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BTEC Level 3
Creative Digital Media
Production
Extended Diploma
Student Handbook
2019-21

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Why study Creative Digital Media?

The media is all around us and is one of the most powerful industries in the world. Although
one of the most competitive industries, it is also one of the most diverse. This course seeks
to broaden and deepen your understanding of the media and role that it plays in society.
You will develop knowledge and understanding of a range digital media formats leading to
opportunities to develop practical production skills. There will be many opportunities for
group work where you will develop communication skills that are essential to succeed in the
media industry.

The Vocational Route

The BTEC in Creative Digital Media Production Extended Diploma is a two year course:

 1080 GLH
 Equivalent in size to three A Levels.
 13 units of which 7 are mandatory and 4 are external.
 Mandatory content (66%).
 External assessment (41%).

What will you study?

You will study and learn in a variety of techniques, including individual research tasks and
analysis of existing media production; group discussions and productions; contact with
media professionals; and evaluative thinking to name a few. You will be working with media
software such as Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, Final Cut Pro, Garageband as well as
learning how to use a range of production equipment.

You may well make products for real audiences, including the possibility of exhibiting your
work at the faculty showcase.

Assessment and Deadlines

When you begin each unit you will be provided with an assignment brief that details exactly
what you have to do for each assignment. The hand in date will be given to you for each
interim assessment. You are expected to meet the deadline given so that you teacher can
assess your work and provide structured feedback. It is equally important that your teacher
has regular access to your work so that s/he can identify areas of weakness either in your
work or the class as a whole. This will then inform future lesson planning.

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Certification

All coursework units are individually graded as PASS, MERIT or DISTINCTION.

Minimum Requirements

 Good qualifications to include 5 good GCSE grades including a 4 in English or Media

studies
 An ability to respond to media texts and engage creatively with them
 An ability to discuss media text in some depth
 Be able to work independently
 A desire to work with technologies in creating practical work to a high standard
 A desire to work in the media or film industries
 To be punctual and attend all lessons
 To communicate openly with your teacher and respond positively to feedback
 To meet all deadlines set including interim deadlines.

Our Pledge

 All lessons will be well resourced and planned to stretch your learning and support
your where needed
 You will be introduced to key media texts from a variety of formats. You will have
the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge by learning both in and out of
the classroom and by sharing good practice.
 Teachers will have excellent attendance and always be punctual to lessons
 All work submitted will be returned to you within three working days
 You will have your academic progress monitored and checked against regular
assessment tasks, initially model coursework leading to actual coursework assessed
against marking criteria, and providing you with written feedback and targets for
improvement.
 Your progress will be recorded on SIMS at the end of each half term in compliance
with the school’s assessment policy.
 You will be provided with a range of multi-media resources to support and develop
your learning.
 You will be supported to develop your online creative portfolio using Weebly.com

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Your Pledge

 You must attend all lessons, arrive punctually and be dressed appropriately in
accordance with the college’s dress code
 You will meet deadlines
 You will arrive to lessons fully equipped and resourced
 You will take responsibility for monitoring and organising your own learning and
progress
 You will work with your peers in an academically productive way, courteously and
openly

Rationale for BTEC in Creative Media Production

The Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Nationals in Creative Digital Media Production have been
developed:

 to give learners the opportunity to gain an understanding of employment

opportunities, job requirements and working practices in the media sector
 to enable learners to start building the technical skills and knowledge relevant to an
industry (or industries) in the media sector
 to provide a qualification which will enable progression to further study, training or
employment
 to enable learners to make informed choices with regard to a career in the media
sector
 to develop media technology skills that may be applicable in other work situations or
other qualifications

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Unit 1: Media Representations

Overview:

 mandatory unit
 externally assessed (June 2017)
 online exam set and marked by Pearson
 80 marks
 90 GLH

Unit Overview:
Learners will consider how different media representations are constructed by media
producers to create meaning, messages and values.

