Curriculum Vitae

Commission & Distribution Log - Week 8 14/12/07

The presentation at WMC yesterday helped to cement the knowledge that i've gained about the distribution process. I have collected all the audio for my documentary and now need to script the points that weren't covered by my interviewee's. The main two points are rights and multi media. I spent the lesson researching these topics.

Group project

Hi bloggers, Mike here! Its been a busy week for me what with yesterday being not only the day of the WMC 07 but it was also the deadline for our group project. I spent every day this week editing the audio I collected and recording the script that Richee had written for the documentary. The interviews I had collected varied in quality but most weren't great due to the fact that they had been recorded on location. I managed to mask many of the artifacts created in the audio during recording with use of EQ and ambience taken from a library CD. I also had some difficulties with the script we had recorded, we had to make do with recording in a practice room that was very small( 9x4). The resulting audio was quite boxy but using EQ I filtered out most of the offending resonance frequencies leaving use with a usable script. I did feel however that the script would have benefited from a rewrite but due to time constraints this wasn't possible.

Reflection on the conference

Hey Mike here.It's the day after the conference and group presentation and the initial feedback from people has been really positive, people have said it was informative, professional and fun. I feel really pleased with our achievement. We managed the event well sticking to the time schedule and itinerary although we were flexible enough to be able to fit Ian down's offer of a quick Q&A before break without significantly effecting the timing of the event. I believe our flexibility was due to the commitment and work we put in during the planning stages of this event. I felt our group presentation was a success. I was fairly nervous when my turn came to take the stage but despite my anxieties I made a conscious effort to appear confident , something I have learnt during my time in radio, people need to be engaged by a speaker and people who lack confidence when speaking can find it difficult to hold the interest of a crowd. I also made use of an audio clip from karen partridge an interviewee from my documentary. This gave me time to check my notes and centre myself and I found as I relaxed I was able to be more much more spontaneous in my presentation.

My Commission & Distribution Presentation

Individual Project Log 8/12/07

Hi Mike Here. So over the weekend I began to record material for my documentary on Clifton suspension bridge...On saturday morning I set off to interview Ian Downs, a volunteer at the bridge. Although it was fairly quiet in the visitors center I still found the noise floor problematic at times. To combat this I had to hold the mic as close as possible to the interviewee as I could without making them feel uncomfortable! The interview went well and I recorded some useful information for the program. However the second part of my mornings field recordings wasn't as successful. It was cold, raining and windy which, I believe was at lease in part responsible for the publics lack of enthusiasm. Some people even waved me away when I approached them which, was a little demoralizing. Eventually I did get some usable vox pops but I will need to get more over the next few weeks. I thought that I might change location and perhaps record some vox pops in broadmead as there are no shortage of people there!

Group project - Interview with Trevor Jones

Hi, Mike here...So on tuesday morning I set off to Glastonbury to interview Trevor Jones, owner of Witch Craft LTD, Druid and Ley line enthusiast. I arrived at just after 11 o clock a time at which Trevor had assured me things would be quiet so we wouldn't be disturbed. That however wasn't the case. The shop was bustling with business and that presented a challenge. How to maximize Trevor's interview and minimize background noise...I set up my gear in a changing room located in the corner of the shop. When choosing which mike to use for the interview i had chosen one with a cardioid response pattern. This decision paid off because that combined with the changing room curtain minimized the noise floor and overspill from the shop.
The interview itself went very well. Trevor had an excellent radio voice and much knowledge on the subject of ley lines. I was very excited to find out from the interview that the main Ley line to run through Glastonbury is called the Michael line! Trevor is going to put me in contact with several experts who know more on the subject.

Commission & distribution log - week 6 30/11/07

In todays lesson I interviewed Susan Osmand on the subject of Distribution for film and television. I wanted to find out her experiences as an independent film maker at Cannes film festival. I spent the first part of the morning formulating questions to ask her. I wanted to find out how the film festival circuit works and why its so important to producers. I also wanted to know how important the relationships between the various roles of people in the distribution industry are. These are the questions i put to her:
Finding a distributor for your program or film is the ultimate goal for you as an independent film producer attending Cannes - take us through that process.
Why is the sales rep so important and why do they have such a close relationship with distributors?
How do you find out who is the right distributor?

