Tips for Section A: Producers and Audiences on the FM2 Paper

Having marked the first round of essays this week I though it would be useful to outline some tips that will help you get the best marks possible.

Whatever question you answer in Section A: Producers and Audiences, the following points will help you:

• read the stimulus material carefully - think about the issues that arise from the stimulus material rather than using specific examples from it
• in the introduction to your essay refer directly to the question and list the issues that are most important (for example stars, genre, marketing, budget, release patterns etc). This will show the examiner that you understand what the key issues are BUT also will give you a structure to your essay (include a paragraph in the main body of your essay on each of the issues that you list in your introduction)
• whatever the question, make sure that you make some kind of comparison between the Hollywood film industry and the British film industry
• pack your essay full of examples to support every point you make (just as you used to use quotations for every point you made in an English Literature essay) - these can be names of stars, films, production companies, genres etc
• some of these examples can be in the form of lists BUT some must be developed and detailed
• use examples from the stimulus material BUT remember that this is not an English comprehension! For every example you use from the stimulus material make sure that you have 2 or 3 of your own. The ratio should be roughly 25% examples from the stimulus material and 75% examples from your own case studies, my case studies and films you are familiar with
• use the case studies I have written for you on Sightseers and The Dark Knight Rises - don't just briefly refer to the films, the examiners will be expecting detail! I have related the case studies to every conceivable issue you could want to discuss regarding British and Hollywood film - so use them!
• write your own case studies following my template, and use the material as examples to support your points. You should write one for a British film and one for a big Hollywood blockbuster (from the last 3 years or so) - this will be an excellent form of revision regarding the key issues you should discuss BUT will also mean that you have your own examples to use in the exam
• you can use old examples of films, such as The Blair Witch Project, BUT try to make as many of your examples as current as possible