a level magazine coursework

A-Level Media Studies

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• Media Focus
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Sunday 1 November 2020

Magazine coursework: creating a conventional initial flat plan, the minimum expected elements for the magazine project.

• Original title and masthead for the magazine; strapline
• Cover price and barcode
• Main cover image to establish the identity of the new artist or band
• Main cover line relating to the new artist or band plus at least 2 further cover lines
• Feature article (approximately 300 words) to promote the new artist or band. The article should include an interview with the artist or band.
• Headline and stand-first, sub-headings, columns
• One main image and at least 2 smaller/minor images (all original and different from the images on the cover)
• Pull quotes and/ or sidebar

Analyzing existing magazines

A rough rough rough draft: creating a flat plan

For more info on how to produce a flat plan, including an example of what we're looking for, click here., i don't know what i'm doing. what should my magazine look like what shot types should i use where does this or that go what colours do i use how big should the masthead be how many cover lines should i use how much should my magazine be [literally any other question], the answer to all of these is look at the examples of magazines you have picked.

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Essential media theory, essential theory, a new section of the emt website that's designed to help you revise and master media theory and core concepts:, - 500+ key concept flashcards, - 500+ revision questions, - track your revision using the my revision gyms .

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As and a level media studies nea.

This guidance relates to AS and A Level Media Studies (H009, H409).

What’s on this page

Carrying out the assessment.

The AS and A Level Media non-exam assessment (NEA) briefs are published in the Assessment > Pre-release materials section of the qualification page

• A Level – published on 1 March for submission the following year 
• AS Level – published on 1 September in the year of submission 

The NEA briefs are also available on Teach Cambridge .

All NEA work must be completed and marks submitted by 15 May of the year of submission. Once you have submitted your marks to OCR, you will receive a moderation sample request. For each candidate in the sample request you need to submit: 

• Cover sheet – A Level and AS Level  
• Teacher assessed media production
• Non-assessed research notes and planning materials
• Statement of intent – A Level and AS Level

Authentication

Each candidate should sign a declaration to confirm the work is their own. Teachers must complete a centre authentication form (CCS160) . These forms should be kept in your centre until the end of the post-results period. 

Submission methods

Entry options.

There are two entry options for submitting work to the moderator:

• Digital upload via Submit for Assessment  – H009/02 (AS) and H409/03 (A Level)
• Postal moderation – H009/03 (AS) and H409/04 (A Level) 

If you have entered to submit by digital upload, files should be uploaded to Submit for Assessment. Files uploaded to Submit for Assessment should be clearly organised and labelled identifying the candidate number and content of the file (eg 1234_coversheet). Documents uploaded to Submit for Assessment work best in PDF format. 

You can view further details about Submit for Assessment on our website .

If you have entered for postal moderation, you can send work digitally on a password-protected USB stick or in physical format for print work. Please label the work clearly so that the moderator can identify which candidate it belongs to.

Use of online platforms

Online platforms can be used to submit work for both Submit for Assessment and postal moderation options. Online platforms, including blogs, allow candidates to include their research and planning materials as well as their final products.

Where work is submitted via online platforms it is best practice to send a link to a password-protected online centre blog hub containing links to each individual candidate portfolio. Alternatively, a PDF file containing working hyperlinks to individual candidate blogs can be submitted.

When submitting work via online blogs, centres should:

• use candidate number, rather than name, to identify the blogs
• make sure the submission for each candidate contains the statement of intent, research and planning, Product 1 and a link to the website production
• include coversheets and a document with the links needed to access candidate work – this can be uploaded to Submit for Assessment or sent postally as a PDF, depending on the entry option chosen.

Sharing work

Candidates and centres must not share NEA work with others or share work via social media. Centres must make sure that work submitted for the NEA is not publicly accessible. This is in line with JCQ requirements . Any blogs or videos uploaded to online platforms must be unlisted and links to online materials must not be shared publicly.

Accessing work after submission

Centres must make sure candidates cannot access work once the marks have been submitted to OCR.

