Creative Digital Media @ stj
Welcome to Unit 1
This webpage will help prepare you for the 2-hour online assessment which will happen in January 2025
Unit 1 is an online 2-hour assessment which, requires you to answer questions about various aspects of Media Representation.
CLICK HERE for the EXAM CHECKLIST from the revision guide, this gives you a good overview of what you need to learn.
About the exam
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Attempt ALL the questions. SAVE YOUR WORK OFTEN
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Write down the names of the theorists on spare paper.
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Pace yourself – be aware of the time (2 hours)
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2 – 4 markers – To the point, no waffle!
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Mention the person associated with the theory in 10 and 20 markers.
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Move on to another question if you get stuck.
In the exam, there are 12 questions. Below is a guide on frequency, how many marks in total for that question and how long to spend (approx)
2 mark questions x 4 (8 marks in total) 15 Mins (approximately)
4 mark questions x 3 (12 marks in total) 15 Mins
10 mark questions x 4 (40 marks in total) 60 Mins
20 mark questions x 1 (20 marks in total) 30 Mins
Below are the grade boundaries for 2023 (this can change slightly) Use this to see how many marks you need for Pass, Merit and Distinction.
![Year 12 Media [Autosaved] [Autosaved].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e0927_49efec8b2441405ba5be9c4c0d07c96a~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_50,y_213,w_1192,h_178/fill/w_597,h_90,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Year%2012%20Media%20%5BAutosaved%5D%20%5BAutosaved%5D.jpg)
Mock Exam using a PDF Past paper
Click on the link to find the mock exam paper (Jan 2022)
Make sure you download it and move the file to your Media folder in your documents.
Open the file using Acrobat Reader.
Add your name to the first page (you can type in blue areas)
You may need to use the revision guide to help you answer some questions.
Question 8 - Narrative structure, watch the video to help (also research flashbacks)
Question 11 - Page 31
Question 12 - Page 14
10 Mark Questions (stereotypes and representation)
Analyse the representations of the characters used in Clip 3. You should reference
each representation with relevant examples from the clip. (10)
You can see four characters in the clip - Stereotypes, how have they been represented?
What theory can you apply to the answer?
What is this question asking you to do?
Does it matter that you have not seen this before?
Half Term Revision
Download the revision guide on the right. You will need to use your revision guide for help.
You can print the guide or type the answers on a Word document.
Tasks for this lesson:
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Download the revision guide, either print or keep it digital.
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Read through the guide.
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Continue to work through the last test using the revision guide.
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Continue with the Use of Sound task.
Can you make sure ALL of your digital work is uploaded to your OneDrive folder.
Use of Sound
For this task I want you to focus on page 23 of the revision guide.
TASK - write down the four key types of sound from the "How sound creates meaning" section:
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Music (Page 24)
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Sound effects and audio effects (Page 26)
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Dialogue (Page25)
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Silence (Page 26
Next to each bullet point, write down why this is used and give examples such as how sound effects are used or an example of a script for dialogue.
TASK - Watch the video and explain how silence is used in this clip to add tension. How would you describe the other sounds you can hear (its either detailed sounds or silence - very little dialogue)
TASK - Watch the video and explain the role of a foley artist. What is the purpose of adding extra sound to the footage.
TASK - Watch the two videos below.
The left one is about how Music adds to the narrative (the story). The same scene can be "read" or "decoded" by the audience using different music. It is a good way to understand how music plays a part in film and TV.
The one on the right explains Diegetic and Non Diegetic sound.
Watch a film trailer or a scene from a TV drama. Complete the "NOW TRY THIS" task
TASK - Explain the difference between Diegetic and Non Diegetic sound. Use examples to help explain. You can find your own examples from youtube film trailers etc. Screengrab scenes and you can explain in writing how different kinds of sounds are used in the scene.
Representation - Test 1
Click on the link to the right to start the test.
Note:
2 mark questions - Identify one key term with an explanation using the image or video.
4 mark questions - Identify two key terms with an explanation for each
Remember, be short and to the point with these questions.
Make sure you have clicked submit
Representation - Film Trailer Task (cover work for Friday 20th)
The objectives for this lesson:
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To understand elements of Mise-en-Scene.
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To start to understand how other elements such as the use of sound can add tension and mood.
Use page 27 to help with Mise En Scene, and page 23 for the Use of Sound.
TASK:
After you have watched and listened carefully to the film trailer a few times, use the points below to write about how mise en scene and sound have been used in the trailer, a paragraph for each section.
You do NOT need to use screen grabs in your Word document.
Use of props
Can you describe any props that have been used? Can you explain how the prop fits in with what is happening in the scene? Can you explain its significance?
Location/Setting
Describe a location in the trailer. Is the location bright and sunny, or is it dark and moody? Explain how the location adds to the mood of the film. What is telling you there is danger? What makes a house scary?
