UNIT 8 - Media courses/apprenticeships TBD

Media Communications - University Course, this course enables young creators to engage into the world of media via many platforms within different industries. The course can be found at many universities across the UK. The course can lead students into any field of the media industry hence why it can be so popular,

UNIT 8 - Showreel

UNIT 8 - Practical and transferable skills

Skills learnt and developed

During this course I have learnt and developed many skills that can be taken into the world of work, this can be expandable from technical abilities/skills to practical skills and the theory work. This course has offered many challenges which have learnt to overcome with ease. In terms of technical ICT skills we have used different platforms to work on. Final Cut pro was a programme that was introduced to us for the use of editing our productions we film. Using this platform has enabled me to view production from a editors point of view which teaches me to pay attention to detail so everything can be fluid once a production comes all together. Editing has been enjoyable as well as educating as we learnt to add effects and use different tools to add text to scenes. This was vital as it changes the appeal of the video as a whole depends on good editing. Furthermore, we used many other programmes like Powerpoint, Edexcel and Blogger. These platforms were used for many pieces of work such as creating a slide for a presentation on Powerpoint. This helped present my ideas clearly to the class and use the slides to engage them. We used Edexcel to create graphs and gather quantitative research. We had done this to find out how much of the percentage of students we used in a survey liked a particular aspect to our idea which was a music video. We had used Blogger the online website which allows bloggers to write any creative articles/ideas or even create an online page site. This is where we update our coursework and gather the pre-production of any tasks we are set. This consists of Location Reece's and production Logs to show our progress through these productions.

Another skill I had learnt was teamwork. This is a very vital transferable skill as in the world of work I may have to work as part of a team where communication is extremely important. During my time in the course working with other associates has been very common and I have gotten used to being able to share ideas as well as listen to others with criticisms and opinions. Taking and giving criticism has improved my judgement as I look at things with attention to detail now. It is highly important in the world of work as I would want to make sure I work to the best of my ability so having attention to detail will help. This has also helped with my presentation skills as presenting in front of the class happens a lot. I learnt to project my voice and engage the audience by using less text in my presentations and more images as they wouldn't want to be reading, instead they should be listening to me and watching the slides. This can be used in the world of work when I want to present an idea or when i'm talking to a client I can use those skills and present effectively. In addition my Organisation skills were also put to the test as we had to get together and sort out which dates we would be filming on and then when the filming was taking place we had to have all the right equipment, this required good organisation and time keeping so that everything was done according to plan which in effect makes things run smoothly. This would be very important when working as keeping things organised and planned keeps the work I am doing effective and easier to do.  My evaluation skills were also used in this course as after we had filmed our productions we had to criticise not only others but our own work, this is a positive thing as we can hear others feedbacks on the work we have done and there'd always be room for improvement. Again this can be applied to the world of work as taking a step back and looking at my work will ensure that it is up to a high standard.

Another transferable skill would be the practical skills we has learnt. This consists of using equipment for example the camera. We had learnt different camera angles and shots to use effectively when filming so that our productions wouldn't be "boring" or too dull by sticking to only one shot and angle. By learning all the different camera language like medium log shots and close ups etc we could give off a vibe to the viewers without even saying anything This is how camera language works. We added these types of shots into our productions to make it more appealing so it looks even better. Another practical skill would be setting up the equipment and getting it ready to film. The equipment varied form tripods, cameras, lights and green screens. This was very easy to learn and now in future if i have ti set up any equipment not only for filming but for anything id be able to do it effectively and carefully as damage would be a setback. I understood instructions quickly so this gives me confidence for other equipment.