In this unit, you will study a range of media from different sectors, such as music videos,
short film extracts, animation, news programmes, websites, digital games and print adverts
in order to explore how meaning, messages and values are constructed through formal and
stylistic elements. All media express messages through representations that shape
perceptions and beliefs about what is valued and undervalued in society. Interrogating
media representations through a critical framework will expose underlying values inherent
in those representations and lead to an understanding of how audiences can resist
preferred readings and negotiate their own meanings. In this unit, you will draw on your
learning from across your programme to complete assessment tasks.

This unit will provide a foundation for understanding semiotic analysis and the ‘reading’ of
media texts, which is important when consuming messages and producing representations
of your own through the production of media in the optional units. In this unit, you will
draw on your learning from across the programme to complete assessment tasks. It also
provides an introduction to fundamental media theory and analysis that is the basis for
many progression routes at higher education level.

Assessment Outcomes:

AO1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media terminology, semiotics, theories,

concepts and messages. Command words: analyse, compare, evaluate, explain, identify, to
what extent

AO2 Apply knowledge and understanding of media concepts, semiotics, theories and formal
techniques to constructed representations. Command words: analyse, compare, evaluate,
explain, to what extent

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AO3 Analyse media texts to deconstruct representations and decode messages and evaluate
their effectiveness and impact. Command words: analyse, compare, evaluate, to what
extent

AO4 Make connections between polysemic messages underpinning media representations

and their related values and effects on wider society Command words: analyse, compare,
evaluate, to what extent

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Unit 2: Working in the Creative Media

Industries

Overview:

 mandatory unit
 internally assessed
 90 GLH

Unit Overview:

Learners will explore employment and job opportunities in the creative digital media sector.
They will produce material to support a career and be able to network effectively.

The media industry supports a range of job roles and opportunities so it is important that
you understand the nature of the industry in which you will be looking for work. The media
industry offers a variety of career opportunities across practical applications, logistics and
administration. The industry recruits people using a variety of methods, employees can use
a wide range of methods to gain employment. In this unit, you will learn about the structure
of the media industries and the career opportunities within them. You will investigate a
specific sector and the job roles it offers, developing a profile that will provide a potential
employer with information about your skills. You will also develop effective networking skills
that will help you to create links with potential employers. You will develop your job
application skills and reflect on career progression or progression through to higher
education.

Learning Outcomes:

In this unit you will:

 Understand employment and career opportunities in the media sector

 Understand the structure and job roles in a media sector
 Produce profiles to gain employment in the media sector
 Use networking techniques to explore employment opportunities in the media
sector.

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Unit 3: Digital Media Skills

Overview:

 Mandatory synoptic unit

 externally assessed (Jun 2018)
 you are provided with a brief for a 12 week preparation period
 marked by Pearson
 assessment period 30 hours
 written submission
 60 marks
 120GLH

Unit Overview:

This unit allows you to demonstrate, through constructing a digital media product, the skills
you have developed in media production across other units. In this unit you will draw on
your learning from across the programme to complete assessment tasks.
You will learn how to work to a client brief relating to a specific media sector and its
associated digital skills. You will choose the format and medium for your digital media
project 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 skills required to produce the product, and prepare appropriate
documentation to support them. In this unit, you will draw on your learning from across
your programme to complete assessment tasks. Working independently and using media
hardware and software will prepare you for further skills development, both in employment
and higher education.

Assessment Outcomes

AO1 Apply knowledge and understanding of media production processes and skills when
responding to a brief

AO2 Demonstrate application of knowledge and understanding to source appropriate assets

in responses to a brief

AO3 Demonstrate selection and use of appropriate skills required for asset management

AO4 Demonstrate application of appropriate technical skills in the creation of a media

product

AO5 Synthesise ideas in order to produce creative responses that meet the needs of the
brief

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Unit 4: Pre-production Portfolio

Overview:

 mandatory unit
 internally assessed
 90 GLH

Unit Overview:

Learners study the requirements of planning and delivering a digital media product, carrying
out essential pre-production tasks and creating a pre-production portfolio.

