MDS3
This course requires 2 options.

Media Studies 3

Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Tim Shipton.



The media exerts an enormous amount of influence and dictates many of our fashions, trends and tastes. In this course you will analyse how the media represents us. You will also use a range of digital technologies to write, plan and produce your own short film. This course blends both theory and practice. It also includes a field trip to the Hobbiton film set. 

  • Analyse how New Zealand and New Zealanders are represented in the media
  • Explore the relationship between a media genre and society
  • Write an original screenplay based on a genre of your choice
  • Plan and design a blueprint to create an original short film
  • Produce your own short film

Course Overview

Term 1
The start of the course is a refresher for students who took the Level 2 course and also an introduction for new Media Studies students. Following this students will look at how New Zealanders of different genders, ethnicities, professions, ages and social groups are represented in the media. Primarily this will focus on television advertisements but will also cross over to film, television series, posters and billboards.

Students will map out their own original idea for a short film. This will involve looking at some examples of short films from here in Aotearoa and also overseas. Using screenwriting software they will then write an original screenplay for their own short film. Their film will need to belong to a distinctive genre and students will learn the tools and techniques to help that to happen.

Term 2
In this term students will refine their screenplay and create a blueprint to turn that screenplay into a short film. for their short film. This blueprint will cover every logistical need required for a successful short film to be created. This is an individual task but students need to plan to have up to three people working on the creation of the trailer.

Students will also look at a media genre and explore the relationship that it has with society. A distinctive genre will be used as our focus in class but students will have the opportunity to consider a genre of their own choice and will apply their learning. Students will look at examples from a small selection of films and write a practice response essay.

Term 3
The bulk of this term is dedicated to taking the blueprint that was created last term and physically making it into an actual short film. Students will need to manage their own time in order to achieve this and will also have the opportunity to work individually or as a pair or small group of three students. The completed film must be clearly identifiable as belong to a particular genre. Pre-production, production and post-production all need to be completed this term.

Students will also take some time to review their understanding of genre and society and prepare for the end of term exams. They will need explore ways in which genre can be both a positive and negative influence and also how it can be influential in ways that may not be immediately obvious. During this term students will also continue their study of an aspect of the superhero genre. They This will lead into the senior exam week.

Term 4
This final term is dedicated to completing the study of the relationship between a media genre and society. While the bulk of the term is based on revision for the end of year exam, students will also be able to share their own films with the class and reflect on the challenges that are involved in film making.

Prerequisites

Open - MSD2 preferred

Pathway

Following this course students who have enjoyed this field could look at tertiary courses in film, television, animation, journalism, creative writing and any number of creative fields.

Key Competencies

Credit Information

You will be assessed in this course through all or a selection of the standards listed below.

This course is eligible for subject endorsement.
Course endorsement provides recognition for a student who has performed exceptionally well in an individual course.
Students will gain an endorsement for a course if, in a single school year, they achieve:
* 14 or more credits at Merit or Excellence, and
* at least 3 of these credits from externally assessed standards and 3 credits from internally assessed standards.

Total Credits Available: 20
Internal Assessed Credits: 16
External Assessed Credits: 4
Assessment
Description
Level
Internal or
External
Credits
L1 Literacy Credits
UE Literacy Credits
Numeracy Credits
A.S. 91492 v2
NZQA Info

Media Studies 3.3 - Demonstrate understanding of the media representation of an aspect of New Zealand culture or society


Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 3
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 0 *
Numeracy Credits: 0

Assessments:
Term: 1, Week: 6

A.S. 91493 v3
NZQA Info

Media Studies 3.4 - Demonstrate understanding of a relationship between a media genre and society


Level: 3
Internal or External: External
Credits: 4
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 4r,4w *
Numeracy Credits: 0

Assessments:
Term: 4, Week: 4

A.S. 91494 v2
NZQA Info

Media Studies 3.5 - Produce a design for a media product that meets the requirements of a brief


Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 4
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 0 *
Numeracy Credits: 0

Assessments:
Term: 2, Week: 9

A.S. 91495 v2
NZQA Info

Media Studies 3.6 - Produce a media product to meet the requirements of a brief


Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 6
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 0 *
Numeracy Credits: 0

Assessments:
Term: 3, Week: 10

A.S. 91497 v2
NZQA Info

Media Studies 3.8 - Write a media text to meet the requirements of a brief


Level: 3
Internal or External: Internal
Credits: 3
Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
University Entrance Literacy Credits: 3w *
Numeracy Credits: 0

Assessments:
Term: 2, Week: 1

Credit Summary
Total Credits: 20
Total Level 1 Literacy Credits: 0
Total University Entrance Literacy Credits: 7
Total Numeracy Credits: 0

Approved subject for University Entrance

Number of credits that can be used for overall endorsement: 20

Only students engaged in learning and achievement derived from Te Marautanga o Aotearoa are eligible to be awarded these subjects as part of the requirement for 14 credits in each of three subjects.