An overview to the OCR AS Media studies course

1. OCR ADVANCED SUBSIDIARY
GCE IN MEDIA STUDIES
Introduction

2. STRUCTURE OF AS COURSE
G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media (COURSEWORK)
G322: Key Media Concepts TV Drama (WRITTEN
EXAM)

3. AS G321:
FOUNDATION
PORTFOLIO IN MEDIA

4. PURPOSE OF UNIT
The purpose of this unit is to assess your:
oability to plan and construct media products
using appropriate technical and creative skills
oapplication of knowledge and understanding in
evaluating their own work, showing how
meanings and responses are created
oability to undertake, apply and present
appropriate research

5. UNIT REQUIREMENTS
The unit requires candidates to engage with contemporary media
technologies, giving them the opportunity for development of skills in
these technologies.
This is a coursework unit, internally assessed and externally
moderated. Candidates produce a media artefact in response to briefs
set by OCR plus some appropriate evidence of research and planning.
The task provides progression from a pre-production, preliminary
exercise to a more fully realised piece in the same medium. This
offers the opportunity for skills development to be assessed, as well
as a final finished piece.

6. VIDEO BRIEF - PRELIMINARY
EXERCISE:
Continuity task involving filming and editing a character
opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair
opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges
a couple of lines of dialogue.
This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse
shot and the 180-degree rule.
You will film and edit this in your own time
Deadline October 1st 2015

7. MAIN TASK 60 marks

8. VIDEO BRIEF - MAIN TASK
The titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a
maximum of two minutes.
All video and 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.

9. EVALUATION 20 marks

10. EVALUATION
Each candidate will evaluate and reflect upon the creative process and their
experience of it. Candidates will evaluate their work digitally, this evaluation
being structured by the set of required questions below. This evaluation may
be done collectively for a group production or individually. Examples of
suitable formats for the evaluation are:
• A podcast
• DVD extras
• A blog
• A PowerPoint
• A website
• or a combination of two or more of the above.
In all cases, candidates should be encouraged to see the evaluation as a
creative task and the potential of the format chosen should be
exploited through the use of images, audio, video and links to
online resources.

11. 7QS
In the evaluation the following seven questions must be addressed:
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product
and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have
learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

12. ADMIN

13. ADMIN
The production element and presentation of research and planning
may be individual or group work (maximum group size is four
candidates).
Where candidates have worked in a group, the evidence for
assessment may be presented collectively but centres will still assess
candidates on an individual basis for their contribution to aspects of
the work, from planning, research and production to evaluation.
G321 is marked and internally standardised by the centre and marks
are submitted to OCR by a specified date, a sample is then selected
for external moderation.
The unit is marked out of a total of 100 marks: 20 marks for the
presentation of the planning and research; 60 marks for the
construction; 20 marks for the evaluation.

14. SUBMITTING WORK
Video work must be in DVD format but must be playable on standard
domestic DVD players for moderation purposes. No print item should
be larger than A3 size.
Research and Planning may be presented in digital format, but can be
presented as hard copy at AS Level only.

15. MARKING How to get an A.

16. PLANNING AND RESEARCH
LEVEL 4 16–20 MARKS
• Planning and research evidence will be complete and detailed;
• There is excellent research into similar products and a potential
target audience;
• There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or
props;
• There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or
storyboarding;
• There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the
research and planning;
• Time management is excellent.

17. TECHNICAL ELEMENT
LEVEL 4 48–60 MARKS
Individual’s contribution to the main task only
There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following
technical skills:
• material appropriate for the target audience and task;
• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions;
• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set;
• shooting material appropriate to the task set;, including controlled use of
the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention
to mise-en-scene;
• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making
selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.

18. EVALUATION
LEVEL 4 16–20 MARKS
• Excellent skill in the use of appropriate digital technology or ICT in
the evaluation.
• Excellent understanding of issues around audience, institution,
technology, representation, forms and conventions in relation to
production.
• Excellent ability to refer to the choices made and outcomes.
• Excellent understanding of their development from preliminary to
full task.
• Excellent ability to communicate.

19. AS G322: KEY MEDIA
CONCEPTS
(TV DRAMA)

20. PURPOSE
To assess candidates’
media textual analysis skills and their understanding
of the concept of representation using a short unseen
moving image extract (AO1, AO2);
knowledge and understanding of media institutions
and their production processes, distribution
strategies, use of technologies and related issues
concerning audience reception and consumption of
media texts (AO1, AO2):

21. THE EXAM
The examination is two hours (including 30 minutes for viewing
and making notes on the moving image extract) and candidates
are required to answer two compulsory questions. The unit is
marked out of a total of 100, with each question marked out of
50.
Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation - 50 Marks
Section B: Institutions and Audiences – 50 marks

22. SECTION A:
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS AND
REPRESENTATION
50 MARKSAn ‘unseen’ moving image extract with one compulsory
question dealing with textual analysis of various technical
aspects of the languages and conventions of moving image
media.
Candidates will be asked to link this analysis with a
discussion of some aspect of representation within the
sequence.
Beforehand you will watch a range of examples from texts
from the genre to demonstrate textual analysis of all of the
following technical areas of moving image language and
conventions in relation to the unseen extract:
• Camera Angle, Shot, Movement and Composition
• Mise-en-Scène
• Editing
• Sound
The focus of study for Section A is the use of technical
aspects of the moving image medium to create meaning for
an audience, focussing on the creation of representations of

23. THE EXAM
For examination from 2014:
The unseen moving image extract will be four to five minutes long
and will be from the following genre:
TV Drama
The sequence will be taken from a contemporary one-off drama or
series or serial drama programme scheduled on British television
stations including some sourced from other countries.
Guidance is given below regarding the administration of the
examination. There will be viewing and note-making time for Section
A. The timings and rules for viewing of extract and note-making will
be explained.

