Thinking of Media?
Are you good at English? Enjoy writing your own scripts? Like working with others? Want to make your own films? The Media program at East Doncaster Secondary College might just be for you!
Year 10 Media
Year 10 Media begins with practical tasks to develop students’ filmmaking skills. Students complete a Five Shot Challenge to build their skill in using depth of field in their filmmaking. Students learn about how they can create suspense using a number of different cinematic techniques. They work collaboratively to make a 10 Shot Thriller and One Minute Thriller, building their ability to create atmosphere and tension using a range of techniques, particularly sound. Students also study a number of suspense scenes which provides an excellent introduction to narrative theory and paves the way for Year Twelve Media. Towards the end of the semester, students learn how to shoot and record audio using the boom poles and shotgun microphones.
Unit 1 Media
In Unit 1 Media, students start off by developing an understanding of the concept of media representation. Students study the representation of gender in a range of media forms, including advertising, television and film. These media products include Into the Spider-Verse, Enola Holmes and the reboot of The Twilight Zone. After this, students make their own short films using digital video cameras and Adobe Premiere Pro.
They also make a short radio drama. Students end the semester with a study of Australian media, focusing on Australian film.
Unit 2 Media
In Unit 2 Media, students create their own short film working collaboratively in small production teams. They learn about the film production process, studying the style of a selected filmmaker. At the end of the semester, students study the changes caused by new forms of media.
Units 3&4
Unit 3 Media kicks off with the study of two films as students study, in depth, how filmmakers tell stories and engage audiences. They also study the way society influences the stories that we tell.
They spend six months exhaustively planning their major production for the year which is filmed and edited in Term 3. Students also study Agency and Control in and of the Media which looks at the relationship between media and audiences. Year Twelve Media is an academically rigorous course with a focus on production and performing well in the end-of-year examination.
The Skills
Media is both a practical and academically rigorous subject which helps students to develop a range of skills. It encourages them to think more critically about the mass media and technology which plays a huge role in their lives. It also encourages students to develop greater independence and communication skills as they embark on challenging film production exercises. The skills that students learn in media are not limited to particular software packages but are transferable to range of other situations.
The Equipment
East Doncaster Secondary College has two excellent Media classroom with the computers and industry standard software. Students have access to a range of digital video cameras, tripods, dollies, a green screen and digital audio recorders – all of the tools necessary to make amazing films!
The Website
The website for EDSC Media, www.lessonbucket.com, contains material specifically written for students at our school. It also features a range of video tutorials created for students to help them with their studies. These videos have been viewed over 1.6 million times on YouTube. To support students with their study of Year 12 Media, Mr Lamb has written study guides on the texts that we use.
The Teachers
Brett Lamb is a media educator and writer. A finalist for Outstanding Secondary Teacher in the 2020 Victorian Education Excellence Awards, he is a leading teacher at East Doncaster Secondary College, co-teacher at Monash University, co-author of Heinemann Media and runs the education website www.lessonbucket.com. Throughout his career, Brett has presented workshops and seminars on topics as diverse as comic books, film noir, superhero narratives, social networking, action movies, filmmaking, film editing and VCE Media. He has worked with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and Creative Content Australia.
Evan Jones has a Bachelor in Creative Arts, Diploma of Education, Events and Community Productions & Theatre. Worked in education for ten years. Evan has a wide range of experience in front and behind of the camera, appearing on the reality TV program Australian Survivor. Ever since witnessing Christopher Reeve take to the skies in Superman: The Original Motion Picture, Evan has been captivated by the magic of film.
Lily Scapin is an English and Media teacher, and an aspiring novelist. She has a Masters in Secondary Education and a Bachelor of Arts, and has worked in education for four years. Lily has a passion for narrative structure, in both film and text, and loves helping students learn the basics of filming and editing in Year 9 Media.