End of Yr12 exam- Media Paper 1: Learner response

End of Yr12 exam- Media Paper 1: Learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

WWW: Ishmeet, a fair attempt overall. Some ability to consider contexts of historical + social contexts for score CSP.

EBI: Not enough focus or detail for unseen media product analysis (Q1). For Q6, do not describe film plot just go straight into explaining the question.

2) Read the mark scheme for this exam carefully, paying particular attention to the 'indicative content' for each question. This is some of the best analysis you can do as it gives you an idea of what the exam board is expecting. For your LR blogpost, identify ONE point you could have added for the first three questions in Section A:

Q1 (unseen text) additional point/theory: 

• The typography on the advert is all sans serif, offering connotations of a more youthful, modern brand. The fact the campaign encourages the audience to make this product their “first Swiss watch” reinforces the feel this is aimed at slightly younger professional men perhaps at the start of a lucrative career.

Q2 (unseen text and CSP) additional point/theory/CSP reference: 

• Applying van Zoonen: building on Butler, van Zoonen argues sex role stereotypes are reinforced by the media and this advert emphasises male power, wealth and professional success.
• The representation of the male as hunter in a foreign jungle setting suggests a reference to the British Empire and the colonial dominance of the 19th century.

Q3 (music video) additional point/theory/CSP reference: 

• The 2019 Old Town Road scene arguably makes an ideological point through its entirely black casting in a scene that perhaps references the ‘white picket fence’ American Dream (residents watering their garden, fixing their car or sitting on the porch). The video’s representations of race perhaps subvert Paul Gilroy’s idea of double consciousness by creating black characters that resonate with genuine lived experiences for black audiences.

3) Now focus on Section B. Section B began with two questions testing your knowledge of industry terminology. Make sure you know the answers to these (get the answers from the mark scheme if you have to):

Benefits of vertical integration: 

• Greater control of the production process
• Lower costs and higher profits

Definition and benefits of diversification: 

• Diversification is when a media company branches out into a different area of the media industries.
• For example, many media companies have had to diversify to internet-driven distribution (e.g. streaming) as a result of new and digital media.
• For example, in the film and TV industries major companies such as Disney have diversified into streaming to remain market leaders (Disney+) and prevent newer companies such as Netflix overtaking their market share.

4) The Section B CSP focus was on Blinded By The Light. The impact of new technology on distribution was a weaker area in most answers. Pick out three points from the mark scheme that you could have included in your answer here.

• Streaming has changed the way audiences watch films with audiences increasingly watching movies using streaming sites on smaller devices (such as phones and tablets) meaning cinema exhibition is struggling to retain its relevance and influence in the industry.
• The internet has brought significant challenges to the industry in the form of illegal downloading and file sharing. The global nature of the media industry in the digital age also means more synchronised release dates so films are not leaked or illegally downloaded in territories the film is yet to be released in.
• Social media was a significant aspect of marketing with a strong presence on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
• Film was largely unsuccessful at the box office with many industry figures blaming a release strategy that failed to build on positive word-of-mouth and pitted the film against Yesterday, another music-based historical film with a romantic storyline.

5) Finally, identify three things you plan to revise before your next Media assessment or mock exam (e.g. terminology, particular theories or CSPs etc.) 

I need to revise how to use media terminology in my answers, especially the first questions in the exam papers, how the media language constructs meaning to an advert. I need to revise the social+historical contexts of score hair cream advert and how to compare it to other media products. Most importantly, my weak point was BBTL CSP- will need to go over this for revision.