AS/A2 Media Studies

AS/A2 Media Studies
AS/A2 From the internet to television, from cinema to video games, much of our waking lives is dominated by consuming, talking about and using the media. This course seeks to broaden and deepen your understanding of the media and the role that it plays in society. During the course there will be analysis of examples of a range of media texts, from music videos to video games. You will use the internet for research, take part in small group and whole class discussions, note-taking and essay writing. In your own time, you will be expected to broaden your research into specific unit related areas. Much of the time will be spent working with others in making media products, so the course is very â€-hands-on'.

AS Course Content
The AS course comprises two modules:

• Foundation Portfolio In Media
• Key Media Concepts

You will learn how to shoot and edit video. You will work on projects in groups, creating an original piece of coursework, including the soundtrack and titles, using the professional program Final Cut. You will research and plan this project on a group blog.

For the AS exam, you have to be able to analyse a sequence of TV drama, so we will work on building up your skills of analysis. You will also study the way a particular media industry operates, such as the games industry.

Assessment: the coursework is worth 50% of your overall AS grade and the exam 50%. The exam involves a mixture of applied skills and knowledge.

A2 Course Content
The A2 course comprises a further two modules:

• Advanced Portfolio in Media
• Critical Perspectives in Media

You will be involved in another group production, this time of a music video and website, again accompanied by a planning blog and this time also by DVD extras, such as a commentary.

For the A2 exam, you will study debates about the media through particular case studies and you will be asked to reflect upon the production work undertaken throughout the course using particular critical perspectives to which you will have been introduced.

Assessment: the coursework is worth 50% of your overall grade and the exam 50%. The exam involves a mixture of applied skills and knowledge.

Is Media Studies for you?
You will enjoy and benefit from Media Studies if you:

• are interested in the way that media shapes the world in which we live;
• would like to explore the way that media are used to express a range of themes;
• would like to look at the practical side of media as well as the underlying theory.

Media Studies and your future
Media Studies at this level, in combination with other courses, can lead to a range of further studies and careers, including cinema, film studies, art and photography.

Visits & VIsitors
Visits from Industry professionals, cinema trips/ exhibitions of student work at the Arts Picturehouse Cinema in Cambridge.