Mock Exam LR

WWW: Good range of detailed examples. Good coverage of platforms/texts.
LR: More application of narrative theories. Write a paragraph incorporating Propp, Todorov, Levi-Strauss ect.
I exceeded my target grade.

I made a lot of the anticipated content points and equally answered all questions similarly. I successfully answered all questions, however question 2 and 3 were answered the strongest as I got 11/12 on both of these questions. I think I understood these questions better as there was simply more to write and a variety of different things to write about within these 2 questions.
My weakest question was question 4 as I got a 9/12. I think the reason why this was my weakest question is because I kept repeating myself as I could only think of a few points to answer the question as it was quite closed. I didn't confidently answer this question as well as I did the rest, therefore was my weakest scoring answer.

Gun violence is glamorised in the trailer called 'Epic Night Out,' making it seem exciting and invigorating. The name of the trailer connotes the idea of excitement and doesn't consider the consequences of killing people. This reveals a positive representation of gun violence and highlights the influence games can have on people. Through the use of the soundtrack, the scenario is seen as fun and exiting, whilst it is a serious, life-threatening matter the consequences are not revealed. This links to the Dependency Theory and how the media influences people. Young people may therefore be negatively influenced through the positive representation of gun violence.
Gun violence is also seen as an easy meaningless thing. In the game, the more kills the better, the higher rank you are - this emphasises the situation in a positive way as young people thrive to get these killings as they do not consider it as reality. This links to the uses and gratifications theory and how games are an act of diversion and escapism.
The virtual reality represented within the trailer, highlights the idea of escapism and unreality, which therefore suggests that the game is for pure entertainment and not to influence people. The tagline 'there is a soldier in all of us' indicates the positivity and harmless factors involved in becoming a soldier, glamorising the job. Guns are harmful weapons and nothing but positivity is shown - to futher emphasise the positivity, the setting and the use of the mise-en-scene within, creates this positive ideology of gun violence. This therefore reveals the stereotypes of gun violence is a different perspective as to reality is seen as dangerous and destrucyive, however in a virtual reality of a game, it appears fun, exciting and invigorating.

I evenly covered all 3 media platforms, however I did not include any narrative theories or techniques within my essay. I used key words in every paragraph in my essay, however I did not include any examples of theories to back up my response. My response fit into the stronger category; on a whole the response was strong but could have been even better if I referred to media theories.

I will make sure to include more media theory where possible.
I will include more media terminology into my essay.
I will refer back to key words in the question throughout my essay.

LR:
Plan B took advantage of the broadcast platform to create synergy through his media products and extend the narrative enjoyment for an audience. The tedx lecture enabled Plan B to discuss his political ideologies for his film, which extends the meaning behind his narrative structure and promotes the film through Plan B himself as a brand. It also enabled him to promote his soundtrack and in terms of narrative, Plan B's soundtrack is the holder of all narrative structure as each song tells a story through the art of music. This therefore creates synergy and creates enjoyment for an audience; both music lovers and film lovers. The film has a multi-strand narrative and throughout it subverts Todorovs narrative theory as the whole film is almost a disequilibrium, finishing with a new equilibrium. Through the broadcast platform, Plan B reveals his characters and the reasoning behind why he devised these characters and it all fits into Propps stock characters. We have the villain, which is seen as society, the hero is essentially Riz Ahmed, Aaron, the one who gets away from the badness in society, the damsel in distress are the women in the film, who are all essentially 'saved' by men. Within each narrative there are clear villains and binary oppositions (Levi-Strauss) created with all the characters. In his tedx lecture he mentions all of these things and due to the core target demographic being the youth and young adult demographic and the audience for the lecture being middle class and more mature, it reveals an unorthodox audience being exposed to the film. In terms of Blumler and Katz's uses and gratifications theory, Plan B allows personal relationships to be formed as he speaks sincerely and creates an empathetic speech, which would touch and audience and help them to further enjoy the film knowing Plan B's ideologies and morals behind his narrative structure.