Key Stage 5
"All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society."
William Bernbach (Founder of American firm Doyle Dane Bernbach)
We follow the OCR specification H140/ H540 at A Level media which is divided into two units namely (1) coursework portfolio (2) exam unit on media key concepts. This course looks specifically at film production and print with a clear focus on advertising and marketing. This course vertically integrates units from subjects like Business Studies, ICT and Art where the students are able to develop strong knowledge and understanding of the creative and commercial side of the media industry.
At the start of the course, students will have an induction on the equipment and software packages that they will need to use in the course. They will need to carry out a range of activities where they will explore the effect of using a variety of camera angles and movements. They will be taught about the importance of composition and framing. Students will also learn how to use Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro for editing. They will be taught how to create a blog which will host their foundation portfolio.
In order to give the students plenty of opportunities to exercise these skills, they get involved in mini projects which allow them to demonstrate team work and collaboration. One such exercise is the Dragon’s Den style of activity where students work in groups and represent a company to bid for the contract of promoting and marketing a new thriller movie.