Media StudiesA Level

AQA

THE COURSE AT A GLANCE

• AS examinations• Unit 1 – MEST1 Investigating Media• 50% of AS, 25% of A Level• 2 hour written examination• 80 marks• Two sections: A – four compulsory short answer questions• B – choice of one from two essays

• Unit 2 – MEST2 Creating Media• 50% of AS, 25% of A Level• Practical unit, internally assessed and externally moderated• 80 marks• Externally set production briefs.• Two linked production pieces taken from two of the three media platforms

studied in Unit 1• plus 1500 word evaluation.

• A2 examinations• Unit 3 – MEST3 Media: Critical Perspectives• 25% of A Level• 2 hour written examination• Two sections: A – three compulsory questions on unseen stimulus

pieces• B – one essay from a choice of two topics

• Unit 4 – MEST4 Media: Research and Production• 25% of A Level• Practical unit, internally assessed and externally moderated• 80 marks• Two sections: Critical Investigation (48 marks)• Linked production piece (32 marks)

Course Outline Year 12

• Term 1: Key Concepts Theory• Term 2: Coursework• Term 3: Coursework• Term 4: Exam preparation• Term 5: Revision• Term 6: Start of Year 13 work

Outcome: Applying Media Theory to a Media text

What do the trailers for Suicide Squad reveal ?

• Film based on DC comics• Features Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared

Leto, Cara Delevigne, Tom Hardy, Jai Courtney

• Merges Comic book heroes and villains – The Joker and Batman.

• Due to be released August 5th through cinemas nationwide

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMb-RrhTxIE

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3hecGO_04

Look at the following theories used to analyse media texts

(films, trailers etc.).

How do each of them apply to the Suicide Squad trailers?

Post-Feminist theory suggests that the war for gender equality has been won. Post-Feminism suggests women have reclaimed their identity and are portrayed in non-stereotypical ways. Enlightened Sexism suggests that women are sexualising themselves but have the power and control. Theorists argue that as the world is constructed from a male perspective, this move back towards stereotypical sexualised images of women is male control and sexism.

Conglomerate media productions are those created by very large media organizations. These have access to large budgets for production and can reach large audiences. They also target the mainstream, mass audience. As they are created by an elite (wealthy media producers) they reinforce the dominant views of the world.

All media texts are produced with an economic function to make money. Wider audiences can generate more money and attract more advertisers. Age ratings, scheduling times, days and months have an impact on how wide the audiences can become. However, to reach audiences on such a large scale, the text producers must have access to significant funds and are elite.

Media language is the technical construction of media text. Mise-en-scene is everything in the frame, from the lighting, colours, characters body language, facial expressions, location and setting. Sound gives audiences clues immediately about the genre and type of film. The music can set the atmosphere and the tone for the film.

The events that occurred on September 11th 2001 (9/11) have had a significant impact on Media. The idea of a hero has been destroyed. American narratives now believe villains are not easy to spot and walk among us, rather than being clearly identified. This is Post 9/11 theory. Post 9/11 theory also suggests that our faith in governments has been shaken and so deal with conspiracy narratives.

The theory of ‘Fear of Other’ means that we have to reject of fear other cultures in order to believe that our culture is good and has values we believe in. It also means we reject other people that different so that it reinforces a sense of how right and good we are.

Binary Opposition is the opposite of two forces – good and evil, hero and villain, rich and poor etc. One concept (hero) cannot be understood unless it’s opposite (villain) is also understood. This simple opposition is typical of mass audience films, such as summer blockbusters. However, Post 9/11 narratives have moved to an age of Post-heroism – audiences do not believe in simple heroes and villains anymore.

Fandom refers to the loyalty of fans to a media text that puts boundaries on the finished production. The text must be faithful to the fans and restricts the finished text. This is particularly true of Films from novels and comic based films.

Summer work:• Write an essay (of two sides of A4 500-

750 words) answering the following question:

• What do the trailers for Suicide Squad reveal?

Apply 3-4 media theories to the trailers that explain how and why they have been created as they have.