1. Assignment 1: Packaging of DVDs
MEDIA STUDIES GCSE
Assignment 1:
Packaging of DVDs

2. Learning Objectives
To understand what is required of me in my Media Studies GCSE
To understand key concepts within the Media

3. Media Studies GCSE Specifiaction
EXAM 40%
Unit 1: Investigating the Media
Written Paper- 1 hr 30 mins – 60 marks
Based on a pre-released paper which will be released JUNE 2011
COURSEWORK 60%
Unit 2: Understanding the Media
Three assignments to be completed:
Introductory assignment
Cross-media assignment
Practical production and evaluation

4. The Media
Media can be defined as a way of communicating to large amounts of people
It can be divided into THREE CATEGORIES:
Print
E-media
Broadcast
Match the definition to the correct aspect of the media:
Anything that can be accessed through the use of computers or mobile phones.
Anything that is delivered to an audience through the use of televisions, cinemas or radios.
Anything that is produced on paper and can be distributed by hand.

5. Copy and complete the following table:
PRINT
E-MEDIA
BROADCAST
Magazines
Facebook
Computer games
Webpages
Mobile phones
News
Films
Music videos
Newspapers
Leaflets
Soap Operas
Podcasts
DVDs
DVD covers

6. Assignment 1: Introduction to the Media
TOPIC
Analytical task
Research and planning task
Packaging of DVDs
Analyse the covers of TWO film or television programme DVDs.
How does each cover appeal to its target audience?
Your analysis must include an explanation and should total approx 500 words.
Design a DVD cover for a film or television programme targeted at a specific audience.

7. Learning Objective
To understand what is expected of me in assignment 1 of my Media GCSE
To develop an understanding of the key concepts surrounding assignment 1.

8. The Media and Me... Answer the following questions in full sentences
What is your favourite film?
What genre of music do you listen to?
What is your favourite TV programme?
How often do you read magazines?
Which magazines do you read regularly?
Which newspapers do you read?
What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
What film did you last buy on DVD?
What is your favourite genre of film?
Do you use social networking sites? If so, which ones?

9. Assignment 1: Introduction to the Media
TOPIC
Analytical task
Research and planning task
Packaging of DVDs
Analyse the covers of TWO film or television programme DVDs.
How does each cover appeal to its target audience?
Your analysis must include an explanation and should total approx 500 words.
Design a DVD cover for a film or television programme targeted at a specific audience.

10. Key Concept: AUDIENCE
You must be able to identify the TARGET AUDIENCE for the DVD cover you are analysing.
Write down as many ways as possible we can classify an audience.
Age
Ethnicity
Gender
Location
Occupation
Income
Lifestyle choices
Attitudes
Political persuasions

11. The National Readership Survey Audience classification through occupation and income
Grade Social class
UK population
Typical occupation
A upper middle class
3.4 %
doctor, solicitor, barrister, accountant, company director
B middle class
21.6 %
teacher, nurse, police officer, probation officer, middle manager
C1 lower middle class
29.1 %
junior manager, student, clerical/office workers, supervisors
C2 skilled working class
21 %
foreman, agricultural worker, plumber, bricklayer
D working class
16.2 %
manual workers, shop worker, fisherman, apprentices
E underclass
8.8 %
casual labourers, state pensioners, students, unemployed
QUESTION:
What problems do you think could arise through this type of audience profiling?

12. Why do we need the media?
Decide with the person next to you what we gain from the media.
Think about TV, music, films, magazines, newspapers, games etc.

13. Learning Objectives
To learn Blumler and Katz’s ‘Uses and Gratifications’ theory
To compile an audience profile for a range of products within the media.

14. Audience theory: Uses and Gratifications
In the 1970a media theorists Blumler and Katz came up with five reasons why audiences consumed media texts:
To be informed and educated
In order to identify with characters and situations
To be entertained
To enable themselves to socially interact with others
To escape from their daily troubles and woes.

15. Audience theory: Uses and Gratifications
Rank Blumler and Katz’s theory (most important down to least important) for the following media texts:
Eastenders
Newspapers
Call of Duty game
Glee tv show
Facebook

16. Learning Objectives
To understand how to ‘read’ a media text through denotation and connotation

17. Learning Objectives To develop my understanding of target audience
To understand the difference between ‘denotation’ and ‘connotation’ and apply this to media texts.

