Final Goodbye!

Dear Moderator, 

I really hope you enjoyed my blog!

I had a lot of  fun making my extra posts for the blog, showing you what i think and what I've like in my life.

And with my course work it was joy to research about all the theories, to analyse all the songs I loved growing up, and just make the videos if it was the extra post or the evaluations.

I do hope I get a great grade on the blog and you enjoyed the post i created.

Thanks for reading through my posts, and having a great time like I did making them.

Thanks,
Daniel =)

A2 Media In Review

A2 Media In Review 

In A2 media this year I've have triumphed in many fields and have failed in other fields. I've focused a lot of my time on the blogger, and my group video. So I'll go into my Pro's and Con's of my year. 

Pro's:

Editing - With my editing I felt I had a good skill of editing from what I have learnt from AS and especially with my extra posts.

Research - I was able to use search engines such as google and bing to research about the theories in my course and actually found it kinda fun.

Organisation - I'm not the greatest at organisation but I was really happy of how organised I was. For example, I made a blogger post schedule to make sure i will post frequently and to have a good selection posts from extra posts to course work posts.

Con's:

English skill - I was diagnosed with Dyslexia this year so I knew that it was going to be difficult and difficult it was. I always had a hard time actually make sure my English is correct. I did improve significantly, but maybe not to the prefect standards. 

Timing - My timing was terrible but it wasn't great and sometimes I was rushing to make sure it would get out on that day, making a post not as good I would hope to but making me not as satisfied with my work. However, i did go back to a lot of my work and fixed up the posts.

A2 was a great year for and helped me get a a good idea for the degree i'm hoping to get in to which is Media and communication. I really have a lot of fun with my class mates with making videos and posts which just made me smile. This was a great year and a great time and really sad its ending but i'm glad i'm hopefully going into university to start a degree with media.  

Stormzy Concert (Extra Post)

Stormzy Concert

I attended the Grime artist 'Stormzy' concert and I was able to record some of the concert for you all to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH4Ynp0BE8Y

Evaluations 1-4 (Course Work)

Evaluations 1-4

Evaluation 1:

Q1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Link - https://prezi.com/p/lsxrokqsbtlv/

Evaluation 2:

Q2 - How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts ?

Link - https://prezi.com/p/jjq65zfzan4h/

Evaluation 3:

Q3 - What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Link - https://prezi.com/p/x4nthwyuawvw/

Evaluations 4:

Q4 - How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Link - https://prezi.com/p/rlulhzxbfawi/

BBC Studio Tour (Extra Post)

BBC Studio Tour

On the 31st of January, my media class and I went to Manchester's Media City. In which we saw many different studios such as the multi use studio or the BBC Breakfast Studio. It gave us a little inside look of how the heart of media is made, with social media pages, live broadcasts, and many different media outlets happening in one center it really gave us a massive idea of Media Production.  

Multi Use Studio

On the tour we were shown a multi use studio, in which the BBC let's out to their own shows if needed of a studio. Some shows include Let It Shine, The Voice and many more. If you would look at the photos you could see many little things the stand out, such as the massive black curtain which would wrap around the entire studio so it could black out the studio allowing the show to use the lighting how they would like to. Also on the roof on the photos, there are many rows of hooks the production company are able to use for cameras, lighting and many more. The main reason there are many rows of these hook, as BBC want to allow the production company to use their entire studio, from every angle that could possibly be used.  

 

BBC Breakfast Show Studio

On the Tour we also stopped by the BBC Breakfast Show Studio, in which we were able to get a look at the set for their breakfast show. On first work everyone had the same thought of the size of the studio, which was very small, they were only able to get around 6-7 cameras in there at most and only a handful of people. This was a shock to most as if you were to ever watch the show, it looks like a massive studio, but in reality the camera deseves us and it is actually very small. Also with the weather screen, we expected a green screen the is most common in news stations, however we were able to actually see the images and video from the screen behind the weather anchor.  

Replica Sets

We were able to go on the BBC replica sets including; The Breakfast Show, A Question of Sport, etc... We were able to see how they would use their sets up close, which allowed us to experience what it would be like to be on set. We Also used a green screen to have a little fun and experience the use of the green screen on a professional set.    

