Assessment Schedule (Sample)
Media Studies 90602: Explain the interrelationship between society and a media genre
Evidence Statement
Question
Evidence
One
Note: the essay below is an example of the
sorts of evidence students could look at.
Students may decide to focus on one or two
aspects such as technology and fashion, as
time will constrain them completing every
aspect. At excellence level, there needs to
be some discussion as to the degree of
influence on genre/society as well as the
reasons for this influence.
Achievement
Merit
Excellence
Eg. Science fiction
Science fiction films are influenced by the
technological,
artistic
and
political
developments happening in the era which
they are created. In each era aspects of
contemporary society (eg fashion, artistic
and technological developments, societal
issues such as the cold war, terrorism, the
rise of feminism, shifts in political trends
etc) have influenced all media products,
and science fiction films are no exception.
At times they act as a commentary on
society but often they use these aspects to
target their audience by tapping into what is
seen as popular …
The inevitable nature of films set in the
future is that they are grounded in such
things as the political and ideological values
and technology of society at the time they
are created …
One influence on the genre was the artistic
style-of-the-moment in the society in which
the film was created. For example, arguably
the first influential sci-fi film ever made was
German director Fritz Lang’s classic,
expressionistic masterpiece Metropolis
(1926) with a mad scientist, a beautiful but
sinister female robot (the first film featuring
a robot!), and an oppressed enslaved race
of underground workers. Even today, the
film is recognised for its original, futuristic
sets and use of basic technological tricks
such as matting two images over each
other. The design of the sets was obviously
shaped by the skewed angles and
perspectives, and plays with light and
shadow that was part of the expressionistic
Students will
have raised
valid points
about society’s
influence on a
genre – and/or
vice versa.
Evidence must
relate to at least
three texts from
different time
periods.
(see
explanatory
note #2 in the
achievement
standard for a
possible range
of discussion)
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority, 2003
All rights reserved. This publication may be reproduced for use with students and the training of teachers for the implementation of NCEA.
2
artstyle in vogue at the time. The other
visual arts (eg painting, sculpture, etc) were
more influential on the design or ‘look’ film
in its earlier years as many film makers
were artists in other forms before trying
their hand at this new medium.
Achievement +
analysing their
impact on
society/genre.
Fashion in general, in many sci-fi films, was
also merely an adaption of the fashion of
the time it was filmed; longer hair in the
1970’s (Logan’s Run, Planet of the Apes
etc) for example. There has also been an
influence on society in terms of fashions in
sci-fi films. Hair styles and even clothing
has been adopted as fashionable (Neo’s
sunglasses in The Matrix became popular
after the film). Art trends and fashion will
always have an impact on media product,
perhaps more easily seen in Sci-fi, as film
makers try to imagine the future without
creating places and clothing that are
ridiculous to contemporary audiences.
Merit +
evaluation as to
the extent of
influence of
society on genre
and vice versa.
also evaluated.
Here is another example of the levels
Technological developments within society
influenced the genre. In response to a
growing interest in rocketry (drawn from the
scientific advancements in WW2) and the
potential for space exploration, featurelength space travel films gained popularity
in the early 1950s, pioneered by the space
mission film Rocketship X-M (1950),
although the space flight destined for the
moon landed on Mars. As early as George
Pal’s Destination Moon (1950), the science
fiction film ‘invented’ the look of spacesuits,
rocket ships, and the lunar surface. They
weren’t too far off the mark, judging by the
actual astronauts’ outfits 10 years later.
However, the rudimentary computers with
tickertape printouts, painted backdrops and
copious silver paint in 1950’s films like
Forbidden Planet were improved on in the
1960’s and reached their peak through the
visionary imagination of Stanley Kubrick
coupled with new cinematic technology in
2001: A Space Odyssey.
This film, utilising revolutionary visual
matting techniques and rotating sets, as
well as extensive and realistic model work,
was a breakthrough in this genre that came
about through technological developments
in the 1960’s. This film set a benchmark
that pushed new filmmakers to try to out do
the ‘realism’ of the effects in creating other
worlds and life forms. The technical impact
of this film could even be seen ten years
later in the sophisticated model-work
Achievement
Merit
90602 Media Studies Assessment Schedule (Sample)
3
created by George Lucas’ ILM in Star Wars.
Later key technological breakthroughs
included ‘morphing’ in Terminator 2:
Judgement Day and ‘bullet time’ in The
Matrix. All of these films utilised the most
up-to-date technology in their society to
create their future worlds. The impact was
that these films appeared more ‘realistic’.
The influence of society on the
technological developments, both in the film
industry and in general society were critical
to the development of this genre and
continues to create increasingly believable
imaginary worlds. As the boundaries of CGI
technology expand, the sci-fi films will
continue to be shaped by these
developments.
Excellence
Here is another example of the levels
In terms of content, Metropolis was seen as
a commentary on the dangers of totalitarian
society: directed towards the rising political
organisations of communism and fascism. It
also is a treatise on the impact of future
technologies on society …
In the paranoid cold war climate of US.
society in the 1950’s, content in many sci-fi
films involved murderous aliens seeking to
wreak destruction on the human race and
were to be destroyed at all costs. Many
other sci-fi films of the 1950s portrayed the
human race as victimized and at the mercy
of mysterious, hostile and unfriendly forces.
Cold War politics undoubtedly contributed
to suspicion and paranoia of anything ‘unAmerican’. The storylines of many science
fiction films reflected the general mood of
society and often commented upon political
powers, threats and evils that surrounded
them (alien forces were often a metaphor
for Communism), and the dangers of aliens
taking over our minds and territory. Films
like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a
perfect post-McCarthy era film from a story
by sci-fi writer Jack Finney, exploited the
communist paranoia of the 50s with chilling
fright and warned about the dangers of an
existence of numbing conformity and
mindless apathy that a communist takeover would inflict on America. In H. G.
Wells’ The War of the Worlds (1953), the
aliens invaded in manta ray-like space
ships with cobra-like probes and zapped
objects with green disintegration rays to
destroy 1950s Los Angeles, beaten only by
minute bacterial agents.
Achievement
Science Fiction films of this ‘golden era’ in
90602 Media Studies Assessment Schedule (Sample)
4
USA were influenced both by tapping into
the population’s concerns about nuclear
holocaust and the backlash of more liberal
film-makers with benign aliens, such films
Robert Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still
with the Christ-like Klaatu…. Films at the
turn of the millennium had an apocalyptic
flavour, such as Armageddon and
Independence Day, reflecting the Y2K
concerns of moving into the next millennium
… Sci-fi films will often reflect the political
mood of society, but sometimes will
consciously go against it, depending on the
beliefs of the film maker (and the bravery of
the producers) For example …
Excellence
Judgement Statement
To gain Achievement:
candidates must, in an essay, explain the interrelationship between society and a media genre. Their response
must be supported with evidence from at least three texts.
To gain Merit:
candidates must, in an essay, analyse the interrelationship between society and a media genre. Their response
must be supported with evidence from at least three texts from different times.
To gain Excellence:
candidates must, in an essay, evaluate the interrelationship between society and a media genre. Their response
must be supported with evidence from at least three texts from different times.
90602 Media Studies Assessment Schedule (Sample)