Final Checklists for AQA MEST 1 Section A revision including most recent questions from the exam paper

1.
Kate
McCabe
@evenbetterif
MEST
1
SECTION
A
QUESTIONS
• Read
questions
before
viewing
so
you
make
focused
notes
• Read
the
contextual
information
carefully,
pick
up
clues
about
Institution,
Commercial
funding/Advertisers,
platform
choices
etc.
• Divide
sheet
–
keep
exact
question
focus
in
mind
and
• Use
subheadings
as
a
way
in
to
the
key
concepts
to
make
sure
you
don’t
overlook
the
obvious:
• Remember
questions
can
be
in
any
order
• Refer
closely
to
the
text
• Use
appropriate
media
language
Past
Text
Choices:
• Meet
the
Superhumans
–
Channel
4
Programme
Trailer
• Frozen
Planet
‘Freeze
Frame
–
the
making
of..’
–
BBC
One
Additional
footage
to
Wildlife
Documentary
• Embrace
Life
–
Public
Service
Information
Film
on
Road
Safety
• The
Simpsons
Special
Banksy
Opening
Sequence
–
Channel
4
• John
Lewis
Television
Advert
• Mini
Clubman
Viral
Advert
Possible
choices:
News
opening,
Current
Affairs
report,
Documentary,
Reality
TV,
Gaming
trailers,
Film/TV
Trailer,
Quiz
Show,
YouTube
Influential/Viral
Video,
Drama
Opening
sequence,
a
Channel
promotion
trailer,
Citizen
Journalism,
Animation,
live/interactive
web
site
footage

2.
Kate
McCabe
@evenbetterif
Media
Forms
Construct
meaning
SAM
SLATCARD
Mise-­‐en-­‐Scene
Icons,
Signs
&
Symbols
Hall’s
Preferred
Readings,
Negotiated
Readings
Editing
Genre
conventions
–
paradigms
and
syntagms
Narrative
structure
–
Todorov’s
Equilibrium,
Disequilibrium
and
New
Equilibrium,
Barthes’
Action
&
Enigma
Codes
Media
Institutions
Institutional
Impact
Main
Institutional
Contexts
Production
values
Platform
choices
for
text
Power
and
control
of
Institution
over
the
text
Marxist
(elite,
one-­‐way
texts
controlled
by
Institution
=
News,
Drama,
Film
etc.)
Hegemonic
texts
(negotiation
of
power,
audience
trusts
judgement
of
elite
=
X
factor,
Britain’s
Got
Talent
etc.)
Liberally
pluralistic
texts
(driven,
created
and
demanded
by
audiences,
out
of
some
control
by
institutions
–
strong
audience
voice
present
=
Youtube,
Blog
sites,
viral
videos
etc.)
‘Illusion
of
power’
given
to
the
audience
by
the
Institution.
Media
Audiences
Audience
Expectations
Passive
Audience
or
Active
audience
Audience
control
and
interaction
Audience
Reception
of
texts:
Marxist
(elite,
one-­‐way
texts
-­‐
audience
interaction
not
made
possible
or
desired
=
News,
Drama,
Film
etc.)
Hegemonic
texts
(negotiation
of
power,
audience
trusts
judgement
of
elite
=
X
factor,
Britain’s
Got
Talent
etc.)
Liberally
pluralistic
texts
(driven,
created
and
demanded
by
audiences
–
strong
audience
voice
present
=
Youtube,
Blog
sites,
viral
videos
etc.)
Katz
&
Blumler’s
Uses
and
Gratifications
Media
Representation
Dominant
Ideologies
SAM
SLATCARD
Icons,
signs,
symbols
to
create
representations
Mise-­‐en-­‐Scene
Stereotypes
and
subverting
stereotypes
(counter-­‐types)
Type
of
representation
–
mainstream,
dominant,
marginalized,
niche
etc.)
Levi
Strauss’
Binary
Opposition
Said’s
Fear
of
Other

3.
Kate
McCabe
@evenbetterif
PAST
QUESTIONS
Media
Forms
Identify the key narrative techniques used in the trailer?
How are editing and sound used in the sequence to structure the narrative?
How does mise-en-scene contribute to the impact of the film?
How does the opening of this title sequence use media language to draw the audience
into the programme?
How is the text designed to attract potential audiences (print)?
Media Institutions
How does the trailer promote Channel 4’s brand image?
What is the BBC hoping to achieve by including behind the scenes footage?
How does the Institution take an original and positive approach to road safety?
How does the extended sequence make fun of the commercial nature of media?
How does I brand itself as a ‘new kind of newspaper’ in the age of online news (print)?
Media Audiences
How are viewers encouraged by the trailer to see disability?
Does the programme ‘inform, educate and entertain’ its audience?
Why does the film appeal to such a wide audience?
What features of the whole sequence made it so popular on YouTube?
What is the appeal of I’s content to its target readership (print) ?
Media Representations
How are Paralympic Games represented in the trailer as an anticipated Sporting event?
How is the camera crew represented in the behind the scenes footage?
How is family represented in the film?
How does the extended sequence represent the workplace?
How does the front page represent news to make it appear entertaining (print)?

4.
Kate
McCabe
@evenbetterif