The question: 'How is the representation of gender constructed in the extract?'
The Examiner Report HERE
Comments on candidate responses to Question 1 – Television drama
The extract provided candidates with the opportunity to negotiate their own reading, which they
could justify through analysis of the four technical codes. There were a number of different
interpretations provided by candidates; most of these were entirely valid. There was a good
range of technical examples for candidates to analyse.
As noted in previous series, it is important that candidates move from description of key
technical areas to analysis of how representations are constructed. This enables candidates to
achieve higher marks for their responses. Candidate responses which did not link the technical
analysis to representation often lacked focus with a common misconception being to discuss
class, rather than gender.
Candidates tend to structure their responses in one of two ways for question one. Some began
by addressing the concept of representation in the extract and a discussion of the
representational differences between the male sales assistant/manager and the poorer, older
female character and then introduce the affluent, younger and elegant female character,
comparing this further with the representation of gender in the gentlemen’s club. Candidates
would then analyse these examples in a chronological approach to the extract, whilst integrating
different technical aspects, for example, combining the analysis of camera composition with
sound.
On the other hand, and a slightly more popular approach, would see the candidates address the
technical areas one by one. Stronger candidates could provide an integrated analysis of the
extract through analysis of key examples identified. These candidates explored
how the technical features could be applied using a combination of the technical features. Weaker
candidates could list many technical aspects, with varying degrees of accuracy, but struggle to
say anything meaningful about the representation of gender.
Candidates should be advised to keep introductions brief and to avoid theoretical introductions
and/ or historical contexts to television drama; analysis of the extract itself should begin straight
away. On occasion in this series, candidates offered quite general textual analysis and these
responses often lacked a focused discussion
of gender and thus penalised themselves from
gaining a level three or four mark for EAA.
The mark scheme enables credit to be awarded to candidates in three different categories:
Explanation, Analysis and Argument (20 Marks); Use of Examples (20 Marks); and Use of
Terminology (10 Marks). Under use of examples, candidates cannot reach level 4 (16-20) when
only three technical areas are discussed. This mark scheme is able to credit answers which
have different strengths, and in this series, the marking of candidate papers revealed this
flexibility in its application. It is advisable t
hat centres make the mark scheme available to
candidates for the summer series so that they are aware of how the work is assessed. This
could also be used for the marking of timed assignments in the classroom and for the marking of
mock exam papers.
Comments on the ‘micro’ aspects of Question one on Television Drama
The following comments are selected examples points and use examples to assist centres with
the delivery of the topic and to help advise on candidate answers, it is by no means an
exhaustive list.
Representation
Most candidates were able to discuss differences in the status of gender within the sequence,
though only a very small number of candidates were able to develop their answer further by
showing how the audience were positioned in relation to these representations.
More confident candidates were able to analyse the ways in which the extract attempted to
position the audience in relation to the sales manager and the female clientele, the second male
in the shop and the cross cutting to the gentlemen’s club and as a result were able to explore the
nuances of gender representation. These stronger responses showed a good grasp of the
changing ambivalent nature of the representation of women and men, for example, either
commenting on how the female protagonist played up to gender stereotypes or the centrality of
this performance to the ongoing hustle. In relation to masculinity, candidates identified the
stereotypical inability of men to multitask. Most candidates made reference to the sales
manager’s character (David Walliams) as being feminised and confident candidates asserted
that the second male character in the shop was able to dominate Walliams’ character as he was
constructed as more stereotypically masculine – chewing gum, open shirt without tie, use of
male colloquialisms – for example reference to ‘bird’ as stereotyped slang. However, many
candidates formulated a much simpler version of gender representation with arguments such as
‘women like shopping’, the men in the club represent gender because ‘men like drinking whiskey
and smoking’. Weaker candidates often relied on the use of binary oppositions in discussion of
gender representation, rather than take this opportunity to explore a range of representations
offered by the extract.
The majority of candidates attempted to formulate an argument about the representation of
gender in the extract with the vast majority
moving beyond the minimal descriptor for EAA.
Candidates that scored less well tended to make points about the representation of gender in an
isolated fashion rather than linking their points as part of a coherent analysis or argument.
Camera Shot, Angle and Composition
Overall, this technical feature was well addressed by the candidates. Most candidates used
appropriate media vocabulary, commenting on shot composition, analysing the high and low
angled shots in the extract and commenting on the ‘hand held’ camera techniques during the
search for the ring. The tilt up of the camera on the woman’s dress was commonly misidentified
as a pan but generally a wide range of terminology was accurately used. More able candidates
were able to link the composition and the framing to the representation of gender by discussing
the apparent significance of the hustler in the background of the frame, when the sales manager
was speaking to the less affluent female character introduced at the beginning of the extract.
