Revision Advice

Let's face it, there's no realistic way of revising for a task based on an unseen passage. All you can really do is practice. With that in mind, here are few things you might try:

• Familiarise Yourself

Watch lots of TV drama programmes. As many as you can, of different subgenres. But don't just passively watch them as entertainment, look for the stereotypes. Create a checklist of the groups you may be asked to write about; remember, they are:

Gender: male and female

Age: young and old
Ethnicity: white, black, Asian, or any other racial stereotype
Sexuality: straight or gay
Class and status: upper, middle, or working class
Physical ability/disability: characters who may be deaf, blind, physically or mentally disabled.
Regional identity: northerners, southerners, Scots, Welsh, Irish etc
See how many are shown in the programme you are watching. For each one, it is the simplest question in the world: is this character being shown as a stereotype?

• Test Your Vocabulary

Go to Quizlet and test yourself on the technical terms of textual analysis.

Yet More Examination Practice

Watch the clip below and answer the question which follows:

How is the representation of disability constructed in this extract from "The Street"?

Before you watch it, read the following instructions carefully:

A. Divide a piece of paper into 4 squares, one each for mise-en-scene, camfam, sound, and editing.

B. Watch the extract four times:

1. Watch it without making any notes. In your head, think: what are society's expectations of disabled people? Am I seeing stereotypical disabled figures or not?
2. Watch it a second time, looking for examples of mise-en-scene and camera framing/angle/movement which support your ideas. Give yourself one minute only to make notes.
3. Watch it a third time, listening for examples of sound - especially dialogue - which support your ideas. Again, give yourself one minute only to make notes.
4. Watch it a fourth and final time, this time making notes about editing; whose side does it position the viewer on?

C. You then have 45 minutes to write this essay. Remember that it should have 5 paragraphs:

1. Introduction: describe the representations/stereotypes shown
2. Mise-en-scene
3. Camera framing/angle/movement
4. Soundtrack
5. Editing

 

Past Paper Examination Practice

The following extract is from Summer 2010. The question is:
How is the representation of gender constructed in this extract from 'Primeval'?'

Before you watch it, read the following instructions carefully:

 
A. Divide a piece of paper into 4 squares, one each for mise-en-scene, camfam, sound, and editing.
B. Watch the extract four times:

1. Watch it without making any notes; in you head, think: am I seeing stereotypical male/female figures or not?
2. Watch it a second time, looking for examples of mise-en-scene and camera framing/angle/movement which support your ideas. Give yourself two minutes only to make notes.
3. Watch it a third time, listening for examples of sound - especially dialogue - which support your ideas. Again, give yourself two minutes only to make notes.
4. Watch it a fourth and final time, this time making notes about editing; whose side does it position the viewer on?

C. You then have 45 minutes to write this essay. Remember that it should have 5 paragraphs:

1. Introduction: describe the representations/stereotypes shown
2. Mise-en-scene
3. Camera framing/angle/movement
4. Soundtrack
5. Editing