MIGRAIN Assessment 1: Learner Response :)

MIGRAIN Assessment 1: Learner Response

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

WWW: A very good effort. Strengths are having the ability to complete textual analysis, in particular with Q2

EBI: Naturally, Q1 may have been difficult as I missed the start of the course. Go back and revise narrative theory. Also, try not to explain the theories in your responses but apply them through your analysis instead 

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.

Q1: Use the theoretical framework (media language & narrative theory) to analyse how the poster uses narrative 

Q2: Excellent and accurate understanding of the theoretical framework that is demonstrated by consistently appropriate explanation and comparison of the connotations in the products 

Q3: Excellent knowledge and understanding of the influences of genre on media audiences and industries that is consistently supported by highly appropriate and effective examples 

Q4: Judgements and conclusions regarding the application of reception theory are perceptive and fully supported with detailed reference to specific aspects of the set product 

3) Read this exemplar response from a previous Year 12 (an A grade). Identify at least one potential point for each question from this student's paper that you missed out on in your assessment. 

Q1: I should have included Barthes and Todorov in my answer because they explain the narrative theory

Q2: I should have explained how their gender has an influence on the meaning of the media products 

Q3: I should have mentioned the theorists used for genre like Abercrombie and developed by answer based on that 

Q4: I should have written a thesis at the beginning and elaborated on it in each paragraph and then consolidated by answer with a conclusion at the end. I also should have elaborated on my negotiated reading more at the end as well 

4) Did you get any media terminology or theory wrong in the assessment? Make a note of it here for future revision, including theories/terminology that you could have used but didn't.

I wasn't sure about Todorov's theory about equilibrium and disequilibrium so I couldn't use this theory in my answer

I also wasn't sure about Abercrombie's theory about genre and how genre maintains loyal audiences 

I also didn't familiarise myself with Barthes' theory about enigma and action codes that link to the last question of the paper 

5) Identify your weakest question and write out a new response or plan that would improve on your original response. Use the mark scheme and exemplar paper to identify anticipated content you can add to your response and make sure your re-draft or plan would be a top-level answer.

Q1:

From figure 1, we are able to make the confident assumption that this film poster uses key elements of the narrative theory- including Todorov and Barthes. 

We can see a tagline that reads "some environments are just harder to live in" and this allows the audience to wonder what sort of narrative may develop in this film. The man on this poster, who seems to be the protagonist, is holding a prop gun which presents the connotation of violence or conflict. This raises the question for the audience to whether there will be disequilibrium that the hero (based on Propp's character theory) needs to resolve using the weapon. Through the use of Todorov's theory of equilibrium and disequilibrium, we can make the assumption that the film starts in equilibrium but after a tragic event, there is disequilibrium that this protagonist has to resolve in order to create a new equilibrium. 

We can also see elements of Barthes' action and enigma codes in this poster because of the prop gun that the protagonist is holding. The use of the gun creates enigma for the audience as questions are raised about why he is in possession of a weapon and why life is harder for this particular character. This successfully supports his theory that enigma codes are key in engaging an audience because it creates an inclination to follow the narrative in order to gain answers for these enigmas.