Question 1A

Describe how you developed research and planning skills for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time

Having the task of creating my very own music magazine for my foundation portfolio coursework was much more of a challenge than one would expect. The planning, research, and use of real media texts was a lot of work. One thing I soon realised is that not only was I just designing a small magazine cover, but I was almost maintaining a small business, and I was the designer, editor, writer, photographer, and much more.

Being a graphic designer and web developer for a media agency, I already had some advanced skills in the software ‘Adobe Photoshop’. However, designing a magazine was something I had never done before. Therefore, I chose to research into magazine covers by buying several magazines and studying the positioning of certain items. I noticed that sell lines were mostly always on the sides of the page, whereas the masthead was always bigger than any other text and always places at the top. I then constructed my very own music magazine cover for my preliminary task, this helped me to practise and elevate my skills on the photoshop software. To create this I also had to conduct a small scale photo shoot in my school for which I used a Cannon 550D DSLR camera.

After creating my preliminary task, I had gained a lot more experience and knowledge in creating a music magazine, and one thing I realised is that I will need to be doing a lot more research and planning. Firstly, I decided to choose the music genre I will be using, this would help me to look at the codes and conventions that other magazines using the same genre have withheld, and also it gives me a deeper insight to the audience that I will be targeting. After careful consideration, I chose the genre of hip hop as it is a genre of music that I am interested in and that therefore gives me an advantage.

When researching through magazines, I realised that the models in the front cover always had perfect skin and everything was aligned and organised. Therefore when conducting my photo shoot I made sure to look at the small details such as positioning of hair. When importing the images into photoshop, I airbrushed my models using the ‘surface blur’ tool, this created a very smooth look on their skin. I also used the hue/saturation tool and colour curves to add a slightly purple tint on my models, this would match the purple magazine cover.

As far as magazine’s go, everything that has to be done can be very structured. However, in my A2 media coursework, there were no limits on how creative you can be. Firstly, I started my own online blog using www.blogger.com which allows me to upload content, diaries and footage on the internet so I can log my progress and apply my theory in creative ways. Having blogged before, I felt right at home starting up a new blog. With new technology moving as fast as it ever has, being able to update my work through the internet allows me to post my ideas no matter where I am and what I am doing. A great example of this is when I saw some equipment that is used to film music videos, I was so inspired by this technology that I took a picture using my mobile phone, and uploaded it instantly to my blog from my mobile.

Creating a music video was my project for the second year of media studies. To film a music video, it is a stereotype that the biggest and best music videos are shot on heavy, big and expensive camera. However, this is seldom the case as smaller DSLR camera’s such as a Cannon 5D, record amazing HD footage and can take in more frames per second. I therefore used a Cannon 550D to shoot both my music video and the test shots. Researching into different types of camera shots and angles such as extreme close up and panning helped me to see which shots would look good for my video. The aperture setting on the DSLR camera allows you adapt the focus on the lens and gives a high quality effect on the focal point of your scene.

Overall, though I had some skills in certain software, I built a lot of experience and skill development after working on a more advances scale when it came to photoshop. Also, using brand new digital technology such as DSLR camera’s helped me to gain a better understanding of how to create amazing imagery. Above all, I also learnt things that I had no idea about before such as movie editing software and green screen special effects.

Blade Runner and Genre

Film noir is a cycle of mainly American films of the 1940’s and 50’s exploring the darker aspects of modernity and usually set in a criminal milieu or exploring the consequences of a criminal act.
The word ‘noir’ is a French word known as black. This is relevant because Film Noir was originated from French film critics who noticed the new dark style of film and media through American crime and detective films.
Fear and paranoia is the essence of film noir. When Blade Runner was released in 1982, Reagan’s Second Cold War was underway, and the United States was coming to the end of a economic recession. In Blade Runner’s future, Japanese businesses and culture have overrun Los Angeles, and the world in general is a bleak, inhospitable place. Virtually all animals have died, leaving lonely humans to design and build artificial creatures for companionship. Classic noir suggests that increased industrialization breeds alienation, and in the hyper-industrialized world of Blade Runner, this is especially true.
Blade Runner certainly merges common tropes identical to noir and incorporates them into a futuristic setting. Harrison Ford’s character Rick Deckard is a stereotypical private detective and the film’s general atmosphere engenders a ‘sense of pervasive and impending doom’.

Deckland is seen to be a human by first glance but if you analyse his characterisation and look deeper into his speech and actions you can see his unhuman characteristics. Deckard being a replicant can be seen in one quotation from Gaff. At one point Rachael asks Deckard if he's ever taken the test himself (Deckard dozes off, however, leaving the audience to ponder the question). Also, at the end of the movie, Gaff tells Deckard: "You've done a man's job, sir!"

Science fiction is a genre of fiction in which the stories often tell about science and technology of the future. It is important to note that science fiction has a relationship with the principles of science—these stories involve partially true-partially fictitious laws or theories of science. It should not be completely unbelievable, because it then ventures into the genre fantasy.

