A Level Media Studies

As of thursday 14th jan 2010..

HAPPY 2010 TO EVERYONE AND WELCOME BACK…

I hope that you all had good holidays and that you worked hard (especially year 13s who should have finished a first draft of your independent studies…)

I had a great holiday and I got a baby girl for Christmas!

Her Name is Imogen and she’s very nice and funny and sweet and cute and she cries a lot!

I am away for the next 2 weeks looking after her! 

So… You will have to get on with your work without me (although you can reach me through the blog and by emailing me at mista_mitchell@yahoo.com).

Ms Avila and Mr Carr are also around to help where they can.

Below I have outlined some reminders for year 12s and year 13s…

See you in two weeks.

Until then…

Mr M

Message for YEAR 12s

You need to get on with your practical productions…  Cameras can be borrowed from Ms Avila.  If you have a camera, then you need to return it so that others can borrow it.  If you are waiting for a camera to become available, then you can get on with your 2 magazine productions.  You need to take all the images and write all the articles.  I will be back in 2 weeks to help with editing and final layout.  Any major problems then speak to Ms Avila or leave me a comment!

Anyone who still needs to pay money towards New York – please bring in the remaining money in an envelope with your name and the amount clearly labeled NEW YORK and give it to reception. 

Ta.

MESSAGE FOR YEAR 13s

Please post your essays, or podcast scripts, or website material to your blog or email me at mista_mitchell@yahoo.com

You also need to start planning a linked production – this is some sort of media production which explores the same sort of issues that you have explored in your essays.  (Such as a short film sequence exploring representations of gender, or an alternative music video sequence or a viral marketing and distribution campaign using social networking sites… or whatever excites you).

We will begin the productions when I get back in 2 weeks so it is really important that you finish your independent studies by then.  Please do get in touch over the blog – comment me or email.   

Anyone who still needs to pay money towards New York – please bring in the remaining money in an envelope with your name and the amount clearly labeled NEW YORK and give it to reception. 

Ta.

 

I look forward to seeing you all soon and discovering the remarkable progress you have all made!

 

Ta.

 

Bye for now…

 

Mr M

 

Hello…

Here is an audio file of a little audio ‘mash up’ I made.  I took a range of ideas and contributions from different radio/TV interviews and programmes.  All the clips are around the themes of technology, interaction, crativity and consumerism.  See what you think – what theories does it make you think of?

Just click on the file…

It’s called:  Oh the best technology wins!

Comments please!

Here is a copy of the coursework ‘to-do’ list and the time line Gantt chart from today’s lesson. It shows you when you need to have completed each phase of your production. I will also post this to the coursework page.

Nice.

Mr. M

Look at this trailer if you’re doing brief one for coursework. It’s a good example of a trailer for TV drama which fulfills your brief. The main thing to notice is the fairly complex use of sound (there’s about 3 layers of audio track). Also note the very fast pace of the editing which creates tension and drama. Also think about how much of the narrative / characters / themes are conveyed. The trailer does not give us a clear story, but it does convey the programmes tone and briefly outline some of the areas of story. This is what you will also need to do with your own original trailer. You will need to move around time and narrative sequence and layer audio tracks over fast editing to create a tone and ‘feel’ for your original show.

Comments welcome as always

Hi year 13…

It’s that exciting time of the year again when you begin your independent study projects.  This is a project where you choose the media text, and you choose the area of theory that you want to apply.  For an example of this, check out Stephanie’s blog where she has briefly outlined her plan of study.

Here are 4 things I want you to think about.

1. What media text are you planning to analyse
2. What areas of media theory are you planning to apply – can you mention some theorists?
3. Can you try to draft a title for your project (this can be changed as we go along)
4. How do you think you will present your study (a formal written analysis, or a video documentary, or a pod cast…  please say why you have chosen the form of presentation you have – again, this can be changed as we go).

Cool.

I look forward to your ideas.

I have posted your coursework briefs to a new page.  Look at the links at the top of the page and click on coursework briefs

Please start blogging ideas and research to your page.

Cool.

