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Rep of Nationality

Practice questions 22.5.14

Answer all three questions.
Study the screenshots from the BBC Olympics website.

1. Analyse the extract commenting on:

• Visual codes
• Layout and design
• Language and mode of address

2.
(a) Identify two different audiences for this BBC website. Briefly explain your choices.
[6]

 (b) Choose one of these audiences. Explore how the programme appeals to them. [9]

 (c) With reference to your own detailed examples, explore the ways in which media texts are
constructed to target audiences. [15]

3. Using your own detailed examples, explore the impact of digital technologies on coverage of events.
[30]

Use this to help.

Audiences are FRAGMENTED.

Practice questions 21.5.14

Exams are 2 1/2 hours 

You should spend approximately 50 minutes completing your answer to Question 1.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

The number of marks is given in brackets at the end of each question or part question.

You are reminded that assessment will take into account the quality of written communication

used in your answers.

Study the two film posters for Winter’s Bone (2010) and Unknown (2011).

1. Analyse the two film posters commenting on:

• visual codes

• layout and design

• genre. [40]

2. (a) Choose one of the film posters and suggest two different audiences for this film. Give

brief reasons for your suggestions. [6]

(b) With reference to the other film poster, explore how audiences are attracted to this

film. [9]

(c) With reference to your own detailed examples, which must not include the resource

material examples, explore why audiences may respond differently to the same media

text. [15]

3.With reference to your own detailed examples, explore the representation of gender in the media

today. [30]

Conventions of games covers

after looking at a range of game covers from the same genre of game, that there was many conventions that are in each game cover.

Front Covers:

In an analysis of the front covers of sandbox games, we can see that the main conventions are:

- Protagonist in the centre of the frame

- Title of game shown

- The environment of the game in the background

- Form of weapon shown (iconic weapon)

- Enemy of the protagonist

- Logo of producer

- Platform of game in iconic place

- rating of game in bottom left corner

- bright colours (colour shown)

Back Covers:

In the back covers of sandbox games, the main conventions are:

- small description/ insight to what game involves

- between 3-5 images of game play/cinematic scenes

- range of in-game characters shown

- game details in the bottom 3rd of the cover

- creative scene to set the mood (example; joker with spray paint/ knife in water for far cry 3)

- Larger image in the cover that isn't in a frame

In the game image frames:

- unique feature of the game

- Characters in the game

- Action scene

- Enemy shown when obvious (example; joker in batman/ lizard in Spider-man)

Conventions of a DVD cover

Tagline – draws the audience’s attention by asking them a question.

Iconography – relevant to the genre or images of famous actors, or even places – because the audience may recognise them from other films.

Industry reviews – gives the film critical acclaim.

Sequel – audiences may have seen the first one.

Blurb or synopsis on the back of the DVD cover – wording is sensationalised mentioning actors names and giving information about the narrative. It also asks questions to the audience to create enigmas making them want to find out more.

Bonus features – the audience is getting inside information about the film, the actors, crew.

Awards – gives the film recognition to the audience. Audiences want to watch successful films.

The production company – audiences recognise them from previous films and give them an indication of the style of the film.

Director – audiences might recognise the name from other films they have made.

Film classification – may attract the audience to watch an older or younger film.

Screen grabs – gives the audience an insight into the film.

 

Conventions of Newspapers

The Construction and Mediation of Representations

A news photograph for example may appear to be presenting us with a factual image but it has been through a process of construction:

• the photographer has selected his/her position, lens, angle,

exposure and framing before taking the picture

• the picture editor will decide if the image needs to be cropped, enhanced or in any way altered before inclusion into the paper

• an editor will choose which, of the many available photographs of the image, will be the one chosen for inclusion in the newspaper and, importantly at this stage, the images

which do not meet the needs of the text will be rejected

Even then, further mediation takes place:

• Will the photograph be large or small? •     Will the photograph be     on the front page or, less visible, on page 8?

Placement choices like this, along with cropping and framing, act to focus the attention of the reader in a certain way.

• What headline and text will be used to accompany the

         photograph?

•    Will the photograph have a caption?

•    Will it be positioned close to another photograph?

Anchorage is basically used in media to attach meaning to something through either the matching of words to images or the juxtaposition of two images which construct a meaning.

For example in advertising, an image alone is polysemic open to a range of interpretations. To clarify what the image means and so to make the image relevant to the purpose of the advert, text can be added. Thus the image serves as the 'hook' while the text anchors meaning. This can be said also for photographs attached to newspaper articles. The same photograph takes on different connotations with different accompanying texts.

Selection

Whatever ends up on the screen or in the paper, much more will have been left out. Any news story has been selected from hundreds of others which the producers have decided were less interesting for you, any picture has been chosen from an enormous number of alternatives.

Omission is knowing about something but just refusing to focus on it or bring light to the facts.

In 2005, the New York Times knew about the Bush Administration using Telecom companies (Verizon, AT&T, etc.) to spy on Americans. The story was held back for over a year as the Times received pressure from Bush White House to kill the story. The Times didn't kill the story completely but they did wait until after the November 2006 elections before they actually reported on Bush Administration breaking the law

Mediation

Every time we encounter a media text, we are not seeing reality, but someone’s version of it. This may seem like an obvious point, but it is something that is easily forgotten when we get caught up in enjoying a text. 
If you see a picture of a celebrity kissing her boyfriend, you may find it unsurprising that the picture has been altered and does not show the reality of the situation, but in fact we should bear this in mind whatever we encounter in the media. 
The media place us at one remove from reality: they take something that is real, a person or an event and they change its form to produce whatever text we end up with. 
This is called mediation. You should be looking for this with any media text.

What the BBC classified as ‘riots’ in London become ‘protests’ in Beitounya

Conventions of a CD Cover

Everything on your CD cover for production needs to be considered and based on your research.

Cd Cover Analysis from Amy Harriss

Give consideration of the connotations of the visual codes on the covers and the intended effect on the target audience:
Costume.
Facial expression.
Colour.
Body language.
Graphics.
ALSO:
Note any links between the visuals ion the cover and the album content.
What are the creators inviting the target audience to do?

Cd covers from ealeya

Album cover analysis from KristyWright

Codes and conventions of album covers from albeni13