Preparing for the SAC
NEW SAC DATE:
MONDAY 15th August 2011
SAC and EXAM success
In order to succeed with the SAC and the November Examination,
you will need to have a very strong understanding of the
following:
 Events from the production period (America 1980’s)
 How these events helped shape the dominant, emerging,
alternative and oppositional social values of 1980’s America
 How these social values influenced the content of the text
(storyline, themes, main ideas)
 How these social values are embodied in representations from
the text in the form of characters, institutions and relationships.
 How these representations have been constructed with the use of
codes and conventions (costume, lighting, mise-en-scene,
camera techniques, editing, music, dialogue, set design, acting)
 Whether the text supports or challenges the dominant social
values of the production period
Events from Production Period
How social values have been shaped by these events
How these social values have shaped the content of the text
How representations within the text reflect the social values
of the production period
How representations in the text have been constructed
The extent to which the text supports and/or challenges these values
Key factors in SAC and Exam success
 PRODUCTION PERIOD
Although this is not a study of history, it is important
that you can write authoritatively about the time and
place in which your text was created. Don't make
simplistic, generalised or unjustifiable
statements.
The class wiki has been developed to help you write
with authority and authenticity about American
values in the 1980’s – use it!
Linking these events to social
values of the time…
 When examining America 1980’s, we can draw parallels between
key events and how the attitudes and beliefs of people within
that society have been influenced due to these events.
 For example, the 80’s signified a time for dramatic change in
technological and scientific advancement in America, with the
development of new fission technologies playing heavily on the
minds of the public. These developments, along with the
intensification of the Cold War between the USA and USSR and
the production of more nuclear weapons, consequently brought
great fear and uncertainty in the minds of the people. These
values and attitudes were expressed in media products of the
time (EG: Films like The China Syndrome represented the fear of
fission technologies as a nuclear plant threatens to explode
killing millions of people.)
How do these social values
influence the content of the text?
 Now that we have seen how the social values have been
created or influenced, we can apply these social values
to the production of the film Aliens. When asked
about the content of the text, the question is referring
to things like the storyline, plot, main themes or ideas,
and characters. You need to discuss more than just a
characters representation to satisfy the requirements
of a question like this.
 For example…
Example of student work:
 “While many of the social values are predominantly
exposed through characters and their relationships, the
overall storyline of the film is reflective of the lust for greed
by many corporations in America in the 1980’s. In the film,
the ‘mission’s’ purpose was to eliminate the alien threat.
This can be seen as symbolic of capitalist America’s binary
opposition to the communist USSR and their involvement
in the Cold War. As the film progresses, there is a volatile
reactor which threatens the lives of the crew, this is
symbolic of the value developed as a result of the Cold
War’s arms race, “that fission technology and its
development will cause harm”. During this scene there is
also a failure in leadership representational of the overall
Reagan presidency.”
How are the social values
represented?
 Once we have acknowledged how the content of the text

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has been influenced, we look more specifically at
representations of characters (like Ripley), relationships
between characters (like Ripley and Bishop), and
institutions (such as governments – ‘the company’).
For example, we can clearly see the main social values that
Ripley’s character represents through her construction:
That women are equal to men and are just as capable at
getting the job done
That women are nurturing and maternal
That technology is advancing too quickly and will
ultimately lead to harm
How are these representations
constructed?
 We need to look in detail as to how these
representations have been constructed. It is not
enough to simply say the tense relationship that Ripley
has with Bishop represents the social value that
science is evolving too quickly. We need to look at all
elements of the representation and use examples from
the film to back up our responses.
 You are expected to discuss the construction with
reference to the following: costume and props, acting,
camera techniques, mise-en-scene, lighting, music,
dialogue, and visual editing.
How does the text support and/or
challenge the dominant values?
 We can now examine this representation critically and observe whether
the film is supporting or challenging the value. Often the views of the
director (which have been influenced by the social values of the
production period) will make their way into the film in the form of
characters. Usually we can assume that when a character is ‘punished’
(by death, or by the main protagonist), the values that they hold are
being challenged by the director.
 For example, Burke is ultimately punished in the text when he tries to
escape the Aliens, but ends up being trapped with one and presumably
killed. His character stands for the greed and corporate gain in the film,
and through his treatment, we can see how the film is challenging
these values related to greed and corporations.
 In the same light, when a character is rewarded, or when they are easily
identifiable with the audience, we can assume that the values that they
hold are being supported.
 For example, Ripley is the main protagonist in the film, and ultimately
becomes the heroin. She is strong and capable, and does not need a
‘man’ to protect or ‘save’ her (most of the time!). We can draw links
between this representation and Cameron’s ultimate support for the
emerging social value that women are just as capable as men at getting
the job done/performing the same roles.
Basic SAC advice…
 Use reading time wisely (Plan out each response. Which
social value you will discuss, if there are questions you need
to follow on from, how many marks allocated to each
question, etc).
 Use all of the space provided (If the response leaves you
10 lines, you are expected to fill all of the space).
 Write clearly in a blue or black pen (Write neatly and
make sure you write to the edge of the page to maximise
your allocated space).
 Give yourself time (Allocate around 1.5 minutes per mark
so you have time to answer every question and read over
every response at the conclusion of the SAC to make any
last minute amendments. So, if a question is worth 4
marks, aim to finish it in 6 minutes).
GOOD LUCK BOYS!
STUDY HARD!
 Use that extra time on the weekend to
study up and complete practice
questions!