WJEC A-Level Media Studies Revision

Year 12

• Media language
  • 1.1 Media effects theory - Albert Bandura
  • 1.2 how media products relate to the time in which they were made and set through their representations, discourses and ideologies
  • 1.3 Film Industries – from Wales to Hollywood of media products, considering aspects such as their use of media language, genre of media industries in shaping media products, as well as considering the way in
  • 1.4 contrasting representations, use of media language and target audiences GCE AS and A LEVEL MEDIA STUDIES 17
  • 1.5 Each product studied must therefore enable learners to study all aspects of media language, representation and audiences, including the critical perspectives, set out in
• Representation
  • 2.1 Critical perspectives on representation, including ethnicity – Stuart Hall
  • 2.2 Critical perspectives on identity - David Gauntlett
  • 2.3 Critical perspectives on gender - Liesbet van Zoonen (A2 only)
  • 2.4 Critical perspectives on gender and ethnicity - bell hooks (A2 only)
  • 2.5 Each product studied must therefore enable learners to study all aspects of media language, representation and audiences, including the critical perspectives, set out in
• Media industries
  • 3.1 how processes of production, distribution and circulation shape media products in a global context
  • 3.2 the relationship of recent technological change and media production, distribution and circulation
  • 3.3 the impact of digitally convergent media platforms on media production, distribution and circulation
  • 3.4 the significance of patterns of ownership and control, including ownership by media companies and public service broadcasting
  • 3.5 how media organisations maintain, including through marketing, varieties of audiences nationally and globally
• Audiences
  • 4.1 A news event as reported across a range of social media • Audiences websites to be chosen by the teacher
  • 4.2 Audiences GCE AS and A LEVEL MEDIA STUDIES 5 Media form: options available Elements to complete Production media: options available Music video, advertising and Research, planning, production and reflective analysis Audio-visual or print media options
  • 4.3 Audiences crime drama episode chosen from a list
  • 4.4 Audiences magazine chosen from a list of options
  • 4.5 Audiences
• Advertising and marketing
  • 5.1 music video, advertising and marketing
  • 5.2 online news
  • 5.3 film
  • 5.4 3 – 5 minutes in length
  • 5.5 Apply an understanding of the representation of at least image of that band or artist. one specific group (gender, ethnicity or age)
• Music videos
  • 6.1 Music video following: • Representation
  • 6.2 music videos, including examples produced before the year 2000
  • 6.3 contrasting representations, use of media language and target audiences
  • 6.4 Newspapers • Radio • At least one printed newspaper and its online version • Media
  • 6.5 Audiences GCE AS and A LEVEL MEDIA STUDIES 5 Media form: options available Elements to complete Production media: options available Music video, advertising and Research, planning, production and reflective analysis Audio-visual or print media options
• Newspapers
  • 7.1 Newspapers • Radio • At least one printed newspaper and its online version • Media
  • 7.2 Online and social from a list of options set by WJEC Language
  • 7.3 At least one news website from a list of options set by • Representation WJEC
  • 7.4 At least one online radio news source from a list of options set by WJEC industries
  • 7.5 A news event as reported across a range of social media • Audiences websites to be chosen by the teacher
• Radio
  • 8.1 Newspapers • Radio • At least one printed newspaper and its online version • Media
  • 8.2 At least one online radio news source from a list of options set by WJEC industries
  • 8.3 A news event as reported across a range of social media • Audiences websites to be chosen by the teacher
  • 8.4 Film • Online media • Two complete films • Media
  • 8.5 One Welsh film from a list of options set by WJEC Language
• Video games
  • 9.1 investigative research
  • 9.2 a development outline, demonstrating how their research will inform their production
  • 9.3 a critical analysis of how a key media concept researched has been applied in the production
  • 9.4 representation
  • 9.5 Leaderboard measurements: 728 pixels video ad to be wide x 90 pixels tall
• Online media
  • 10.1 online media language such as design conventions (positioning of images/photographs and language, design of navigation features and use of links, graphics, colour and font design)
  • 10.2 how the different elements of media language, and the combination of elements, influence meaning and communicate multiple meanings
  • 10.3 how media language incorporates points of view, messages and values
  • 10.4 how audiences may respond to and interpret media language
  • 10.5 how selection and combination of aspects of media language constructs representations of gender, ethnicity, age, and issues
• Contexts and set products
  • 11.1 how media products relate to the time in which they were made and set through their representations, discourses and ideologies
  • 11.2 how media products relate to the social and cultural contexts in which they were made and set through their representations, discourses and ideologies
  • 11.3 how media products are shaped or informed by particular cultural influences such as genres, styles, movements and the work of other media producers
  • 11.4 how audience responses to and interpretations of media products reflect social and cultural circumstances
  • 11.5 online advertising campaigns
• Applying media theory
  • 12.1 Media effects theory - Albert Bandura
  • 12.2 Cultivation theory - George Gerbner
  • 12.3 Reception theory - Stuart Hall
  • 12.4 how media products relate to the time in which they were made and set through their representations, discourses and ideologies
  • 12.5 how media products relate to the social and cultural contexts in which they were made and set through their representations, discourses and ideologies

