2016-17 Half-term1 deadlines and to blog

I'll add to this.

Each half-term I'll post, and update, details of work.

Week 1 + 2 lesson time is for planning, filming (possibly editing) a practice video:

JP/KO Elvis Jailhouse Rock.

GIRLS: Charlie Puth We Don't Talk Any More.

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SEPTEMBER

Friday 16th

VODCAST1 GENERAL Cs + Cs :

The main summer work, including the conventions vodcast, needs to be on blogs 

Friday 30^th 

VODCAST2 INDUSTRY

PRACTICE VID + ASSOCIATED BLOGGING

industry vodcast and completed practice video

OCTOBER

Tuesday 4th [UPDATE: pushed back to Weds]

PITCHES

Pitches for main coursework production. Film these and the Q+A, and blog your response, revised ideas, plans.

Friday 7th

PODCAST1

You'll have lesson time to work through an initial production schedule - remember, the aim is to complete principal shooting (and website/digipak photography) during half-term.
You should record the 1st of a weekly series of podcasts (upload as audio or video if you want to add visuals). PODCAST1: The Group, The Idea. In this you introduce yourselves, outline what you're working on (brief detail on the idea), and your individual strengths, ending with 'and in the upcoming week we will...'. Each week hereafter record a new episode on Friday: 'in the past week we have...; in the coming week we will...'.

Weds 12th [in lesson]

REPRESENTATION: Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball
REPRESENTATION: Lady Gaga's Bad Romance

Reflect the Tuesday lesson work, especially theories, with a detailed blog post clearly including and APPLYING the theories covered, with appropriate multimedia/illustrations (image, gif; links for articles, screenshotted headlines from those etc).

On Weds, you have 1st period to analyse the Gaga video, applying the same theories (AND any additional theories you choose from your MANGeR pack or existing wider knowledge) and approach (ie, looking at the wider context [eg see post], not just the video text itself). You could do this as a PowerPoint/KeyNote [save as PowerPoint if using KeyNote on Mac], upload and embed (or just email for now), ready to present findings in 2nd period. Focus on the potential conflicting feminist v post-feminist positions.

Relevant theories/terms include:

male gaze (Mulvey),

feminist, post-feminist (binary opposition?)

normative; hetero-normative

hegemonic, counter-hegemonic (Gramsci)

postmodern(ism): simulacrum/simulacra (Baudrillard)

Richard Dyer's star system/theory; Chomsky's propaganda model: flak (1 of 5 filters)

Freudian psychoanalytic approach: phallic imagery

Stuart Hall's reception theory (preferred OR contested/negotiated OR oppositional reading)

   

Weds 5^th  [UPDATE: email blog link/attachment BEFORE Friday 14th]

TREATMENT/INITIAL (PRE-)PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
Treatment (see guide) + production schedule (post title: PRODUCTION SCHEDULE1: Pre-production tasks). You'll need to add multiple posts as you go: PRODUCTION SCHEDULE UPDATE1: Shoot 1 [ie, description of focus of changes/additions]. Keep updating and embedding a full schedule. Don't delete changed dates, just denote they changed with strikethrough.

strikethrough blogger tool

A great google calendar is a great way to organise this, and it can even be embedded on your blogs.

Each of you also need to email me a link (with typed artist name/track title) to a music video you will be called to present your analysis of at any point starting Tuesday 18th. Your analysis should include at least 3 applied theories from 1 or more MANGeR topics. I will go through some examples next week. My guide to blogging on examples, and this huge resource on examples I've blogged on, should be used to help with your own preparation.

Fri 21st

SAMPLE SCENE

VODCAST3: TARGET AUDIENCE 

Present a sample scene (or more) for discussion. If you've not cast or got access to cast/costume etc, don't panic - but do film in the planned location with a stand-in. This is a crucial testing out of ideas.

The audience vodcast should bring together all research and analysis so far of who your target audiences are (primary, secondary), with clear evidence to justify the age range, gender (etc) you indicate: why are they appropriate? what evidence is there for this?* how does your propsoal reflect/target this? have you considered any audience theories? (there is considerable overlap with some genre and representation theory here).

