Media Studies

Welcome to the Media Studies Department

"The media intervene; they provide us with selective versions of the world, rather than direct access to it" - David Buckingham

Acting Head of Department:

Mrs Steinhof
e-mail: gsteinhof.310@parkhighstanmore.org.uk

Introduction

Media Studies aims to develop students into CRITICAL consumers and ANALYTICAL appraisers of media texts, and to equip them with knowledge about Media Institutions and Audiences, with focus on some of the biggest industries in our Western world.

Media Studies also aims to develop students into INFORMED PRODUCERS of a range of media texts: print – eg. film posters and adverts, and developing Photography skills and using Photoshop - and audio-visual – eg. filming and editing skills using Premiere Pro).

Key Stage 3

Year 9

The year 9 course introduces students to the exciting study of the media at a time when understanding the media could not be more important. The course is wide-ranging and will introduce students to some important global conversations about the power of media companies and the ways in which audiences engage with a range of media texts and platforms. The course focuses on the key knowledge and skills, theoretical and practical, students will need should they want to Media Studies as a GCSE option in Year 10.

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Key concepts of Media Studies Media language Media audience Media representations Media industries Media contexts Unit 1 The Film Industry: Power and Profit - Conglomerates, Franchises and the MCU Including the marketing of Black Panther Production: Film poster Unit 2 Print Advertising: In a digital world, why do brands still rely on Print adverts? Brand identity Advertising strategies Evolution of advertising Targeting & reaching audiences Perfume adverts & Stereotyping: Representations of gender & ethnicity Production: Print advert design	Unit 3 Music Industry: Promoting the Star Persona via Music Videos, websites & social media? Ownership & record labels? Star power & star text? Conventions of music videos? Evolution of music videos? Marketing and online media? Representations of gender & ethnicity? Production: Designing a music artist’s website Unit 4 Newspaper Industry Ownership and Control (oligopoly)? Political landscape & contexts? Newspapers, print and online? Conventions of front pages – bias in the representation of events & issues.? Comparing front pages? Regulation? Production: Building a front page (Trip to The Guardian if running)	Unit 5 TV Industry and TV Crime Drama Public Service Broadcasting Vs?Commercial organisations? BBC structure & funding? Regulation? Impact of technological development on the industry? Audience fragmentation & changing patterns of consumption? Conventions of TV Crime Drama? Analysis of Media Language in extracts? The archetypal detective?? Focus on two contrasting adaptations of?Sherlock Holmes, focusing on production choices & audience responses? Unit 6 Responding to a practical brief Applying knowledge & understanding of the theoretical framework?to?research, plan & produce linked media texts in response to a specific brief and with a specific target audience.? (Audio-Visual and Print)?

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Key concepts of Media Studies

Media language
Media audience
Media representations
Media industries
Media contexts

Unit 1 The Film Industry: Power and Profit - Conglomerates, Franchises and the MCU

Including the marketing of Black Panther

Production: Film poster

Unit 2 Print Advertising: In a digital world, why do brands still rely on Print adverts?

Brand identity
Advertising strategies
Evolution of advertising
Targeting & reaching audiences
Perfume adverts & Stereotyping: Representations of gender & ethnicity

Production: Print advert design

Unit 3 Music Industry: Promoting the Star Persona via Music Videos, websites & social media?

Ownership & record labels?
Star power & star text?
Conventions of music videos?
Evolution of music videos?
Marketing and online media?
Representations of gender & ethnicity?

Production: Designing a music artist’s website

Unit 4 Newspaper Industry

Ownership and Control (oligopoly)?
Political landscape & contexts?
Newspapers, print and online?
Conventions of front pages – bias in the representation of events & issues.?
Comparing front pages?
Regulation?

Production: Building a front page (Trip to The Guardian if running)

Unit 5 TV Industry and TV Crime Drama

Public Service Broadcasting Vs?Commercial organisations?
BBC structure & funding?
Regulation?
Impact of technological development on the industry?
Audience fragmentation & changing patterns of consumption?

Conventions of TV Crime Drama?
Analysis of Media Language in extracts?
The archetypal detective??
Focus on two contrasting adaptations of?Sherlock Holmes, focusing on production choices & audience responses?

Unit 6 Responding to a practical brief

Applying knowledge & understanding of the theoretical framework?to?research, plan & produce linked media texts in response to a specific brief and with a specific target audience.?

