Q1a - YOU

Question 1(a) requires candidates to describe and evaluate their skills development over the course of their production work, from Foundation Portfolio to Advanced Portfolio. The focus of this evaluation must be on skills development, and the question will require them to adapt this to one or two specific production practices. The list of practices to which questions will relate is as follows:

Digital Technology Creativity Research and planning Post-production Using conventions from real media texts In the examination, questions will be posed

using one or two of these categories.

Q1b – THE WORK

Where candidates have produced relevant work outside the context of their A Level media course, they are free to additionally refer to this experience.

Question 1(b) requires candidates to select one production and evaluate it in relation to a media concept. The list of concepts to which questions will relate is as follows:

Genre Narrative Representation Audience Media language

In the examination, questions will be set using one of these concepts only.

G325 exam questions - 1a

1. Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.

2. “Digital technology turns media consumers into media producers”. In your own experience, how has your creativity developed through using digital technology to complete your coursework productions?

3. Discuss how you developed your skills in the use of digital technology for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.

G325 exam questions - 1a

1. Describe the ways in which your production work was informed by research into real media texts and how your ability to use research for production changed over time.

2. Explain how your understanding of the conventions of existing media influenced the way you created your own media products. Refer to a range of examples to show this understanding developed over time.

1b questions

1. “Media texts rely on cultural experiences in order for audiences to easily make sense of narratives”. Explain how you used conventional and / or experimental narrative approaches in one of your production pieces.

2. Analyse media representation in one of your coursework productions.

3. Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to genre

4. Apply theories of narrative to one of your coursework productions

5. Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to audience

Postmodern media

All questions require a sense of debate – different definitions of postmodernism, post modern texts – are they that radically different? Does the postmodern era actually exist? Is it especially different to times gone by?

Postmodern media

Styles of questions Q10 – generally focuses on wanting you

to discuss what you understand by the term ‘postmodern media’ and wanting you to show how to apply this to a number of texts

Q11 – more theoretically pointed – wants the same things as Q10 but will require a more developed understanding of the relevant theory and knowledge of how to apply it

Postmodern Media – Q10

Discuss two or more media texts that you would define as ‘postmodern’ and explain why you would give them this label. Cover at least two media in your answer.

What is meant by ‘postmodern media’? Why are some media products as postmodern? Explain how certain kinds of media can be

defined as postmodern. How do postmodern media differ from other

media?

Postmodern Media – Q11

Consider the ways in which postmodern media challenge conventional relations between audience and text. Refer to at least two media forms in your answer.

Explain why the idea of ‘postmodern media’ might be considered controversial.

“Postmodern media blur the line between reality and representation”. Discuss this idea with reference to media texts that you have studied.

Discuss why some people are not convinced by the idea of postmodern media.

How far do you accept the idea of postmodern media?