This is the beginning of the end, my friend.

The new year is nearly upon us and I'm back in Bournemouth, after telling everyone it was with the intention to crack on with the immense amount of work I have on this term.
So I have.
I sat down and wrote nearly 800 words of my Production Analysis of my major today. This was a very painful task, but I touched finger to keyboard and bashed out a few paragraphs that I'll certainly have to re-shuffle later this week, but it's a start.

This is going to be a big term.
Last term I worked on 10 short films, including my own. That was, on average, one film per week, for the whole term. Unfortunately it was squashed into a much tighter time period but I got it done. It was tough by the end of it all to focus and get cracking. Organising myself is no mean feat but for some reason nice stationary always helps.
Folders & notebooks with dividers, a diary, and a nice pen. Maybe some highlighters and a few different coloured post-it-notes is all I need to make me feel pro-active.
Whatever works for you eh?

This term I am working on three 10-minute films. Four including my own, which I am doing my own production management for but really need to get a production assistant for.

So far, I am organised. We shall see how this term progresses.
Wish me luck!

Do you Edit Facebook?

When on facebook, there are certain things I will delete off my mini feed. Usually things like tagging myself in photos, because no-one really cares about that.
Or things like leaving groups and attending events. Not many people use facebook for that I don't think. That's what mobile phones are for - seeing who's going to be out.

But some people do edit facebook. Properly. And my properly, I mean deleting embarrassing photos. We've all had them - the one where the camera happens to look directly up your nose or there's a definite double chin visible. Do you 'remove tag' or let it stand? For those of you that remove the tag, sure, it may be embarrassing, but for me, it's who I am.
Sometime I laugh and my face screws up and I look absolutely ridiculous. But that's how I laugh. And if it happens to be caught on camera then so be it.

I am not a 'remove tag' person. I believe that the people who have the patience and time to actually trawl through my photographs will be the people that know me already. And so will have a pretty good idea about how stupid I look some of the time.

For those of you who are 'remove tag' people - why do you really do it? Are you creating this online virtual front? There's a whole thing about online identity being completely different to the people we are in real life. Do you think this is true? And by removing photographs, do you think you're creating an image of yourself, as someone who never smiles out of place or has a double chin because you happen to be checking a text message in a photo and look particularly unflattering?

I think 'remove tag' is an opportunity to create a shiny disco-ball you, that, when people look through them, will think "wow, that person looks good. all the time." When that may not necessarily be the case. It definitely isn't the case with me, and a fair few photos prove that.

But I'm proud of them. And I hope my online identity is as close to my real identity as possible.

Working Hard.

Today I finally sat down properly and did dissertation reading.
I'm finding it difficult to find the types of books I can actually get some good information from, but it's all interesting to me.
What I find worrying is how many books are on the Internet which detail in great length how to hack into computers, spread viruses, and other malicious computer or web-based activities. And I found these on ebrary: a reputable e-book website. I wonder as to why they were considered the type of material to be made accessible. Or in fact, written in the first place, and published in some sense! Clearly there must be a market for this kind of thing, as I read the third book in a series of similar publications. Worrying.

What I have discovered through looking for some decent material, is that there isn't much on censorship on the Internet - especially concerning film. Downloading has become a bigger and bigger problem in recent years; there now being endless single 'file-sharing' as well as torrent sites set up that users can downloads full-length movies on in a matter of hours. And these can be accessed by anyone that has the competence to use torrent website. These days this could be anyone, including children. They have access to all kinds of films and materials on the Internet, with no-one governing the sites because they in themselves are illegal. Even if there was some kind of age-restriction for users, there is nothing stopping users from lying about their age.
I for one know that my sister puts in my date of birth when having to claim to be 18.


Dissertations are one thing, minors are another. Two of my first shoots are looming this weekend, with mine in just over a week. I'm tyring to keep things in perspective - that our minor is only 20 credits. Obviously I want to get a good mark but I'm not going to burn myself energy or money wise on this project. I want to work hard on other people's projects too so as not to let them down.

We'll see how this term pans out...