Centres can do this by submitting audio or video products as MP3 or MP4 files, or by using a hosted online platform controlled by your centre which candidates cannot log in to (for example a dedicated YouTube channel for the centre). For candidate websites, centres can take possession of the website by changing the password so candidates can no longer access it. Alternatively, your candidates can submit screenshots of the final web pages to the teacher. These screenshots should not be submitted to the moderator, but should be retained by the centre until the end of the post-results period.

File Formats

Any work submitted as digital files must be in universal file formats. We recommend work is submitted in the following formats:

• Embedded in online blog

Retaining candidate work

Candidate work, including any work submitted via online platforms, should be kept by the centre and remain available until after the deadline for reviews of moderation or until any appeal, malpractice, or other results enquiry is complete.

Media production – individual work only

Candidates must work individually to produce responses to the briefs. Group productions are not permitted, although other people can assist the candidate as long as they follow the candidate's instructions and their contribution is indicated on the cover sheet. Examples of this include people acting or appearing in the media product or people operating lights.

Research and planning

Although not assessed, research and planning must be submitted for moderation as it supports the authentication of work and helps moderators identify a candidate's aims. It underpins effective production practices, and we recommend candidates complete sufficient research and planning to allow them to have a clear understanding of the conventions of similar professional media products.

Statement of intent

A statement of intent must be completed by every candidate to communicate their production ideas. This should be completed before candidates begin their production, although it can be edited later to reflect changes in the production process. If a statement of intent is not submitted there is a limit to the number of marks they can achieve, as follows: 

• A Level – Ten marks will be deducted from a candidate’s final mark 
• AS Level – The candidate’s maximum mark is limited to the top of Level 4 of the marking criteria. 

Original/found materials

All content (including all images, text, video and audio) submitted as part of the NEA production must be original and created by the candidate themselves. The exceptions to this are the use of music in audio/audio-visual production briefs and in the original audio/audio-visual content required for the website production, and the use of existing brand logos. Where candidates have used any other found materials these must not be considered for credit. 

You can view more details in the AS and A Level Media specifications.

Candidates are required to produce the homepage and one linked page for their website only. If candidates have created more than the two required pages, only the homepage and one linked page should be assessed. It must be indicated on the NEA coversheet which linked page has been assessed.

The use of templates provided by online platforms such as Wix.com is permissible. Where templates have been used this should be indicated on the NEA coversheet. Candidates should be encouraged to avoid being overly reliant on templates and make their own choices in the use of media language. Candidates must be responsible for the design of the website by editing the template to suit their branding, and all content (such as text, images and audio-visual material) should be original.

The NEA briefs require the websites to include original audio or audio-visual content. This content should be in addition to audio/audio-visual content produced for Product 1.

When securing online production work for submission, centres should take care to make sure logins provided to moderators give them read-only access.

If you have any questions about the NEA for AS and A Level Media Studies, please call our Customer Support Centre on 01223 553998 or email us at [email protected] .

A Level Media Studies

                       unit 3 - coursework, unit overview.

This is the non-examination assessment (coursework) unit for the A Level Media Studies course.

 The brief can be found here:

To access the resources page for this unit, please click here.

Week 1 - Intro to coursework

Week 2 -research and initial planing, week 3 - past student work, universal music and statement of intent, week 4 - , week 5 - , week 6 - , week 7 - , week 8 - , week 9  - , week 10 - , week 11 - , week 12 - .

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Vogue [Media Studies, A Level, WJEC] Cheat Sheet by churger

1965's Vogue magazine with Sophia Loren on the cover is a set text for Paper 2 of Media Studies A Level under the WJEC Exam Board.

Introd­uction

Repres­ent­ation, how's your readability.

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• Published: 31st May, 2023
• Last Updated: 6th June, 2023

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AS/A Level Media Studies

Amended question numbering in exam paper and separate answer booklet provided – see Sample Assessment Materials for AS and A level , and Answer Booklet in the Sample Assessment Materials tab below.

