Examiner's report - Media Studies key concepts G322/3

Examiner's reports are really helpful as they can reveal what the examiner is looking for when marking your exam answers. Some key points from last year's examiner's report:

• Those candidates achieved well offered sustained and detailed responses.
• Responses were frequently punctuated with detailed reference to contemporary and relevant examples.
• Fully rewarded for some insightful and academic use of key media concepts
• Candidates who did not meet the highest levels often lacked detail in arguments and offered a basic response.
• Candidates struggled where they failed to manage their time.

Representation and textual analysis:

• Integration of terminology
• Variety in representations - not just focused on one type
• Fluctuation in representation - not the same all the way through the clip
• Sequenced ideas - work your way through the clip
• Balanced and integrated analysis - covering all areas of TA
• Biggest area of development in all responses is editing
• Links need to be made between areas of TA and the representation

Areas of representation:

• Gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, class and status, disability/ability, regional identity

Areas of textual analysis:

• Camera shots, angle movements, composition
• Establishing shots, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, variations.
• High angle, low angle, canted angle.
• Pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom.
• Framing, rule of thirds, depth of field, deep and shallow focus, focus pulls.
• Editing
• Shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway, insert.
• Dissolve, fade-in/out, wipe, superimposition, long/short take, slow motion, ellipsis, expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.
• Sound
• Score, incidental music, themes and strings, ambient sound
• Diegetic and non-diegetic sound, synchronous/asynchronous, sound effects, sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective.
• Mise-en-scene
• Production design, location, studio, set design, costume, make up, properties
• Lighting
• Colour design