NQ Media Studies
Intermediate 1
Analysis
Student Reference Book
Kate Henderson
January 2005
© SFEU/COLEG
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Acknowledgements
SFEU (Scottish Further Education Unit) and COLEG (Colleges Open Learning
Exchange Group) gratefully acknowledge the contribution made to this publication by
Avril Smillie, Falkirk College, who reviewed the material.
First published May 2004
Revised version published January 2005
© SFEU/COLEG 2005
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Contents
Key Aspects
1
Categories
2
Language
3
Narrative
6
Representation
8
Audience
10
Institutions
11
Notes for Lecturers/Teachers

The words and questions in italics should be substituted to suit the specific text.

All questions should be specific to the text, eg Why is the girl wearing a red
dress? Questions should not be general eg Choose a technical/cultural code
and explain its connotations.

See the NABs for media and text specific questions.
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Key Aspects
1
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Categories
What is the Medium of the text? (eg print, television, radio, film, internet)
What is the Purpose of the text? (eg to inform, to entertain, to persuade, to educate,
to gain profit). There may be more than one purpose.
What is the Form of the text? (eg drama, light entertainment, newspaper, magazine,
series, feature film). Give examples from the text describing why you think it is this
form.
What is the Genre of the text? (eg science fiction, soap opera, documentary, game
show, broadsheet). How do you know it is this genre?
2
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Language
Signs (words, objects, images and sounds)
Fill in the box below with as many signs as you can.
Cultural/Technical Codes (eg dress/costume, props, facial expression, shots,
edits, font etc)
Name six codes in the boxes below.
1.
Example from text eg red rose
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
3
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Denotation/Connotation
Denotation – the description of a sign eg red rose, jeans, fade-in.
Connotation – the meaning associated with the sign eg a red rose may be given to
show love, jeans suggests informality, fade-in could be the beginning of a film.
Code
1.
Denotation
Connotation
a red flower
love
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Code
1.
Why has the code been used?
To show John loves Amy and to show the film is a love story.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
4
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Describe some conventions used in the text (eg interviews, voice-overs, page
size).
There is a 2 + 1 interview. This means an interviewer asks questions and two people
answer. This is to get two different opinions. It lets the audience know about the
subject from experts who have different points of view.
5
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Narrative
The narrative of a text is the story that it tells and how it tells it. Every
media text has a narrative.
Narrative Structures/Codes/Conventions
Teachers/Lecturers should write text specific questions based on the following
(see NABs):
Classic Structure – Equilibrium (normality)/disruption/return to equilibrium (normality)
Order – Chronological/flashback/forward. Hard news/soft news/sport.
Single or Multiple story-lines
Serial and Series
Investigation (interview, observation, presentation of data)
Conflict
Development
The resolution of the narrative in relation to what the audience want and expect, eg
‘goodies’ beating ‘baddies’
The meaning of the narrative, eg the moral of the story or the result of the
investigation.
Conventions or devices used to tell the story, eg voice-overs, point-of-view, format,
colour, mise-en-scene
News stories portrayed as battles with winners and losers – happy endings in films –
cliff hangers in soaps – adverts solving a problem
Technical/cultural codes used that affect the narrative, eg cropping, soft focus, type
of font
Audience engagement, eg cliff hangers, teasers, enigmas, genre, stars. Strategies
used to ‘hook’ the audience and develop the story, ie move the story on.
The effect of the institution on the narrative and its need to make profit, eg genre,
finance. And the effect of external constraints, eg market position/share, type of
market and competition.
6
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Describe the order of the text (beginning, middle, end). You could use the
Narrative Structures/Codes and Conventions described before.
7
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Representation
The way in which places, people and events are represented in media
texts.
Stereotypes are instantly recognisable representations, eg Scotsmen in
kilts.
Describe a stereotype.
Describe a non-stereotype.
Describe three representations and say why you think they were chosen.
8
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Choose a representation you like and say why you like it.
Is there anybody you think would not like this representation? Why would they
not like it?
Choose ONE representation from the text and describe it in detail.
9
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Audience
There is no point in a media text without an audience. The maker of the
text chooses or targets an audience and makes a text that they think
audiences will want.
Who do you think the target audience is? Why do you think this is the target
audience?
Think about age, gender, personal interest. The target audience could be a mix
of people.
Do you think different people in the audience would like different things? Give
examples.
What do you think the people who made the text want you to think/do.
10
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
Institutions
The institutions are all the people involved in making and financing the
text.
Who made the text?
Who paid to make the text? There could have been more than one group
paying for the text, eg advertisers.
Do the people involved in making the text want to make money? How do they
want to make it? Eg people buying the text, spin offs.
Was the text expensive to make? How do you know?
11
NQ Media Studies – Intermediate 1
Analysis Student Reference Book
12