Drawing from experiences of a European collaboration on Ocean literacy using video production for learning and representation, this paper proposes an activity theoretical approach to the curricular design. Using a model for different levels of operations, actions and activity, it highlights media literacy as being a key factor for success. Video production is a complex form of multimodal communication and media literacy was perceived as an underplayed aspect when connecting subject matters to media production and the skills required to achieve good results in the project. There is no clear boundary between the different levels and in the European collaboration, actions towards all intermediate objects were in motion simultaneously, which caused frustration and backlashes. The theoretical model made these different levels visible and tangible and enabled an analysis of professional development needs and to make the necessary connections between technology, media literacy and subject matter content.