Media Paper 1 PPE: Learner's Response

*Cannot Complete Q1 as No written feedback was given*

Did you succeed in meeting or exceeding your target grade for A Level Media? If not, how many additional marks do you need to achieve your target grade in this paper?

• I exceeded my predicted target grade of a B by 15 marks.

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:

• Q1 - 7/8 

I didn't speak about the difference of layers and their connotations and particularly how these work in conjunction with the conventions of a promotional image. 

• Q2 - 9/12

I could've spoken about censorship and how it is a hindrance to creative voices when they are voicing political concerns or representing specific cultures within their art. I also missed out on the fact that they are both contemporary and both focus on the idea of giving a 'voice' through their music to those who perhaps are widely unheard in the media. I could've then applied Gilroy's 'double consciousness' and recognised the fact that they are both people of colour who are using their platforms to reflect the current socio-political climate that they are in.

• Q3 - 6/9

I could've mentioned Propp's character codes, the narrative development and perhaps the influence of 1950's films such as Singin' in the rain and icons such as Fred Astaire had on the general aesthetics of the music video and how this influences audiences interpretation of the media text itself. 

• Q4 - 18/20

I could have mentioned the fact that both male and female characters within the 'That Boss Life' advert seemed interested in the product and also seemingly transformed after using it depicting the idea of gender as performative. However, I also should have investigated the power dynamics in both texts and applied the connotations of the gender depictions in Score [The Foundation] to That Boss Life [The progressive] and explicitly stated that Butler's theory only becomes useful once we apply it to texts that are following historically significant Gender patterns. 

• Q5 - 6/6

I could have mentioned cosplay or the publication of fan-made material.

• Q6 - 8/9

I should have mentioned the very explicit fact that conventional distribution techniques are changing with the digital age and access to social media, as arthouse films can gain an audience through 'Fandom' and social media 'buzz'. 

• Q7 - 17/20 

I had to answer the question with a far more balanced answer, For Example, I should have mentioned that 'Life Hacks' was derided from 'The Surgery' as well as discussed the implications of a 'hegemonic reading' in a lifestyle based broadcast as well as podcast structures and how this has changed consumption. For War of the Worlds, I should have clearly evaluated Welles' intentions and the importance of audience theories in understanding the supposed reaction, I could have come to the conclusion on which was the most significant and thus answered the question more clearly and concisely. 

Look at Question 4 - a 20-mark essay evaluating how useful Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity is. Write a full 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 4-6 well-developed paragraphs planned in some detail.

• INTRO - GENDER THEORY IS FAR MORE APPLICABLE IN RECENT YEARS AS DEFINITIONS AND IDEAS ON GENDER ARE IN A DYNAMIC PERIOD 
• PARAGRAPH 1 - MAYBELLINE; WOMEN - conventional audience, gender stereotypes, impact of the digital age on gender- has it changed the 'connotations' that allow gender to be performed 
• PARAGRAPH 2 - SCORE; WOMEN - conventional, foundation for the submissive 'trophy' role of women in advertising, eurocentric beauty standards are reflected- although not an advert for makeup women's appearance still complies with the 'idealised madonna/whore dichotomy' 
• PARAGRAPH 3 - MAYBELLINE; MEN - arguably non-conventional however makeup has been worn by men for centuries, reinforces stereotypes to do with sexuality, mannymua is a celebrity- entire persona is a 'performance' thus his gender and the gender connotations he complies with are inherently performative
• PARAGRAPH 4 - SCORE; MEN - foundation of traditional masculinity, can be compared to contemporary gender depictions, shows how useful Butler's theory is as it provides a comparative example of masculinity and along with Gelfer can be used to define the key connotations of masculinity and how gender is performative as you can actively decide which attributes to present etc in order to communicate your 'gender'
• CONC - BUTLER IS MORE USEFUL TO UNDERSTAND CONTEMPORARY TEXTS THAN ARTEFACTS 

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.

• BILLIE JEAN - MICHAEL JACKSON
• CONTEMPORARY FEMINISM/FEMINISM THROUGH TIME
• REPRESENTATIONS OF POLITICAL/SOCIAL CONCEPTS 
• LIFE HACKS - BBC
• POSTMODERNISM