*try to get some feedback from any social media, fan forums etc, but looking for media appearances is also smart: magazines, radio, TV stations will all generally publish an audience profile for advertisers. Keep looking out for media appearances until the coursework is finished

Have you undertaken any primary research (posting question/s on forums, but also surveys, short multimedia questionnaire, possibly with a group rather than individuals?). This 2015 (UK) A2 Evaluation answer on audience contains lots of great examples, such as this tool for gaining initial evidence to back their audience outline (which changed somewhat after this process):

Fri 28th

UPDATED BLOG, INCLUDING ALL PODCASTS + LINKS LISTS, COMMENTS NOTED + ACTED ON

RESEARCH POSTS: INDUSTRY: MONETISING AND MERCHANDISE
ARTIST RESEARCH (various - see this post)  

You will have the lessons this work to research and blog on these topics. Look ahead to the Evaluation questions when doing so, and you should see how you'll benefit both from marks on research + planning and again later...

If you have any further sample scenes ready during this week, request a screening and feedback.

You should aim for some or all shooting in half-term.

Coursework to be completed by Xmas, though more time to complete Evals.

1b

I will be analyzing my A2 music promotion package, focusing on the music video for Atomic Kitten's "It's OK". A 3-piece UK girlband big around 2000, the track has a failed romance as the lyrical theme and this is reflected in a video combining two of Firth's three types of music video content: narrative (black and white footage of a young couple who are seen to fall out) and performance (using studio and forest locations and multiple costume changes). My aim was to reposition or re-brand the band for a youth audience, their original tween and teen core audience now being 20/30-somethings, so, following the basic premise of the uses and gratifications theory, I cast late-teens as my cast and performers, enabling teens to identify with and tweens to aspire to be like the cast. As Simon Reynolds argues in 'Retromania', nostalgia plays a large part in music appeal, so by keping the Atomic Kittens as youthful I hoped to appeal through nostalgia to the original fanbase too.

To paraphrase Richard Dyer, well known for his theory on star appeal, stereotypes are a way of reinforcing differences and representing these differences as natural. They can be difficult to avoid - as Lippmann argued, they are useful shorthand. For a mainstream text like mine this is useful, and clear gender stereotypes are present. Both the girlband and girlfriend character have long hair, a stereotypical signifier of femininity, with the boyfriend forming a standard binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) with his short hair. All four females are quite heavily made up with thick glossy lipstick, eyeliner and more. All five, girlband and couple, wear skin-tight jeans at some point, one of several aspects of mise-en-scene through their costume that would identify them as part of Maffessoli described as the 'urban tribe', an international youth that share common characteristics and reflect the increasingly globalised culture we live in. Specific British signifiers were avoided to help enhance international appeal.

Representation task

Using the top PowerPoint in this post, write up at least 5 detailed paragraphs discussing how some of the theories outlined (or any others from your exam pack) can be applied to your work.
To do so successfully you need to use precise media language to denote both your own and existing videos for context.

Start with notes/lists before trying to write paragraphs:

• you need to start by stating which course/brief you will be commenting on (A2 music video) and BRIEFLY BUT CLEARLY describing this for the examiner
• define the concept in a way that you can remember and understand (ask for help where needed)
• list any details from your text that might help discuss this 
• list any details from existing texts that might help discuss 
• decide which to focus on and denote these in sufficient detail to 'paint a picture' for an examiner who has not seen the texts
• keep doing this before writing up paragraphs
• review your notes: can you see ways to link possible paragraphs? if so, this will suggest a structure for your essay
• as you continue to prep the exam, it will help you if you look for links between the 5 'MANGeR' topics: you can revise fewer theories/examples if you look for links between these 5 areas and theories that are useful for 2 or more
• NOW start writing it up

UK national press: initial research

You will be researching 4 factors:

• what is the difference between tabloid, mid-market & broadsheet formats?
• who owns the papers?
• what is their ideological bias?
• what is the market share of the owners and right-/left-wing views?

Wiki on UK press.

what is the difference between tabloid, mid-market & broadsheet formats?You can use an online search, but compare the types of stories, size of pictures, length and complexity of writing to provide evidence (Use of Examples)
who owns the papers?Name the companies (and individuals where relevant) who own them; if you can add brief detail of anything else they own Link1, Link2.

what is their ideological bias?You can use an online search/source, but use the headlines from at least 2 stories in each paper to provide evidence (Use of Examples)
what is the market share of the owners and right-/left-wing views?Use the Wiki on circulation for up-to-date figures, but use this for a quick overview.

Left-wing v right-wing ideology

You will be taking the Political Compass test to help develop your understanding of this...
...

