Media Studies

Students in Year 10 will be beginning their OCR GCSE Media Studies (J200.)

Component 01: Television and promoting media

There are two sections:

• In section A: Television, students engage with an in-depth study of one contemporary and one historic television products (BBC drama Cuffs and ITV drama The Avengers), responding to questions covering the whole of Media’s theoretical framework and a range of media contexts
• In section B: Promoting media, students study media products from the same global conglomerate producer illustrating the media forms of film, advertising and marketing, and video games.These will be related to The Lego Movie.

Component 02: Music and news

There are two sections:

• Students in Year 10 will study two music videos, music magazines and media language and representation.
• This will then facilitate the creation of their NEA (component 03/04.)

Component 03/04: Creating media

• Students apply their knowledge and understanding of media language and representations to create a music magazine for a specific audience.

Component 02: Music and news

There are two sections:

• Students will undertake the study of contemporary radio, with a focus on Radio One.
• In section B: News, students engage with one in-depth study of online news, including its social and participatory media. Students also study contemporary and historical newspaper front pages and how they illustrate changing social, cultural, historical and political contexts.

At the end of Year 11, students will take two exams.

Students in Year 12 will begin their OCR Media Studies A Level (H409)

Component 01: Media messages

Students study news and online, social and participatory media in depth and learn about how media language is used to construct representations and meaning in a variety of set media products.

There are two sections:

• In section A: News and online media, students carry out two linked in-depth studies that focus on contemporary news in the UK, requiring students to explore how and why newspapers and their online counterparts are evolving as media products and the relationship between both online and offline news.
• In section B: Media language and representation, students focus on media language and representation and consider how meanings are constructed across different media forms. This covers advertising and marketing, magazines and music videos.

In addition, students engage in an overarching in-depth study of the online, social and participatory media forms that they meet in their work on sections A and B.

Component 03/04: Creating Media

Students will get to make either a print or video production from a set brief and accompanying webpages.

Component 02: Evolving media

Students consider how media industries are evolving and using technology to reach, target and address audiences through a variety of set media products. Students also consider the media language, representations and messages and values communicated by long-form television drama and how these dramas are produced and consumed globally.

There are two sections:

• In section A: Media industries and audiences, students will explore media industries through film, video games and radio and audiences through video games and radio.
• In section B: Long-form television drama, students carry out an in-depth study focusing on contemporary long form television dramas, one English language and one European (non-English language).

In addition, students engage in an overarching in-depth study of the online, social and participatory media forms that they meet in their work on sections A and B.

Years 10 and 11:  Students have an assessment per term related to the Unit they are studying. At the end of Year 10, students will create an NEA task, planning and making their own music magazine production.

Years 12 and 13: Students are assessed through timed class and homework essays throughout the two year courses. The summative examinations for each subject are at the end of each courses and are worth 70%, with the remaining 30% achieved from a Non Examined Assessment.

As a new and dynamic subject, Media Studies can lead into a number of careers.  As the role of the Media increases in our everyday lives, it is more than likely that new, as yet unforeseen, jobs may be created.

• Media planner
• Multimedia specialist
• Programme researcher, broadcasting/film/video
• Public relations officer
• Runner, broadcasting/film/video
• Social media manager
• Television/film/video producer
• Web content manager
• Advertising account executive
• Broadcast journalist
• Editorial assistant
• Event manager
• Film director
• Magazine journalist
• Market researcher
• Writer