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AQA GCSE Media Studies (48101)

Guidance for Teachers on the 2011


AQA GCSE Media Studies External Assessment Topic

Action Adventure Films

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General Guidance on Unit 1

The following guidance is intended to support the external assessment of this specification. It includes general
information and advice about approaching Unit 1 as well as specific guidelines on Action Adventure films. It is
not designed to cover all aspects of teaching but to offer suggestions on how to approach the 2011 topic and
to prepare students for the external assessment.

Unit 1 External Assessment


The external assessment carries 40% of the total marks available for GCSE Media Studies (Single Award) or
20% for GCSE Media Studies (Double Award). The external assessment consists of a 1 hour 30 minute
timetabled examination in which candidates respond to four unseen tasks, the nature of which are signalled in
a pre-released brief. The date and time of the external assessment of Action Adventure films is as follows:

Monday 13 June 2011 (pm)

Students should be issued the brief 4 weeks prior to the examination. The 2011 brief should be issued to
students on or shortly after Monday 16 May 2011. The brief will provide students with a contextualised
scenario. The examination will require students to respond to four tasks in role. The tasks will be based on the
contextualised scenario provided in the brief. From 16 May students are expected to consolidate their
knowledge and understanding of Action Adventure films by completing independent research and preparation
in response to the given brief. Please note that:

• sufficient time must be given to the teaching of the external assessment topic before the release of the
preliminary materials

• no formal teaching of the topic may take place after this date

• no work for Unit 2 may cover the same topic area of the external assessment. In the case of Action
Adventure films this does not prohibit submission of work on other film genres. The centre’s controlled
assessment adviser should be consulted if further clarification is required.

Teachers who taught the legacy specification (3571) are reminded of the following:

• the external assessment now takes the form of unseen tasks

• there has been a reduction of time from 3 hours to 1 hour 30 minutes

• tiering has been removed and the one external assessment is aimed at the full ability range.

Teachers are advised to refer to the new specification along with specimen papers, mark schemes and past
papers as they become available. These will provide further guidance on the content and administration of the
external assessment.

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Using the Preliminary Material
The brief is pivotal to the external assessment and students must work closely with it to inform their
preparation for the unseen tasks. This is a skill which is examined through AO3 (Demonstrate research,
planning and presentation skills) and the time allocated between the date of pre-release materials by AQA and
the date of the external assessment is given to allow students time to research and develop their
understanding of issues raised by the brief. It is an expectation that teachers will want to read the brief with
their classes to ensure that all students understand what is being asked of them. However after that formal
teaching (whole class teaching directed by the teacher) should cease. It is crucial that teachers follow this
instruction to enable their students to build on skills of independent research that they have already developed
through their work for Unit 2. However whilst whole class teaching has now ceased, teachers are still able to
adopt the role of a critical friend in their support of students on an individual level. However, the emphasis
must be on students working as active and independent learners, both individually and/or by working in pairs
or small groups using best practice Assessment for Learning strategies such as Peer Assessment.

Assessment Objectives and Weightings


Teaching of the external assessment should be guided by the assessment objectives. These are given below
together with the approximate weightings applied to the external assessment:

• A01: recall, select and communicate their knowledge and understanding of media products and the
contexts in which they are produced and consumed (10%)

• AO3: demonstrate research, planning and presentation skills (5%)

• AO4: construct and evaluate their own products using creative and technical skills (5%)

It is important to note that knowledge of non-contemporary texts is not required for the external assessment
which is a significant departure from the legacy Controlled Test. Instead, in the context of a study of Action
Adventure films, it is important that students understand the influence of the American film industry which has
and still does dominate film production. The importance of targeting global audiences has had a significant
bearing on the shaping of Action Adventure films which are not easy to pigeon hole as belonging to one
particular genre of film. Students need to develop confidence in working with the concept of genre and to be
able to consider how Action Adventure draws on a variety of traditional generic forms. In doing so, they should
begin to explore the enduring appeal of Action Adventure and why these films have proven to be so
successful. Students should be directed to an examination of sub-genres as a way of identifying what
constitutes an Action Adventure film.

