Half-Term Homework

As we enter into Half-Term 2 we have a lot of things that we need to make sure are prepped and ready to help us along with our Coursework production.

1. In the final week of HT1 (W/C 19th Oct), you were all reintroduced the the idea of a statement of intent. This is a short statement that lays out all of your aims and intentions for your coursework production as well as showing your consideration of key media terminology.

Please use the guidance document to help you where needed, as well as the examples used in your lessons.

This will be due on Thursday 5th November.

2. In your final lesson of HT1, you were all given a copy of the AQA Media Studies Glossary. As a quick check-in activity, over half-term, please go through this document and highlight all of the words that you are familiar with and feel comfortable using.

A lot of these terms can be quite useful when making changes to your statements of intent, so keep that in mind as you make your edits.

This will also be due on Thursday 5th November.

3. In Week 2 (W/C 9th November) of HT2 we will be going back over Camera Shots, Angles, Editing and Movements in preparation for your coursework productions.

To ensure that we have some footage/images for you to use when practising all of these skills you must turn up to those week 2 lessons having taken some of your coursework photos and videos over the next couple of weeks.

This will start the W/C 9th November.

Year 11 Paper 1 Baseline Assessment: Learner Response

The Paper 1 baseline assessment was a great opportunity to revise some of the content from last year and develop our exam technique. 

Every time we do a paper like this it helps us to learn how the questions are structured, how to answer social and cultural context questions and how to manage our time.

We now need to complete a learner response to the assessment to help reflect on what we are learning and how we can improve our exam technique. You may find reading the mark scheme useful for reflecting on these exams - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access these documents:

• Year 11 Assessment - Paper 1 Mark Scheme

Year 11 Paper 1 Assessment: Learner Response

Create a blogpost called 'Year 11 - Paper 1 Baseline Assessment Learner Response'.

1) Type up your feedback:

a. What Mark and Grade did you get?

b. What targets were you given for the longer written questions?

2) Look at the mark scheme for this assessment. For Question 2 (12 mark unseen) use the indicative content in the mark scheme to identify three points that you could have referred to in your answer.

3) For Question 3 (Galaxy - Propp's Character Theory) use the mark scheme to write down the main characters that you could have referenced and how we can link them to the Galaxy advert CSP. 

4) Now look at Question 4 (Galaxy - Class Stereotypes). Use the mark scheme to identify three points you could have made in your answer here.

5) Next, look at Question 5 - Blackpink & Globalisation. Use the mark scheme to identify three ways the How You Like That music video has been tailored to Blackpink's global fanbase.

6) Lastly, look at Question 6 - Kiss FM & Money. Use the mark scheme to idea two revenue streams that you didn't consider in your response. How do they help to generate money for Kiss FM?

7) Thinking ahead, write down three things you are going to work on before your next mock exam in December (e.g. time management; revising CSPs etc.)

If you don't finish this LR in the lesson your papers are returned, complete for homework - due date on Satchel One.

OSP: Kim Kardashian - Context + LIAR

Our OSP CSPs are the online presence of former Manchester Utd and England footballer Marcus Rashford and celebrity influencer Kim Kardashian.

These are in-depth CSPs so we need to study all four areas of the theoretical framework: Language, Industry, Audience and Representation. This first case study will focus on Language and Representation.

Who is she? Kim Kardashian

In Summary: She is one of the most successful ‘Influencers’ of all time.

- She has over 360m followers across her social media platforms – enormous reach

- She has several successful businesses and brands built exclusively around her online presence

- She has an estimated worth of around $2 Billion – Largely due to her monetising the attention she receives to a high level

Why Study Her? Kim Kardashian

The influencer phenomenon

A textbook example of how an individual becomes a media brand online.

Huge, multi-platform reach

Active across Instagram, TikTok and linked websites — scale to analyse.

Business from her presence

Brands, products and lucrative endorsements built on her following.

Rich representation issues

Gender, ethnicity, age, wealth, fame, family — lots to unpack.

Industry & regulation

Shows how platforms profit and how influencers are regulated.

