Music Video Assignment 2

Music Video Assignment 2

The college's record label is looking to diversify into full packages that would include music videos for their signed artists. I will be creating a music video for one of their artists, I will also keep track of the process in a production log.

Before I create my music video I will be carrying out pre-production work by creating pre-production documents as well as keeping track with the use of a production log. I have now decided what song I am going to make my music video on, this song is going to be ' What a wonderful world ' by Louis Armstrong made in 1970, the link to this song is below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlDgQOd3p-0

I have picked this song as I believe it is a really good and in depth song about the world and how we need to think about it in years to come. ' It's a wonderful world ' which is quite ironic as people all over the world are dying of starvation and diseases, while corrupt politicians steal money and make bad decisions and get away with it. As well as this, the oil is starting to run out and the economy is going down, whilst new wars start and whilst we pollute the Earth with greenhouse gases that will destroy the atmosphere. When Louis Armstrong wrote and recorded this song America was segregated and racial tensions were still running very high. Americans were also living their lives pretty much certain that a nuclear bomb was going to strike them, however Louis Armstrong was also no exception, he was a target of the hate. Even though all of this was happening around the world his message was despite this there was so much beauty in the world and so much hope for children and their futures. The whole point of the song is that no matter how bad things are, just look around, admire the world and what it has in it and never lose hope for a wonderful future. The song was released during the early jazz years and in my opinion it means more now than it did then, this is because when the racial segregation happened them years ago he still released the song and gathered all that hate and the song came out on top, I think it tells the audience of how important life and the surroundings of life are.

The song is a duration of 2:35, I have decided that there will be no actors or actresses in this music video as I believe it is meant to show the audience what the song is about and this song is about nature and the world in itself. I think that the pace of this music is meant to be quite slow and the video is definitely going to show this. As it is going to be nature based there aren't going to be set locations for the shoot, when I see that there can be a necessary part in the music video I am going to film on the spot. The link below is to a sort of music video which in my opinion works very well put together and this is where I got my ideas from.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cAaB-JBSzQ

For a script there will be no speaking or acting therefore there is no need for one, just like there will be no storyboard - this is because as I don't know where I am going to be filming there is no point of making a scene up in my head and then it may not be on the final piece. The crew is only myself, I might get a little bit of help from my classmates in the editing stage if I need it. As I am going to be outside I will be completing a risk assessment and finally, there is no permissions needed for my music video which I will be creating. The risk assessment which I have completed is shown below.

I have decided that I am not going to include anybody in this music video which I am creating, I am going to be the director, camera operator and editor, however if I do need help editing I do have somebody to help me.



The link to my music video is below, I have filmed some parts of it and the other parts which have been used in the music video were took off YouTube and the internet.

https://youtu.be/2yulgdRoubA

NCFE Enterprise 500 Word Report

NCFE Enterprise 500 Word Report

As part of the NCFE Enterprise course, I was asked to produce a 500 word report on the topic of entrepreneurs and enterprising people. In my 500 word report it is going to include the main similarities enterprising people and entrepreneurs have, as well as the main differences and the skills I have identified that I need to develop. 

The main similarities between an enterprising person and an entrepreneur  is that they're both good thinkers, they both have good time management skills to a specific topic of what they're focusing on. I think that all people are responsible in their own ways, for example for the enterprising person to think of a creative idea and the entrepreneur to pitch that idea to companies - this could then be linked to entrepreneurs who would now think mostly about the money aspect of this pitch and what to offer to the companies. 

The main differences is that not all of the three ( good thinker, time management and management to a specific topic ) are good with money management skills, this is because an enterprising person doesn't always think about the money whereas an entrepreneur would only think about the money. An enterprising person might have a good background of creative thinking whereas an entrepreneur could possibly come across as a better leader to a group completing his / her project. A great example of entrepreneurs is the TV show ' The Apprentice ' - this TV show projects different people who all start living together and they are all competing to win a huge investment of £250,000 and a 50% share in their own business with Lord Alan Sugar, I believe that this is a great TV show and shows to the audience what it would be like to complete the tasks and the pressure you would come across in the boardroom. 

