AS Media Studies Institutions and Audiences
Brief: To design your own case studies in preparation for the Institutions and Audiences exam on 15th May 2012. This project is designed to get you to research an area of the media that you find fascinating. The project is designed to allow you the freedom to research an area of interest and an area that you know something about. The broad topic choices are: •
Film
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Music
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Video Games
There will be some overlap between the industries. For example you may look at the release of a major Hollywood film that also has a video game and soundtrack. You may look mainly at the music industry, but also research the ways in which music is used in films and video games. Whether you choose Film, Music or Video Games there are some broad areas that should guide your research: •
The move away from physical to digital;
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The impact of this move on the High Street;
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Impacts of technological convergence – audience and industry;
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The impacts of participatory cultures on the media audience and industry – particularly in terms of user generated content (Expressions) and the industry’s use of Facebook groups to market and promote their product (Affiliations);
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Chris Anderson’s Long Tail and the distribution and exchange of media content;
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The impacts of media hardware (e.g. iPads, iPods, iPhones, smart devices) on audience and industry;
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Primary research – questionnaire that tries to find out how audiences access and enjoy media products;
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Impacts of media technology on production;
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Impacts of media technology on distribution;
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Impacts of media technology on marketing – particularly the crossmedia nature of marketing;
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Impacts of media technology on exchange – exchange in the broadest sense which can include live streaming, legal downloads, torrent sites and You Tube convertors;
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Issues raised by media ownership and control within your chosen area.
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Importance of cross media synergy in production, distribution and marketing (small case study on iTunes)
Suggested topic areas from OCR:
Past exam questions for Audiences and Institutions unit:
Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences, within a media area which you have studied (Jan 2009)
How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area which you have studied? (June 2009)
“Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their products and services to national audiences”. To what extent do you agree with this statement? (Jan 2010)
What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences? (June 2010)
Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in your chosen media area. (Jan 2011)