AS Media Studies: Key Media Concepts (TV Drama) Section A

AS G322: Key Media Concepts (TV Drama)

The purpose of these units is first to assess candidates’ media textual analysis skills and their understanding of the concept of representation using a short unseen moving image extract (AO1, AO2); second to assess candidates’ knowledge and understanding of media institutions and their production processes, distribution strategies, use of technologies and related issues concerning audience reception and consumption of media texts (AO1, AO2):

The examination is two hours (including 30 minutes for viewing and making notes on the moving image extract) and candidates are required to answer two compulsory questions. The unit is marked out of a total of 100, with each question marked out of 50.

There are two sections to this paper:

• Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation (50 marks)
• Section B: Institutions and Audiences (50 marks)
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Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation

An ‘unseen’ moving image extract with one compulsory question dealing with textual analysis of various technical aspects of the languages and conventions of moving image media. Candidates will be asked to link this analysis with a discussion of some aspect of representation within the sequence.

The moving image extract will be provided by OCR in DVD format, with full instructions for the administration of the examination, viewing conditions and note-making time. Centres must prepare candidates in advance of the examination, using a range of examples from texts from the genre stated below, to demonstrate textual analysis of all of the following technical areas of moving image language and conventions in relation to the unseen extract:

• Camera Angle, Shot, Movement and Composition
• Mise-en-Scène
• Editing
• Sound

The focus of study for Section A is the use of technical aspects of the moving image medium to create meaning for an audience, focussing on the creation of representations of specific social types, groups, events or places within the extract. It is not necessary to study the history of the genre specified. Centres should use examples of the genre specified with their candidates to prepare them for undertaking unseen textual analysis.

The unseen moving image extract will be four to five minutes long and will be from programme the following genre: 

TV Drama  

The sequence will be taken from a contemporary British one-off or series or serial drama.  

Guidance is given below regarding the administration of the examination. There will be viewing and 

note-making time for Section A. 

The timings and rules for viewing of extract and note-making will be explained. 

Representation Lesson - TV Drama

Your exam will be focussing on the representation of one of the following groups of people:

• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Sexuality
• Class or status
• Physical ability/disability
• Regional identity

Representation: A definition

Representation:

 By definition, all media texts are re-presentations of reality. This means that they are intentionally composed, lit, written, framed, cropped, captioned, branded, targeted and censored by their producers, and that they are entirely artificial versions of the reality we perceive around us. When studying the media it is vital to remember this – every media form, from a home video to a glossy magazine, is representation of someone’s concept of existence, codified into a series of signs and symbols, which can be read by an audience. However, it is important to note that without the media, our perception of reality would be very limited, and that we, as an audience, need these artificial texts to mediate our view of the world, in other words we need the media to make sense of reality. Therefore representation is a fluid, two-way process: producers position a text somewhere in relation to reality and audiences assess a text on its relationship to reality.

Stereotype and Representation

Stereotype: A stereotype is an over-simplified representation of people, places or issues giving a narrow set of attributes. Stereotypes frequently thought to be entirely negative but this is not necessarily the case.

Grade Boundaries: All Units

Revision Clips

A)   explain what is meant by diegetic sound

B)   explain what is meant by non-diegetic sound

C)   What type of editing technique is described here.
The majority of film sequences are edited so that time seems to flow, uninterrupted, from shot to shot. 

Clip 1

Name the type of editing technique used in this sequence.

Explain the effect

Clip 2
Name the type of shot (framing) mostly used in this sequence.
Explain the effect.



Clip 3
Name the type of sound edit used in this sequence.
Explain the effect.



Clip 4
Name the type of editing technique used in this sequence.
Explain the effect

Clip 5

Name the type of camera technique used in this sequence.

Explain the effect






Clip 6
Name the type of camera technique used in this sequence.
Explain the effect.




Clip 7
Name the type of sound technique used in this sequence
Explain the effect.



Clip 8
Name the type of editing technique used in this sequence.
Explain the effect.



Clip 9
Name the type of camera technique used in this sequence.
Explain the effect

Gender: TV Drama

View the three short clips and identify how the individuals have been represented according to the following issues:

Clip 1: Hollyoaks:

How are the female characters being represented according to their gender and class?

How are the male characters being represented according to their gender and class?

Identify framing, camera shots, angles, movement and editing and state how this supports your opinion of how the characters are being shown.

Clip 2: Coronation Street:

How are the female characters being represented according to their gender and class?

How are the male characters being represented according to their gender and class?

Identify framing, camera shots, angles, movement and editing and state how this supports your opinion of how the characters are being shown.

Clip 2: Waterloo Road:

How are the female characters being represented according to their gender and class?

How are the male characters being represented according to their gender and class?

Identify framing, camera shots, angles, movement and editing and state how this supports your opinion of how the characters are being shown.