Media Studies

Why should I choose Media Studies?

We offer media Studies as a GCSE option subject. Media Studies is an exciting way to explore the world that we are presented with in terms of advertising, music, newspapers, magazines, TV and film.

Much of the course explores how gender and events are represented in media. If you are someone who enjoys analysing and exploring how the world is presented to us, then Media Studies is for you. Within the course, you will explore how gender is represented through advertising and computer games advertising, studying advertising from 1940s right up to the present day; you will explore how events are represented to us in newspaper front stories and how political bias mediates a story; you will explore gender representations and camera work and editing in music videos, going back to the 1980s, deconstructing ‘Rio’ by Duran Duran and ‘If I Were a Boy’ by Beyonce; you will analyse the conventions and audience appeal of music radio; how and why music artists use social media and the representation of music magazines. You will then analyse an episode of Gavin and Stacey and a Hollywood film (we currently teach ‘Black Widow’), understanding audience appeal, representation and industry, all of this using a range of media language.

Your coursework is where it gets even more exciting, as you will research, plan and produce your own magazine cover and some of the contents. Media Studies really is very stimulating if you enjoy deconstructing texts and analysing their effect.

A Levels

We also offer Media Studies at A Level. At A Level, you will explore representation, audience, industry, context and media language at a higher level. You will delve in to the social, cultural and ethical dimensions of a range of media texts. You will explore and apply critical theories to your analysis.
There is a coursework unit in both Y12 and Y13, offering you the opportunity for creativity and independence. You may choose to produce a horror film advertising campaign, shoot the opening to a horror film or design a perfume or makeup advertising campaign in Y12. In Y13, you may choose to produce a magazine, crafting its whole production journey from research, to production, to its social media advertising campaign.

You do not need to have studied GCSE Media Studies to take A Level Media Studies.