This document provides information about the A Level Media Studies course offered at St Mary's Sixth Form & Leadership Centre. The course is a 2-year AS and A Level course that teaches students to analyze and critique media through the exploration of media texts, institutions, and audiences. Students will complete practical media productions and exams involving close analysis of media representations and case studies of the media industry. Upon completion, students will have skills applicable to degrees in media, journalism, film, and creative fields or careers in advertising, communications, and public relations.
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1. St Marys Sixth Form & Leadership Centre
St Marys Sixth Form &
Leadership Centre
Subject Name
Be What Tomorrow Needs
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2. St Marys Sixth Form & Leadership Centre
Specific Entry Requirements
What are the entry requirements?
Although it is not a necessity, having completed a GCSE in
Media studies will put you at an advantage. You should have a
GCSE in English Language of C or above to join this course as it
involves a lot of written work, including essays, evaluations
and analysis.
A2 Entry Requirements: Satisfactory progress at AS Level. A
Grade C at AS.
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Course Content
Type of course
AS/A Level
Course level
Level 3
Exam board specification
OCR
Length of course
2 years
How the course is assessed
50% Coursework; 50% Exam
Description of course
This course enables candidates to develop a critical awareness and understanding of the media and its role in
building and moulding society and its attitudes through the exploration of the products of media production
processes (media texts), the institutions which produce them and the audiences which respond to them. At
AS, candidates engage in the construction, deconstruction and critical analysis of a range of media texts and in the
study of texts in relation to media institutions and media audiences. At A2 level, candidates have the opportunity
to extend their knowledge within the conceptual framework through an independent research project and
engagement with a range of contemporary media issues and debates. A distinctive feature of the course is the
practical production element at both AS and Advanced GCE. This enables candidates to put theory into practice by
creating their own media products, thus affording opportunities for engagement in creative, imaginative and
aesthetic activity.
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Assessment
AS
Unit 1 Foundation Portfolio (100 marks)
Example of FP task:
Video
Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting
down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task
should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule
Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes
ALL VIDEO AND AUDIO MATERIAL MUST BE ORIGINAL, PRODUCED BY THE CANDIDATE(S), with the exception of
music or audio effects from a copyright-free source.
Research and Planning 20 marks
Construction 60 marks
Evaluation 20 marks
Unit 2 - Key Skills and Concepts (100 marks)
2 hour exam, including a 30 minute unseen sequence
2 essay questions in 90 minutes
Q1 close textual analysis of an unseen sequence, linked to an issue of representation
Q2 case study into issues of production, distribution, marketing and exchange in a contemporary media industry
A2
Unit 3 Advanced Portfolio (100 marks)
Unit 4 Critical Perspectives (100 marks)
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Subject Specific
Information/Expectations
Media Studies is a fast growing subject that will teach you to analyse communication in the world around you. It is an exceptionally interesting and lively
contemporary subject and is a popular choice at A-level.
It will prepare you for Higher Education or the world of work by developing the following skills:
揃 Group work
揃 Critical analysis
揃 Practical production skills
揃 Organisational skills
揃 Research skills
On this course you will learn about:
Media products films, TV programmes, videos, newspapers, radio programmes and the World Wide Web.
Media Institutions the companies and organisations that control the production and distribution of media texts.
Production processes how media texts are made in the industry. You will have the opportunity to make media texts yourselves for
example, magazines, newspapers and short videos.
Media audiences who watches media texts, how they are targeted and how they are encouraged to consume them.
Media debates such as ownership and control of the press, film censorship, etc.
To be a successful Media Studies student, you must be:
An active consumer of the media who reads newspapers and enjoys film, video and television.
Self-motivated and able to work under your own direction.
Able to think critically, and never be satisfied with a superficial understanding.
Able to communicate clearly in extensive written work.
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Employment Sectors
Advertising, Communication, Journalism, Media studies or
Creative Industries, Public relations, Film, TV broadcasting,
video, multimedia.
Degree Courses
There are an increasing number of new courses such as Media and
Business, Marketing, Advertising and Broadcast Media. We offer guidance on
future choices during the course. Work experience in local media industries is
encouraged.
Media studies offers skills that are highly transferable to many areas of
employment. Degrees in media, journalism qualifications, games design and
practical film making courses are very competitive, and many universities and film
schools will require a portfolio of your work along with your application.
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What is the difference between Media
Studies and Film Studies?
Media Studies is more practical and
technically challenging than Film. The practical
work in Media Studies will involve a lot of IT
work developing skills in Adobe In-
Design, Photoshop and I-Movie/ - Shotgun
Final Cut film editing software. Media also
deals with a range of texts whereas Film
purely focuses on Film. Laser
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8. St Marys Sixth Form & Leadership Centre
Building Our Futures Together
9. St Marys Sixth Form & Leadership Centre
Building Our Futures Together
10. St Marys Sixth Form & Leadership Centre
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11. St Marys Sixth Form & Leadership Centre
Building Our Futures Together
12. St Marys Sixth Form & Leadership Centre
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Learning with a smile at St Marys
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Editor's Notes
#3: All young people in England are required to continue in education until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17 from 2015 and until their 18th birthday from 2015
#4: All young people in England are required to continue in education until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17 from 2015 and until their 18th birthday from 2015
#5: All young people in England are required to continue in education until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17 from 2015 and until their 18th birthday from 2015