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A LEVEL Exemplar Candidate Work
MEDIA STUDIES H409
For first teaching in 2017
H409/02 Summer 2019 series Version 1
www.ocr.org.uk/mediastudies
A Level Media Studies
Exemplar Candidate Work
Contents Introduction 3 Question 1
4
Question 2
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Question 3
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Question 4
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Introduction These exemplar answers have been chosen from the summer 2019 examination series. OCR is open to a wide variety of approaches and all answers are considered on their merits. These exemplars, therefore, should not be seen as the only way to answer questions but do illustrate how the mark scheme has been applied. Please always refer to the specification https://www.ocr. org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/media-studies-h009h409-from-2017/ for full details of the assessment for this qualification. These exemplar answers should also be read in conjunction with the sample assessment materials and the June 2019 Examiners’ report or Report to Centres available from Interchange https://interchange.ocr.org.uk/ Home.mvc/Index The question paper, mark scheme and any resource booklet(s) will be available on the OCR website from summer 2020. Until then, they are available on OCR Interchange (school exams officers will have a login for this and are able to set up teachers with specific logins – see the following link for further information http://www. ocr.org.uk/administration/support-and-tools/interchange/ managing-user-accounts/). It is important to note that approaches to question setting and marking will remain consistent. At the same time OCR reviews all its qualifications annually and may make small adjustments to improve the performance of its assessments. We will let you know of any substantive changes.
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A Level Media Studies
Exemplar Candidate Work
Question 1
Exemplar 1
5 marks
Examiner commentary This is a typical example of a response that sits at the top of Level 1. The explanation is minimal and undeveloped; it is more comparative of film styles rather than explaining the industrial impact on production and/or distribution. The end of the essay lacks clarity, despite some use of terminology and implicit understanding. Candidates are expected to show greater depth and reference to the macro of the film industry using economic and historical information to develop their answer. 4
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Exemplar 2
8 marks
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Examiner commentary This response has a strong start but becomes very descriptive rather than offering a detailed and comprehensive explanation of how production and/or distribution has affected the film industry (macro). The answer adequately references both texts (micro) and knowledge is good but it doesn't really feel like a comparison, more of a blow by blow account of methods that worked for each film; this was a very typical response by students simply writing down everything they know without steering it specifically to the question. A clearer link to the question and historical and economic contexts would have improved this response, as would linking to the film industry (macro) more frequently. 6
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Exemplar 3
12 marks
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Examiner commentary This is a more successful example of a comprehensive response. The candidate addresses each text equally and not only makes good comparisons between the two texts at a micro level, but fluently refers to the impact each film had on the film industry in general. The accurate use of terminology is successfully integrated, as is a clear reference to economic and historical contexts which was often overlooked by many candidates. This response explains the impact of production and distribution methods fluently and succinctly. 8
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Question 2 Exemplar 1
5 marks
Examiner commentary The response does not explain any of the points in adequate detail and does not define or examine audiences; it is minimal in its attempt to explore how the BBC target and maintain audiences. The response only really discusses content and at a limited level of detail which is why this candidate cannot progress into Level 2.
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Exemplar 2
7 marks
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Examiner commentary This is another typical response that examiners encountered during this session. The candidate does make some use of examples from the show to support what is otherwise a lot of guesswork. The response doesn't really address or define the audience of The BBC Radio One Breakfast Show and makes no reference to factors such as PSB or the remits of BBC’s Royal Charter - the idea of maintaining audiences and targeting them is somewhat implicit in the response which demonstrates a generally adequate explanation of how radio broadcasters target, reach and maintain audiences. More reference to specific examples from shows would have added emphasis to points made which, otherwise, felt descriptive.
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Exemplar 3
13 marks
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Examiner commentary This is a strong example of a comprehensive response which not only demonstrates a range of secure knowledge but is consistent and reflective of the question, addressing the key words extracted from the question stem. Furthermore, each time the candidate explores targeting defined audiences, or how audiences are maintained, or reached, they do so with clear examples taken from The BBC Radio One Breakfast Show to exemplify and back up their ideas. Facts, terminology and fluency also support this answer.
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Question 3
Exemplar 1 Homeland and The Killing
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AO1 – 5 marks AO2 – 9 marks
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Examiner commentary This is a very typical script that meets the criteria for middle of band 2 (adequate). AO1: There is an adequate range of contexts discussed which is used to identify the codes and conventions of LFTV dramas. There is too much description across the response and logical connections become weaker towards the end of the response. AO2: Knowledge and theory is not really explored but there are some good logical connections at times. This was typical of many candidates during June 2019 who lapsed into moments of description and offered no solid conclusion to their argument; here, the question is not really investigated in detail. Furthermore, there is more of a focus on Homeland than both LFTV drama texts which was another indicator of weaker responses where balance was not shown.
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Exemplar 2 – Stranger Things and Deutschland 83
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AO1 – 6 marks AO2 – 12 marks
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Examiner commentary AO1: The response covers a variety of contexts, including cultural and historical in detail. Economic is largely overlooked but a good awareness of audience ideology is explored in adequate detail throughout the answer. There is scope to develop awareness of social and political ideas embedded in the answer, but overall the answer flows well and had an adequate level of understanding. AO2: From the outset, there is a strong emphasis on genre and codes and conventions of LFTV and their appeal to audiences with some clear reasoning and discussion about how ideologies are formed and developed by audiences; the candidate has clearly engaged with the question. Narrative and representation are discussed at an adequate level but the knowledge of industries is undeveloped. The use of theory is adequate in its application and analysis of framework, however more examples would support this response further.
