Year 12 Media Studies (12MES)
12MES Course DescriptionTeacher in Charge: Mr B. Uy.
Pre-requisitesStudents should have achieved a majority of the credits offered from their Year 11 English or Year 11 Media Studies course and approval by HOD.
Media Studies is a subject that encourages students to engage critically with the world of media. Students will analyse the Reality Television genre and its audience, and Media Theory. They will also plan and create their own documentary short films in groups, an exciting part of the internal assessment. This course is suited for learners who are excited about asking questions and thinking critically and/or have an interest in careers in media production, marketing, journalism and any other job based around analysis and production.
This subject is academic and requires students to write their analysis in essay format. While there is a large practical component to the course the literacy and reading and writing credits come from the external exams where students write coherently and perceptively to form an argument and express their ideas.
Course Overview
Term 1
Narrative in Media Texts (2.2 Narrative) – 4 credits:
In this unit of work you will be looking at how media texts such as film and television tell their stories using narrative features like characters, conflict and camera techniques. As part of this, we will learn about how storytelling contributes to how a wide range of media from sport to news creates entertainment value, and the issues with this. For the assessment, students will have to follow a television series over the course of the term and keep a log of how the story progresses before analysing how narrative features contribute to this Due in week 10.
Representation of Characters in Media Text (2.3 Representation) – 3 credits (OPTIONAL)
For students who are interested, they can take a character (or situation) represented in their chosen television series and analyse how that character’s social group is represented in the media, looking at the issues and causes of this representation - Due in week 10.
Term 2
2.5 Plan to create a short documentary film:
You will plan to create a film to meet the requirements of a brief. This will be a group assessment that will lead to the creation of the film.
Initial Plan due Week 4 Term Two, Full plan to be completed by week 10.
2.6 Create a short documentary film:
In a group (no more than 3 people) you will create a short documentary (or mockumentary) based on the plan you created in 2.5. You will be individually assessed for you work and must provide evidence of the work you have done. The final product will be due in at the end of Term Two. If you prefer, recording a podcast is an alternative to filmmaking.
2.8 Write an article (OPTIONAL):
For students who do not want to do the film, want extra credits or want UE writing credits, they can take their plan from 2.5 and use it to write a magazine article end of Term Two.
Term 3
2.4 Demonstrate understanding of an aspect of the Reality TV genre:
In this term you will be studying the Reality Television genre. In particular, you will look at how it has developed, how it has been shaped by its audiences and commercial considerations and why this is significant for modern media. Practice Exams will take place at the end of the term.
2.7 Ethical issue in the Reality TV genre
As part of our study of the Reality Television genre, we will also be investigating ethical issues within the genre (which are often caused by its relationship with its audiences and commercial considerations). Research project due Week 6.
2.8 Write an article (OPTIONAL):
For students who do not want to do the film, or want extra credits, they can take the content from their 2.7 ethical issue study and present their findings as an article end of Term Three.
Term 4
This term is used for revision for our exam standard (2.4).
Pathway
Year 13 Media Studies (13MES), Year 13 Sports Media Studies (13SMS)
Career PathwaysFilm and Video Editor, Author, Journalist, Communications Professional, Technical Writer, Editor, Radio Presenter, Photographer, Television Presenter
Contributions and Equipment/Stationery$20 approx. to cover cost of equipment upkeep and film consumables.