A2 media studies exam- wjec help!!

Hey guys - just created this thread for A2 WJEC Media Buddies if anyone would like to get any revision help or ask questions or give advice for the exam June 8th.

I just have one question for those who have already done the A2 media exam. What is the best way to revise over the case studies?

I am studying:
- Film (The Hunger Games, Skyfall and Fish Tank)
- Video Games (The Last of Us, GTA 5 and Just Dance 4)
- Newspapers (The Metro, The Guardian and The Daily Mail).

I hate newspapers -- do not know why my teacher chose this topic - I did get revision notes from a book and managed to annotate covers and articles for each newspaper but I do not really have that much information for Section B. But I heard that it's not good going into the exam knowing the industries you're going to do for each section.

I am confident with Video Games and Film in both Section A and Section B. I just do not want Newspapers to let me down. I am aiming for an A (we have all finished our investigation coursework).

Thanks -- best of luck for revision and the exam.

I've moved this to the media studies forum

All our revision resources are here http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/g/resources

Past papers here https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/g/past-papers

Thank-you ---> where is this forum?

Hey guys - just created this thread for A2 WJEC Media Buddies if anyone would like to get any revision help or ask questions or give advice for the exam June 8th.

I just have one question for those who have already done the A2 media exam. What is the best way to revise over the case studies?

I am studying:
- Film (The Hunger Games, Skyfall and Fish Tank)
- Video Games (The Last of Us, GTA 5 and Just Dance 4)
- Newspapers (The Metro, The Guardian and The Daily Mail).

I hate newspapers -- do not know why my teacher chose this topic - I did get revision notes from a book and managed to annotate covers and articles for each newspaper but I do not really have that much information for Section B. But I heard that it's not good going into the exam knowing the industries you're going to do for each section.

I am confident with Video Games and Film in both Section A and Section B. I just do not want Newspapers to let me down. I am aiming for an A (we have all finished our investigation coursework).

Thanks -- best of luck for revision and the exam.

If it is any consolation, a lot of students feel this way around now!
Split the Newspaper question into 3 areas of knowledge (industry ownership and circulation, demographic and analytics). Know at least 3 case studies to refer to and be able to cross reference (say Guardian and Daily Mail) using these examples. The Metro has a totally different audience and structure, so use this as that type of example, being able to use a few stories to prove your points.

Hope that helps a little

Hey, only just found this thread! I'm doing The Hunger Games and Skyfall like you for the films (as well as The Descent). I'm really starting to worry about this exam though because I've realised my teacher hasn't taught it properly...for a start he has told us to use films for section A and TV programmes for an audience question in section B and has therefore only taught genre, narrative and representation for the films and audience stuff for the TV programmes. We're doing magazines for the third industry but he has completely ignored the marketing, distribution, regulation and globalisation topics! He said its likely they'll be two audience questions so we don't need to cover the other stuff, but looking at the past papers I think they could appear and we just won't be prepared for them. I'm feeling totally lost with the other topics so if you have any info on what we're supposed to do that would be appreciated! In terms of revising we have just been writing essays and learning them. I'm quite confident with genre, narrative and representation in the films; I feel section A will be my strongest part of the exam. I also struggle with time management! I find I write loads about the first film/programme then run out of time to do the others in as much depth. Although you don't have to discuss them all equally I don't think. How are you getting on with your revision?

Hey Ellismall!

Ohh wow - you're teacher shouldn't really be advising you to do a certain industry for each section. Basically I boughtt a revision guide that advises the student to not go into the exam hall 'knowing' what questions you are going to do for each industry. Because once you see the exam paper, your circumstances could change dramatically! OK you also cannot assume or guess what questions will come up. That's risky.

The marketing, distribution, regulation and digital technologies will definitely come up.
What if there are 2 audience questions in Section B however you only understand one of the audience questions? You may have to go with the other 2 options which could be marketing, promotion etc.

It is important to be prepared for every kind of question that will come up! Download the June 2015 paper now and go through it. So I advise you to find case studies on the magazines you are studying for the topics you haven't studied. It is easy to remember points for marketing/promotion as this always somehow relates to appeal or positioning of audiences.

