German teen novelist

This is explicit material, but usefully explores and illustrates one of the common ideas associated with Pomo theory, that originality is now impossible: Then came the fall, as spectacular and dramatic as her rise to literary celebrity had been, when a blogger revealed that material in the novel had been lifted from the much less well-known novel Strobo, written under the nom de plume Airen. Other unattributed sources subsequently came to light, and the early gushing praise turned to a deluge of indignation and opprobrium. Hegemann is apologetic but only to a point. "There were 14 sentences that I took from a blogger and modified," she says. "Suddenly they were rubbishing the entire book. Critics who had feted me were suddenly distancing themselves completely. But I think they were looking for a way to neutralise me and debilitate me as an author, and the plagiarism claims were the approach path for allowing them to do that. "But I've said it again and it's still my best defence: there's no such thing as originality, just authenticity," she says. I cite the most infamous of the lifted passages, near the start of the book, where Mifti's brother Edmond tells her: "Berlin is here to mix everything with everything, man … I steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels my imagination … because my work and my theft are authentic as long as something speaks directly to my soul. It's not where I take things from – it's where I take them to." The thoughtful and precise English translation by Katy Derbyshire has been slightly but very noticeably altered from the German, to have Mifti pointedly ask her brother: "So you didn't make it up?" To which he replies: "No, it's from some blogger." The modified remark is intended, thinks Hegemann, to make clearer the quotation's origin. "But you know the joke of it is, they say I stole that sentence from Airen, when in fact it's originally from Jim Jarmusch, who I think saw it on a gallery sign somewhere, and then the line 'I steal from anywhere' is Jarmusch quoting Jean-Luc Godard." She beams as she tells me this. Throughout the interview she speaks in long, complex sentences sprinkled with the odd English word ("surrounded", "shit", "nightlife"). She says how stressful the accusations were and that her publisher, Ullstein, offered her little protection. "It is ironic that what I was accused of 'stealing' had already been 'stolen'," she adds, segueing into an explanation about intertextuality and how words and phrases percolate into works unconsciously. SOURCE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jun/24/helene-hegemann-axolotl-novelist-interview

REP'n: Bechdel test

The Bechdel Test, Bechdel-Wallace Test, or the Mo Movie Measure*, is a sort of litmus test for female presence in movies and TV. The test is named for Alison Bechdel, creator of the comic strip Dykes To Watch Out For, who made it known to the world with this strip.
In order to pass, the film or show must meet the following criteria:

1. It includes at least two women,*
2. who have at least one conversation,
3. about something other than a man or men.*

[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest?from=Main.TheBechdelTest]

See http://mediabritishcinema.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/actresses-hwds-expectations-limitations.html
http://mediabritishcinema.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/womans-place-is-inthe-directors-chair.html
http://prodeval.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/creativity-sans-la-femme-bechdel-test.html
etc

Your sample 1b answers

For now, this one only - the main point here is look at my suggestions, though there are also good egs of applying theories by Jess here too:

1b. Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to genre

A genre is a critical tool that helps us study texts and audience responses to texts by dividing them into categories based on common elements. David Chandler (2001) stated that the word Genre came from the French word for type. My music video was just on genre, Pop, this genre is so broad and wide that it is hard to distinguish whether it was just pop [APPLY THEORY: many poss’s here: Mittell (2001) genres are cultural categories or perhaps Abercrombie (1996) ‘a steady dismantling of genres’ as genre boundaries collapse]. All of Robbie Williams songs are pop and this was my groups personal taste. The conventions we found for our genre in music videos were, dancing, heterosexual relationships, lighting, lip syncing. When male artists are in a music video, they tend to be portrayed as a alpha male who is in love with a women, not only is this [heteronormative in forming part of the dominant discourse (Fairclough)] stereotyping but in today’s post-modern society, it doesn’t represent males who are gay etc [Queer theorist Judith Butler has written about how gender and sexual identities are wholly artificial constructs; concepts which do not have any objective meaning or exist in nature, but which we learn to perform through the reinforcement of acceptable, ‘normal’ behaviour through videos such as ours. We were aware of reflecting common stereotypes and encouraging such ‘performativity’ of gender, as Butler would put it, but felt that this was necessary to fit within the expectations of the genre and our stated audience. This highlights that genre is more than a neutral means of categorising content. Daniel Chandler has also raised similar points, arguing that genre texts provide a “reading position” for audiences; embedded within texts are assumptions about the 'ideal reader', including their attitudes towards the subject matter and often their class, age, gender and ethnicity]. Artists that do this [what? confusing] are Olly Murs, One Direction, The Wanted and Bruno Mars. However showing a male in a heterosexual relationship was perfect for our video because the lyrics matched the narrative [is there not polsemy over who the other person is who thinks ‘she’s the one’? even if not, make the point explicitly re the title ‘she’s the one’].

