Film and video games as media forms: film studied through its industry context, the global film industry and regulation, video game media language and representation, and audience interactivity and participation.

What this dot point is asking

AQA wants you to study film mainly through its industry context, and video games through media language, representation and the distinctive role of interactivity and audience participation. Knowing which framework dominates each form is essential, because film is examined differently from games at A-Level.

Film as an industry

At A-Level, film is examined chiefly through the industries framework rather than detailed textual analysis. Key ideas are ownership and vertical integration by major studios and conglomerates, distribution and marketing strategies (release windows, saturation marketing, franchises), the global scale of the industry, and regulation through age classification (the BBFC in the UK). The contrast between Hollywood blockbusters and independent or specialised film is a common focus, because it shows how budget, ownership and risk strategy shape what is produced. Hesmondhalgh's work on risk management is directly applicable: franchises, stars and integration all reduce the unpredictability of film.

Video game media language and representation

Video games use distinctive media language: gameplay mechanics, design, sound, narrative and point of view, including first-person and third-person perspectives that position the player. They construct representations of characters and worlds that are often debated, particularly around gender (objectification, the range of playable roles) and violence (the effects debate, drawing on Gerbner). Because the player occupies a point of view and makes choices, representation in games is bound up with positioning in a way that distinguishes them from non-interactive forms, making them rich material for both the language and representation frameworks.

Interactivity and participation

The defining feature of video games is interactivity: the player is not a passive viewer but actively shapes the experience through choices and actions, and the product changes in response. Games strongly support the active audience and participatory culture, since players also create mods, stream and share gameplay, and build communities around games. This connects directly to uses and gratifications (the player seeks challenge, immersion and social interaction), to participatory culture (Jenkins), and to the prosumer, making video games the clearest example of an audience that produces as well as consumes.