Year 13

• Advanced media language
  • 1.1 Semiotics - Roland Barthes
  • 1.2 Narratology - Tzvetan Todorov
  • 1.3 Genre theory - Steve Neale
  • 1.4 Media effects theory - Albert Bandura
  • 1.5 contrasting representations, use of media language and target audiences GCE AS and A LEVEL MEDIA STUDIES 17
• Ideology and representation
  • 2.1 Critical perspectives on representation, including ethnicity – Stuart Hall
  • 2.2 Critical perspectives on identity - David Gauntlett
  • 2.3 Critical perspectives on gender - Liesbet van Zoonen (A2 only)
  • 2.4 Critical perspectives on gender and ethnicity - bell hooks (A2 only)
  • 2.5 Media effects theory - Albert Bandura
• Industry ownership and regulation
  • 3.1 how media products relate to their industry contexts, for example in terms of economic factors such as ownership, funding and regulation, and through their representations, messages and ideologies
  • 3.2 the effect of historical context on representations
  • 3.3 how media products relate to the time in which they were made and set through their representations, discourses and ideologies
  • 3.4 how media products relate to the social and cultural contexts in which they were made and set through their representations, discourses and ideologies
  • 3.5 how media products are shaped or informed by particular cultural influences such as genres, styles, movements and the work of other media producers
• Audience theory
  • 4.1 Media effects theory - Albert Bandura
  • 4.2 Cultivation theory - George Gerbner
  • 4.3 Reception theory - Stuart Hall
  • 4.4 'End of audience' theories – Clay Shirky (AS only)
  • 4.5 how audience responses to and interpretations of media products reflect social and cultural circumstances
• Television in the global age
  • 5.1 Welsh Baccalaureate
  • 5.2 Digital Literacy
  • 5.3 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
  • 5.4 Planning and Organisation
  • 5.5 Welsh perspective
• Magazines
  • 6.1 Apply an understanding of representation in relation to genre and target audience Brief 2: Magazines Learners must select one of the following options Option 1 Task Details (individual) Requirements
  • 6.2 Design and inclusion of original mainstream magazine Front cover masthead/logo
  • 6.3 A minimum of at least 8 original images publisher (e.g. Bauer Double page across the magazine
  • 6.4 Minimum word count of 750 words as two pages) across double page spread
  • 6.5 Apply an understanding of representation in relation to chosen genre and target audience
• Mainstream and alternative media
  • 7.1 Magazines: Mainstream and Alternative Media
  • 7.2 Media in the Digital Age - Video Games products, considering how representations of social and cultural groups are constructed through media language. Context is also an important part of this study
  • 7.3 constructed through media language. Context is also an important part of this study
  • 7.4 industry contexts shape media products. A wide range of relevant critical
  • 7.5 make connections between media products, concepts, contexts and critical
• Digital participation
  • 8.1 the impact of 'new' digital technologies on media regulation
  • 8.2 how film industries target, attract, reach, address and potentially construct audiences
  • 8.3 how film industries target audiences through the content and appeal of films and through the ways in which they are marketed, distributed and exhibited
  • 8.4 how audiences can be reached, both on a national and global scale, through different media technologies and platforms
  • 8.5 the interrelationship between media technologies and patterns of consumption and response
• Historical media products
  • 9.1 the effect of historical context on representations
  • 9.2 how media products relate to the time in which they were made and set through their representations, discourses and ideologies
  • 9.3 how media products relate to the social and cultural contexts in which they were made and set through their representations, discourses and ideologies
  • 9.4 how media products are shaped or informed by particular cultural influences such as genres, styles, movements and the work of other media producers
  • 9.5 how audience responses to and interpretations of media products reflect social and cultural circumstances
• Cross-media comparison
  • 10.1 investigative research
  • 10.2 a development outline, demonstrating how their research will inform their production
  • 10.3 a critical analysis of how a key media concept researched has been applied in the production
  • 10.4 select a different media concept for their investigative research
  • 10.5 base their critical analysis on the concept they have individually researched GCE AS and A LEVEL MEDIA STUDIES 47
• Theoretical perspectives
  • 11.1 how one key concept has been used in the production and the reasons for the approach taken
  • 11.2 reference to relevant theoretical perspectives relating to their chosen key concept
  • 11.3 reference to how key aspects of the production meet the industry and audience requirements of the brief
  • 11.4 the key concepts and critical perspectives of media; and
  • 11.5 analyse media products, and at A2, in relation to their contexts, using critical perspectives as appropriate
• Synoptic analysis of set products
  • 12.1 how technical, visual and audio codes create meaning
  • 12.2 the codes and conventions of video games as a form: for example, graphics, sound, interface, interactivity/immersion, ludic qualities and/or narrative features
  • 12.3 the codes and conventions of video game genres
  • 12.4 intertextuality – the use of references to existing media texts or products to create recognition in audiences
  • 12.5 how processes of production, distribution and circulation shape media products