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: Well done Shreyam - a very strong final answer - focussed and balanced with lots of detail!

EBI: Q3 needs a more developed answer

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: Emphasis on youth (“Now is a good time for your first Swiss Watch”) and mise-en-scene of model perhaps shows an evolution in masculinity with more casual formal attire (suit but no tie, open-necked shirt) plus the sunglasses and facial hair. As Gauntlett says, masculinity is evolving rather than in crisis.

Q3 (music video) additional point/theory/CSP reference: The final scene of the video in the line dancing hall perhaps suggests cultural conviviality – a postcolonial term describing the harmonious relations between different races that can be found in many communities. The posed photographs at the end plus the performance of Lil Nas X alongside Billy Ray Cyrus (who has explicitly supported Old Town Road as belonging on the country charts) makes this scene ideological.

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.

Social media posts for the film supported the Black Lives Matter movement which helped tap into the anti-racism narrative in the film. This demonstrates how new technology allows media products and companies to connect with audiences over ideological or political issues.

Worldwide release of film in August 2019 reflects global nature of film industry in digital age with UK distribution handled by eOne Entertainment, a Canadian media giant.

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.

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.) 

Postcolonial theory

Media language

Feminist theory