Our music video consisted of 3 generations of a boy and girl and performance, with lip syncing and typical conventions of a pop music video. Are narrative scenes and performance was a clear indication to the audience that it was the pop genre, and after getting lots of feedback, it was clear that our predictions were right. Rick Altman argued that genre offers a set of pleasures, I think that our music video offered emotional pleasures because the audience can relate to the narrative, we have created verisimilitude which again makes it more realistic and watching cute children growing up into young adults in love would make the audience feel different emotions. [this is good and will pick up marks; you could also draw on the uses & gratifications theory here]

The cast we used were attractive, and our male cast members linked with Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory because they were attractive [you could be more specific; break this down: Western beauty stereotype of slim, make-up, long hair, Caucasian, blonde for instance?] and the audience liked watching them, this was also helpful as our main target audience was 15-24 females, so therefore they relate more because they are the same age as the cast. Steve Neale declared that genres are instances of repetition and difference, our video has elements from existing current music videos [point starts well with EAA, but you’re not getting easy marks for EGs here as you don’t back the point up with any specific example/s], I think that within the pop genre, it is all very much similar and the trends were set back in the 80’s when videos were first starting to come alive [Simon Reynolds 2011 book has coined the term ‘Retromania’ to describe the growing popularity of older existing texts with young and old audiences alike].

After receiving plenty of feedback we decided to have our narrative in a non-linear sequences but we still stuck to the conventions of cutting to the beat and matching lyrics with the narrative. Most pop videos are fast pace and serious, however, we challenged these conventions because our video was slow as was the music and within the narrative was cute and funny elements, for example, when the girl puts paint on the boys noise.

I think that our music video is clear and precise as to which genre it is conveying. The video can really relate to the audience and overall the video is not a typical pop video.

[Good in parts and close to a C overall – very strong on EAA at times, picking up useful marks too on TERMY, though the EAA can be extended and the real weakness here is EGs: too little specific illustration from your text and/or from your research]

EAA              7

EG                4

TERMY         3

Your sample Q1a answers

I've passed these on, so for now just the one new one - worth reading mainly for the suggestions:

[eg1: this is only part of the full text]

Describe how you used your research into real media texts for your production work, and describe how you developed your ability to use this research over time.

The transition from AS to A2 was huge, I feel that all of my skills have improved especially research and production skills. At AS I created a 2 minute opening for a slasher film, “Last One Standing”, centred on a voyeur targeting and killing a teen girl in her suburban, semi-detached home, with ‘Blair Witch’ themed flashbacks of her with her friends in the local woods hinting [foreshadowing or signifiying] at an earlier beginning to the stalking, and a threat to her remaining friends, A2 I created a music video,  for Robbie Williams’ ‘She’s The One’ three generations of a boy and girl (ages: 5, 12, 18) and how their relationship developed from innocent friendship to romance, using changing technologies and other aspects of mise-en-scene to signify the changing time period and create verisimilitude for each. We also had a performer who was signified as Robbie.

For both productions I started with researching genre conventions (for the opening Slasher/Horror like ‘Halloween’ and for the music video, Pop, with artists such as Olly Murs, The Saturdays and One Direction these egs should come out through later points, probably a waste here). For my slasher 2 minute opening I researched existing films that include aspects that were similar to my idea [no: make these two clearly sep points: general genre research AND multi-genre research into certain aspects; the difference at A2 is you looked beyond music vid], such as, flashbacks which were found in the “Blair Witch Project” and POV of the killer looking at the house, found in “Halloween” by John Carpenter, this showed me how to make the audience feel like they are looking at the same thing the killer is [you should denote some of the media lang observed/used to achieve this] and also sort of go on a journey with the killer which builds the tension for both the viewer and the victim.