The skills I think that I need to develop is one skill which is being a better leader, for example taking a lead when completing a class presentation, this can also include myself pitching a presentation with passion from the work which I have just produced, this way it shows that I am motivated which I have put as an essential skill in my booklet. I also think that I need to make sure that I complete the work which has been set without being easily distracted and therefore not doing it, this then has a negative effect as if I was to do it in the lesson I wouldn't have to do it at home and therefore I would be less stressed.

To conclude I believe I have completed this 500 word report to a good standard with in depth detail explaining main similarities and differences between entrepreneurs and enterprising people and the skills I need to develop, I also think that now I have found out what skills I need to develop, I will try my best to do these things. Doing this NCFE Enterprising booklet I now know what the differences between entrepreneurs and enterprising people and what kind of skills the 2 different kinds of people have and the advantages and disadvantages of having these skills are.   

Digital Imaging Assignment 3

Digital Imaging Assignment 3

I have been asked to produce two designs for the musical project, Prawnshocker, a solo artist working with electronic music, loops and noise. What the artist is looking for is a logo for the Prawnshocker name, thus could be adapted for use on anything as small as button badges for T-Shirts to use on CD and bandcamp releases, or it could go to the size for a video backdrop for live performances. This means it would work equally well small or large and also be equally effective in either colour or black and white. The style of the logo is up to myself but it should reflect the most popular themes and general style of the music. The second thing the client wants is a CD cover making set at a suitable size for a bandcamp release, produced either in Photoshop or Illustrator, and based around the original Crown of Prawns / Thorns idea of a religious bedecked with a Crown of Prawns.

The first task is to find which has been set for me is to find three pieces of research to help develop ideas for my response to the client brief.

The first bit of research which I have found out is the clients websites which were provided by himself. I think that Prawnshocker in itself is a very different thing in the music industry and is very unique in its own way. Also the name Prawnshocker is just very random but it might mean something to the artist therefore in my design I will be including the name and it will be the most important thing in the logo therefore I will make sure that the audience pays their most attention to it. The second piece of research which I have found is the image below which has given me an idea, my idea is to have a lightning bolt aiming down onto a plate of prawns with the name Prawnshocker at the top, being the most important thing in the picture, this title would be in a lightly greyed cloud.

( http://prawnshocker.avantgardening.pl/Crown%20Of%20Prawns.html ).

Stop Motion Animation Assignment 3

Stop Motion Animation Assignment 3

As part of the end year show celebrations for some students in the BTEC Media course's work will be shown at Cineworld in Middlesbrough as part of a private screening for students and invited guests. I have now completed my animation and I have created a survey for my peers to complete using SurveyMonkey. My animation is shown below and the link for my survey is also below. I have received positive feedback from my class peers, meaning for the next time I complete an assignment I know what to do differently. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smucDhjsyV0

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/53VVKNQ

What is my own personal response to the animation I have produced? - I believe I have produced a good animation which includes a soundtrack which is based on the animation itself, during making this animation I think I now have the knowledge to make another one which is better, if I could complete this assignment again I would make an improvement - this would be all about my framing of the shot, I made an error which was that my phone ran out of memory when I was filming my animation as I was using my iPhone 5S using the slow - motion feature. This then meant that the finished animation was that little less professional. I believe that the different colours which reflected off the glass was a good touch to the animation making it less boring as it creates a unique effect. 

What is my response to the feedback I have received and based on the level of response, how could I have improved my production? - I think the feedback I have received back from my class peers are all positive, in my opinion getting feedback from people who are the same age as you makes a positive impact to your work. The screen shots below are the questions which I asked in my survey based on my animation, for example the first question I asked was ' what would you give my animation between 1-10? 1 being very bad and 10 being excellent '. As you can see by the first image below the response was good, there wasn't an answer 5 or below meaning it was above average in the opinions of my class peers. On the second image shown below was the question about what they liked most about my animation, in my opinion I think this was a good question to ask as it means they can make their own mind up with the options below or even specify something which I haven't thought of. 50% of the people who answered it mostly liked the animation itself and the idea behind it. 33% liked the soundtrack and the rest liked the change in the colour reflection on the glass. The next question I asked was about how to improve the animation if I was to do it again, like I said earlier in the blog, most of my class peers agree that the framing was a little out and therefore next time needs to be 100% in the correct position, however somebody in the class thought that a different soundtrack could be necessary, I respect their opinion but in mine I think the soundtrack goes with the animation and what it's about. The next question was about the soundtrack, the question was ' Did you like the soundtrack? ' Like I said above, most people thought it was a good soundtrack however somebody said no but left no comment on it meaning I can't find out why they didn't like it. Finally the last question was ' Did you like what my animation was about?' everybody who I received feedback from said yes, I also like what my animation was based on, however next time I would put less ice in the glass to make it melt quicker.

