Britain's most powerful elite

From 1000 of the most powerful people in Britain, only 36 are from ethnic minorities. Read the article to find out more.

A2 media studies students are currently working on their case studies surrounding British youth identity. Having recently learnt about the concept of hegemony, think about the following in relation to the article:

Is this figure good enough? 
How does this impact society?
How does this affect us as individuals?
How does this link to the concept of hegemony?
Does this representation filter through within the media?

Film Review: Kidnap (2017)

Reviewed by Zeel (A2 Media)

It was a cat-and-mouse thriller, which is expertly choreographed, and Halle Berry's acting was exquisite! However, at first I was initially put-off by the film's synopsis. Usually I would have passed this over in an instant but I decided to be open minded and give it a chance and I have to say I was not disappointed.  The acting, cinematography and stunt-work were masterfully crafted in such a way so as to get you emotionally invested throughout and are constantly given just the right amount of information to keep you on the edge of your seat. I believe that this film engendered such a visceral reaction. Sometimes whilst watching a film, if you cannot relate to nor care about the characters the film falls flat, and you consequently lose interest very quickly. Not so with 'Kidnap'. The relatability of Berry's character, plus the superb job she did with this role, puts you right in the car seat next to her.

Initially I felt let down by the length of the car chase scenes as they dragged along in some cases, but despite this the storyline was hooking and the plot twists kept me enthralled. The camerawork and cinematography are enough to keep audiences confused yet still understand what is going on.

Overall, this movie was utterly jaw-dropping.

Women cast in film

In British film, what do you think the percentage different is between the number of women cast in films in 1913 compared to 2017? The answer can be found in this Guardian article.

The study was carried out by the BFI who have also launched a great new website: Filmography of British Film. 

My Alperton - photography competition

an iPad mini? All you have to do is submit a photo that has been taken in the local area. You do not need a professional camera, you can also take a photo with your phone. 

The extended deadline is Thursday 14th September at 2pm - which is tomorrow!

For further details and to submit your entry go to the Future Northfields website: http://futurenorthfields.com/photography-competition/

Congratulations and welcome!

Congratulations to year 11 and 13 leavers on their GCSE, iMedia and A Level results. We hope you achieved what you wanted and it has put you onto the next path of your journey. We look forward to celebrating with you at the presentation evening on Thursday 14th September.  

Welcome back to year 11 and 13 students. We have a busy year ahead of us. Ensure you have an excellent start to the year by keeping up with deadlines set and attend intervention sessions for extra support when asked to.

Lastly, hello to all of our new students in year 9, 10 and 12! We are really excited to be teaching media to year 9 for the first time. An exciting course has been planned for you. Year 10 and 12, we hope you are as committed as Mr. Steenson and myself to helping you achieve your potential.

Work experience opportunities

There are a lot of opportunities for you to gain work experience/internships within the media. However, you need to always be on the lookout and be quick to apply! To start you off, here are some opportunities I know of and some links I have come across. The majority of them are for those aged 16+ but for younger students it is always good to know what opportunities will become available to you in the near future.

BFI Academy (regional)

Applications are now open! Available for 16-19 year olds. There are several academies in London. I suggest you apply to as many as possible to have a better chance of getting on. If you are successful, you will stand a better chance to get a place on the residential course which I support on. 

Mama Youth Project

This is for students who are taking a year off before university or looking to get straight into employment. Mama Youth is a fantastic company, one in which I trained at myself before doing some work for them. The training takes place at Sky where you make a TV programme which is also broadcast on Sky 1. Great way to get a credit to your name.

BBC work experience

Applications open in August

Go Think Big

They have ongoing opportunities for work experience, apprenticeships and internships.

The information below is from the Guardian website.

Guardian students
www.youthmediaagency.org.uk

You can contribute to the Guardian blogging students section of the site. Students have their say on the pressing issues of student life, from fees to face time, from deadlines to distractions. It’s free to join Guardian students, and when you register you will get a free ebook on ‘how to blog’. There’s also a guide on how to write for the section. www.theguardian.com/education/students

Wannabe Hacks

Provides advice and tips about how to get into journalism and media, real life accounts of work placement experiences and the opportunity for reader contributions. It is aimed specifically at young people, before, during and after university.

wannabehacks.co.uk

Shout Out UK

An independent UK news network run by under 25s, focusing especially on political news and debate. They offer the opportunity for contributors to have their work published online, as well as one-to-one journalism tuition and political literacy courses. www.shoutoutuk.org

Youth Media Agency

Invites young people aged 16-25 to become ‘Creative Associates’; writers, journalists, graphic designers, film makers and photographers. The site offers help for young people to find opportunities and training within the media industry as well as inviting them to get involved in Youth Media events and films.

Film Review: Captain America - Civil War (2016)

Update: Nikita's review made it to review of the week on the Into Film website. Well done!

Reviewed by Nikita (A2 Media)

Although the title claims Civil War is a Captain America film, it is really another Avengers film. The large starring cast helps keep the film fresh and funny but it also means that Captain America's personal story line (his relationship with Bucky, and with his girlfriend from back then Peggy Carter) is almost entirely sidelined. This is also especially disappointing as it is the end of Cap's trilogy. If you were looking for a film about Captain America, you're not going to find it here.

The film starts with half of the Avengers on a mission that leaves an apparently large amount of civilians dead. Although nobody has cared about this before, this particular incident is enough for the government to step in and try to rein the Avengers in through the Accords, a contract that means that the Avengers' every move as superheros will be controlled by a panel of strangers. Tony Stark, feeling fresh guilt over the death of a teenager, agrees to sign it, saying that they need to be controlled. Steve Rogers notes that governments have agencies and agencies can change. It's a very interesting debate but unfortunately, the film doesn't actually spend much time on this. Instead the plot really revolves around Sebastian Stan's Bucky/The Winter Soldier - except it doesn't. Very quickly, the action is reduced to childlike arguments; they fight for the sake of fighting. 

The budget for Civil War is huge and it's clear where they've spent it. The film is packed with very impressive fight scenes (and one even more impressive scene with a young Robert Downey Jr.). While the fight scenes add little for the amount they're on screen, they are very entertaining. Oddly enough, the big fight with all of the Avengers is hilarious. That's right - hilarious. Anthony Mackie, as Sam Wilson, has witty one-liners throughout the film whilst Paul Rudd's maniacal Ant Man and Tom Holland's first appearance as wisecracking Spider Man truly elevate the fight scene in terms of humour. Their short stint in the film is also perhaps the ideal length for a superhero to appear in another superhero's film.


The truly annoying thing about this film is the potential it had as a solo Captain America movie and how entertaining it was despite that. Am I still annoyed at the lack of focus on Captain America? Of course. Is it still funny and worth your money? Unfortunately so.