Many candidates were able to comment on the direct mode of address by both male and female
characters, commenting upon its unconventionality and function in linking the male and female
hustlers. Candidates also commented on how the shots of the direct address to the audience
conveyed control of the situation and therefore represented a form of dominance in character
relations.
Weaker candidates were able to describe key shots used in exemplification, but would often lack
explicit links to how these shots assisted in the construction of the representation of gender.
These candidates would also tend to focus on just identifying the narrative flow of the extract
through the naming of the shots.
Mise en scène
The majority of candidates discussed this area with confidence. The extract itself was rich in
mise en scène that contributed to representation. The contrast of the affluent clothing boutique,
with the gentlemen’s club was the setting most compared, at times in a sophisticated way.
Candidates made most use of the accent, performance of characters and it was pleasing to see
many candidates making reference to lighting with more able candidates confident in using
terms such as high key, artificial and low key. Most candidates were able to discuss how the
characters’ appearances linked to gender characteristics.
More able candidates could contrast the gender representation of different characters through
the mise en scène and how power and status is represented. Candidates are also advised to
look for the range of representations within the extract with more able candidates commenting
on each character’s apparent gender and how that held some status within the scene, for
example of the way in which the female hustler held equal if not more power than males in the
scam. The representation of the cockney male was contrasted to the more proper sales
manager, who candidates often pointed out, was well spoken, tailored and legitimate.
Weaker candidates are still wedded to simplistic colour analysis and ignore all contradictory
evidence to claim that characters dressed in white must be 'pure and innocent' while characters
dressed in red are either 'passionate' or 'in danger', for example. This often appeared in
discussion of the representation of the female hustler. This ‘binary’ approach needs refining by
centres in relation to debating how meaning is constructed in an extract and it is suggested that
comparing and contrasting different elements of representation deserves more attention in the
classroom.
Sound
The analysis of sound was better than in previous series; for example, candidates attempted to
link music with the representation of the characters, looking at how it was used to underscore
characters’ actions. The use of terminology was generally better than previously in this area.;
centres seem to be heeding the advice that an analysis of the dialogue is not sufficient.
Most students were able to differentiate between diegetic and non-diegetic sound and to
demonstrate that the soundtrack was closely linked to our understanding of the protagonist,
though few went further by discussing how the sound mix and sound effects were used. Most
candidates were also able to use terminology confidently and could describe the tempo and use
of music, for example, the manic use of jazz music with the female shopper. Often weaker
candidates showed confusion with technical terminology, referring to ambient sound which was
not heard in the part of the sequence they referred to, or simply getting diegetic and non-diegetic
sound the wrong way round.
Editing
As previous series, this technical area proved to be the most problematic for candidates and the
one technical area of analysis that was often omitted in responses. Those that did cover it were
able to make meaningful links to representations by showing how the editing created particular
viewpoints with which we are encouraged to identify or how screen time indicated the shifting
relationship between characters in the sequence, for example through the discussion of rule of
thirds. Most candidates made reference to the pace of editing to reflect the frantic situation and
actions of the characters in the extract, for example in describing the affluent female shopper
and the confidence she exudes in the hustle. Many candidates could identify the use of
transitions; shot reverse shot and cuts to aid continuity and the use of cross cutting between the
two situations to enhance tension. Many candidates identified the editing transitions, though the
use of the term ‘jump cut’ was not accurately applied and candidates often misidentified the wipe
transition as a ‘swipe’. Only a minority of candidates interpreted the function of the wipe as
highlighting the juxtaposition between a female and male environment. The most able of
candidates even interpreted the editing through the comedic style imbued within the extract,
highlighting that candidates can be articulate and imaginative with the analysis of editing.
More able candidates demonstrated the ability to link the use of editing to the representation of
characters, such as the use of long and short takes to represent power and the use of eye line
matches to reinforce a sense of dominance.
However, many candidate responses seemed to be very limited in address of the issues of
editing and all too frequently editing was absent from candidate responses – which again, does
not enable candidates to reach a level four on the marking criteria for the use of examples.
Weaker candidates often omitted any discussion of editing or offered quite simplistic accounts of
how editing was used, for example in the use of the shot reverse shot sequence between
characters. Many candidates identified the types of transition without discussing how these were
connected with representations, in particular the use of wipe transitions or freeze frames. There
was little sense of the way in which the editing created a perspective from which the sequence
made sense and most candidates confined themselves to discussing the pace of cutting.
This series has shown that with the right preparation, candidates can engage with the nuances
of editing under exam conditions, with evidence that candidates are able to discuss crosscutting,
eye line match and ellipsis in an extract. As in the previous report, the advice offered to centres
is to encourage as much practice on the concept of editing as possible and how this assists in
the construction of representation. Centres should begin by identifying editing techniques and
encourage candidates to apply these to a range of examples in class and importantly, test them
on this.