Blogging on 'the journey'

Below I break down the ten steps involved in your journey:

Lessons Mon Tues March 7-8th

LESSON TUESDAY 8TH
If you're finished yesterday's work then either
1: Edit, with a focus on creating alternate SHORT edited sequences (or print/website elements) for focussed audience feedback
OR
2: Using the 'industry' tag and browsing the MusiVidz blog archive (not all posts have been tagged/retro-tagged) for other relevant posts (most about a specific band or vinyl will relate to this), find resources/examples that will help you answer Evaluation Q3.


TASK Monday 7th:

1: Review + update all posts with video/vodcast content:
- is the post title clear and specific
- have you provided description/context of the video and its contents?
- is the video title on YouTube clear, specific (and following a numbering system)?
- have you provided a specific description on your YouTube channel?
- did you include tags on your YouTube channel?
- is it uploaded on YOUR channel as opposed to being embedded from someone else's in the group?
- have you got a folder of all video files ready for use with Evaluation work?

2: Review posts titles/links lists
- have you followed a numbering system for linked posts? Are your post titles clear and specific?
- update links lists to reflect changes made

3: Podcasts
- are these up to date?
- record any missing podcasts, upload and embed

4: Evaluation preparation
- pick any one of the 4 questions and gather links, images, video and notes as a draft post

5: Video research
- have you created a comprehensive playlist for any videos you have looked at as part of your research
- is this divided into two: general and genre examples? (you could add 'other media/influences' if this includes film and TV)

Exploring web 2.0

Some posts to consider:
Maiden Minions...
Converging on Carly Rae...
Scary Little Monsters?...
Straight Outta Marketing?...
Fanbase not audience?...
Brand new Britney...

And many more through the web 2.0, UGC, fan-made video and other tags on the MusiVidz blog

A2 Mock Exam Dec 14th

YOUR QUESTION:

Discuss the media language used in any two or more of these music videos and how this signifies specific audiences being targeted. You can include comment on how successful or otherwise you feel the media language choices are.

ASSESSMENT:

You will be marked on three criteria, requiring you to back up points (EAA) with examples (EX) and use specific media terminology (T).

[EAA] EXPLANATION, ANALYSIS, ARGUMENT:    40/100
[EX] USE OF EXAMPLES:                                   40/100*
[T] USE OF TERMINOLOGY:                               20/100

You cannot take notes into the exam, but have one week to research and prepare your analysis.

You can find the playlist of 20 videos in http://musividz.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/conventions-links-points-playlist.html You can focus on as few as two of these or as many as you like. You should think in terms of issues or theories (EAA) and prepare clear examples (EX) from these videos that you can use to illustrate your points. Terminology (T) used should include not just semiotics (shot types, angles, editing, sound etc) but also theories and theorists – use your MANGeR pack.

AREAS TO CONSIDER:

Most of the MANGeR concepts can ultimately be linked to Audience. Postmodern elements are always useful to concept. The web 2.0 arguments around ‘the former audience’ are extremely useful for your coursework and exam, including this mock. You can also draw on the conflicting feminist and post-feminist views, which again do partially come back to audience considerations. The elliptical nature (according to some theorists) of video narrative is also linked to audience, while even genre codes are often linked to mise-en-scene choices and possibly representations of audience in video (sub-cultural codes).

It will be useful to you to focus on areas where you see some similarity with your own work.

Class Xmas LipSynch Vid Production 2015

Your challenge is to plan, shoot and edit a complete green screen video in time to be shared and screened in the final week of term.
After some ... discussion, you chose:


We'll use this for our timings, and for the audio track we'll edit to - make sure you all use this particular upload (there are many more!) to work out timings. It seems to be the most widely viewed version (4.5m views).

To succeed in this task you need to break the production down to steps:

STEP 1: Complete a full timing sheet, including some denotation (description) of instrumental sections. Note the start time of each element. As you're doing a green screen shoot, you don't need to storyboard or work on a call sheet, but you do need to agree on...

You don't need detailed denotation, just lyrics and clear information on any instrumental sections - leave room to note which people you've filmed for each portion (filming more than one at some points gives you the option of experimenting with layering).

