December Mock Exam: Learner Response Blog Tasks

 1) Type up any feedback on your paper (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential). If you only have marks and a grade on the paper, write a WWW/Next Steps yourself based on your scores

grade 5

2) Use the mark scheme for this Paper 2 mock (posted on GC) to read the answers AQA were looking for. First, write down a definition and example of non-diegetic sound (Q1.1 and 1.2).

all sounds made by or heard by the characters

any example of dialogue from the extract such as ‘When Lyra says, “So you’re a

kitchen boy then?”

3) Next, identify three points you could have made in Q1.3 - camerawork and the extract. Look for the indicative content in the mark scheme - these are the suggested answers from AQA.

• The opening shot in the extract focuses on the omelette in Will’s hand – almost a close-up – with handheld camera movement following the plate to the table. This focus on the food Will has cooked seems to establish him as the less dominant person in the relationship. The medium shot of Lyra suspiciously looking at the food reinforces this power imbalance in their relationship. Camera angle is used in an interesting way in the extract. Will is often shown from  low angle which should suggest power or dominance. However, his expression and body language is very timid so in fact seems to further emphasise Lyra’s confidence. When Lyra is sitting at the table, the camera is deliberately placed at Lyra’s level so she is not presented as weak or vulnerable.  The wide shot and slow dolly/tracking through the open doors shows both characters together sitting at the table. This deliberately places both characters in the same frame as the conversation becomes more friendly and less guarded. The camerawork is communicating the growing friendship between Lyra and Will and helps to foreshadow the suggestion (in the very next shot) from Will that they team up and work together. The slow dolly/track at this point signals to the audience that something important is happening; their relationship is changing. It works in a similar way to a zoom.

4) Now look at Q1.4 in the mark scheme - pick out two points from the mark scheme that you could have included in your answer.

Non-verbal communication

• Will’s expression and body language is very timid which subverts masculine

stereotypes. In contrast, Lyra’s movements and expressions exude confidence. This

can be seen in the extract both outside at the table and later when discussing which

beds they will take.

Mise-en-scene

• Lyra’s costume subverts feminine stereotypes. It is blue, practical and does not

emphasise her figure or draw attention. It helps to establish Lyra as a practical,

confident character who is used to surviving on her own.

• The way Lyra first investigates and then eats the omelette also subverts feminine

stereotypes. Her interaction with props in the scene deliberately subvert ideas of

being ‘ladylike’ or feminine.

5) Look at Q2 - the 20-mark essay on representations of age and social and cultural contexts. Pick out three points from the mark scheme that you didn't include in your answer.

• Although the idea of ‘teenage’ was not new, teenagers as a distinct category

developed rapidly in the post-war years and was well established by 1963. The idea

of the ‘generation gap’ as a social issue was still new and much-discussed.

• Media representations of teens/young adults usually identify this group by their

attitudes, behaviour, language, clothing and music. There are many negative

stereotypes of teenagers in television drama in which characteristics such as

laziness, anti-social behaviour, inability to concentrate and self-indulgence are

portrayed as ‘typical’.

• Susan is a stereotypical loner. Although she claims to like the school, she is not

seen to engage with other pupils and they laugh at her mistakes (eg re decimal

currency).

6) Turning your attention to Section B, write a definition and example of user-generated content - use the mark scheme to check it.

• material created by those whose main role is as users of media such as newspapers, television,

radio, magazines, the internet or web or online systems

7) Look at Q4 - the 20-mark essay on the power of influencers. Pick out three points from the mark scheme that you didn't include in your own answer. 

• There is an army of influencers: social media users and celebrities with large, devoted

followings, who give their followers access to a carefully curated version of their lives. In

this “authentic” context, sponsored content, known as “sponcon”, has proved a potent tool

for selling products.

• By the end of 2019, the influencer marketing industry was worth some $8bn a year. One

recent report by Insider Intelligence predicted that it would grow to $15bn globally by the

end of 2022.

• Marcus Rashford demonstrates this with his commercial partnerships with Burberry, Nike,

Coca-Cola and more. The fact he appeals to such mainstream brands is evidence of his

power in the digital age.

8) Now look at Q5 - the 20-mark essay on regulation and the internet. Again, pick out three points from the mark scheme that you didn't include in your own answer.

• the functions and types of regulation of the media

• the challenges for media regulation presented by 'new' digital technologies

• the social, cultural and political significance of media products – how and why media products are

aimed at a range of audiences, from small, specialised audiences to large mass audiences.

9) On a scale of 1-10 (1 = low, 10 = high), how much revision and preparation did you do for your Media mock exam? Be honest here - it's a good chance to think about how to approach the next set of mock exams.

6/10

10) List three key things you want to revise before the next mock exams in February (e.g. particular CSPs, terminology, exam technique etc.)

flashcards, look on blogs, use media mcguffin