G C S E M E D I A S T U D I E SW HAT TO EXP EC T?

I N T R O D U C T I O N S

• Tell us what is your favorite film, book, video game, song and why?

(1 Minute)

M S WA LT E R S

C O U R S E O U T L I N E

• Unit 1 - Investigating the Media (1 hr 30 minute examination (40%)

(2016 - Science Fiction Films)

• Unit 2 - Understanding the Media (60%)

Two coursework assignments

1.Moving Images

2.Cross Promotion: Video Promotion

3.Music Video

W H Y M E D I A S T UD I E S ?

Write a paragraph or two on the following:

• Why you chose to take Media Studies GCSE.

• What sort of things you expect to do during the course?

• What you hope to gain from it.

K E Y C O N C E P T S

• The key concepts provide the foundation for Media Studies. You will be using them throughout the course. It is essential that you understand what they are and how to use them to analyse media texts.

K E Y C O N C E P T S

Media Language is the techniques you by media producers to communicate with the audience. The words, visual images and sounds used to convey meaning in a media in a media text.

Audience is the people who experience the product. E.g. Mass (large) and Niche (small but important).

The actual audience may differ from the target audience.

Institution is companies and businesses that produce the products/media or make regulations. E.g. BBC public services or News International (The Sun, Fox, Sky, MySpace, The Times).

Representation is how a certain group of people or a place is portrayed. The way in which the media constructs its own version of reality. The way in which people, places, issues etc are shown in the media. E.g. gender, race, age, class

W H Y S T U DY T H E M E D I A ?

ME D I A ST U D I E S AND OT HE R M I CK E Y MOU SE

DE GR E E SDA I LY MA I L , 1 2

SE PT E MBE R 2 0 0 7

S T U D E NT S T O O D I M FO R ME D I A S T U D I E S

DA I LY MA I L , 18 JA NU A RY 2007

I T ’ S J U ST WATCH I NG F I LMS

YOU J UST S I T ON C OMPUT E RSM E D I A ST U D I E S I SN ’ T

A RE AL SUB J E C T !

• With media studies getting so much publicity, it is important to ask the question, ‘Why study the media?’ On the next slide is a list of possible answers. Do you agree with these reasons?

1.Discuss the eight points and consider:

a.How important is it to study the media?

b.How does the media study us?

R E A S O N S T O S T U DY T H E M E D I A

1.The mass media is very powerful. Advertisers and politicians use it to influence society. To be media literate is part of being an educated citizen.

2.Education has traditionally concentrated on literacy. In today’s society, the visual image is as important as the printed word. Students of media studies learn to read and construct visual images.

3.The ability to design, construct and edit media products are relevant modern, practical skills. Skilled media studies students are employable.

4.The media is an expanding industry. GCSE media studies can help start students on the road to careers in the media.

5.GCSE media studies develop critical thinking, analytical skills and creativity.

6.GCSE media studies develop group work skills.

7.We spend a large proportion of our time exposed to the media. GCSE media studies help us examine the impact the media has on our lives.

8.Because the media studies us!

W H AT A R E T H E M E D I A ?

• The media are a means of mass communication. This means that they have the ability to reach lots of people at the same time.

• Each individual type of media is called a medium. They cover publishing, gaming, filmmaking, photography, music, broadcasting and the internet. The list is growing all the time and many new media combine lots of different types in one.

LO OK AT THE IM AGE S BE LOW. WH IC H M E D IA DO THE Y R E P RE S E NT? F I L L IN YO U R A NS WE RS I N THE BOXE S .

TA S K

In order to understand the media, we can start by examining our own use of it. Create your own 'timeline' - choose a day - weekend, holiday, school day, whatever - and note all the uses of media you have that day.

That's the first part. The second part is to decide how to present this information.. You can use whatever you want. Prezi is popular. You could even present it as a vlog, made using MovieMaker or iMovie or Final Cut Pro. Really ambitious people could make a Flash animation. It could be print based - a diagram created in Illustrator or Photoshop. I don't particularly want to see Word docs or PowerPoint! Media students need to think and care about presentation - this is your first chance.

And finally, it needs to go on your Media website. One of the pages is called 'My Portfolio' - embed it in the most appropriate section (probably 'Web.')