December mock exam: Learner Response

1) Feedback:

Score: 65/84

Grade: 8

WWW: Wajiha, excellent paper from you - really impressed with your 20 mark responses, lots to credit.

EBI: Naturally, very difficult to pick up on these but for Q5 you need to draw more of a comparison between the CSP and MR.

2) 1.1 - all sounds generated within the world of the drama, 1.2 - any example of dialogue from the extract such as ‘When Lyra says, “So you’re a kitchen boy then?”

3) The opening shot in the extract focuses on the omelette in Will’s hand – almost a close-up – with handheld camera movement following the plate to the table. This focus on the food Will has cooked seems to establish him as the less dominant person in the relationship. The medium shot of Lyra suspiciously looking at the food reinforces this power imbalance in their relationship.

The wide shot and slow dolly/tracking through the open doors shows both characters together sitting at the table. This deliberately places both characters in the same frame as the conversation becomes more friendly and less guarded. The camerawork is communicating the growing friendship between Lyra and Will and helps to foreshadow the suggestion (in the very next shot) from Will that they team up and work together. The slow dolly/track at this point signals to the audience that something important is happening; their relationship is changing. It works in a similar way to a zoom.

As Lyra walks into the house, the camera moves backwards with her – a faster-paced dolly shot to signal to the audience that things are changing, the relationship is moving on. Will is left out of focus and trying to keep up – once again communicating to the audience the power imbalance in Lyra’s favour.

4) Lyra’s costume subverts feminine stereotypes. It is blue, practical and does not emphasise her figure or draw attention. It helps to establish Lyra as a practical, confident character who is used to surviving on her own.

Will’s expression and body language is very timid which subverts masculine stereotypes. In contrast, Lyra’s movements and expressions exude confidence. This can be seen in the extract both outside at the table and later when discussing which beds they will take.

5) There are also positive representations of teens in which attributes such as freedom, independence, creativity and social awareness are likely to be emphasised. Some frequently represented characteristics of teenagers may be seen as positive by younger audiences but as negative by older audiences. These include rebelliousness, openness to change, liberal values on matters such as sexuality and a much stronger commitment to friendship groups than to family or country.

A notable difference between the two CSPs can be found in the approaches to diversity. There is no evidence of diversity at all in DW (unless you count the presence of aliens). The teens and younger characters in HDM are drawn from a more diverse background with Will being mixed race.

Susan is clearly in touch with popular culture. As a stereotypical teenager, she is engrossed in pop music on her radio and her modern clothes differentiate her from the teachers. In spite of her intellectual superiority, she is polite and deferential to her teachers. She is not afraid, though, to challenge her ‘grandfather’, the Doctor, in order to defend Barbara and Ian.

6) User-generated content is content created by regular people, rather than brands. An example of this includes a video I post on TikTok.

7) By the end of 2019, the influencer marketing industry was worth some $8bn a year. One recent report by Insider Intelligence predicted that it would grow to $15bn globally by the end of 2022.

There is an army of influencers: social media users and celebrities with large, devoted followings, who give their followers access to a carefully curated version of their lives. In this “authentic” context, sponsored content, known as “sponcon”, has proved a potent tool for selling products.

Some media theorists have suggested that in the digital age it is audiences that have the power rather than companies, industries or traditional celebrities. Social media and YouTube levels the playing field and gives ordinary people the chance to create and share content. This would suggest that celebrities and influencers do not have more power than ever before and in fact the internet is a democratising force giving power to normal people.

8) The nature of media production, including by large organisations, who own the products they produce, and by individuals and groups.

How the media operate as commercial industries on a global scale.

The ways in which the media re-present the world and construct versions of reality.

9) 8/10.

10) Magazines (specifically Heat), social and cultural contexts and Stuart Hall's Reception theory.