Back to the Ol' Slog

I'm not too sure who reads these any more, but I'll write for the sake of writing. And because it's raining outside and I don't want to start reading for my Dissertation yet.
So, I had an amazing summer. I worked as a videographer out in Thailand, which was one of the best experiences ever. I've realised that diving is a massive passion for me, and I'm kinda kicking myself for not doing it before. But oh well, better late than never! I think working as a videographer suited me, because it was a quick production turn-around. You shoot in the morning, edit in the afternoon, and show in the evening. It's exactly the same reason why I love studio projects - because they're intense pressure and work, then it's all done. Whilst I was out there, I probably made at least 25 underwater movies, as well as 10 or so that were purely land based. I saw some of the most breath-taking underwater views, as well as some stunning marine life.
I got a comprehensive knowledge of Adobe Premiere 2.0, as well as basic colour correction skills. I also learnt a little something about filming underwater, which is something I definitely want to continue doing. It's a difficult skill to be really good at, but that's what I'm aiming for.
I've been back in the country for just over a week now, and have thrown myself into University work. I'm working on nine minors at the moment, and aren't taking on any more, purely because I don't want to burn myself out, no matter how 'hardcore' I can convince myself that I am. I am really looking forward to getting involved with lots of different project, with lots of different needs. It's going to test my skills and make me become more organised than I thought I ever could be!
I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Before I Go...

It has been a ridiculous past couple of weeks.
After my last post I worked from around 10-5 Wednesday, Thursday and Friday on Helge's studio major. It was amazing and worth-while experience. And although I didn't do much, I felt like I learnt loads.
I then worked Tuesday to Friday 8:30-6(ish) on Sam's studio major which again was amazing. I felt better working on it because Sam gave me more responsibility, working with him on the script, camera shots and working with the presenter as a liaison. It's helped me to bring back my creative streak which I've lost after a year of logical thinking. It's still rusty, but hopefully will be a well-oiled machine by the time I get back after summer!
Working on both of these studio projects has helped me to learn that I really want to do a studio project for my major, so all I have to do now is think of a concept!

The two minute edit from the last We Are Your Friends promo video is online. The video is being used to promote WAYF in Southampton and Potsmouth to the Student Unions there to get WAYF moved around the South.
I also organised the filming for the last one of term with I had coursemate Kris film for me as he's more competent with a camera. It paid off because the footage is amazing and I've already starting cutting some bits up after capturing all seven tapes...
People have asked me why I'm doing it for free, but in all fairness, as much as it's for their benefit because they get promotional tapes for it, I'm getting more experience in Final Cut Pro which is still not a strong point of mine after doing a year of Production Management.

Today I also managed to get involved in vision mixing 'A Costume Drama' for the AIB, and PA'd for Sam, which went really well. By the end of it he had zoned out and I was directing the cameras, which felt good as well, especially when Sam said afterwards that I did a good job!

Well, it's time for me to be writing my PDP assignment (thought I'd get this blog up-to-date before starting = procrastination), so I should crack on.

Until next year old friend.

Working Lots for Once

Well, not for once, but have been in Uni or doing a lot of work recently.

Last week we had the production management specialism lectures. They were full on and had a lot of content in them that was hard to take in until we started talking a lot more practically, and then especially when we had a talk from some 3rd years on how they managed that shoot. I know a lot of people were disgruntled with how little time we had on production management, but I think that a lot of the relevent stuff is learnt through practice in the third year (something I'm really looking forward to). And anything industry related you'll learn along the way once you get high enough and finally into the position of power you're looking for. For me, I think it's production assistant, because it's a people person role, which I want. I'm not really a budget person!

Sunday I went into Uni to help Helge (3rd year BATV) build a bar out of wood for his shoot in the studio this week. It looked really good by the end of it. Was in Uni in the morning yesterday for an industry lecture, then back to a friend's house to do some presentation work for our professional studies unit.
Today I was in Uni all day editing some footage from We Are Your Friends (local rave night), and managed to finish a 2 minute edit.
Also attempted to cheer up Sam (BATV3) who has his shoot next week in the studio, however everything seems to be falling through. I've also been trying to get food donations and bands for Sam's project but we'll see how successful those pursuits are.
Tomorrow, Thursday and Friday I'm in from 8:30 working on Helge's studio project, which is going to be good. I like pushing myself.
I will update this post later on in the week...

Another Post

This week I helped Lacey on her major. I acted as a production assistant in the studio and had a really good time. It was a good show, and was pretty seamless by the last take.
I don't think I was strict enough as production manager to make sure we were wasting time... although I don't think I've realised how strict I need to be to get a good balance with the crew. Apparently I must have been too strict as a third year snapped at me. Oh well... I've asked for feedback from the director, as she's a production manager specialist, and a good one. I want to learn how to be good too, and can only do so by getting honest feedback.
She's let me know that I had to work on communicating regularly with the director to keep their nerves down. Fair point.

I handed in my theory essay, which I think was okay. Again not masses of theory but I'm hoping it makes sense more than anything. It again got to the stage where's I'd filled the word count, read it over... it made snese and it had got so late in the night that I just rinted it off.