Will you make these improvements based on the feedback? - I have decided that I will not be re-completing my animation sequence as I believe it is up to quite a high standard and with the evidence shown below so do my class peers. If the feedback was worse than it was I'd consider re doing it but since i wasn't I don't think I could achieve a higher grade than I already got. 

Below is a link to a professional time lapse which is quite similar to my own, it is a glass of ice melting however by only two differences I think it actually looks more unique, these changes are the glass is different - it is a wine glass and the background makes you look straight towards the glass itself, I also like how all the ice melted before the time lapse stopped, this was also different to my own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYgiZ7KzgDk

The image below shows how I edited my animation and how it looks in the software ' Adobe Premier Pro '.

Below is an example of how I created my Stop Motion Animation, I used Adobe Premier Pro to edit my animation and with the use of this program I believe that it was up to a good standard, this was where I also put my credits on the screen with the help from Kieran Atkins. 

Below is a link to a professional 13 minute video which is for beginners on Premier Pro, this is where you can find out easy tools to use and how to edit videos. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzO3vrFaPRU

Understanding the Creative Media sectors assignment 4 and 5

Employment opportunities and job roles in the creative media sectors

The college media mill is looking to produce an online information guide for prospective students who want to find out more about the creative media sector. I have been commissioned to produce the fourth and fifth chapter for the online information guide as well as produce relevant career development material in order to apply for a prospective job with media mill to produce work for external clients.

I have decided that I am going to talk mostly about the film industry in this piece of work, I have picked this as it is my favourite to talk about and the one I know lots about.

Employment opportunities in film

 A runner is an important job for any type of television or film producer out there, this is important as they may do very little skilled things but it saves the producers from doing it themselves, an example of what runners do is make / get refreshments for the producers e.g. cups of tea and coffee, they also clean toilets, make sure that everything is up to standard ( toilet roll etc ). There are 2 types of production, either pre production or post production, they can help the producers, editors, directors in both of these types of production, they may also sort things out such as lunch e.g. they maybe in charge of getting sandwiches and meals etc. There are many companies who hire runners for the industry, one of these is Framestore, this company is based in London, New York, Chicago and Montreal. The link below shows what the runner development programme is about and how to apply, if you're going to be a runner it is best to be interested in the work you're going to be doing, for example helping and assisting the directors and producers in whatever they need. If they want you to deliver a parcel to a company, you do that. If you gain their respect you have a higher chance of staying with the company and then getting a better job with a better salary as well you then enjoying your job a lot more. Another advantage is that you will get to know the vital people to make the projects work for example the editors and if you do everything right, they might let you use programmes such as Adobe Premier Pro for free - meaning when you have free time you maybe able to use these programmes, get used to them and get a better knowledge of editing. There are many employment opportunities in the creative media sectors, these are - full time, part time, freelance, voluntary, casual, hourly paid and piecework. The main one is the full time, this is usually Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm, including usually you have weekends off. Part time is what you could see a membership assistant doing as shown below, which includes a good wage for a part time job. The British Film Institute is a government body and distributor of Lottery funds for film, as well as being an international recognised cultural body. Another type of employment is freelance, an example of being a freelance could be a cinematographer, as shown later in my blog I talk about Andy Harrison and how he is a freelancer as he works for himself and works for company's who hire him for a certain project they want completing for example a documentary about the local wildlife or nature. Voluntary opportunities means that you don't always get paid but it is good in the long run, for example a runner could start out working for free for a big company but maybe a year later and producers and directors value your commitment they might speak to their bosses and get you a promotion to work beside them, this could then be good for the runner as he / she would be on a set wage and a good company behind them. Casual employment is when a certain company for example a person who is self employed working for a big company such as Universal for a project, when it has been completed they then go their own separate ways but the person who is self employed maybe hired by Universal again in the upcoming future. Hourly paid is quite easy to understand, somebody who is hourly paid isn't on any fixed contract, this means they will have a rota for a set week which shows when they start and finish that day, whereas a full time job is usually just 9am - 5pm and off weekends, hourly paid may also mean that you have to work weekends. It also means if you're ill a day you will not get paid for it as you have no contract to signify you still get paid if you're ill. Finally is piece work, this type of work means you get paid on what you have been able to produce, for example if you're an editor working on a project for a big company such as Universal they might set you a deadline where the work has o be completed for this date and if it isn't all completed they will give you less money as you get paid for what is produced.

