Creative Digital Media Production

Course Details

Video Introduction:

What is this course about?

This is a technical qualification focussing on a specialist pathway in the production and publishing of digital content, equivalent in size to 1 A level. This is a course for anyone with an interest in Media and Film/Graphic Production.

The Creative Digital Media course allows students to develop a range of practical production skills in a variety of formats in combination with an understanding of how media texts function and media industries work.

Course Content

The full qualification is 5 units studied over the two years, completing two practical projects in year 1 and the final three in year 2. 2 units are mandatory and the other 3 are optional and so can be interchanged depending on the preference of staff and the student cohort. There is 1 externally marked component in the form of a 20 hour supervised practical project. There is no exam with this course.

Two mandatory units studied are:

Unit 3 – Digital Media Skills: The only externally assessed unit working from a client brief to create a complete product. (20 hours supervised project worth 33% of the course).

Learners look at the creative digital media technical skills required to produce a product.  You will learn how to work to a client brief relating to a specific media sector: audio, audio-visual, games, web or digital publishing, and demonstrate your creative and technical skills in the production of a complete product.  You will demonstrate your understanding of production and post-production activities by working on the skill required to produce the product, and prepare appropriate documentation to support them.

Unit 14 – Digital Magazine Production: Assessed through a portfolio of work which is internally assessed.

Magazines are prepared and produced digitally across a wide range of genres.  They often combine content from a diverse range of global contributors, and are increasingly available for both print and digital distribution platforms.  In this unit, you will learn about the codes and conventions that magazine producers use to communicate with their target audience, and how they generate, select and prepare materials to produce a completed magazine cover and double -page spread.

3 optional units studied chosen from:

Unit 9 – App Production:  Learners develop the skills to build apps and will gain an understanding of the tools, principles and practices that underpin modern app development.

Unit 12 – Website Production:  Learners are introduced to the fundamental technologies, principles and practised that underpin contemporary website production.

Unit 27 – Digital Photography: Learners explore the techniques required to produce digital photographs.  They will experiment with and use digital photography techniques to produce digital photographs.

Unit 28 – Image Manipulation Technique:  Explore approaches to image manipulation and develop skills in digital image manipulation techniques to produce a final image for a specific media purpose.

Unit 29 – 2D Graphics: Tools and techniques used in the creation of 2D digital graphics for use in media software and applications, used to enhance a wide range or print and interactive media products.

Unit 30 – Page Layout Design for Digital Media:  This unit will introduce learns to the tools and techniques used in the creation of page layout for digital printed or digital media products.

A learner’s final qualification grade reflects their achievements across units in their BTEC Nationals course. Both internally and externally assessed units are individually graded, and each final unit grade is allocated points. Internally assessed units are marked and graded in school and subject to external verification by Pearson. Externally assessed units are marked and graded by Pearson. Units are graded Pass, Merit or Distinction.  Total points scored across all units are used to calculate the final qualification grade.

What might this course lead on to?

Further study of and careers in Media Studies, Cinematics & Photography, Design Studies, Journalism, Graphic Design, Computer Science, Business Studies, Arts Production, Animation, Film and Television Production, Broadcast production and presenting.

At university level there are a number of institutions offering practical based degree courses from Film Production to Scriptwriting and Radio Production. As this is a vocational course, it is an excellent introduction to the Creative Media Industries. There are many apprenticeships available in the media industry.

Entry Requirements:

Students must have gained a 4 or higher in GCSE English Language. It is not essential but may help if you have previously studied Creative iMedia, Photography or Art and Design at GCSE.