This unit will enable you to develop your understanding of the essential pre-production
work that takes place as part of a creative media production.
You will gain an understanding of the requirements of the planning stage, from finance and
logistics to regulations. Your investigations will help you develop the pre-production skills
and experience needed to carry out your own tasks and to produce a digital media product.
You will create a portfolio and manage the pre-production for your own creative media
production. The knowledge, skills and experience that you gain in this unit will give you
valuable insight into the work that goes on during pre-production, along with transferable
creative media production skills. You will be able to make informed decisions about your
choices for higher education, training or creative exploration.

Learning Outcomes:

In this unit you will:

 Understand the requirements of pre-production of a digital media product
 Carry out pre-production for a digital media product
 Produce a pre-production portfolio for a creative media production
 Review pre-production of a digital media product.

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Unit 5: Specialist Subject Investigation

Overview:

 Mandatory unit
 A task consisting of Part A and Part B
 Learners will be provided with specialist subject stimulus material six weeks before
the assessment period in order to conduct research.
 externally assessed (Jun 2018)
 you are provided with a brief for a 12 week preparation period
 marked by Pearson
 assessment period 2 hours
 written submission
 65 marks
 120GLH

Unit Overview:

Learners will gain an understanding of research methods and techniques in relation to a

specialist media subject, undertaking research of key issues and investigation of related
debates. In this unit, you will be required to focus on a contemporary specialist media issue
or debate that is the focus of existing research, and undertake investigations into it. You will
use range of primary and secondary research methods and techniques in your investigation
and will contextualise your findings for a specific media sector. You will use research
material that focuses on a specialist media topic as a starting point for further research. In
addition, you will develop a range of skills and techniques that will allow you to conduct
valid and reliable research as well as interpret research data produced by others. Research
and data collation skills are an essential part of the creative media sector and are regularly
utilised in higher education and in the industry.

Learning Outcomes

AO1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of methods, skills and techniques related
to carrying out research into issues in media

AO2 Apply knowledge and understanding of methods, skills and techniques to research
issues and debates in a specialist area of study in media

AO3 Analyse information and data related to research in a specialist area of study,
demonstrating

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the ability to interpret the potential impact and influence of the research on media issues
and debates

AO4 Evaluate research into media and be able to draw conclusions from research data on
contemporary media issues and debates

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Unit 6 Media Campaigns

Overview:

 mandatory unit
 internally assessed
 90 GLH

Unit Overview:

Learners explore media campaigns to identify their purpose and features, and develop skills
in campaign production to produce a cross-platform media campaign.

A media campaign is a planned series of newspaper articles, television interviews, social

media content or staged media events that are intended to achieve a particular aim. The
aims of media campaigns can be varied and diverse, such as to encourage healthy eating or
a media campaign to persuade people to vote for a candidate in an election.
In this unit, you will develop a broad understanding of why and how media campaigns are
created: their distinguishing features, the strategies used to reach their audience and how
the many different elements in a campaign are constructed to ensure cohesion when
viewed across different media platforms and are successful in communicating their
message. You will plan your own media campaign, preparing materials and developing
strategies to achieve its purpose. You will develop production skills through the creation of a
cross-platform media campaign. The understanding, skills and experience you will gain
during this unit will give you an insight into the multi-faceted nature of media campaigns,
and enable you to make informed decisions about your choices for further specialised
studies in this area, or employment opportunities in this field. The work you produce for this
unit can form part of a portfolio of work for progression to employment or higher
education.

Learning Outcomes:
In this unit you will:
 Understand the purpose and features of media campaigns
 Develop a cross-platform media campaign
 Produce a cross-platform media campaign
 Review a cross-platform media campaign

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Unit 8: Responding to a
Commission

Unit Assessment:

 mandatory unit
 externally assessed
 120 GLH
 This unit is assessed through a task set and marked by Pearson, consisting of a Part A
and a Part B.
 Part A is pre-released and will give learners a commission for a media production. It
will be released two weeks before a supervised assessment in order to carry out
research activities into the subject to complete assessment tasks in Part B.
 Part B contains the supervised assessment task.
 The supervised assessment period will be a maximum of five hours.
 The number of marks for this paper is 75.

