aberystwythmediastudent

[aberystwythmediastudent]

Week 10

I played the vital role of producer with Caro, we planned times when everyone could get together. When everyone got together, we had the task of discussing everything and handing out job roles, and asking people how far along with the pre-production process each person was. At stages, we’d be able to reshuffle and reassign job roles to people. For example, when we unfortunately had to let go of someone in our group, myself and my co-producer decided to change roles around, and suggest places where other people had free time (because they were script writer, for example) they could add roles. We also had to check that everyone attended the pre-production meetings, which some people were unable to, due to their work schedules or prior plans, and we tried to take this into consideration when deciding to meet. We also

 I also had the job of captions, which meant I got together sounds which featured in the Script. I then, especially for the practice, tried to time when best to play sounds in QLab. Although I had this role, we changed it since it would be easier for me to focus on the producer role, if I went from captions to autocue, which I did in fact do, and this allowed another in my group to take on a bigger role, which was just.

[aberystwythmediastudent]

Week 9

This week we started planning our production exam. Below you can see the current document available on our Facebook group page, where everyone fills out what they want to do and what they do not want to do, and this week we also decide at the end which roles we are all taking on for next week at the production meeting, but also we will try to divide what roles we all want this week and try to make these correspond with who is doing what this week.

This week, I said I did not want to be sound, director or script, but I would like to be floor manager or Producer.

This week I helped Caro by being producer.

This week we rehearsed one scene which will be part of our ten minute film next week, as well as making sure everyone had the right roles for their experience, and for their future aspirations.

Overall, this week taught us a lot as we did not work well as a team, and we all let ourselves down, no one really listened to one another, and in particular I found it hard a producer to find my voice. However, once having talked to Schemec, I made it clear that everyone should know truly what their role is for this week and next week, and the fact we are all media or film students, and would not want to write an essay as opposed to having practical experience. I think everyone took something from this week.

[aberystwythmediastudent]

Week 8

This week we learnt all about something called blocking.

Blocking is  where you place tape on the floor, and this is used as the walls of the set, this means that the actors react to the tape as walls or the gaps as doors, and so this gives us the opportunity to rehearse with the actors when we don’t have access to the set.

I’d quite like to have the chance to  be a camera operator too. I’ve found information online which says that the camera operator have to react directly to what the actors, or presenters do, and in real time. Although most of the camera operators information and what to do comes from the producer or director from upstairs, in some instances the camera operator has to react quite quickly if something unexpected happens,and therefore they have to change camera angles, switch cameras, or zoom in or out. I also read that the camera operator has to take advice from most angles, the producer, the director, sometimes even the presenters or  the floor managers, which can understandably be stressful, and that’s why I have decided with my lack of experience of being a camera operator being one for the exam would not benefit myself, the actors, or the rest of the team. The camera operator is also different to any productions I’ve made in the past, where the camera is just still, and usually the only camera (well it was in our past productions), and so there is more chance of practice in those productions. 

Captions operator is something I’ve had the fortune of having experienced as a role a couple of times, where the captions operator is given videos and images and sounds, and these sounds or images are played in the production, and the caption operator has to choose when to play these, in fact they have to follow the script, where they need to know when the sounds are needed, or in a show with a presenter, they need to know when the presenter plays a certain clip, and they need to coincide with this. I find this role quite interesting as it is something where you need to ascertain focus in order for the whole production to work well. This is very different to other productions, for instance to other productions I have done, for example our documentary last semester, where we place sounds and images on to the footage post production, and the editor can choose to put them in different places, the captions operator has to follow the script and also needs to make sure the captions play on time. 

[aberystwythmediastudent]

Week 7

This week we did a magazine show, much like the ones on MTV, we interviewed Gwion, who was the artist (singer) from last week, and we played the music from last week as well as the footage from last week in between the presenter  who was Rhian, someone in another group, who kindly volunteered to be the presenter.  Tom, who was the producer from last week and Gwion were being interviewed by Rhian.

Sam Wraith was the producer for this week, and we met in the Coffeeshop Coffee#1 in town this week once again, and during the production meeting made decisions on which role everyone wanted, or should take, as we are nearing the exam, we needed to be more tactical in choosing roles. I however wanted to be the director as I had a lack of practical experience as a director or any other role upstairs (other than captions operator). 

Unfortunately this week wasnt as good as we wanted it to be, and we weren’t fully formed as a team, which meant Schemec had to stop us and swap me round with Caro as my nerves got the best of me. After a big chat, we finally were able to carry on, and I was able to be director again, and managed quite well I think. However, I think if I am director again, I need to rehearse better, and make sure I say the right things at the right time, but also that I don’t let my nerves get the better of me again.

All in all, I think in the end we all pulled together and managed to record something good. 

[aberystwythmediastudent]

Week 6

This week was our music feature show, which was based on MTV and other music channels. We wanted to record a music video live, such as on TOP OF THE POPS , and so we needed to make sure everything ran smoothly as the performer, Gwion only had limited available time, and we did not want to mess him around. 

Tom and Kein were producers for this week, and unfortunately due to the fact that it was reading week, and the lecture (or workshop) was moved to a Monday, many of us could not make the sessions, but I believe the two of them managed quite well with those people which were able to attend.

I myself had work, but I know that Tom and a couple of other people went and got footage with Gwion outside of the workshop to use for next week, which considering they were all alone, they did good. I also heard that they all managed to work together, and managed to film really well, with professional cuts and closeups, which is really impressive, and a shame I was not there. 

