NCEA Level 2 Media Studies cheat sheet

Media Studies analyses the relationship between media texts, the industries that produce them, and the audiences who use them; a strong answer names all three and shows how they interact.

The four key concepts used in NCEA Media Studies are: media in society (how media shapes and reflects values), reading media texts (codes, conventions, genre), media production (processes, technology, ownership), and media and audiences (targeting, consumption, effects).

A media text is any produced work - film, news item, advertisement, social media post, game, podcast - and is read through denotation (literal meaning) and connotation (associated meaning).

Genre is identified by recurring conventions: iconography, narrative structure, character types, settings, and technical codes; genre also sets audience expectations and is used by producers to market texts.

Representation is the process of constructing meaning about people, places, and groups; it is selective, and analysis should ask who is included, who is excluded, and who benefits from the portrayal.

Stereotypes simplify groups into a few exaggerated traits; countertypes deliberately challenge a stereotype, and both should be discussed in terms of their effect on audience attitudes.

Ownership matters: public service broadcasting (e.g. RNZ, TVNZ Charter history), commercial networks, and global platforms have different funding models that shape content decisions.

Regulation in New Zealand includes the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA), the Media Council, and the Classification Office; each handles different complaints and content types.

An exam answer should use specific evidence - a named text, a scene, a shot, a quote, or a statistic - rather than generalised claims about 'the media'.

Technical codes: camera shots (extreme close-up, close-up, mid, long, wide), angles (high, low, eye-level, Dutch tilt), movement (pan, tilt, tracking, handheld), and lens choice all construct meaning.

Editing codes include cut, match cut, jump cut, cross-cutting, montage, and dissolves; pace of editing signals tension, time passing, or parallel storylines.

Sound codes: diegetic sound exists in the story world; non-diegetic sound (score, voiceover) is added for the audience; sound bridges link scenes.

Mise-en-scène covers everything in the frame: setting, props, costume, makeup, lighting, colour, and actor positioning; lighting direction (key, fill, back) and quality (hard, soft, high-key, low-key) shape mood.

Print and online texts use layout, typography, colour palette, images, captions, and white space; placement and size signal importance (salience).

Narrative analysis uses terms such as protagonist, antagonist, equilibrium, disruption, climax, resolution, and enigma; Todorov and Propp offer useful structural models.

Audience positioning: the implied reader is the audience the text assumes; a text can position audiences to sympathise, judge, or identify with characters through point of view and framing.

Intertextuality is reference to another text; parody, pastiche, and homage are common forms and rely on audience knowledge of the original.

When analysing a text, link each observation to an effect on the audience - what the code makes the audience think, feel, or expect.

Agenda-setting: media don't tell audiences what to think so much as what to think about; repeated coverage raises an issue's perceived importance.

Cultivation theory (Gerbner) argues long-term exposure to repeated media patterns shapes audience perceptions of reality, e.g. overestimating crime.

Uses and gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz) lists audience needs: information, personal identity, integration and social interaction, and entertainment.

The hypodermic or effects model assumes audiences are passive and directly influenced; reception theory (Hall's encoding/decoding) argues audiences decode texts as dominant, negotiated, or oppositional.

Media convergence describes the merging of technologies, industries, and content - e.g. a broadcaster distributing video via app, social media, and streaming.

Globalisation of media raises concerns about cultural imperialism and homogenisation; local content quotas and funding bodies (NZ On Air) exist to protect national identity.

Citizen journalism and user-generated content challenge traditional gatekeeping; verification and misinformation become key issues.

Media ethics topics include privacy, consent, accuracy, fairness, and the public interest; case studies should be specific and balanced.

Pre-production (research, script, storyboard, schedule, budget), production (shooting, recording), and post-production (editing, sound mix, colour grading) form the standard workflow.

A treatment is a short pitch document covering concept, genre, target audience, and style; a storyboard is a shot-by-shot visual plan.

Target audience is defined by demographics (age, gender, income, location) and psychographics (values, interests, lifestyle); a media text's audience can be niche or mass.

Audience measurement: television uses ratings and share (e.g. Nielsen, formerly TNS); online uses impressions, clicks, watch time, engagement, and reach.

Shot list and script formatting conventions: scene headings, action lines, character names, dialogue; continuity errors arise when props, costume, or lighting change between shots.

The 180-degree rule keeps screen direction consistent; crossing the line disorients the viewer; shot-reverse-shot constructs a conversation.

Copyright and fair use: using music, footage, or images requires permission or a licence; Creative Commons and public domain are alternatives.

Evaluation of a production should reference specific decisions (shot choice, sound, editing) and reflect on what worked, what didn't, and what would change next time.

A strong production log records dates, decisions, problems, and solutions, and links directly to the final product.