Unit Overview:

This unit considers the commissioning process and how media producers respond to clients
by generating ideas using a range of skills. In this unit, you will understand how to respond
to a commission brief with ideas based on the required content, style, audience, purpose
and approach proposed by the client. You will work within the requirements and constraints
of the client’s specifications and consider your response in terms of ethos, format, budget,
platform and duration. When proposing ideas in response to a commission, the client will
need detailed explanations of how you intend to respond to carry out requirements, and
this will be demonstrated through pitches, proposals and treatment documents, all of which
are accepted industry methods for communicating initial ideas. Developing an
understanding of all stages of a commission, and the skills needed to make them successful,
will mean you can effectively communicate your plans for a media product proposal.

This unit will develop your ability to respond to briefs and understand the commissioning
process, which is an essential aspect of successful, commercial media production. The
development of communication and problem-solving skills involved in responding to a
commission are an essential part of all media study and will support the generation of
creative and commercial ideas necessary for progression to employment and higher
education.

Learning Outcomes:

AO1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media production processes and related

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considerations when responding to a brief

AO2 Apply knowledge and understanding of media production processes in context,

demonstrating how constraints affect decisions and the ability to adapt to changes in
requirements

AO3 Analyse and interpret information related to purpose, technical and logistical
requirements of the brief and evaluate solutions for implementation with appropriate
justification

AO4 Be able to respond creatively to a brief demonstrating the ability to synthesise a range
of ideas

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Unit 10: Fictional Film Production

Unit Assessment:

 optional unit
 internally assessed
 60 GLH

Unit Overview:

This unit will focus on the process of producing a short narrative film or film extract that
uses generic conventions.

Film production is becoming increasingly accessible with advances in portable, high quality
and relatively low-cost equipment and software. The requirements of telling a story through
the medium of film or video, and the discipline required to communicate this to an
audience, remain as necessary as ever. In this unit, you will investigate how conventions of
narrative storytelling are used by filmmakers, looking at formats and generic conventions.
You will then prepare for a film production by creating and gathering the materials and
preparing the cast and crew. You will need to bring together a range of elements to
successfully produce your product: camera, lighting, acting, direction and sound during the
production phase, and successfully use post-production techniques to deliver a
final outcome.

The introduction of more widely available software and less expensive high-quality
equipment, such as DSLR cameras with the ability to shoot Full High-definition (HD) footage,
as well as video streaming services, such as YouTube®, have opened up film production to
many more people. It is now easier than ever for people to make independent fiction films
and deliver them to an audience online. Independent filmmaking is also a growing area in
the creative industries and in higher education, with many institutions offering the
opportunity to study the various aspects of film production at a higher level.

Learning Outcomes:

In this unit you will:

 Understand codes and conventions of fictional film production
 Produce material for a fictional film of a specified genre
 Apply post-production techniques to a fictional film utilising codes and conventions
of a specified genre.

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Unit 14: Digital Magazine Production

Unit Assessment:

 optional unit
 internally assessed
 60 GLH

Unit Overview:

Learners will explore codes and conventions of different magazine genres and platforms.
They will select and prepare content, and create layouts for a specific genre of magazine.

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. The skills you will develop in this unit can be applied to both
print and digital magazines across a wide range of genres. The layouts you produce for this
unit can form part of a portfolio of work for progression to employment or higher
education.

Learning Outcomes:

In this unit you will:

 Understand the considerations, codes and conventions of a specific genre of

magazine for print and digital platforms
 Develop materials for magazine production
 Produce magazine layouts in the codes and conventions of a genre.

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Unit 15: Advertising Production

Unit Assessment:

 optional unit
 internally assessed
 60 GLH

Unit Overview:

Learners will explore codes and conventions of advertising production. They will select and
prepare materials to produce an advertisement for a specified platform and audience.

Advertisements are found in all media sectors and are produced and consumed across a
wide range of distribution platforms. This unit will enable you to develop your
understanding of the techniques applied to advertising production, allowing you to apply
knowledge through the production of your own advertisement.
You will gain an understanding of the codes and conventions of advertising production, the
different types of advertisements and how they use methods of persuasion to target specific
audiences. Your investigations will help you to understand how to produce your own
advertisement. You will then be able to source and prepare appropriate content for a
production for a specific audience and media sector, fully developing your technical skills.
The knowledge, skills and experience that you gain during this unit will give you an insight
into the features of advertising production along with transferable creative media
production skills. This will enable you to make informed decisions about your choices for
higher education, training or creative exploration. The work produced can form part of a
portfolio of work for progression to employment or higher education.