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Exemplar 3 – House of Cards and The Killing
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AO1 – 6 marks AO2 – 12 marks
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Examiner commentary AO1: The approach taken by the candidate is to adopt a blow by blow account using the bullet points from the question to structure the response; this may benefit some candidates in future sessions. The contexts are explored and considered adequately, including an awareness of the political (although the Trump reference is weak), social (changing women's roles versus patriarchy of politics) and economic; generally, the response could have benefited from exploring the nature of LFTV and cultural impacts in more detail. AO2: The answer makes good comparisons between the two products and develops a sustained argument that audiences do not decide but rather that industries are in control of content, with a strong focus on Netflix. Awareness of the different genres is strong with some attempt at critically evaluating the LFTV episodes using some theory. However, to score higher the application of media language discussion to audiences could have been better defined, explored and developed in more detail.
Exemplar 4 – Mr Robot and Deutschland 83
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AO1 – 7 marks AO2 – 13 marks
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Examiner commentary AO1: The candidate shows a comprehensive understanding of contexts across LFTV drama with clear and insightful awareness of the impact this has had on the show and on audiences of LFTV Dramas. It lacks depth to be higher but the candidate writes fluently. AO2: The essay is articulate and fluent with a good awareness of applying academic ideas and arguments using appropriate examples from the show to make valid points; for example, they explore representation well and use key media language terms, however a greater awareness of audiences and how they were targeted by industries is needed to reach Level 3. Furthermore, the comparison is somewhat undeveloped to meet the band 3 criteria despite having logical connections and reasoning. The biggest shortcoming of this response, which was typical of many responses during June 2019, was that no clear conclusion is reached.
Exemplar 5 – Stranger Things and Trapped
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AO1 – 8 marks AO2 – 14 marks
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Examiner commentary AO1: The response covers a comprehensive range of contexts about each show and demonstrates a secure knowledge of each show in relation to the points discussed with reference to values, attitudes and beliefs. Sometimes this is not clearly defined but the range of contexts covered, using examples, places the response into band 3. AO2: Whilst there are elements of highly developed and detailed lines of reasoning, the response fails to adapt to the question fully and use a wide range of theory and media language to hammer home many of the articulate points about intertextuality and how the contexts influence both of the shows. Clearer examples from the episodes linked to representation and audiences would have put this in the top band; that said, the knowledge of industries and use of terminology is consistent in explaining the differences between the shows and there is evidence of logical connections. Where this was not always included by candidates, generally they were placed lower in band 2.
Exemplar 6 – Stranger Things and Deutschland 83
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AO1 – 9 marks AO2 – 15 marks
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Examiner commentary AO1: Excellent understanding of contexts, continuously reinforced and referred to – comprehensive. AO2: This is a comprehensive response, fluent with precise reasoning and connections, let down only by lack of theory but covers the framework with good examples.
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Question 4
Exemplar 1
2 marks
Examiner commentary This response discusses one of the theorist’s ideas but it is not clearly explored. Therefore, minimal knowledge of theory about cultural industries is explored and since it is not applied to texts to support evaluation the mark cannot progress beyond Level 1. The answer could have been improved with examples from the LFTV programmes to support their points.
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Exemplar 2
4 marks
Examiner commentary This is a very typical response to Question 4 using Butler. Whilst the use of terminology is not as fluid as it could be, there are some valid and interesting points made with examples from the text to back up ideas about gender being acted or a role, however it is generally adequate and too undeveloped to be placed higher than the bottom of Level 2 since it does not evaluate the usefulness of Butler’s ideas.
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Exemplar 3
6 marks
Examiner commentary This is a detailed but adequate response that attempts to evaluate the theory of gender performativity but with some gaps; whilst the coverage on Stranger Things is more perceptive, the comment on Lenora shows a lack of perception and understanding across the theory. Overall, the usefulness is evaluated adequately for the top of band 2. 37
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Exemplar 4
7 marks
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Examiner commentary This response manages to make it into Level 3 because of its secure and comprehensive evaluation of Butler with an attempt at identifying limitations of the theory in relation to modern day LFTV drama with some reasoning and fluent connections. Many candidates often simplified Butler’s ideas about gender as a construct and talked more about stereotypes on a comparison basis, whereas this response clearly explains the theory at the start before trying to unpick its usefulness.
Exemplar 5
8 marks
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Examiner commentary This is a comprehensive response which evaluates the theory effectively using a wide range of examples from both texts. An argument is clearly laid out and easy to follow, with a clear focus on the theorist’s key ideas. Some candidates struggled to evaluate whether the theory was useful to LFTV as a media form, whereas this is clearly addressed in the question. The Academic Ideas and Arguments factsheet by OCR does highlight that a theory doesn’t necessarily have to be applied, which is what many candidates at the lower (minimal) to adequate Level 2) band commonly did. The links between the texts (both) and theory (Hesmondhalgh) are perceptive and supportive of the evaluation.
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