(Audio-Visual and Print)?

KS4 Assessment:

All students who follow this course will be set home-learning weekly.?

Regular quizzing to support learning, fluency in the taught concepts and long-term retention.

Knowledge Tests and Extended Responses for each unit.

Wider reading is always useful either from the booklets, the websites offered, the textbook or as directed by their classroom teacher.

In the Summer Term, each student will sit a formal, internal exam which will cover all elements taught throughout the course.? Appropriate preparation and revision should be taken seriously with sufficient planning and organisation to ensure each student fulfils their potential.

Useful Websites:

The Media Insider YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGXfqzVEZr0XaZLWG3_HniA

BBC Bitesize Media (KS3):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z7pfb9q

Key Stage 4

Year 10

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Component 1 section A: Advertising Quality Street /This Girl Can Analysis of media language and representation Evolution of print advertising Contexts (inc. post-war rationing and rise of consumerism, role of women) Quality Street (historical text) advert This Girl Can campaign Exam practice Comparison with unseen texts Component 1 section A: Magazines Set texts: GQ and Pride front covers Overview of industry Codes and Conventions of front covers Targeting and reaching audiences How Media language constructs ideologies and representations	Component 1 sections A & B: James Bond evolution and set posters (Man with the Golden Gun / Spectre) Bond evolution through time (and film posters) Media language and Representations of gender Spectre and the Film Industry Production processes Regulation BBFC Marketing, synergy, convergence, merchandise Audience appeal Audience response Component 1 section A: Newspaper Industry Front pages Guardian & Sun The Sun paper + website Component 1 sections A + B Set products: Newspaper front pages -The Guardian -The Sun Analysis of audiences & industry Political landscape & Newspaper political leanings Branding and news values Ownership and oligopoly Horizontal integration Power/Control/Bias Media contexts Anchorage Whole editions & Online editions Digital Convergence Regulation, Leveson and IPSO Audience response	Component 2 section A: TV Crime Drama Generic conventions Narrative Theory Analysis of full-length episode of Luther (set text) Analysis of representations Exploration of relevant contexts, Industry issues and how audiences are reached Audience responses Second product (historical set text): The Sweeney Comparison of media language and representations, linked to contexts, audience and industry Component 3 (Non-examined assessment = coursework) Students respond to a brief set by Eduqas. Students undertake some research and planning, constructing representation in relation to their intended audience. They then complete the production work, applying knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to be successful in your production work for a specific target audience.?

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Component 1 section A: Advertising

Quality Street /This Girl Can

Analysis of media language and representation
Evolution of print advertising
Contexts (inc. post-war rationing and rise of consumerism, role of women)
Quality Street (historical text) advert
This Girl Can campaign
Exam practice
Comparison with unseen texts

Component 1 section A: Magazines

Set texts:

GQ and Pride front covers
Overview of industry
Codes and Conventions of front covers
Targeting and reaching audiences
How Media language constructs ideologies and representations

Component 1 sections A & B: James Bond evolution and set posters (Man with the Golden Gun / Spectre)

Bond evolution through time (and film posters)
Media language and Representations of gender
Spectre and the Film Industry
Production processes
Regulation BBFC
Marketing, synergy, convergence, merchandise
Audience appeal
Audience response

Component 1 section A: Newspaper Industry

Front pages Guardian & Sun

The Sun paper + website

Component 1 sections A + B

Set products: Newspaper front pages -The Guardian -The Sun
Analysis of audiences & industry
Political landscape & Newspaper political leanings
Branding and news values
Ownership and oligopoly
Horizontal integration
Power/Control/Bias
Media contexts
Anchorage
Whole editions & Online editions
Digital Convergence
Regulation, Leveson and IPSO
Audience response

Component 2 section A: TV Crime Drama

Generic conventions
Narrative Theory
Analysis of full-length episode of Luther (set text)
Analysis of representations
Exploration of relevant contexts,
Industry issues and how audiences are reached
Audience responses
Second product (historical set text): The Sweeney
Comparison of media language and representations, linked to contexts, audience and industry

Component 3 (Non-examined assessment = coursework)

Students respond to a brief set by Eduqas.