Another transferable skill would be the research skills I developed when finding out information for takes that were set. I have learnt to analyse information and being able to extract key info for specific relevant areas. This was mainly for research done on Blogger. Furthermore having to find interviews for my productions such as music videos and documentaries also required some research skills, knowing where to find these people and  knowing what questions to ask to specific people. If we weren't sure on a specific topic we'd have to break down the criteria and target each problem theoretically and eventually we'd be able to get answers. This was a very valuable skill I had developed. Also keeping a log of all the sources that helped us with our research was helpful as we could refer back to it if needed. These skills would be useful if i had to look into or research some information at work. I would be able to get the information effectively and quickly as well as making sure that what I am receiving is legitimate and trust worthy. 

UNIT 8 - Exploring Media Trade Fairs

TRADE FAIRS

Trade fairs are where businesses cam promote their products, these businesses can be in different industries, this is in the form of an exhibition. Here they can meet other companies and represent themselves to distributors who come to the event. Trade fairs van be seen as a popular way of sales as many business owners around the world come together in one place and most deals are more successful face to face so this would be the opportunity for any company whether they are small or not. This also gives companies the opportunity to make a strong professional relationship with each other to increase each others profits.  The benefits of this to a company of small status can be highly beneficial. This gives an opportunity for bigger companies to meet and endorse themselves with this other company. This will in affect increase profits for both companies. They provide an excellent opportunity to assess opinions from clients and determine market potential, conduct research and evaluate competition, develop commercial structures by identifying new agents and distributors, and initiating joint ventures and project partnerships. 

At this event there is no limit for how many stalls a person can go to so there are limitless opportunities waiting for personnel and maybe holders of businesses to meet other holders within a company. The event can be held at any centre for exhibitions and is available for almost everyone to come and see.  An example would be BVE London, BVE are a company which hold many types of conventions for different events. They hold events such as the UK's leading tech and media and tech event annually as well as other conventions. The BVE have held many Trade Fairs which makes it a gathering point for all of the attending businesses and companies.

BVE is well known across the country and many others for the events held there. This attracts big names in businesses/companies. They are the UK's leading Entertainment and Media Tech event, with a 20-year history dedicated to the broadcast, production and post-production sectors. In recent years, the show has evolved into an all-encompassing event that also covers the Connected Media, AV Systems Integration, Live Production, VR and Creative sectors. They also attract more than 15,000 visitors who attend to discover and learn about the latest products, services and trends from more than 300 leading manufacturers and distributors.

UNIT 8 - Development of technology

Development of technology

Technology has been developing from the get go, day by day new gadget/software are being produced and put out into society to help or entertain the lives we live. In terms of the TV and film the film industry technology has advanced highly from the early 1900's. Film can be seen to have more quality as the cameras are now one of the biggest developments. This can be seen in the quality of the films that we see in cinemas nowadays in comparison to what you would see in he cinemas back in the 1960's. This can be seen not only in Films but in television, if you were to go back to any show back in the 1950's for example, the screen would only be viewed in black and white, this also goes for films in the Cinema, it was in the year 1962 when the BBC2 produced and published the first coloured production on TV. This was seen as revolutionary as viewers were so used to watching TV in only Black and White. Nearly every BBC2 programme was in colour. Six months later, colour came to BBC1. By 1969, BBC1 and ITV were regularly broadcasting in colour. 

The development of TV and Film can also be seen in the area of audio, the quality of sound not only in TV but film also has advanced a lot. If you were to watch something from the years of 1960's to 70's you would notice the difference in audio quality in comparison to today's sound quality. An example would be seen in he commercials as they were seen in almost everyone's households. The reason why sound these days sounds so much better is that technology has allowed us to create more advanced systems in which we can develop and produce quality pieces. The sound systems and technology they had back in the years of 1970 and below weren't as advanced as they are now. Again in film there are different techniques and technology that allows us to not only record sounds but make our own artificial sounds. This could add to the creativity used today. Sounds are heard to be more crisp and sharp to add realism into our watching experience whereas before sounds were normally recorded as they were or recorded separately and added later. These were the main two ways of recording sounds, today the quality in TV and Film can be seen as revolutionary.

