'The industry wants clever people who can make sense of chaos...'

Just wanted to add this one, something to think about for me and everyone else on MPS.

Creativity and Concept - What's it all about?

So me and another classmate expressed concerns last week that we don't know exactly were this module is taking us. I couldn't find the relevance and I was struggling to see what benefits I was reaping from creativity and concept.
Kindly, the lecturers decided to have this week to talk about what we think and what it is all about. They described how we need creativity in our work because employers find this more valuable than filming/editing skills. We went through an application form for the BBC and the questions were mostly asking about how creative you are as an individual. This now makes more sense to me because some of things we have been doing have not been media related at all.
I now know that I need to start applying the thinking techniques that we have looked at before Christmas to the work that I am doing now. This will allow my ideas and thoughts to be more creative and this was I will generate more of them. I think the reason that I don't use the techniques already is because I comfortable using the normal divergent thinking that I am used to.


We moved on to talking about the current assignment that we are doing. It is the museum assignment were we have to come up with an exhibit in the new Liverpool museum using the user group that we have chosen. My groups user group is film enthusiasts. Here is the idea that I have came up with so far (I had to present it alone because nobody else was in).


Film Enthusiasts
3 rooms with films/cameras/lectures in them
It will be a walk through exhibition where in each section a different genre of era is portrayed
We may choose different aspects of the genres to focus on such as camera angles
we would use projections of various films on all four walls of the film rooms
Each visitor will have wireless headphones and will be able to choose what film they would like to listen to by choosing the channel on the headphones
In another room for each genre/era you will have the chance to play around with camera equipment and act in front of the camera, making a film using that genre/era.
Props/costumes/scripts will be provided for everyone to use and when you are done you will be able to download the short film that you make
Another section that we are going to have could be short lectures on the genre/era
This would be held in room 3, different lectures at certain intervals, this is optional
The lectures will be virtual, not a real person actually speaking


I think that this is a good bunch of ideas all mashed together so now I am going to apply a thinking technique to these ideas and see what clear idea I can come up with.
The lecturers gave us information on what they want from us for this assignment:

• 15 minute presentation
• Show all ideas and the processes you went through
• Show maybe more than one complete idea
• Pitch the actual idea for the museum (sell it)
• Show any thinking techniques that were used
• Make a piece/pieces of media to present the idea with
• Advert
• Posters
• Prezi
• Video
• Google Map
• Website

I added to these notes specifically for my idea. I thought that we could get people up during the presentation and get them to take part in a short activity showing what the experience would be like for visitors to the museum. We could also make mini lectures showing what the video lectures would be like. I would also like to show how we narrowed the idea down through thinking techniques. 
I found this lesson very informative and I am glad that I finally said something because I really benefited from seeing what this module was all about, finally!

Speak soon!

Deforestation - A wiki!

We have been creating another wiki again in Contemporary Media Issues, this time we were given subjects to do in groups. My group was all about deforestation and so we got to work on the threads and the main body as a team. We worked well, sharing different discussions between the group and helping when we got stuck.
Here is the link to the wiki page that we created:


Deforestation Wiki


Speak soon!

Fireman - Person Profile Film

Take a look at my person profile about a fireman! All finished finally!






Subscribe to my YouTube channel - Subscribe!


Speak soon!

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