I felt the interview went well although technically there was a problem. I could only manage to capture the interview in mono due to a faulty lead as a work around i'm going to convert it into a stereo file in protools at the edit stage.

Production schedule and outline for individual project

Clifton Suspension Bridge radio programme outline:

Introduction link (30 secs)
Vox pop and interview (30 secs)
Link (30 sec)
Interview with Ian downs (60 secs)
Link (30 secs)
Clifton suspension bridge sunset society interview (60 secs)
Link (30 secs)
Vox pops (30 secs)
Link (30 secs)

Programme schedule:

W/C Saturday 1st December.
Interview with Ian downs, volunteer at Clifton suspension bridge.
Friday 6th-Sunday 8th December
Sunset at Clifton suspension bridge, interview with society president. Record vox Pops in Bristol.
W/C Monday 15th December
Write and record script. Begin edit phase and production.

commission & distribution log - week 5 23/11/07

I found today’s lesson hugely comforting in that we actually began the process of organising and forming the material we had collected into a radio program. I also interviewed Sarah Pitt on the distribution process. The practicalities of this interview were quite challenging as we didn’t have a recording space or the correct equipment for the job but we managed to work around this problem using a portable DAT machine. Although not perfect I was pleased with the resulting interview that, I found fun doing and I feel is great material for my program. Sarah answered all my questions and after listening back to the interview I realized that there were questions that I hadn’t asked that I would need to ask my next Interviewee or expand on myself using script. Especially around rights and the future of distribution.

Commission & Distribution Log - Week 1 05/10/07

Hi Mike, here with week one of my log...

We spent the lesson researching the commissioning process in particular editorial guidelines. We examined the BBC commissioning website http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/ to look at theirs.

This is an extract from the site:

The BBC is committed to delivering the highest editorial and ethical standards in the provision of its programmes and services both in the UK and around the world.

We seek to balance our rights to freedom of expression and information with our responsibilities, for example, to respect privacy and protect children.

The BBC Editorial Guidelines are a statement of the values and standards we have set for ourselves over the years. They also codify the good practice we expect from the creators and makers of all BBC content, whether it is made by the BBC itself or by an Independent company working for the BBC and whether it is made for:

* radio
* television
* online
* mobile devices
* interactive services
* the printed word.

Editorial guidelines are important to the producer as they provide a framework to work around and give an idea of the type of content the channel commissions. Editorial guidelines differ from one channel to another. What would be appropriate for BBC 1 may not be appropriate for Channel 4. This alludes to the four DO's when pitching for a commission (selling your idea):

KNOW YOUR CHANNELS
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
KNOW YOUR MARKETS
KNOW YOUR BUSINESS

There are literally hundreds of channels from terrestrial's such as BBC 1 and ITV to free view and satellite channels like Sky 1 and the discovery channel and each one has different guidelines .We also looked at channel 4's commissioning website http://www.channel4.com/corporate/4producers/ It was interesting to note that due to the nature of commissioning,the fact that treatments are passed around the company to different departments, Commissions are only excepted in electronic formats such as word or PDF documents.

Treatment for individual project

Idea
The Clifton suspension bridge is instantly identifiable as Bristol’s best-loved and most famous icon. This program aims to explore the relationship between the bridge and the people of Bristol.

Concept
The program will use interviews with volunteers on location at the bridge and Vox pop’s from tourist’s and locals. This will be tied together using a presenter and some suitable music.
Synopsis
This short 10-minute documentary will examine the connection with the Clifton suspension bridge’s status as an icon with the people of Bristol using interviews, Vox pops and a presenter.

Sounds Lost

Sounds Lost is a short film depicting the decay of communication in society since the advent of the ipod. I designed and mixed the sound.I found working on this a real challenge especialy re-editing the music so that it worked with the hit points.

Tunnel

This is a Tunnel montage by my brother, Lawrence who is a student at the London school of film and television. He asked me to create an abstract sound track which, I did. I built the sound around a piece of music by John Cage. I felt it captured the anxious claustrophobic tension of the film.

