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St Thomas More Catholic Secondary School

St Thomas More
Catholic Secondary School

What is A Level Media Studies about?

Studying A-Level Media, you will enhance your knowledge of the influence the media and cultural industry has on peoples lives. You will benefit from analysing a range of media platforms, including the rapidly developing digital media. We are a well-facilitated department with a mac suite, industry standard editing software, video cameras for students to use and multiple green screens.

Whilst studying this course you will be given the choice of units to study allowing you to pursue your own interests in the media.

Teachers

Head of Department: Vishalie Yadav

Teaching Staff: Tracey Spavins and Kieran Dosanjh

Qualification:

A Level

Examination Board:

OCR

What does the course consist of?

Year 12

Coursework:  Students will have the choice of two units to study.

  1. Film – Students will research the film industry and then plan and create a film opening for a new fiction film.
  2. Website – Students will create a campaign website including sound and video for a cause of their choice. 

Examination: Students analyse representation in television drama and will again be given the choice of topic to study for the second section of the exam looking at either the film or game industries studying the production, distribution and marketing of texts.

Year 13

Coursework:  Students will have the choice of three units to study.

  1. Music Promotion - students conceive, shoot and edit their own music video and learn photo editing on Photoshop to make promotional materials their artist.
  2. Short Film – students will conceive, shoot and edit and entire short film.
  3. Documentary – students will create an original documentary on a topic that they choose.

Examination: Critical Perspectives in Media – One unit of the exam asks students analyse their own coursework productions using media theory. We also study how British teenagers are represented in and across the media.

Sample question

How is gender represented in extract that you have been shown?

Analyse one of your coursework productions using theories of genre?

Whom does the subject suit?

This course is suitable for those who want to develop their creative side in Media but also pursue an academic qualification

What websites are useful to look at?

OCR

What might the subject lead on to?

This A Level is useful for degrees in Media Studies, English or Journalism. However some of our students successfully also leave to study a much wider variety of topics such as accounting, graphics and computer science.

Entry Requirements:

Five A-C grades at GCSE level, to include 5 points (grade C) from Media Studies or English. Students who achieved a D grade will also be considered based on the number of marks achieved in the examination. Students must be prepared to carry out research in independent study.