Person Profile - Final Editing Session

Editing the person profile piece was tough because we had to try and match up the visuals with the actually interview. I had to play around a lot and do some very detailed editing and cuts just to fit it all together. Something that we always seem to have is too many shots; of course its better to have more than less but its hard cutting out shots that we like. Because the film had to be maximum 3 minutes, we put everything we wanted in and then gradually cut it down. Matching the visuals and sound was hard but in the end it flowed really well. I do not really like Avid Editing Suite but of course we have to use it to make these films. The reason I don't like it is because I'm used to working with Adobe suites and this is essentially completely different. We only applied simple transition effects and tried our best to make everything run smooth, but it is hard when the program is so temperamental.
I think that the final edit is a really nice film, hopefully the lecturers think so too. Our subject was very interesting so I hope this is reflected in my grade. I will upload all three films that we have made as soon as I can, for some reason technology is not agreeing with me at the moment!

Speak soon!

The Dream Statue

Today I went on a walk with my family to the 'Dream' statue in St. Helens. It is built above the coal mines as a memorial to those who have died. The statue is absolutely huge; it stands so high that you can see it from the motorway far below. We have drove past the statue many times as it has been there since 2009, we finally decided to go and see it. The walk isn't too far so we walked up the hill and I have taken a couple of photographs of the statue and the area around it. It was a lovely day out and it is a wonderful piece of art (created by Spanish artist Juame Plensa).
Here are some of my photographs:

Speak soon!

How to write to a university standard

An extremely useful lecture we had today was all about writing essays at university. I think we can all admit that there are certain areas that we need help in when it comes to writing essays.
Here are my notes from the lecture:

Analytical/Critical Writing
Referencing Harvard Style:
A direct quote
A paraphrased quote
A quotation within a quotation
A line of argument
Even an idea


referencing in the text itself and then again in the bibliography. Text should link to the main reference and reference should be only what is explicitly used.
Using reading, research and knowledge of other peoples ideas will allow you to come to an idea and then you will be able to push an argument.


How to reference:
Text - 
(Author Year, P. #)
Name, Year, Comma, Page, Number
(Author Year, Online)


Web sources must have:
Author
Date
A publication name
A legitimate URL
Date of access


Only use academic sites and avoid Wikipedia and IMDB, also avoid using random blogs.
Allow others to review your work before handing it in.
Books and journals are always better than the internet.
1500 words (min 3 max 10 references)


Lecturers want analytical/critical style of writing and not opinionated. They want you to engage with the research. The writing should be more of an argument. Critically evaluating the evidence the theorist/writer has given. Comparing view points of various research, then discuss. Description is allowed to set the scene but avoid trivial knowledge such as personal information. Refer to films as though the reader has seen the film - not too much detail but just enough. Have notes about everything researched to refer to. Do not include anything irrelevant. Have a structure/plan to start off with. Always make notes as you read because nine times out of ten you will forget what you were supposed to remember.


We were also given a booklet with punctuation rules and the likes to refer to for the next time we are asked to write an essay. I appreciate this lecture a lot because I did need the help with things such as referencing and what to include. i think that this will aid me for the next time I have to write an essay for university.


Speak soon!

Digital Media Tools - More About Web Design

In this lecture we learned more about web design and the main principles of making a website.
For a website to function, you need:

• Simple intuitive navigation
• Strive for consistency
• User feedback
• Don't make users think
• Focus attention
• Make use of effective writing
• Avoid content overload
• Follow conventions
• TEST!

Web habits are similar the the way customers have habits whilst shopping. Users do not read, they scan so this means you need to focus (grab) their attention. They are impatient and insist on instant gratification. So you should always follow intuition; they want control over what information they are being given and they want it to be obvious/self explanatory.

The principles of web design are - balance, rhythm, proportion and dominance.

The elements of web design are - line, form, texture and typography.

It is good to have a look at symmetry and asymmetry on websites because they can make the contents interesting. It is good to use symmetry like Apple for instance, because their site is very structured and organised. On the other hand, using asymmetry can make the content jump out more and be more creatively enthused.

We looked at good and bad proportions of websites and how the layout can effect the users perception of the content. 

Lines:

Lines are about movement, direction and can help separate content and have weighted value. Slight colour change can help - not obtrusive. Using lines subtly breaks up content and makes the site more engaging.

Form/shape:

Form/shape can be realistic, 2D, 3D or isometric. Creating unity through shapes. geometric shapes allow options for menu ideas. Creates depth on the page.

Texture:

Backgrounds should be neutral, but you can use texture to give the site a 'feel' depending on your websites theme or content. If in doubt, use white and beware of colour combinations - colours can be used to navigate.

Text:

Always stick to Times, Helvetica or Arial so that the text is always formatted correctly on ANY computer. Try not to mix serif with sans serif. Play around with the same font - bold, italic, etc.

Over reading week I am going to work on Photoshop versions of the pages I will have on my website. This will make the process easier in the long run because I can refer back to these mock ups and also use the images that I create from them.

Speak soon!

