January Assessment: Learner response

 Create a new blog post called 'January assessment learner response' and complete the following tasks:

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access this). Write down the mark you achieved for each question:

Q1:   1/1

Q2:   0/1

Q3:   4/12
Q4:    2/2
Q5:   2/2
Q6:   9/20

Where you didn't achieve full marks, write WHY you think you missed out on the extra marks. Use the indicative content suggestions in the mark scheme to help with this. If you got any media terminology wrong in the assessment you can make a note of it here.

3) Look specifically at question 3 - did you successfully write about both the preferred and oppositional readings? Did your answers match any in the mark scheme? Copy in one answer from the mark scheme that you could have used.

for preferred reading

Women are portrayed in a subversive / non-conventional way as their

strength and independence is highlighted by the image (pose / pride in

facial expression etc.)

for oppositional reading Women may be insulted by the lack of femininity in the advert or find the

image derogatory. They may think that the woman does not promote working because to do so means looking like a man, wearing work

clothes and covering your hair.

4) Now look at question 4. Write a definition of vertical integration plus the benefits of it to revise this key industry terminology. You may find the blogpost on ownership and control helpful her

a business strategy of which a company takes ownership of two or more key stages of it's supply chain 

5) Finally, look at your 20-mark essay - question 6. Read this exemplar answer to help give you an idea of what a top-level response looks like. Then, write a new essay plan for this question, using the suggested answers in the mark scheme and the exemplar to help you. Use a format like this:

Black Widow as a Hollywood blockbuster cost $200m to make – far more than

independent films. However, due to the impact of Covid-19 on cinemas and the film

industry, the film only made $379m at the box office – much lower than similar

Marvel films that usually make around $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

• The importance of franchises and star power in Hollywood blockbusters. Big names

are cast to draw audiences in e.g. Scarlett Johansson. Regardless of reviews a film

receives, star power ensures a degree of box office success and the Marvel

franchise has a huge existing audience ready to watch the next film.

• The importance of marketing a blockbuster film worldwide is clearly demonstrated by

the massive Black Widow marketing campaign across billboards, YouTube and

social media. There were also interviews with the big stars across Zoom and lots of

video content and teaser trailers produced by Disney and Marvel.

• Black Widow was released on IMAX and sold as the true experience for Marvel fans

with the widest screen in existence. Independent films in contrast will not be shot or

released on IMAX.

I, Daniel Blake:

• Due to the gritty, hard hitting social message of the film it was marketed in a different

way to the Hollywood ‘blockbuster’ Black Widow. Indeed, it could be argued that Ken

Loach was not trying to compete with Disney and Marvel but instead reach a narrow,

niche audience with a powerful political message.

• I, Daniel Blake does not offer star power in the way Marvel and Disney can but Ken

Loach is a star director in the independent cinema world with 50+ years of making

hard-hitting political films.

• Grassroots marketing was a clear strategy used and the whole marketing had a local

and regional feel compared to the global approach seen with Black Widow.

• The Premiere was held in Newcastle, rather than the usual London. There was a

focus on community screenings and regional marketing officers were employed.

• The marketing campaigns reflected the much lower budget (compared to Black

Widow) but deliberate choices were made because of the subject matter of the film.

• Partnerships are important in the marketing of all films and I, Daniel Blake was

promoted in partnership with Trinity Mirror (newspaper group). The Daily Mirror

newspaper supports the Labour Party and therefore would agree with the main

message of Ken Loach’s film.

• Other valid points must be credited.