Start Date
- September 2025, Full Time, Day
What You Will Study
This practical and varied course provides you with the techniques to create media content and engage audiences across a wide range of products, while developing your understanding of media’s influence on society. It’s a great step towards studying a media-related degree and building a career in one of the UK’s fastest growing industries – spanning social media, film, television and streaming services.
Over the two year course, which is equivalent to studying three A Levels, you will develop the underpinning knowledge and skills needed for a future career in the media sector. You will investigate the media industry and explore how it's influenced by technology and audiences. You will develop research skills through your investigations and study how to analyse and deconstruct media representations and develop the communication and planning skills that allow ideas to be produced.
Central to all of this is a practical production component. You will explore a wide range of production areas including film editing, short film, documentary, advertising, photography, music video, radio drama, multi-media campaigns and promotional videos. You will leave with a sophisticated understanding of creative practical production techniques and the critical theory which underpins all aspects of the industry.
We have many facilities to support you including cameras, sound recording equipment, lighting and green screen facilities. We have two editing suites, and all our PCs have access to the Adobe Creative Suite including Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and After Effects. You will also have access to the college theatre, which we use for studio style filming and lighting workshops.
We regularly have guest speakers from creative industries, such as TV and film directors, to give a contemporary insight into current projects. Our course has also offered many exciting trips over the last couple of years to support your learning in the classroom including New York and the Berlin Film Festival.
Why Choose Paston College?
Excellent progression
100% of our students progress to university, employment, apprenticeships, or gap years
Developed with employers
Our career focused courses have been developed with employers, to ensure you'll be equipped with the skills needed for the modern workplace
Learning opportunities
To enhance your studies, we offer a variety of opportunities for you to meet new people, and enhance your UCAS personal statement or CV by getting involved in something rewarding
Entry Requirements
You will need to achieve four GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English language and maths.
How You Will Be Assessed
You will work on a number of projects over two years, building up an impressive portfolio of media products. You will complete some work as an individual project and some as part of a larger production team where you can specialise to develop your chosen skills further (e.g. editor, cinematographer, visual effects, animator).
You will have the opportunity to work with local companies and organisations on a range of projects, producing work for them to a high professional standard to meet their brief. Recent organisations who we have collaborated with include BBC Voices, The Benjamin Foundation and St Mary’s Works in Norwich.
Each unit that you study will be assessed, either internally or externally, to give you a points score. This score is totalled up to give you a final grade at the end of the course of Pass, Merit or Distinction. We will carefully track your progress to ensure that you are meeting targets and fulfilling your potential.
Course Progression
You will make a number of different media products that will provide you with a wide range of practical skills, giving you excellent knowledge and foundation for either Higher Education or as a stepping stone for the creative industry. Many of our learners go on to university to study media-related degrees at universities such as Greenwich, Bournemouth, Goldsmiths, University of East Anglia and Norwich University of the Arts.
Where Your Course Can Take You
Many of our alumni from the course are now working within the media industry, working in roles such as camera operators, cinematographers, photographers, editors, animators, visual effects, social media campaign managers, advertising creatives, journalists and social media influencers.
Fees
If you are a UK or home fee status student and aged 16-18 on the 31st August before the start of your course, tuition fees are free. If you are aged 19 and over fees may be payable.