'Famous for being famous'

An icon of celebrity culture and the commodification of fame.

Where does LIAR come in?

Media Language

HOW meaning is made: codes, conventions, semiotics. Main focus = Her Social Media and Websites

Genre and narrative

Kim Kardashian has created a strong personal brand that merges different genres – influencer, celebrity, reality TV star,.

Her online presence emphasises her businesses and drive (largely financial), furthered by her families collective efforts to raise their brand and status. It's a story of how publicity across many varied formats can lead to global recognition (whether good or bad).

Media Industries

HOW her platforms are made, owned, funded and regulated.

Kim Kardashian net worth

Kim Kardashian has an estimated net worth of approximately $1.7 billion to $1.9 billion, according to recent Forbes estimates.

Main Sources of Wealth

• Skims: The shapewear and clothing brand is the largest driver of her fortune. Following funding rounds valuing the company at $5 billion, her substantial stake makes up the vast majority of her billionaire status.

• SKKN BY KIM & Beauty Ventures: Her skincare and previous cosmetics lines (including KKW Beauty, which famously sold a 20% stake to Coty) have added hundreds of millions to her overall net worth.

• Television and Media: Earnings from reality television shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Kardashians on Hulu provide steady, high-tier entertainment income.

• Endorsements & Social Media: She commands millions per sponsored post and serves as a global brand ambassador for major luxury houses like Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana.

• Private Equity & Real Estate: Her private equity firm SKKY Partners and a valuable portfolio of high-end real estate in California round out her diverse asset portfolio.

Media Audiences

WHO are her platforms for, why they use it, how they read it.

Target audience: demographics and psychographics

What is the target audience for the CSP? 

- Demographics: CAGE? 

- Psychographics? 

Audience engagement

Instagram engagement rate is a measure of how much audiences engage with posts (e.g. likes, comments). An engagement rate of 1-3% is considered good and anything 6%+ is extremely high.

Kim Kardashian's role as an influencer is shown by her engagement rate of 2.56% (although this has dropped and risen over time due to increasing herfollower count and change in brand focus throughout her public career.

What is the appeal of Kim Kardashian to audiences? Think about their campaigns (branded and otherwise), use of social media and public associations. Also, consider their appeal to different audiences.

Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory:

• Diversion
• Personal Identity
• Personal Relationships
• Surveillance/information

Media Representations

WHO/WHAT is shown and how: selection, construction, mediation.

Kim Kardashian's online presence offers a real mix of representations – some reinforcing stereotypes of femininity, influencers and race/ethnicity but others subverting them. She also regularly both subverts and upholds stereotypes regarding fame, controversy and celebrity culture.

Use Daniel Chandler’s representation theory of CAGE to analyse representations in the media. Here's an example for Kim Kardashian’s online presence:

C – Class (social class – upper class celebrities)

A – Age (growing from youth to middle aged)

G – Gender (femininity)

E – Ethnicity (Armenian American)

Glossary Terms:

Technical Codes - Design and image choices: photography, colour, layout, typography, video.

Genre Conventions - Expected ingredients of a personal/official website and of social platforms (menus, feeds, captions).

Semiotics - Reading signs: denotation (what we literally see) and connotation (what it suggests).

Convergence - When two or more media forms can be accessed in one place or one device e.g Marcus Rashford’s website also links to his books, social media feeds and video content. 

Online engagement/dialogue - Communication online e.g between a celebrity and a fan. 

Endorsement - When a celebrity or influential figure recommends something to the public. 

Blog Tasks

Context

1. What is her background? Where is her family from? Who are her parents? Where did she appear early in her career?

Language

1. Describe 3 differences you can see between her Instagram and TikTok (look / pace / type of content).

2. Explain how the genre features of TikTok change the tone of her content compared with Instagram.

3. Evaluate which platform gives her the most control over her brand image, and why.

4. Open her public Instagram feed. Find ONE post that best shows a consistent 'brand look' and note the media-language choices.

    a. Screenshot/sketch the post; note colour palette, shot type, caption style.

    b. Write 2 sentences: What does this post want the audience to think of her?

