FILM & MEDIA STUDIES
For the discerning or lazy student
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COMPONENT 2
MEDIA FORMS AND PRODUCTS IN DEPTH
Written examination: 2 hours 30 minutes
35% of qualification
90 marks
Overview
In this component learners are required to study three media forms in depth, exploring all areas of the theoretical framework - media language, representation, media industries, and audiences - in relation to audio-visual, print and online products set by WJEC. The forms to be studied in depth are:
television
magazines
blogs and websites.
You will explore these three media forms through close analysis of the set products, comparing their use of media language and the representations they offer in relation to relevant social, cultural, economic, political and historical contexts. Learners will study the role of media industries in shaping media products, as well as
considering the way in which both mass and specialised audiences are targeted and addressed. Relevant and advanced theories will inform study of the set products and students will reflect critically upon these theoretical perspectives. Students should continue to develop their ability to use relevant subject-specific terminology in this component.
Students will develop the ability to:
analyse critically and compare how media products, including products outside the commercial mainstream, construct and communicate meanings through the interaction of media language and audience response
use and reflect critically upon a range of complex theories of media studies and use specialist subject-specific terminology appropriately in a developed way
debate critically key questions relating to the social, cultural, political and economic role of the media through sustained discursive writing
construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured in an extended response.
Section A: Television in the Global Age
Television today is a global industry. The international popularity of genres like Nordic noir, the global reach of broadcasters like HBO, and the growing number of international co-productions reflect the increasingly transnational outlook of television in the global age.
Through an in-depth study of two contrasting programmes produced in different social and cultural contexts, learners will explore the dynamics that shape contemporary television production, distribution and circulation. The role of public service broadcasting in a global marketplace will be considered, as learners will explore the significance of the economic and industry contexts in which the set products are produced. The way in which the television industry is regulated and the marketing strategies used to promote the set product will also be investigated. Learners will also have opportunities to explore how the television audience is defined, constructed and targeted on both a national and a global scale. In addition, the particular appeal of the programmes for audiences will be investigated, and issues such as fandom and the way in which audiences use media texts will also be considered.
Whilst there is a specific focus on contemporary television programmes here, learners will also examine the way in which these products relate to broader cultural and historical contexts, analysing their use of media language and the cultural and ideological significance of the representations they offer.
For example, learners who study Option 1 will be able to consider the way in which The Bridge uses the conventions of earlier crime drama traditions such as film noir whilst exploring contemporary social, cultural and political issues. Similarly, in Option 2, learners will be able to consider the way in which Humans uses the established genre conventions of science-fiction to explore contemporary cultural issues and anxieties, whilst, in Option 3, learners will be able to analyse the way in which the set products draw on different documentary traditions. Genre is therefore a particular focal point here, as learners will consider the extent to which the set products support Steve Neale’s proposition that genres are best understood as processes which may be ‘dominated by repetition’, but are also ‘marked fundamentally by variation, difference and change.’
Set Options for Television
One option (including both products) from the following must be chosen:
The set products will be reviewed periodically and changed where necessary.
For Section A: Television, students will develop their knowledge and understanding of the aspects of the theoretical framework, theories and theoretical perspectives shown below.
Section B: Magazines and Alternative Media
The magazine industry in the UK is a highly challenging media environment, with thousands of titles competing for readers and market space. Here, learners will study two magazines in depth, developing an understanding of the contextual factors that shape their production, distribution, circulation and consumption, as well as considering the historical, social, and cultural significance of the representations they offer. Learners will also explore how media
language incorporates viewpoints and ideologies.
Each option includes two magazines that have been produced within different historical and industry contexts and that target different audiences. One of the magazines will be contemporary, whilst the other will have been produced before 1970; one will be a commercial magazine with mainstream appeal, whilst the other will have been produced outside the commercial mainstream. The magazines in each option therefore offer rich opportunities for comparative analysis.
Set Options for Magazines
One option (including both products) from the following must be chosen:
Specified extracts for study from the set editions will be provided on the WJEC Eduqas secure website.
For Section B: Magazines, learners will develop their knowledge and understanding of the aspects of the theoretical framework, theories and theoretical perspectives shown on the following pages.
Section C: Media in the Online Age
In a world increasingly dominated by digital technology, online, social and participatory media have become an integral part of the contemporary media landscape. The growing cultural significance of online platforms is evident in the number of subscribers that bloggers and YouTubers like Zoella and Alfie Deyes (PointlessBlog) attract, and in the amount of web traffic that the websites of online newspapers and magazines generate.
Through an in-depth study of two contrasting online products, learners will look at the role played by blogs and websites in the media today, exploring the way in which these convergent media platforms increasingly overlap, as well as investigating the potential that they offer for selfrepresentation. The changing relationship between media producers and audiences will be considered here, as learners will examine the idea that media consumers have now become producers who regularly and actively participate in the creation and dissemination of media content online.
The impact of digitally convergent media platforms on media production, distribution and circulation will also be explored, as learners will study an online newspaper or an online magazine produced for a minority group, considering the way in which digital platforms can be used to reach specialised audiences. These set products can be seen to demonstrate significant emerging developments in the media, reflecting the ongoing impact of technology on media language and audience interaction.
Set Options for Media in the Online Age
One option (including both products) from the following must be chosen:
The set products will be reviewed periodically and changed where necessary.
Websites and blogs are, by their very nature, dynamic and updated to respond to industry and audience needs. Learners are required to study the following elements of their chosen websites and blogs:
the design of the home page, including its use of images and topical material
links to other content, including audio-visual material such as the relevant YouTube channel, vlog etc.
interactive links, including to social and participatory media.
For Section C, learners will develop their knowledge and understanding of the aspects of the theoretical framework, theories and theoretical perspectives shown on the following pages.
Assessment
This component assesses media language, representation, media industries, audiences and media contexts.
Students will be assessed on their use of relevant theories or theoretical approaches and relevant subject-specific terminology in this component. Learners will also be required to evaluate theoretical approaches and theories.
The exam consists of three sections:
Section A: Television in the Global Age (30 marks)
There will be one two-part question or one extended response question.
Section B – Magazines: Mainstream and Alternative Media (30 marks)
There will be one two-part question or one extended response question.
Section C – Media in the Online Age (30 marks)
There will be one two-part question or one extended response question.
Each part of a two-part question will be based on one set product. Extended response questions will
be based on both of the set products for that form.
Extended response questions require students to construct and develop a sustained line of
reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.