Science fiction and fantasy both answer the question, "What if?" Science fiction takes our current understanding of how the universe works and imagines ideas and technologies that we haven't seen yet, but still could fit within that understanding. It's fiction that expands on what we know about science, operating on familiar principles.

Like all drama, science fiction explores the human condition, but it can look at it from unexpected angles. Science fiction imagines strange challenges and opportunities for us in order to delve deep into human nature. That's why some of the most provocative science fiction starts with men and women very similar to us - what these people do when faced with unusual crises speaks directly to who we are in our everyday lives.

Blade runner can almost be seen as a typical science fiction film as it has all of the elements that some may say constitutes to create the perfect sci fi. The Los Angeles 2019 city space automatically lets the audience know that this film is set in the future. The city within the film and film itself shows a very dark side to technology, expelling modern tones of skyscrapers and city centres.
The city is very chaotic and over-crowded which is a reasonably forseeable outcome of future in the perspective of the audience which allows this film to be seen as scientifically fictional, but almost believable in a sense.

Jordon and Faisal Postmodernism

Run Lola Run - presentation

Run Lola Run: Third Run Notes

Quick description of film: Lola receives a phone call from her boyfriend Manny. He lost 100,000 DM in a subway train that belongs to a very bad guy. Lola has 20 min to raise this amount and meet Manny. Otherwise, he will rob a store to get the money. Three different alternatives may happen depending on some minor event along Lola's run.

Third Run:

The scene begins just as the other two runs begin, lola recieves a phone call, the camera rotates and spins around her in a 360 motion.

She then runs out of the apartment and as she runs past one door, a woman (on the phone) says something to her. The camera then turns to the television where an animation of Lola is shown running down the stairs and she jumps over a dog that seems to be aggressive towards her.

The camera then shows her running outside and she bumps into a lady with a pram who this time, becomes religeous after that incident, which is shown on photographs after the hit. She then runs past the nuns and this time dodges them, does not make any contact with any of them.

The bike rider then does not offer his bike to Lola this time, instead he see's the tramp who has the money and sold it to him.

She then gets hit by a car and sees Mr Maya, a friend of her Father's.

Later, as she is running, Lola almost gets hit by a lorry outside a casino. After seeing the casino however, she enters it and is one frank short however gets allowe in to the casino. With everyone looking rich and dressed nice, she was getting a lot of stares dressed in a tracksuit and with red hair. She then won the roulette though after screaming very loud and then there was another reference to the clock in the casino.

Then, lola enters the ambulance and see's a man in critical condition, in the meantime, her boyfriend Mannny catches the tramp on the bike who has his money and he gets the money back.

Manny then gives the money back to the 'bad man' and is let off the hook.

Postmodernism or Modernism?

link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixNwyrpmhJg

Lady Gaga and Postmodernism

Video I found on the internet:

Lady Gaga as a Post Modern Feminist

More PowerPoint presentations from Kelly Klick

Also below is a very intresting article about lady gaga and post modernism within 'telephone':

Genre Paragraph

Genre is a key elemnt of any media text, especially music videos. In terms of the music video 'All I do is Win' by Dj Khaled, it is a hip hop genre and constitutes a representation of gender and wealth. The music video shows various artists (predominantly male) showing off big jewellery, expensive drinks and expensive clothes. Women dancers are used throughout the video mainly dressed provocitavely and seen to be all over the men. This could possibly highlight a mysonigystic view of the hip hop culture. This is satisfying the stereo-type of hip hop artists as they are often shown in the media as mysonygists and homophobics.

There are also a lot of uses of symbols and signs which subside with the theory of semiotics by Roland Barthes. The strict black and white theme in the video is parallel to the hip hop industry as vibrant colours and dramatic scenes is more of a pop culture convention. People smoking, images of cars and money however are shown alot throughout this video which again conform to the genre specified to try and prove power, superiority and wealth between the artists.

Some videos to help understand postmodernism

Narrative Paragraph

Chris brown's 'next to you' video begins with dialogue and two elated couples who seem deeply in love with one another. This initial equilibrium is immediately interupted by disaster when the female characters are taken away from their lovers. This alternation continues throughout the video when the audience are brought to an almost post-apocalyptic scene of the world; showing cracked concerete and broken buildings, there are many flashbacks reviewing the past. Thunder storms are also shown in the sky to exaggerate the upsetting ambience. Spectacles of fire and people running around in panic is also shown as the female character attempts to re-uinite with her 'soul mate'. When the woman is seen being hit by a car, the imagery slows down completely corresponding to the music as the camera slowly zooms in to the artists face. At the end of video, the couple is shown back together, sealing their love with a kiss. On the Macro, this video is a typical love story with a huge twist in the middle... not so typical now.

Reece and Faisal Media Video

Section A - Theoretical Evaluation of Production

Skill Development

Skill development in general is one of the main factors of mastering any form of art, work, objective or subject. It is often mistakenly thought that some people are born with skill, and some just are not. However this is not true, anybody can gain a skill by doing it over and over until mastering it. However, maintaining that skill is a little harder, but can be done by always practising, revising and/or carrying out the skill constantly.

