Media
The media is central to our lives: it is our main source of information about the world we live in. The media does not tell us what to think, but what to think about.
Our Curriculum
With the A Level in Media Studies, you get the chance to explore media industries, learn about their business practices, engage in critical debate regarding regulation and effects upon our psychology, alongside practical skills such as video creation, editing and web design.
Content
The different units for Media are;
H409/1
Media Messages - An examination unit (35%), students analyse advertisements, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, The Big Issue and compare two music videos. The newspapers require in depth analysis of media language, representation, audiences, industries and how they are related to the ideas of key theorists in the media field.
H409/2
Evolving Media - An examination unit (35%), students analyse Radio One, Minecraft and The Jungle Book and compare Stranger Things to The Killing. The TV drama series also require an in depth analysis of media language, representation, audiences, industries and how they are related to the ideas of key theorists in the media field.
H409/3
Non Examined Assessment – In this coursework unit (30%), students individually create a moving image production, such as a film or an advertisement, from a set brief which changes each year.
Exam Board and Specification
Exam board: OCR
Exam specification: H409
Entry Requirements
Please see the entry requirements document here
Is This Course Right For Me?
This is a course for anyone who enjoys media and is interested in not only how to make media products, but also why they are made and the effects they can have on us.
This new linear course covers a wide range of content, from comparing Netflix’s Stranger Things to the Danish crime thriller The Killing to understanding the power and responsibility of the press.
A good GCSE English grade will help with you essay writing but creative subjects like Art or large projects like Drama or ICT will also prepare you for the level of independent work.
By the end of the course you will improve your analytical essay skills and gain experience of working and practising with editing software and filming techniques.
Please watch our short video to see what studying Media Studies at Guilsborough SIxth Form is like.
I’m really looking forward to filming and editing our music video. There is a lot of freedom to choose what we are going to create, but there are guidelines to support us.
Year 12 student
Exploring current media, such as Stranger Things, has helped me understand the art of creating impactful media.
Year 13 student
Where will A Level Media Studies take me past Sixth Form?
CAREERS
This course is suitable for those who would like to continue to study many aspects of Media at university, or pursue a career in a range of different areas including:
- Digital content creation
- Film
- Multi-media design
- Video games
- Producer
- Journalist
UNIVERSITY
Some examples of universities and their entry requirements to study Media Studies and other related degrees are:
University of Southampton Film Studies requires 300 UCAS points
Falmouth University BA Film requires 120 UCAS points (excellent links to industry)
Bournemouth University Film Production and Cinematography requires 128 UCAS points
Coventry University Digital Media requires 280 UCAS points
Nottingham Trent Media and Film & TV requires 260 UCAS points