Please see our  e-Submissions centre guidance , Media Studies NEA e-Submission Guide , email:  [email protected] , or phone  029 2240 4310 .

Apply now and join our team of examiners.

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The Eduqas AS & A level in media studies offers learners the opportunity to develop a thorough and in depth understanding of key issues, using a comprehensive theoretical framework and a variety of advanced theoretical approaches and theories to support critical exploration and reflection, analysis and debate. The study of a wide range of rich and stimulating media products is central to the specification, offering opportunities for detailed analysis of how the media communicate meanings in a variety of forms. Learners will work from the product outwards to debate key critical questions related to the social, cultural, political and economic role of the media. Through studying media products holistically in relation to all areas of the theoretical framework, learners will engage with the dynamic relationships between media products, media industries and audiences. Learners will also consider established media forms alongside more contemporary forms, developing an awareness of emerging and evolving media.

Although the primary emphasis in this specification is on the contemporary media, learners will explore how the products relate to their wider historical contexts. Learners will also extend their experience of the media through the study of products with which they may be less familiar, including those produced by or for a minority group, non-mainstream and non-English language products. This specification aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the transnational nature of the media, considering the effect of different national contexts on representations in media products, the global reach of media industries, and the targeting of audiences on a national and global scale.

Choice and flexibility are a vital part of the specification, enabling teachers to select the most appropriate, relevant and engaging products for their learners to study in Component 2.

This specification also recognises the fundamental relationship between theoretical understanding and practical work, providing learners with exciting opportunities to develop media production skills in different forms, apply their knowledge and understanding of the theoretical framework to media forms and products, and become creators of meaning themselves. Learners will be offered a choice of briefs and forms within which to work, enabling them to explore and pursue their own media interests.

The Eduqas AS & A level in Media Studies offers a broad, engaging and stimulating course of study which enables learners to:

• Demonstrate skills of enquiry, critical thinking, decision-making and analysis
• Demonstrate a critical approach to media issues
• Demonstrate appreciation and critical understanding of the media and their role both historically and currently in society, culture, politics and the economy
• Develop an understanding of the dynamic and changing relationships between media forms, products, industries and audiences
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the global nature of the media
• Apply theoretical knowledge and specialist subject specific terminology to analyse and compare media products and the contexts in which they are produced and consumed
• Make informed arguments, reach substantiated judgements and draw conclusions about media issues
• Engage in critical debate about academic theories used in media studies
• Appreciate how theoretical understanding supports practice and practice supports theoretical understanding
• Demonstrate sophisticated practical skills by providing opportunities for creative media production.

Any requirements set for entry to a course following this specification are at the discretion of centres. It is reasonable to assume that many learners will have achieved qualifications equivalent to Level 2 at KS4. Skills in literacy and analysis will provide a good basis for progression to this Level 3 qualification. Some learners will have already gained knowledge, understanding, and skills through their study of GCSE media studies .

Why choose Eduqas?

• A choice of options for production
• A choice of options for the set products/texts
• Topics and products/texts chosen to appeal to students
• Creative work which is central to the course
• Unlimited access to free resources
• Face-to-face professional learning courses
• Uniform design across GCSE, AS and A level to allow for coherent progression
• Flexibility for teachers to choose relevant and appropriate texts/products
• Direct access to Subject specialists
• Support from our  Regional Representatives

Important information, past papers, marking schemes, entry/amendment uploads & make post-results enquiries.

Grade boundaries are the minimum number of marks needed to achieve each grade.

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A Level Media Studies

Cohort 2020 – 2022

How to do a great blog post.

The blog is not just an account of what you have done, it is a reflection on what you have learnt and a focus forward.

Evidence shows that students & professionals who maintain a journal gain a number of really important benefits.

A blog posts is never just a recap of what you have done or a summary of what you have posted…   

…it is instead, a mulling over, a stop to consider, a genuine reflection on your learning …

Some ways to get into that good quality reflection is to say to yourself….

