The message is important, of course. But how that message is delivered is also doing a lot of heavy lifting. Driven by technology, the media is constantly changing. And the emergence of the internet is supercharging this process. How has this affected the way we consume information and stories, or how we interact with society? Our BA (Hons) Media attempts to get under the skin, behind the eyeballs, and into the hive mind of our increasingly online existence. It’s fascinating, alarming, exciting, bewildering, mind-boggling stuff.
And if you want to roll your sleeves up and get involved, our degree will also help you to develop the skills you need to be more influencer, less occasional dabbler.
On top of a small number of compulsory modules, such as Transmedia Storytelling, our BA (Hons) Media students select from a dizzying array of optional modules. We asked our resident media experts – the people who’ll be teaching you – to highlight a handful of modules that will shed some light on this complex subject.
The wide variety of topics on offer is designed to give you real choice over where you decide to go next, says Programme Leader Dr James Millea:
“Studying Media at Edge Hill University helps you establish a platform for your future. From grappling with key theories about culture and representations on-screen, to writing press releases and features, making podcasts, and working with clients in the production of a media asset.”
Branded Content
Dr Matt Smith, Lecturer in Film, TV and Media: “Brands no longer sell products to consumers. Instead, they use a variety of approaches to create ideas and experiences that seek to establish deep personal and emotional bonds with their customers. This module considers the way advertising practices have changed in the 21st century and provides learners with the tools to produce their own branded content.”
Pods and Vlogs
Neill Cockwill, Media and Technology Development Manager: “Do you have something interesting to say? There’s an audience out there that wants to listen to or watch you – grab your smartphone or laptop and become a content creator. It’s never been easier to reach your audience, from a long line of do-it-yourself media that stretches back over 50 years, podcasting and vlogging is the most recent form of citizen media: accessible, empowering and above all, open to everyone.”
Transmedia Storytelling
Dr James Millea: “Star Wars is a trilogy of films to some, an animated tv series to others, and a recent collection of videogames to others still. The convergence of modern technologies and the flowing of media content across multiple platforms has allowed content producers to connect with audiences at multiple entry points within a franchise, sometimes all at once. Transmedia Storytelling examines how companies like Disney use television, film, videogames, animation, social media, fan-made content, websites, and even theme parks to build storyworlds that both engage established audiences and draw in new ones.”
Fan Cultures and Subcultures
Dr Elke Weissmann, Reader in Film and Television: “Do all fans have the capacity to become stalkers, as hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer suggests? How does society’s perception of fans and subcultures relate to traditional understandings of gender, and how may fans and subcultures challenge these and other traditional hierarchies? In this module, we critique the common sense understandings of fans as obsessive and subcultures as deviant, and give you the tools to investigate fans and subcultures yourself.”
Client-Led Content Production
Dr Matt Smith: “From idea generation to project completion, this module offers you the opportunity to work directly with a client to produce an advertising campaign. You’ll have the opportunity to devise and develop your own response to a client brief and work to produce high-quality content that will be shared with customers nationally and internationally.”
Global Convergence: Film and Television Drama in the 21st Century
Dr Elke Weissmann: “‘Television is dead, long live Netflix’, Netflix would have you believe. But the new-ish media of online television is actually just another moulding of film and television, two media that have gone through a number of transformations. A central transformation that demands closer examination is the movement of film and television across (increasingly) all borders of the world. How new media necessitate and facilitate that is at the core of this module.”
Media both shapes, and is shaped, by the world around us, says Dr Millea:
“To study media at university is not only to examine some of the most exciting reflections of society and culture but figure out how we might contribute to and participate in this interlinked and ever-expanding industry.”
But don’t just take their written word for it – do it yourself. Come along to one of our Open Days or an Offer Holder Day and get hands-on with the full Edge Hill experience. He may have been referring to the democratic nature of modern media, but Neill Cockwill’s words apply equally to the democratic nature of our Open Days: ‘accessible, empowering, and open to everyone.’
Discover more about our BA (Hons) Media
December 3, 2024
