Unit 1

Question 1

State the different media sectors/industries and give one example for each

Answer 1

● Film (Paramount)
● Television and radio (BBC)
● Video games (SEGA)
● Print and publishing (Daily Mail)
● Web/Online (Facebook)
● Music (Universal)

Question 2

Define specialist providers and give one example

Answer 2

Media companies that produce and distribute within a specific media sector such as Netflix

Question 3

Define conglomerate and give one example

Answer 3

Large organisation made up of a number of different businesses such as Disney

Question 4

Define subsidiary and give one example

Answer 4

A company controlled by a conglomerate such as Sky a subsidiary of the broadcasting conglomerate 21st Century Fox

Question 5

How do Independent companies operate differently from a conglomerate

Answer 5

• May work on productions with smaller budgets
• Can work with other companies on joint venture projects
• Greater creative control over what they produce
• The distribution may require support from larger organisations

Question 6

What is distribution

Answer 6

How a product reaches an audience and marketing a product

Question 7

What is public service ownership/broadcaster and give one example

Answer 7

A company that delivers services beneficial to the public interest such as BBC funded through license fee

Question 8

What is cross media ownership and give one example

Answer 8

A conglomerate which owns and produces more than one type of media product such as BBC and Disney

Question 9

What is vertical integration and what is it also known as

Answer 9

When a company can control the production, distribution and consumption of its products also known as a value chain

Question 10

What is horizontal integration

Answer 10

A number of subsidiary companies across various media sectors that will be utilised to ensure product has maximum exposure

Question 11

What is synergy and what is it also known as

Answer 11

The cooperation of two or more organisations to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects also known as cross media promotion

Question 12

Define pre production and give examples

Answer 12

Work done on a product before full-scale production begins:
● Idea development
● Script Writing
● Storyboarding
● Casting

Question 13

Define production and give examples

Answer 13

The actual making of the product: 
● Filming
● Photographing
● Writing
● Recording Sound

Question 14

Define post production and give examples

Answer 14

Putting it all together:
● Editing
● Sound effects 
● Audio Editing
● Visual effects

Question 15

Give 3 traditional methods of advertising

Answer 15

1. Print media
2. Radio
3. Television

Question 16

Give 4 examples of print media advertising

Answer 16

● Newspaper
● Magazine
● Billboard
● Flyers

Question 17

What advantages does social media have over traditional publishing

Answer 17

● Low cost
● Easy to share
● Global

Question 18

Define genre and give an example

Answer 18

Can be identified through codes and conventions, it is the category of a media product by categorising the audience will have set expectations

Such as in a horror film the audience will be expected to be scared

Question 19

Define codes and give an example

Answer 19

Signs which have the potential for different meanings

Such as a character wearing black may mean that they are evil

Question 20

Define conventions and give an example

Answer 20

Commonly accepted way of doing things

Such as the layout of a magazine cover

Question 21

What is Mis-en-scene

Answer 21

The stage design and arrangement of actors in scenes for a theatre or film production

Question 22

Define non diegetic sound and diegetic Sound

Answer 22

Non diegetic sound - Anything added in post production

Diegetic sound - Anything recorded on camera

Question 23

What are stereotypes and give an example

Answer 23

A widely held view about individuals, groups or things.
For example, Vicky Pollard from Little Britain is a stereotypical example of a working class teenage girl. They can be used to describe characters quickly, but stereotypes are dangerous as they can lead audiences to generalise about people or places

Question 24

What is the 5 step narrative formula for Todorov theory

Answer 24

1. Equilibrium (Everything is normal)
2. Disruption (impacts main characters)
3. Recognition of disruption
4. Attempt to repair disruption (a battle sequence)
5. Reinstatement of equilibrium (main character will have changed in some way)

Question 25

Define mainstream audience

Answer 25

An audience that consumes a product that appeals to a wide range of age, groups and cultures

Question 26

Define niche audience

Answer 26

An audience that consumes a product that may only appeal to a small number of people or those that fall within a specific demographic profile

Question 27

What are demographics

Answer 27

Type of people consuming a particular media product. Broken down into categories such as age, gender, religion, age, nationality, occupation, social grade, interests, media consumption habits, likes and dislikes

Question 28

Define primary research methods and give 4 examples

Answer 28

Used for producers of products to find out about their target audience:
● Questionnaires- series of questions to gather specific information from audiences
● Focus Groups- group of people assembled to discuss a product before launch and provide feedback
● Interviews- used in journalism/media reporting.
● Online Surveys- questionnaires that the target audience can complete over the internet

Question 29

Define secondary research methods and give 4 examples

Answer 29

Second hand research / other people’s research:
● Internet research- search engines, personal opinions, news articles & academic research
● Books & Journals
● Magazines & Newspapers- articles written by professional journalists using primary research, such as interviews
● Television- documentaries / news

Question 30

Circulation

Answer 30

Number of people who purchase a print product

Question 31

Readership

Answer 31

Number of people who read a print product

Question 32

Gap in the market

Answer 32

Identification of a group of customers who are not yet purchasing a product or the realisation by an institution that there is a need for a new type of product or brand

Question 33

Competitors

Answer 33

Media institutions, products or brands which are direct rivals

Question 34

Product reach

Answer 34

To find out how many people consume a particular product

Question 35

Passive audience theory

Answer 35

The audience accepts and believes all messages in any media text that they receive. A passive audience is more likely to accept the messages encoded in a media text without challenge and are therefore more likely to be directly affected by the messages

Question 36

Active audience theory

Answer 36

Those who actively receive media information and make sense of the messages based on their social and personal contexts. The active audiences pay full attention to receiving information and interpret them to give feedback.