Hello and welcome to the Film & Media Department at Reigate College. To help familiarise you with the Department, please take a look at our Welcome Video.
My name is Tanya Neuss and I’m the Course Leader for Media Studies. There has never been a more important time to understand the media and how it affects our society, so I’m delighted you’ve chosen to study Media Studies A Level.
Just to give you a feel for where the A Level Media Studies course might lead, you may want to have a look at the huge range of media jobs available and the types of knowledge and skills these require, which you could gain by studying here at Reigate College.
To help introduce you to the course programme, I’m setting some activities for you to complete over the coming months. These tasks will give you an insight into the skills and approach required at advanced level; they have been designed for you to complete independently from home and there’ll be the chance to discuss what you’ve learnt when you start the course in September.
The tasks are organised in three distinct steps and should all be completed by Choices Day on 25 August 2026. This is to give you the best insight into what the courses will be like and/or help prepare you for them.
Please note, some Course Leaders (for example for Music) may release their tasks earlier, as they may form part of the College’s audition process. If this applies to you, you’ll be notified separately.
New Starters Course Tasks and Activities
| Release date | Suggested Completion Dates | |
| Explore your Subject | 1 June | 1 July |
| Get Going | 1 June | 1 August |
| Aim High | 1 June | 1 September |
1. Watch this video for an overview of the key concepts in Media Studies:
2. Read through this webpage on the representation of gender and make notes on the representation of femininity and masculinity:
http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/alevkeyconcepts/alevelkeycon.php?pageID=gender
3. Analyse the representation of gender in this fragrance advert – what does it suggest about masculinity and femininity (what it means to be male or female)?
4. Watch the following video about changes in journalism and make notes on the impact new technology and social media is having upon news journalism and society.
1. Watch this video on semiotic analysis making notes on denotation and connotations, mise en scene, sound, camerawork and editing:
2. Carry out a semiotic analysis of this music video – consider how mise en scene, sound, camerawork and editing have been used to convey meaning – what ideas and themes are communicated overall?
3. Pick a music video of your choice to analyse in the same way and consider why the music video was constructed in this way – what does it suggest about the artist?
Work through Task 9 in this Leap into Media activity pack from the English and Media Centre.
Course Leader – Media Studies