STEP 2: ...Decide on key props/costume. You'll have seen in the Britney Spears, Alice Cooper, Lady Gaga and 1D videos that some combination of wig/s, hat, clothes (typically a coat/jacket, but also bandanas, wedding dress ... even an actual snake skin!) are donned (worn) by each performer filmed to clearly denote them as the specific pop star. 
Discuss and agree on which props/costume you will use. Bear in mind that we will probably be limited to shots which crop off feet, unless we source a bigger, very robust green screen. Take loose inspiration from the video/band, but think generally: glam rock (outrageous costume), 70s (stick-on sideburns?! long hair: wig), Xmas (tinsel... but also take inspiration from the lyrics, which mention Santa, reindeer...). 
Don't make it too intricate - you want to be able to swap these between performers quickly.
consider whether you might be able to include a real/fake guitar (so, not just the singer?), maybe even drums?! Doing this gives you options of greater variety, not just always focusing on the singer, plus you can have different people lined up to shoot while costumes are swapped around.

The Slade look ... groovy!

STEP 2.5 Are there simple dance sequences that you can choreograph, or other physical mannerisms of the Slade performers that you could coach performers to mimic? If you want a Top of the Pops feel, could you have 'crowd' scenes - and might KS3 students be ideal for this?
You will need to check in advance on any issues with use of student or staff identity.

Macbook buying guide

At some stage when doing Media Studies you may be tempted to get yourself a Mac, which would be a great idea to boost your ability to edit not just main productions, but also vodcasts and Evaluation question videos too (and other non-school work/projects!).

As the school has asked me to put together a briefing on possibly purchasing two Macbooks, I'll gather some of the main resources I've used to research this here; if you are looking at doing this these might help.

a few quick general points, then the resources/notes will be below the 'read more' line...

1. Final Cut Pro X - still only £230 (you may not think so, but that really is a bargain), seems to be a pay-once deal with free upgrades for 'life'. The upgrades since its launch have almost made it into a new programme by now. You can read Apple's guide here.
2. Its recommended by Apple that you also purchase Motion 5 (for customised titles and FX) and Compressor 4 (for advanced encoding options) too; both also linked here (scroll to the bottom).
3. Students (and educators) can get a significant discount on Apple computers, and some software but only at the time you purchase the computer. Visit their UK education page.
4. Macs are extremely expensive to upgrade after purchase; you should give serious consideration to the hard drive and RAM in particular. Look carefully at the minimum system requirements for using FCPX; few things push a computer as hard as video editing.
5. You have options: the Mac-Mini (provide your own monitor); Mac Pro; iMac (with varying screen sizes); Macbook Pro and Air. You can use Apple's comparison table to review your options.
6. Apple have been phasing out DVD drives, so you may need to consider buying a USB DVD drive.
7. You will definitely need a large-capacity external hard drive for back up. You have multiple format options (USB3, Thunderbolt etc). I'd suggest a minimum of 1TB (= 1000GB); you can get portable 1TB USB drives from around £40.
8. Unless you're going second-hand, which can be a smart move - there are many bargain older but very capable Macs on eBay etc - then you really should ...
9. Visit an Apple shop/retailer, get hands on, and speak to experts. I bought mine from KCRS in Leeds, who have been great as regards service; there is also a new Apple store in the new Trinity Centre.

FCPX will be very slow with anything less than this!!!

Sample of Vids for Initial Cs and Cs Analysis

NB: Some highly controversial videos are listed, including 'explicit' versions; some descriptions also contain some strong language.

As I've discussed analysed a great many videos, the list below is partial. The initial order reflects the order from the video below, with the 1st 20 selected to highlight some of the very, very many themes when considering not just conventions of but also reception for music videos. Most can be found in a playlist too - a great way to expose yourself to a wider range of videos than you are likely to be familiar with!!!

More details after the list, but the 20 videos featured in the video (several times more in the playlist) are:

1. Morbid Angel - Existo Vulgore (2012) 
2. Sepultura - Ratamahatta (1996) 
3. PIXIES - Velouria (1990) 
4. Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares to You (1990) 
5. Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball (Terry Richardson, 2013)
6. Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball (ChatRoulette, 2013)
7. Baauer - Harlem Shake (2012) [this is a '10 best of' montage] 
8. Depeche Mode - It's No Good (Anton Corbijn, 1997)
9. Weezer - Buddy Holly (Spike Jonze, 1994)
10. Guns n'Roses - November Rain (1992)
11. Bjork - Crystalline (Anton Corbijn, 2013)
12. Sepultura - Refuse, Resist (1994)
13. Megadeth - Wake Up Dead (1986)
14. Pixies - Bagboy (Lamar + Nik, 2013) 
15. Daft Punk - Da Funk (Spike Jonze, 1995)
16. Rihanna - Pour It Up (Vincent Haycock, 2013) (EXPLICIT tag)
17. Fragma - You Are Alive (2001)
18. Guns n'Roses - Welcome to the Jungle (1987)
19. Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines (Diane Martel, 2013) [parody]
20. Lily Allen - Hard Out Here (Christopher Sweeney, 2013) 

Morbid Angel - Existo Vulgore (2012) [post]
You do need to know the conventions ... but there is much more scope to challenge them than with, say, film, as videos like this, and the following Sepultura example, demonstrate. Rammstein and Rage Against the Machine have also produced examples I've blogged on, bringing Snow White and the Beach Boys into the extreme metal genre.


