The term will begin with an introduction to theoretical frameworks and media language, with a particular focus on Semiotics (Barthes, Saussurre), Representation (Hall, hooks, Mulvey), Narrative (Todorov, Propp), and Binary Opposites (Levi-Strauss).
Initial weeks will focus on deconstructing texts.
Students will prepare for the set products on the component one examination, in studying Tide and Paralympic Games advertisements and Kiss of the Vampire film poster. The term will end with an exam focus and practical task plan and draft.
Exam-style questions throughout lessons.
Key examination set products:
Paralympic Games – audio visual advert
Tide – print advert
Kiss of the Vampire – film poster
Any material thing that signifies, e.g. words on a page, a facial expression, an image.
sound belonging to the world of the production e.g. voices, music coming from a source within the setting (radio, jukebox etc.), voiceover commentary from the protagonist e.g. Sarah Connor in Terminator 2.
Sound not produced by anyone or anything in the world of the production e.g. explanatory voiceover, music (to apply and add to emotional dimensions of a production).
A style of lighting which allows a full range of tones to be seen in shot. These scenes tend to be brightly lit but a similar effect can be achieved with less overall light.
A system of lighting in which shadows are not eliminated by fill lighting but are used to add overall effect to the mise-en-scéne
Also called the establishing shot, as it is often the first shot of a scene. Performers are distant in the setting.
The setting still takes up most of the frame but performers are closer to the camera.
The performer is framed from the knees up.
The performer is framed from the waist up.
Frames part of the body, such as head or hands.
Frames part of the face, such as eyes or mouth.
Can be used to create a particular idea or power dynamic e.g. vulnerability from a high angle shot or a sense of power and dominance from a low angle shot.
Set at an angle, as if the head has been tilted.
The literal or primary definition of something.
The implied, suggested or abstract meaning of a word, sign or symbol - connotations carry a secondary, cultural meaning.
Having more than one idea or interpretation.
Where signs get meaning from their association with other signs - comparing and contrasting each of the signifiers present in the text with absent signifiers that in similar circumstances might have been chosen, and considering the choices made.
Where signs get meaning from their sequential order, e.g. the sequence of events that make up a story.
A combination of paradigms and syntagms that make up an oft-told story with elaborate cultural associations, e.g., the cowboy myth, the romance myth.
Codes that reinforce or are congruent with structures of power. Ideology works largely by creating forms of "common sense," of the taken-for-granted in everyday life.
The meaning that has been encoded into media texts and constructed by producers in the hope that this meaning (only) will be understood.
Meanings of a sign which are not always agreed upon.
The interpretation of a mass-media text by a decoder whose social situation places them in a directly oppositional relation to the dominant code, who understands the preferred reading but rejects this reading, bearing an alternative ideological code.
A kind of connotation in which a part is used for the whole e.g. The White House to represent America.
A kind of connotation where in one sign is substituted for another with which it is closely associated e.g. a white flag for surrender
Semiotics, or semiology, is the study of signs, symbols, and signification. It is the study of how meaning is created, not what it is
Students will explore various political, religious, cultural and philosophical belief systems, as promoted and represented across various media platforms. They will explore the representation of gender and political views, exploring the impact of first, second and third wave feminism, and how the media has developed because of this. Other ideas such as gender expectations and stereotyping will also be covered in discussion, with theorists such as Judith Butler and bell hooks (sic) explored.
Discussions and group work will allow a platform to promote: - individual liberty and beliefs - tolerance - equality - mutual respect - faith-based issues (arising from articles discussed in class) - freedom of speech and censorship
Section B: Magazines – Mainstream and Alternative Media
The magazine industry in the UK is a highly challenging media environment, with thousands of titles competing for readers and market space. Here, learners will study two magazines in depth, developing an understanding of the contextual factors that shape their production, distribution, circulation and consumption, as well as considering the historical, social, and cultural significance of the representations they offer. Learners will also explore how media language incorporates viewpoints and ideologies.
