Presentations and Blogs

It's time to start some intensive blogging. Having just checked your blogs, I am concerned that you will not be able to earn the marks to get you a level 3 or 4--yet I know many of you have been working hard.


Some tips:

Do blogging homework after each Media Studies lesson. You cannot rely on blogging during the lesson. Lesson time is for group work. You can blog more than the required blog entries, so at the end of each lesson, blog something you did. Find a visual to go with it (screen grab, photo of you, found image) and stick it on in order to make your point.

Get up-to-date with your audience research. Everyone should have something about audience research on their individual blogs. 
Make every blog entry visual is some way.
Is your prezi good? If your prezi is just a few words, not images or very brief, it is doing more harm than good. Think of another method or improve upon it. (Same with Powerpoints)

Also,
Each individual blog should have link back to the group and back to this main blog. If you don't have one, get it now.
Each individual needs to invite Mr Dyas and Ms Taylor (see earlier blog entry).
Check for comments from us in the comments sections next to blog entries.
Read the assignment sheet we gave you to know what is due next. That is your responsibility!

Good luck and Get working!

Sound Workshop

We have saved the photos from the Sound Workshop in the RMShared Area under Media Studies, A2, 'Photos from Sound Workshop.' For your GROUP entry, state briefly what we did there, what you learned and WHAT EQUIPMENT YOU WANT TO BORROW and WHY. (That last one is the most important. Note all caps.)

You need only a group blog entry for this. You may want to add an individual entry, but that is up to you.

Homework Due by the end of this Week

Don't forget you have blog entries due by the end of the week. Use the Planning and Research guideline sheet located here. (You must log into the Portal to get access to this.)

Useful Websites

Here are a few websites that feature short films. You can also google 'short film' and 'award' and see what you get.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/
http://www.youtube.com/futureshorts
http://www.filmchallenge.org/2009-finalists/
http://sheepfilms.co.uk/category/shortfilms/
http://www.hitrecord.org/reel
http://www.youtube.com/user/spogley
http://www.handcraftedfilms.com/films/?cat=16
http://www.wired.com/video
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/

Get started with your Blog

It's time for you to set up your blog. We have already created a Group Blog for everyone. Use the sign in we gave you already to access this.

1. Set up an individual blog using your own email address or group email address.
2. Send an invitation to Ms Taylor and Mr Dyas to be authors. (Go to settings, permissions. Send it to: dunravenmedia@gmail.com)
3. On your group blog set up a links list for each person's individual blog. Name it: 'Individual Blogs' and for name the individual links like this: First Name's Blog eg. Sarah's Blog
4. Create a links page called Useful Links and create a link back to dunravenfilmmedia.blogspot.com and dunravena2film.blogspot.com
5. Lastly, make sure you are able to sign into the school's portal so you can access documents.

Once you have done all of these things, you may personalise your blog, but do NOT include your surnames or photos--and keep it professional.

Now get blogging!

Final Evaluation

Here are the guidelines for your final presentation. DUE 25 FEB

General Feedback on Commentaries

I enjoyed reading your commentaries and have given you all feedback on your scripts. Here are some general comments to help you improve:

Sound engaged--discuss the decisions making involved

Relate your doc to others
Be more specific
Discuss codes, signifiers, connotations more often.
More on locations (impact on audience)
More on editing!


Phrases:
• This is a typical convention of documentary and often used when ________________
• ____________ was inspired by ___________ (name, year)
• We subverted the conventions by __________________. Whereas most documentaries ______________, we _____________.
• This highlights what we see as the purpose of documentary.