Colour
Explain how colour has been used in the film. It could be the significance of the colour of a certain prop or costume, how dark and moody a location is or how bright sunny and safe it is. Page 18 will also help you write about colour.
Use of Sound
Sound plays a significant part in this film trailer. Use page 23 to help you identify the key terms such as:
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How does the use of sound tell you this is a horror film?
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Can you pick out where sound effects have been added, how does this add tension to the scene?
Can you go further?
Can you explain how the use of mise en scene and sound have combined to create mood and tension for the audience?
You could focus on a particular scene such as when the boy hits his head (location, dark, rain noise, music builds and suddenly stops)
Or the balloon floating in the library (sound effects, use of red, the boy only notices)
How do different elements come together to make this an obvious horror film?
Representation - Moving Image (campaign advert)
Watch the moving image product on the right.
Use page 2 of the revision guide to help you write about how the product has been constructed.
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How have stereotypes been used? (gangsters) look at page 8.
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How has place been used? (location)
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Describe how sound has been used (accent, tone of voice, sound effects)
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Describe how props have been used (reinforce the stereotype?)
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What is the message?
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Why do you think the producers of this advert created a comedy-style advert?
You can also look at:
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Design (page 27)
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Sound (page 23 and 26)
We Are Superhumans - Moving Image Analysis
Watch the advert for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Screengrab selected sections of the advert to analyse the following:
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How does the advert address stereotyping? (Page 8)
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What is the purpose of the advert?
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How are the people portrayed? (pages 7 and 8)
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How does the advert challenge dominant Ideology? (Page 35)
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What is the message for the audience?
Design of Gaming Worlds
Page 30 - Read through the information and make notes about the Key Terms on the right of the page.
Read and make some notes on terms you may not be familiar with (the two spider diagrams)
Watch the video on the right about Gaming Perspectives (they may not match with the ones in the revision guide)
Watch the trailer and the gameplay videos for Stray. Explain how players navigate through the game (using keywords) What keywords can you apply to your writing?
You can choose a more familiar game if you wish to. The two videos below can be used to help understand key terms. The choice of media texts are not always the latest products!
Editing Techniques - How continuity editing creates meaning
Page 21 - Read through the information and make notes about the Key Terms on the right of the page.
Read and make some notes on terms you may not be familiar with (the two spider diagrams)
Watch the video on the right about different techniques. Watch the Rio Paralympic video to see examples of editing (sound off)
Design Elements Page Layout and Composition
We will be looking at pages 28 and 29 of the revision guide.
Find your own posters (film) OR graphic design such as magazine double page spreads etc
Use your images to describe the keywords in blue on page 28.
How Music Creates Meaning
Read page 24 and use the videos to help you understand and explain the key terms and the role of music in media products.
Explain the use of music in the scene from Back to The Future Part I.
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How the music relates to what is happening in the scene.
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How the music is edited together with the editing of the scenes.
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How different types of music are used - incidental, theme music, motif sounds.
Use the Harry Potter trailer to explain theme music and watch the motif video to help you give an example of motif music and sounds.
How Dialogue Creates Meaning
Read the What is Dialogue? section on page 25 of the revision guide. Make notes about the five speech bubbles. TASK - Include these comments in your writing.
Watch the videos on the right to help you explain the different modes of address. You do not need to screenshot from the video but use the text to explain the keywords on the revision page.
This can be written in your green book or typed in your OneDrive folder.
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How is that particular mode of address used?
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What is the impact on us the audience?
You can also incorporate page 24 into this task. Watch any film trailer and research to describe the key terms for film music in the box.
Also, make notes about the role of music in Media Products.
Mock Questions
Your task is to work through the mock exam paper. This is a real past paper so this is good for you to see what a Unit 1 paper looks like. Please read all the instructions and type your name on the first page (don't worry about the centre number etc.)
You can use the revision guide to help you answer the questions
CLICK HERE to download the exam paper and watch the clips
You don't need to download the two clips, but you will need to download the paper and open it in PDF viewer, or it will not work.
The questions from the mock paper are written below. We may not have covered the content on some questions but see if you can use the revision guide to help you answer them.
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Explain one way that colour has been used in Image 1 to create meaning for the audience. (2)
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Explain one way that images are used in Image 1 to create meaning for the audience. (2)
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Explain one way that words are used in Image 2 to create audience interest in the film. (2)
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We have not covered this yet.
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Explain two ways editing techniques have been used in Clip 1 to create audience interest. (4)
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Explain two ways mise-en-scène has been used in Clip 2 to create meaning for the audience. (4)
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Analyse how masculinity is represented in Clip 1. You should reference each representation with relevant examples from the text. (10)
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Analyse why the media industry uses stereotypes in its products. Use any of the clips provided and/or any other media texts that you have studied. (10)
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We have not covered this yet.
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The genre of a media product is recognised by the codes and conventions that are used. Analyse how generic codes and conventions have been used in the clips and/or any media texts you have studied. (10)