Part of me finds it sad that I wasn’t there, but knowing the rest of the team all pulled together, and we all communicated on facebook to know in advance who was  or wasn’t there speaks a lot of the people I’m working with. 

[aberystwythmediastudent]

Week 5

This week's was a cooking show which Carolin and Toby were producers for, and we all worked well together I think.  We Created a cooking show which in which we made banana sandwiches we weren't allowed to cook or use every appliances as this may have been a safety or fire hazard. We wanted the cooking shows looks like this morning cooking segment or Saturday Kitchen and I think we managed to do it  quite well with the materials and the time we were given. The cooking program was the hardest so far as we needed to be fast, and we couldn't rehearse for real, as we would have wasted material. So knowing when to start recording, whether we were all ready, and the presenter was ready was probably the hardest part of this week, and also avoiding injuring ourselves, but all in all I think we did quite well.   

I think Carolin and Toby were good producers as we all knew the jobs we were needed to do, and I was captions operator and thus had an important role in playing the intro video and pictures, and this was hard, but quite cool as I built upon skills that I already learnt. 

[aberystwythmediastudent]

WEEK 4!

This week we did the childrens programme, of which I was the producer. Me and Evelina both worked well together as producers. We decided to meet at Coffee1 in town on Tuesday at 5, as this was when everyone could meet due to work commitments and university work, and lectures (or viewings). I found the meeting helpful, as everyone had an input as to what roles they wanted to do, and in terms of what they think the show should look like.

Kate was the presenter, and had already provided me with the books, so we decided some of us would cut out some of the book to put on cardboard so that we can zoom in to the pictures at different times of the storyline, as Kate is reading. 

On the thursday, when we had the lecture, someone hadn’t turned up on time, and so I had to be camera 3 operator for a while , which I didn’t expect to be quite as hard as it was. I thought it would be easy, however, the scripts need to be followed, as do the shots, and there is little time in between to make mistakes. The hardest part of the camera was staying focused on the task whilst hearing everything going on around me.

Thankfully, once the camera operator turned up I had the opportunity to go upstairs and see everyone work together, and also see the show be finished, which was a satisfying feeling. 

[aberystwythmediastudent]

Week 3

This week, Jemma and Kate were the producers, and we have made a Cambrian News Programme  which was based on the news events of around the region, some international news stories, and the sports news. 

We met 

This week I had two roles. Firstly, myself and Thomas were the script writers, which consisted of the two of us gathering information and putting it onto the script. We found out later, that no one had double checked the script, nor had the director added shots, so we had some things in the wrong places. However, we managed rather well. I had to gather the stories for international stories, so I decided Trump was often in the headlines, so I made a headline on him, and also I used my knowledge of German headlines and used the story of The USA singing the wrong national anthem for the German tennis team, which was controversial. Tom found other headlines. We also gathered pictures (or captions) for the stories, to make it more like a real news programme.

Unfortunately due to the fact that we had no one to read through our script, we had to go through them quickly during the show, or just before, to make sure we all had the right shots and that Alistar, the presenter, knew what to do. It was stressful, but between myself, Tom and Jemma we managed fine.

I was also captions operator, which was coincidental, but helped me due to the fact that I had gathered the pictures, so I knew when to play them. 

All in All this week was interesting because for the first time we managed to properly work together, and we all knew what to do, and to be honest, I had fun despite some stress and chaos. 

[aberystwythmediastudent]

Creative Studio week 2

This week we were told to gather our films from last year, and for the first time we had a chance to go and film something. We had Sam Wraith and Thomas Sanford as our interviewer and interviewee, we learnt how to set up our microphones, where to clip them to get the best uninterrupted sound m(which I found very useful because I was the production manager (aka floor manager). It was actually very weird making a film with people who were technically in our group, but I think it probably kept our nerves at ease. 

As said above, I had my first experience at being floor manager  which was really interesting. Other people went upstairs to the gallery, and I was left downstairs in the studio, and given a headset by one of our third year helpers, who were rather helpful which hand gestures etc. The headset was quite uncomfortable and weird to have on (because there is only one ear) but I got used to it eventually, although I did accidentally leave my microphone on to let everyone hear me cough, which was unfortunate. 

I really struggled with hand gestures at first, but Tom and Sam were really patient, and the third year helpers which were downstairs also really helped me, although at some points they seemed quite irritated that I kept forgetting to hold the presenter, I just queued them straight away.

All in All I think this week was really interesting and I really thought I did quite well, and we definitely worked well as a team, even though we do not know each other that well yet.

[aberystwythmediastudent]

Post 1

Today  was the first lecture of the module, and coincidentally of the year. We were introduced to Schemic, who is going to be our lecturer for the next semester. We were also taught how to operate the cameras, which is considerably different to in our past filming exercises or modules, as this is in the studio, the filming is different.

I found it particularly interesting today that we discussed the major differences between the studio filmings and outside filmings which we had experience of last semester and in first year. The major difference is, there is no repeat tries once you start recording, and there is no ‘record’ button on the camera, this is all done upstairs in the gallery, which I found so interesting, as it really differs. The cameras are also on somewhat of a tripod, but the tripod moves, which to me was really interesting, because you get a smooth movement if you do it right (which I only managed to do once)

But I am looking forward to seeing what else I can learn from this module, as I’d quite fancy going into the production angle of media once I graduate, it really intrigues me if it will live up to its expectation in my head.