Sound for Animation

Hey, mike here...I want to discuss sound for animation. Well, at least reflect upon the assignment "sound for picture" and give you my thoughts on the subject! There is lots of reading on sound for animation and I learnt many new terms for the techniques involved like :

VIVIFICATION
Manifest living traits in inanimate objects (scream from doormat)

HYPERBOLE
Obvious and intentional exaggeration (scream with alarm clock)

What I found interesting in looking at sound for animation was the aspect of non-human verbal communication. I found it really challenging creating these effects - and - a lot of fun! When I was recording I found it really helped to watch the animation and perform the actions of the character - this gave the sounds more expressiveness and emotion.
I also used layering techniques common in sound for picture when creating foley for the assignment. I'll refer to the definitions for an explanation. I used Hyperbole in creating my football FX which, was made up of found sound, real world and samples. I layered the sound of a football being kicked that I recorded with the sound of a spring "boing" with a white noise whoosh. Together they give a "cartoony" feel to the sound still recognisable as a football being kicked. The sound is "empethetic".
I really enjoyed the peer evaluation aspect of this assignment as it allowed me to comment critically and objectively on other animations. I also found it helped me to cement the knowlege I gained from this assignment!

Notes

Richee
Feedback- great sound mix. Synced well. Good quality recorded Foley. Sounds missing, ducks, bumps, Non diagetic sounds for cabbage worked well.

Adam
Sheep sounds good. Cartoon FX good. Unempethetic sounds…farmer! Some sounds missing. Don’t fit the genre

Kirsty
Fast pace…great music. Sound mix not great! Good FX!

Lloyd
Great sound mix. Lot’s of space. Lot’s of non-verbal communication…Good Foley ruler boing!! Polished. Non-verbal borders on human… duck sounds like pig!! Underscore? Use of tempo???

Star Skit

I was asked by the program controller at Star radio to put together a short promotional video detailing the station's successes over the past year. Given the tight deadline (24 hrs) and using the company's core values, Profesional, open minded, Fun, fair and unconventional, we decided upon a comedy skit. I felt we captured the spirit of fun which makes working at star fun and ultimatly the most successful station in the group.

Actuality

Actuality was the subject of the first lecture in year two of FdBm..

- The live or recorded sound of an event or interview on location.
Live or as it "Actually" happens.
(Radio handbook, Carol Flemming)

We examined the use of actuality in the news...

It is particularly useful in local news creating "rapport" and "locality". It can create emotional connections and strengthen brand awareness. Stations such as Star radio in North Somerset have very minimal staff and a small budget but still do very well in the RAYJAR because of their commitment to local news and the use of actuality "on the scene" "live from" content in their news bulletins.

Bath FM's Laura Harrison had this to say-

"Actuality is really important, as I use it as much I can and and if I'm out and about interviewing people I always want to interview them somewhere where there's a bit of background noise.
It important because it shows the listener that we are out in the community where they are and of course the direct result of that it that they know we care about Bath and care about them...therefore we're local.
Here at Bath FM we do alot of OBs which has the same effect because it's bringing the brand out to the listener, they can then relate to us - and we're not just a bunch of lemons sitting in an office and not having a clue.
I think it also makes for appealing radio because as a listener you want to hear your radio station out in your community.

Last week we went to an old railway tunnel which was re-opening for the first time in years. The journalist walked the whole mile through the tunnel with a load of school children. It sounded immediate, it sounded interesting (because anyone can sit in an office and interview someone)and it it sets the scene a lot more. The listener can imagine themselves there and its all about making the listener believe that they are there with the others.

Live content's good because it is very immediate and up to date A few second world war bomb's have been found in Bath since I started here in April and we always get down to them because its what people are talking about in the pub - how stupid and out of touch with the local community would we look if we just sat in an office and speculated or just read what the press officers gave us?! Nine times out of ten live content will be top of the bulletins because it happening there and then".

(Bath FM News editor, Laura Harrison)

We were asked to create a narrative to accompany two pictures in the form of an "on the scene" news bulletin.

Our correspondent Michael Huck at the Popo river in Binan...

Suspended in a sea of debris, his hair slick with an oily film from the flotsam and jetsam of a nation's waste that surrounds him. This young boy is desperate to seek refuge from the sweltering afternoon sun.

From the look on his face on could presume he's faced with attack from the myriad predators in this region of the Philippines...Snakes, piranha's or an alligator perhaps?

