GCSE Media Studies (Eduqas 9–1)

Overview
Media Studies explores the powerful role of media in shaping our understanding of the world around us. Through the study and practical application of a wide range of media forms — from film, television, advertising and radio to music videos, magazines, video games and online media — students learn how media products communicate meanings, represent people and places, and target specific audiences.

What will I study?

The course is structured around the four key areas of the Eduqas GCSE specification:

1. Media Language – how technical and symbolic elements (camera work, layout, editing, sound, typography, colour and narrative) create meaning.
2. Representation – how individuals, social groups, events and issues are represented in the media, and how these reflect wider social and cultural contexts.
3. Audience – how audiences are targeted, reached and interpreted; how audiences interact with and respond to media products.
4. Industries – how media organisations are structured, regulated and funded, and how technology and ownership shape production and distribution.

How is the course structured?

• Year 10: Foundations and Pre-Production
  Students develop analytical and technical skills through close study of a range of set texts and genres (e.g. magazines, advertising, television and film marketing). They also learn key pre-production techniques, such as storyboarding, scriptwriting, and layout design, in preparation for coursework.
• Year 11: Production and Exam Preparation
  Students complete a major Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) — a creative media production in response to an Eduqas brief (for example, producing an extract from a television drama, a magazine cover and feature, or a promotional campaign). They also study the full range of set products across print, broadcast and online media in preparation for the final examinations.

How will I be assessed?

Will I enjoy this course?

You will enjoy Media Studies if you are curious about how media messages influence public opinion and identity, and if you like combining creative and analytical work. The course rewards students who are imaginative, organised and willing to work independently with technology and design tools. Collaboration, research, and the ability to reflect critically on your own work are also key to success.

Progression and careers

GCSE Media Studies provides an excellent foundation for A-Level Media Studies or Film Studies and complements subjects such as English, Art, and Sociology. It also develops transferable skills in analysis, digital literacy, design and communication, relevant to careers in journalism, marketing, graphic design, broadcasting, film and television production, and the creative industries more broadly.

Film

GCSE Film Studies (Eduqas 9–1)

Film Studies is the study of one of the most influential art forms of the last century. The course invites students to explore how film reflects the world we live in — its people, places, stories, and values — while also providing opportunities to develop practical filmmaking and screenwriting skills.
Students will learn how films communicate meaning through cinematography, editing, mise-en-scène and sound, and how filmmakers use these techniques to engage audiences and express ideas.

What will I study?

The Eduqas GCSE Film Studies course focuses on six set films chosen to provide a broad and balanced introduction to cinema across different genres, eras and cultures.
Our current film choices are:

• Rebel Without a Cause (Ray, 1955)
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Hughes, 1986)
• The Hate U Give (Tillman Jr., 2018)
• Jojo Rabbit (Waititi, 2019)
• Girlhood (Sciamma, 2014)
• Attack the Block (Cornish, 2011)

Through these films, students study the core areas of film form:

• Cinematography – camera shots, angles, movement, lighting
• Mise-en-scène – settings, props, costume, performance
• Editing – pace, transitions, rhythm, and structure
• Sound – dialogue, music, and sound effects
• Context – how films reflect social, political and historical issues

They also explore additional areas such as narrative and genre, representation, aesthetics and film style, and specialist writing — including the study of published film criticism and theory.

How is the course structured?

Year 10: Global Film and Production

• Jojo Rabbit – narrative structure and restricted narration
• Girlhood – representation and identity in French cinema
• Attack the Block – British urban realism and film aesthetics
• Introduction to film language and timeline of key developments in cinema
• NEA: Screenwriting – students plan and write the opening of an original screenplay (and an evaluative analysis)

Year 11: American Film and Specialist Writing

• Rebel Without a Cause – post-war American youth and genre conventions
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Reagan-era culture, comedy, and teen rebellion
• The Hate U Give – race, ideology, and contemporary representation through specialist writing
• Contextual study of US film history and film technology timeline
• Final revision and mock examinations

How will I be assessed?

Will I enjoy this course?

You will enjoy Film Studies if you are curious about how moving images create meaning and emotion, and if you like analysing and creating visual stories. The course combines academic study with creative production, allowing students to think like critics and work like filmmakers.
Collaboration, creativity and attention to detail are key. Students who enjoy English, Media, Art or Drama will find many transferable skills between these subjects.

Progression and careers

Film Studies develops analytical, creative and technical skills valued across a wide range of careers. Many students progress to A Level Film Studies or Media Studies, and later to university courses in Film, Media, English or Art. The subject also provides insight into the wider creative industries, including film production, journalism, marketing, visual design and cultural criticism.