Key Stage 5
Exam Board – WJEC – www.wjec.co.uk
AS and A2 Media Studies is a natural progression from GCSE. However, students do not need to have studied this subject at GCSE to take it up at A-Level. A-Level students investigate the four-key concepts of Media Studies in more depth – forms and conventions, representation, audience and institutions/organisations.
AS – 2 units (MS1 and MS2): 50% Coursework and 50% external assessment
At AS students study a wide range of Media types for their examination (MS1) including:
- advertisements
- DVD covers
- CD covers
- newspaper front pages
- magazines (including comics)
- radio sequences
- film extracts
- television sequences
- music videos
- websites
- computer game extracts
and study a range of representations covering the following:
- gender
- ethnicity
- age
- issues
- events
- regional and national identities
For coursework (MS2), students complete 3 pieces of linked work:
- A pre-production piece (currently a storyboard for a Children’s charity TV advert)
- A production piece (currently 3 adverts for a Children’s Charity print advertising campaign)
- An illustrative report
A2 – 2 units (MS3 and MS4): 50% Coursework and 50% external assessment
MS3- Media Investigation and Production (coursework unit).
An independent Textual investigation comprising 3 pieces of linked work:
- A textual investigation (focused on either genre, representation or narrative)
- Production (creating Media)
- Evaluation
MS4 – Text, Industry and Audience
Students will study 3 different industries in detail. Currently:
- Film Industry
- Magazine Industry
- TV Industry
Recent texts studied have included; Kick Ass, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Inbetweeners, X-Factor, Hollyoaks; Heat Magazine and Good Housekeeping. Students will study 9 texts in total in preparation for their external examination.
Students complete a written examination of two and a half hours. The paper will consist of two sections:
Section A will offer two questions based on media texts;
Section B will offer four questions based on industry and audience issues.
Students answer 3 questions in total.