Radio Station

While on the tour we were allowed to go onto a professional radio station in which radio BBC Radio 3, which is used more than once a day. While walking around the room we were able to see the small and big gadgets the used to make sure the radio show would be used correctly and smoothly. With never being in a radio station before, I was surprised by many things, like the organisation of the show, or how everything is set out in a certain way which accessible to everyone.

Goodwin Analysis (Course Work)

Goodwin Analysis

Andrew Goodwin identified certain features linked with music videos that he proved to be reliable after testing various music videos. Goodwin's theory is likely to apply to all mainstream music videos and some niche music videos. The features he has identified are evident within most mainstream music videos, even if they do not include every single feature. The features involved within Goodwin's theory include:

1) Genre Characteristics

2) Relationship between lyrics and visuals

3) Relationship between music and visuals

4) Star image motif's

5) Notion of looking

6) Intertextual References

7) Performance, narrative or concept based?

8) Technical elements

Genre Characteristics: Music videos often show their genre through the many of their specific characteristics which had made them conventional. 

Relationship between lyrics and visuals: The connection between the two is shown through the visuals relating to the lyrics. Either being illustrative; which is explaining the lyrics visually, the amplifying, the exaggeration of the lyrics which is linking to the video and finally contradicting; being the opposite visual to the lyrics heard.

Relationship between music and visuals: Visuals are important as it shows a connection with the actual music. For example If the music is upbeat like in rap, they are important the visuals, whereas if the music is monotone, so are the visuals.

Star image motifs: With the music video includes many close-ups of the artist, it is demanded by the record labels to make them popular and identifiable to show the artist imagination.

Notion of looking: This is when there is particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body, women that are seen as a sexual object. There are a huge amount of music videos that use the notion of looking nowadays, particularly songs in the R&B, and hip hop genre.

 Intertextual references: In many music videos there are often links with other films, TV programmes or other music videos etc. This Is called intertextual reference.  

Performance, narrative or concept based?: A music video is likely to either be performance based, narrative based or concept based, however, it is unlikely for all three to be evident in a video.

Technical Elements: Technical elements consist of the use of micro elements including cinematography, sound, editing and mise en scene within a music video. All music videos are likely to have technical elements which will make their music video conventional to it's genre. 

Pixar Theory (Extra Post)

Pixar Theory

14th - 15th Century

Brave

It all starts with Merida discovering "the-will-of-the-wisps" (magic). The Magic turns her mother into a bear. This magic is why animals and inanimate objects (brooms & tools) behave like humans. Magic was utilized by a witch, who mysteriously vanishes through wooden doors.

Eventually the Magic from the will of the wisps would lead to the birth of super heroes#

1950's - 1960's

The Indescribable

Superheroes maintained order in the world. But Buddy, a wannabe superhero, created two things for the demise of superpowered humans: self serving A.I. bots like the "Omnidroid," and the high tech Zero Point Energy (electromagnetic energy that exists in a vacuum). This is the pivotal moment where we see machines eradicating their only threat−supers. 

Eventually, toys start to absorb and draw their powers from Zero Point Energy, unseen energy that travels in wavelengths. 

1997-1999

Toy Story 1-2

Superheroes maintained order in the world. But Buddy, a wannabe superhero, created two things for the demise of superpowered humans: self serving A.I. bots like the "Omnidroid," and the high tech Zero Point Energy (electromagnetic energy that exists in a vacuum). This is the pivotal moment where we see machines eradicating their only threat−supers. 

Eventually, toys start to absorb and draw their powers from Zero Point Energy, unseen energy that travels in wavelengths.

The toys discover that it is dangerous for them to be isolated from humans. We start to see inanimate objects question their purpose in life. For example, Jesse resents her owner, Emily, for abandoning her.

Resentment towards humans was not only carried by inanimate objects but by animals as well.

2003

Finding Nemo

In the ocean we find that fish are incredibly advanced (they have schools, a network and freeway system). We discover that humans are polluting the earth and experimenting on them. Dory was one of the animals that was experimented on, which is why she is forgetful. There are signs of resentment growing towards humans for polluting the environment, stealing fish and caging them.

