality TV, news and
current affairs, sports, situation comedy, etc).
A ‘sub-genre’ is where genres are subdivided into even more specific
categories…

21. Continuing Dramas
• These are more commonly known as ‘soap operas’ and are long-
running series (usually weekday evenings). Main characters and
plotlines continue throughout several episodes (sometimes longer!)
and develop slowly over time.
E.g. Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale.

22. Teen Dramas
•These depend entirely on the target audience
empathising with a range of authentic characters,
age-specific situations and anxieties.
E.g. Skins.

23. Period/Costume Dramas
•These are often linked to ‘classic’ novels or plays and
offer a set of pleasures that are very different to
dramas set in our times.
E.g. Downton Abbey, Mr Selfridge.

24. Medical/Hospital
Dramas
•We witness trauma and suffering on the part of
patients and relatives with a set of staff narratives that
deploy soap opera conventions.
E.g. Holby City, ER.

25. Police/Crime Dramas
•These work in the same way as medical/hospital
dramas but we can substitute the health context for
representation of criminals and victims.
E.g. Silent Witness, Luther, The Bill.

26. Comedy Dramas
• These combine dramatic storylines with playing for laughs, having
both humorous and sometimes serious content.
E.g. Desperate Housewives, Shameless, Gavin and Stacey, Sex and the
City.

27. Sci-fi/fantasy dramas
• These are dramas which might be set in the future, on a different
planet, or include aliens or other mythical beings. Main characters
are usually human (or a human/vampire type) as audience needs to
connect with them. Often main characters want to be ‘normal’.
E.g. Dr Who, Merlin, Being Human.

28. Representation
• All media texts are a re-presentation of reality.
• They are intentionally lit, framed, scripted and edited and are
an entirely artificial version of the reality we perceive around
us.
• Every media form is a representation of someone’s concept of
existence (the media producers), made into a series of signs
and symbols which can be read by the audience.
• Representation is constructed through technical codes…

29. 7 areas of representation
• Social class and status
• Sexuality
• Disability
• Regional identity
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Gender

30. Things to consider
How do the following technical codes help to construct
meaning:
• Camera shots, angles and movement;
• Editing;
• Mise-en-scene – costumes, props, lighting and setting;
• Sound.

31. Task: Identifying
representations in TV Drama
EXTRACT: Downton Abbey (June 2014 exam)
• Firstly, we’ll watch the extract once without making notes.
• We’ll then watch it again another three times.
• In groups, you’ll make notes on the flip chart paper on one of the following
three areas of representation:
• Social class and status;
• Age;
• Gender.
• For each of the three viewings, you’ll move on to the next table and analyse
a different area.

32. Plenary
• Let’s see how much we have learnt about TV drama…
• http://media.edusites.co.uk/quiz/tvandwebbaseddramaquiz/quiz.swf