2. The Exam
The exam is 2 hours long, and has 2 sections.
Spend 1 hour on each section.
You may want to do the Section B question
first as it is worth most marks.
Remember to number your answers.
3. Section A
Section A is based on your coursework. You answer both questions 1(a) and 1(b).
Question 1(a)you must talk about both AS and A2 coursework products.
Question 1(b) you choose one coursework product, either AS or A2 to discuss.
4. Section A Theorists
Sort the theorists into either Representation,
Audience, Narrative, Genre.
Propp Baudrillard Mulvey Hall
Neale Morley Dyer Perkins
Barthes Ryall Saussure Todorov
Blumler and Katz O’Sullivan Levi-Strauss Williamson
5. 1(b)
In this question you will be asked to apply one
of the following theoretical concepts to either
your AS or A2 coursework:
Representation
Audience For this
question you
Narrative choose either
Genre your AS or A2
coursework to
Media Language discuss.
6. 1(b) Past Questions
Analyse media representation in one of your
coursework productions.
Analyse one of your coursework productions
in relation to genre.
Analyse one of your coursework productions
in relation to narrative.
7. 1(b) Examiner’s Advice
Stronger answers do 3 things well:
Outline the concept for discussion with reference
to relevant theorists
Apply these ideas to a range of specific elements
from your coursework
Discuss how well the concept/theories relate
to your product
Poor answers will lack reference to theory and
specific answers.
Choice of text is important.
8. 1(b) Examiner’s Checklist
Showing understanding of the concept (ideally
with references/quotations)
Applying the concept
Textual analysis of the work (ONE
PRODUCTION) using the concept
It’s about the work.
9. 1(b) Terminology
What key terms can you think of in relation to
each of the conceptual areas:
Representation
Audience
Narrative
Genre
Media Language
10. 1(b) Terminology
Representation – visual pleasure,
object/subject of the gaze, objectification,
signs, signifier, signified,
connotation/denotation, hyperreality,
simulation, simulacra.
13. 1(b) Terminology
Genre – convention, iconography, codes,
product differentiation, capitalist, systems of
expectation and intelligibility, socio-cultural,
myths, genre supervises the relationship
between producer and audience
14. 1(b) Media Language
Production Terminology - effect of technical
choices
Print
Media
Moving Image
Use of genre conventions
Use of narrative structures/codes
Encoding of meaning
15. 1(b) Terminology
You may be able to link terminology from other
concepts into your discussion, e.g.:
Encoding of representations
Use of iconography to encode meaning, and
communicate narrative information
Use of character types in representation
Etc.
16. 1(b)
Understanding of concept
Relate concept to examples from your coursework
Range of specific, clear relevant examples
Use conceptual language throughout
Reference to theorists
Evaluation of usefulness of concept/theory to your
production
This question is worth 25 marks. You should
spend 30 minutes answering it.