TV Assessment: Learner Response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

WWW: Good knowledge of the CSP's with effective examples.

LR: A better group of postmodern concepts needed. 

2) Read the whole mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment (even if you got full marks for the question).

Q1: 

-Criticisms of Hollywood cinema for the lack of originality in the film industry with reliance on franchises or sequels. Even a film such as Kingsman: The Secret Service has been developed from a comic and makes many intertextual references to the long-running and hugely successful James Bond: 007 film franchise.

-A range of different genres are suggested on the poster – e.g. the background is almost space (sci-fi); the silver symbol in the background alludes to comic books/Marvel universe; the woman on the left suggests martial arts or kung-fu movies – this is reinforced by the faint images in the background (man in mid-air kick on right-hand side); the helicopter in the top right hints at the war movie genre.

Q2:

Capital:

-The narrative relies on a highly constructed enigma of the detective narrative providing audience pleasure but complicating the concept of realism.
-Institutions of state are also represented negatively – particularly evident in the narrative around asylum and detention, where alignment with character creates ideological positioning.

Deutschland 83:
-The focus on real historical events raises questions about how these events can be represented to create an ideological position.
-The postmodern visual aesthetic which draws on pastiche, use of exaggerated popular culture references and stylized mise en scene, may undermine the claims to realism and ideological reading.

3) The first question demanded a response using postmodern terminology. Write a definition here of the three main terms:

Bricolage: The juxtaposing of old and new texts, images, ideas and narratives to create new meanings. 
Pastiche: Refers to media products that imitate the style of another text, artist, or time period. Pastiche is an example of intertextuality and takes a positive view of the original source. 
Intertextuality: Intertextuality is when one media text references another. 

4) Read this exemplar answer for the 25-mark question in the assessment. Select a quote from the essay for each of the following aspects from the mark scheme:

 a) analysis of the products that focuses on contexts and ideological positioning 

 "In Deutschland 83 (D83), the historical drama / spy thriller genre inevitably constructs an ideological position in their representation of contexts."

"Capital is a state-of-the-nation drama and this genre immediately gives it an urgency and

realism that reflect the political and cultural contexts of its setting."

 b) use of media theory

"Applying Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, this is unconsciously communicating to audiences the value in working hard, earning money and contributing to consumerism and capitalism - maintaining the status quo and reinforcing more rightwing ideology."

  

c) a judgement or conclusion on the question

"It could be argued that different audiences can read these fictional genres in different ways depending on their own perspectives and therefore social, cultural and political contexts are not the only aspect to this process."

d) examples from the TV CSPs

"Martin’s mother’s birthday party early in the first episode contains genuine warmth and happiness as partygoers sing ‘99 luftballons’ in stark contrast to the cold, tense BBQ scene at General Edel’s house in the West towards the end of the episode."

e) use of media terminology 

"Here, like Capital, it could be argued that western capitalist ideologies are being unconsciously reinforced through the construction of the narrative and key elements of mise-en-scene."

5) Based on this assessment, write three things you need to revise before the upcoming end of Year 12 exams.

- All theories and how to apply them to my essay. 

-Postmodernism

-All of the cutural, social and historical effects of all the CSP's