Working on New Template

Apologies for the messy interface. Working on a new blog design in preparation for next year.

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G324 Blog Hub

Please see below links for each of the requested candidate blogs:

7254; 

7233; 

7192; 

7070; 

7089; 

7029; 

6227; 

7225; 

7157;

7134; 

7179;

7175; 

7056; 

7142; 

7140; 

Please e-mail ngo@glenthorne.sutton.sch.uk with any problems

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G321 Blog Hub

Please see below links for each of the requested candidate blogs:

8208 

8278

8047

8256

8202

8137

8112

8280

8041

8255

8240

8109

8097
 
8017

8074

Please e-mailngo@glenthorne.sutton.sch.uk with any problems

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Year 10 Cover Work Web Addresses

Below are the links for the 3 shows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=399JuXJ9PJM (Veronica Mars)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KsqDCPKA2w (My So Called Life)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmoU05_Fr5A (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

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Local, National and International audiences

Hi all,

Here's a very recent case study that you might like to explore.

Nintendo is due to release Tomodatchi Life in the US and Europe in June. This has been a massive hit in Japan, and looks like it will be here too.

You play the game with your Mii, an avatar (in game representation) of you. I think it is a bit like the Sims. You meet people, have fun, and invite avatars of your friends  and family.

Click the link to find out more about the game: http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-3DS/Tomodachi-Life-871968.html

But there is a problem: same sex characters are not allowed to marry in the game; it just won't let them. This has caused complaints about the fact that it excludes gay people from playing the game in a way that represents their life.

Read some of the articles to get a sense of the argument:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27321200

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/nintendo-same-sex-marriage-tomodachi-life-game-article-1.1784866

Some people have argued that this might reflect the societies of Japan, US and Europe. In some parts of the US and Europe, gay marriage has become legal, and much more widely accepted. In Japan this is not the case.

From the NY Daily News:


"The issue marks not only a cultural divide between Japan, where gay marriage is not legal, and North America and Europe, where gay marriage has become legal in some places, but also in the interactive world, where games are often painstakingly “localized” for other regions, meaning characters’ voices and likenesses are changed to suit different locales and customs.


“The ability for same-sex relationships to occur in the game was not part of the original game that launched in Japan, and that game is made up of the same code that was used to localize it for other regions outside of Japan,” Nintendo noted in an emailed statement.


While many English-language games don’t feature gay characters, several role-playing series produced by English-speaking developers, such as “The Sims,” “Fable” and “The Elder Scrolls,” have allowed players to create characters that can woo characters of the same sex, as well as marry and have children. Other more narrative-driven games, like “Grand Theft Auto IV,” “The Last of Us” and “Gone Home,” have included specific gay, lesbian and bisexual characters."

This is an example of where it perhaps would have been more appropriate to localise the game for the different regions.

Could you use this if local, national and international audiences came up?

Also the BBC article ends with Nintendo's next console which seems to be one targeted at people with a lower income. THIS IS INTERESTING! Do more research on this!

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Lovely Minecraft resources

Hi all,


I have collated a range of lovely Minecraft resources for you to look at. Make sure you make notes especially on the facts and figures that will help you with your case studies for the exam. Also remember to look at the dates of the articles as some of them are older than others and so you need to be aware of that when you quote the figures.


There are articles on:

• How successful Minecraft is
• How it is attracting audiences (children AND parents)
• How it is being used in schools
• Examples of Minecraft synergy

Enjoy reading!


Mrs Saunders.


Why Minecraft is more than just another video game. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23572742


All of Denmark virtually recreated.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27155859 


Me, my son and Minecraft.  http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/08/me-my-son-minecraft-blocks-game


Minecraft Review.  http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2011/dec/09/minecraft-pc-mac-review


Lego Minecraft unveiled.  http://www.edge-online.com/news/lego-minecraft-unveiled/


Minecraft in the classroom.  http://m.edge-online.com/features/minecraft-in-the-classroom/


Minecraft PC Sales at 12 Million; Franchise at 33 Million .
http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/09/03/minecraft-pc-sales-at-12-million-franchise-at-33-million


Mojang income doubles on back of continued Minecraft success. http://www.develop-online.net/news/mojang-income-doubles-on-back-of-continued-minecraft-success/0190654

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Year 12 Homework

 

Write a response focusing on the construction of ethnicity from this clip from Hotel Babylon. You should consider the:

• camera shots, angles, movement, composition
• editing
• sound
• mise-en-scene

You should use your terminology booklets to try to make sure that you are using a wide variety of terms. You should watch the clip 4 times. Your response should reflect 45 minutes writing time in pressure conditions (about 3 sides depending on handwriting).

