Overview

You study the key media thinkers and theories, and explore all aspects of the media including television, radio, journalism, popular music and social media. This course includes an optional work placement year, at no extra cost.

There’s never been a more important time to scrutinise the media – with a reality television star becoming US President, the rise of `fake news’ and social media dominating our lives in this on-demand world.

You learn to read, understand, create and use broadcast and social media, and see how it shapes our lives and our understanding of the world.

We cover a wide range of topics, exploring our social history, arts and pop culture, and look at a range of topics that have influenced our lives, from Beatlemania to Beliebers, Frankenstein to Farage.

Course details

Year 1 introduces you to key practices, theories, concepts and histories associated with producing and analysing media texts. Year 2 develops your production, analytical and conceptual skills within more specialised modules. Year 3 is about consolidating knowledge and skills, and working more independently.

Please note that option module titles may be subject to change.

This module provides tools in your reading of cultural texts. Focusing on computer games, animation and film, you gain an introductory level of understanding in the context of your chosen fields of study.
As well as looking at the historical and contextual overview of the history of animation, film and computer games, you also look at how we interpret these types of media historically and materially. You choose a text from within your area of interest and undertake an analytical review in the form of a case study.

Creative Media Production

You explore the basic technical components of the process of making video or audiovisual materials for outputs such as online publishing, documentary or drama. You are introduced to media languages and how to communicate clearly to target audiences.
The module is project based and you carry out writing, composition and editing of your own short video or online publication. You learn basic skills in risk assessment for technical equipment, filming, editing and using online resources.
Your assessment is the creation of a video in response to a brief and the submission of a written review.

Final Project

This module aims to guide you through the production of a small-scale individual project defined in part by you, with guidance from the tutor. The final project aims to develop an individual working approach and good project management. You will develop original ideas and concepts for an appropriate project in your chosen field of study. These may take the form of a short story, artefact, report, campaign, comic, concept art or other appropriate form related to the arts and media industries.

Storytelling

Here, you apply acquired knowledge and skills to a selected project according to an area of your individual interest or specialism. This module provides an overview of professional graphic practice and enables you to reflect on your own learning and personal career aspirations. You review work from modules through your portfolio presentation and set goals for the next stage.

Study Skills

You explore learning skills for undergraduate study at University, providing you with a range of learning material and practical sessions. You develop your professional skills including teamwork, researching a topic, report writing and delivering presentations, as well as time management and learning practice.
You learn by a combination of lectures, e-learning material and support.

You are introduced to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) at Teesside University, exploring e-learning material and reading lists, and student support and learning resources.

Your assessment is a portfolio based on set tasks, including research into set problems.

Understanding Media

Year 1 core modules

You develop general digital production skills with an additional focus on post-production. The module enhances effective practical, technical and aesthetical approaches required to create a variety of digital media artefacts across a variety of digital delivery platforms with more relevance to the subject specific disciplines. You learn a variety of advanced sector specific and industry standard digital delivery methods and production techniques surrounding the acquisition, manipulation and operation of media production hardware and software applications. You also have access to freelance resources during the module. You are assessed on two pass/fail components. The first assessment involves a series of practical exams that determine your proficiency across a range of digital media production disciplines. The second is a digital portfolio of the culmination of work developed during the module.

Bootcamp Production

You are introduced to effective practical, technical and aesthetical approaches required to create a variety of digital media artefacts across a variety of digital delivery platforms. You learn a variety of sector specific and industry standard digital delivery methods and production techniques surrounding the acquisition, manipulation and operation of media production hardware and software applications. In addition to the supervised contact time, you also have access to freelance resources. You are assessed on two pass/fail components. Your first assessment is a series of practical exams that determine your proficiency across a range of digital media production disciplines. Your second assessment is a digital portfolio of work developed during the module.

Branding and Identify

This module looks at the ideas, concepts, and practicalities of developing a professional online presence. It takes a critical look at social media and considers how best to make use of existing online communities and tools. You design and create something that represents you in an online presence, using a range of available technologies and third-party applications (web authoring, blogging systems, social media, file sharing and networking systems), to act as a PR tool in promoting your career or specific media-related activities to a specified audience.

Convergent Culture

We are all fans of something, and with the development of multimedia platforms for media products such as Game of Thrones and The Avengers, audiences don’t just watch a film anymore, they get involved in all areas of that world. This module explores areas of audience interaction, extreme fandom, and the results of immersing ourselves in the various media multi-verses.

Introduction Theory

Media theory provides the foundations of understanding on how any form of moving image media communicates meaning. You explore what media theory is and further your understanding of a moving image text using canonical analytical codes. You are introduced to critical theory and the technical processes of writing analytical work such as essays. Your assessment is producing an essay, critically analysing a chosen moving image text through the application of media theory.

Storytelling: From Page to screen

You write short narrative pieces for the radio and screen. You examine the way that stories have been recycled and reinvented over time, and develop an understanding of the common plot archetypes through exploration of various examples of screenplay structure, as well as gaining an understanding of the three key elements of theme, character and plot, and how to effectively combine these to construct unique and compelling scripts.

How you learn

A wide range of learning experiences blends practice with in-depth subject knowledge. Theory modules are usually delivered by a combination of lectures, seminars and independent study. Practical modules are delivered through extended workshop sessions, and could include video and audio production, web design, scriptwriting and creating blogs.

How you are assessed

You are assessed on a wide range of assignments including written submissions and portfolios, presentations and production work. There are no formal examinations on the course.