Welcome to A2 Media Studies

"Hello students and welcome to the brave new world that is the 'blogosphere' and indeed a window into the structure of the A2 Media Studies course for our media studies students at Landau Forte Academy - Tamworth Sixth Form. What follows is the layout of the course which has very useful website links and video clips that are an important part of the course. This page will be updated regularly with information and material that will support your educational endeavours. There are two main aspects of the course: The practical element which is called Advanced Portfolio (G324) which is 50% of the course and the examination element which is called Critical Perspectives in Media (G325) which is the other 50%. You will be working through both of these areas throughout the year until completion. Read, learn and most of all enjoy......."

A2 Music Videos

A2 Print Artefacts

A2 Print Artefacts 10/11

Course Outline Structure 2010/11

A2 G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media

The purpose of this unit is firstly to assess candidates’ ability to plan and construct media products using appropriate technical and creative skills (AO3); secondly to assess candidates’ application of knowledge and understanding in evaluating their own work, showing how meanings and responses are created (AO2); and finally to assess candidates’ ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate research (AO4).

The unit requires candidates to engage with contemporary media technologies, giving them the opportunity to develop their own skills in these technologies. It also enables them to develop the skills of presentation that are required for further study at higher levels and in the workplace.

This is a coursework unit. Centres must set the brief from the menu below, though they may define more precise details in negotiation with candidates.

From these brief, candidates will produce:

A media portfolio, comprising a main and ancillary texts;

·         A presentation of their research, planning and evaluation in electronic format(s).

The media portfolio will be produced through a combination of two or more of the following media:



Video



Print

In all cases, candidates should be discouraged from seeing the evaluation as simply a written essay and the potential of the format chosen should be exploited through the use of images, audio, video and links to online resources. Marks should be supported by teacher comments and may be supported by other forms such as audio or videotaped presentations.

G324 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 planning and research and its presentation; 60 marks for the construction; 20 marks for the evaluation.

1.      In the evaluation the following questions must be answered:

2.      In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

3.      How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

4.      What have you learned from your audience feedback?

5.      How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Briefs

1. A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following three options:

·         A cover for its release as part of a digipak (CD/DVD package);

·         A magazine advertisement for the digipak (CD/DVD package).

2. A promotion package for a new film, to include a teaser trailer, together with two of the following three options: 

·A film magazine front cover, featuring the film 

· A poster for the film.

3. An extract from a new documentary TV programme, lasting approximately five minutes, together with two of the following three options:

·  A double-page spread from a listings magazine focused on the documentary

·         A newspaper advertisement for the documentary

·         A newspaper advertisement for the documentary

4. A short film in its entirety, lasting approximately five minutes, which may be live action or animated or a combination of both, together with two of the following three options:

·  A poster for the film

·  A film magazine review page featuring the film. 

Acceptable formats for production texts and research presentations

Video work must be in DVD format and must be playable on standard domestic DVD players for moderation purposes. Audio work must be in CD format. No print item should be larger than A3 size

Web pages and blogs must be accessible on line to the moderator for the duration of the moderation period. The moderator must receive notification of the URL when the work is sent.

Slideshows and podcasts should be burnt to CD. All CDs and DVDs must be checked before despatch to ensure that the files are accessible. No hard copy printouts of online material will be accepted. Research, planning and evaluation MUST be presented in electronic format.

Marking of work

The centre will be expected to allocate marks according to four levels for each of three categories:

·          Research and Planning

·          Construction

·          Evaluation

In arriving at a level for each category, teachers are advised to look for evidence of ‘best fit’. It is possible both for a candidate to be placed in different levels for each of the three categories and to receive quite different marks from other members of the same group responsible for producing an artefact, according to his/her contribution. Teachers are asked to support marks with written comments under the three categories on the assessment sheet.

In centres where there is more than one teacher involved in the marking, there must be evidence that internal standardisation has taken place to ensure a consistent rank order.

A2 Examination component

A2 G325: Critical Perspectives in Media

The purpose of this unit is to assess candidates’ knowledge and understanding of media concepts, contexts and critical debates, through their understanding of one contemporary media issue and their ability to evaluate their own practical work in reflective and theoretical ways.

The examination is two hours. Candidates are required to answer two compulsory questions, on their own production work, and one question from a choice of six topic areas.

The unit is marked out of a total of 100, with the two questions on production work marked out of 25 each, and the media theory question marked out of 50.

There are two sections to this paper:

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production (50 marks)

Section B: Contemporary Media Issues (50 marks)

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production

Candidates answer two compulsory questions. The first requires them to describe and evaluate their skills development over the course of their production work, from Foundation Portfolio to Advanced Portfolio. The second asks them to identify one production and evaluate it in relation to one theoretical concept.

Question 1(a) requires candidates to describe and evaluate their skills development over the course of their production work, from Foundation Portfolio to Advanced Portfolio.

The focus of this evaluation must be on skills development, and the question will require them to adapt this to one or two specific production practices. The list of practices to which questions will relate is as follows:



Digital Technology



Creativity



Research and planning



Post-production



Using conventions from real media texts

In the examination, questions will be posed using one or two of these categories.

Where candidates have produced relevant work outside the context of their A Level media course, they are free to additionally refer to this experience.

Question 1(b) requires candidates to select one production and evaluate it in relation to a media concept. The list of concepts to which questions will relate is as follows:

Genre



Narrative



Representation



Audience



Media language

In the examination, questions will be set using one of these concepts only.

In some circumstances, candidates will be expected to select the production that appears to relate most effectively to the specific concept that arises in the exam question. However, the requirement for candidates to evaluate one of their productions in relation to a concept does not assume that the concept will necessarily always fit easily and in an orthodox way. Thus in some cases candidates will be describing their productions in terms of them not relating straightforwardly to the concept. For example, a candidate producing three websites over their two portfolios might describe ways in which websites cannot be understood easily through applying conventional narrative theory. Whether the candidate applies the concept to the product or uses the production to challenge the concept, it is essential that candidates are sufficiently knowledgeable about the concept for either approach. Candidates may choose to write about work undertaken at AS or A2, main task or preliminary/ancillary.

Further Guidance

Section A:

In order for candidates to be best prepared for the exam, it is suggested that preparation for G325 should take place alongside production work. However, centres are not recommended to design A2 production briefs purely to be ‘suitable‘ for G325. Rather, candidates should be guided in reflective, theoretical evaluation of production as an ongoing way of learning throughout their AS and A2 studies. Question 1(a) directly requests an evaluation of how candidates’ media production skills have developed progressively from AS to A2, so centres are advised to guide candidates through regular ‘audits’ of skills development. As the question for 1(b) is different in focus for each assessment session, and draws from a list of possible concepts, candidates should either prepare to answer on more than one of their productions (so they can choose the production in response to the specific demands of the question) or prepare an evaluation of one production which covers all of the possible concepts.

Critical Perspectives in Media: Section A - Question 1a

Critical Perspectives in Media: Section A - Question 1b