Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91099 about?

Accepted Answer

In this standard, you need to write an essay analysing how meanings and effects are created in a visual or oral text (like a film, TV show, or dramatic performance) that your class has studied. You must focus on specific aspects like purpose, ideas, language features (cinematography, sound, editing, performance), or structure, and back up your ideas with specific examples from the text.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91099?

Accepted Answer

1. Select a text (film, TV, drama, online video, radio, graphic novel) at Curriculum Level 7 and a focused question that allows you to analyse multiple aspects rather than just one 2. Identify and analyse specific visual or oral language features (cinematography, editing, sound design, performance, mise-en-scène) rather than treating the text like a written work by focusing mainly on dialogue 3. Support your analysis with specific examples and explain how and why the director/creator used those techniques to create meaning or effect on the audience 4. Build a clear argument across your essay that connects ideas together, showing how different aspects work together rather than discussing them in isolation 5. Write a structured essay (approximately 750–800 words) that stays focused on the question and avoids excessive plot summary or unnecessary length

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91099?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You identify language features and explain what they do, you support your points with specific examples, and you address the question in a structured essay with clear paragraphs. Merit: You analyse HOW and WHY the director used techniques (not just what they did), you choose well-chosen examples that prove your point, you connect your ideas across paragraphs to build a sustained argument, and you show awareness of the director's deliberate choices and purpose. Excellence: You offer original and insightful interpretations of the text, you weave evidence seamlessly throughout, you demonstrate sophisticated understanding of how visual/oral techniques work together to shape meaning and audience response, and you integrate wider context (historical, social, philosophical) naturally into your analysis.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91099?

Accepted Answer

1. Treating film or visual/oral texts like written texts—focusing too heavily on dialogue and plot summary instead of analysing visual techniques like cinematography, editing, sound design, and mise-en-scène 2. Writing essays that are too long (especially digital responses), which often means losing focus and writing yourself out of a higher grade; quality and precision matter more than length 3. Preparing answers for only one aspect of the question (like only 'purpose' or only 'structure') when the question asks you to analyse multiple specified aspects together

Visual/oral analysis

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