Digital Games Production (internally assessed coursework unit): This unit will teach students the fundamentals of game design through close reference to a wide variety of game genres. Students will focus on how games use challenge, reward and balance to create compelling worlds and experiences, and how games use effective coding and a range of graphical styles to appeal to audiences. They will then gain first-hand experience using industry-standard software to produce a vertical slice prototype of a new indie game.
Media Representations (externally assessed screen-based examination): In this unit, students 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 and interpreted.
Pre-Production Portfolio (internally assessed coursework unit): This unit will enable students to develop their understanding of the essential pre-production work which takes place as part of a creative media production. Students will gain an understanding of the requirements of the planning stage, from finance and logistics to regulations and communication with clients. Students will also produce pre-production documentation for a new action role-play game and will pitch this idea to representatives from the games industry.
Responding To A Commission (externally assessed word-processed portfolio): In this unit, students will understand how to respond to a commissioned brief with ideas based on the required content, style, audience, purpose and approach proposed by the client. Students will work within the requirements and constraints of the client’s specification and consider their response in terms of ethos, format, budget, platform and duration.
