Media Studies
AS / A2 Media Studies
Choose Media Studies because we offer you the opportunities to analyse the role the media plays in your lives. The media industry is one of the largest and most varied industries in the world with a huge diversity of employment opportunities. Many of our students have gone on to follow careers in journalism. TV, film and radio (or sound) production are popular routes into higher education as is the technology behind games design and animation. A GCSE in Media Studies is not compulsory.
AS
Key Media Concepts (50% of AS grade, 25% of A2 grade)
A 2 hour examination.
For Section A you will be required to analyse an unseen video sequence in the genre of TV drama. You will learn about the following technical areas:
- Camera angle, shot movement and position
- Mise-en-scène
- Editing
- Sound
Section B will include the study of production, distribution, marketing and consumption from a choice of film, music, newspapers, radio, magazines and video games.
Foundation Portfolio in Media (50% of AS grade, 25% of A2 grade)
You will create a short sequence to show your editing skills. Your main production task will be to produce the opening sequence of a fiction film, including titles.
A2
Advanced Portfolio in Media (25% of A2 grade)
You will create a main product and two smaller products for example, a music promo video together with a DVD cover and a magazine advertisement for its release.
You will produce a presentation of your research, planning and evaluation in an electronic format, such as a weblog.
Critical Perspectives in Media (25% of A2 grade)
A 2 hour examination.
For section A you will write an evaluation of your media production.
Section B is all about contemporary media issues. You are required to answer one question from the following topics:
- Contemporary Media Regulation
- Global Media
- Media and Collective Identity
- Media in the Online Age
- Post-modern Media
- ‘We-Media’ and Democracy
Assessment
Production Units
In each year you will study two modules. For the production units, you will have the opportunity to create a film sequence at AS level and a music video at A2. The coursework is 50% of your overall grade.
Examined Units
The AS exam topics include units on TV Drama and Video Games.
In the second year you will study ‘We Media’ and Democracy for example, user-generated content on websites such as YouTube and myspace and its effects.
Subject Combinations
A range of subject combinations are suitable to study with media depending on your career choices. Popular choices are Film Studies, Photography, Computing, ICT, and Performing Arts for creative people; Communication & Culture, English Language, Literature, Law and Business for prospective journalists and those wishing to go into advertising, public relations and communications routes.
