Departments: Media Studies
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GCSE Media Studies
 The department operates a GCSE course at Key Stage 4, which includes 50% coursework (two written assignments and one practical). One of the pleasing aspects of working in Media Education is to see students becoming aware of themselves and their cultural environment in a way which empowers them, and allows them to utilise the media rather than the other way around. The course involves the study of TV drama formats, advertising, media representations in the press, and the critical analysis of texts within these areas.
Examined units:
Paper 2: Moving Image
Study of situation comedy as a genre, including codes and conventions, representations, and audience appeal
Paper 6: Advertising
Study of advertising as a practice, and how media organisations use a range of media to target audiences with specific messages.
Study of advertising as a barometer of social representations, tracing the way in which the representations of specific social groups have changed over the years, and asking what has influenced these changes.
Paper 7: Coursework
CW1: 1500-word analysis of the techniques which establish genre and narrative in two film sequences of the students' choice.
CW2: 1500-word analysis of the representation in newspapers of a social group chosen by students.
Each of the written pieces of coursework can be supported with a related practical piece (a DVD cover design for CW1, a front page article about a selected social group for CW2) which, in the event of a borderline mark, can be used to support the higher grade.
CW3: Students create an advertising campaign for a new product, to include a brand name design, and two full page magazine advertisements and a billboard poster, using original photography. Practical coursework involves devising the campaign from original concept to finished print products, after students have carried out extensive audience research, and is evaluated through an 800-word commentary.
Useful Links
http://www.mediaedu.co.uk (password required)
The school has a paid account with this website which is packed with useful stuff on all the different media, different genres, different key concepts and approaches etc. Please see Mr Gunn for the school password details, or e-mail your request by clicking here.
http://www.teach-ict.net/software/photoshop/photoshop.htm - All things Photoshop: This is for Photoshop 7.0, the version installed on the school's 2X client. However, for further tutorials on CS3, please refer to the Adobe website.
http://www.planetoftunes.com - Variety of tutorials, downloads and information on different sectors of the media
http://www.adassoc.org.uk/ - Advertising Association
http://www.squidoo.com/indesign101 - InDesign tutorials: From basic to more advanced pages
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