This treat however is far more deadly. Over 90 percent of rivers in the PPhilippines have been classified as biologically dead. this floating landfill site is a stark and timely reminder of the damage we as mankind are inflicting on the environment.

End Of Term..

Hey, Mike here. I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone involved in Weston Rock. Cast and Crew. Bob, Sue and Andy but especially my classmates. Richee, Lloyd, Symon, Adam and Kirsty...You guys rawk! Have a great summer everyone!!

Anonymous Comments

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Video Diary

Editing Documentary

Roles on Weston Rock

I need to discuss the reasons for not swapping the roles in Weston rock in order to fulfil the criteria for my blog so here goes!
The original plan when the roles were given out was to alternate roles within the project so that every one got an opportunity to have a go at something different but ultimately that's not how it has worked out. None of us, I think, really knew how much work would need to go into these roles and once filming got under way for reasons of consistency and professionalism deviated from our chosen roles. I can only speak for myself but a lot of research went into my role as editor and I'm sure the other guys would say the same. It just wasn't practical or realistic to expect that we could learn the skills for all the roles on the project. Although much of the skills have been developed on the job when it comes to editing there seems to be no greater way to learn than just putting in the time and that is something that has been at a premium throughout the project

transcript From Interview With Liana Del Guidice

What attracted you to editing?

From the age of about 11 onwards I used to visit what was then ATV Studios ( now the BBC Elstree studios) during the summer holidays. My step-father was a Film Librarian and his room was near the corridor of cutting rooms, so he would ask the editors who were a pretty friendly bunch, to let me sit with them and watch. Those cutting-rooms were never dull, I could touch the film, hang it in trim bins, wind it onto spools, lace up the Steenbeck and play the film backwards if I wanted. What a great way to earn a living, I thought. There was something magical about holding moving pictures in your hands.

What was the career path that you took?

I was convinced that I wanted to become an Editor and so I found a degree course that seemed to be practical: ‘Film Theatre and Television Studies’ at Winchester College. The course was a new one and dreadful. I stopped going to the Theatre part of the course fairly early on, after being asked to mime wading through baked beans. I didn’t think it would ever be a useful skill to have, and to this day I have never needed it. The Film part of the course consisted of watching films, and the Television part made use of the small TV studio where students took it in turn to act, direct, shoot, edit, etc. The editing equipment was awful but at least those of us who were interested could use the available kit and spend our time in the TV studio rather than attend the Theatre lessons.
At the end of my first year, I decided that there was little point continuing the course. I was itching to get out there and actually work in a cutting-room, so I wrote hundreds of letters and knocked on various doors until I found a Freelance Editor who was prepared to take me on as an assistant editor. ‘Can you sync and number rushes?’ he asked ‘Of course’ I lied in reply. I had seen the process of synching the rushes at ATV so was fairly confident that I would be able to do it. On my first day in the job I confessed that I had never done it before but was a quick learner. The editor agreed to try me out for a week, but told me that if I couldn’t get up to speed I’d be out. Thankfully, I managed to bodge my way through and by being thrown in at the deep end I quickly realised that I was learning much more than I would ever have learned had I continued the degree course. After a few months I got a job at Thames Television as an Assistant Editor which was a great training ground. I had the opportunity to assist on a variety of programmes: documentaries, dramas, news etc and because I was still only 19 when I joined, by the time I was 25 I applied for the post of Editor and got the job! In the next few years I was able to learn linear ‘tape to tape’ editing and non-linear systems before being made redundant when Thames lost their franchise. It was the perfect way to be thrown into the freelance market.

What is the best and worst thing about your job?

Being freelance is for me one of the best things about the job. No job is the same, you are constantly meeting and working with different people and you never stop learning. You are either challenged by directors who have very clear visual ideas or you struggle to tell the story with mediocre rushes that require a lot of imagination and push your skills to the limit.
It is also very satisfying to start each project from scratch and see it through to the bitter end.

I consider myself lucky because I thoroughly enjoy my job and therefore can hardly find any downsides to it. However, it is true that your days are often spent in solitary confinement. If you are unable to spend hours alone in a small room then this is not the job for you. The rest of the crew is a huge group of people all working together like a traveling circus troupe and the editor is far from the madding crowd.
You can also end up working long hours as the schedules seem to be getting shorter and often all you can do is try keep up with the work load and meet the deadlines.


