Area of Study 1

Narratives and their contexts

How does the context of a narrative influence its construction and audience readings?

Narratives are the product of creative and institutional practices that represent stories through codes and narrative conventions. The use of codes and narrative conventions influences audience engagement, consumption and reading of narratives. Students consider the use of codes and narrative conventions to structure meaning and explore how a media creator has used these tools to produce a media narrative.

Narratives are also a product of their context. In this area of study, students examine the role that context plays in the production, distribution and reading of media products. Social, historical, institutional, cultural, economic and political contexts are evident, explicitly or implicitly, through the views and values conveyed by media products. The context of a media product shapes its construction and is reflected in narratives and representations. Context also influences audience readings of media. By understanding the contextual lens through which audiences view and consume media texts, students are able to understand the contribution and role that the media has in shaping our views, values and opinions about our world.

Students examine one fictional or non-fictional narrative in the form of film and/or television and/or radio and/or audio product (that may be broadcast or streamed) and/or photographic products. For the purposes of this area of study, the media product selected for study will comprise of one of the following:

•  one feature length film product of one hour or more in length or the equivalent length in television or streaming

• an audio product, such as a podcast or radio drama, of one hour or more

• a photographic series with a narrative structure, such as a photojournalism essay/story or exhibition of narrative images

• a digital product, such as a video game, of equivalent length or complexity to the above media forms.

A fictional, non-fictional or a combined fictional/non-fictional narrative may be studied. The choice of narrative must give consideration to the definition of a media narrative in the study specifications on page 13.

Outcome 1

On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse the construction of media narratives; discuss audience engagement, consumption and reading of narratives; and analyse the relationship between narratives and the contexts in which they are produced.

To achieve this outcome the student will draw on key knowledge and key skills outlined in Area of Study 1.

Key knowledge:

Narratives

• • the construction of media narratives in selected media forms

  • how audiences engage with, consume and read media narratives

  • the relationship between and the function of codes and narrative conventions to convey meaning in selected media forms

  • appropriate media language.

Contexts

•  the relationship between media narratives and the contexts in which they were produced

•  the construction of representations in media narratives and how they reflect or challenge views and values of a specific context

•  the ways in which audiences from different contexts engage with, consume and read media narratives

• appropriate media language.

Key skills

Narratives

• analyse the construction of media narratives in selected media forms

• discuss how media narratives are constructed, consumed and read by audiences

• analyse the relationship between and the function of codes and narrative conventions to convey meaning in selected media forms

• use appropriate media language.

Contexts

• explain the relationship between media narratives and the contexts in which they were produced

• discuss the construction of representations in media narratives and how they reflect or challenge views and values of a specific context

• analyse the ways in which audiences from different contexts engage with, consume and read media narratives

• use appropriate media language.