Industry

1. List 2 ways Instagram makes money from Kim Kardashian and 1 risk of influencer marketing.

2. Explain why concentration of ownership might be a concern for audiences.

3. What companies/brands are Kardashian associated with? Why might they want to be linked to those celebrities?

Audience

1. Name the four Uses & Gratifications needs and give one example of each for her feed.

2. Explain how her style of address makes followers feel personally spoken to.

3. Look at the COMMENTS and engagement on one official post (likes, comments, shares). What do they tell you about her audience and how it participates?

    a. What sort of participation numbers does she get? (likes, comments, shares, saves).

    b. Find evidence of a preferred AND a more critical reading in the response.

    c. Write one sentence on what the audience response reveals.

Representation

1. Find a post showing either family, a product, or a cause.

    a. Selection: What is shown? What is left out?

    b. Construction: Which media-language choices build the representation?

    c. Stereotype Check: is the representation positive, negative, or both? Justify.

2. Describe one positive and one negative stereotype you can find on her feed.

3, Explain how SELECTION (Choosing what to show carefully) shapes the representation of her family life.

Challenge: Analyse how Kim Kardashian’s online presence has been constructed to create a controversial and newsworthy representation of the celebrity. (6 Marks)

OSP: Marcus Rashford - Context & LIAR

Our OSP CSPs are the online presence of former Manchester Utd and England footballer Marcus Rashford and celebrity influencer Kim Kardashian.

These are in-depth CSPs so we need to study all four areas of the theoretical framework: Language, Industry, Audience and Representation. This first case study will focus on Language and Representation.

Who is he? Marcus Rashford

Footballer

A Premier League and international footballer, widely praised for his very effective use of social media.

Campaigner

Uses his platform for food poverty, homelessness and books-for-children campaigns - and has influenced government policy.

Brand

Endorses products and is sought after by brands; his official website covers both his football and his campaigning.

KEY INFO: His focus is mainly his football career now - reportedly after criticism of players focusing more on off the pitch actions.

Why study him? Marcus Rashford

1. 'Effective use' of social media

A model example of an influencer who uses platforms expertly and purposefully.

2. Real-world impact

Influenced government policy (e.g. free school meals) and mobilised companies and individuals.

3. Industry & regulation

Shows how platforms profit and why brands (Burberry, Aldi, Nike, Tesco) want to associate with him.

4. Activism, not just profit

He directs most effort to good causes rather than commercial gain - unusual for an influencer.

5. Rich representation issues

Gender, ethnicity, age, class - a young Black working-class man as role model and campaigner.

6. A contrast to study

A useful contrast with Kim Kardashian's more commercial, materialistic online presence.

Where does LIAR come in?

Media Language

HOW meaning is made: codes, conventions, semiotics. Main focus = His official WEBSITE.

Genre and narrative

Marcus Rashford has created a strong personal brand that merges different genres – footballer, campaigner / activist, influencer, celebrity.

His online presence emphasises his working class background and how hard his mum worked as a single parent. This creates a narrative of success against the odds. He then uses this to drive his campaigning work on food poverty and reading.

Media Industries

HOW his platforms are made, owned, funded and regulated.

Marcus Rashford net worth

Marcus Rashford’s net worth has been estimated at around £16m (source: Sunday Times rich list). This includes:

• £300,000 per week from Manchester United (£15.6m a year)
• £2m endorsement deal with Nike
• Additional deals with Burberry, Jaguar Land Rover, Coca-Cola and others

He is also the youngest person to top the Sunday Times Giving List for raising £20m for good causes.

Media Audiences

WHO are his platforms for, why they use it, how they read it.

Target audience: demographics and psychographics

What is the target audience for two CSPs? 

- Demographics: CAGE? 

- Psychographics? 

Audience engagement

Instagram engagement rate is a measure of how much audiences engage with posts (e.g. likes, comments). An engagement rate of 1-3% is considered good and anything 6%+ is extremely high.

Marcus Rashford’s power as an influencer is shown by his engagement rate of 4.03% (although this has dropped and risen over time due to increasing his follower count and focusing more on football rather than his brand development).

