Component 3: Cross-Media Production – Advertising and Marketing: Music

Component 3 of the WJEC A-Level Media Studies course focuses on cross-media production, requiring you to create a media product for a specific brief. For the 'Advertising and Marketing: Music' option, you must produce a promotional campaign for a new music artist or band. This involves creating two linked media products: a print advertisement (such as a poster or magazine ad) and an audio-visual advertisement (such as a TV or social media ad). The campaign must target a specific audience and demonstrate your understanding of media language, representation, and industry conventions.

This component is crucial because it tests your practical application of theoretical knowledge. You'll need to consider how to construct meaning through mise-en-scène, camera work, editing, and sound, as well as how to appeal to a target demographic. The cross-media element requires consistency across platforms, reflecting real-world industry practice where campaigns are integrated across print, broadcast, and digital media. Success here shows you can think like a media producer, not just a critic.

In the wider subject, this component connects to your study of media industries and audiences. You'll apply concepts like synergy, convergence, and brand identity. The music industry is a particularly rich context because it relies heavily on visual branding and multiplatform promotion. Understanding how artists like Billie Eilish or Stormzy use consistent visual styles across album covers, music videos, and social media will inform your own production work.