Kia ora and welcome to Year 13 Media Studies.  This course outline will give you details of the course for the year ahead. The course is assessed through Level 3 Achievement Standards and includes both internal and external (exam) standards.

TERM ONE:

Documentary Study  – The awful truth?

By the end of this unit you will be able to explain different elements documentary makers use to attract, entertain and inform an audience, in order to make your own documentary. You will also be able to explain a documentary from different perspectives.

AS 90600

Explain how meaning is created in media texts

4 credits – Internally assessed

Assessment: Part one due Week 7, Part two in Week 10 of term 1. There will be a resubmission opportunity in Term 2 if both parts have been completed.

Documentary production Concept and Treatment

During term one you will begin to pitch and refine your concept for your own short documentary film (to be produced in the second half of term two). This process takes place over several weeks so you can refine your ideas and you will be expected to meet formative deadlines before the final hand in date.

AS 90604 3.6

Complete and justify a concept and treatment for a media product. 

2 credits – Internally assessed

Assessment: Week 10, Term 1.

TERM TWO:

Film Noir – Danger, darkness and dames.

By the end of this unit you will be able to explain conventions of Film Noir and how the society it was made in affected the genre. We will study films such as Gilda, The Third Man and Double Indemnity. Characteristics of the genre you will become familiar with include the femme fatale, the hard boiled detective, a corrupt world and stylistic features such as low lit rooms, dark alleyways, sharp tilts and glamour gone bad.

AS 90602 3.4 

Explain the interrelationship between a media genre and society.

4 credits – Externally assessed, Monday 28 November, 2pm

You will have a chance to practice this standard in the school exams

END OF TERM TWO AND TERM THREE:

Documentary production – Reality Bytes!

This is your chance to produce your own documentary. You will use the concept and treatment you completed in term one to prepare for your own documentary production. A selection of the finished documentary films will be shown on the Media Film night to family and friends.

Although you may work in small groups to create your film, you will be assessed individually. You will be required to show that you have contributed satisfactorily to the production of the film.

AS 90606 3.8

Create a media product using appropriate media technology.

6 credits – Internally assessed

Assessment: Rough Cut: Week 3            Final Film: Week 5

TERM THREE

The New Zealand film industry – Local Heroes

By the end of this unit you will be able to explain some ways the New Zealand film industry is organised and controlled. You will look at the current state of the NZFC through case studies of recent films

AS 90599 3.1

Demonstrate understanding of a specific media industry

4 credits – Externally assessed, Monday 28^th November 2011

You will have a chance to practice this standard in the school exams

TERM FOUR:

Revision for AS 90599 (industry) and

AS 90602 (Genre and Society)