A Level Media Studies

Overview of the course:

Awarding Body - OCR

It’s not just watching ‘TV’ and ‘reading magazines’ students will benefit from having good critical and analytical skills and a breadth of media understanding behind them certainly helps. It would be beneficial if students did engage with a varied amount of media texts to use as a range of inspiration and examples.

A two year course that covers many aspects of studying the media. Taught alongside the development of essential practical media production skills.

Assessment is by coursework (50%) and examinations (50%).

2 X 2 hours exams
2 x Media production (coursework)

Topics:

AS Media
Unit G322: Key Media Concepts (TV Drama) (examination)

Section A: Textual Analysis and Representation:
Analysing the way in which TV Drama and media representations are constructed

Section B: Institutions and Audiences: consists of an in depth study of the film industry.

Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media (Coursework).

-This unit will assess candidates’ ability to plan, construct and evaluate media products. Students can plan, design, construct and evaluate a music magazine, this will include using images taken themselves from photography tutorials.

Or

Students can plan, script, construct, and evaluate an opening to a film, this will include using cameras and editing equipment to realise the final project.

A2 Media
Unit G325: Critical Perspectives in Media (Examination)

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production: Evaluating the coursework students have completed over the two years. Applying the theoretical aspects taught over the two years to evaluate the course work.

Section B: Contemporary Media Issue: analysing issues and debates in the media in relation to representation, identity, media regulation and global media.

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio in Media (Coursework)

- This unit will assess candidates’ ability to plan, design, construct and evaluate media products. Students will choose to create from a choice of a short film or film trailer as well creating magazines covers, radio ads, film posters or film reviews.