Use your knowledge of the Key Concepts to write an analysis of this film. You will need to think about…
 

• Media Forms.   What is the genre of this film and how do you know? Is the film doing anything original with the traditional genre and it what ways is it sticking to the codes and conventions we expect? Think about the media language – the type of camera work being used, the style of mise-en-scene… What does this bring to the production?
• Audience.  Who is the audience for this film?  How is the film addressing their target audience.   think about the audience responses – How might audiences respond to the film.
• Institutions.  What do we know about the institution responsible for the film production?  Is it independant or mainstream Hollywood?  What difference does this make to the budget and production?  How was the film funded and distributed.  How does the film compete with other films in its genre?
• Representations.  Think about the films characters… Do they conform to general stereotypes?  Or do they challenge the stereotypes we have come to expect?  What ideology does the film seem to be presentinmg to us about the world and cuture?  Think about the representation of the army, what about the representation of mansculinity?  For that matter what about the representation of  humanity?

If you can’t remember some of the key concepts then click here. 

Please leave a comment here when you have written your response and I’ll come read your work.

I look forward to your ideas…

Here’s the trailer to jog your memories.

So, Lessig’s point is that this sort of production is how young people speak.  It is how youth exercise their vocal chords through remixing the cultural symbols, songs and signs of mainstream culture.  It is a form of new ‘folk’ culture; where young people are not only ‘readers’ but ‘read/writers’ – not pirates but sharers, not passive but participators and producers, not merely consumers but contributors and collaborators!  This is how we give our world meaning!

As some of you say – ‘mash it up’.

You see, learning and expression is happening all the time – students at school may not need to be coerced into producing ‘work’ or learning product – they already are all the time!  The aim is not to teach creativity or production, but rather to teach the recognition that this is already what you are doing!

Here are some of my observations of the youtube clip above:

Firstly I think that its raw and low budget documentary style is very effective – it makes the footage seem like either a mock news reel, or maybe a piece of social media – like when people use their mobile phone cameras to capture significant news moments.  The camera closely follws Bush as he carries out an unprompted tour of the school grounds.  I love the commentary that this presents about the contrived nature of political visits.  When politicians visit schools they bring with them their spin teams who select students to be interviewed and carefully selected footage shows the primeminister interacting with fairly well briefed students in practically scripted scenaria.  This short viral asks the question – what if a controvercial and enormously powerful world leader just turned up one day to use the toilet! 

I also like the way one student so surprised to see the effigy of GW Bush that she yells out a question about Iraq and of course Bush’s mask just keeps smiling.  Another student jumps into the frame and puts on their own broad smile to have their photo taken with the former president – could this refer at least a little to the way politics and the world of celebrity entertainment has become media muddled?

Finally, the whole viral is set to the soundtrack of ‘Help’ by The Beatles.  This tune gives all the events a sense of irony as though Bush is out of his depth and in need of management.  Maybe he needs his political entourage to present him, tidy him up, find him a toilet and pick a route around the school which avoids the muslim students and their Iraq questions.  Maybe it also says something about the lonliness and difficulty of power politics that Bush grins his fixed smile to the words ‘I need somebody’… in someways the piece almost feels a little sad at times.

Okay, so maybe I’m reading too much into it (or probably not)… maybe it’s just a bit of fun – but analysis and interpretation are also creative acts. And my point which has to be true is that everything has meaning and gone are the days when we were just receievers, consumers and at best interpreters or critics – NOW we are MAKERS too!

Thank you to Lishy for this profound example!

So… We are proud to announce the Media and Film Studies trip to NYC 2010!

Please check out the letter below for all the details.

This is a fantastic opportunity.  Loads to see, more to learn and fun to be had.  This is a superb opportunity and the price is right (it may look high but this price includes so many special offers including excursions to the International Museum of the Moving Image and a backstage behind the scenes tour of the NBC Television studios (where they make Heroes, Saturday Night Live, Jerry Springer, Chuck, America’s Got Talent, Law and Order and The Office to name but a few).

There is a lot included in the price (ice skating in Central Park, Empire State Building) PLUS we’re staying at a great hotel.  I really hope as many of you as possible can make the most of this opportunity.

Check out the letter. 

Any questions, come see me or leave a comment.