18. Audience Profiling
Draw a picture of the ‘type’ of person you would expect to consume the media texts on the handout.
EXTENSION:
Annotate your picture with the following information:
Gender
Age
Interests/hobbies
Beliefs/values
Occupation

19. Genre and Target Audience
How many genres of film can you list in a minute?
Pick THREE different genres and create an audience profile for each genre (draw or write).
You should layout you work like this:
GENRE
AUDIENCE PROFILE

20. Basic image analysis
Write down the first five words which come into your head when you see the following images and sounds
Don’t think about this- just follow your immediate instincts

25. Apply the processes of denotation and connotation to the colour below:

26. Denotation and Connotation
Denotation ‘the simplest and most obvious level of meaning of sign, be it a word, image, object or sound. Identifying what is actually there, on the page, in the frame of a factual manner.
Connotation ‘the deeper meaning in which a wider range of associations may arise. These meanings are arrived at through the cultural experiences a reader brings to the text.

27. Copy and complete: Denotation Connotation Nazi flag Beach Cross
(EVERYTHING you see)
Connotation
(deeper meaning)
Nazi flag
Beach
Cross
Union Jack
Colour

28. DENOTATION CONNOTATION
Write your own definition for the terms above.

29. Learning Objectives
To be able to apply my understanding of denotation and connotation to a DVD cover
To begin to understand what is expected of me in assignment 1.

30. Answer the following questions in full sentences:
Who is the target audience for this film?
Apply the process of DENOTATION to this cover.
Apply the process of CONNOTATION to the following:
Age certificate
Picture
Film title
Star rating
‘From the producer of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA’
Write a paragraph explaining the ways this DVD cover appeals to its target audience.

31. DVD covers
What are the typical ‘codes and conventions’ of a DVD cover?

32. DVD terminology Annotate the DVD cover.
NOTE! TWO of the terms are NOT on the DVD cover… you need to sport which one!
MONTAGE

34. One more thing… Match the definition to the correct term: House style
Iconography
Typography
Institution
The identity of a media product which makes is easily recognisable to its audience.
A large organisation that is influential in the community.
The appearance of printed characters on the page
The set of symbols or images recognised by people as having a particular meaning

35. DVD Analysis
Label your DVD cover using everything you have learnt this lesson.

36. Learning Objectives
To develop my understanding of the ways in which the ‘Control’ DVD cover appeals to the film’s target audience
To understand what is required of me in section two of my assessment.

37. STARTER

38. Lesson Task
Annotate ‘Control’ cover with how it appeals to its target audience
Peer assess
Copy up annotations for FINAL DRAFT.

39. Lesson Objectives Complete my DVD analysis final draft
Create my own DVD cover for a specific genre and TARGET AUDIENCE of your choice.

40. Starter Label the following on your handout: HIGH ANGLE SHOT
LOW ANGLE SHOT
OVER-THE-SHOULER SHOT
CLOSE UP
MEDIUM SHOT
LONG SHOT

41. DVD Analysis Don’t forget to mention... Denotation and connotation
Colours
Lighting (high-key and low-key)
Camera shots
Information given:
Director’s name, actors involved
Star rating
Institutions involved (magazine reviews etc)
How the blurb appeals to the target audience
Pictures

42. Assignment 1: Introduction to the Media
TOPIC
Analytical task
Research and planning task
Packaging of DVDs
Analyse the covers of TWO film or television programme DVDs.
How does each cover appeal to its target audience?
Your analysis must include an explanation and should total approx 500 words.
Design a DVD cover for a film or television programme targeted at a specific audience.
Write down the genre and target audience for the DVD cover you wish to analyse.
Some ideas…
Children’s animation, rom-com for girls, action adventure for boys, sci-fi for boys?, rock-bio film (Control), TV programmes, e.g. The Mighty Boosh etc

43. DVD Checklist Have you included...
FRONT COVER:
DVDtitle
Large central image
Tag line
Star rating and magazine/newspaper name
Age certificate
Format logos
SPINE:
Thumbnail image
DVD title
BACK COVER:
Blurb
Montage of images
Extracts from reviews
Special features box
List of people and institutions involved,
Eg.‘music by, costume designer, production designer, edited by, director of photography, screenplay, produced by, directed by’...
Age certificate BOX
Institutional logos
Barcode