13MDS - Media Studies - NCEA Level 3

We interact with media everyday, from the social media on our phones, to the advertising we pass on the way to school, to the content we stream on our TVs. The 13MDS course is designed to critically examine the media that we encounter in our daily lives and challenge students with new media experiences. Students will create media in the form of a short film that competes for a distinguished place in the annual filmmaking showcase: the Macademy Awards. In addition, we’ll study a range of media including adverts, TV shows, and films from NZ, Hollywood and elsewhere, as well as debate media issues that arise across the year. Topics include an investigation into how masculinity has been portrayed in NZ advertising including the stereotype of the 'good kiwi bloke', and a study of the Found Footage genre and the way it has reflected society's changing relationships with media technology. 

While the course has specific links to tertiary courses in humanities, the arts, creative technologies and communication studies, the critical thinking and media production skills developed in media studies are valuable in any pathway beyond school.