What is the appeal of Marcus Rashford audiences? Think about their campaigns, use of social media and brand associations. Also, consider their appeal to different audiences.

Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory:

• Diversion
• Personal Identity
• Personal Relationships
• Surveillance/information

Media Representations

WHO/WHAT is shown and how: selection, construction, mediation.

Marcus Rashford’s online presence offers a real mix of representations – some reinforcing stereotypes of masculinity, footballers and race/ethnicity but others subverting them. He also looks to challenge stereotypes regarding poverty, benefits and social class.

Use Daniel Chandler’s representation theory of CAGE to analyse representations in the media. Here's an example for Marcus Rashford’s online presence:

C – Class (social class – working class people)

A – Age (youth)

G – Gender (masculinity)

E – Ethnicity (black British)

Glossary Terms:

Technical Codes - Design and image choices: photography, colour, layout, typography, video.

Genre Conventions - Expected ingredients of a personal/official website and of social platforms (menus, feeds, captions).

Semiotics - Reading signs: denotation (what we literally see) and connotation (what it suggests).

Convergence - When two or more media forms can be accessed in one place or one device e.g Marcus Rashford’s website also links to his books, social media feeds and video content. 

Online engagement/dialogue - Communication online e.g between a celebrity and a fan. 

Endorsement - When a celebrity or influential figure recommends something to the public. 

Blog Tasks:

Context:

1. Open his official website (marcusrashfordofficial.com). Find ONE thing that is about FOOTBALL and ONE thing that is about CAMPAIGNING. What does this balance suggest about his brand priorities?

Language:

Analyse the website (or a page of it) using the denotation/connotation method, then judge its coherence.

1.  Write 3 things you DENOTE (literally see).

2.  For each, write what it CONNOTES (suggests).

3.  Identify ONE technical code and ONE genre (website) feature.

4.  Judge: Is the site 'bitty' or 'well-integrated and coherent'? Why - and what does that say about his brand?

5. Describe 3 differences between his website and his Instagram/Twitter (look / content / purpose).

6. How does Marcus Rashford's online presence use the narrative of his childhood upbringing to create a positive brand identity?

Industry:

Imagine a brand (e.g. Burberry or Aldi) is deciding whether to pay Marcus Rashford to promote its products. Build the case.

1.  List 3 reasons it is in the brand's interest to associate with him.

2.  Explain HOW social media is used to make the association.

3.  Identify ONE risk to the brand if it goes wrong.

4.  Decide: would you advise the brand to go ahead? Justify.

5. Investigate ONE brand linked with Rashford (Burberry, Aldi, Nike or Tesco). Why does that brand benefit from associating with him, and how is social media used to make the link?

Audience:

Take one of his campaign posts and write all THREE readings of it.

1.  Preferred: what does he want you to think and do?

2.  Negotiated: where might a follower half-agree?

3.  Oppositional: how might a critic reject it?

4.  Which Uses & Gratifications need does this post serve best? Why do you believe this?

5.  Explain how his website's mode of address (style) speaks to BOTH football fans and campaign supporters.

Representation:

Choose a post/page from Rashford’s website (himself, a campaign, or fans).

1.  Selection: what is shown? What is left out?

2.  Construction: which media-language choices (Mise-en-scene, camera shots/angles, etc) build the representation?

3.  Stereotype check: positive, negative, or challenging a stereotype? (Consider stereotypes on all of CAGE) Justify.

4.  Describe one way he is represented positively and one stereotype he challenges.

5.  Evaluate: 'Rashford's online presence challenges negative stereotypes.' How far do you agree?

Challenge: Analyse how Marcus Rashford’s online presence has been constructed to create a positive representation of the footballer. (6 Marks)

Year 11 Baseline Assessment: Revision and Preparation Recap

Year 11 assessment week is coming up before the next set of interims. In line with this, we are going to give you a mini-Paper 1 assessment to help revise content from last year.

