Media Studies

What does Media Studies involve?

“I BELIEVE THAT IN THE MODERN WORLD MEDIA LITERACY WILL BECOME AS IMPORTANT A SKILL AS MATHS OR SCIENCE. DECODING OUR MEDIA WILL BE AS IMPORTANT TO OUR LIVES AS CITIZENS, AS UNDERSTANDING GREAT LITERATURE IS TO OUR CULTURAL LIVES.”

TESSA JOWELL – FORMER MINISTER FOR MEDIA, CULTURE AND ART. 2004

We live in a world where the media are omnipotent. People spend more time engaging with media texts than reading books or even attending lessons in school. We need to understand the impact the media has on shaping the world we live in, on constructing and shaping dominant ideologies and on changing societies and cultures.
This subject offers you the opportunity to explore, analyse, discuss and challenge the construction and impact of mass media texts upon audiences. This will be done by providing you with a theoretical understanding of the mass media in society and methods for analysing media texts (e.g. television programmes, films, advertising, the press) with the development of practical skills for media production. The balance of theory and practical work means that you will learn about how media industries operate and texts are constructed. You will research and investigate issues and debates about the role of the media in society, analyse texts from a variety of media, and produce texts of your own. The modules cover Textual Analysis, Representation, Audiences and Institutions, Popular Music and Youth Culture, Film and Television Genre, New Media Technologies, Critical Media Perspectives and Contemporary Media Regulation. At both AS and A2 there is also a practical production module where students create their own media texts using the media of film, pop video, web site and print. Alongside the study of contemporary media issues and texts, there is also a detailed exploration of the history of media artefacts, technologies and sociological developments.

Media Studies AS/A2 (OCR H140/ H540) Examination Board ‘OCR’.

This modern and innovative course reflects the growing importance of Media Studies as a subject, allowing candidates to engage with contemporary media, mixing theoretical and practical work, and offering areas of study and experiences that are extremely relevant to current and future employers in the creative industries and beyond.

The OCR specification itself is based on recent consultation with industry experts, and throughout our own course at Coombe, students will have opportunities to work alongside media professionals to create further challenge and extend their learning.

Students will take four units throughout the course; two of which are coursework based and represent 50% of the total A Level. Projects are designed to enable creativity and flexibility. Students will sit one externally assessed exam per year in June, making up the other 50% of the marks.

Students taking Media Studies at Coombe will be offered the opportunity to work in a range of media formats, individually and in groups. You will be expected to make full use of Coombe’s own VLE (Virtual Learning Environment), by presenting much of your work through the creation of your own e-portfolios and blogs. We also aim to provide you with the opportunity of exhibiting your all of your hard work with a high profile awards evening at the completion of the AS/A2 course. This is an opportunity that will bring to life the work you have done in the classroom.

What does studying AS Media Studies involve?

All students will complete a 5 week ‘foundation period’ to introduce you to the key concepts of Media Studies, and will learn critical and analytical techniques, using film and television texts as their focus of study. This will underpin the work they will do at both AS and A2 level.

Alongside this, students will be given regular opportunities to develop practical and creative experience in media production, and will work with media professionals whenever possible to enable them to develop their skills. This work will include training in the use of the specialist hardware and software associated with digital photography, web, audio and video production, studio and portable lighting, and non-linear editing.

The Foundation period will provide excellent preparation for the assessed units, which are as follows:

Modules and assessment information.

Unit 1 G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media (worth 50% of marks available at AS)

The Foundation Portfolio is a Coursework Unit, consisting of 2 video productions and an online blog. The first video piece will be a short sequence produced to demonstrate basic technical ability and understanding of continuity technique. The second is a fully developed production produced to demonstrate skill development, consisting of the first 2 minutes of a fiction film, based on an original idea developed by the students. The students will work in groups but will be assessed individually on their work in the following stages:

Pre-production: research, planning, development of ideas, scripting, storyboarding,
Production: shooting, lighting, working with sets, actors and scripts
Post-production: editing, special and sound effects, music.

Evidence for the different stages will be presented via an online blog. Students will be expected to evaluate the finished film production according to specific theoretical criteria and this will also be presented through the blog.

Assessment: Marking is out of 100 (20 marks for research + planning, 60 marks for practical work, 20 marks for the evaluation).

Unit 2: G322: Key Media Concepts (worth 50% of marks available at AS)

This is an externally examined unit, assessed by a 2 hour exam taken in June. The exam is broken down into 2 key areas, as follows:

Section A: the focus of this section is the textual analysis of a 5 minute television sequence. Students will be shown an unseen extract from a UK TV Drama as part of the exam, and will be required to write an analytical essay about the extract focusing on the representation of a particular social group and the way this is constructed through the setting, camera work, editing style and sound.

Section B: this section focuses on the relationship between media audiences and media industries through a case study of a particular media industry. Our chosen focus will be the Film Industry, and we will at the way film making, distribution and marketing have changed and developed in line with the digital and online age. Students will be required to write an exam essay about their specific case study.

Assessment: this exam will be marked out of 100, with each section being worth 50% of the marks available.

Progression from AS to A2 - What does studying A2 Media Studies involve?

