BTEC in Media

The BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production is a two-year vocational programme equivalent to three A levels. It is designed for learners who want to pursue a career in the media industries or progress to higher education in media-related subjects. The course combines creative production with theoretical analysis, giving students the opportunity to plan, create, and evaluate media products while also understanding audiences, representation, and industry practices.

Subject content

Learners complete 13 units in total: 7 mandatory and 6 optional.

Mandatory units (core content):

• Media Representations – analysis of how people, events, and issues are represented across media forms.

  
  

• Pre-Production Portfolio – planning documents for media projects, such as scripts, storyboards, budgets, and schedules.

  
  

• Responding to a Commission – developing a creative product in response to a set client brief.

  
  

• Film Production (Fiction) – practical filmmaking, covering camera work, editing, sound, and directing.

  
  

• Digital Media Skills – development of technical skills in editing, sound, graphics, or photography.

  
  

• Single Camera Techniques – planning, filming, and editing using single camera methods, common in TV dramas and adverts.

Creative Digital Media Production Project – a large synoptic project drawing together skills from across the programme.

Optional units (examples, depending on centre provision):

• Radio Production

• Advertising Media

• Journalism and the News Industry

• Photography for Digital Media

• Games Production

• Music Video Production

• TV Studio Production

• Social Media Production and Marketing

• Visual Effects and Motion Graphics

This structure allows learners to specialise in particular sectors, such as film, television, journalism, or interactive media.

Assessment

Assessment is through a mixture of internal and external components:

• External assessment (about 40%): set tasks and projects from Pearson, such as the "Responding to a Commission" task and the synoptic "Creative Digital Media Production Project".

  
  

• Internal assessment (about 60%): coursework projects, practical productions, creative portfolios, and written evaluations marked by teachers.

This ensures learners demonstrate both creativity and the ability to meet professional-style briefs under controlled conditions.

Progression routes

The Extended Diploma is widely recognised by universities and employers. Common progression pathways include:

• Higher education: Degrees in media production, film studies, journalism, digital marketing, animation, games design, and communications.

  
  

• Employment and apprenticeships: Roles in television and film production, post-production editing, digital content creation, advertising, radio, or journalism.

  
  

• Freelance and creative industries: The qualification equips students with portfolio pieces to pursue freelance creative work.

Transferable skills gained

• Learners develop a wide range of transferable and industry-relevant skills:

  
  

• Creative and technical skills: film-making, editing, photography, sound design, and digital graphics.

  
  

• Analytical skills: critical evaluation of media texts, representation, and audience responses.

  
  

• Project management: planning, scheduling, and delivering creative projects to deadlines.

  
  

• Communication skills: pitching ideas, working with clients, and collaborating in production teams.

  
  

• Digital literacy: using industry-standard software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, and Audition.

  
  

• Professional behaviours: teamwork, problem solving, adaptability, and responding to client briefs.