Each option includes two magazines that have been produced within different historical and industry contexts and that target different audiences. One of the magazines, The Big Issue, will be contemporary, whilst the other, Vogue, will have been produced before 1970; one will be a commercial magazine with mainstream appeal, whilst the other will have been produced outside the commercial mainstream.
Timed comparison response of an unseen moving image text and an advertising set text. This assessment will be marked against the criteria for question 1 of Component 1, in order to show progress and development since the January mock exam.
Component 1 examination is worth 35% of overall mark.
Outline of NEA statement of aims – a brief of 500 words to be produced and completed over the Easter break; this will enable a smooth transition into Component 3 in Term 5.
Component 3 NEA is worth 30% of overall mark.
The title of the publication displayed on the front page.
Dominant picture filling much of the front cover.
Picture story that can exist on its own or on a front page, leading to a story inside.
Also known as copy. Written material that makes up the main part of the article.
Block of text that introduces the story, normally in a different style to the body text and headline.
An information panel on the front page that tells the reader about other stories to tempt them to read inside.
Something taken from within the article, usually said by the person in the main image.
Everything on the page, except pictures or text of stories.
The idea that our eyes are drawn diagonally down the page (in the shape of a 'Z') from masthead, to main image, and then across the bottom.
What is expected of a particular brand's cover.
The idea that the media presents us with ideas from which we can shape our own identities - it can provide us with role models to aspire to.
Students will explore various ideologies, as promoted and represented across various media platforms, including those endorsed by Vogue (1965) and The Big Issue. The magazines present students with a variety of social, moral and cultural issues to discuss, such as stereotyping and gender perfromativity. The lessons in this unit offer opportunities to discuss ideas on feminism and the roles and representation of women, as well as issues such as homelessness and poverty.
Discussions and group work will allow a platform to promote: - individual liberty and beliefs - tolerance - equality - mutual respect - faith-based issues (arising from articles discussed in class) - freedom of speech and censorship
The term will focus on marketing within the film industry, and the newspaper industry.
Students will explore how various marketing strategies are used in the films, Black Panther and I, Daniel Blake.
Students will explore the technical, political and regulatory aspects of newspapers, building on theories around audiences (examined during term 1). Set newspaper products will include 'Partygate' editions of The Mirror and The Times (from February 2022).
The expectations are that students can deconstruct the examination set products (above), in relation to media language, representation, audience and industries.
Deconstruction of set products, with an exam-style focus, including:
- Black Panther
- I, Daniel Blake
- The Daily Mirror
- The Times
Prior learning will include:
• Deconstruction of a media text
• Semiotics (Barthes)
• Structuralism (Levi-Strauss)
• Audience theories
- Representation - how media language is used to create representations of individuals, social groups and/or events through a process of selection and combination
- Industry and Audience - how various political, cultural, moral and social ideologies are constructed across these examination texts.
How a particular individual, group or idea has been depicted, portrayed or shown. This can be achieved by the type of Media Language used to identify or promote them.
A technique whereby the choice of written text, commentary, mise en scéne, camera angle or soundtrack can direct the audience towards a certain meaning.
George Gerbner - the more we are exposed to certain ideas, beliefs and representations, the more we believe they are true.
How a media text aligns or associates itself, in terms of politics e.g. The Mirror is more 'left' or Socialist, whereas The Times leans more towards the 'right' and Conservatism.
The idea that audiences are no longer passive consumers but can generate media themselves e.g. filming a news-worthy event on their smartphone and broadcasting or publishing it. This may include social media sites, blogs wikis and videos, too.
The title of the newspaper, displayed on the front page.
The fact that an audience can access media products (such as news) on different platforms e.g. phone, laptop, tablet, games console etc.
A media conglomerate, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, theme parks, or the Internet. Disney is a well-known example.
Vertical integration - when a company merges with others across the media spectrum to form a conglomerate. Horizontal integration - when a company buys up similar (often independent) companies to form a larger group.
Pluralists believe that companies are more interested in making money than projecting their ideas. They feel that as long as a number of companies exist, a variety of groups and interests will be represented in the media.
