Media Key Concepts

Four key concepts of AS media are media language, representation, audience, and institution.

Media language refers to cinematography, for example shot types and angles. Editing, which includes transition and speed of cuts. Sound which can be diegetic (which the characters and the audience hear, such as speech) or non-diegetic (which only the audience can hear, such as a soundtrack), and Mise en Scene, which is everything in the shot, an example is lighting.

Representation refers to people or groups who are represtented by the show or film. Examples of what can be represented include age, gender, sexuality and so on.

These two concepts are the content included in exam part A. Media language is tested by the analysis of a five minute clip from a British TV Drama. Representation is tested by a textual analysis (essay style format).

Audience refers to how why and where people see films, an institiution refers to the producers and regualters of the media. These two concepts are the content for exam part B. They are tested by making an in depth and detailed analysis (known as a case study) prior to the exam, in order to answer the relevant section in the exam.