Structuring an Exam Answer

Some of you have been asking for a structure for your exam answers. While that is not easy to define for Section A, where it is a case of focusing on the most relevant semiotic aspects first, it is easier to do for Section B. Therefore, I am going to give brief instructions on how to practise Section A and then a more detailed plan of how to answer Section B.

Section A

Your best shot at getting better at the analytical skills required for Section A is to do a lot of short burst semiotic analysis. That means finding adverts and analysing their semiotic elements over two quick viewings. The heading are always the same, even if the focus questions change. So you need to focus on the connotations of the semiotic elements and what they suggest about the use of Media forms, the representations, the possible reactions of the audience and the institution.

Section B

There is no substitute for practise. It might be a good idea to plan for any possible question i.e.- synergy, intertextuality, use of new technology, UGC, audiences as producers, reception theory etc.

So that you can practise you exam answers at home I am going to provide you with a suggested structure for your answer. However, this comes with a warning because it might not be appropriate for the question you are trying to answer. You must answer the question in front of you, not just give all the details from you practise answer. This is just a rough guide as to how to organise your information.

Introduction

Address how your case study is appropriate to the question i.e.- synergy is used by producers to reinforce the semiotic elements of their core product and, in turn, make them easily and quickly familiar to audience members. This can been seen to a greater or lesser extent in all of the film campaigns that I have studied.

Overview

This should be one paragraph outlining the basics of your case study with appropriate reference to the topic of the question i.e.- over the course of my case study I have instigated the synergy between core and secondary products in both financially successful (Les Miserables) and financially unsuccessful films (The Town).

First Points

You then outline your comparisons either by platform i.e.- print, then broadcast, then e-media. Or you do it by core product. For a question on synergy it might make sense to do it by core product.

The most important thing is that you are constantly commenting on how successful these products were at drawing in an audiences and why, with focus on the topic of the question i.e.- the synergy created by Paramount between the website, poster and trailer allow an audience to feel comfortable with the premise of the core product and make it more likely that they will consume this product.

However, you must remember to use the semiotic elements to support these statements i.e.- the colour blue has been used as the background on both the poster and the website, reinforcing the upbeat and hopeful message of the film.

You can work through these points in any order, so long as you have written about all three platforms, using at least two examples from each.

Conclusion

This is the point at which you sum up your previous points in a paragraph i.e.- the evidence I have collected indicated that synergy does have an important role in attracting audiences to core products but it isn't the only important element in gaining a mass media audience. I think this is clear from...