drama exam technique

AS Media Studies G322: Section A: Textual analysis and representation TV Drama - Exam essay guidelines

Exam format Exam length: 2 hours - 30 mins for 4 screening of the drama extract - 45 mins to write and proof read Section A essay (TV drama) - 45 mins to write and proof read Section B essay (film industry)

Note taking tips You will be allowed to start taking notes after the first screening. Use a separate sheet of paper for note taking, divide it up into five sections and quickly write down the technical codes you will need to look out for.

After screening 1: Write a sentence on the subgenre, a brief description of the sequence and where it might fit in the narrative (e.g. beginning/end?)

Note the representation/themes (conservative or progressive representations, exaggeration or subversion of stereotypes, etc. themes of age, gender, class, etc) Screening 2: Mise-en-scene (PICCLAMS) Screening 3: Camera (SMAC) & Editing (CITE)

Screening 4: Sound (D/N)

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Essay writing tips 

Write neatly and formally and proof read for punctuation, spelling and grammar errors.

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Use continuous prose, not sub-headings or bullet points.

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Use a clear structure of short paragraphs to organize your points.

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Stay focused on answering the question.

Essay Structure tips 

Use the notes you made during the screenings to write your essay.

They should help you write a lot and write in a logical, ordered manner.

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Start your essay with a brief description outlining the overall theme(s) and the sub-genre/hybrid genre of the drama extract. This should be easier for you to tackle the technical codes and how they shape our understanding of the representation of the characters and environment.

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Don’t feel you have to write equal amounts for each technical code.

The skill is in writing about the most significant aspects from the clip.

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Deal with each technical code in turn, one at a time, roughly one per paragraph. This may feel a little awkward but it is better than writing your essay in a chronological order because it makes it easier for the examiner to spot and reward your points.

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The mantra for this paper is: 

form: what is it (e.g. close up, dissolve, prop)?

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function: why is it being used (in all probability)?

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effect: how does it make us feel; how does it engage us; how does it shape our understanding of issues of representation?

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Use terminology correctly (e.g.: iconography; non-diegetic; high key lighting etc.)

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Illustrate your analysis with clear and precise examples from the extract.

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Use helpful phrases to shape your argument. Pick out the ways in which the technical codes help shape our understanding of issues of representation, e.g..: 2

o “In this sequence point-of-view shots to help us identify with the middleaged character …”; o “Music is used in this extract to shape our understanding of the world of the characters and their preferences. Particularly interesting here is the way the teenager is shown listening to jazz, not what we might expect of his age range …”; o “The props that are shown with this character suggest that she has interests beyond what we might expect of a sixty-year old woman.” 

Finish with a short, confident, punchy conclusion that sums up the main findings in terms of issues of representation. It might be helpful to identify the dominant technical codes that contribute to your understanding of the representation of characters and their environment.

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Ensure that you leave enough time to proof read at the end.

Remember to look at the numerous exemplar essays available on the blog. They’ll help you to make sense of this guide.

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