| Choose ONE question from the selection below. Your essay should be 2000-2500 words long. You should demonstrate that you can engage critically with the assigned core reading(s) and several media texts.You should also refer to other films that you have seen when answering these questions.Your essay must include in-text references and a References section at the end where you list all the materials you have used. NB. Late submissions are not accepted. If you are unable to submit your essay due to extenuating circumstances, you should submit a Mitigating Circumstances claim. |
Essay questions
Q1. Compare and contrast teen films that explore the anxieties of being a teenager. Answer with reference to two or three teen films from different decades.
Q2. How important were the teen films of the 1980s in establishing the conventions of the genre? Answer with reference to two or three films of the period.
Q3 In what ways do teen films of the 1980s and/or 1990s explore the experiences of generation X? Answer with reference to two or three teen films.
Q4. Discuss the moral coding of teen slasher films of both the 1980s and 1990s. In what ways do they mirror the politics of their age?
Q5 To what degree can teen films of the 1990s and 2000s be understood as postmodern pastiches of the genre conventions of 1980s teen films?
Assessment criteria: Media Genres Essay
- The media genres essays will be marked against the marking scheme for undergraduate assessment reproduced below. In addition, the following criteria apply for this assessment.
- The essay is designed to assess engagement with the core screenings, and wider critical content of the module. You will receive marks for demonstrating engagement with the screenings, and for demonstrating engagement with the themes discussed on the module. You must include discussion of at least two of the films screened on the module in your essay.
- You will receive marks if you demonstrate engagement beyond the content taught in the module. You may do this by referring to additional appropriate films or television programmes, and by referring to your critical reading.
- The essay is designed to help you improve your academic writing skills, and to improve your critical and analytical skills. You should try to develop an individual critical response to the films in your essay. You should think about how your essay is structured and develops.
- You should try to develop your analysis beyond the plot of the films under discussion. Think about other facets of genre, and how they might be relevant to the essay question you are answering: characterisation; themes; location; iconography; mood and tone. Think about how the films relate to the history of the genre, and think about how they relate to the context of their production.
Marking scheme for UG Media cluster
Level 4: Level four is a designed to provide a foundation for further study on the Undergraduate Media Cluster. Assessments at level four are designed to introduce students to the requirements of assessment at higher levels. Generally, therefore, assessments may focus on one or two key academic skills and competencies: academic writing, researching and using the literature, citation and referencing, presenting arguments orally, reflective critical analysis, group work. Work at this level is not expected to embody the full range of academic competencies required at higher levels. For example, essays may be less well referenced than at higher levels where the focus is in particular on academic writing. Work is likely to be more descriptive, and involve little synthesis of critical debates and personal perspectives.
| Undergraduate Media Cluster Generic Grading Scheme: Level 4 | ||
| Marking criteria | Letter grade | Mark range |
| To gain an A grade (70+) you will have met all the criteria for a B but also have demonstrated the ability to produce work of intellectual clarity and originality. You will have shown substantial knowledge of the context of media and communications as well as confidence in evaluating the different theories that you have encountered as appropriate to L4 study. You will have demonstrated excellent critical engagement with the core readings appropriate for the topic, and an understanding of their significance. Your work should exemplify excellence with respect to the general assessment principles for Level 4 assessments. An A reflects attainment significantly beyond the normal expectations of undergraduate study. | A | 70 – 100 |
| A B grade (60 – 69) requires you to have undertaken substantial research or to have read a wide range of published material as appropriate to L4 study. You will have constructed a clear argument and flow of ideas that are connected, but go beyond the content of the lectures. You will have demonstrated good critical engagement with a range of core reading appropriate for the topic. You will have used argument and evidence effectively to support the points you are making and showed skills in confronting complex ideas. Your work will be well written with minimal problems in structure or grammar. Your work should meet the general assessment principles for Level 4 assessments. A B grade will fall significantly short of the best work in terms of intellectual clarity and originality but will be significantly better than a C Grade in all area. | B | 60 – 69 |
| You will be awarded a C (50 – 59) if you demonstrate evidence that you have gone beyond lecture notes and minimal sources to produce work which shows at least some originality and theoretical clarity. You will have demonstrated some engagement with the core readings but limited critical reflection on those readings. You are unlikely to achieve higher than a C if you fail to engage directly with challenging ideas, challenging evidence, or theoretical controversies in a way appropriate to L4 study. Your work will be well written in a formal academic style and well-presented, with only minor problems in grammar or structure. Your work may fall short of the general assessment principles for Level 4 assessments. A C grade is used for work that fails to meet the criteria for a B grade by a significant margin. | C | 50 – 59 |
| You will be awarded a D (40 – 49) when you have provided some evidence of having researched into the field or read at least some relevant theoretical material as appropriate to L4 study. You will have demonstrated a general level of understanding of media and communications. You will have demonstrated some limited evidence of engagement with the core readings. By basing your work largely on lecture notes you are unlikely to achieve a mark higher than a D. Your work will be well written in a formal academic style and well-presented although may demonstrate some problems in organisation or grammar. Your work may fall significantly short of the general assessment principles for Level 4 assessments. A D grade will be used for work that demonstrates relatively little engagement, planning, or organisation of materials. | D | 40 – 49 |
| You will be awarded an FX (30 – 39)when your work addresses some of the assessment criteria and there is some evidence of limited engagement with the assessment task, but where the work has not met the criteria for a pass at Level 4. This may be because the work is significantly incomplete, disorganized, or over-relies on source material with little or no effort to synthesize that material. | FX | 30 – 39 |
| You will be awarded an F if you if you submit work that demonstrates no engagement with the assessment task, or is too incomplete to be fairly marked with an FX. This may include for example submitting work on a topic not related to the assessment task, or that is too sketchy for any real assessment to be made. | F | 0 – 30 |
Tips for producing a good essay
- Essays should be of around the specified word length, and should be word-processed.
- You will need to draw on an effective range of background reading for your essay. Make sure you include a good bibliography and reference your work using the Harvard method.
- Do not plagiarise the texts you have used.
- Avoid simply writing a narrative or descriptive account of theoretical trends and developments.
- Try to engage with a range of ideas and critical perspectives.
- Try to show that you are aware of dimensions of critical debate and controversy, and be prepared to argue against some of the ideas you have come across.
- Always try to support you points with specific examples.