Sepultura - Ratamahatta (1996) [animated] [post]
A great example of turning conventions and expectations on their heads, this is an animated video by the Brazilian hardcore thrashers! You should also take from this that inspiration can come from anywhere, including music genres (and other media, as with Morbid Angel) you may not be a fan of! [Wiki]

PIXIES - Velouria (1990) (one-take video) See Wiki and my posts on this.

BBC opportunity for West Yorkshire vloggers

Time is limited to act on this, but it sounds a great opportunity (thanks to Karen Mitchell, School Careers Co-ordinator for passing on details); there's a video which hasn't embedded below at the source site: http://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/shortform:

Shortform

   

The Brief

We are looking for a new generation of talented people who can make great short-form videos. We want to find the vloggers and digital content creators of the future by giving people from West Yorkshire an opportunity to showcase their work on a BBC digital platform.
This is a fantastic opportunity for the BBC to work with you, creating bite-sized video content that is inventive, provocative, intelligent, attention-grabbing and funny!
You do need to stand out from the crowd, but you don’t need experience to get involved.  Mentoring and masterclasses will be awarded to the freshest personalities with the greatest ideas. We’ll give you industry support to develop and create a final piece of short form digital content to showcase to BBC decision makers on March 28th in Leeds.

How do I get involved?

Peter Oborne task

This is an invaluable EX, furnishing multiple opportunities for extended EAA and incorporation of T...

AIMS:
Advance familiarity with style/nature of exam Qs
Update EX
Develop research skills, specifically skim reading and extracting key points with limited time
Make links between a single EX and wider EX/EAA whilst applying T
OBJECTIVES:
Read/make notes on Oborne case
Identify themes this touches on
Consider application to various exam Qs
Write up 2+ paragraphs applying learning

STEP1: FACT-FINDING + NOTING VIEWS/ARGUMENTS
Using the post Advertiser power and Daily Telegraph HSBC scandal, make a note of the key facts on this case. Include some initial notes on arguments/views you encounter. Keep notes brief; you can return to the source later for more detailed notes as need be.
STRATEGY: Prioritise skim reading several articles over detailed annotation of any one article to gain a wider perspective. Look for headlines that seem to indicate conflicting points of view.
TIME: 10 MINS

IPSO task

TASK: In the 5:10 it takes this video to play, make brief notes on examples of a Chomskian concept that this video illustrates and the song lyrics specifically mention...

This is a case where the terminology essentially is the EAA, or at least a starting point for it. Use one of the following to find relevant EXamples (the egs I give use the Daily Mail and Ed Miliband; you don't have to use these):

1. You could try searches such as '2015 daily mail miliband' (the 2015 gets recent results: eg), 'daily mail miliband press regulation' etc (what specifically did the Mail do to try to discredit 'Red Ed' Miliband when he was pushing for a tough press regulator?);
2. You could gamble on a quick browse of the Daily Mail, the most likely source...
3. You could try the appropriate MediaReg blog tag

Please don't click on 'read more' until asked to

Keighley Film Festival 2014

The 'RATMA' film fest is looking for entries - 10 min short films - why not have a go? Screenings are in April; full details at http://ratmaff.weebly.com/.

Prominence of student work on YouTube

I've blogged previously on the growing number of made-for-fun short horror films on YouTube (especially zombie flicks), reflecting the ongoing impact of digitisation and the accessibility of digital film-making today, but its worth noting too how the battalions of Media Studies students across the land are leaving their own legacy. As students conduct research into their chosen genre before setting out to create their own genre piece, increasingly they could be accessing other students' distilled research to do so!

When doing some tagging on archive posts I came across a mention of how prominent my students' work was on YouTube search results - so, a year or so on, I had another look, and sure enough, a 'slasher openings' on YouTube (Nov 15th 2013) produced the following top results:

IGS student work came top of the pile in this search

You can help make your work more widely seen by using YouTube categories and tagging.