Sunday 11 July 2010
Wednesday 9 June 2010
Monday 7 June 2010
Sample Exam Questions
1. Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences, within a media area, which you have studied.
2. "Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their products and services to national audiences." To what extent do you agree with this statement?
3. How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area you have studied?
2. "Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their products and services to national audiences." To what extent do you agree with this statement?
3. How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area you have studied?
Wednesday 19 May 2010
Monday 17 May 2010
Reports on the Units taken in January 2010
Music Industry
This was another area that was handled well by candidates where most were able to engage with the issues in the question. Sony and Universal were popular case studies of major labels that have dominance of the music market and the best answers were well supported with contemporary evidence. Again discussions of synergy, horizontal integration and vertical integration were popular and the cross platform nature of music promotion was well referred to. Independent labels and the rise in choice and diversity was also well explored with labels such as Ghost Box, Domino Records and Aardvark popular choices. The role of audiences and web 2.0 as breaking the dominant hold of the majors was also explored by more able candidates as well as the rise in production software and distribution methods via My Space and YouTube. Good use of contemporary evidence in stronger candidate responses considered the recent Rage Against the Machine/ Facebook campaign to break the dominance of the X Factor Christmas number one. Some considered this as an example of active/ empowered audiences whilst more able candidates acknowledged that this was an illusion of power and shrewd marketing to support a band signed to a subsidiary of the Sony Label.
Weaker candidate responses were unable to respond to the question set and merely recited pre prepared case studies. Many candidates made reference to Apple as an institution that is dominant in the industry, but failed to explore a record label that targets a British/global audience which is required for the question. One centre had provided a case study of the rise on N'Dubz from the underground grime scene to mainstream recording artists, although many candidates failed to link the material closely enough to institutional contexts to answer the question, despite a good understanding of the music style/youth culture. Candidate responses to the music industry were well done overall, with the obvious advantages of the Majors being contrasted with the success of ‘indie’ acts like the Arctic Monkeys.
This was another area that was handled well by candidates where most were able to engage with the issues in the question. Sony and Universal were popular case studies of major labels that have dominance of the music market and the best answers were well supported with contemporary evidence. Again discussions of synergy, horizontal integration and vertical integration were popular and the cross platform nature of music promotion was well referred to. Independent labels and the rise in choice and diversity was also well explored with labels such as Ghost Box, Domino Records and Aardvark popular choices. The role of audiences and web 2.0 as breaking the dominant hold of the majors was also explored by more able candidates as well as the rise in production software and distribution methods via My Space and YouTube. Good use of contemporary evidence in stronger candidate responses considered the recent Rage Against the Machine/ Facebook campaign to break the dominance of the X Factor Christmas number one. Some considered this as an example of active/ empowered audiences whilst more able candidates acknowledged that this was an illusion of power and shrewd marketing to support a band signed to a subsidiary of the Sony Label.
Weaker candidate responses were unable to respond to the question set and merely recited pre prepared case studies. Many candidates made reference to Apple as an institution that is dominant in the industry, but failed to explore a record label that targets a British/global audience which is required for the question. One centre had provided a case study of the rise on N'Dubz from the underground grime scene to mainstream recording artists, although many candidates failed to link the material closely enough to institutional contexts to answer the question, despite a good understanding of the music style/youth culture. Candidate responses to the music industry were well done overall, with the obvious advantages of the Majors being contrasted with the success of ‘indie’ acts like the Arctic Monkeys.
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