Marxists believe that concentration of media ownership enables the most powerful in society to perpetuate their ideas and keep class structures in tact. The media acts as an agent for the ruling class and presents the ideologies and values of that class.
Media regulation is the control or guidance of media content by governments and other bodies.
The process which ensures a films’ release is done in such a way that the product will reach the widest and largest audience possible.
A few companies with domination in one sector.
Curran and Seaton suggest that the media is controlled by a small number of companies (conglomerates) primarily driven by profit and power (ideologies).
Students will explore various political, religious, cultural and philosophical beliefs, as promoted and represented across various media platforms, including those endorsed by The Times and Daily Mirror. The newspaper front pages and articles deal with recent British politics. The lessons in this unit offer opportunities to discuss ideas on the political spectrum, ranging from socialism to fascism, as well as issues of ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender equality and national identity.
Discussions and group work will allow a platform to promote: - individual liberty and beliefs - tolerance - equality - mutual respect - faith-based issues (arising from articles discussed in class) - freedom of speech and censorship
The term will continue with a focus on the newspaper industry.
Students will explore the technical, political and regulatory aspects of newspapers, building on theories around audiences (examined during Term 1). Set newspaper products will include 'Partygate' editions of The Mirror and The Times (from February 2022).
The expectations are that students can deconstruct the examination set products (above), in relation to media language, representation, audience and industries.
Deconstruction of set products, with an exam-style focus, including:
- Black Panther
- I, Daniel Blake
- The Daily Mirror
- The Times
- Representation - how media language is used to create representations of individuals, social groups and/or events through a process of selection and combination
- Industry and Audience - how various political, cultural, moral and social ideologies are constructed across these examination texts.
Keeping material from audiences. Such material will include graphic images, speech or ideas which may be considered harmful, sensitive or offensive to audience members. Material and levels of censorship are determined by governments and regulatory bodies.
Self-regulation is when individuals make choices about what media to access, or publish as a prosumer. It is also the display of control by established media outlets who can choose what content to distribute based on moral and ethical guidelines.
Free speech is the right for individuals and groups to hold opinions and speak without censorship or restraint.
Gatekeeper is the term for who allows and decides which content will go forward and be published or broadcast. Changing technologies have drastically altered the traditional gatekeeping process.
Private vs. public is debate about what information is kept from the wider audience and what information (about individuals) should not be allowed into the public domain.
The idea that prolonged exposure to violent images numb the effects of them. The more you become accustomed to violent images, the less likely they are to have an impact on the audience. Arguably this had influenced more liberal regulation.
Moral Panic is a concept that demonstrates a particular type of overreaction to a perceived social problem/group of people/new technology. The problem is exaggerated and sensationalised in the wider press.
The freeing of media from strict/state controlled regulation. It is the relaxing of regulation laws, which pave the way. The 1990/6 Broadcasting Act was said to signal deregulation of the media, with Murdoch’s BskyB allowed to operate in the UK.
The specific group at whom the product is aimed.
A relatively small audience with specialised interests, tastes and backgrounds.
An audience who responds to and interprets media products in different ways and who actively engages with the messages encoded in the products.
An audience that does not engage actively with the product. They are more likely to accept a preferred meaning of the text without challenge. This also suggests that passive audiences are more likely to be directly affected by the messages in the product.
A way of categorising audiences by dividing consumers into groups based on age, sex, income, education, occupation, household size, marital status, home ownership or other factors.
A way of cateogrising audiences based on personality, lifestyle, values and opinions, attitudes and lifestyles. Young and Rubicams Four C’s.
A culture where individuals are not only the consumers of media products but also contribute to existing products or produce their own.
A term used to describe those individuals who comment on, create and adapt existing content and then distribute it through social media.
The media product injects ideas into the minds of the assumed passive audience who will respond as one- now largely viewed as an outdated effects theory.
Inoculation theory suggests that long-term exposure to repeated media messages makes audiences ‘immune’ to them. For example, prolonged exposure to media violence would desensitise the audience so that they were no longer shocked by it.