Learning Outcomes:

In this unit you will:

 Understand the codes and conventions of advertising production

 Prepare material for an advertising production
 Produce an advertisement for a specific digital media sector.

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Unit 21: Film and Editing

Techniques
Unit Assessment:

 optional unit
 internally assessed
 60 GLH

Unit Overview:

Learners will explore the purposes and techniques of editing for film and television and
develop skills in different editing tools to produce a final, edited sequence

A wide range of editing techniques and conventions have been developed to create
meaning in film sequences. Such techniques are used to engage the viewer and keep their
interest by following the action, moving the narrative forward, or eliciting an emotional
response. In this unit, you will learn about the development of different editing purposes,
conventions and techniques. You will explore how the pioneers of film editing have used
editing techniques and how they have developed more sophisticated applications. You will
develop skills in digital editing techniques and create a final, edited sequence for a specific
purpose. The skills you will develop in this unit can be applied to edited sequences for a
range of different purposes, and the sequence you produce for this unit can form part of a
digital portfolio of work for progression to employment or higher education.

Learning Outcomes:

In this unit you will:

 Understand the techniques and applications of editing for film and television
 Explore the use of editing tools, techniques and conventions for a specific purpose
 Create a digitally edited sequence for a specific purpose.

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Unit 27: Digital Photography

Unit Assessment:

 optional unit
 internally assessed
 60 GLH

Unit Overview:

Learners explore the techniques required to produce digital photographs. They will
experiment with and use digital photography techniques to produce digital photographs.

Digital photography is used widely in the media industries to convey a message, illustrate
the written word or to advertise a product. It can be used as a recording tool or as an
opportunity to integrate text and images in an e-magazine or newspaper. Photographers are
employed to produce digital photographs in situations such as photojournalism, advertising,
fashion, paparazzi and specialist areas in industry and commerce. In this unit, you will learn
about photography techniques and the uses of digital photography. Visual communication is
important in the world of social and interactive media. You will learn how to read and
understand digital images, experiment with digital photography techniques and produce
digital photographs. You will then produce digital photographs to a brief for use in a digital
media product. Digital photography is a creative medium and you will be able demonstrate
your skills through the production of creative and exciting digital photographs. The skills you
develop in this unit can be applied to a range of digital photography genres across a wide
range of publications. The work you produce for this unit can form part of a portfolio of
work for progression to employment or higher education.

Learning Outcomes:

In this unit you will:

 Understand digital photography production

 Develop skills in digital photography techniques
 Create digital photography to produce images for a digital media product.

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Unit 28: Image Manipulation

Techniques
Unit Assessment:

 optional unit
 internally assessed
 60 GLH

Unit Overview:

Learners explore approaches to image manipulation and develop skills in digital image
manipulation techniques to produce a final image for a specific media purpose.

Image manipulation is used to create and enhance photographic images for a wide range of
applications in fine art, illustration, publishing and other media products, including books,
album and computer game covers, advertisements and promotional materials, images for
web pages and interactive media products, film posters and textures for games
environments. In this unit, you will learn about the different historic and contemporary
approaches to image manipulation and its uses in the media industries, both to correct
images for promotional purposes and to create composited and manipulated images for the
purposes of advertising, illustration and even fine art. You will gain the skills needed to
develop a final digitally manipulated image for use in a media product.
You can apply the skills you develop in this unit to images that can be used in any media
sector. The images you produce for this unit can form part of a portfolio of work for
progression to employment or higher education.

Learning Outcomes:

In this unit you will:

 Examine approaches to image manipulation

 Explore the use of digital manipulation for a specific media product
 Create a digitally manipulated image for a specific purpose.

