What you will learn in KS4
Examination Level: GCSE (Single Award)
Examination Board: AQA
Examination Structure: - One 1 1/2 hour paper - worth 40% of the final grade
- 3 Assignments (2 pre-production and 1 video production) - worth 60% of the final grade
Students enter the two-year GCSE examination course and work with the same teacher and class for the two years. At Year 10, students create their coursework folders, which contain two pre-production assignments and one video production assignment by the end of Year 11. The assignments from 2011/2012 will be: Action / Adventure Film (pre-production), Children`s and Super Hero Comics (pre-production) and Popular Music (video production). The practical video production will involve students working in groups to create their own music video. Each assignment that is handed in has a written component to it.
What you will learn in KS5:
Examination level: A Level
Examination Group: WJEC
Within AS Media Studies students study two modules:
MS1: Media Representations and Responses – 25% (50% if AS only)
MS2: Media Production Processes – 25% (50% if AS only)
Students will look at the two modules in the following manner:
MS1: Students will be required to explore representations and audience/user responses. They will be encouraged to explore media through a study of genre, narrative and representation and make connections between the texts and audience/user responses to them. They will do this by looking at gender, ethnicity, age, social/cultural backgrounds, issues, events and regional and national identities.
MS2: Students will be required to produce three pieces of linked work. This will comprise of a pre-production piece of work (a DVD cover), a video production piece which has been developed out of the pre-production work (a two minute trailer to a film) and a written report. The topic currently studied is Horror Film.
This course equips students with a good understanding of the technical skills required to produce video texts, as they will complete two practical production texts throughout the two year course.
Assessment takes place in June with one 2 ½ hour written examination.
With A2 Media Studies students study two modules:
MS3: Media Investigation and Production – 25%
MS4: Media – Text, Industry and Audience – 25%
Students will look at the two modules through the following topics:
MS3: Students will be required to produce three pieces of linked work. This will comprise of a research investigation paper, a video production piece which has been developed from the research investigation paper (a four minute music video) and a brief evaluation. The topic for the production is music videos.
MS4: Students will develop their knowledge and understanding, as well as show progression from AS, by demonstrating their understanding of the relationship between media texts, their audiences and the industries which produce and distribute them. Students will study three different media industries and will focus in depth for each industry, three main texts. Students will study the following industries and texts:
Film: The Dark Knight, Casino Royale and Made In Dagenham
Television: Desperate Housewives, Doctor Who and CSI Miami
Advertising: Chanel (TV), Dolce & Gabbana (Print) and Guinness (UK)
Assessment takes place in June with one 2 ½ hour written examination.
The Media Studies course at A Level is supported by a variety of educational visits possibly including the Media Studies Student Conference, film viewings at the BFI and educational lectures from Media experts and well-known people in the Media. Past speakers have been Sinead Quinn from BBC’s Fame Academy, current Sugababe Jade Ewan and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.