I developed these skills in my advanced portfolio, for example, instead of searching into just one specific genre initially I searched into several [no! we did this too at AS: started with the general THEN focussed on genre. Perhaps you used web 2.0 sites eg Facebook/fan forums to get further suggestions for viewing at A2? And because you weren’t relying so much on DVDs you were also able to use the YouTube recommendations sidebar?]. I looked at a range of genres, from Katy Perry (Pop) to The Darkness (Rock), this helped me distinguish different genre conventions and what to include in my pop video. To create our video, the main pop artist we looked at was Olly Murs because he is similar to Robbie as he is known as cheeky [again, not strictly necessary for every point, but you want to denote some of the specific media lang (in this case I’m assuming direct gaze at the lens/audience with winking or ‘gurning’ as RW’s often described? Plus other ‘antics’ that will be scripted but are designed to appear spontaneous – postmodern deconstruction of the music video form by exposing the supposed behnd-the-scenes aspects? Give example/s] and his videos linked to some aspect of ours, for example, in most of his videos he is in love with a woman, this helped because we were also portraying a heterosexual relationship. Another media text was the 2009 John Lewis advert, this was about a heterosexual couple who have grown up together, it also showed different time periods, which really helped in our video because getting the mise-en-scene correct was vital and to create verisimilitude was just as important because we wanted the audience to relate to the on screen characters. The video wasn’t the full on typical Pop genre [the media lang here is high key lighting which tends to glamourise the subject, thus its use in pop videos – low key or natural lighting is more common in rock (eg Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony or Chilli Peppers’ alt version of the Under the Bridge vid), especially Indie for its connotations of realism. You need to try harder to reflect your research + cite a relevant eg of a pop vid using natural lighting], because we didn’t use special effects or studio lights, partly because we didn’t have access to them but also are video wasn’t a big production, it was more like a home video of the generations. [okay, so maybe you argue your AS was more like a form of postmodern bricolage: reassembling familiar signifiers, but your A2 work, whilst similarly postmodern in its intertextuality, sought to create something more fresh and distinctive? Also, you were aware of reflecting the dominant discourse around sexuality (as Fairclough would argue), but felt that anything but a heteronormative text wouldn’t work for the genre or audience?]

MANGeR+DCRUP theories: nice summaries

See http://keymediatheory.blogspot.co.uk/
You'll find accessible, downloadable Word/pdf files on each major area of theory

PAST MARKED 1A-1B ANSWERS

These are embedded below, but to prevent these from slowing the blog from loading up you need to click on read more.
You can find all these either at http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gce/amlw/media_studies/documents/ or by clicking through any of the URLs below and looking for other docs uploaded around the same time:
Past q1a q1b Exam Qs
Past q1a Marked Answers
Past q1b Marked Answers
G325 Section a January 2011 II as-

G325 Section a January 2011 i as-F

2011 Jan Report

2011 Jan Paper G325

2011 Jan Markscheme G325

CHIEF EXAMINER GUIDE JUNE 2012

Lest you only track new posts, as embedded in the post below here's the same Ppt from the Chief Examiner

G325 exam

View more presentations from petefrasers

1a + 1b guides

UPDATE JUNE 12TH 2012: CHIEF EXAMINER PPT GUIDE

G325 exam

View more presentations from petefrasers

Please make sure you note web 2.0 and postmodernism from the 1a guide; I've previously suggested 'FAG' as key, but will now extend that to 'FANG' (adding new media)

Q1a guide db2011

View more documents from DB3igs.

Credit to Mick Googan for the following; I've adapted and added to the PowerPoints, but the bulk was already in place. With both guides there is far too much to squeeze into 30mins on any one topic (and rem that 1a will combine 2 [or more] into one question; you should be picking and choosing which points to develop and work up detail revision notes on. Its obviously useful to consider which points overlap, which may reduce your workload...

Q1b theory and MANGeR db edit mgoogan guide

View more presentations from DB3igs.

As much as there is in these, you can further personalise your work by using the F6/Lib books, as discussed within these guides

Intro paragraph: synopsis of your wok

AS I've said in the general guidelines for Q1a/1b, you should start by providing a brief summary of what you did at AS + A2. This needs to include a synopsis  a very brief outline of your narrative, which say something along the lines of

At AS following a prelimary task to evidence my grasp of continuity editing techniques I constructed the opening two minutes of a new feature film, including titles, based around...

• a period drama set in WW2, featuring the female protagonist receiving a letter from a uniformed soldier informing her of her lover's death, using a piano-based non-diegetic soundtrack at key points to emphasize the emotional and romantic aspects of the narrative
• a rom-com showing a young office worker rushing to get out for work, and tripping himself up just as he spots what will be the love interest; our titles were constructed using various diegetic devices, such as fridge magnets and a spilled box of cereal, spelling out names (as seen in the comedy Napoleon Dynamite)
• a slasher featuring two friends making the deadly mistake of taking a shortcut through some woods, where one disappears, leaving his friend to try and make it back to safety. Our non-diegetic music got louder and faster as the stalker's presence became apparent, and we ended the opening on the bloodied hand of the first victim stretching out in a futile gesture, taking some inspiration from Marion Crane's death throes in the iconic shower scene in Psycho.
• a horror movie inspired by The Ring in which our protagonist is seen confused and panicked, running out of a building; he appears to hallucinate an ominous female character

The above examples were from past AS pieces. Depending on the 1a Q, it can be useful to instantly flag up the development from AS to A2, perhaps by stressing the generic nature of the AS work and the partial challenging of conventions with your video (or an improved appreciation of multiple audiences and how to appeal to these).