Although working to gain a skill may be hard, and working to maintain it may be harder... the most difficult thing is to develop a skill. Any skill can be improved and it is up to you, the person, to have the courage and will power to stick at it and develop your skill. For example, you may be a very skilled footballer, however as time passes on.. you will need to develop your skills to become better.

Digital Technology

Digital technology is one of my personal favourites and is all about the new technology which is adapting rapidly. Now a days, modern technology converges to allow us to interact with people online whilst using our phones, play games instantly with people on the other side of the world and rewind/pause our favourite moments on tele! We have the ability of creating spectacular photography and filmography with the latest gadgets and send our friends images and videos instantly!

What I am doing right now is proving the use of digital technology... books are old school.. blogging is where it's at! Moore's law stated that every 18 months, a microchip will double in speed and half in size! By 2013 it is expected that there will be a computer... more intelligent than the human brain!!

However, are we creating our own monsters?

Creativity

What is creativity? Well as Dhruv proved last lesson, it's not as easy to define as you may think. Sure we all have a definition for it in our heads but wording it may not be as easy!

Definition: Creativity is a mental process involving the discovery of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the existing ideas or concepts, fueled by the process of either conscious or unconscious insight

as we can see from the image below, creativity can be interpreted in many ways!

Research and Planning

Research and planning is important in any matter of life! Organisation is the key to success and this applies to everything! Planning an essay, exam technique, game, work... anything.. is important to plan as it allows you to know which route you are taking. You wont get to the right destination if you don't know the way!

Post Production

Post production refers to the work done after filming or creating the first part of a media text. For example, when a film is being made (i,e filmed and direcdted) it is known as the production. Therefore the effects and editing added after is known as the post production. Almost all media text is produced with post production in mind.

"The stages of film production happening between the actual filming and the completed film

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/post-production"

Using Media Convention

There are many conventions in media which are, and are not always followed. Just because they are conventions, it does not mean that they are compulsory and must be followed; however if they are conventions, they must be so for a reason and they must be doing something right in order for the media industry to be growing strong at the current stage. Some forms of media conventions in a magazine for example is the 'masthead', main image and side articles.

Relation to real world texts

Many ideas for films and stories come from real past or present events that have occurred in the world. Great examples of this include films that have been made after the tragic 9/11 attacks. Films were created to portray different points of views and different ways of telling the story. Films based on real world texts can often be the most interesting as people are interested as to see how the event had occurred and what really happened. This cannot be mistaken for a documentary however as films may not always tell the truth. "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story".

Your production experiences outside of school

When I was 14 I began creating websites and posters for small time artists and people for small amounts of money whilst my older brother would deal with the Admin side. We would also go out and create short films and music videos for people we knew.

2 years later we signed an investment deal with two businessmen and we now currently run our own Media company. We offer services such as Web design and development, iPhone application development, Film production, Photography and more. It can all be seen on our website www.six2media.com

Media Video Update

Reece and I have recorded the video and we are now just editing it and willl upload asa its done.

What is PostModernism?

Postmodernism is used as a way of describing the styles of thought and culture attracting most critical attention. 'Postmodernist thought' has caused a revolution across all academic disciplines, from Physics to English via Geography. Postmodernism offers a different way of both constructing and deconstructing ideas.

Media Homework first draft with Reece - Will be video'd

How to teach Genre

Genre is part of the Key Concept of Language, and can be applied to all kinds of media text. Putting media texts such as film, television programmes, print media, or music into categories is useful as a way of establishing some kind of control over information. Each genre follows its own kinds of conventions - language, characteristic signs and sign systems. However, genres are fluid and not fixed and under constant renegotiation between media industry and audience through the combination of the familiar and the unexpected.

Narative

Media texts use world events, news and imagination to put together good stories in the form of film, drama, etc. They may also be continuous or serial narratives, such as television news broadcasts or soap operas… like east enders u zimme.

                                                                    Representation

Representation refers to the construction in any medium (especially the mass media) of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other abstract concepts. Such representations may be in speech or writing as well as still or moving pictures.

This is in relation to the key markers of identity - Class, Age, Gender and Ethnicity (the 'cage' of identity) - How do men look at images of women, women at men, men at men and women at women?

                                                                  Media Audience

When media texts produce their entertainment they always have a core audience and a secondary audience in mind. With that they research into the likes and intrests of that core audience and market where appropriate for the audience, for example if the film is a horror for over 18’s they will not advertise on cbbc or childerens programs.

Media theory and Language

Understanding Media Theory describes the ways in which our means of communication determine what and who we are, how we behave, what we do and do not think about, how our feelings develop and are limited, and who we can and cannot reach.

Uses and Gratifications Theory is a popular approach to understanding mass communication. The theory places more focus on the consumer, or audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking “what people do with media” rather than “what media does to people” (Katz, 1959) . It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible for choosing media to meet their needs. The approach suggests that people use the media to fulfill specific gratifications. This theory would then imply that the media compete against other information sources for viewers' gratification.