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Here are some examples:

• Action Adventure – Swashbuckler

The Mark of Zorro; The Three Musketeers; Pirates of the Caribbean

• Action Adventure – Disaster

The Poseidon Adventure; The Towering Inferno; Airport; The Day After Tomorrow

• Action Adventure – Fantasy

Star Wars; Lord of the Rings; Superman; Avatar

• Action Adventure – Quest

Raiders of the Lost Ark; Romancing the Stone; King Solomon’s Mines

• Action Adventure – Thriller/suspense

The Fugitive; The Thirty Nine Steps; Die Hard; Cliffhanger; the Bond franchise

• Action Adventure – Historical: big adventures set against backdrop of history, legend and
folklore

Braveheart; Gladiator; Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

The above is neither a prescriptive or restrictive list and centres are free to make their own selections. This
may involve working with different sub genres in order to both identify and discuss the unifying elements
which mark films out as Action Adventure. For example, in defining Action Adventure for the purposes of the
external assessment it is important to consider the importance of the scope of the Adventure, a narrative
which has exciting twists and turns, with moments of potential peril that the main characters have to come
through. This same narrative frequently involves a fight between good and evil with the forces of good
triumphant at the end.

The external assessment will examine Action Adventure films through a combination of written and production
tasks. The reduction in time from the legacy 3 hours Controlled Test to 1 hour 30 minutes will naturally have
an impact on question style, demanding succinct, focused responses. Teachers are directed to the specimen
external assessment paper on Situation Comedy which exemplifies this. Skills in production work should
have been developed through the Unit 2 Assignment Banks which exemplify the scope and range of the types
of responses required.

However, a key performance indicator remains the ability of students to demonstrate their knowledge of a
range of examples from the topic examined. In the case of Action Adventure film, it is important to guard
against over preparation of a limited number of texts along with rehearsed teacher led arguments which
frequently stifle creativity and the ability of students to demonstrate personal engagement.

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The specification makes it clear that for the external assessment, candidates will need to complete four tasks
in the time given. As with Unit 2, candidates do not have to write in continuous prose and it is important to
provide opportunity to develop confidence in the use of a variety of formats which can include annotations,
bullet points, charts and mind maps.

Key Concepts
A useful place to start when preparing students for the external assessment is with the key concepts:

• Media Language: forms and conventions

• Institution

• Audience

• Representation

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Action Adventure Films

Media Language: Genre


It should be expected that students have already developed some understanding of Genre through their work
for Unit 2. For the purposes of the external assessment, it would be useful to explore the following:

• the importance of genre as a marketing tool

• the codes and conventions of the genre

• the sub genres that constitute the genre, leading to a consideration of hybridity

A useful way to begin exploring codes and conventions is through narrative. It is an important contributor to
the universal appeal of Action Adventure and can lead to some very enjoyable work in the classroom. It is
important that students are provided with a set of critical frameworks through which to analyse narrative. By
an examination of the following, students can begin to ask what binds films together under the heading of
Action Adventure:

Storyline and Plot: Tease out the differences between these two terms. Think about the characteristics of
Action Adventure films in having fast moving plots which provide plenty of excitement and tension.

Structure: All Action Adventure films have recognisable narrative structures which offer a way of examining
how a story is organised and shaped in terms of time and events. It is interesting to explore the rules of
narrative structure with regard to Action Adventure. For example a defining feature of narrative is the high
degree of narrative closure, with all problems resolved and/or our hero triumphant. So in addition to linear
structure, narrative can often be seen in terms of oppositional structure too, as a fight between forces of good
and evil.

Main characters: All Action Adventure films have a recognisable heroic central character, a hero or heroine
who is able to overcome incredible odds. Whilst some films feature brave heroines, most narratives are
organised around traditional gender roles. Teachers might want to explore the extent to which modern films
have challenged traditional female (and male) stereotyping.

Oppositional characters: Action Adventure films tend to feature characters that play opposite the key central
character, for example either in the form of a relationship (hero/heroine) or in conflict (hero/villain).

Journey/Quest
Action Adventure films often involve central characters working towards a final goal (such as seeking
treasure). These narratives take place against the backdrop of a variety of exotic and sometimes glamorous
locations. These can range from desert landscapes to urban settings. Not only can their use provide the
audience with visual pleasures, but the location itself can serve an important narrative function as central
characters find themselves battling with the challenges presented by it e.g. surviving earthquakes, struggling
through jungles etc.

