Media Studies - Key Stage 5
A Level Film Studies (Eduqas)
Overview
A Level Film Studies explores film as both an art form and a social, cultural and political artefact.
Students study a diverse range of films from different periods, movements, and national cinemas, developing a critical understanding of how filmmakers create meaning and provoke response through visual and sound design, performance, and narrative structure.
The course blends academic study with creative practice. Students learn to interpret film using key theoretical frameworks and apply this understanding in their own screenplay writing or short film production.
What will I study?
Students study 11 set films across six areas, chosen to represent the breadth of world cinema:
- Hollywood 1930–1990: Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) and Alien (Scott, 1979)
- British Film: Mogul Mowgli (Bassam Tariq, 2020) and Mangrove from Small Axe (Steve McQueen, 2020)
- American Independent Film: Joker (Phillips, 2019) and Moonlight (Jenkins, 2016)
- Global Film: Parasite (Bong Joon-ho, 2019) and Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Céline Sciamma, 2019)
- Documentary Film: Amy (Kapadia, 2015)
- Silent Cinema: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (Murnau, 1927)
Key areas of study include:
- Cinematography, editing, sound and mise-en-scène
- Ideology, spectatorship and narrative structure
- Representation, authorship, and film movements
- Historical, political and institutional context
- Critical debate and theoretical perspectives (auteurism, feminism, postmodernism, structuralism)
Assessment Overview
|
Component |
Title |
Weighting |
Assessment |
|
1. Varieties of Film and Filmmaking |
Classical and New Hollywood, American Independent |
35% |
Written exam (2 hrs 30). Comparative and contextual analysis. |
|
2. Global Filmmaking Perspectives |
British, Global, Documentary and Silent Cinema |
35% |
Written exam (2 hrs 30). Close analysis and theoretical debate. |
|
3. Production (NEA) |
Creative Screenplay or Short Film |
30% |
Practical production with evaluative analysis (1,800 words). |
Will I enjoy this course?
You will enjoy Film Studies if you love analysing how films work, exploring visual storytelling, and debating ideas about representation and meaning. The course encourages intellectual curiosity and creative experimentation, combining rigorous analysis with hands-on production work.
Progression and careers
A Level Film Studies is excellent preparation for further study in Film, Media, English, Cultural Studies or the Arts. The skills developed — visual literacy, analysis, creative writing, and project management — are valued in careers in film production, journalism, advertising, design, education and the wider creative industries.
A Level Media Studies (Eduqas)
Overview
Media Studies at A Level explores how media industries shape our perceptions of the world.
Students investigate how meaning is constructed across print, broadcast and digital platforms, while developing practical skills in digital production, editing, and campaign design. The course encourages critical thinking about representation, ideology and audience engagement in an age of global, interactive media.
What will I study?
You will explore a wide range of contemporary and historical media forms, analysing both established and independent producers. Set texts currently include:
- Film Industry (Industry Only): Black Panther (Coogler, 2018) and I, Daniel Blake (Loach, 2016)
- Radio: Have You Heard George’s Podcast? (George the Poet, 2018)
- Advertising (Audience Focus): Super. Human – Channel 4 Paralympics Campaign, and Tide (1950s print advert)
- Video Games: Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla (Ubisoft, 2020)
- Newspapers: The Times and The Daily Mirror
Key concepts:
- Media Language – how technical and symbolic codes create meaning
- Representation – how people, places and events are portrayed
- Industries – ownership, regulation, funding, and globalisation
- Audiences – targeting, engagement and response
- Contexts – political, social, cultural, economic and technological influences on production and consumption
Students also apply these ideas in their own practical work, producing a cross-media marketing campaign in response to an Eduqas brief.
Assessment Overview
|
Component |
Weighting |
Assessment |
|
|
1. Media Products, Industries and Audiences |
35% |
Written exam (2 hrs 15). Analysis of media language, representation and industry issues. |
|
|
2. Media Forms and Contexts |
35% |
Written exam (2 hrs 30). In-depth analysis of set products from newspapers, film, radio, advertising, magazines and gaming. |
|
|
3. Cross-Media Production (NEA) |
30% |
Coursework. A complete cross-media campaign responding to a set brief (e.g. TV, magazine, and social media). |
Will I enjoy this course?
You will enjoy A Level Media Studies if you are curious about how stories, identities and values are shaped in the media you consume daily. The course rewards students who are analytical, creative and engaged with current affairs and popular culture. You’ll gain valuable practical experience with photography, video editing, layout and digital publishing software.
Progression and careers
Media Studies develops critical and creative skills relevant to university study and to the growing UK creative sector. Students often progress to degrees in Media, Film, Journalism, Communication, Marketing or Digital Design, and careers in broadcasting, PR, advertising, publishing and content creation.