Your assessment will be similar to the exam you did at the end of last year but this time will focus on Paper 1. Your exact date will depend on the timetable as these assessments are in-class. Your Media teacher will be able to tell you when your assessment will run.  

Below is a full guide to what you need to revise for this assessment.   

Know your exams

One of the most important aspects of preparing for examinations is knowing exactly what topics could come up in each exam. For your Paper 1 assessment, this is what might come up:

Paper 1

Paper 1 Section A: Language and Representation

• Unseen text: advert, social media screengrab or music promotion of some kind. Multiple choice questions plus media language analysis. 
• Advertising & Marketing: Key Conventions, Gender Representation in Marketing, OMO advert, Galaxy Audrey Hepburn advert and the NHS Represent blood donation campaign.

Paper 1 Section B: Audience and Industry

• Media Industries / Audience questions - media terminology / theory / regulation etc.
• Music Video: BLACKPINK - How You Like That and Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.
• Radio: Launch of BBC Radio 1 - Tony Blackburn, Kiss FM Breakfast Show.

Your real Paper 1 exam will also contain a 20-mark essay on either Film, Radio, Music Video, Newspapers or Videogames/Online, Social and Participatory Media but this will not be part of this assessment as it is only half the full exam. 

Paper 2

You will not be taking Paper 2 as part of this assessment but we will take on a full 90-minute Paper 2 as part of the December mock exams. More details on that nearer the time!  

How to revise

Revision is a very personal thing and everyone has different techniques. Personally, I strongly recommend using flash cards (they are often called record cards if you are trying to buy them online or in WHSmiths). The simple act of distilling topics into a few key words or phrases to put on the card will seriously help in remembering the key information in the final exams. We recommend having three sections to your revision cards:

1. Media terminology and key words
2. Media theories
3. CSPs

I have spare flash cards in DF07 if you'd like some.  

Good luck with your revision and give this assessment your best shot!

Welcome to GCSE Media Studies Year 2!

This is your new blog home for Year 2 of GCSE Media Studies - Welcome!

This is where you'll find everything you need for coursework and exam preparation for this crucial second year of the GCSE Media course.

A few key reminders:

1. Summer Project - Due in your first Media lesson back.

2. Baseline Assessment - Coming up in Year 11 assessment week

Good luck and let's earn those top grades!  

Final exam preparation and revision links

Here's everything you need to know for your revision and preparation for the final exams.

The final weeks and days before the exams are a good opportunity to go over what you know and test yourself against the kind of questions that AQA like to use. 

Exam: Media Paper 1

Media Paper 1 is on Monday 18th May in the afternoon.

Section A: Media Language, Representations and Contexts

Note: It's important to remember that either Newspapers or OSP / Videogames can come up in Paper 1. Whichever comes up in Paper 1 usually means the other topic will come up in Paper 2 so we'll be watching carefully. 

Unseen text analysis

• Unseen text analysis - look at previous assessment LRs and revise mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) and other key media language from your GLoW Media glossary. When you annotate the text, first identity anything interesting on the media product that you could write about (image/text/colour scheme/font and typography etc.) Then, work out the connotations of each of those and which will help you answer the question. 

Magazines

• CSPs: Tatler & Heat
• Magazines index here  
• You can find the original lesson slides here in our GCSE lesson slides folder on Google Drive.

Advertising & Marketing 

• CSPs: OMO, Galaxy Audrey Hepburn Chauffeur advert, NHS Represent campaign
• Advertising index here
• You can find the original lesson slides here. 

Newspapers 

• CSPs: The Daily Mirror and The Times
• Newspapers index is here
• You can find the lesson slides here 

OSP

• CSPs: Kim Kardashian and Marcus Rashford
• OSP CSPs - Language and Representations
• OSP CSPs - Industries and Audience
• You can find all the lesson slides here.

Videogames

• CSPs: Lara Croft Go and Kim Kardashian Hollywood
• Lara Croft Go - blog notes here 
• Kim Kardashian Hollywood - blog notes here

Section B: Media Industries and Audiences

Note: It's important to remember that either Newspapers or OSP / Videogames can come up in Paper 1. Whichever comes up in Paper 1 usually means the other topic will come up in Paper 2 so we'll be watching carefully. 