Mainly in films the use of CGI editing was definitely not around as there was no knowledge of it. This has been one if the biggest advancements in TV to this day. CGI stands for computer generated images and can be edited into a film y a technical editor. Most people find films more appealing if there is more action and unreal events going on. This can be shown through CGI editing seen in many films today such as 'Transformers', 'Avatar' and 'The Avengers'. Although CGI editing was first seen in the year 1982 in the film 'Tron' and in 1984 in the film 'Starfighter' the quality of which this is editing has improved since then, production companies are now able to edit their wildest imaginations into film reality as there are various ways to bring ideas to life through different types of editing equipment which are all electronically produced. The shots are now seen to be more smooth and sharp, this again adds reality into the film and in affect makes the viewers watching experience a lot better. 

Analogue TV and digital TV can be seen as a change for the future. TV first started off as Analogue and slowly transitioned to the Digital TV we see/watch today. Terrestrial TV was the name given to the channel switch were seen on TV across the UK, these were the channels everyone had. Some of these channels were as listed. BBC1, BBC2, ITV1,Channel 4 and Channel 5. These channels have been around since the early 1920's onward's. Across the country people who could afford a TV had the channels, These were on air until about roughly the years 2007-2012. This was called the Digital switch over. Everyone would now have to be watched on Digital TV.  

UNIT 8 - Broadcasting Act 1990

Broadcasting Act 1990

President Thatcher at the time had created this act as she believed that this would stimulate competition, widen consumer choice and increase efficiency. The aim of the Broadcasting Act was to reform the entire structure of British Broadcasting Television, in particular, it had been described by Lady Thatcher as "the last bastion of restrictive practices". She saw that the main competition with Britain at the time was with America, this was one of the things that led her to create this act and implement it into broadcasting and television.

The impact this had on the regulation system was that they had to follow the conventions that thatcher had set out for them.  this led to the abolition of Independent Broadcasting Authority and its replacement with the Independent Television Commission and Radio Authority. The ITC then started to regulate non terrestrial channels and the IBA had started to regulate channels such as ITV, Channel 4 and the British Satellite Broadcasting. The ITC had also took over the responsibility of  he cable authority which had regulated the early non terrestrial channels which were less popular as they had a smaller audience.

The Independent TV commission main job was to regulate and license all commercial television services in the United kingdom. They had to check all the commercial channels and check to see if what they are producing fit their standards of authority. They had been an independent regulation company. Before they were called the Independent Broadcasting Authority until the Broadcasting Act in 1990 had replaced it. 

The act allowed for the final terrestrial channel to be created, Channel 5 in 1997. This was seen as an advantage by many as it allowed variety in the UK TV industry and meant that more channels with different variety of shows could be viewed by the audience/viewers who tuned in. The act also allowed for multi-channel satellite TV to be implemented, which opened up the TV industry to other channels and made for a more interesting TV industry. It was also seen as a negative however as it may have led to confusion and made it more difficult for the audience to pick a channel to watch, too much variety can also have its down side to it as channels can get repetitive.

The BBC before the Act was implemented as introduced to make its programme “in-house”. This meant that they had control of everything they produced and no one else. However after the act had been introduced BBC had no other option but to outsource to other companies by 25%, a quarter of the BBC was sold to other companies for them to have as a share in order for them to stop a so called “Monopoly” within the television industry with the obvious BBC being the more popular and dominant firm.

One of the most controversial parts of the Act itself was that it lead to a successful business for the well-known Rupert Murdoch. This act enabled Murdoch to expand and grow his business into the UK. In effect this made the rich profit off of this. This caused a lot of controversy in the media and society at the time as it showed that the government did not care or concern themselves about the low income population of the UK, this can be still brought up to present day. The Broadcasting Act allowed Rupert Murdoch to introduce SKY into the UK. SKY is now the largest satellite television company in the UK. Many say that that Murdoch’s pro-conservative media broadcasting may have had an effect on the Act.