 

Due Tuesday 22nd April

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Year 13 Media H/W

You should write a 30 minute response focusing on how the concept of audience is relevant to either your AS or your A2 production.

 

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G322 Video Games: An Awesome Indie Game

Have you played Papers, Please?

One of the most unusual video games of 2013, Papers, Please bills itself as a ‘Dystopian Document Thriller’ where you take on the role of an immigration officer at a border to the fictional country of Arstotzka.

It is a fantastic case study for you because it is an independent game, created by one man Lucas Pope. Pope is an ex-employee of large American developer Naughty Dog, who are famous for creating the Uncharted series, as well as recent smash hit The Last of Us. He left Naughty Dog as he wanted to develop his own games.

Papers, Please is available on digital distribution platform Steam as well as the creator’s own website (http://dukope.com/). Without developments in technology to allow digital distribution, this game would cost too much to distribute and would not successfully find the niche audience it needs. It wouldn’t make much money, and so it probably would never be made in the first place.

It is targeting a different kind of audience as it is not an action packed shooter game, but instead is more intellectually challenging.

The game has been nominated in the categories of "Best Game", "Game Design", "Game Innovation" and "Simulation Game" for the 2014 BAFTA Video Games Awards. This is a really prestigious nomination for such a small game! Watch the live stream here http://www.bafta.org/games/awards/watch-live,3664,BA.html

The awards are on 12/3/14.

Papers, Please could be an ideal case study to look at alongside Minecraft.

Read a BBC article about Papers, Please here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26527109

Read the Wikipedia entry here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papers_please

Watch the trailer here:

And if you fancy it and have the money, pop onto Steam and buy the game. Give it a go!

Glory to Arstotzka!

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Exemplar Evaluation

Here is the exemplar evaluation I showed in class- click on the evaluation label!

http://chittsmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/

This evaluation is to an excellent standard- note the excellent presentation and the dedication to using digital technology, alongside the thorough detail the candidate uses.

A less tidy blog is this one, but with a good level of depth:

http://chionehardymedia.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/G321%20Evaluation

I would encourage you to look at the blog post below to look at additional ideas you may wish to present some of the information- though use at your own risk (i.e. I am only vaguely familiar with these websites!)

http://petesmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/apps-and-tools-you-may-not-know.html

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Shakespeare Through A Lens Project Brief

You have been commissioned by the Lambeth City Learning Centre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the BFI and the management at Glenthorne High School to gain a deeper understanding of Titus Andronicus by filming a scene from the play from a range of different perspectives. You will edit the film to produce a high-quality 3-7 minute segment of film to be screened on a 400 seater cinema screen at the BFI for family and other guests. The films will then have an online life on a variety of platforms including RSC, CLC and BFI websites.

Consider:

• What kind of brief is this (using the list you wrote about different kinds of briefs)?
• What elements of the brief can be negotiated? What elements are essential?

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TV Comedy Audience Pleasures Homework

Above are a list of audience pleasures connected with TV comedies. In your books, under the heading TV Comedy Audience Pleasures, identify 2 audience pleasures for Have I Got News For You and 2 audience pleasures for The Big Bang Theory. 

You will need to write a short paragraph for each, using full sentences and providing evidence for each of the audience pleasures you identify. This is due for Thursday 30th January.

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Location Permissions Exemplar

Location Permissions Letter
Again used as evidence that you have planned out all of your locations and have a set shooting schedule, the location permissions letter can be more formal than below

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Ancillary Task Exemplars

Below are a few different exemplars of work for the ancillary task, with the marks and comments also below.

Exemplar 1 Digipak:  http://www.i-m.co/kayjianoran/kayjianoran/digipakfinal-draft.html

Exemplar 1 Magazine Ad: http://www.i-m.co/kayjianoran/kayjianoran/magazine-advertfinal-draft.html

Exemplar 2 Digipak & Magazine Ad: http://06tscott.wix.com/a2musicvideo#!magazine-advert--digipak/c27p

Exemplar 3 Digipak: http://laraanisere.wix.com/media-a2-coursework-#!digipak-final-draft-/c16iy

Exemplar 3 Magazine Ad: http://laraanisere.wix.com/media-a2-coursework-#!magazine-advert-final-draft/c1jxc

 

 

Exemplar 1 Feedback:

 

 

Exemplar 2 Feedback:

 

Exemplar 3 Feedback:

 

 

 

 

 

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Production Company Idents

Production Company Ident

Many major film company idents tend to reflect a wider appeal- Universal, Paramount and Dreamworks, for example.

     



For independent production companies who specialise in making certain films, there tends to be a slightly more themed ident.

