Media A2 exam – Theoretical evaluation of

Production
Section 1A - Skills development – it’s all about
‘you’

You have half an hour to answer the question set. There is no choice
of question. You will be asked to evaluate your skills development in
relation to the one or two of the following –

• Digital Technology
• Creativity
• Post-production
• Using conventions from real media
• Research and planning

We have already spent some lessons on this topic in January and

you will find it useful to return to your notes and to use them in your
preparation and essay writing for this part of the course.

In order to perform well in section A and B you must ensure you do

more than purely DESCRIBE what you have done in your practical
projects. You need to ensure that you reflect on the
development of your skills and evaluate the work you
created.

Section 1B - Media Concepts – it’s all about ‘the

product’

You have half an hour to answer the question set. There is no choice
of question.
In section 1b you will need to select one production and
evaluate it in relation to one of the following media concepts –

• Genre
• Narrative
• Audience
• Media Language
• Representation.

You will need to refer to and show understanding of media

theories in this section of the exam. For example if you write
about narrative you may well refer to Propp’s ideas regarding
narrative, discussing how your work does or does not fit with this
theory. If the topic was audience you may well refer to ideas of
how an audience engages with a media product, such as Stuart
Hall’s theories regarding preferred or negotiated readings.
Reflective writing

These guidelines may help you produce writing that is reflective or

evaluative rather than descriptive.

Consider your creative decision in terms of your

understanding and knowledge of institutional practise – In
other words – you did what you did because of what you know about
real media, and what you know about how real media produce
products
An example of this would be choice of camera angles based on your
work on TV drama in the AS year and your research into pop videos
in A2.

Consider that your creative decisions are formed by

theoretical understandings - for instance your pop video may
have conformed to genre because of your understanding of
audience and for instance Halls theory of preferred readings.

Evaluate the process – don’t just describe – why have some

things worked well and others not so well

Give specific and real examples from you own work – and try
to relate them to real and specific examples from real media.

Prepare specific examples from your own work and prepare

examples from real media texts - you can’t write about
everything so be prepared with a ‘menu’ of ideas that you can
adapt to the task you are set in the exam.

Avoid binary opposition -

Quote. Paraphrase and reference – this is the academic and

theoretical element of the A level – you need to show an
understanding of the relevant theorists and be able to refer clearly
to their ideas.

Consider the mark scheme!

Explanation, analysis and argument – 10 marks
Use of examples - 10 marks
Use of terminology - 5 marks.