Music Video

• CSPs: BLACKPINK: How You Like That and Arctic Monkeys: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
• Music Video index is here
• You can find the Music Video lesson slides here.

Radio

• CSPs: Launch of BBC Radio 1 Tony Blackburn show in 1967 and Kiss FM Breakfast show with Jordan and Perri
• Radio index is here
• You can find the Radio lesson slides here.

Film Industry

• CSPs: Black Widow & I, Daniel Blake
• Film Industry index here
• You can find the Film Industry lesson slides here.

Newspapers 

• CSPs: The Daily Mirror and The Times
• Newspapers index is here
• You can find the lesson slides here 

OSP

• CSPs: Kim Kardashian and Marcus Rashford
• OSP CSPs - Language and Representations
• OSP CSPs - Industries and Audience
• You can find all the lesson slides here.

Videogames

• CSPs: Lara Croft Go and Kim Kardashian Hollywood
• Lara Croft Go - blog notes here 
• Kim Kardashian Hollywood - blog notes here

Exam: Media Paper 2

Media Paper 2 is on Tuesday 2nd June in the afternoon.

Section A: Television

Television

• Clip from CSPs: Doctor Who OR His Dark Materials - Google Drive folder with CSP videos here
• TV index to original blog tasks here 
• You can find the original lesson slides here 

Section B: Newspapers OR Online, Social and Participatory Media / Videogames

Two 20 mark essays on one of the following topics: 

Newspapers 

• CSPs: The Daily Mirror and The Times
• Newspapers index is here
• You can find the lesson slides here 

OSP

• CSPs: Kim Kardashian and Marcus Rashford
• OSP CSPs - Language and Representations
• OSP CSPs - Industries and Audience
• You can find all the lesson slides here.

Videogames

• CSPs: Lara Croft Go and Kim Kardashian Hollywood
• Lara Croft Go - blog notes here 
• Kim Kardashian Hollywood - blog notes here

Links and revision resources to help you

We have a range of resources to help you prepare for your final exams.

ZigZag practice papers and mark schemes

Use your paper copies of the ZigZag practice papers and mark schemes for Paper 1 and Paper 2. This is particularly good to prepare for the unusual or left-field questions that AQA like to put in their exams sometimes. Remember, if you know the terminology, the theories and the CSPs you can't go far wrong. 

If you don't have a copy of any practice papers then you can collect them from DF07.  

Exemplar questions and answers

You can find a document of exemplar questions and answers from previous years here. This google doc will be updated as we look at more questions and sample answers in revision lessons before the exams.

Media terminology glossary

You can find AQA's full subject glossary on their website here. Note that we won't have covered every word of this in lessons - there are too many terms and not enough time. Some of these have been covered in grade 8/9 blog extension tasks and others in additional notes on blogposts. 

Revision booklet - Google Slides

We have kindly put together a revision booklet on Google Slides. You need to open the link, make a copy and save it in your own Google Drive. Then you can fill in the boxes or simply use it as a base for your own revision or knowledge organisers.

CSP Knowledge Organisers

We also put together a brilliant set of Knowledge Organisers to revise the CSPs last year. Look through these and then create your own to test your knowledge!

Revision is the key

It's important that you really put the time into your revision to make sure you know these CSPs inside out. If you would like revision cards to revise with feel free to pop in to DF07 and I'll happily provide you with them for free - you need create revision cards for all the exam CSPs and also for media terminology and theory (e.g. Mise-en-scene, Reception theory, Uses & Gratifications theory etc.) Aim to have three separate categories of revision cards:

• Media terminology
• Media theory
• CSPs

To help, here's a short blog on what makes a good flashcard - always useful to get top tips on effective revision techniques.

Don't forget there are other great resources out there - for example, Mrs Fisher's YouTube channel is great for videos on CSPs, theories and terminology. Here's Mrs Fisher's playlist of AQA CSPs:

The better you know the terminology, theory and CSPs, the better you'll do in the final exams. Good luck!