The summer project is coming up, and as much as I'd like to do it I'm not going to be around for the shoot dates. Hopefully will be getting involved filming viral videos for a band which will be awesome. Just the lack of time that gets to me now! I'm here until the end of May, and that's it. How annoying...

I've also managed to get involved in another major project in the studio, which is going to be happening the last week of May. I don't mine what I manage to do there, but the more experience I can get the better!

Live & Learn?

It has been a very long time since my last blog. I thought I'd write a bit about what I feel I've learnt at University recently.
We made our musical, and it was fucking amazing, I had the best time on shoot and the whole crew was amazing. After the monosexual shoot, that was the second most fun I'd had.
Everything went so well, I was so happy with the way the editors did the edit with our director, and we got a 1st which was the icing on the cake.
It was sad to leave that group after we'd worked to well together, right at the very end of our time together. Always the way... However, this year has helped me to make new friends and realise more amazingly talented people on this course that can do things I wish I could accomplish in camera, sound and editing.

Apparently I was built to manage and boss people around.

I've spoken to Jonathan about this quite a lot, especially since discovering my ride and crude ways are so hurtful. Obviously not so directly, but he's told me, as well as a 3rd year I spoke to, that the Production Manager is there for everyone to hate, so that the director can get them to do what they want, but still hate someone in power.
So I guess I fill that role pretty well. Although have tried to tone it down a bit. Not sure how well that's working but we'll see...

The last studio day was a bit of a disaster, and as a result made me laugh. Oh well, you win & lose some I guess.

At the moment I've been working on pre-production for a 3rd year major with one of my course-mates which is being filmed tomorrow and Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to it: cheesy game show premise. Brilliant!
Have also been doing some filming work for the local rave night We Are Your Friends, and am going to be working on promo videos for them in the next few weeks alongside the rest of the work this term. I'm not brilliant, but this gives me a chance to practice my video production without hindering any marks!

My last essay was the production analysis, which although filled the word count, lacked the theory i know it needed, but by the end of my time working on it I was just so keen to get it handed in that I decided it would probably make it worse to re-work it to fit more theory in. We'll see how that one turns out... I'm not expecting a miracle. Hopefully my theory essay due in Thursday will be better, as I've written over half and am getting a good stock of theory ready to put in when I need to!

I think that's about it at the moment...

Oh yes, don't lie to Andrew Ireland about why you're late, because he can definitely tell when you're hungover/still drunk.

Censorship & Regulation: Mothers Against Guns

~ Image One: "The God Delusion"
From the point of MAG, they would have no problem with the text "The God Delusion". Their issue is not with religion, but the politics and morals of society that means that youths are getting involved with, and are being affected by gun crime in the UK.
~ Image Two: Sex Education
Again, MAG takes up no quarrel with the idea of sex education, or sexual equality. One thing they may have an issue with, is that sex education is provided in schools, yet there is little or no warning of the dangers of gun crime despite the alarming increase of gun-related murders in the UK in recent years.
~Image Three: 'Opium' Advert
It would be unlikely for MAG as an organisation to have any issue with the Yves St Lauren perfume advert, although as individuals they may have an issue with the explicit-ness of the image.
~ Image Four: "A Vulture Watches a Starving Child"
MAG wouldn't directly have a qualm against this famous photo, however, may use it as extreme advertising to show the way that guns and gun crime can escalate and the effects it can have.
~ Image Five: "Short Bus"
As the majority of the content of "Short Bus" is people 'connecting' in post-9/11 New York by having sex, I doubt there will be much MAG would have to say about the film itself. However, it again brings up the contextual topic of war and the extremes that gun crime can lead to, which Mothers Against Guns campaign against.
~ Image Six: HIV advert for the NHS
MAG would have no issue with this advert, as its focus is not on sex education (as with image two), but with gun crime and gun crime awareness.
~ Image Seven: The Hanging of Saddam Hussein
As with image four, this still from the video of the hanging of Saddam Hussein would in itself not be an issue for MAG, but the context behind it concerning the war in the Middle East, would encourage them to make a point about the dangers of being involved in gun crime.
~ Image Eight: "Myra Hindley" by Marcus Harvey
The story of Myra Hindley is another way of making points about crime in the UK, by giving extreme examples such as the 'Moors Murders' committed by Myra Hindley and her partner Ian Brady. they wouldn't have an issue with the image itself as it doesn't promote gun crime, it uses the empathy value of children's hand prints to evoke a feeling of hatred and disgust towards Myra Hindley.
~ Image Nine: "Bloody Shit House" by Gilbert and George
Despite the controversial and shocking artwork that Gilbert and George create, and perhaps even the morals/jokes they throw about ["They said they’d bought the empty house next door to theirs in Fournier Street, and when I asked what they were going to do with it, Gilbert said, 'Make it into a bordello.' And George said, 'A children’s bordello.' "], MAG would have no issue with Gilbert and George, or their "Bloody Shit House".
~ Image Ten: BB's Imogen's Sex Tape
It is very unlikely that MAG would have any issues with an Internet released scandalous sex tape of a z-list celebrity.
~ Image Eleven: "Manhunt 2"
The selected image in question is that of the Wii release of "Manhunt", which has been something of an issue with the BBFC. This is because of the overtly interactive nature that the Wii brings to this controversial and violent computer game. With the Wii remote, gamers literally have to make stabbing motions to kill their enemy: in this instance, inmates in an asylum. Weapons used in this game can be improvised such as plastic bags for suffocation, or shards of glass for stabbing. Firearms are also used in the game, which would cause a great deal of upheaval with Mothers Against Guns. Despite the fact the game hasn't been rated as of yet, it is certain that youths under the rated age will be playing the game, either at the fault of retailers or the lack of responsibility from parents. the interactive nature of computer games has raised the worry about the influence of digital media on children, or impressionable youths. Mothers Against Guns would be strongly against the release of this game because of the gun-related, and outright violence in the game.
~ Image Twelve: "Jerry Springer: The Musical"
Despite the controversial and volatile content of the Jerry Springer musical, there is rarely any reference to guns or gun crime. As with the Jeremy Kyle show, their focus seems to be domestic arguments about the paternity of children and drug abuse.

