Skip to content

Media Studies

Image shows a remote control in focus pointed towards a blurred TV screen

Course Information

Literacy Image shows a rating of 5 out of 5 stars
Numeracy Image shows a rating of 2 out of 5 stars
Communications Image shows a rating of 5 out of 5 stars
Creativity Image shows a rating of 5 out of 5 stars
Practical Image shows a rating of 4 out of 5 stars
Group Work Image shows a rating of 3 out of 5 stars
Examination Assessment 70%
Non-Examination Assessment 30%
EBacc No
Examination Board Eduqas
Course GCSE

General Information

You have not allowed cookies and this content may contain cookies.

If you would like to view this content please

Video Transcript

00:00:00

Hello and welcome to an introductory video to Media Studies GCSE at Swanmore College.

00:00:05

Media Studies is taught through the EduCAS specification, the EduCAS exam board, and here are some of the set products we will look at.

00:00:13

Fortnite, the video game franchise, we will look at the video game industry, how it is regulated and how it is marketed.

00:00:19

James Bond 007, we'll look at both No Time to Die and The Man with the Golden Gun, comparing modern and old-timey Bond.

00:00:27

We will also look at the BBC Classic Desert Island Discs with a focus on it as a BBC staple and we will look at the BBC as an organisation and the rules that it must follow.

00:00:37

GQ is one of the magazines that we will look at along with Vogue magazine.

00:00:41

We'll look at representations and how they're created in both of those magazines.

00:00:47

We would also look at Quality Street and how Quality Street was advertised in the 1950s.

00:00:52

We'll compare that to a modern day advert for the NHS, focusing on the 111 campaign when that was launched.

00:00:58

We'd also take a look at newspapers, focusing on The Guardian, the left wing newspaper, and The Sun, the right wing newspaper, and comparing the two and how they present issues based on their political biases.

00:01:08

We will also look at crime dramas on TV, focusing on BBC's Luther, focusing on representations and conventions of the genre.

00:01:17

And finally, we will look at music videos with a specific focus on both Stormzy and Taylor Swift and the way that they market themselves as artists.

00:01:27

Now there are three components that are examined at GCSE Media Studies.

00:01:31

Component one is a one hour 30 minute exam, which takes up 40% of the grade.

00:01:36

Component 2 is another hour and 30 minute exam, takes up only 30% of the grade overall.

00:01:41

Both component one and component 2 exams are based around the knowledge that you'll accrue when you study all of the set products that I discussed earlier on in the video.

00:01:49

And then finally, component 3, this is the NEA, the non-examined assessment, otherwise known as coursework.

00:01:55

This takes up 30% of your overall grade.

00:01:57

This is where you will create your own media products, be that print based or moving image based, dependent on what your preference might be.

00:02:04

So this is the really fun, creative aspect of the course.

00:02:08

Really, really important that we make up 30% of the grade with that creativity that we'll be examined.

00:02:16

So I may be biased, but as a media studies teacher, I can say that this subject is one of the most important subjects for students to study.

00:02:25

And if you can take it as an option and want to take it as an option, that is absolutely fantastic.

00:02:30

Every day we all engage with the media countlessly through our entire lives.

00:02:36

We're almost ruled by the media.

00:02:37

Having an understanding of that really sets us up to be successful in the modern digital world.

00:02:43

Now be that looking to do A-levels, BTECs, even degrees in the media or even looking to move into working in the media.

00:02:51

There are so many options of careers moving forward with media and this is a really, really important and very fun subject to pick.

00:02:57

So I hope that you will join me in learning all about the media here at Swanmore.

Media Studies is perhaps the most relevant and important subject for young people to study. On average, teenagers in the UK use media products for 6-9 hours per day. Whether that is scrolling social media apps, playing video games online with friends, or even creating their own media content on Tik Tok. Understanding how this behemoth of an industry works is a fascinating opportunity.

As a Media Studies student at Swanmore College, you will learn how to decode the messages that are placed in media products that others take for granted. Amongst a wide range of set products, you will understand how the role of James Bond has evolved over time, how Fortnite became a cultural phenomenon and how traditional media formats such a radio and television are adapting to a modern, digital world.

You will study a wide range of media products in industries such as:

  • Film
  • Video games
  • Social media
  • Music videos
  • TV crime dramas
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Advertising

Not only will you analyse and understand these industries, but you will spend a large amount of time creating your own media products. With access to a wide range of equipment, you will be trained in how to follow industry procedures to deliver exceptional work in both print and moving image.

What will I need to succeed?

  • An open mind – media studies is all about seeing more than the obvious in the products we consume.
  • An ability to write about your analytical opinions clearly.
  • A creative outlook – this will not only help you understand the creative ideas of others, but will help you thrive when crafting your own creations.

Subject Content

Study of Media Language: The way media products use technical, visual, and narrative codes to create meaning and communicate messages.

Study of Media Industries: How media products are produced, distributed, and regulated within economic, technological, and institutional contexts.

Study of Media Audiences: How different audiences are targeted, reached, and interpreted media products, and how they respond or interact with them.

Study of Media Representation: How people, places, events, and issues are portrayed in the media and the messages or values these portrayals communicate.

Practical creative work: How to use industry processes and software to meet briefs and create exciting and engaging media products.

Assessment Requirements:

  • Component 1: Written examination: 1 hour 30 mins, 40% of qualification
  • Component 2: Written examination: 1 hour 30 mins, 30% of qualification
  • Component 3: Non-exam assessment: Media Production coursework, 30% of qualification

Exam Question

Each Component 1 paper has a 25-mark question included.

This question requires pupils to write a long form comparison of a set media product and an unseen media product relating to representation.

For example, “Compare the representation of gender in The Man With The Golden Gun and Spy film posters.

In your answer, you must consider:

  • the choices the producers have made about how to represent gender
  • how far the representation of gender is similar in the two film posters
  • how far the representation of gender is different in the two film posters”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do you just play games and watch films?
Whilst we will do both of these things in Media Studies, it is an analytical subject that requires you to look critically at media products.

What careers can it lead to after leaving Swanmore?

Almost all companies will have someone working within a media-type role, and the subject is so wide reaching that, as a qualification, it opens doors into a wide range of opportunities!

However, as a specialism, if you are interested in working in the world of film and TV production, advertising, journalism, web design, social media or graphic design – this is the subject for you!

Cookie Policy