Film Language - The Mind Game Film

In this lecture we focused on the mind game film and its history and theories.


Genre, cycle, tendency?

• Forking path film (David Bordwell)
• Mind-game film (Elsaesser)
• Puzzle film (Warren Buckland)
• Complex film
• Mental melodrama (David Sorfa)

Reoccurring Genres:

• Detective
• Sci-Fi
• Thriller
• Romance
• Melodrama

Semantic/Syntactic:
Altman, R (1984) A semantic/syntactic approach to film genre (cinema journal)

Semantic elements:

Focus on units of meaning

• Setting
• Objects
• Type of Character
• Visual Style

Syntactic elements:

• Themantic patterns
• Arrangement of element
• Narrative structure/narration

The semantic approach thus stresses the genre's building blocks.

Fabula - Story order (chronological)

Sujet - Plot order (progression)

Narrative:

Forking path films/multiple draft

• Complicates simple chronological story
• Cause has multiple effects
• Issue of coincidence
• Free will

Forking path films:

Blind Chance (1982)

Run Lola Run (1998)

Sliding Doors (1998)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

A Christmas Carol (1843)

Free will and narrative outcomes:

Fate/destiny - outcome will always be the same because:

• A greater force has arbitrarily predetermined this
• Causal links are inevitable

Outcome is indeterminable because:

• Causal progress is not predictable - the universe is not logical
• Causal progress is predictable but humans cannot process the massive variables involved - pseudo-randomness/chaos thery

Amnesia films:

Mulholland Dr (2001)

Spellbound (1945)

50 First Dates (2004)

Sullivan's Travels (1941)

The Hangover (2009)

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Interesting book - The wan who mistook his wife for a hat

Philosophy of mind: Scepticism:

• Rene Descartes: The Evil Demon (meditations on first philosophy, 1614)
• Hilary: Putnam: Brain in a Vat (reason, truth and history, 1981) update of Descartes

Virtual Reality:
Tron (1982)

The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

Avatar (2009)

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Brain in a Vat:

The Matrix (1999)

Vanilla Sky (2001)

The Cell (2000)

Source Code (2011)

'I think, therefore I am' - Descartes

Schizophrenia:

Harvey (1950)

Fight Club (1999)

Me, Myself and Irene (2000)

Shutter Island (2010)

Black Swan (2010)

Mental Ghosts
Henry James: The Turn of the Screw (1898)
The Shining (1980)
Donnie Darko (2001)


Time Travel
Back to the Future (1985)
The Butterfly Effect (2004)
Primer (2004)


Non-Linear
Groundhog Day (1993)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Momento (2000)
(500) Days of Summer (2009)


I learned a lot today about the various types of mind game films. I never knew there were so many variations and I liked looking into these different styles because it gave me a clear insight in to how these films are made. I've now got the urge to watch more of them!

Speak soon!

Web Design

In this Digital Media Tools lecture, we looked more in to web design and the do's and don't's of making a website. This is all in aid of the websites that we are going to be making very soon.
The content has to be functional and accessible. There needs to be structure (left to right/top to bottom). The side should show you as a person, through the design and layout. Here is a basic web page anatomy:

1. Containing block
2. Branding/title
3. Navigation
4. Content
5. Footer
6. White space

HTML delivers layout instructions, the tags in HTML are now more complex. Able to make sites individualistic. Too much blank space is not necessarily good, you need to be able to balance it out. You shouldn't use sound on a site as it can be very tacky. Also, no wordy statements because this will make the consumer bored. You should always be thinking about the clients and the audiences expectations. The structure and navigation should be personal and able to show how you perceive these.

• Clear navigation links
• Use of space and gutters
• Feedback (mouse roll over, etc)

The user needs to know where they are, where they can go and how to get back (you can do this through visual feedback). Links should change when the mouse is over then and stay this way when on the page. Feedback can be given through movement and change (colour, etc.)

A horizontal menu bar is always better but if you want to use anything different you need to justify why you are doing so.

Symbols can be used as visual metaphors for menu options. (film reel instead of the word 'films'). These can help with language barriers. Metaphors can also be used to create a clever first impression. A metaphor that I could use could be something to do with my organisational skills and qualities.

Here is a list of the main rules that we have learned so far:

1.  Don't make the user think
2. Manage to focus attention
3. Make use of effective writing
4. Strive for simplicity
5. Don't be afraid of white space
6. Conventions can be good
7. Test early and test often

The use of neutral backgrounds and black text is okay but black on white is best. You should take the time to see what is out there.

I intend to make mock up Photoshop pieces with layers, guidelines and showing visual feedbacks (using JPEGs).

I took the advice and decided to look up what I liked in other peoples websites; here is a list of sites that I thought were very well presented and had some good ideas that I could take from:

captaindash.com

castirondesign.com

abutler.net

scoutmob.com

mcmillerssweetsemporium.co.uk

studioairport.nl

alwaysreadthemanual.com

Again, I am looking forward to the development on my website!

Speak soon!

Image credit: www.co-bw.com

YouTube!