HERE'S AN ACTUAL EXAMPLE FROM A STUDENT IN JUNE 2010 (Q1a FOCUS: r+p)

I feel that my production skills from foundation to Advanced have greatly improved. [:UNNECESSARY WAFFLE?] My thriller opening sequence was about two men who prey on suicidal teenage girls on the internet, titled “Caught in the Web.” The men rape and murder their victims but frame it as a suicide, using the suicide support website (where they preyed on them) as evidence of this suicide. It is a dark enigmatic and gripping film which captivates the audience (according to my feedback). My music video (Advanced Portfolio) is to the song “Voodoo Child” originally by Rogue Traders, but our girlband uses the name The Vixens. We used 4 girls and our video transports the audience to the mind of the main girl, where her alter-egos (dressed as the deadly sins) corrupt her. It is a racy funky video that creates a strong band image.

Your thoughts on this? Imagine YOU were the examiner; does this convey a strong image to you of the AS + A2 productions?

A dictionary of pomo terms 

Alterity

• Alterity is a philosophical principle of exchanging one's own perspective for that of the "other".
• A lack of personal identity.
• See Wikipedia, Alterity, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alterity (Jan 2007)

Aporia

• An aporia is a philosophical puzzle, paradox, or impasse often used in conjunction with 'deconstruction'.
• A state of wonder and awe due to contemplating the mysteries of life and the universe.
• See Wikipedia, Aporia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aporia (Jan 2007)

Bricolage

• Bricolage is a processes by which traditional objects or language are given a new, often subversive, meaning and context.
• Art technique where works are constructed from various available materials ("found items" or mass-produced "junk").
• See Wikipedia, Bricolage, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bricolage (Jan 2007)

Catharsis

• A form of emotional cleansing, first described by Aristotle, which occurs simply from the passive act of viewing a tragedy.
• A postmodern analogy is that the media's focus on violence is the method by which society cleanses its collective psyche.
• See Wikipedia, Catharsis, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharsis (Jan 2007)

Commodification

• Term used in Marxist economics when economic value is assigned to something not traditionally considered a commodity.
• Examples of commodification include: ideas, culture, identity, and even the human body.
• See Wikipedia, Commodification, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodification (Jan 2007)

Constructivism

• Term attributed to Jean Piaget, who described how knowledge is assimilated and internalized during the process of learning.
• Postmods contend that the process of matching internal models to the real world is inherently colored by the bias of the observer.
• See Wikipedia, Constructivism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism (Jan 2007)

Cybernetics

• Cybernetics is a process by which a biological organism enhances its abilities by the integration of technology.
• So called "cyborgs" are a common feature of science fiction (Popular examples include: Robocop and the Borg).
• In postmodernism, much philosophical weight is given to this merging (and interdependence) of man and technology.
• Many consider there to be similar impact due to reliance on everyday items like glasses or hearing aids.
• See Wikipedia, Cyborg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyborg (Jan 2007)

Cyberpunk

• Cyberpunk is a science fiction genre based in the near-future and often set in post-industrial dystopias.
• The focus of Cyberpunk has been described as "high tech and low life": technology run amok with gritty film noir motifs.
• Its name is a synthesis of Cybernetics and Punk and often features body modification.
• Plots often involve hackers, artificial intelligences, and mega corporations.
• Popular examples include: Snow Crash and Neuromancer
• See Wikipedia, Cyberpunk, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk (Jan 2007)

Cyberspace

• A term coined by William Gibson in Neuromancer and Burning Chrome to describe an all-encompassing, virtual reality internet.
• "A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation... A graphic representation of data abstracted from banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding..."
• A similar term, Metaverse, was used by Neal Stephenson in Snow Crash
• See Wikipedia, Cyberspace, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberspace (Jan 2007)

Dadaism

• Dadaism was a cultural movement which attempted to reject and destroy the prevailing standards in art through anti-art.
• It was a reaction to the horrors of World War I, which its followers believed was due to the reason and logic of the modernists.
• Dada strove to have no meaning and its works are often described as random or without organization.
• Ironically, Dada became an influential movement in modern art (examples include Duchamp's "readymades" found objects)
• See Wikipedia, Dada, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dada (Jan 2007)

