How to revise for media exams

How to revise for media exams:

1.       Review the examiners reports

2.       Know and revise the mark scheme

a.        By marking other past papers and your own responses

3.       Know and revise the possible topics you could be tested on

a.       Year 12

                                                               i.      Section A              

Know the categories inside and out (and all key terms in them)

a.        Camera shots, angles, movement, composition

b.       Editing

c.        Sound

d.       Mise-en-scene

TV Drama (representation of…..)

Gender

Age

Ethnicity

Sexuality

Class & Status

Regional Identity

Physical ability/disability

Know the different types of British TV dramas

Teen Dramas

Soap Operas

Costume Dramas

Medical/Hospital Dramas

Police/Crime dramas

Docudramas

Know and WATCH British TV dramas (at school, home – TV/BBC iplayer, 4OD etc)

Life on Mars

Rome

Skins

Coronation Street

The Hamberg Cell

Doctor Who

(and more of course!!!!)

                                                              ii.      Section B               Audiences & Institutions  (Miss Williams)

b.       Year 13

                                                               i.      Section A               Evaluating c/w

1.       1A : Know your pieces of c/w from both years (and how you developed and progressed from AS to A2 (different platforms/tasks), the skills, theorists & possible topics

Digital Technology

Creativity

Research and Planning

Post Production

Use of Real Media Texts

2.       1B: Know your pieces of c/w, the skills, theorists & possible topics

Genre

Narrative

Representation

Audience

Media Language

                                                              ii.      Postmodernism    (Ms Paisley)

4.       Revise with friends/groups – it is always GREAT to revise with others so you learn from each other – you would be surprised of how great this works!

5.       Read past papers

a.        Assess them using the mark scheme

b.       Make annotations of them

c.        Make note of the WWW & EBI (and apply this knowledge to your answers)

d.       Know what an A grade answer looks like versus a lower grade answer

                                                               i.      Compare differences between these

6.       Practice writing answers using past papers

a.        STICK TO TIMING!

b.       Write answers for each possible option

c.        Have a friend (who takes media) mark your answers to get another opinion

7.       Buy and read the media revision book a few times a week

a.        Read a different section at a time

b.       There are loads of activities at the end of sections

8.       Make revision notes (and show teacher if you want advice!)

a.        Make a list of key terms and review them daily

b.       You could even test yourself on the key terms to see if you know them

c.        DON’T make these really wordy – keep it brief!

d.       Make key words stand out

e.       Revision cards

f.         Make your own revision slides (powerpoints) of topics complete with key terms, brief info, pictures and videos  (like I made for TV drama)

9.       Know a few theorists for your topics!

a.        Laura Mulvey

b.       Focault

c.        Roland Barthes

d.       Marshall McLuhan

e.       Clay Shirky

10.    You can revise from various websites

a.        Various websites in relation to specific topics

                                                               i.      Be careful of Wikipedia as always

b.       OCR blog – has links and info about exams

c.        TED talks

                                                               i.      Great for educational lectures about various topics

GREAT example:  http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html 

(Clay Skirky is a great media theorist btw)

d.       Youtube is great but be be careful (same as wiki)