A Journey begins

IN THIS POST:

• INTRODUCING ME
• THE BRIEF & POST LIST
• ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
• ASSESSING PAST COURSEWORK

INTRODUCING ME

I've decided to take media studies for the past 4 years as it's something I'm massively interested in and would love to continue in the future.  I've had many experiences over this time, like a monthly show on national radio.  We started out by pre-recording our shows and editing them on Audacity, but we've gotten the hang of how to pace ourselves and keep it interesting so we've taken it live.  I aspire to further study media at university and then continue with a career in the industry.

This year I hope to learn the ins-and-outs of music videos, from the theoretical to the practical sides.  I want to be able to feel proud of my final product and exam at the end of A2.  I want to be able to confidently talk about a range of theories and apply them to media texts.  I hope my editing, directing and producing skills improve over the course of this year and that I feel prepared to take my skills with me on to the next step.  

AS was a stressful but insightful year for me.  I learned a lot about the film industry and many theories to go along with it.  I know so much now than the start of AS which I'm grateful for.  I know that this year I will manage my time a lot better and plan everything a lot better and more in detail as last year, that was my biggest weakness.  I'm sure that I will be bringing everything I learnt from last year to this year and I will be even more proud of this end product.  This was my AS final cut:

I have a few initial ideas on what I want to do for my music video.  I'm very open to different options but I'm currently interested in doing something with a romantic narrative and a strong female protagonist. I also like the possibility of a really highly FX video that gives a trippy vibe.  Im going to be working with Loops Media again this year as I think we worked extremely well together and both have great work ethics.  

LINK TO LOOPS MEDIA'S BLOG

THE BRIEF & POST LIST

THE BRIEF - music promotion package

A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music video (major task), together with an official social media page for the band or artiste(s) and a digipak for the album's release (minor tasks).

The work may be undertaken individually or by a group (maximum group size is four candidates). Candidates must present the evidence for assessment individually, whether they have worked in a group or individually. Centres must assess candidates on an individual basis. Each candidate’s blog should clearly indicate the candidate’s own role in any group activity to allow the teacher to assess the contribution of each individual within the group.

My blog will include these posts:

• A Journey begins
• Conventions/influences: video
• Conventions/influences: digipak
• Conventions/influences: social media & website
• The creative concept
• The genre and chosen artist
• Audience
• Industry
• Theory
• Pre-production
• Shoots
• Uses of technology
• Video sample/rough cuts
• Influences
• Social media: drafts and final text
• Digipak: drafts and final text
• Bonus Production: Website... MERCH!!
• Music Video Final Cut and alt vids
• Reflective Essay
• Welcome to my blog!

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

assessment criteria from westhamwindows

ASSESSING PAST COURSEWORK

Harriet

• slo mo
• layering
• colour pop - tic tacs
• pixies bag boy
• visually striking
• furniture outdoors
• narrative enigma
• old fashioned furniture and outfit
• reflecting social changes
• dr who - unacceptable to have gay couple at beginning but normal in recent show 
• lgbtq+ 
• consciously rejecting male gaze with dark lipstick
• chess game
• metaphor and representation of people as pawns and power etc.
• ornate so fits in with theme
• shallow focus 
• showing importance in colour pop
• intertextuality
• alice in wonderland - costume
• heathers - croquet
• pace stays the same throughout the song
• striking shot 
• of licking croquet ball
• miley cyrus sledgehammer in wrecking ball

Simon, Christian, James

• verisimilitude
• costumes & body language 
• set
• underground garage
• product placement
• not in your face
• simple
• change of clothing showing ellipses
• representation
• girl pushing guy on bed
• drop represented with editing (0:58)
• layering
• particularly focused on singer
• 3 performance shoots
• climax of song is climax of narrative
• variety of shots
• simon walking into camera

Richard

• are in a band but not the band's music so natural performers and instruments
• employ same narrative enigma concept as film opening
• colour fade up
• mise-en-scene
• framed photographs for exposition
• good set
• colour for graffiti
• authentic indie singer
• good layering (1:10)
• jump cuts
• male gaze but not too much
• lots of shot variety
• makeup and costume
• not a 2 shot with the random man which shows they don't know each other
• when there is a 2 shot, it's from behind and shows a big gap
• lyrically matches at points (3:00)
• gimme this - close up with finger
• man learing at girl
• the singer not singing to break up visuals
• good visuals 
• eating a flower
• "take a screenshot, put it up on a wall and does it look like art?"
• spits it out 
• representation
• she has agency

Evie

• colour pop
• narrative
• layering
• slo mo
• under the water
• multiple performance shoots
• outfit & hair