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Summary of Year 1 for Creative Digital Media Production Extended Diploma

TERM SUBSIDIARY UNITS COMPULSORY UNITS

AUTUMN 1

Unit 21 Unit 1
Film and Editing Representation

Unit 14
Digital Magazine Production

AUTUMN 2

SPRING 1
Unit 10
Fictional Film Production

Unit 27
Digital Photography

SPRING 2 Unit 8
Responding to a Commission

SUMMER 1

Unit 28
Image Manipulation Techniques

SUMMER 2
Unit 4
Pre-production

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Summary of Year 2 for Creative Media Production Extended Diploma

TERM SUBSIDIARY UNITS COMPULSORY UNITS

AUTUMN 1

Unit 15 Unit 6
Advertising Production Media Campaigns

Unit 5
Specialist Subject Investigation

AUTUMN 2

SPRING 1
Unit 2
Working in the Creative Media
Industries

Unit 4
Digital Media Skills

SPRING 2

SUMMER 1

SUMMER 2

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Appeals Procedure
Any student, or parent, who is unhappy with the grade of an assessed assignment,
has the right to appeal.

You must lodge an appeal within a fortnight of receiving a grade and feedback from
your class teacher. If you wish to launch an appeal you must follow the
following procedure:-

1. Start by speaking to your class teacher. Ask them for further feedback. In most
cases your class teacher should be able to explain to you why a certain level was
awarded and what additional information or level of response was required for a
higher level.

2. Should you still be unhappy, you must complete Appeal Form, available from
school office. Include as much information as you can as to why you feel your work
deserves a higher grade. The completed form should be handed to Mr Shorten the
schools’ Exams Officer. Mr Shorten will consider your views and will request
reassessment of your work. The outcomes of this moderation process will be fed
back to both the student and the class teacher. If a change of grade is required,
this will be acknowledged on your record sheet.

3. If at this stage you remain unsatisfied, you will need to appeal to Mr Fitzgerald, the
Executive Head. The Executive Head will then appoint an appropriate person to be
involved to reassess the work.

Statement for Students

"If at any stage during your BTEC course you have concerns about the
procedures used in assessing your internally marked work you should
see Ms Shorten as soon as possible. Marking accurately is essential if you
are to achieve. Please don't hesitate if you have concerns, your appeal will
be taken seriously and you will not be looked down upon for a registering a
concern".

To find out more about Edexcel policies and procedures including appeals please
visit: http://www.edexcel.com/iwantto/Pages/particular.aspx

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Assessment Malpractice Policy

Policy Aims

 To identify and minimise the risk of malpractice by staff or student.

 To respond to any incident of alleged malpractice promptly and objectively.
 To standardise and record any investigation of malpractice to ensure openness and
fairness
 To impose appropriate penalties and/or sanctions on learners or staff where incidents (or
attempted incidents) of malpractice are proven.
 To protect the integrity of this centre and of the vocational qualifications.

In order to achieve this, Bishop Challoner Catholic Federation of Schools will:

 Seek to avoid potential malpractice by using the induction period to inform learners of
the centre’s policy on malpractice and the penalties for attempted and actual incidents
of malpractice. The policy will be available to download from BTEC shared area notice
board.
 Educate learners of plagiarism and have available the factsheet provided by BTEC
 Show learners the appropriate formats to record cited texts and other materials or
information sources.
 Ask learners to declare that their work is their own.
 Ask learners to provide evidence that they have interpreted and synthesised appropriate
information and acknowledged any sources used.
 Conduct an investigation in a form proportionate with the nature of the malpractice
allegation. Such an investigation will be supported by the Head of Centre and all
personnel linked to the allegation.
 Make the individual fully aware at the earliest opportunity of the nature of the alleged
malpractice and of the possible consequences should malpractice be proven.
 Give the individual the opportunity to respond to the allegations made.
 Inform the individual of the avenues for appealing against any judgment made.
 Document all stages of any investigation.

Where malpractice is proven, this centre will apply the following penalties / sanctions:

 Resubmission of all work within the assignment and where necessary the use of a
modified assignment brief
 Automatic failure of the unit
 Removal from the qualification

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