Deconstruction

• Deconstruction is a term coined by the French philosopher Jacques Derrida for a process of critiquing literature and language.
• It analyzes the built in bias of language and questions its ability to represent reality.
• Critics see deconstruction as oversimplified and "sloppy" intellectual approach to attacking modernism.
• See Wikipedia, Deconstruction, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction (Jan 2007)

Dystopia

• Dystopias are societies usually characterized by decay and/or oppressive governments.
• Relevant authors include Kurt Vonnegut and William Gibson
• See Wikipedia, Dystopia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia (Jan 2007)

Flattening of Affect

• Flattening of affect is a scientific term describing a person's detachment and lack of emotional reactivity.
• Used in the postmodern literature to describe technology's dehumanizing impact.
• A key example is the move 2001, where the main characters lose their humanity whereas the computer HAL gains "his".
• See Wikipedia, Blunted affect, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blunted_affect (Jan 2007)

Hyperreality

• Hyperreality is a symptom of postmodern culture where a person loses their ability to distinguish reality from fantasy.
• The hyperreal world is often thought of as an idealized enhancement of reality, much preferable to the real life equivalent.
• Present day examples could include reality television, pornagraphy, or multi-player online games.
• See Wikipedia, Hyperreality, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality (Jan 2007)

Kitsch

• Kitsch was originally a German term used to categorize art that is considered an inferior copy of an existing style.
• Art (often commercially mass-produced) that is done in bad taste or tries to be overly campy or sentimental.
• From Baudrillard: "one of that great army of 'trashy' objects, made of plaster of Paris or some such imitation material".
• See Wikipedia, Kitsch, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsch (Jan 2007)

Modernism

• Mordenism is associated with the period of the mid 20th century.
• It is associated with constant change in the pursuit of progress, achievable through rationality and logic.
• In contrast, Postmodernism takes a less optimistic view where constant change becomes the status quo and progress obsolete.
• See Wikipedia, Postmodernism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism (Jan 2007)

Panopticon

• Panopticon is derived from the Greek opticon (see) and pan (all).
• A type of prison designed to allow the guards to observe all prisoners without their knowledge.
• The goal is to convey a feeling of "invisible omniscience" over the minds of the prisoners.
• The panopticon is a symbol in many dystopian novels, most notably George Orwell's 1984
• See Wikipedia, Panopticon, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon (Jan 2007)

Pastiche

• Pastiche is a tongue-in-cheek imitation or tribute used in literature, art, music, movies, etc.
• Performed with respect to, or in homage to, other works (as opposed to parody which is done in ridicule or sarcasm).
• A popular example is the cartoon The Simpsons, known for its pop culture references and recycled plots.
• See Wikipedia, Pastiche, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastiche (Jan 2007)

Punctuated Equilibrium

• A theory in evolutionary biology by which otherwise slow evolutionary change happens during sporadic periods of great change.
• Postmodernism analogy of technological or cultural change, often used in conjunction with "tipping point" or "singularity".
• See Wikipedia, Punctuated equilibrium, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuated_equilibrium (Jan 2007)

Simulacra

• A simulacra is a copy of a copy, so far removed from its original, that it can stand on its own and even replace the original.
• Term defined by Jean Baudrillard in "The Precession of Simulacra" from Simulacra and Simulation
  "It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal.... substituting the signs of the real for the real".
  Examples included Disneyland, psychosomatic illness, and the Watergate scandal.
• Another example is the cartoon Betty Boop, who has now become an icon for the long forgotten actresses she was based on.
• See Wikipedia, Simulacrum, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacrum (Jan 2007)

Semiotics

• Semiotics is the study of signs, symbols, and how meaning is constructed and understood.
• Linguist Ferdinand de Saussure proposed the deferentiation between the spoken word (signifier) and mental concept (signified).
• See Wikipedia, Semiotics, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics (Jan 2007)

Steampunk

• Steampunk is an off-shoot of cyberpunk set in the steam-powered Victorian era.
• A type of speculative fiction where fictional and real technologies occur at an earlier date.
• See Wikipedia, Steampunk, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk (Jan 2007)

Virtual Reality

• Virtual Reality is a simulation technology providing an immersive computer-generated environment.
• The environment may be real (medical applications) or imagined (the Matrix).
• See Wikipedia, Virtual Reality, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality (Jan 2007)