The aim of this department is to take students through various forms of media in the world around them. Students who apply themselves well to media will be able to do the following things;
- Have a deep understanding of the way that messages are put across to the public
- Appreciate how far the mediums of entertainment like film and television have come in the last 120 years
- Question the reasons that certain things are presented to audiences in certain ways
- Understand how advertisers make us specifically desire a certain product in the way that they market it to us
The following courses are taught at Tabor:
A-LEVEL MEDIA STUDIES
A-level Media Studies
What is the course about?
On this course you will learn how media affects the way we view the world. You will learn how to analyse various media texts including film, television, print images, Advertising and documentaries, how films and TV programmes are structured, how audiences are targeted and the way that different groups are represented in the media are also studied.
How is the course assessed/examined?
Unit 1 – MEST1 Investigating Media
50% of AS, 25% of A Level 2 hour written examination 80 marks
Two sections: A – four compulsory short answer questions B – choice of one from two essays. Candidates will be encouraged to explore the media through a study of genre, narrative and representation and make connections between the texts and audience/user responses in them
Unit 2 – MEST2 Creating Media
50% of AS, 25% of A Level Practical unit, internally assessed and externally moderated 80 marks Externally set production briefs.
Two linked production pieces are taken from two of the three media genres studied in Unit 1 plus a 1500 word evaluation.
Unit 3 – MEST3 Media: Critical Perspectives
25% of A Level
2 hour written examination
- three compulsory questions on unseen stimulus pieces
- one essay from a choice of two topics
Unit 4 – MEST4 Research and Production
25% of A Level
Practical unit, internally assessed and externally moderated
- Critical Investigation (48 marks)
- Linked production piece (32 marks)
What can I do once I’ve completed the course?
Students can naturally go on to study Media Studies at a degree level but the A-level qualification does lend itself as an entry level point to employment within media companies.