How has the industry changed since you've been around?

The industry has certainly changed for anyone beginning their career. Editors are often expected to work without assistants on TV jobs and when we do work with Assistant Editors we are often so busy that we can not spend the time to show them the tricks of the trade or to allow them to edit. Therefore it can take longer to get your first break as an Editor.
Technology is ever-changing and you have to keep up with the latest equipment. Over the years I’ve gone from editing on film with a ‘Steenbeck’, to linear video decks and then changing again to non-linear systems and their constantly updated software. But one thing never changes: your skill and your craft is what ultimately matters the most.


Tips on editing?

This is the hardest question. I don’t think editing can be learned. You can learn how to use the equipment, but after that it’s down to your own instinct. There is no right and wrong way to edit. Give the same scene to ten different editors and we would all cut it differently. A lot of the so-called rules of film grammar have disappeared ( i.e. ‘crossing the line’ thanks to shows like ‘24’).
I started out editing Documentaries and I think this has really helped my understanding and interpreting of Drama scripts. When you edit a documentary, you are shaping the story from scratch and often being forced to make the best out of footage that is badly shot or unclear story wise, especially in the more observational documentaries where there isn’t a very defined path to follow. The skills learned by cutting documentaries are very valuable: I think they certainly made me quicker and more accurate when I started to edit Dramas, where the script already dictated the story and the mood.
The way you use the shots will determine whether you are creating the necessary tension within a scene or even diluting it into comedy. As an example, I edited Doctor Who immediately after finishing working on a comedy series. One particular dramatic and tense chase scene was described as being ‘cut for comedy’, when it was viewed by the writer and executive producer.

Is editing a predominantly male field? How have you experienced this?

Editing is not gender specific. Traditionally it was a female role, editors were often the wives or girlfriends of directors and it was considered a female skill; women were supposed to have a better grasp of film rhythm and the telling of human stories and had the patience to organise the rushes and look through hours and hours of footage. But then linear editing arrived on the scene bringing with it a need to understand a more technical way of editing and so it has become a more male dominated role.

Im Making A Documentary On Editing

I have spent the last week planning and gathering material for the project. I started with a story board which helped me to picture my ideas in my mind and allow me to see whether the shots flowed properly. It's been a challenge to come up with a way to present the information that I need to include in this project. I decided on a mix of presenter segments, Interviews and video diary's (They were great fun!!). I think the video diary's are a great way to give this project a genuine feel of authenticity. A warts and all account of the trails and tribulations involved in editing for film, and believe me there have been many!!
The video diary's are also a great way to relate to the interview with Liana Del Guidice. Showing the similarities and indeed, the differences between a professional and an amateur like myself.

Video Diary

I think I under estimated!!

I gotta be honest I've always thought the role of an editor was to just take the footage from a shoot and cut it together as he saw fit. An oversight on my part, slightly arrogant even, I think I've actually missed out on a big chunk of the experience that Weston rock had to offer. I wasn't really involved with planning at all-and that was my choice!! I only learned yesterday from an interview I set up with a professional editor for an assignment just how much input an editor can have in the early stages of development actually helping the director shape his vision into reality.
I have realized the error of my ways though and I've been busy the last few days making up for lost time. Ive really been able to get my teeth into the editing process. Having Bob in today definatly helped. I was anxious about working with the director fearing that the creative process would be taken completely out of my hands but I actually found it a very positive experience indeed. And guess what?? My thoughts and ideas were actually taken on board!!

Video Diary

Video Diary

Preparation for Weston Rock

At first look producing the group project “Weston rock” seemed a daunting prospect. Andy explained the function of roles within the project and the division of work. Although we were each given primary roles that we are ultimately responsible for its still expected that we each try out different roles on the project.

Shooting “Weston Rock” is a massive undertaking and it felt like we had bitten off more than we could chew but Andy then went on to explain the processes behind shooting a film. As a group and individually we spent the morning working on what is known as a shot list. This is a break down of the script scene by scene detailing each shot with a thumbnail sketch. In the absence of a story board it’s a great way to get an idea of how a shot will look and what will be required of cast and crew, its also a good way of seeing if a shot will actually work at all.