• What do I know that I did not know before? And, more importantly, how is that now impacting on my ideas, projects, creative process

The purpose of completing reflections is two fold:

• It helps you focus on where you are in your learning journey – what you have learnt, how you are applying it and where your journey is taking you? FOCUS FORWARD!
• It also means that you will already have reflected on your research, planning, production, post-production and evaluation so the Creative Critical Reflection in the blog will be much easier too.

Example reflections:

Not good (what is wrong with this?)

• ‘In this task we looked at magazine conventions for a front cover We found out that there is always a masthead, captions for articles inside and other visual graphics called pugs, calls outs etc.  I will now include these in my front page cover.  we looked at genre, repertoire of elements, blueprint and audience expectations and the ideas of lacey and altman.  I learnt what these terms mean.’

This is better:

• ‘Having a front cover for a magazine is all about engaging the target audience – the potential consumer. Everything from the font used for the magazine title (the masthead) to the language used for the captions and call-outs, colour of the font and the images on the cover are all integral to how that magazine conveys its brand messages & identity.  I am determined to find a really unusual and eye catching typeface and use typography to create a front cover that sells my brand. It should be  conventional and yet innovative and different.  Whilst a conventional blueprint for a heavy rock music magazine has a certain repertoire of elements (dark MES, intense and energetic poses, authentic and aggressive facial expression etc) which are ideas put forward by Altman,  I hope to make the expected ingredients for my front cover and other pages appropriate for the genre but different too so that my audience won’t reject the text but instead be intrigued, excited and inspired by it – enough to buy the magazine and read on.’

Here are some tips for a TIP TOP BLOG.

• Include TECHNICAL TERMS and THEORY – always read our blog posts and include the key terms at the top of each of our posts.
• All evidence should be attached as PDFs, JPEGS or Public / Published Slideshows embedded and access checked.
• Never just insert something as a link – looks messy & no one is going to click on it…ever!
• All evidence should be available to be seen by the examiner so don’t include google docs ever!
• Make sure you keep the posts in order with the blog league – the journey makes chronological sense then.
• NEVER just copy other people’s reflections.
• Focus forward. How does the post now help you with your own production decisions, ideas and progress?  Look back and look forward to where you want to get to next.
• ‘I’ not i
• capital letters for names, places, titles (proper nouns)
• do not use slang such as ‘geezer’.
• WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Be precise.
• spellings of media words such as connotation, equilibrium etc
• Don’t write essays . Always present your reflections and analysis with bullet points, paragraphs and sub-headings to make it easy on the eye.
• Remember – A BLOG POST A DAY IS THE WAY TO AN ‘A’ it will also keep MRS C or MISS H AWAY!

LINK TO AN EXCELLENT BLOG POST

• oliviarowell
• Jun 4, 2018

A-Level Media Coursework Fashion Magazine

Scroll through the gallery below to check it out!

As you can see above, is a Fashion Magazine that I produced for my A-Level Media studies coursework using Adobe InDesign. When making a decision as to what I was going to make I just knew that I had to do something Fashion related. I knew that I wanted to do print as I didn't feel that I could have managed to make some form of a video as I have no experience with this.

I used a combination of my own images and then images that I had taken from the internet but then edited to make them look different to what they originally were. For the likes of the image of the model in the underwear, this is one of the ones that I had taken from the internet however I then edited it using Adobe Photoshop as well as adding my own fonts including making up the brand name 'Amour Uno'.

I also included a few articles in this piece in which I also produced. I already have good written skills in which studying English Language helps me with massively! As it is a Fashion/Lifestyle magazine I felt that these should cover a wide range of topics and not just cover Fashion, this is something that ELLE and Cosmopolitan do which are the magazines I took inspiration from.

As a whole, I absolutely loved doing this and it has made me realise how much I want to do things like this at university. I loved all aspects of producing it from the initial researching, photography of my own images, editing images, working out the layout of my magazine and writing articles.

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