Thursday, 22 January 2015

Structure your essay

Learning objective: 
To provide a structure for my second textual investigation.

Key words:
concepts, REPRESENTATION, NARRATIVE, audience, organisations, conclusion.

Textual Investigation 2 must be finished by next Friday 30th January.
400 - 850 words with illustrations


  • It is based on the concept of one of these two concepts: REPRESENTATION or NARRATIVE
  • Stay focused on this when you are analysing your text.
  • You should realise early on if the text you have chosen conforms or challenges the conventions for that concept.
  • You should choose another text to compare your main one with.


Here is a suggested structure for your essay:

1 If your chosen concept is representation:

Decide what group is being represented...gender, age, ethnicity

Intro to the text, what is it? When was it made? What is it about?
Description of the main character's personality/behaviour
Description of the appearance of the characters in the text.
Do these things reinforce stereotypes?

A quote from a theorist to clarify your point. Try Richard Dyer.

Codes and conventions of your text described using media terms. Iconography, mise en scene, denotations, connotations..

A description of how visual codes are used to attract the primary target audience.

Where do the target audience fit into Maslow's hierarchy of neeeds?

Organisational issues. We will return to this.

Comaprison with another text that challenges conventions of stereotypes.

The target audience of your comparative text should be discussed.

Contrast the two texts.

Conclude that the group you are analysing within the text is represented positively through conforming to genre conventions. OR...negatively. OR...does the text challenge conventions?

Read the exemplar work provided on the shared drive.
Send Mr Ealey your essay each time you have written for it.

2 If your concept is Narrative.

Use media terms to describe the opening of your text.
Discuss: Equilibrium - Todorov's theory
Discuss: Camera shot types for audience positioning

Is there a disruption providing an enigma which will hook the audience?
Define audience appeal and how this can lead to revenue through advertising.
(organisations).

Compare your chosen text to another text of a similar genre. How is the narrative structure different?

Describe how the show will bring in revenue. We will revisit this.

Discuss audience theory (Uses and Gratification theory)

Describe the type of narrative you can see. Linear, circular etc

A description of the camera work is followed by a suggestion that it is conventional for the genre.
Give examples

Describe genre conventions for that genre in general. Iconography, visual codes. technical codes.

Conclusion; discuss how conforming and challenging the conventions of the narrative structure for the genre can be equally successful.


  • Read the exemplar work provided on the shared drive.
  • Send Mr Ealey via e-mail your essay each time you have written for it.


Task 1: 
Transfer the information from your essay structure to a spider diagram and apply it to the texts you will be analysing. Submit end of lesson.




Year 11 Written task success criteria

Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation

Awareness of relevant theories

Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media

Use of media terminology/key words

Quality of written communication

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