Students undertake some research and planning, constructing representation in relation to their intended audience. They then complete the production work, applying knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to be successful in your production work for a specific target audience.?

KS4 Assessment:

All students who follow this course will be given home learning weekly. In order to support students with their on-going learning, there will be frequent quizzes and short tests in lessons; students should also self-quiz regularly as home-learning to avoid the pitfalls of ‘cramming’ at the end of the course.

Wider reading is always useful either from the websites offered, the text book or as directed by their classroom teacher.

In the Summer Term, each student will sit an internal exam which will consist of all elements taught throughout the course. Appropriate preparation in the form of revision should be taken seriously with sufficient planning and organisation to ensure each student fulfils their potential.

30% of the final grade will be awarded for the students’ Non-Examined Assessment (NEA, or coursework) and this will be completed in the Summer Term (year 10).

Year 11

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Complete the NEA Music Videos & Online? Component 2 section B? Set texts: Historical: TLC’s Waterfalls Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood? Pharrell Williams’ Freedom? Evolution of music videos & rise and impact of MTV? Codes and Conventions of music videos Construction of the star text Representations of gender and ethnicity in music videos Analysis of set music videos (contemporary and historical) Music industry Analysis audience and industry, media contexts and online media (artists’ websites and use of digital convergence)	Component One Section B: Analysis audience and industry and media contexts Set products: Video games Fortnite (2016) Industry context, game and franchise overview Epic Games as institution Social and cultural contexts Gameplay and appeal Audiences Funding and revenue / Profit models Impact of new technology and convergence Global reach Regulation and PEGI Audience: historical and political contexts, moral panics Targeting the audience Appeal of the genre; multi-stranded narratives Active / Passive audience – debate ?--------------------------------------- Radio: The Archers?? Component 1 Section B? ? Target audience, global audience, responses, fandom Historical, social, cultural contexts? BBC as institution; PSB v Commercial? Funding models and Licence fee? Production processes? Radio 4, scheduling and audience?- branding: identity and market share? Regulation?and Ofcom? Impact of technologies and convergence?-?iPlayer?and BBC?Sounds?- Consumption patterns? Revision and Practice	Revision and exam preparation

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Complete the NEA

Music Videos & Online?

Component 2 section B?

Set texts:

Historical: TLC’s Waterfalls

Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood?

Pharrell Williams’ Freedom?

Evolution of music videos & rise and impact of MTV?

Codes and Conventions of music videos

Construction of the star text

Representations of gender and ethnicity in music videos

Analysis of set music videos (contemporary and historical)

Music industry

Analysis audience and industry, media contexts and online media (artists’ websites and use of digital convergence)

Component One Section B: Analysis audience and industry and media contexts

Set products: Video games Fortnite (2016)

Industry context, game and franchise overview

Epic Games as institution

Social and cultural contexts

Gameplay and appeal

Audiences

Funding and revenue / Profit models

Impact of new technology and convergence

Global reach

Regulation and PEGI

Audience: historical and political contexts, moral panics

Targeting the audience

Appeal of the genre; multi-stranded narratives

Active / Passive audience – debate

?---------------------------------------

Radio: The Archers??

Component 1 Section B?

Target audience, global audience, responses, fandom

Historical, social, cultural contexts?

BBC as institution; PSB v Commercial?

Funding models and Licence fee?

Production processes?

Radio 4, scheduling and audience?- branding: identity and market share?

Regulation?and Ofcom?

Impact of technologies and convergence?-?iPlayer?and BBC?Sounds?- Consumption patterns?

Revision and Practice

Revision and exam preparation

KS4 Assessment:

All students who follow this course will be given home learning weekly.? In order to support students with their on-going learning, there will be frequent quizzes and short tests in lessons; students should also self-quiz regularly as home-learning to avoid the pitfalls of ‘cramming’ at the end of the course.

Wider reading is always useful either from the websites offered, the text book or as directed by their classroom teacher.

This is a linear course with terminal examination. An internal year 10 exam will be sat in the Summer term and a practice exam will be sat at the end of Term 1 in year 11.

In the Summer Term, each student will sit an internal exam which will consist of all elements taught throughout the course.? Appropriate preparation in the form of revision should be taken seriously with sufficient planning and organisation to ensure each student fulfils their potential.

Percentage of Coursework: 30%

Percentage Exam marks: 70%