Combined+Course+Info

So how DO the courses fit together? 1. Most of the content (ie subject matter and skills development) of the course will be the same, no matter which option you've chosen to do. 2. The only major difference is that if you're doing Media Studies you will be doing more research and if you're doing VET Broadcasting you will be doing more practical tasks. 3. Whether you have chosen Media Studies or VET Broadcasting, you will ALL be producing work towards completion of VET Cert 3 in Multimedia and Screen.

Here is a summary of the Course Outline for both SSABSA courses (Media Studies and VET Broadcasting). It does not include the units from VET Cert 3 you will be doing as part of your production work.

In 2009, we'll explore the following main subject areas: Term One: Photojournalism Term Two: Documentaries Term Three: Advertising and Audiences

In all of these subject areas, you'll be exploring how the FOUR KEY MEDIA CONCEPTS help you to critically read and reflect on your own production of media texts and products. They comprise: Media Representations Media Conventions Media Organisations Media Audience The following is extracted and paraphrased from the SSBASA Curriculum Statement. ..

The 4 concepts provide an investigative framework to support your critical analysis and production tasks. They will introduce you to, and support your understanding of, contemporary media construction and dissemination, and the social impact of media texts and products.  Media Representations Media texts are the product of a process of selecting and organising images and sounds. You''l understand how individuals and organisations construct meaning, and how individuals interpret meaning. You'll determine the extent to which a media text has been mediated or changed to suit the needs or expectations of the audience or creator of the text. You'll also examine how media texts present individual behaviour or attitudes as natural and judge whether or not these representations are fair, appropriate, and accurate.  Media Conventions Media use conventions to communicate with audiences. Through these conventions, media present a message that is determined partly by the ideas and values of the media organisation and partly by the audiences as they construct meaning. A convention refers to the way in which messages are normally communicated within a particular medium, for example, moving images in a fixed frame in film and television, or the arrangement of icons on an Internet site. Media conventions are cultural; conventions develop over time and reflect the society that produces them. You'll develop a critical vocabulary with which to express your understanding of media conventions. The following questions are some that you could pose when examining media conventions: · What non-verbal elements have been used to communicate meaning? · How does the soundtrack or language used in the text contribute to the overall meaning? · Are there symbols or images that contribute to understanding of the text? · Has editing been used to enhance or change meaning? · Are sets, setting, and camera positioning important in the structuring of the text? · In what ways do the makers of new media use or challenge traditional conventions? Media Organisations Individuals and organisations produce media texts. Media texts produce individuals and organisations. An individual or organisation has many reasons for producing a text: to sell a product or service, to persuade people to adopt a particular point of view, or to satisfy a need to be creative. With the wide use of information communication technology, many small organisations are now able to communicate their ideas and views. As a consequence, many alternative voices can be heard, and audiences can respond to the ideas and opinions generated in and through media. When you examine an issue or a media text, you'll need to reflect on what you know about the institution that produced the media text. You'll reflect on how the media text was distributed to its audience, as well the ways in which the ownership or control of the media organisation influenced the content or presentation of an issue.  Media Audiences Every day, you're the audience for various media texts. The radio station you listen to, the advertising poster you see on a shop window, the television program you watch, and the website you visit – these are all texts that you may encounter in a typical day. Some media audiences are very small and local, whereas others are global and massive. The reading of a media text will not be the same for all members of its audience; individuals bring their own opinions and interpretations to a text. Audiences are able to resist messages that they receive; an individual may question a view or portrayal of the reality presented in a media text. When you examine a media text you'll will reflect on what you know about the audience for that text. You'll consider the ways that the audience could be influenced by the structure or content of the text and the alternative readings possible.