https://chk.tbe.taleo.net/chk01/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=FRAMESTORE&cws=39&rid=1042

Job roles in the creative media industries

There are many job roles in the creative media industry as well as different working patterns that make up the film and television industry, these are fixed term, freelance, hourly rates, irregular patterns, office hours, piece work and shift work. Fixed terms is also known as a contract, contracts are where the client / company will offer you so much money per year for so many hours for example they may think you're a valuable asset to the company and therefore offer you a big contract such as 30 hours per week for £30,000 per year. Next is being a freelance, an example of somebody who is a freelance cinematographer ( technical and creative ) is Andy Harrison, being a freelance worker means you don't have a boss, you're the boss therefore you can do as many hours as you want and when you want, however it does mean if you don't get any work offered you won't have any to complete. A link to his portfolio of the work he has completed is below. A lot of people out there are freelancers and there are more than just cinematographers ( technical and creative ), there are grips ( technical ), editors ( creative ),  lighting ( technical ) and many more. Hourly rates is very easy to understand, this is where the company who you're working with will pay you a certain amount for every hour you work, this is usually for people who aren't on a fixed contract with that company. An example of this is if you're making £9.00 per hour and you worked for 35 hours per week you will be getting paid £315 for that week ( as well as taxes and national insurance ). Next is irregular patterns, this is where it might be rare for you to get a usual office hour work slot, if you're working on production being the cameraman ( creative and technical ) then you could potentially be up and working at 3AM. After that is piece work, this could be for anyone in the creative media industries from cameramen to editors to grips. An example of being a cameraman and having piece work is recording a certain part of the film / TV show you're shooting and then when that part is finished, so are you. This means there are positives as well as negatives to this type of work because it means you're getting to go as soon as you have finished your part, however if you completed the full thing you would probably get paid more. Finally is shift work, this is self explanatory, this is where you don't at all have regular working hours such as in an office block, you could potentially start at 10PM and finish at 7AM or even later, depending on the duration of the shift.


The following pieces of text which have ' above have been copied off Mandy.com


' Creative video editor - 37.5 hours per week, paid on application - skills required : A professional approach to work with high quality and consistency in all videos.
Strong concept creator and storyteller with the ability to communicate clearly both visually and verbally.
Knowledge of professional video cameras, camera mounts, controllers, lighting for briefing DOPs
To come brimming with creative video ideas to each meeting
Attention to detail on all pieces of work.
Should be aware of trends and new ideas and should be able to interpret those into fantastic creative.
High technical proficiency with video editing/motion graphics systems
Strong Animated Typographic skills
Good understanding of audio capture and sound quality control.
Ability to work well under pressure with a flexible, creative attitude.
Attention to detail.
Knowledge of After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier, Final Cut Pro, Indesign.
Excellent understanding of video compression and optimization for web video.
A passion for creating work that resonates on an emotional level.
Strong and flexible skills in the practices of typography, color, and layout.
Perform quality assurance on all video footage
Awareness of Sound Booth systems for voiceovers.
Knowledge of producing video for various devices e.g. iphone, ipad etc, and interest of new developments and innovation in video content
Understanding of usage and clearance requirements for music, images and footage.
Ability to work as part of a team or autonomously.
An understanding of the online interactive experience.
Basic understanding of HTML is an asset but not essential.
Must be detail orientated, can work to tight deadlines and extremely well organized.
Good communication and team-work skills
Producers assistant / Junior editor - Induction as part time - Paid per project ( up to £100 a day ). Skills required:
-English proficiency in speaking and professional writing
-Valid UK/EU driving license
-Familiarity with Mac OSX and Apple products
-Software familiarity: Apple Mail, Photoshop, Keynote, Numbers, Excel, -Pages, Dropbox, Illustrator or InDesign (Optional), WordPress (Optional)
-Familiarization with After Effects, Final Cut X and 7 (NECESSARY) 

