Media Studies

“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.”

Jim Morrison

Media Studies can be taken as a GCSE or BTEC course. Many of our students go on to study it at college and university. 

Success in this subject comes from a combination of creativity and understanding. It is a unique fusion of practical and theoretical learning, which, although it can be hard work and very time consuming, is always rewarding. It’s also a lot of fun – what other subject deals with your favourite movies, pop stars and TV programmes?

As well as essays, research, and reports, Media Studies also involves practical work, where you learn the techniques involved for the production of your own media text. You might produce magazines, pop videos, TV commercials, adverts, computer animation, photo-essays and documentary videos. Media is a ‘learn by doing’ subject, and you compare your own experiences with what the ‘professionals’ go through. Most of our production in school is done digitally (i.e. using computers/ digital cameras) and we have the latest software and equipment to help with this.

As we progress through the 21st century, communications are becoming faster and faster and faster. Think of the millions of different media images you are bombarded with every day. It is as important now to be able to read and make sense of those images, as it has been to be able to read ordinary text.

Focus for Assessments:

• Production Skills: demonstrating creativity and initiative in using available resources;​ undertaking a range of pre-production tasks such as research, scripting and storyboarding, and production tasks such as recording, editing and design.
• Written Communication: Analyse, evaluate and present relevant information in a form that suits its purpose.