For example, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company Gary Sanchez Productions




Gunslinger Productions have made 'edgy' social realism films like Shank, Sket and the parody Anuvahood.

Please bear in mind:

- Do not have a company logo that distracts from the film: if you are making a horror film, you need to avoid having a logo that is funny or cute. It is usually wise to keep it simple. On the other hand, you don't want it to be too closely connected to your plot- i.e. if your film is about a haunted house don't have a production company logo with a haunted house.

- It would be beneficial to look at case studies: some exemplars of different production company logos should be on your blog.

- You could have a very short animated/video production company logo: though it should just be a few seconds and quite simple

- You don't need to stop at one: you may have noticed that many trailers have more than one company at the beginning- by all means have a few different companies briefly being shown- you would then need to discuss how your film is a co-production or has picked up a specific distributor.

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Additional Audience Research

In November, the Media Studies exam board stated that they expected that students do more than primary research (i.e. surveys), as they felt that these were too basic and did not reveal enough understanding of audiences. They felt that audience research would be better if it answered the following questions:

· What do real audiences consume?

· Who are the specific audiences for particular products?

· How do media industries target those audiences?

To help answer these questions, you will need to focus on the music video industry. I have set 3 research tasks to get you thinking about the relevant information. We will briefly discuss the meaning of some of the findings when you return, so you do not need to make it too visual at the moment
 

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Location Permissions

You will need to demonstrate that you have gotten permission to film at any locations you are planning to film at. This includes any houses you may need to film at, and specific school locations should also now be requested (e.g. drama studio).

This should ideally be done as a letter so that you can get a signature and scan this on your blog, but print screens of e-mails would also be acceptable.

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Film Schedule

Your film schedule is another crucial part of your film project. The concept behind it is that you are organised when you come to actually filming- thus, that you know what actors and props are needed and can approximate how long different parts of the scene will take. A guide for completing the Film Schedule is offered below:

Date/Time: when you will be filming

Shot Numbers: refer to your completed storyboard to pick out shots you will do

Location: where are you filming? This should be the actual location, not the location it represents in your film

Actor/Interviewees: what actors do you need for the shots you are filming?

Props/Costumes: what props do you need for this scene- I strongly encourage you to in brackets write down who is responsible for providing each prop/costume

Crew: who will be doing behind the scenes work?

Equipment: what equipment do you require for these?

Notes: is there anything important to remember? This may include that you only have limited access to a location or that you have limited amount of light, or that you need additional time to set up make-up.

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Homeworks for Friday

Reflection on storyboard/animatic storyboard process

Discuss how you have found the storyboarding process:

•  How has it developed over the last couple weeks? What changes have been made/suggested?

• What challenges/frustrations have you encountered?

• What has your personal contribution been to this process?

Summary of Exemplars

Discuss a few things you learned from watching opening sequence exemplars. This could be:

• Things you need to avoid

• Things you need to include

• Surprises about the marking criteria

Your summary should aim to include keywords such as camerawork, sound, mise-en-scene, editing and conventions.

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Sam's Notes about Titus Andronicus Edit

Fantastic edit by the group - very strong indeed, and of a pretty much professional standard. I've made some notes, see below. As they are working at such a high level, my notes are more about specific little things that should be easily tweaked, as opposed to any structural / major things. Obviously they may choose to disagree with some of them, but these are the changes I would make.

 

I like the music, and am wondering what it is? I'm assuming its public domain, could you confirm that it is please?

 

Here are my notes:

0.15

the march through the field - I can see the idea of the dissolves through the march, but I don't think it works visually - too clunky and messy looking. If the motivation is to shorten the screen time of this sequence, perhaps inserting the close up of the feet in between 2 sections of the wide would work, if not, either let the wide run long or cut in/out of it sooner.

 

0.59

C/U of feet climbing hill - soundmix - audio a bit too loud.

 

1.32

"roman's make way.." audio too loud at beginning of this line.

 

1.44

close up just before introduction of titus a bit too short/jarring - can it be extended a little (or if not, perhaps cut).

 

1.48

cutaway of hands - shot is drifting on an inelegant pan, is there a static/steady C/U alternative that does the same job?

 

1.47

lovely shot of the prisoners looking worried - but a bit brief - could it be extended so we hear a bit of the next line underneath it ("give us the proudest prisoner of the goths..")

