Sixth Form: Media Studies

Subject Overview

This is a very rewarding and enriching course, which requires you to be critical of the world around you. We live in an incredibly media saturated society where we are being constantly bombarded with information and images from Television, the Internet, Social media and any number of other sources. Studying Media allows you to analyse, interpret and evaluate these everyday products we take for granted and can further your understanding of them. For example, if a director chooses to use an Extreme Close Up on an object, this creates what’s known as ‘Forced Perspective’ whereby the audience have nothing else to look at in the shot and so the object becomes much more important and desirable.

You will develop your skills of media literacy through studying a range of Media Products and exploring how they were made and what meaning they offer audiences, from film and TV to websites and apps to magazines and adverts and much, much more.

Entry Requirements

Media Studies GCSE is not essential, but where it has been taken, grade 5 or above is recommended. One way of seeing a course in Media is that it is very similar to studying English but instead of analysing a poem or a novel and looking at the effect of language and word choice, you would  instead anlalyse a film or an advert and look at the shot choices, images and camera movement . Therefore, given the nature of the analytical aspects of the course, a strong ability in English is also desirable.

Syllabus (Course Outline and Structure)

Through studying Media Studies students will view, evaluate and analyse a variety of media products, and develop practical skills spanning a range of media forms. Underpinning these skills are the 4 aspects of Media which make up the Theoretical Framework; Media Language, Audience, Representation and Industries. The course will feature two written exams that cover a range of media texts, concepts and theories (70%).

As well as the exams, there is a Non-exam Assessment where students must respond to a brief and create a range of Practical Media Productions (30%). The NEA allows students to flex their creative muscles and research, plan and create their own media pieces. In the past, students have created some outstanding original pieces such as movie trailers, adverts, websites and magazines. We use the latest technology such as Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, white and green screens and HD cameras to produce practical Media pieces that reflect the creativity, passion and ability of our students.

Complimentary Subject Combinations and Enrichment Activities

This qualification should appeal to students interested in a wide range of careers related to the media including journalism, design, film, directing and advertising.  Because it teaches transferable skills, students will also find that this qualification is useful in the fields of marketing, business, teaching and IT.

Subject Resources

Photoshop is an industry standard image manipulation software which is used for all print work. Final Cut Pro is used for film editing. The Media department use HD cameras, green and white screen technology and Apple Macs/Macbooks to produce their practical work.

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