Tuesday, 24 April 2018

Videogames: An introduction

Our new media topic is called Online, Participatory and Videogames - an in-depth area of study on new and digital media with three Close-Study Products.

Over the next half-term, we need to study the following CSPs:

Lara Croft GO
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood
Zoella (YouTube channel link - a quick video about Zoella's background is here)

We need to study these products using all four key concepts: Language, Industry, Audience and Representation. We will start with videogames as Lara Croft GO and Kim Kardashian: Hollywood are both good examples of the changing nature of the videogames industry.

A brief history of videogames: blog task



Watch the YouTube video outlining the history of the videogames industry from the 1970s to the 2010s. Now answer the following questions:

1) What were the first videogames like?

2) How have videogames changed over time?

3) What do the most successful games have in common? Answer this in as much detail as you can. Think about audience pleasures - what do people like about playing videogames?

4) What criticisms have been made towards videogames?

Read this Guardian feature about the sensationally popular videogame Fortnite: Battle Royale and watch the trailer below.


Now answer the next questions:

5) What is Fortnite: Battle Royale?

6) How many Fortnite players are there worldwide?

7) Why is it so popular? What are the audience pleasures of the game?

8) Copy and paste two comments from 'below the line' of the Guardian article - these are comments written by Guardian readers in response to the feature. Select one comment you agree with and one you disagree with and explain why.

You will have lesson time to work on this but will need to complete for homework - due date confirmed by your Media teacher.

Thursday, 19 April 2018

GCSE Media assessment

Your next Media assessment is on both Magazines and Advertising.

The assessment will be in the week of 23-27 April.

Ms Fowler and Mr Halsey's classes: Tuesday
Mr Pall's class: Thursday

Make sure you revise the following CSPs for this assessment:

Tatler magazine
Reveal magazine
OMO print advert
NHS Represent broadcast advert
Galaxy broadcast advert

You need to make sure you know all of these CSPs very confidently before doing the assessment.

Good luck!

Film Industry: I, Daniel Blake

Our second Film Industry CSP is Ken Loach's low-budget independent social realist film I, Daniel Blake. Remember: for film, we only ne...