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Action sequences
Action sequences and their accompanying special effects play an important part of narrative construction and
contribute to the pleasures offered by Action Adventure films. With advances made in technology these are
becoming more spectacular. Action sequences can range from battles and explosions to fist fights and car
chases etc. How convincing these are and what they add to the narrative can provide a fertile area for
classroom discussion.

Suggested activities

1. Complete a close analysis of a range of film clips. What marks them out as Action Adventure?

2. Collect examples of both heroes and villains. What do they have in common?

Institution
Action Adventure films are expensive to make and often command a high production budget. Students could
research the costs of making a film and the implications of this for the production company. High budget can
mean high risk and this can lead on to an exploration of the range of ways profits are generated from a film.
This should involve a study of how films are marketed and the generation of many spin-offs which can include
a range of merchandise for example.
In terms of Action Adventure, this leads to an opportunity to consider the Film Franchise strategy to widen
appeal to audiences.

Suggested activities

1. Complete a Case Study of how a film has been promoted and marketed to a given audience.

2. Research the above and below line costs of film production.

Audience
A useful way to begin a study of Audience is by considering the types of pleasures offered by Action
Adventure and why the genre has remained so successful with audiences. Is it still the case that Action
Adventure films appeal predominantly to male audiences? It is important that students are encouraged to
think of Audience in terms of the plural audiences in offering explanations of enduring appeal. The Uses and
Gratifications theory is a useful tool to guide this but there are also other avenues of exploration in a
consideration of audience. Critics of Action Adventure argue that such films promote unhealthy attitudes
towards violence and that narratives are becoming too dominated by special effects and action sequences.
Students should be familiar with the BBFC guidelines and clearly teachers will be mindful of these themselves
when selecting films and film extracts to study in class.

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Suggested activities

1. It is said that Action Adventure films often appeal more to male audiences. Why do you think this is
the case?

2. Examine BBFC film classifications. How important are they to the success of a film?

Representation
A route into representation is through exploring gender representations. Students should be encouraged to
discuss the function of stereotypes in a narrative and by looking at the role of heroes and heroines will be able
to think about the extent to which these types of characters conform to a particular set of characteristics. This
is also true for other types of characters that appear in Action Adventure films such as the villain. In exploring
character stereotypes students should be encouraged to consider if types of people are misrepresented and if
so does this limit the appeal of a film? More complex work with Representation could lead to a discussion of
the promotion of western ideology and simplistic notions of good and evil.

Suggested activities

1. A criticism of Action Adventure films is that they reinforce stereotypes in terms of both gender and
ethnicity. Do you agree? Give examples from films you have studied.

2. Research a film star who has often appeared in Action Adventure films. What type of role does he/she
play? How important are they to the success of the film?

AQA Further Support and Guidance


During the autumn of 2010 AQA will be holding a series of Teacher Support meetings on Action Adventure
films at venues across the country. Places on these courses can be booked on-line via the AQA website. In
addition, teachers are encouraged to use the Teacher Resource Bank (under the ‘Key materials’ tab on the
new specification GCSE Media Studies webpage) and join the Forum, both located on the AQA website.

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Resources
Further reading for teachers:

Action Adventure Films: A Teacher’s Guide


Rob McInnes, Auteur 2003
ISBN: 1-903663-15-16

The Film Genre Book


John Sanders, Auteur
ISBN: 1-903633-90-5

Exploring the Media


Auteur
ISBN: 978-1-903663-92-9

Classroom texts:

AQA GCSE Media Studies – Nelson Thornes ISBN: 978-1-4085-04-11


Action Adventure Films: Classroom resources – Auteur – ISBN: 1903663164
AQA GCSE Media Studies – Heinnemann ISBN: 978-0435-4040-62
Media Studies for AQA GCSE – Collins ISBN: 978-0-00-723497

Magazines/Journals:

Sight and Sound


Empire

Websites:

www.mediaed.org.uk
www.mediastudies.com
www.bfi.org.uk
www.filmeducation.org
www.bbfc.co.uk

The above suggestions are only intended to provide some initial guidance, they are not intended to be an
exhaustive list.

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