 

2.28

could we establish titus listening to Tamora's plea here perhaps? the cut here between two slightly different angles of tamora is a little awkward, and introducing titus's ambivalence (then cutting back to it later) would be a good solution, plus it would cover the camera drift as she says 'if thy sons were ever dear to thee…"

 

General note on the music - I like it, but am wondering if its a little too repetitive by this point - its been going on (what sounds like) a short loop for a few minutes now - could it be faded sooner, lowered in the mix, or something else added?  there is a danger of it having a sort of 'wallpaper effect' 

 

3.35

Good handling of the execution scene - just one note, the shot where she is put down on the ground (a side angle from the second cam) sticks out a bit, as its not that well framed - cropping out her head as she kneels. it does match the action, but is there a better framed alternative for this bit?

 

3.35

'Alabus goes to rest' - minor point, but it might be better to start with the 3 of them looking out from the alternative angle, as it shows them looking towards trees/wooded area, creating an associative link to the earlier scenes.

 

4.31

shot of one of the brothers nodding to signal tamora is too brief and flashes a bit jarringly, extend it  a little.

 

4.36

Tamora saying 'go!' she is moving away as she's says this, it then cuts and we see her in the background still - can this transition be smoothed - either by using an alternate take (in which she doesn't walk off), or by cutting to the figures in the foreground of the next shot as they are masking her in the background. not a big deal though - you may have already found the best solution.

 

5.20

"I am revenge..' overlay - I like this, it can be neatened up using a bit of re-framing and compositing/grading - students can try this, I also have some powerful post production tools that will help.

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Filming Log Posts

For each filming session, you will each need to create a post outlining your progress. There should be a common sense approach to this: if you spent 10 minutes filming 2 shots during a lesson, a very brief post is fine; if on the other hand you spent 10 hours filming the whole video, it needs to be a lengthy and detailed post.

You should include details of:

- to what extent you followed your storyboard
- unexpected problems (be honest- it will not necessarily reflect badly on you) and what you did to resolve these
- assess your individual contribution

As per usual, please include any visuals that help to back up the points you make- 'behind the scenes' pictures, stills of successful shots and any video footage to prove that something may not have worked are all really valid and help to highlight excellent organisation (which you are assessed on).

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Y12 Holiday Homework

Having completed 4 mini essays and done an audio commentary, over the holidays you will need to complete a first full essay.

You will be asked to write the equivalent of 45 minutes writing under pressure- 800-1200 words- and will focus on one of the clips you have looked at to answer the following question:

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of [class (Oliver) OR ethnicity (Moses Jones) OR disability & ability (The Silence) OR sexuality (The Line of Beauty)] using the following:

- camera shots, angles, movement and composition
- editing
- sound
- mise en scene

You need to make detailed reference to specific examples from the extract only.

You are expected to watch the clips repeatedly in preparation and should format the essay as follows:

No introduction is necessary. You can simply start the essay with how camera work creates/constructs representation and start the analysis from there.

Paragraph 1: Construction of representation through camera work

Paragraph 2: Construction of representation through mise-en-scene

Paragraph 3: Construction of representation through sound

Paragraph 4: Construction of representation through editing

Please ensure that you consistently comment on the representation and whether it conforms to or defies expectation.

The deadline is Tuesday, November 5th

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Unit 3: Digital Moving Image Production

Press on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLt7lXDCHQ0&feature=share&list=PL254F0B30CA982B3D

1. Embed the video on to your blog

2. Underneath the video, write down 3 key features of how it entertains the audience (using Bond as a model). This should be done in full sentences

For example:

The style of The Bourne Ultimatum is quite realistic because of the handheld camera, making it feel like we are part of the fight.

3. Take a screencapture of a moment that demonstrates this key feature- (cmd + shift + 4) and then drag over screen  

For example:

If you discuss Matt Damon as a star, then grab a moment that shows him in close-up

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The Importance of Good Lip-Synching...

For all of the forthcoming performers: (i) be grateful that you are not performing these songs (ii) understand how important it is to lip-synch in time.

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What is Neo-Realism? Homework

The contexts behind Bicycle Thieves include:

•First parliamentary elections after 21 years of Fascist rule

•Seen as the prime response of a nation going from war to democracy

•Neorealism not overtly political but more concerned with telling people’s stories

•New Republican Constitution was introduced

•By this point, the genre was quite political- seen as competing with the ‘escapist’ cinema from Hollywood

•Concerned with truth and the concept of telling ‘important’ stories

Watch the video essay above and read the article below (up until the discussion of Bicycle Thieves) and come prepared with 5 additional facts about neo-realism. These should form the basis of a further discussion prior to the screening of the film.

http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/deep-focus/roots-neorealism

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Storyboarding Assembling Process

As instructed in the last lesson, you should have completed 20 frames of your storyboard for a particular 'strand' of your video. What you should now aim to do is assemble these together as a group, thinking logically about when different shots should be in the video.