24. SECTION A: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
AND REPRESENTATION
Candidates should be prepared to analyse and discuss the following:
technical aspects of the language and conventions of the moving
image medium, in relation to the unseen moving image extract, as
appropriate to the genre and extract specified, in order to discuss the
sequence’s representation of individuals, groups, events or places:
Camera Shots, Angle, Movement and Composition
• Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long
shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the
shoulder shot, and variations of these.
• Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle.
• Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held,
zoom, reverse zoom.
• Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and
shallow focus, focus pulls.

25. SECTION A: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
AND REPRESENTATION
Editing
Includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-
continuity systems.
Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eye line match, graphic match,
action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway;
insert.
Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe,
superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis
and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.

26. SECTION A: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
AND REPRESENTATION
Sound
Diegetic and non-diegetic sound;
synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects;
sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover,
mode of address/direct address, sound mixing,
sound perspective.
Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and
stings, ambient sound.

27. SECTION A: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
AND REPRESENTATION
Mise-en-Scène
 Production design: location, studio, set
design, costume and make-up, properties.
 Lighting; colour design.

28. REPRESENTATION
Candidates should be prepare presentations to discuss, in response
to the question, how these technical elements create specific
representation of individuals, groups, events or places and help to
articulate specific messages and values that have social significance.
Particular areas of representation that may be chosen are:
• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Class and status
• Physical ability/disability
• Regional identity

29. SECTION B:
INSTITUTIONS AND AUDIENCES
50 MARKS
One compulsory question to be answered by candidates based upon a
case study of a specific media industry, from a choice of six topic
areas offered by OCR.
Centres should choose one of the following topic areas, in advance of
the examination. Through specific case studies of the centre’s choice,
candidates should be prepared to demonstrate understanding of
contemporary institutional processes of production, distribution,
marketing and exchange/exhibition at a local, national or
international level as well as British audiences’ reception and
consumption. There should also be some emphasis on the students’
own experiences of being audiences of a particular medium.
Centres may choose to focus on one of the following media
industries:

30. PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION,
MARKETING
Candidates should be prepared to understand and discuss the processes of production,
distribution, marketing and exchange as they relate to contemporary media institutions,
as well as the nature of audience consumption and the relationships between audiences
and institutions. In addition, candidates should be familiar with:
• the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;
• the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and
marketing;
• the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production,
distribution, marketing and exchange;
• the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences;
• the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences;
• the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by
international or global institutions;
• the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate
wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.

31. FILM
A study of a specific studio or production company within a
contemporary film industry that targets a British audience (eg
Hollywood, Bollywood, UK film), including its patterns of production,
distribution, exhibition and consumption by audiences. This should
be accompanied by study of contemporary film distribution practices
(digital cinemas, DVD, HD-DVD, downloads, etc) and their impact
upon production, marketing and consumption.

32. THE EXAM
Timing
The total time of the examination is two hours, including 30 minutes’ viewing
time.
The 30 minutes at the beginning will be for reading the questions, viewing and
making notes on the extract, before the start of the examination.
Each section of the examination paper is weighted equally and marked out of 50.
It is recommended that candidates divide the time between Section A and B
equally, with 45 minutes for each, although the unit will be administered as a
continuous examination of two hours.
Screening the Extract
Centres need to consider the optimum conditions for screening the extract, so
that no candidates are disadvantaged. The extract should be seen four times in
order to allow candidates to make notes for their answers.
Note-making
Notes on the moving image extract are made on the answer booklet provided.
Candidates are allowed to read the question before the extract is screened. They
should then watch the moving image extract, without making notes, for the first
screening. They should then make notes for the three subsequent screenings.

33. ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES An overview

34. ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 1
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media concepts,
contexts and critical debates.
A/B Candidates characteristically:
a) communicate relevant knowledge and understanding of media
concepts;
b) sustain relevant arguments linked to media contexts and critical
debates;
c) structure and organise their writing;
d) communicate content and meaning through expressive and
accurate writing.

35. ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 2
Apply knowledge and understanding when analysing media products
and processes and evaluating their own practical work, to show how
meanings and responses are created.
A/B Candidates characteristically:
a) communicate understanding of media forms, codes or conventions;
b) link media products and processes to the creation of meaning;
c) evaluate their own work with reference to these aspects or the
shaping of audience response.

36. ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 3
Demonstrate the ability to plan and construct media products using
appropriate technical and creative skills.
A/B Candidates characteristically:
a) construct a media product using appropriate technical and creative
skills;
b) demonstrate controlled use of the selected technology.

37. ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 4
Demonstrate the ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate
research.
A/B Candidates characteristically :
a) communicate an understanding of research skills and appropriate
methods;
b) present relevant research findings or conclusions;
c) produce a reflective evaluation of the process and its outcomes.