Answer/give point of view to the question (I think my skills have developed in
Outline briefly what you made across both years
Explain to the examiner how you are going to structure the essay

Approach your essay 3 stages:

1) pre-

Question 1a

G325 Section A: Exemplar Essay

Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to creative decision making?

1a)

Over the two year media course we had to produce both a foundation portfolio of a school magazine and music magazine as well as an advance portfolio of a horror teaser trailer, film magazine – developing foundation skills further and a poster to advertise our trailer.

In the first year we researched existing music magazines and analysed each one so that we could gain knowledge of particular layouts, fonts and key elements that need to be contained in our production to make it successful. Research and planning allowed us to recognise ‘mastheads’ on magazines as being the most important and therefore the need to focus on a font more detailed to keep continuity with the contents page and double page spread which we also had to create.

Personally I researched ‘Rock’ magazines such as Kerrang, NME and others because I had chosen after carrying out a questionnaire to use Rock music as my theme. The real life media texts allowed me to visualise my favourite parts from each magazine – wripped sticker graphics and broken font on my own work which I then attempted to recreate within Photoshop CS4. In year one we were limited to what we could research because magazines were the only theme however, in the second year I was able to develop my ability to research real life media texts much further because we had a range of products we needed to create all under the ‘horror’ genre this time. I was able to research teaser trailers analysing my favourite and least favourite parts allowing me to plan with a mood board which I produced from a range of stills from previous horror films my ideas for my own trailer which helped me to develop my production of my products in relation to real life media texts and techniques such as restricted narration and handheld camera found in the ‘Blair Witch Project’ trailer which inspired my trailer ‘Laquem’ which is also set in the woods. Research into film documentaries like the ‘American Nightmare’ inspired me to create a product which reinforced fear and went against usual horror conventions to make it more interesting. Over the second year research became so important to achieving a product which was realistic and is now like my own distributed on on youtube as a real life media text of its own.

Real life media texts like advertising film posters were able to help me develop my Photoshop skills further because I was able to push myself with the ‘colour burn’ filters and want to create the scary atmosphere of my trailer from just an image and text which I found really fun.

Research into film magazines allowed me to develop my work from AS level so much further because I was able to produce a high standard piece of work in two weeks this year when the magazines took over 3 months last year which shows how much my skills have improves just by being able to constantly refer back to real life media texts for inspiration and even colour schemes that work well together such as black and red which in the first year I just found experimenting with. Research into horror trailers allowed me to recognise different styles of film and how we like Alfred Hitchcock could be an auteur creating new angles and ideas using generic conventions as well as unconventional representations that I have picked upon when watching films and analysing certain techniques which I have then attempted to do in Final Cut Pro when editing certain shots together to create collision cutting and changes in pace which my trailer does extremely well. I was inspired initially by the hand held camera in the

trailer REC and the fact I want as an auteur to change the stereotyped representations to be able use a female psycho killer.

Research also allowed me to produce text and intertitles that shook in order to capture my audience but narrating the story slightly so the shots when together made sense. Research into types of camera movements needed were really helpful and allowed me to completely change the pace with tracking shots and handheld camera which I noticed was used in Silent Hill and American Werewolf in London which I analysed and placed on my blog for reference as some pieces of footage I wanted to recreate including the final girl representations.

Yellow- Explanation/analysis/ arguement

Red- Use of examples

Blue- Use of terminology

There is some sense of proggression and some useful descriptions of technical skills. Mostly relevant and reasonable range of examples of digital technology in relation to creative decisions and outcomes. The answer makes some good use of media terminology with research, planning and production. To improve, candidate needs to think deeper into how they have progressed and give more examples with better explanation.

My mark- 17/25... Real mark 20/25

Section A- Question 1a

Question 1a) 25 marks, 30 minutes to answer, skill development


Describe and evaluate your skill development. College magazine, as music magazine, a2 coursework and ancillary tasks- poster and front cover. You can refer to anything to make outside college

1 or more of these areas

- Digital technology
- Creativity
- Research and planning
- Post production
- Using conventions from real media texts

What did you do?
How did you do it?
How did your skills develop?
All supported with specific examples

Exam tips

How do contemporary media represent different collective groups in different ways?

Diverse representations including fiction, non-fiction and self-representation

Harry Brown, Fish tank, the Inbetweeners, attack the block, London riots, internet and self-mediation

How does contemporary representations compare with that of the past?

Similarities or differences

Quadrophenia- mods and rockers

Plato quote

What are the social implications of different media representations of groups of people?

What power does the audience have to ‘resist’?

Propaganda, creating moral panic

Youth being filled by adults fears

Cultural hegemony

Stuart hall readings

Statistics on result of these representations on attitudes and beliefs Vs the reality of the issues.

The word sensationalise is a good word to use

To what extent is human identity increasingly ‘mediated’?

Increasing media= increasing mediation?

Re-presentation by others/by selves (facebook/youtube)

Be critical of who is offering the representations and for what purpose

Mediated: How the media shapes your world and the way you live in it

Guidance

Add your own personal opinion

What in your opinion is the future of representations and what are you basing on this on?

Connections must be made between examples/ contrasts are discussed

You must embed the theory into what you are saying

MUST refer to more than one media!

Personal target refer to film, internet, newspapers

Introduction- a quote, paraphrase it, and link to issues of identity, representation and the media.

Historical example – quadrophenia

Contemporary examples – harry brown, youtube, facebook

Connect examples together

Conclusion- return to start. Prediction for the future.

Talking about wider content- how did mods and rockers come about? Social mobility, rebelling against society

Use referencing- name and year of publication given after first mention, e.g (Giroux, 1997)

Films, directors

Quote- paraphrase- critique- argue or agree with it

One text older than 5 years.

Other texts should be within last 5 years.

Make a prediction for the future.

 Historial representations

-Example- significance- theory- critique

Contemporary examples - newspapers, film, television

Connotations/ effects

Conclusion

- return to start, summarise key idea, prediction for the future

Mass media construct representations of youth from a middle class, adult perspective, for the ideological purpose of maintaining hegemony

Impact of new media technologies/ internet- more potential for self-representation; limited impact compared to mass media.