We like to think that Latymer students like a challenge and there are plenty of these built into the Media Studies A level course. They are mainly challenges to do with problem solving, coming up with ideas, using your imagination, learning to work with new people, with new technology and so on. But as with any A level there is an expectation of advanced knowledge and understanding of theory, and an ability to write about that academically. A willingness to learn and enthusiasm is more important than actual experience. As long as Latymer offer you a place in the Sixth Form that is good enough for us! Media GCSE is really helpful to have, but not essential.
Moving Image - film and video - is our specialism at Latymer. We will teach you the proper techniques needed to shoot and edit using HD video technology. There are plenty of opportunities for practical work, and coursework is predominantly practical, although underpinned by academic principles. We build trips, workshops and visits from professionals into the course to support and enrich the kind of learning you will be doing.
50% of the course is made up of coursework projects. This breaks down as 1 project per year and those are completed in a team. For your AS Assignment you will make the opening sequence of a film, in any genre, targeting any audience. You will also sit an exam which is worth 50% of the total marks. The AS exam features 2 sections and you will have to answer 1 question from each section. Section A focuses on Television Drama, and you will have to analyse an extract from a television drama series and explore the ways it uses camera, lighting, editing style, sound and so on. Section B is all about the Film Industry and this is taught through a case study approach, where we choose 2 recent films to compare and contrast. Recent case study films include Avatar, Thor, Harry Potter and Attack the Block. We also organise a lesson at The Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley to have a tour of the projection box and learn how a cinema is run.
The A2 exam is also in 2 parts; Section A provides you with an opportunity to write theoretically about your coursework, and Section B focuses on media regulation. You will learn how the BBFC decide what certificates to give films, and you will find out how the Press Complaints Commission deals with complaints from celebrities who feel their privacy has been invaded by the tabloids, those who feel they were victims or slander and why some libel cases go to court and others don’t. Having an opinion and being able to argue your point of view is essential for the debates exam and our one day visit to the BBFC and the PCC will help you boost your understanding and ensure your arguments are informed and therefore effective.
It’s not just people who want to go into the media that will benefit from studying the media and how it works. In this technological, global age, media-related skills are needed everywhere in society – not just in the Media.
The Hollywood Trip is just for fun, although it is amazing the amount you will learn about film making and how a studio operates. It’s quite an expensive trip so start saving as soon as possible if you want to go!
Sixth formers can also join our mentoring team, the Film Club Committee and the video crew, who take responsibility for filming and editing whole school events, trips and performances.
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