This concept of audience reception suggests that the mass media render the audience incapable of action. The term describes the way that prolonged media exposure can act like a narcotic drug on the brain, causing apathy.
The uses and gratifications theory assumes the audience chooses what it wants to watch for five different reasons: Information and Education; Entertainment; Personal Identity; Integration and social interaction, and Escapism.
Students will explore various political, religious, cultural and philosophical beliefs, as promoted and represented across various media platforms, including those endorsed by The Times and Daily Mirror. The lessons in this unit offer opportunities to discuss ideas on the political spectrum, ranging from socialism to fascism, as well as issues of ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender equality and national identity.
Discussions and group work will allow a platform to promote: - individual liberty and beliefs - tolerance - equality - mutual respect - faith-based issues (arising from articles discussed in class) - freedom of speech and censorship
Component 3 involves one cross-media production in two forms for an intended audience. The brief (released at the beginning of March) will specify time and length, and be dependent upon the form chosen. Students will have to cover media language, representations, audiences and media industries (including digital convergence). A Statement of Aims and Intentions should be of 500 words approximately, and will outline their production.
The following forms will always be set:
- Television
- Music marketing
- Film marketing
- Magazines
The exam board will stipulate the industry and audience contexts, and specific key requirements to be included in the production.
Learners will develop a response to their chosen brief and create a production in a genre of their choice for the specified industry context and intended audience.
Internally assessed and externally moderated, students will be permitted a period of 16 weeks from the start of production to its completion. Prior to this, students will carry out research into their chosen media text, audience and industry, including: research into similar products, storyboards, scripts, timelines, focus groups, pitches, treatments, audience and industry research etc.
Primary audience research such as focus groups, surveys and questionnaires - research prior to completion of production work.
Academic theoretical research appropriate to A Level to develop understanding and support analysis.
This could include a timeline and the planned use of, for example, resources or equipment.
Planning documents appropriate to the form/product undertaken such as: a step outline; a shot list; a storyboard; a script; draft designs; mock-ups of composition and layout.
Conceptualised as a complete package of interrelated products in two forms, reflecting the nature of the contemporary media and the importance of different platforms in distributing, and enabling audiences to access, the media.
A media treatment (or simply treatment) is a piece of prose, typically the step between scene cards (index cards) and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture, television program, or radio play.
This unit will allow students to consider how they will use media language to represent a particular group, individual or social issue, and build upon some of the moral, cultural and philosophical ideas broached throughout the course so far. These may include: - ethnicity - gender roles - political belief systems - ageism - cultivation theory/desensitisation - crime - poverty - monopolies in media - faith/religious issues - censorship - role models
Research tasks and production work will allow a platform to promote: - individual liberty and beliefs - tolerance - equality - mutual respect - faith-based issues - freedom of speech and censorship
Students will continue work on their cross-media production NEA for Component 3 (30%).
Additionally, students will study the Music video set texts for Component 1 - Beyonce's 'Formation' and Vance Joy's 'Riptide'. Students will explore the cultural contexts surrounding the music video, as well as how media language and representation are used to convey various ideologies.
The NEAs will be graded, as specified by the exam board, when submitted as complete.
How media producers group audiences (e.g. by age, gender, ethnicity) to target their products.
The association the audience make with the brand, for example Chanel or Nike, built up over time and reinforced by the advertising campaigns and their placement.
What the audience expects to see in a particular media text. Useful headings to discuss conventions are: charact
These suggest the content to the reader and often contain teasers and rhetorical questions. These relate to the genre of the magazine.
What makes the magazine recognisable to its readers every issue. The house style is established through the choice of colour, the layout and design, the font style, the content and the general 'look' of the publication.
Learners will develop the ability to analyse critically and compare how media products, including products outside the commercial mainstream, construct and communicate meanings through the interaction of media language and audience response and debate key questions relating to the social, cultural, political and economic role of the media through discursive writing.
Learners will explore the effect of social and cultural contexts on representations, and how and why particular social groups, in a global and national context, may be under-represented or misrepresented.