Animals begin to be more curious and carry more humanistic characteristics.

2007

Ratatouille

In Ratatouille, Remy discovers his love for cooking and displays human characteristics. Some of them are: walking on his hind paws, cleaning his hands, reading, and cooking. This is the first time we see personal interaction between human and animal, but it is for the purpose of controlling humans. Remy controls Linguini because Linguini does not know how to do anything. We see that Remy's rat clan does not approve of the humans and feels both fear and hate towards them

2010

Toy Story 3

Three years later, toys have gone through a lot with humans. If you've seen the movie you can tell why most of the toys have had it. Being abused physically and emotionally by humans.

Lotso the Huggin' Bear straight up hates humans because they use and discard toy objects like they are nothing. He starts trying to take care of his own kind. This provides yet another reason why machines and objects alike are ready to take over.

Carl and Ellie write to Andy telling him to get rid of his toys because they know the animosity between toys and humans coming ahead, and that's why they are planning on living in solitude.

2011-2016

Up

Carl is forced to give up his house to a corporation/BnL because they are expanding the city. This is foreshadowing−this corporation is the cause for polluting the earth and wiping out life in the distant future, as a result of technology overreach. Carl discovers that animals can communicate with humans, and sees the bitterness that they have. Charles Muntz effectively trains an army of dogs. This is the start of the tipping point between animals and humans.

Years later, the uprising between animals and humans begins. Who do you think won that war?

2100-2300

Cars 1-2

When animals rose up against the humans to stop the pollution, the machines saved the humans and they won the war. However since machines helped humans win, it tipped the balance on Earth. Machines/BnL had to send the remaining humans off into space on a ship called Axiom. All of the other machines were left behind to populate the world and run things.

But how do we know cars took over earth and not another planet?

In Cars 2, cars go to Europe and Japan which shows that its the same planet as all the other Pixar movies. It also shows that there are no humans throughout the world. The world at this time ends up with an energy crisis as oil is the only energy used for cars.

Allinol corporation was using green energy as a catalyst for a fuel war in order to turn cars away from alternative energy sources. That clean fuel could have been used to swiftly wipe out (decommission) many of the cars. Allinol was run by BnL which eventually polluted the whole earth due to its use of oil. The whole world becomes unfit to sustain life.

2800-2900

Wall-e

Earth has become uninhabitable for hundreds of years due to BnL. The corporation took over the world/governments starting in the 1950's. Wall-E is the only machine left on Earth after it ran out of resources. He survived because he is fascinated with human culture and also his friendship with a cockroach, which helped maintain his personality and fulfillment. Robots/machines on Axiom (having left earth centuries earlier) show that machines develop a sense of purpose out of the humans' dependence on them. Wall-E is a robot Jesus, and He and his love, the appropriately named Eve, save the human race and start a new beginning on Earth again.

During the credits of Wall-E we see the shoe that contains the last of plant life. It grows into a mighty tree.

2898-3000

A Bugs Life

That same plant we see in Wall-E grew to be the tree in "A Bug's Life". Insects have a longer lifespan in "A Bug's Life". Prior to Wall-E, an ant can last just 3 months. However, in a bugs life, these ants all survive an entire summer and allude to being around for quite some time. One ant states that he "feels 90 again." This indicates that ants are sturdier as a result of evolution and mutated genes. Another ant tells Flik not to leave the island because there are "snakes, birds, and bigger bugs out there." They do not mention humans, because there are very few humans to make it dangerous enough for insects to worry about. However, one kid did allegedly pick the wings off of the homeless bug. Later in the distant future animals start evolving into the dominant species.

4500-5000

Monsters University/ Monsters inc

Hundreds of years after Wall-E, animals started changing due to radiation caused by BnL. These animals evolved into monsters and accidentally wipe humans off the face of the planet. Monsters University was founded in 1313; this is dated using the monsters' calendar, not the human calendar, and shows that it took place almost 1400 years after "A Bug's Life". At Monsters University, they falsely taught the monsters that humans were toxic and from another dimension. This was because monsters were worried about being erased from existence and altering history.