Production manager - Long fixed term contract - paid negotiable ( more experience better pay ) - skills required: Strong organisational & administrative skills.

A natural flair for project management and the ability to work on 

multiple projects at the same time.

Great interpersonal skills. 

An understanding of up to date technical specs, shoot formats and post production work flows.

A proven ability to manage and deliver successful TV production projects and /or a strong history of successful account / stakeholder management.

Experience of creating and using systems and processes to manage and plan workflows.

A driving license.

Cinematographer - Student - No pay

Enthusiastic cinematographer to take part in a short film which is based in Canterbury, Kent.

Animator - £100 ( One off )

Enthusiastic, knows what they're doing with very little help. '

Professional behaviour needed to work in the creative media industry

There are many types of behaviour which you need to display to your employer before they even hire you, for example when you're being interviewed or on a taster session with them. You need to make sure that you're showing to them that you're a reliable worker to them right away, one way to do this is if they ask you to work another shift on top of the ones you're already doing if you get the job. Or if you have had the job for a while there is no reason to make sure your employer knows that you like being there and doing this can show them this. A very important skill which isn't hard to acquire at all is to make sure that you're always on time and your attendance is 100%, if you're a voluntary runner for a big company and you're late to the shoot for example you will be sent away and you probably will never return to the company ever again so make sure you're always early. Commit yourself to your work or what has been asked of you, such as if your boss has asked you to read over some documents, make sure you actually read over them and not just say yes you have because for all you know they might be very important documents for example a contract sign off on a big film about to be released and they need to be correct. Efficiency is also a big skill to have, this is because you need to make sure that you're completing tasks and assignments well but also in a good time so check you know what is being asked and complete it the best of your ability, always have time in case anything goes wrong, this also shows that you're prepared. You will always need good communication skills no matter what type of job you're in, not just the creative media industries so check to see if you can communicate with people whilst always feeling comfortable, if not, then it is something to work on. Contribution to team projects is always important that you do it, otherwise you might be looked at as the weakest link and maybe sacked when the people in your group can complete the task whereas you can't. Penultimately is time management, this is quite similar to efficiency where you always have time to work at your best, don't think you will have time to complete it the night before it is due. Finally is personal responsibility, this is knowing what you have that day, for example a meeting at 11am which lasts 2 hours, knowing what you need to do before it to get a head start, this shows you're ready to work. 

To even get a chance of getting an interview with a company you will always need a CV ( Curriculum Vitae ). An example of a CV is shown below, which is my own and I have created it and based it upon the creative media industries. For a CV to be classed as ' good ' it needs to be based around the job you're applying for, for example if I was to be applying for a job in media it would look better as it shows the skills what I have e.g. iStop Motion and Adobe PremierPro I am quite confident in. Certifications are very important when completing your CV also as it shows what you have studied in the past and what you achieved best in, and most companies now always want at least a C or higher in mathematics and English, as you can see below I achieved both these first time.

Another important career development document is a cover letter, below is an example of a cover letter and why it is important, it tells the person offering you the job why you would like it and shows them you want it.

Finally, a good thing to show your potential boss is what you have produced in the past, this maybe crucial for them to know and it may even get you the job, one way of doing this is collaborating everything you have made and put it into one place, for example if you have made videos then have them all on your YouTube or Vimeo channel. My YouTube channel is below which is where all my work is. Most of them were for assignments.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiG88J6Cj9Wn4bSlcw7yviw 

Conclusion - In this blog post I was asked to produce the fourth chapter for the online information guide as well as produce a relevant career development material in order to apply for prospective jobs within the Media Mill to produce work for external clients, I believe I have completed this task to a good standard which include many examples and good points.