Magazines and Music Video Assessment Learner Response: Blog Tasks

1) Type up your WWW/EBI feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential). 

WWW - This is a strong assessment and a return to form (up 20% on your last test). The final questions were particularly good so let's try to hit that level throughout

EBI - In Q1 you are trying to do too much : you just needed to write two simple conventions. E.g. title / cover lines

- For Q2 ('meanings created') make sure you are writing the connotations of anything you pick out from the text

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the mark you achieved for each question: 

Q1: 0
Q2: 5
Q3: 4

Q4: 3

Q5: 4

3) Look specifically at question 2. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme for question 2 to write three connotations of the design and layout of Tatler.

• the fact cover star Emma Weymouth is mixed race suggests that Tatler is moving with the

times and responding to cultural changes in Britain around gender

• the cover star Emma Weymouth wearing a ballgown in the gardens of a stately home

connotes the wealth and luxury that Tatler readers aspire to. The mise-en-scene (costume,

make-up, pose, expression) all emphasise these aspects

• the soft focus also draws the eye to the image, in particular the model’s gaze, which

connotes equality between the model and the reader, given the model’s body language

4) Now look at question 3 - Heat magazine. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme to write three ways celebrities are represented in Heat magazine.

• Celebrities on cover tend to be reality TV or pop stars – celebrities generally from more

working class backgrounds so again creating a point of contact with a working or middle

class audience.

• Female celebrities feature more prominently than male – perhaps reinforces gender

stereotypes regarding women expecting to take part in gossip about relationships.

• Harry and Meghan feature prominently – the ultimate celebrity couple for Heat combining

British Royalty with American actress.

5) Look at question 5 - Arctic Monkeys and audience identity. This is a real AQA past question with lots of potential answers given in the mark scheme. Choose three answers that specifically refer to the Arctic Monkeys CSP and write them here. 

• the audience might watch music videos to reinforce values and behaviour. The lead singer

seems to not care about the filming of the music video, rarely making eye contact with the

camera and stating at the beginning ‘don’t believe the hype’. The audience gain a sense of

identity as they can relate to the lead singer’s both nonchalant and rock and roll

representation.

• music videos might employ ‘behind the scenes’ footage enabling the fans access to the band

and breaking down the barriers between star and fan. Whilst this video is not the traditional

imagery of the band in dressing rooms or waiting to go on stage, the mise-en-scène of the

garage and basic rehearsal space gives fans a sense of exclusivity and seeing the band in the

raw. It might also be a scenario that they too can identify with as amateur musicians or

followers of new bands who perform in grungy cubs and venues.

• music videos work as a meta-commentary on the relationship between the band/artist and

the fans, since they are often directly addressed to the fans or present the band/artist in a

6) BLACKPINK - How You Like That didn't come up in this assessment. If this CSP comes up in your end of Year 1 exam, what three things about BLACKPINK and How You Like That will you try to include in your answer? 

1. How BLACKPINK was successful from the start (age identity, gender identity, class identity etc)

2. How beneficial YG Entertainment is for them

3. Audience pleasures and representations