AS MEDIA STUDIES: Course outline 2008/9

AS Level

The following units make up the framework of the AS Media Studies course:

1. Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio = 50% / Coursework

2. Unit G322: Key concepts in media = 50% / Exam

1. Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio = 50% / Coursework

The Foundation Portfolio unit requires students to create TWO media products for their coursework:

There will be 2 production tasks that students will have to complete during the 1^st year.

The 2 production tasks make up 50% of your over all course grade:

They are COURSEWORK #1: Preliminary task & COURSEWORK #2: Main task

The main task requires students to create the opening 2 minutes, including titles of either a:

Thriller,

Romantic Comedy,

or Horror film.

The other 50% will be an exam on Key Media Concepts:

Section A: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS http://www.suttonmedia1.blogspot.uk/

Section B: INSTITUTIONS & AUDIENCES http://www.suttonmedia2.blogspot.com/

Every student will be individually assessed, even if a student is working in a group dynamic. The teacher will continually assess students’ efforts, contribution, and work ethic throughout the production assignment and give marks accordingly.

2. Unit G322: Key Concepts in Media = 50% / Exam (2 hour)

Section A: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS & REPRESENTATION: TV DRAMA

The purpose of this unit is to assess the students’ ability to textually analysis a short unseen clip from a TV Drama and discuss how the technical elements/codes that make up the scene and create specific representations of individuals, groups, events or places.

The TV Drama clip will be shown in the examination (4 times).

In that period, (usually 30 minutes) students will make notes and have another 45 minutes to write an essay on the following technical elements of that clip:

Technical codes

Camera Angle, shot, movement and position

i.e. Pans, tilts, Cu’s, MCU’s, tracking, crane shots etc

Editing:

Cut, fades, dissolves, wipes, tempo/frequency of cuts etc

Sound:

Soundtrack; theme, tune, incidental music, sound fx, ambient sound, dialogue, voiceover, diegetic, non-diegetic, tempo, frequency etc

Mise-en-scene:

Location, setting, costumes, props, lightning etc

The above technical codes create representations in terms of:

Gender

Age

Ethnicity

Sexuality

Class & Status

Physical ability/disability

Regional identity

The understanding of the above explicit media terminology is paramount for this unit, as students will have to analyse any visual sequence in the exam and understand fully what these terms mean regarding representations.

Section B: INSTITUTIONS & AUDIENCES

Through analysing a case study on TimeWarners we can identify patterns of production, distribution and exhibition in relation to ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008). We can also assess how contemporary distribution practices have had an impact on production, marketing and audience consumption.

1. History of Warner Bros pictures

(1930 – present day)

2. Media ownership in contemporary media practice

3. Cross media convergence/synergy in production, distribution and marketing

4. Technology used in production, distribution and marketing

5. Targeting national and local 'British' audiences by the Warner’s global network of media operations

6. Audiences own experiences of media consumption of Warner’s products

7. Mock examination

Q: How did Time Warner target a British Audience through the promotional campaign behind ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)?