Previous exam questions

January 2011:
1a: Describe how you developed your skills in the use of digital technology for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.
1b: Apply theories of narrative to one of your coursework productions.

June 2010:
1a: Describe the ways in which your production work was informed by research into real media texts and how your ability to use such research for production developed over time.
1b: Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to genre.

January 2010:
1a: Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to creative decision making.  Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.
1b: Analyse media representation in one of your coursework productions.

Chief Examiner's definition of 'Post Production'

"Post-production as an industry term sits most easily with moving image work, and for video-work purposes we would say everything done after the shoot, so from downloading the footage all the way to finishing the video. To give some parity, it makes sense to treat print work in the same way, so everything done after gathering the stories, planning the content and taking the photos counts as stuff you can write about as post-production in the exam. I hope this makes it clear."

Comments from January's examiner's report

Kolb's reflective cycle - adapted to suit our needs!

The examiner's report in January commented on the lack of reflection in student answers to section 1a.  It was suggested that students follow Kolb's cycle of reflective learning - where you discuss something that you did, reflect on how well it worked, think about how you could do it differently next time and then do it differently, starting the cycle again.  It's important that you are doing this when you are writing about your skills, rather than just listing what you did.  Have a look at the diagram below:

Essay planning exercise for post-production

Essay Plan Outline on Post Production

New sample answer to Question 1a - post-production and creativity

Model Answer to Post Production and Creativity

Revision Session

10.00am Tuesday 14th June in room 333 - revision session on section 1A and 1B of the exam.

How to answer the questions in the exam

Guide to answering 1a and 1b in the exam

How do you evaluate your skills?

Evaluating your own skills can be tricky - it's hard to be objective about yourself and your own work sometimes.  Use the following 5 point guide to help you develop these skills:

For every 'activity' that you write about, be it using split screen in editing (post production), using youtube (research and planning); examining real products (conventions from real media texts); or framing your shots (digital technology), you should bear in mind the following 5 points:

• What did you do (exactly)?
• How useful/effective was it?
• How does what you did link to your production work?
• How did it help you progress?
• What did you learn from it?

Eventually you will get into the habit of reflecting back on everything that you do or write about.