Timing should be considered at this point but may not be precise- all of your songs are of a different length and pace, so some of you will need to add some storyboard shots while others will not need to use all 80. However, you must ensure that you assemble a 'rough cut' of your music video and how the different strands may integrate into one another.

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Storyboarding/Planning Article

Music Video Planning Examples

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The Concept

Having spent the last week coming up with different ideas and suggestions, it is now time to commit to a clear concept.

Your concept should clearly incorporate your knowledge of music videos and therefore should have at least 3 and possibly 4 'strands'.

Your concern should be less with what the narrative of your music video is and should instead focus on aesthetics:

- What (kinds of) locations do you plan to use?
- What (kinds of) costumes do you think are necessary?
- Are there any post-production effects/editing techniques that you think will be important?
- Have you already visualised important moments/key shots?

Your presentation for this on your blog should have visuals rather than a written explanation- a brief video presentation intercut with visuals would be good.

You should also include all sketches and rough bits of work that have contributed towards you deciding the concept.

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Lyric Annotations

Whether the lyrics for your chosen track are very clear and direct or extremely obscure and open to interpretation, the visuals for your music video should to some extent be a reflection of them.

Your lyric annotation can be done by taking a screen grab of the lyrics and putting them in Photoshop and annotating anything that you think is significant or any visual ideas that emerge from specific words or phrases of the lyrics.

The most important part of this exercise is that you are shown to be actively thinking about what visual queues you may get from the song.

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Peer Assessment

Please look through your allocated blog and provide a mark for each. You should be looking out for issues of content (both quality and quantity), presentation and use of ICT.

Please also go through the checklist and ensure that no posts are missing.

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Audience Research: Writing a Questionnaire

As your target audience is very likely to be a younger demographic, another useful website when researching audience is to explore the site www.uktribes.com and to explore whether you think your music video could/should be looking to reach these audience groups. You may wish to take some screen grabs and use some of the descriptive phrases. The password for the site is bkqteetw.

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Push A Little Button Activity- Editing Instructions

1. Slot the SD Card into the back of the MAC computer. Close any windows that pop up.

2. Click on the Adobe CS6 button on the dock and then click on Adobe Premiere Pro CS6.

3. Once open, click on 'New Project' check that work is being saved in the location Users/12cms OR 12dmv/Desktop/Video Work and name the file Push A Little Button and then your names/initials. Change Sequence settings to Digital SLR -> DSLR -> 1080p24.

4. Click on File, then Import, then No Name [your SD card], MP_ROOT and then your video files should be in the folder. You can select all of them by holding down the Shift Key. Click on Import.

To add the music

1. As you will be editing to the beat, in this instance it may be smart to upload the song first. Click on Media Browser button and then drag the Push A Little Button audio track to audio track 1.

To edit video

1. You should see all of your clips on the bottom left hand part of the screen. You now need to cut the clips you have filmed. Drag one of the videos up and decide where you want it to start (press the 'I' button to Mark In) and where you want it to end (press the 'O' button to Mark Out). When you are happy with it you can press the comma (,) button or drag the picture directly over to the screen on the right. Do this for each of the clips, knowing that you can make small adjustments and change the order when completed.

OR

2. Drag video to the right sided window and then push/pull the clips to where you want them to be in the song

Recording a voice-over

1. Click on Premiere Pro and Audio Hardware, change default device to Built-in Microphone
2. Click on Audio Mixer tab (or click on Window and then Audio Mixer)
3. Press the R button on the middle track, the the red button underneath the audio tab.
4. Press the play button and start your voice recording

Add Title

1. Click on Title- New Title
2. Choose default still and experiment with some different font types

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Record Label Research

In order to develop a deeper understanding of music videos and why they are made, it is important to have some knowledge of record labels.

You will need to do a case study of 3 different labels and consider the following:

• When they were founded
• Where they are based
• What companies (if any) they are affiliated with/owned by
• Artists and successes that they have had
• Any other relevant/interesting information

It would be an advantage to look at a variety of record labels in terms of size and music genres, and this will allow you to consider what kind of label may be releasing your artist's work- so, perhaps look at Syco Music and Warp Records.

You should ensure that at least one of your record label case studies specialises in your chosen genre.

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Formatting the Presentation Script

Below is a guide for how to format your presentation script.

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Music Video Conventions

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Music CD Covers

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Welcome

This blog will contain all of the presentation material for the coursework and potentially for your exams, alongside any helpful links or other relevant material.

Please ensure that you click on the correct 'label' (e.g. AS Media, A2 Media) to make it easier to find the posts relevant for you and let us know of any suggestions you have to improve this blog.

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