GCSE Photographic Communication
Title of qualification
Art & Design (Graphic Communication)
Exam Board
AQA
What will I learn?
GCSE photographic communication is a two-year course which is designed to engage, inspire and challenge . Projects are graded through four assessment objectives: AO1 artist links, AO2 development of ideas, AO3 observations and recordings and AO4 final response.
You will begin by building skills and knowledge of photography, such as lighting, viewpoint, depth of field and compositions, before putting these skills into practice to build a portfolio of work which combines multiple projects with the overarching theme of advertising.
All projects start with AO1, artist and cultural links, where you will study the work of existing publicists through written analysis and visual means. This will inform the style of work you produce and enable you to think critically, developing a deeper understanding of art and design.
As part of AO3, you will produce a variety of observational photographs displaying your skills. These will be informed and inspired by your studies of publicists in AO1.
These two stages are combined to produce work for AO2, development of ideas. You will explore editing programmes such as Photoshop to create your own designs through experimentation. You take inspiration from the publicists whilst working within the project theme to communicate a message. You will then refine your ideas to produce one final personal response to advertise the theme of the project (AO4).
How will this course be assessed?
Examination
· Component 2: Externally set assignment (AO4), 10 hours, 10%
Non-examined assessment
· Component 1: Portfolio (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4), 60%
· Component 2: Externally set assignment (AO1, AO2, AO3), 30%
What skills do I need?
We will continue to build on the skills you will have developed in key stage 3, however it is essential that you have a love and enthusiasm for the subject.
Skills covered in key stage 4 photographic communication include observational study through photography, photograph manipulation, creative ideas, annotation skills, written analysis of an artist’s work or style.
What is next for me after this course?
You can continue to study art and design as a vocational course or at AS and A-level. An art and design GCSE will also support you to study other creative courses in further education.
Art and design opens the door to many exciting careers such as: illustrator, hair and make-up artist, fashion designer, animator, graphic designer, theatre designer, architect, product designer, games designer, photographer, artist, ceramic artist, teaching plus many more.
Are there any restrictions with this course?
This course is a GCSE subject and is open to students of all abilities.
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