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The mark scheme starts on a new page, so you can print pages one and two for a student and keep the last page yourself. Everything prints in black on white whichever theme you are using.

Creative iMedia · R093 TA2

R093 TA2: Style, Content, Layout and Media Codes

Section A: 10 multiple choice questions, 10 marks. Section B: 4 written questions, 20 marks. Total 30 marks.

Name

Class

Date

Mark  / 30

Section A

Circle the letter of the correct answer. One mark each.

  1. 1A low angle shot of a character usually makes them appear:1
    1. AVulnerable
    2. BPowerful or threatening
    3. CNeutral
    4. DDistant
  2. 2Which is a symbolic code rather than a technical code?1
    1. AThe colour of a character's costume
    2. BThe editing pace
    3. CThe camera angle
    4. DThe lighting setup
  3. 3What is leading?1
    1. AThe size of the type
    2. BThe space between two letters
    3. CThe width of a column
    4. DThe vertical space between lines of text
  4. 4Why should colour never be the only thing carrying a meaning?1
    1. AScreens vary in brightness
    2. BAround 8% of men are colour blind
    3. CColours print differently
    4. DIt increases file size
  5. 5Which typeface class is designed for headlines only?1
    1. ASans serif
    2. BMonospace
    3. CDisplay
    4. DSerif
  6. 6What does the rule of thirds suggest?1
    1. APlace key elements on the lines of a 3 by 3 grid
    2. BUse three colours maximum
    3. CDivide a page into three columns
    4. DUse three typefaces
  7. 7A horror film poster uses bright yellow and a rounded playful font. What is the problem?1
    1. AHorror posters must be black
    2. BRounded fonts are illegible
    3. CYellow is hard to print
    4. DIt contradicts the genre conventions the audience reads
  8. 8What is visual hierarchy?1
    1. AArranging elements so the eye reads them in the intended order
    2. BThe chain of command on a shoot
    3. CThe order of layers in a file
    4. DA ranking of design software
  9. 9Why does white space make a design look more premium?1
    1. AIt is required by brand guidelines
    2. BIt reduces printing costs
    3. CIt creates focus and signals that space is not being sold
    4. DIt loads faster
  10. 10Fast cutting in an edit most commonly conveys:1
    1. ATime passing
    2. BEnergy and urgency
    3. CIsolation
    4. DCalm reflection

Section B

Answer in the space provided. The number of marks tells you how many separate points to make.

  1. 1GiveGive two technical codes used in moving image products.2
  2. 2ExplainExplain how two symbolic codes could be used to show that a character is wealthy.4
  3. 3ExplainA publisher is designing the cover of a new magazine for teenage gamers. Explain three style or layout decisions the publisher should make, and the effect each would have on the audience.6
  4. 4DiscussA charity is producing a poster to raise awareness of loneliness among older people. Discuss how media codes, colour and layout could be used to communicate the message effectively to the public.8

Mark scheme

Section A

1B2A3D4B5C6A7D8A9C10B

Section B

1 Give two technical codes used in moving image products. 2

One mark for each of the following, to a maximum of 2.

  • One genuine technical code
  • A second, different technical code

Model answer. Camera angle, and lighting.

2 Explain how two symbolic codes could be used to show that a character is wealthy. 4

One mark for each of the following, to a maximum of 4.

  • One symbolic code is identified
  • How it conveys wealth
  • A second, different symbolic code
  • How the second conveys wealth

Model answer. Costume is one: a precisely tailored suit in a dark, heavy fabric with no visible branding reads as wealth, because expensive clothing signals it through fit and quality rather than through logos. Setting is another: an uncluttered room with high ceilings, hard materials and very little furniture signals that space itself is being used as a luxury, which is a stronger indicator of wealth than filling the frame with possessions.

3 A publisher is designing the cover of a new magazine for teenage gamers. Explain three style or layout decisions the publisher should make, and the effect each would have on the audience. 6

One mark for each of the following, to a maximum of 6.

  • A colour decision
  • Its effect on the audience
  • A typography decision
  • Its effect on the audience
  • A layout decision
  • Its effect on the audience

Model answer. The palette should be high contrast with one strong accent colour, such as a saturated cyan or magenta against near black, because the cover has to compete on a shelf or in a thumbnail and because that combination is strongly associated with gaming interfaces, so the audience recognises the magazine's subject before reading a word. The masthead should be a heavy sans serif or slab serif set large across the top, because weight gives impact at thumbnail size and the simple letterforms stay legible where a script face would break up, which also makes the title recognisable issue after issue. The layout should give a single dominant character or game image placed on a rule of thirds intersection, with cover lines stacked down one side in a clear size hierarchy, because that directs the eye to the image first, then the biggest cover line, then the rest, so the reader learns what the issue is about in the order the publisher intends rather than scanning randomly.

4 A charity is producing a poster to raise awareness of loneliness among older people. Discuss how media codes, colour and layout could be used to communicate the message effectively to the public. 8

One mark for each of the following, to a maximum of 8.

  • A technical or photographic code is identified
  • Its effect on the audience is explained
  • A colour decision with its effect
  • A typography decision with its effect
  • A layout decision with its effect
  • The audience's accessibility needs are addressed
  • A call to action or essential information is placed
  • A judgement about which choice carries the message

Model answer. The strongest code available here is framing. A wide shot of one person in a large, empty room, placed small and off centre on a rule of thirds intersection, makes the emptiness around them do the work: the viewer reads the space as isolation without the poster having to state it. Keeping the figure in soft focus or turned slightly away avoids making the image feel staged while still inviting empathy. The palette should be largely desaturated and cool, greys and blues, with one small area of warmth such as a lamp or a mug, because the contrast between the cold field and the single warm point suggests that something small could change the situation, which is exactly the charity's message. Typography should be quiet and confident rather than loud: a clean sans serif, set large, with plenty of leading, because shouting at the viewer about loneliness undercuts the tone, while poor legibility loses the message entirely. Layout should use generous white space, with the headline given a clear first place in the hierarchy and the call to action, the website and the registered charity number, grouped at the bottom where convention tells the viewer to look for it. Because the poster will often be seen by older readers in public spaces, text contrast must be well above the minimum and the smallest text still readable at two metres, which rules out thin weights and pale grey on white. Above all it is the use of space that carries the message, because a crowded poster about loneliness contradicts itself, and the viewer will feel that contradiction long before they analyse it.