Media Studies and Creative Digital Media Production

Our aim is to devise a Media curriculum that allows students to think critically about the world around them, analysing the visual and audio elements that form our way of life. Through the discovery of subject specific words and textual study – students will be able to explain the deeper meanings and effects created for an audience. During their two years studying GCSE Media students will engage with the four main skills of Media – representation, language, audience and institutions – providing a sound and rounded understanding of the subject to take forward into further education or a career.

This course should enable students to:

• Re-cap their learning from the previous year and apply this knowledge to practice exam questions and answers. Also during the early modules of this year students will re-focus on NEA coursework development ready for final hand in during March.
• Focus on Paper One and Paper 2 separately – looking closely at the approaches to each section of the papers and final revision requirements.
• Access all key concepts in year 11 whilst studying them in increasing complexity for the two years. In year 11 students study a variety of exam preparation case studies in each module, allowing them time to embed a mixture of the previously mentioned key skills along with a particular media product focus before they move on. 
• Develop knowledge of the case studies, students are also required to plan and create a practical piece – based around five briefs that range from magazine articles to audio recordings or even a filmed product. Students are responsible for applying all of the key skills they have obtained and using them creatively to produce a realistic and professional design.
• Consolidate their learning across both disciplines in preparation for two final exams in which they will tested upon their knowledge theoretical, analytical and practical frameworks.

The exams and non-exam assessment will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives:

• AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
  • the theoretical framework of media
  • contexts of media and their influence on media products and processes
• AO2: Analyse media products using the theoretical framework of media, including in relation to their contexts, to make judgements and draw conclusions
• AO3: Create media products for an intended audience, by applying knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework of media to communicate meaning

Students will be supported with a number of different types of assessment materials to ensure they reach their full potential in their GCSE Media Studies examinations and NEA Coursework submissions including: 

• Teacher designed support guides and resources
• Google drive folder containing all resources for students
• Google classroom access including all guidance
• Lesson by lesson electronic guidance
• Access to video links and CSP revision website

Our aim is to devise a Media curriculum that allows students to think critically about the world around them, analysing the visual and audio elements that form our way of life. Through the discovery of subject specific words and textual study – students will be able to explain the deeper meanings and effects created for an audience. During their two years studying BTEC Media students will engage with the four main skills of Media – representation, language, audience and institutions – providing a sound and rounded understanding of the subject to take forward into further education or a career.

This course should enable students to:

• Access all key concepts in year 13 whilst studying them in increasing complexity for the two years. In year 13 students study a variety of exam preparation topics in each module, allowing them time to embed a mixture of the previously mentioned key skills along with a particular media product focus before they move on. 
• Develop knowledge of the assessments, students are also required to plan and create a practical piece – based around two industry briefs that range from magazine articles to audio recordings or even a filmed product. Students are responsible for applying all of the key skills they have obtained and using them creatively to produce a realistic and professional design.
• Consolidate their learning across both disciplines in preparation for two final exams in which they will test their knowledge theoretical, analytical and practical frameworks.
• Focus on External exam Units 4 and 10 separately – looking closely at the approaches to each section of the papers and final revision requirements.

Course Outline

In BTEC Creative Media Production students learn how to research and analyse Media texts before applying them to their own ideas. Students are given the opportunity to explore the planning processes within the industry and create a practical production with post production techniques such as editing. This is a well rounded course for those who wish to break into the Media industry with experience of all the production processes they need.

Course Assessment

Internal Assessment

• Unit 4 – Pre-production Portfolio: Creating a blog containing research and pre-production materials
• Unit 10 – Film Production: A textual analysis with accompanying practical film project

External Assessment

• Unit 1 – Media Representations: Textual analysis of several visual/audio and print texts  (2 hours)
• Unit 8 – Responding to a Commission: Responding to a previously seen brief by creating a proposal (6 hours)

Assessment Objectives

• AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media terminology, semiotics, theories, concepts and messages. Command words: analyse, compare, evaluate, explain, identify, to what extent.
• AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of media concepts, semiotics, theories and formal techniques to constructed representations. Command words: analyse, compare, evaluate, explain, to what extent.
• AO3: Analyse media texts to deconstruct representations and decode messages and evaluate their effectiveness and impact. Command words: analyse, compare, evaluate, to what extent.
• AO4: Make connections between polyaemic messages underpinning media representations and their related values and effects on wider society. Command words: analyse, compare, evaluate, to what extent.

Students will be supported with a number of different types of assessment materials to ensure they reach their full potential in their GCSE Media Studies examinations and NEA Coursework submissions including: 

• Teacher designed support guides and resources
• Google drive folder containing all resources for students
• Google classroom access including all guidance
• Lesson by lesson electronic guidance
• Access to video links and CSP revision website