A Level Media Studies: Revision Day

Question 1A

Talk about AS and A Level Projects

Talk about other media-related projects you have been involved in outside of class (e.g. designing flyers for a friends gig night; designing T-Shirts or merchandise for a local band using Photoshop; if you use Tumblr or other social media to show-case your work)

The question will include one or two of the following terms:

1. Digital Technology2. Creativity3. Research and Planning4. Post-Production5. Using Conventions from Real Media Products

Question 1A is designed for you to evaluate the skills you have developed during the course.

Students that achieve A grade for this essay evaluate their skills development over time – they may be critical about their AS skills and state how they approached the A Level project in a more organised, mature manner, or that working with a band put pressure on to spend more time on pre-production planning…..

1. Digital Technology and Creativity

Does digital technology really encourage creativity?

David Gauntlett and Clay Shirky say YES;

Henry Jenkins says that Participatory Cultures encourage creativity because you can share what you create online and get feedback on it;

But what if all the online stuff is crap?

Where is the quality control?

What has the feedback been line for your work online? Was this feedback helpful, productive, kind?

David Buckingham talks about ‘loser-generated content’

Dan Laughey's (Key Themes in Media Theory) – there has been no digital revolution in media production, distribution and consumption

1. Digital Technology and Creativity

Research & Planning and Using Conventions from Real Media Products

Again it is OK to be critical of your AS research and planning

State that your research and planning was informed by:

Practical Induction Tasks: College Magazine; Summer Music Video Project; ABC Project; Photoshop Animation Project

Researching professional products: finding out the forms and conventions of magazines (masthead, cover lines, Drop Cap etc.) Investigating the ways in which magazine are designed to appeal to the Values, Aspirations and Lifestyles of the target audience

Researching media theory:

Research and planning made you aware of the key concept of representation; you carefully represented your artists on the front cover of your magazine (visual representation) and in the language used.

This was also key to your research and planning for the music promo project – Andrew Goodwin – artists use music videos to create a star persona; women are often objectified in music videos; Diane Railton on Art Music Videos and Joe Gow on anti-performance music videos.

They are all designed to present (or represent) the artists in a way that is appealing to the target audience.

You then used, challenged or developed these codes and conventions in your work

1. Post-Production

Post-Production is:

Photoshop manipulation (RGB Curves, Spot healing tool etc.)

Adobe Premiere/Final Cut Pro/Adobe After Effects – any visual effects that you used in your music video

Post-Production and theory

You can state that learning Photoshop has given you a better appreciation of the constructed nature of media representations.

You can make someone look thin using the free transform tool

You can clear up spots using the spot healing tool

This process of mediation is fake; it offers the readers of the magazine an idealised representation of the artist that is not realistic.

This may have an impact on impressionable young people who aspire to be like the artists in the magazine.

Post-Production and theory

Music Videos are also highly mediated

You have been actively involved in this process of mediation – you chose the elements to include in the video – you chose the elements to leave out.

You constructed the music video to offer a representation of the band or artist that would appeal to the target audience.

Link this with genre characteristics (Diane Railton) and audience expectations – e.g. metal fans expect to see ‘as live’ performance as this is an established generic convention.

Questions?