Linking Research and Practice

As promised, some help with making links between research and practice.

Year 12 AS Media Studies

You should, by now, have completed research into comparable texts and a potential audience. You will probably have uploaded annotated magazine covers and contents pages and sample questionnaires/results.

It is now essential that you consider how this research will inform your decision making. 

Here is an example of the way in which you could present your ideas. A table like this one shows that you have made the vital link between your own research and your own practical work.

The observations that you make will, of course, depend on the texts which you have studied so don’t expect them to be exactly the same as those recorded by other students.

Observation	Impact on My Work
Most covers use a single image – often a medium shot, featuring one or two students. They are engaged in either a classroom/extra-curricular activity but a direct mode of address is employed as they look into the camera.	I will follow this convention as I intend to photograph two students and position them centrally. A medium shot will enable me to include the students whilst capturing something of the background. However, I want the students to seem unaware of the camera and engaged in the activity of film making.
The mise en scene creates a sense of a well-equipped school which promotes dynamic learning. E.g. inclusion of computers/sports equipment.	My inclusion of video cameras has been influenced by this observation. I hope that these connote a sense of creativity as well as suggesting that the school environment promotes active learning with up to date equipment. I will ensure that text referring to the activity anchors the image and makes it clear that the students are engaged in a film making project.

You must try and link your observations about the content and composition of images/ text/audiences with your decision making.

Some useful terms:

Representation ,denote, connote, iconography ,mise en scene, composition, framing, focus, foreground,colour,lighting, background, text, anchors, audience, traditional, contemporary, contrast, extend, complement, convention, follow, subvert, experiment