Media Paper 1 mock exam - Learner response

You've now completed your mock exams and so need to be identifying the specific areas to revise and improve on before the final exams in the summer.

The most important aspect of any mock exam is making mistakes and learning from them. 

Here, we need to closely analyse our performance across each question in Paper 1 and identify specific ways we will improve for the real exam on Monday 20 May (PM). Complete the following learner response tasks in a new blogpost on your Media Exam Blog called 'Paper 1 mock exam learner response':

1) Type up any feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

Now read through the genuine AQA mark scheme. This is vital as the paper was an official exam paper and therefore the mark scheme tells us a lot about what AQA are expecting us to produce. Please note that some of the CSPs have changed since last year's exam so we've updated some of the indicative content for our 2024 CSPs.

2) Write a question-by-question analysis of your performance. For each question, write how many marks you got from the number available and identify any points that you missed by carefully studying the AQA indicative content in the mark scheme:

Example: Q1: 4/8 marks
Additional points: didn't mention enough about use of mise-en-scene to construct strong representation of femininity and establish myths around beauty that remain conventions to this day. Could also have mentioned use of direct address and intertextual references to notable figures at the time (e.g. Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe).

3) Look at Question 4 - a 20-mark essay evaluating Shirky's 'End of audience' theory. Write an essay plan for this question using the indicative content in the mark scheme and with enough content to meet the criteria for Level 4 (top level). This will be somewhere between 3-4 well-developed paragraphs plus an introduction answering the question planned in some detail.

4) Based on the whole of your Paper 1 learner response, plan FIVE topics / concepts / CSPs / theories that you will prioritise in your summer exam Media revision timetable.

The lessons will involve marking real student responses to last summer's exams so you will need to complete the majority of this learner response for your homework - due date on Google Classroom.

Coursework: Print brief research and planning

The Print aspect to our coursework brief is as important as the video work we have been focusing on so far. 

It is crucial that you research, plan and design print work that could comfortably hold its own alongside professional examples. You will also need to make sure you have included a paragraph regarding your print work in your final draft Statement of Intent. A reminder of our coursework brief is here, with the key tasks as follows:

Print

Create a front cover and a three-page feature article for a fictional TV listings magazine. The front cover will feature a full-page image to promote the crime drama. You can choose your approach for the three-page feature article. For example: 

• an interview with the writer of the programme or cast member
• an article on the popularity of the genre
• a report from 'behind the scenes'
• another approach of your choice.

What are the minimum requirements?

TV magazine front cover 

• A4 portrait size
• Title / masthead
• Selling line (slogan)
• Cover price
• Dateline
• Main cover image and at least two further smaller images related to the content of the magazine
• At least five cover lines

Inside page feature

• Three A4 portrait pages (two of the pages can be A3 landscape size to create a double-page spread if you wish)
• Content that is appropriate to the conventions of the genre of magazine being created
• Original copy (at least 400 words) - this means writing your own article
• Each page to use original images as illustrations (the main cover image must not be repeated but the smaller images from the front cover can appear on internal pages)
• Internal pages should reflect the design codes and conventions of the genre of magazine being created

Across all pages - minimum requirements

• A clear house style should be used in the presentation of all pages
• A minimum of seven original images should be included in the submission
• All copy should be original and a minimum of 400 words should be submitted - you MUST write this all yourself from scratch
• Work should be presented on pages that are an appropriate size or in proportion to the size of paper used by magazines

Research and planning blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Print brief research and planning' and complete the following tasks to plan and prepare your print work.

Front cover

1) Research TV listing magazine front cover key conventions. Find at least five examples of TV listings magazine front covers and post them to your blog. This will give you a good idea of the type of magazine you need to produce.

2) Note down the design elements you notice in each front cover example you research and look for aspects you can use in your own work (e.g. camera shots, page design or cover lines). 

3) What key conventions can you find across different types of front cover - e.g. title placement, cover lines, main flash or cover line, date/price/barcode etc.

Here are a few examples to start you off: 

Inside page feature

1) Now research inside page features from TV listings magazines. Post at least five images of magazine inside page features (they can be from different magazine genres if you are struggling to find TV listings magazine inside pages).

Here are some examples of inside page features:

2) Note down the design elements you notice in each inside page feature example you research and look for aspects you can use in your own work (e.g. use of main/secondary images, page design, pull quotes, picture captions etc.) 

3) What key conventions can you find across different types of inside page feature - e.g. headline, subheading, main image etc.

Planning and sketching

1) Plan the content and cover lines for your front cover:

• Title (must be NEW original TV listings magazine you have invented):
• Slogan:
• Cover image: 
• Main cover story/main flash: 
• Additional cover lines:
• Additional two smaller images: 
• Font style / colour scheme, additional design aspects:

2) Plan the images you will use for the front cover - use CLAMPS. One main image and two smaller images required to meet the minimum content in the brief.

3) Plan the content for your inside page feature:

• Subject of feature:
• Headline:
• Subheading:
• Main image:
• Smaller images (need minimum of four across the three pages) 
• Font style / colour scheme, additional design aspects:

4) Write the copy (words) you will use for the inside page feature - headline, subheading, article text. 

5) Plan the social media content you will include in your print work to create opportunities for digital convergence e.g. hashtags, social media details etc.

6) Research and select the font or typography you will use for your print work. This is a critical element of your print work - the brief requires a consistent house style running through all of your pages. 

7) Produce an A4 sketch of your front cover design and scan it/upload a picture to your blog.

8) Produce A4 sketches of your inside page feature with clear layout of where headline, subheading, images and text will appear on the pages. 

9) Create a new A4 portrait document in Adobe Photoshop (or Adobe InDesign) for your front cover design. Start to add text, check your font choices and put in the elements you have already planned/sketched. 

10) Create an A3 landscape document plus an A4 portrait document in Adobe Photoshop (or Adobe InDesign) for your inside page feature. Add the elements you can - headline, subheading, text etc.

Photoshoot

1) Who do you need to photograph for your front cover and inside page images? Remember, you need seven original images across the whole print production. 

2) What camera shots do you need? Write a shot list for your photoshoots. Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture - medium shots, close-ups etc.

3) Plan the mise-en-scene. What costume, props or make-up will you require for your photoshoots?

4) Finally, note down the time and date for your photoshoots. This may be inside or outside school (or a combination of both). You will have Media lesson time for this after the mock exams.

Statement of Intent

1) Once you have completed your print research and planning, go back to your statement of intent and make sure you have included the print brief in your final draft. Then, submit the final draft statement of intent to your teacher.  

Use your Media coursework lessons to complete these planning tasks - homework time should be exclusively to revise for mocks.

Due date for research and planning on Google Classroom.