The exam lasts 2 hours (including 30 minutes for viewing and making notes on the moving image extract). The paper is marked out of 100 with 50 marks awarded for each question. You will sit the paper in June 2016.
Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation
You will be required to answer one compulsory question relating to technical aspects of the language and conventions of the TV drama and how this contributes to the representation of individuals, groups, events or places.
We will study, using a variety of case studies, how cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound and editing contribute to the construction of specific representations.
Cinematography covers: 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, reverse zoom
Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and shallow focus, focus pulls
Editing includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-continuity systems
Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway; insert
Other Transition: dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post production and 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-Scene
Production Design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties
Lighting; colour design
Regarding representation, we will analyse how the following are represented;
Gender
Age
Ethnicity
Sexuality
Class and Status
Physical ability/disability
Regional identity
Section B: Institutions and Audiences
We will be studying the music industry: A study of a particular record label within the contemporary music industry that targets a British audience, including its patterns of production, distribution, marketing and consumption by audiences. This should be accompanied by study of the strategies used by record labels to counter the practice of file sharing and their impact on music production, marketing and consumption with regards to the following:
The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice
The importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing
The technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange
The significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences
The importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences
The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions
The ways in which your own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.