Unit 3 G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media (worth 50% of the marks available at A2)

This coursework unit is based around the Music Industry and enables candidates to engage with contemporary media technologies to produce a media portfolio through a combination of two or more media and then present their research, planning and evaluation through an online blog. It also enables them to develop the skills of presentation that are required for further study at higher levels and in the workplace.

Students will be required to work in groups to develop a promotional package for the release of a new album, to include a music promo video and two further artefacts from the following 3 options:

• a website homepage for the band
• a cover for its release on DVD
• a magazine advertisement for the DVD

Assessment: Marking is out of 100 (20 marks for research + planning, 60 marks for practical work, 20 marks for the evaluation). This unit represents a development of the skills from Unit One and is also internally assessed and externally moderated.

Unit 4: A2 G325: Critical Perspectives in Media (worth 50% of the marks available at A2)

This is a 2 hour externally examined paper broken down into two sections, as follows:
Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production
1a. In a short essay, students are required to explore key media concepts such as genre and narrative through an analysis of their own production work (worth 12.5%)
1b. In a short essay, students are required to explore creative media practices such as the use of digital technology or post-production techniques through an analysis of the practices they used for their own production work (worth 12.5%)
Section B: Contemporary Media Issues
Candidates will focus on the issue of Media Regulation for this section, and, through specific case studies, texts, debates and research of the candidates’ choice, will prepare to demonstrate understanding of this issue. Students will have one hour to answer an essay on this topic from a choice of two questions. This essay is worth 25% of the marks available at A2.

Key areas of study will be film censorship and debates around violence, the regulation of advertising, control of the press, computer / video game classification, contemporary broadcasting and political control, and children and television. There will be emphasis on the historical, the contemporary and the future in relation to media regulation, with most attention on the present. Students will research and learn about the social, political, legal and cultural implications of media regulation and its inevitable impact on media institutions and audiences.

Similarities between GCSE media Studies and A Level media Studies.
There is a big difference between media Studies at GCSE and A level. Other than continuing with specific media terminology and building on previously obtained practical skills the A level course is much more varied in scope and depth. Consequently AS Media studies is just as accessible to those who haven’t studied GCSE, as to those who have. All students who begin AS Media studies start from the same point, regardless to whether you studied at GCSE level.

How will I know if I would be successful at it?
There is no requirement that you will have taken the subject at GCSE. Media Studies is an exceptionally relevant subject for anyone who is striving for academic understanding of how the world is being reconstructed through the process of mediation. It is ideal for those with a high level of English, who are critical thinkers, enjoy consuming a wide range of media, enjoy thinking about and exploring new ideas and concepts and are particularly keen to become engaged with 21st century New Media technologies such as blogsites and podcasts. If you are a voracious consumer of media texts, with a desire to be creative, intrigued by psychological, sociological and cultural issues, then you will enjoy the subject.

What skills will be developed and where could studying the subject lead?
Due to the informative, practical and analytical nature of the subject you will develop a wide range of highly sought after skills. You will develop the ability to write clearly, succinctly in a detailed and informative manner. Your ability to read and analyse texts critically will develop, alongside your ability to articulate your thoughts and opinions orally. Through working in groups on practical projects and presentations your team building skills will develop as will your ICT skills. Due to the large amount of theory that underpins all aspects of media studies, particularly at A2, you will be encouraged to become a critical thinker and independent learner with the ability to manage difficult and at times abstract concepts. You will engage in political, sociological, economic and moral debates, whilst forming your own opinions in relation to academic theory surrounding the impact of media texts and the process of global mediation. You will also develop a sophisticated range of practical skills. Film and video cinematography, film and video editing, blogging, podcasting, using Photoshop, i-movie and Final cut Express.

Studying the Media will open up a wide range of opportunities for you. The best Media Studies students become highly informed, articulate individuals with excellent communication and practical skills. These skills are sought after amongst a wide range of university courses and potential employers. Past Media students from Coombe have gone on to study a wide range of media related degrees as well as Law at Goldsmiths’, Italian at Cambridge, Sports Journalism at Sussex, Fashion at St Martin’s and English at Warwick. In terms of employment, many of our students are now working within a range of media related jobs, including the music industry, marketing, advertising and television. Media Studies provides you with highly desirable skills and a broad knowledge and understanding of current affairs and contemporary issues that employers will find impressive.

What other subjects does it combine well with?
Media Studies is a very popular subject at ‘A’ level. Students who opt for Media find it complements a wide range of other subjects; Art, Business, Drama, English, Geography, History, Languages, Maths, Science, Technology, are amongst the subjects Media Studies students also study.

A level Media Studies at Coombe is an exciting and dynamic option. As one of the most successful departments in the sixth form we achieve excellent results and we welcome all students who will show commitment and enthusiasm, working to the best of their ability throughout the programme of study. We look forward to preparing you for a world of opportunity.

Other useful information.

Due to the high level of practical work set over the two year course we recommend that students have access to their own digital video cameras and tripods in order for them to be able to shoot footage for their films and videos out of school hours, on their own terms and without the constraints of the departmental borrowing system. Students without cameras and tripods will be allowed access to departmental resources on a restricted basis.

The new AS/A2 media Studies course will provide you with knowledge and skills that are essential for facing up to the challenges of 21st century, global, media domination. Be up with it, or be out of it!