Media: Communication and Production

Media: Communication and Production

Advanced Level Single Award

Course Content
AS Media: Communication and Production is designed for students who are interested in developing their creative skills and learning about professional production practices. In the first year of the course you will have to choose one area of media production in which to develop your talents. The following two pathways are available

• Moving Image
• Print

You will spend terms one and two of your AS year working on a variety of mini projects that will develop your industry knowledge of your chosen media production area and will also extend your production talents within your chosen discipline.

What skills will you develop on the AS course?

Moving Image Pathway

• scriptwriting
• storyboarding
• writing treatments
• camera use techniques
• production logging
• editing
• title sequence development
• understanding the key roles and responsibilities within the TV industry
• audience research
• program evaluation

Print production

• photographic production techniques
• DTP and image manipulation techniques using Photoshop
• photographic post production work
• advertising writing techniques
• page layout production techniques
• page editing
• understanding advertising tactics and techniques
• audience research
• product evaluation skills

The third term of year one will be spent putting your new found skills into practice in the development of a project brief set by the exam board. You will spend all of year two devising, researching and producing a print or moving image advertising campaign for a real client.

How it is Taught
Emphasis is placed on developing practical skills rather than formal classroom teaching. Students will be expected to work hard in the development and execution of practical products. Projects can be created individually or in small groups. You don't have to have extensive computer skills to take AS Media Production but you should expect to use production software and equipment extensively throughout the course.

Examination Details
The qualification is assessed purely through coursework. In addition to your completed practical project work you will have to present a portfolio of work demonstrating the skills that you developed in your AS year.

Useful/Common Subject Combinations
The course combines very well with AS Fine Art, Art Textiles, Art Graphics, English Literature and Language, Film Studies, History, ICT, Law, Politics, Performing Arts and Theatre Studies.

Careers and HE Information
Upon completion of the course the vast majority of students go on to study media and non-media related subjects within higher education. Past students opting to extend their media knowledge after the course have chosen university courses in the following: animation, TV production, radio production, multimedia technology, web design, public relations, fashion, advertising, journalism, communication studies and scriptwriting. Some students use the skills they have gained on the course to find employment. A small number of students have entered directly into media related training and employment programmes at the Northern Echo and the BBC.

Other Relevant Information
Students must have a genuine interest in developing creative products that demonstrate attention to detail.