The purpose of this Unit is to assess candidates’ media textual analysis skills and your understanding of the concept of representation using a short unseen moving image extract (AO1 and AO2)
The Assessment Objectives you need to meet in this section of the examination are:
AO1
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media concepts, contexts and critical debates, using terminology appropriately and with accurate and coherent written expression. AO2
Apply knowledge and understanding to show how meanings are created when analysing media products and evaluating their own practical work.
Candidates will be assessed on their ability to understand how representations are constructed in a media text through the analysis of different technical areas. Assessment will take place across three
criteria:
- Explanation/analysis/argument (20 marks) AO1 Specific
- Use of examples (20 marks) AO2 Specific
- Use of terminology (10 marks) AO1 Specific
Camera Shots, Angle, Movement and Composition
- Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, and variations of these.
- Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle.
- Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom.
- Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and shallow focus, focus pulls
- Includes transition of image and sound – continuity and noncontinuity systems.
- Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eye-line match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway; insert.
- Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.
Sound
- Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing, sound perspective.
- Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.
Mise-en-Scène
Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties, lighting; colour and design.
Candidates’ work should be judged on each of these criteria individually and marks awarded according to the level attained. It should be noted that it is possible for a candidate to achieve a different level for each assessment criterion.
General Mark Scheme
Level 1
Explanation/analysis/argument (0-7 marks)
- Shows minimal understanding of the task
- Minimal understanding of the way that technical aspects are used to construct the extract’s representations
- Of minimal relevance to set question or a brief response (under one and a half sides of answer booklet)
Use of examples (0-7 marks)
- Offers minimal textual evidence from the extract
- Offers a limited range of examples (only one technical area covered)
- Offers examples of minimal relevance to the set question
Use of terminology (0-3 marks)
- Minimal or frequently inaccurate use of appropriate terminology
- Some simple ideas have been expressed. There will be some errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar, which will be noticeable and intrusive. Writing may also lack legibility.
Level 2
Explanation/analysis/argument (8-11 marks)
- Shows basic understanding of the task
- Basic understanding of the way that technical aspects are used to construct the extract’s representations
- Some relevance to set question
- Offers a partial range of examples (at least two technical areas covered)
- Offers examples with some relevance to the set question
- Some simple ideas have been expressed in an appropriate context.
- There are likely to be some errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar of which some may be noticeable and intrusive.
Level 3
Explanation/analysis/argument (12-15 marks)
- Shows proficient understanding of the task
- Proficient understanding of the way that technical aspects are used to construct the extract’s representations
- Mostly relevant to set question
Use of examples (12-15 marks)
- Offers consistent textual evidence from the extract
- Offers a range of examples (at least three technical areas covered)
- Offers examples which are mostly relevant to the set question
Use of terminology (6-7 marks)
Use of terminology is mostly accurate
Straightforward ideas have been expressed with some clarity and
fluency. Arguments are generally relevant, though may stray from the
point of the question. There will be some errors of spelling, punctuation
and grammar, but these are unlikely to be intrusive or obscure
meaning.
Level 4
Explanation/analysis/argument (16-20 marks)
- Shows excellent understanding of the task
- Excellent knowledge and understanding of the way that technical aspects are used to construct the extract’s representations
- Clearly relevant to set question
Use of examples (16-20 marks)
- Offers frequent textual analysis from the extract – award marks to reflect the range and appropriateness of examples
- Offers a full range of examples from each technical area
- Offers examples which are clearly relevant to the set question
Use of terminology (8-10 marks)
- Use of terminology is relevant and accurate
- Complex issues have been expressed clearly and fluently. Sentences and paragraphs, consistently relevant, have been well structured, using appropriate technical terminology. There may be few, if any,errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar.
