GCSE Digital Media and Film
Digital Media and Film is digital throughout: an on-screen examination on films, a video game and online news and social media, a researched portfolio with digitally produced promotional elements, and two digital productions edited in editing software. The single biggest thing KS3 should build is confident filming, audio recording and editing, so pupils arrive able to plan, shoot, cut and export a short piece with control.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Level 1 and Level 2
- First taught
- September 2026
- Amount of digital work
- High
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
- Unit 1: Exploring key concepts and issues: On-screen examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 30%
- Unit 2: Distribution and exhibition strategies of digital media and film industries in Wales: Non-examination assessment, portfolio based, 18 hours, 30%
- Unit 3: Creating digital media and film content: Non-examination assessment, assignment based, no time restriction, 40%
Skills that use Collaboration
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Collaborating on production work and giving feedback
The specification encourages collaborative work and giving and receiving feedback as learning experiences, although these are not directly assessed.
DCF: Collaboration, Evaluating and improving digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils share a class storyboard folder in Teams and each add one frame, setting the file so others can comment.
- Year 8
- Pupil groups co-edit a shared PowerPoint pitch for a film idea, each taking a slide and leaving comments on another.
- Year 9
- Film crews plan, share rushes and give feedback through a Teams channel, then review which tools helped the group most.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Section 2, Opportunities for integration of learning experiences, page 25
“experience some form of collaborative work.”
Progression step 3
I can work with others to create an online collaborative project for a specific purpose, sharing and appropriately setting permissions for other group members, e.g. editing, commenting, viewing.
I can create groups and share work between them to allow review of digital content.
Progression step 4
I can independently select and use a range of online collaboration tools to create a project with others in one or more languages, e.g. making use of online technology to share and present ideas to others.
Progression step 5
I can reflect on choices of collaboration solutions, use them appropriately and comment on how this could be improved to meet aims of tasks.
Good to know
- Social media is deliberately kept out of production work for under 16s: 'Social media accounts' was removed from the Unit 2 examples and 'planning a social media campaign' became 'planning a promotional campaign' (Summary of amendments, page 3).
- In Unit 3 the 'social media campaign' option was changed to 'trailer' (Summary of amendments, page 3), so pupils are not required to post publicly online.
- Pre-production planning may be digital or not: 'hand drawn or digital mock-ups' are both accepted (Unit 3, Section 3.1.1, page 23).
- Post-production editing must be digital: learners edit 'using editing software' (Unit 3, Section 3.1.2, page 23).
- Unit 1 is sat on screen: 'On-screen examination: 1 hour 30 minutes' (Summary of assessment, page 5).
- The specification gives no specific rule on AI tools in NEA; it says only 'Candidates must not take part in any unfair practice in the preparation of work' (Malpractice, page 29).
Links with other qualifications
At KS3 this work usually sits in English, Drama or Art within Expressive Arts, and the website and research skills overlap with Digital Technology while the news and misinformation work overlaps with English.
Source: WJEC GCSE Digital Media and Film specification, teaching from 2026, for award from 2028, Version 2, September 2026.