Remember also that whatever theory you have, you can always tweak it to suit a question!
For example, the demographics/psychographics can be used in a marketing/promotion question although it is an Audience theory. E.G - explain why the producers have used this certain marketing strategy and link it to the demographics/psychographics theory which will get you more marks because you have explained it. ALWAYS LOOK BACK AT THE QUESTION --> LINK YOUR ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION! DO NOT GET DISTRACTED AND GO OFF ON ONE :P

I have been sick for the last few days but we have been doing past papers at school so just been going over the notes at home. For TIME MANAGEMENT - remember not to WAFFLE!! Introductions should be no more than 5-6 lines like the conclusion as well. When you're talking about each text, take the best points you can remember from your notes and expand on them ONLY. Do not write 10 points with no expansion.
For example, for marketing/promotion for film, write thoroughly about 2 or 3 strategies rather than list a timeline strategies. I did an essay for promotion/marketing of newspapers and expanded on 2-3 features per newspaper to justify the marketing methods used and whether it was successful or not. That got me 27/30 which is what you should be aiming for if you are expected/predicted high grades.

REMEMBER THEORISTS! I would do 3-4 theorists for one question. Also ask your teacher if they have access to WJEC old past paper examples so you can see what A* students wrote for past questions. THE EXAMPLE ESSAYS REALLY HELPED ME! SPEND 5 MINUTES PLANNING, 40 MINS WRITING. That should leave you about 5minutes at the end to proofread.

I really hope this helps. Remember that you can't just guess what question will come up. You have to be prepared for all types of questions. You have 3 weeks until the exam. Remember it is never too late to get more revision done.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Hello again...

I've been looking at the guidance notes on WJEC and it states that "two of the three main texts must be contemporary (within the last 5 years)"

Is this right because my teacher said that any text after 2008 is fine but two of the magazines we're doing are from 2007 and 2005. Also the episodes we're using from Dexter are from 2006, the the Skins and Life on Mars episodes he has taught are from 2007/8. Is this all wrong? Do you think we are supposed to go through ourselves and study more up to date episodes?

My films should be OK because my two contemporary ones are Skyfall and The Hunger Games Catching Fire and they are both from the last 5 years.

For the magazines, are you working with actual copies or just the internet? I know we have to refer to articles as well as front covers but my teacher has just given us a few pictures of the front covers and a few inside images but no articles. I feel like I need to have actual copies of them but can't find much on the internet as they're so old.

Really sorry to keep bothering you with all these questions! I am just so totally lost with what we need to be doing :/

Hello again...

I've been looking at the guidance notes on WJEC and it states that "two of the three main texts must be contemporary (within the last 5 years)"

Is this right because my teacher said that any text after 2008 is fine but two of the magazines we're doing are from 2007 and 2005. Also the episodes we're using from Dexter are from 2006, the the Skins and Life on Mars episodes he has taught are from 2007/8. Is this all wrong? Do you think we are supposed to go through ourselves and study more up to date episodes?

My films should be OK because my two contemporary ones are Skyfall and The Hunger Games Catching Fire and they are both from the last 5 years.

For the magazines, are you working with actual copies or just the internet? I know we have to refer to articles as well as front covers but my teacher has just given us a few pictures of the front covers and a few inside images but no articles. I feel like I need to have actual copies of them but can't find much on the internet as they're so old.

Really sorry to keep bothering you with all these questions! I am just so totally lost with what we need to be doing :/

Don't you have a head of year for media or a head of year in general that you could complain to? Our class had similar issues with the dates of the texts and the original v digital copies but we sorted it out ages ago.

Look - you need to have at least 1 hard copy of the magazine. But anyway for the question, you only can really write detailed analysis on one article per magazine. For the newspapers, I have used 1 hard copy for The Metro and digital copies for the other 2 newspapers. It shows that you can compare and contrast the hard copy to the online copy in terms of its layout, pictures and language.

You need to find new episodes and articles. We are studying contemporary newspaper articles cuz we did our research for the case studies like few months ago. It makes sense to use up to date articles that are readily available. It has to be at least from 2010.

I don't know any intently sites for PDFs of magazines- I'm sure you can find some if you keep looking. But desperate times call for desperate measures. So buy the magazines!

It's OK - I understand the pressure cuz we were lost with this exam prep a few months ago. But we worked it out in the end and practised past papers - that really opened our eyes a lot.

God luck!![/QUOTE

With the magazines being so old do you think I should find my own up to date ones, or would this be too risky? Will the examiners actually mark us down for this even though its what we've been taught?

I wish I had looked into all this months ago as well, but I have been focusing on my other three subjects thinking this would be my 'easy' one, because I've always found media straightforward. I've got three As already in the AS coursework and exam and A2 coursework so hopefully it won't be too bad but I don't want this exam to let me down...

Thanks so much for the help