PREP 02 MUSIC & NEWS question 5: How is media language used to reflect the genre conventions of a music magazine? Make bullet points below the magazine cover.

• The group, called "All Saints", shown in the main splash are presented as strong and rebellious 
• This is emphasised by the tagline "We always felt like outsiders. We didn't conform to the rules"
• The group are shown to be very important as they take up the majority of the page and are the main focus of the magazine. The name "All Saints" is in a big font to emphasise the group's importance
• Other famous musicians such as Paul Young and Steve McQueen are mentioned at the bottom of the page. 
• Sans-serif fonts used
• Colour scheme is fairly simple, yet professional 

Q1 Camerawork in Cuffs

PREP analyse how camerawork is used in the extract to create meaning


One way which camerawork is used to create meaning in this extract is through the use of shot-reverse shots during the scene in which the police officers are having lunch. These types of shots are used to help the audience build a relationship with the characters, as we get to see the character's reactions to the conversation. Shot-reverse shot is also used when the robber is threatening the PCSO. Here it is used to compare the size of the PCSO and the robber to create tension. 

Another way is through using Arial shots. Arial shots give a view of the world from above and is used during the police car chase. This gives a sense of scale and adds tension to the chase, so that we can see how far the police are from catching the robbers. 

Soap Opera screenshots

This is an example of a title sequence in a sop opera. The title sequence is always immediately recognised by the audience as is the music that goes with it. 

Soap operas often portray "real life" by using realistic mise-en-scene. This scene shows a very realistic kitchen with natural and realistic lighting. 

Soap operas often contain "relateable" characters and realistic family "conflict" and "issues". Teenagers might be able to relate to this schoolgirl and mothers might be able to relate to the mother. 

Soap operas are realistic to an extent but are often an over-dramatisation of real life. For example there is often "conflict" in soap operas, which wouldn't necessarily escalate to physical violence in real life. 

Q3 Cuffs realism

How far does the extract try to create a sense that it is portraying 'real life'?

• In your answer you should: analyse aspects of the extract giving detailed examples 
• judge how far these aspects create a sense of watching 'real life 

The extract is very good at portraying "real life". 

One example is the realism of the police. Realistic uniforms, police cars, radio talk and police terms are used. This helps to give a sense of real life because they use the same police related things as would be used in real life. In the extract the police deal with pretty realistic situations and they react in the way police would react in the real world. 

The concept of a "rookie" cop being pared with an experienced cop is also realistic. They do this in real police forces so that the less experienced police officers can be mentored and given first hand training. 

The camera work also uses a large amount of realism. Shot-reverse shots and handheld shots use realism because they follow whoever is speaking or moving. In a conversation with two or more other people you are likely to be looking at whoever is speaking so the shot reverse-shot makes you feel that you are there with the people in the show. In hand-held shots, the bobbing of the camera mimics the walking motion of people which gives a sense that you are walking along with the police officers. 

Q1 cuffs Practice exam question

How is sound used to create meaning in the cuffs extract?                                 
 (5 marks available, at least 2 examples)

An example of non-diegetic sound is the music. The scene starts with faint music to give the impression something big is about to happen. It presents the arrival of the criminals as hostile and it builds suspense. When the robbery starts and the police officers start driving towards the scene the music becomes much louder, the music has a pumping, throbbing beat which builds tension and gives the impression that the officers hearts are beating faster. The intense music connotes a sense of speed and urgency. 

Examples of diegetic sounds such as mechanical sounds and dialogue also help create meaning. The sound of cars swerving and breaks screeching help exaggerate the chase scene and show how fast the chase is. The sirens of the police cars create realism and give a sense of what it sounds like to be in a police car. During the robbery the big forklift truck makes screeching and grinding sounds which makes the scene more realistic and makes it seem like we are in the scene ourselves. 

In the scene with Jake and the other police officers in the cafe there is a relaxed mood; due to the calm background music and the way the officers casually talk with each other. When the police officers' lunch is interrupted by the other police officer calling for help on the radio, the officers are caught off-guard and we can also hear the distress in the police officer voice which connotes the urgency and panic of the situation. There is a use of a juxtaposition due to the change from the calm atmosphere to the tense and urgent atmosphere, which is created by the officers running to the cars and the music becoming louder and more intense. 


I would give myself 4 marks out of 5. 

Exam Question about The Observer home page

PREP Answer the exam question. You will find page 9 of News (print and online): industry and audience helpful.

The Observer home page uses a array of techniques to captivate and entertain its audience. The Observer audience generally think of themselves as open-minded and accepting and so the observer tend to allow both sides to have an argument in articles. 

The layout of the observer front page helps to create meaning.The titles use the Serif and Sans Serif fonts because they are easy to read and look very professional and formal. It has been shown that with these fonts the human eye finds it easy to read from one word to another. The Blue, white and Maroon colour scheme used on the front page imply: Formality,  seriousness, fairness, royalty and professionalism. The different news articles are laid out into different sections (e.g. feature, sport, interviews, etc.), this layout makes the paper look professional and also makes it easier for the reader to find articles they will want to read.  All of this gives the reader a sense of professionalism themselves because they are reading a professional looking newspaper. 

The Observer display the "top" news stories on its home page and these tend to be stories that the audience are most likely to be interested in. The title of these stories often display their titles in a certain way to interest the reader and make them want to learn more. The titles give the reader a small hint of the topic of the article, whilst still leaving an air of mystery. For example the title "Can i forgive the man who raped me?", instantly draws the reader's attention. It makes them ask questions such as: "Who is it that was raped?", "Who raped that person?" and "Can they forgive him?". The reader is curious to find out more and reads the article to answer their questions. Another example of this the title "Stranded refugees denied UK asylum face "life in limbo"", immigration and refugees are still topics that will grab a readers attention and make them want to find out more. 

Another way the Observer home page grasps its audience is by providing surveillance of world events. It tells readers what is going on in the world, both in terms of gossip about celebrities, sports news, news about the latest politics and any social problems going on (e.g. disaster, criminals, refugees etc.). The "sports" section on the observer home page provides readers with information on the latest; Football, Tennis, Rugby, Boxing, Cycling and many other forms of sporting news. Readers who are interested in sport are sure to read this section. In the "interviews" section, the Observer can provide readers with news on the secret lives of famous people and what they think about certain topics. People interested in political and social issues will be interested in the large majority of the paper because they want to read news about recent events. The Observer presents readers with the opportunity to find out whats happening in the world and form an opinion on it.  

By having an online newspaper, the Observer allow for a response from their audience. If readers have a strong opinion about a topic that has been covered in the newspaper they can write to the paper or go to social media and discuss the topic with other readers of the same newspaper. The Observer allows for social discussion and debate between readers, strengthening  peoples opinions and allowing them to seek reassurance from people who hold a similar opinion to them. 

Creating Media in class

In class we created our own Media in groups, around the concept of enigma. The basic plot my group came up with was that a strange package is delivered to some people (Tom and Charlie), and they are wondering what the package might be. They then open the package to find a head inside (me (Ben)) and are even more curious about where it came from. We then see the delivery person (Callum) outside waving and smiling creepily.

We used a range of dynamic shots from several different angles. For the bit with the head in the box, we cut a hole in the bottom and i stuck my head in whilst lying under the tables. We then put bubble wrap around my head to cover up the hole. After Tom asks the question "Who would send us this?" the camera then turns to see Callum standing outside the door, suggesting that it was him who sent the package.

At times we had some trouble with getting the camera to focus but apart from that it was relativley successful.