Thank you and Goodnight.

Censorship and Regulation

Mothers Against Guns

Since its formation in 2002, Mothers Against Guns has worked with local communities and the government to raise awareness about gun crime and gun related violence in the UK. Statistics have risen dramatically in the last 10 years; from est 12800 in 1996 to a staggering 22800 in 2006. They use incidents such as the murder of Anton Hyman in 2004, to make strong points about how more people have to join their cause to prevent deaths such as this from happening again. In May 2005 they held a march to campaign against gun crime and to plea for someone to come forward to find Anton's killer. His mother said: "I hope we may have saved somebody's life by marching today."
BBC News Online: "The March to Find Anton's Killers"

As well as organising marches, "MAG" work to provide information to teenagers about the gun crime. Aimed at children between 13 and 15, it works to encourage teens to think about the consequences and effects that their actions will have on other people. AGE (Anti Gun [and Violence] Education) carries the overall poignant message that one irrational thought can change your life forever.

Mothers Against Guns also encourages others to set up groups to try to prevent more teenagers from becoming victims or even perpetrators of gun crime int he UK. They promote themselves with high profile campaigns such as marches like the one for Anton, and get the support of celebrities and politicians such as David Cameron on their side. One of their more recent campaigns is fighting for the outright ban of replica gun sales in the UK.
London Against Gun and Knife Crime: Mothers Against Guns


Media content that MAG would find problematic, would most probably be video games. Games such as Grand Theft Auto which has been around for over 10 years now, contains mindless violence and promotes gang culture. The game characters age between 18 and the mid-twenties: a prime role model for young teenagers. The certificate that the game is sold at here in the UK is 18, however this doesn't seem to stop parents from buying games such as GTA for their younger children. Many academics have studies the effect that violent video games have on teenagers, and often prove that it "may be more harmful than violent television or film because of its interactive nature". American Physiological Association: Violent Video Games
Other media content that MAG would find problematic, would be films or even music videos, as they often glamorise gun crime; making it appear more attractive for teenagers. At the end of last year Watchdog complained about the nature of certain film posters, especially those for the film "Shoot 'Em Up" (released September 2007). These posters showed actors Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti seemingly pointing guns at the viewer. the "glamorous" side to gun crime can be seen to encourage young adults to take to violence in order to gain street credibility.
BBC News Online: Watchdog Criticises Gun Movie Ads

FeedBack.

Milk
I shared the production manager role with another girl, who said she wanted to prove herself to the group that she could be a good PM. So I said I'd be her assistant.
Again we were unorganised and left everything to the last minute. We didn't have enough actors or a location. A panic with trains and being stranded in Southampton meant I didn't even know if I'd be back in Bournemouth until the morning of the shoot.
The first day of shoot was messy and a bit of an embarrasment, but at the end of the day we all sat down together and reflected on everything. It was honest but we needed it, and did a lot of work for the next day's shoot which went really well.
It's looking really good in post, and I know it's going to look pretty fit.


Studio
We've got another studio piece coming up.
I'm working as director alongside Karl as Production Manager.
I'm looking forward to it.