In our last Contemporary Media Issues lesson, we focused on the wonders of YouTube and collective intelligence! The first exercise that we had to do was simply go on to YouTube and search a subject that we were given individually. We had to answer questions on a couple of videos that we found. My subject was Lomography and here are my results:


Lomography by ROCKETBOOM
Views: 91,219
Likes: 1032
Dislikes: 57
Comments: Not about Lomography but about the girl featured in the video
Uploaded: 15/01/2010
Purpose: An introduction to Lomography through a New York company
Global Reach: Yes, I got a sense that the video has an international audience
Community: Not so much as the comments are irrelevant


What is Lomography? by horganator
Views: 63,668
Likes: 238
Dislikes: 14
Comments: Very Lomography orientated, questions and answers
Uploaded: 24/09/2009
Purpose: Laid back, relaxed way of showing the world what Lomography is
Global Reach: Positive feedback from many cultures, so yes it has a global audience
Community: Yes, Lomography itself seems to have a large one


Lomo Documentary Pt. 1 by finagler
Views: 205,977
Likes: 479
Dislikes: 14
Comments: Adding comments has been disabled, suggesting they may have been offensive
Uploaded: 27/11/2006
Purpose: To talk about the uses and styles of Lomography
Global Reach: Many of the people speaking are from all over the globe, so maybe
Community: Not shown through this because comments were disabled


Out of the Box - The Lomography Diana Mini by kaituba
Views: 60,384
Likes: 123
Dislikes: 5
Comments: Question and answer layout
Uploaded: 02/09/2009
Purpose: All about a specific lomo camera - Diana mini
Global Reach: Very much so. Camera includes instructions in several languages
Community: Yes, again a general Lomography community


My conclusions from these results are that people tend to just watch rather than take part in something. This is shown through the amount of people who actually choose to like or dislike the videos. Comparing the amount of views to the likes and dislikes shows how few people actual click the button. Also, it is obvious that sometimes commenting on these videos leads to conversations that are not related to the main subject of the video. This can cause arguments and then commenting on the video could get disabled. The global reach of YouTube videos is evident in the fact that many of the people who comment are from all over the world. The global reach is also shown through the person who uploaded the video and the various languages that videos can be translated in to.


What is YouTube?:

• A quick visual source of information
• A way to upload content to the internet
• A place where you can be opinionated
• A rabbit hole
• Away to get feedback

What is a community?:

• A group of people with common interests
• Sharing/populating a space

What is collective intelligence?:

• Groups of people giving their opinion
• Sharing knowledge
• Sharing different opinions

What is democracy?:

• Freedom of speech
• Alternative view points

YouTube provides a space for sharing and showing common interests and creates a community for people who use the internet. It allows people to express themselves freely; but they can edit what they want to show. It as a sense of collective intelligence, advancing each day. People help each other out. YouTube itself has a structure through playlists, etc.

After we discussed all of this information we then watched this amazing YouTube video giving a detailed insight in to the working of one of the most famous websites in the world.

An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube - Michael Wesch

Speak soon!

Person Profile Update

So for our profile piece we have decided to do the fireman from my dad's fire station. This seemed like the best option because we will be able to get some very interesting and unique shots at the fire station and of the fireman himself.
Basically, Mark is one of my dad's friends and he is a very good speaker. We liked the idea of him speaking about being a fireman and what it is like to have such a dangerous job. I think the reason that we didn't choose my dad is because he doesn't really have anything prominent outside of work that he is interested in. Mark, on the other hand, is very interested in his cycling and so this gives us an extra thread to talk about when interviewing him.
I created a few documents giving the details that I have came up with for the shoot; including a shot list, questions for the interview and also a letter asking for permission to film at the fire station.
We actually do have permission to film at the station now because I have spoke to the station officer and he has give the okay for us to film inside and outside as long as we don't get in the way.
I am excited for the piece and I think that we will get an interesting film at the end of it all!

Speak soon!

It's Liverpool Film!

Take a look at my 'Its Liverpool' location profile film! And why not subscribe to my YouTube channel to see my other films! - Lennon Media Productions




Speak soon!

Production Practice - Editing 'It's Liverpool'

Finally we finished the 'It's Liverpool' film, phew! We edited the film and the final outcome was something that we all thought was really good! Hopefully we will get a good mark at the end of it all but it's personal preference so I don't know! I don't know what will happen with regards to the actual competition but i suppose we could enter, we have nothing to lose after all.
Again, using the Avid software for editing was not ideal because sometimes it just doesn't want to play along. Even when following instructions from websites/guides/technicians; it just acted up all the time! I cant wait to move on to Final Cut because I know that it will just be 10 times better.
Besides this, I like editing because I feel that each time we edit I learn a lot. I have never properly edited a film before (not using advanced software anyway!) so the whole thing is a really wonderful experience for me.
During this particular film, we looked more at sound; so when editing I tried to make the edit of the sound as good as possible, even though it was my first time doing so. I believe that the final edit is a good example of sound being used to enhance a piece of film.
Well I hope that the next film (Person Profile) will be as good as this one!


Speak soon!