Welcome to A-level Media Studies!
Over the two years of the course, you will explore a variety of media products, and will analyse who has made them, how, for whom, and why. You will explore how different audiences can react in different ways to the same media product, and how the producers of media products attempt to manipulate audiences. You will also have opportunities to use a variety of software and techniques to create your own media products, both individually in groups.
The first year is absolutely packed, and it's really important to hit the ground running.
Please read this post in detail, and ask your teacher if you have any further questions
How many exams are there, when are they, and what are they on?
You will sit two exams at the end of your second year. These two exams are each worth 35% of your total mark, adding up 70% of the total A-level. The two exams are as follows:
Component one - media products, industries and audiences2 hours 15 minutes35% of A-level
There are two sections in this exam.
Section A: analysing media language and representation.
There are two questions here, one based on an unseen media product (either print or audio-visual), and one question comparing the representation in one product you have studied with one unseen product.
The media forms that can come up here are advertising, marketing, music videos and newspapers.
Section B: understanding media industries and audiences
There are two questions here, one on industry and one on audience.
The media forms that can come up here are advertising, marketing, film, newspapers, radio, videogames and media contexts.
Component two: media forms and products in depth2 hours 30 minutes35% of A-level
There are three sections in this exam, all covering products you will have explored in class.
Section A: television in the global age
Section B: magazines: mainstream and alternative media
Section C: media in the online age
This seems like a lot of work
It really is. But you'll get used to it. Also remember that in addition to your final exams, you'll have at least one key assessment for every subject you cover, so there will be every opportunity to test yourself along the way.
What about the coursework?
The coursework is known as
Component three: cross media production
We won't know the exact details until later, as the specific brief is published by Eduqas just before we start coursework to keep us on our toes. However, it will be along these lines:
Create a cross media production to include an original music video for a new or local/unsigned artist or band, and related print or online promotional products.
So that's a music video (audio visual) and promotional material (print).
We'll provide you with loads more information when component three comes around.
What are we doing this year?
Here's the first year of A-level Media Studies at a glance. While a few things may get swapped around, we'll keep you informed. You will be told which component (i.e exam) everything is related to as
(If you're wondering where television, websites, radio and videogames are, we study them next year!)
How to do well in A-level Media Studies
As you can see from the guide above, we cover a lot of ground in A-level Media Studies. However, most of the theories and concepts we use are repeated throughout the course. So when you study representation of ethnicity in the advertising and marketing , you'll come back to this when we study and make newspapers.
Because we study so many different industries, it's important to watch and read as much as possible, not just the products we study in class. Your teacher will give you tips on this.
Keep detailed notes. Your own blog will serve as not only a way of completing class work and submitting homework, but also will turn in to a comprehensive revision guide.