The Act altogether had benefits in the TV industry such as giving and allowing there to be more variety and creativity for the viewers to watch, it enabled for de-regulation so companies and broadcaster were allowed to have the freedom to broadcast programmes easily for a more creative and entertaining UK TV industry. By doing this it opened up the industry for more competition which allowed for more efficiency within the TV industry. This attracted more viewers and consumers as they will be wanting the best product, the industry was also aware of the foreign companies who wanted in on the shares, this made sure that the BBC and other domestic firms would make better and higher quality television.

The whole point of the 1990 Act was that the ITV was set up to regulate all the television services within the UK, however the BBC was excused from this, The Channel 4 was allowed to sell advertising through their channel meaning ITV was no longer the only advertisement featuring channel to get money. This of course gained both channels a profit. The Channel 5 was the last terrestrial TV being set up in 1997 before the digital move/revolution of television, the TV license was introduced to whoever owned a TV set.

UNIT 8 - Legal and Ethical Issues

Legal and Ethical Issues

Legal and ethical issues are the moral and guided principles that define how a person or group act. These can be the general rules that people working in the TV and Film industry follow as a part of their rules and guidelines. Employment legislation is a set of all the rules which keep employers safe from discrimination against things such as sexism, racism, age and homophobia. This also ensures that employers are kept comfortable work without worrying about any problems. All employees information is kept confidential between them and the employer. As an ethical issue example this can be seen when the Sun newspaper broke its code for the PCC's Editors code of practise. The PCC ensure that the medias papers are considerable and proper. They had violated the first code which was "Accuracy". this was because they had wrote in their edition of the report for 'The Hillsborough Disaster' that the fans were drunk and violent towards the police officers, this was not true as no evidence showed it in the actual event. They had also said that what they hd reported was a fact and had not been distorted in any way, shape or form, this was later proven to be a lie. the code states that they should distinguish the truth from accusations/lies in their papers. Although the Sun had apologised this was 23 years after the disaster had happened. At the time of the paper was published what was said in the media would've been highly influential on the resources and evidence the police had for that national disaster. the sun may have also violated the fifth code 'intrusion into grief or shock' as they had targeted the victims of the disaster and put them under the title of "hooliganism". This would be very disrespectful to those of the affected families.

The laws within the workplace are kept in tact by the codes of practise, this would be legal legislation. These rules ,must be followed within the workplace and if they are not it would be going against the workplace rules which could result in the employee losing their job. On a film set for example the actors and editors will have to follow set of rules et by the production company which can be joint with health and safety regulations.  In regards to the sun newspaper and the event of the Hillsborough Disaster they may have broken some legal issues as well as work related ethical values. This can be because they had publicly humiliated Liverpool fans and the victims of the disaster with their article on the event. This can also lead to the police force putting false blame on the wrong people, for example many of the officers working at the time had gave false allegations to police saying that the fans had broken where in actual fact they were let in despite the over crowded seating.

BBC's Code of Practise

BBC's code of practise sets out the principles and trustees of the broadcasting company. They are committed to the highest standards of integrity, impartiality and objectivity. Meaning they in no way, shape or form will ever be biased to on side. They promise to be open with this code of practise and responsive and accountable to license fee payers. The BBC are a government channel, which means what they report and show on their channel should be of truth/fact. This in affect ensures what the viewers are watching is not going to be untruthful and they are receiving the correct information.

The productions that get produced on BBC have to be of of equal opportunity. This can be seen in the example of the documentary "Love me Love my Face", a documentary on a man with a facial disability tells his story and how he has gone through life with his significant other. This shows that the BBC are conforming to all their audiences by implementing productions with different disabilities into their channel. It gives a sense of equal opportunity and allows minority groups to be represented in a positive way. Ut can also inform other people who may not know about a certain minority and educate them on the topic. It allows the BBC to spread their audience