Tuesday, September 20, 2022

A Level Media wider opportunities

It's great to hear several of you are considering studying media-related courses at university. There are plenty of things you can be doing to boost your personal statement or practical experience. 

A reminder of the textbooks available - we have managed to order a few copies of these for students on last year's bursary programme. Come and see me or check your email for more on this.

Media Theory at A Level by Mark Dixon

I'd be tempted to make this my top recommendation for A Level Media. It covers all the theories in the A Level Media specification and if you visit Mark Dixon's Essential Media Theory website you can sign up to view sample exam answers and more for free. Highly recommended! 

A Level Media Textbooks

Stop press! If you do want to order a textbook or two and are not eligible for the bursary, there is a 25% off code if you order direct from the publisher Illuminate Publishing. Order from the publisher here and use code SCHOOL25 at checkout to save 25% until the end of October 2022.

The textbook details:

AQA MEDIA STUDIES FOR A LEVEL YR 1 & AS: STUDENT BOOK
  • NEW SPEC: AQA Media Studies for A Level Yr 1 & AS: Student Book 
  • AUTHOR(S): Stephanie Hendry, Elspeth Stevenson 
  • AWARDING BODY: AQA 
  • LEVEL: A Level Year 1 & AS 
  • ISBN: 978-1-911208-03-7 
  • SUBJECT: Media Studies 
  • PAGES: 272pp 


AQA MEDIA STUDIES FOR A LEVEL YEAR 2: STUDENT BOOK
  • AQA Media Studies for A Level Year 2: Student Book 
  • AUTHOR(S): Stephanie Hendry, Elspeth Stevenson 
  • AWARDING BODY: AQA 
  • LEVEL: A Level Year 2 
  • ISBN: 978-1-911208-09-9 
  • SUBJECT: Media Studies 



AQA MEDIA STUDIES FOR A LEVEL YEAR 1 & AS REVISION GUIDE
  • AQA Media Studies for A Level Year 1 & AS: Revision Guide
  • AUTHOR(S): Stephanie Hendry
  • AWARDING BODY: AQA 
  • LEVEL: A Level Year 1 & AS
  • ISBN: 978-1-911208-86-0 
  • SUBJECT: Media Studies 


Reading around the subject

A reminder of our top tips for reading around the subject in Media:

Media Magazine
The best reading for A Level Media is free to you - by reading copies of Media Magazine (you can find these in our Media Magazine archive.) This magazine is designed specifically for A Level Media students and contains articles about the terminology, concepts and media products we are studying - plus lots more!

If you're looking for books by media academics, it really depends what topic you are interested in. For example...

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky is a great read if you're interested in the impact the internet has had on business, media and the world. Shirky is a great writer and you'll find this easy to read.


Gender Trouble by Judith Butler is the classic text for feminism and gender discussions - it's still a key media theory today and can also help with Sociology and English Literature. Beware though - it's a challenging read!


There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack: The Cultural Politics of Race and Nation by Paul Gilroy
can also be a tough read in places due to its complexity (very much university-level academic writing) but is highly recommended if you're interested in the representation of race and ethnicity and the experience of British culture for black Britons.

Creative Mentor Network

The Creative Mentor Network is an incredible opportunity for post-16 students to make connections in the creative and media industries by shadowing a professional for several weeks. We’ve had a number of students complete the project and develop a fantastic range of contacts and experiences that will help them to get a job in the creative industries in future.

You can find more details on the CMN website or watch the video below (featuring our very own Hussein from a few years ago!)


BFI Film Academy

The BFI Film Academy is a national talent development project for young aspiring filmmakers organised by the BFI. It is aimed at 16-19 year olds and this year's focus is on Animation & Video Effects. It's extremely competitive and difficult to win a place but if you do there are funds available to pay your expenses and it's a quite incredible opportunity to meet people from the industry and learn professional-level skills. You can find out more about this project and other opportunities at the BFI Film Academy website here

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