- Home
- Sixth Form
- Curriculum
- Media Studies
Media Studies
Media KS5 Eduqas A Level
The media play a central role in contemporary culture, society and politics. They shape our perceptions of the world through the representations, ideas and points of view they offer.
The media have real relevance and importance in our lives today, providing us with ways to communicate, with forms of cultural expression and the ability to participate in key aspects of society. The economic importance of the media is also unquestionable. The media industries employ large numbers of people worldwide and generate significant global profit. The globalised nature of the
contemporary media, ongoing technological developments and more opportunities to interact with the media suggest their centrality in contemporary life can only increase.
If you want to understand the world we live in today, you have to study the media. If you want the opportunity to join one of the world’s largest industries – the creative media industry – and have an exciting career, then this is the subject for you.
Component 1: Media Products, Industries and Audiences
Written examination: 2 hours 15 minutes (35% of qualification).
The examination will be based around a study of a wide range of media: advertising, marketing, film, newspapers, radio, video games and media contexts. It consists of two sections:
Component 2: Media Forms and Products in Depth
Written examination: 2 hours 30 minutes (35% of qualification)
Section A – Television in the Global Age which will involve a study of UK/US and European television programmes.
Section B – Magazines: Mainstream and Alternative Media which will involve a study of mass-produced and small-scale independent magazines past and present.
Section C – Media in the Online Age which will involve a study of blogs and websites and will consider the ways in which the general public are increasingly becoming producers of media.
Component 3: Cross-Media Production
Non exam assessment (i.e. practical coursework component -30% of qualification)
You will be required to make an individual ‘cross-media production’ – i.e. a production in two different media such as print and video – in response to a choice of briefs set by Eduqas. The brief set will change every year.
Link to full specification: https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/media-studies/as-a-level/Eduqas%20A-Level%20Media%20Studies%20Specification%20(From%202017).pdf?language_id=1
Why you should consider this course:
A Level Media Studies and A Level Film Studies have run successfully for many years, consistently attaining outstanding results.
Many GCSE Media students go on to take Media Studies in the Sixth Form, although having taken GCSE Media previously is not a requirement. Some of our highest attaining students have never studied media or film before.
However, to do well you do need to have a passion for all areas of media and a desire to be creative and to make your own media products.
This course will provide you with the skills to study at university either on a media-related degree course or to support an application for a range of other degree courses. It will also prepare you with the knowledge and skills to progress onto media-related apprenticeships.
BTEC Level 3 in Creative Digital Media Production
Moderation Board: Edexcel
Course Structure: – 7 mandatory units and 6 combined units.
Students enter the two-year vocational course and work with three teachers on separate units. The assignments will support pupils to research and reflect on their creative process.
Why You Should Consider This Course
Studying BTEC Creative Digital Media Production is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to access and progress to degree level study or employment in the media sector.
The qualification provides a coherent introduction to the study of creative digital media production at this level. Learners develop an understanding of the media industry through analysing media representations and pitching and producing media projects. It is designed for post-16 learners who aim to progress to higher education and ultimately to employment, possibly in the media industries,
They provide an opportunity for those with an interest in media to explore, develop and test their creativity within a qualification structure which is stimulating and demanding and provides a supportive transition from general to more specialised study.
Entry requirements:
3 in English and/or 3 in Media at GCSE if studied.
Essential if you go on to: Advertising, Journalism, Teaching, Marketing Promotion, Film editing and production, television research.
How will the course be assessed?
Pupils will be assessed across 13 units. These include 9 assignments marked internally by your teachers, 3 tasks marked externally by the examiner and 1 exam also marked externally.
Some Unit include
Unit 2 Working Creative Media Industry
Unit 4 Pre-Production Portfolio
Unit 8 Responding To A Commission
Future Careers
Students completing their BTEC Nationals in Creative Digital Media Production will be aiming to go on to employment, often via the stepping stone of higher education.
The unit BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Film and Television is designed to give learners a technical understanding of film and television visual effects. Learners produce film and television visual effects through practical projects and gain knowledge and skills in areas such as storyboarding, 2D and 3D animation, compositing and rendering techniques. The qualification is for post-16 learners and is intended as a two-year programme of study, normally in conjunction with one or more qualifications at Level 3. It is aimed at learners looking to progress to employment in this sector.
There has never been a better time to begin your BTEC Creative Digital Media Production journey as Barking and Dagenham Council have started building London’s largest film and TV production centre in Dagenham. Eastbrook Studios London will be the capital’s largest studio campus and film studies is a great opportunity to work your way into the film industry. BTEC Media Creative Production combines both creativity and academia as film and media is becoming an integral part in modern society, this will allow you to have a critical understanding of today’s society, as well as allowing you to begin your career with a production opportunity in the coursework module.
We continue to strive for excellence in all of our students and achieve fantastic results year on year. This is because we are enthusiastic about BTEC and offer our young people all of the challenges and possibilities this art form can afford them.
Through BTEC Creative Digital Media Production, we can discuss such diverse subjects as class, race, gender, politics, history, literature and all aspects of life in general. Students will learn to discuss and write about Media Representations in a lively and academic manner plus have the chance to work on units suited for Film and TV such as creating original scripts, advertising material to editing their own short films.The beauty of BTEC Media is that it compliments any subject. However Film Studies, History, Sociology, English and Psychology are common.
A Level Results 2023
Congratulations to our Year 13 students on achieving
72.7% Grades A*-C in Media Studies
A Level Results 2022
Congratulations to our Year 13 students on achieving 100% A*-C
Future Career:
Media Industries are worth over 60 billion pounds to the UK economy each year and there are many employment opportunities in both major and independent media production. Previous students have gone on to careers in journalism and the film and television industries. The large film studio to be built in Dagenham in the next few years is likely to be a major employer for the area.
Useful Links:
Links to useful websites
- http://download.cnet.com/GIMP/3000-2192_4-10073935.html – excellent free digital imaging program as an alternative to Photoshop
- http://www.wikipedia.org – a good starting point for most media topics
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/media – an excellent source for articles about issues in the media
- http://www.bfi.org.uk – the official website for the British Film Institute
- http://www.mediaknowall.com – contains useful material on many GCSE and A Level topics
- http://www.imdb.com – the most detailed online movie database with information about almost very film ever made
- http://www.comingsoon.net – excellent source of information about film campaigns
- http://www.moviepreviewguide.com – a great site which lists all upcoming films in the UK.
- www.launchingfilms.com – everything you need to know and understand about film distribution in the UK
- www.bafta.org – the homepage for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Revision guides - Links to sites or name of text books
Many resources including revision guides, key handouts, articles and homework assignments are placed in the A Level Media Studies Google Classroom area which is accessible from computers, tablets and smartphones.
There are two course-books available through Amazon:
