Questionnaire

Year 12 Media Studies Student Questionnaire

Name:  Mandy Edmondson

GCSE Results: -

English Literature:  B

English Language:  A

Mathematics: B

Physics: B

Biology: B

Chemistry: B

French: A*

ICT: A*

Business and communication systems: B

Business studies: B

Hobbies

I like drawing and painting in my spare time, I also enjoy outdoor activities such as kayaking and surfing.  I like revamping jewellery to make it my own or sell on. 

Print Media

I like reading ‘The Guardian.’ I enjoy reading this newspaper because it lets me know what is currently occurring around the world. It not only includes culture, business and money but also life and style which I enjoy reading about because it is something I am interested in. I also enjoy the section that people write in their problems and ask for advice; I can relate to this sometimes and therefore find it funny and occasionally helpful.  It also contains what time TV programmes I watch are on during the week. 

Cosmopolitan is the magazine I enjoy reading the most; I enjoy it due to it having a lot of things women can relate to, It also updates me on new products that I may want to purchase and gives me ideas that I can use for inspiration towards my fashion sense.  I also like it because it contains embarrassing stories people have sent in that make me laugh. The magazine also regularly comes with free products such as makeup, a bag or a book. I find this persuades me even more to buy the magazine because I know I enjoy the magazine but I will also gain a free product. 

Radio Media

I like listening to Radio 1, I like the variety of music it puts on the show, and it gives me a chance to listen to recent tracks that have entered the charts. Although I don’t listen to the music broadcasted on this radio channel I still enjoy being aware of what the songs are. I Find knowing what they are helps me when I am in a conversation with friends who do like music of this type.

Music Industry

My favourite genres of music are dub step, drum step, Hip-Hop, and Rock.

I do access my music through the internet, I think it’s easier to access; you can make it louder, and also watch the music video at the same time. I can also access my music when using the internet for social networking or doing homework as I find it helps me concentrate.

My opinion of illegal downloading is that it is bad for the music industry and people should avoid it due to the artist losing out on money, viruses being very easy to download onto your computer along with the music and also the quality sometimes lacks. However I also think that CD’s and records are slightly overpriced and the artists are already rich and therefore aren’t going to miss any money.

The music industry does influence my attitude, depending on which genre im listening to. I find particular songs do affect my aspirations and make me want to do well for myself. The industry also influences my dress sense, in that I find I wear particular clothes that reflect certain music types that also influence certain styles.

Video Games

My favourite video game is called ‘The Hobbit’ it is the prelude to Lord of The Rings. It is a game in which a hobbit is sent on loads of quests where you collect jewels and complete puzzles that are set for you throughout the game. The player also acquires a lot of items to collect that help you on your journey. Each level contains a series of quest, some are optional and some are required quests such as saving the dwarves from the spiders.

Video games may have a negative effect on the on the attitudes to gender and attitude to the solution of conflicts due to the violence and tendency for men to be the main characters or women to have small roles in the game.  This may influence some people to think that females should have smaller roles in the real world –when this is most definitely not the case. It could also have a negative attitude towards the way we deal with conflict as individuals may consider the way that a problem is resolved in a game would be appropriate even though we should not resort to violence when a conflict arises.

New Technology

I think technology has increased my understanding of the world as I can research the things I don’t understand on the internet, and cameras allow me to see things that I haven’t seen before whether it is of a country I have not yet visited or a new species that has just been discovered, it is now easier to discover and learn new things about the world around us with the technology that has been created.

Technology has dramatically increased my ability to communicate with others; there are so many ways of communicating with friends and family whether they live nearby or across the world. Social networking, Texts, Phone calls and Emails are just some of the things I use to communicate with the people I wish to and I think if this weren’t possible I’d find it very hard and expensive to send them ways of communication.  It would also take much longer if we didn’t have technology to communicate and therefore means of communication would be slow and impractical in todays’ modern world.

My ability to access to films, television programmes and the music industry has been made very simple with technology. It’s very easy and simple to access, with help of internet, games consoles and televisions as well as cinemas. I don’t have to hesitate about how I want to consume media.

Technology has made my ability to create my own media texts simple,  I can make them in a matter of minutes, they can be made on so many programmes are easy to go out and purchase and most already come when you buy a computer and therefore making a newspaper article, poster, or advertisement is simple and takes minimal time.

Television

My favourite television channels are BBC 1, ITV, and E4. I prefer BBC 1 because when a film is showing; there are no advertisements throughout the film.  I also like these channels due to the programmes that show on them tend to be the ones I enjoy.

My favourite television genre is soaps, because I’ve watched them for years and I like keeping up to date with the story line, through the magazines and spoilers.

Personally I consider Eastenders, 90210 and Desperate Housewives  the most memorable television programmes because of their dramatic storylines and the cliff hangers at the end of the programme that leaves me urging to watch the next!

Feature film

My favourite genre of film is horror and comedy; I love both of these genre’s because they make me laugh, and intrigue me.

The three films I find outstanding are;

I prefer to consume films via the cinema or DVD, the cinema for the reason of surround sound and huge screen, and DVD because I can enjoy a film in the comfort of my own home and enjoy my own food while doing so,  I prefer to watch a movie at home due to the reason that I save money this way and can eat hot food without it costing me a bomb.

My favourite cinema is Vue. I chose this cinema over others because it’s easy to access; it’s in the centre of the town. I also prefer this cinema due to film tickets being cheaper; they offer teenage tickets that are cheaper than an adult. When I purchase a ticket there I also get a discount on the next visit. Although the seats may not be the most comfortable I still prefer to pay less and use my money elsewhere.

The genre of the movie determines if I prefer to watch it by myself, If it’s a thriller I prefer to watch it alone, whether than a romance tends to make me want to watch it with another person. I love to watch comedies with other people and in groups as you can laugh together and have fun whilst also watching the film. A serious film is something I like to watch solely to enjoy it to the full potential and understand the story line.

Are you a media producer?

I have never contributed to the construction of a media production before.  I volunteered to be the model for my best friend’s art piece, in which I had to cover my face in sweets as the theme was set around childish behaviours 

 

Conclusion

The most offensive media text that I have consumed was a film about the deaths of terrorists, and although terrorists are bad people the footage made me feel quite sick. I wouldn’t advise anyone to watch it.

The most interesting media text I have seen and remember was the tsunami in Thailand. I found this very interesting, also horrifying, but I found it quite fascinating.  It was the main story in the media at the time and I couldn’t stop reading about it, I kept reading about the aftermath and how the people affected would build their country again and how they would build their houses and have to replant their land and get new livestock. I find stories to do with natural disasters fascinating.

This video about a man who has no arms or legs altered my attitude to life generally, towards myself, my family and friends, my community and country and my inspirations and values. It had a very large affect on me and made me realise what I should value in life and appreciate that I have more than some other people who wish they had the simple things that I don’t think about.  Nick Vujicic inspired me in this video a great deal and I hope it inspires you too.

I have chosen media studies as an option because I am interested in the media a great deal. Media has also affected my life a great deal and affects my everyday life. It also inspires me and helps me view things from different angles and perspectives, which helps me understand things better.