The second process is known as a shooting schedule. The scenes are grouped together into shoots. They’re grouped together to make shooting as efficient as possible although that can mean that scenes are not shot in sequence.

Murder Mystery Reveal

I was given the quicktime files for Murder Mystery with instructions to "make something!". The material was clapper boarded and so in the absence of a shot list I used that to sequence the film into a rough cut. Once the rough cut was done I was then able to begin the process of tweaking and cutting and tightening the video, shaping it into a finished piece. I was amazed just how much I could cut from the piece without affecting the storyline, although It is a Murder Mystery so suggestion is a big part of the piece. I had great fun using effects creatively especially on the dream sequence where I effected both using desaturation on the video and delay on the audio in an attempt to give the clip the feeling of a day dream flashback. I also colour treated the whole film to give it a more sinister feel. This make the outside scenes appear quite stark and the indoor scenes monotone which I think adds a feel of oppression to the film. This was a great exercise for me especially in light of my role as editor for our major project.

Shooting Interviews

This week we worked with some of the first year drama students filming mock interviews in preparation for filming our main group project "Weston rock". The idea behind these interviews was to give us time working with the cameras and also to give us the opportunity to experience directing actors. I feel this was a good 1st attempt but on reflection and after watching some other professionally shot interviews on the BBC I believe mine would definately have benefited from more medium close up shots to gauge reaction and show the emotion of the subjects more clearly.

Creating characters

We were asked to create three characters detailing their lives as thoroughly as possible, their background, beliefs, morals,likes and dislikes and any facts significant to their character.The more details included the easier it is to come up with plotlines and stories for the character. I imagined a time (present day) and place (Harlesden) then created three characters, Jonah Kwame (a youth worker), Dean Sperry (offender) and PC Andrew Blythe. The latter character is the one the group suggested would be the most interesting character and have the most scope for story lines and character development.

This is PC Blythes character

53 year old Andrew owns his own taxidermy shop in North London. He’s also a Special Constable working from the Brixton branch in South London. Andrew Can not stand South London. He lives with his wife Jane in Islington. They have a 17 year old son Paul who’s at boarding school. Andrew drinks heavily, his marriage is loveless and his wife is having an affair with another man. Andrew loves the police force. It gives him a sense of control that he lacks in other areas of his life. He’s against drugs and has a zero tolerance policy on crime. Andrew is not a racist but does see things very black and white and have stereo typical beliefs around race and sexuality.

Things he would and wouldn’t do

He would bent the truth if he felt it would get a conviction.
He wouldn’t talk about his feelings. He wouldn’t hand over his wallet if he was being mugged. He wouldn’t sunbathe. He would have a savings account

Facts about Andrew

As a child his father beat him. The RAF refused him entry because of his poor eye sight. He was bought up on an estate in Wiltshire. He once took part in a sponsored walk from john o’ groats to lands end in aid of the RSPCA. He has no sense of smell.

Shot plan for animation "wrong trousers"

A shot plan is just that, a plan of the shots in each scene. Having a shot plan greatly improves work flow not only for the production crew, camera crew and Sound and lighting crew but also in post production. I was editing a short film about a murder and although it was clapper boarded I did have some difficulty with scene order that would have been aided by a shot plan.

This page shows the plan of the scene in which Richee's belt does itself up.Click on the image to enlarge.

I have found that shot plans really helped to bring the film together in my mind before we began the shooting.Shot plans are a very important part of the proccess in pre-production.

The Writers Room

Writing Scripts for film and TV can seem daunting to the beginner, Luckily though websites like the BBC writers room are here to help. The writers room has lots of information available to help aspiring script writers from the submissions checklist which also deals with the subject of format to the writing tips section which deals with things like style guides.

How a script is formatted could make the difference between a script ending up in the bin or being considered by the writers room for commission. Script format is a more or less a universal standard and simply put is the way in which a script is laid out. I think script format is a great tool as it leaves less room for ambiguity and allows communication in a recognised standard.

Style guides are also a valuable tool in script writing. Style guides show how genre conventions can guide a script. They give an insight into what a production company would expect from a script writer who’s writing for a particular genre like drama, horror, thriller or comedy. These tools are the basic bread and butter for the novice writer.

If like me your looking for help with script writing you’ll find this site invaluable. Go check it out!!

http//www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom

Trailer Mashup

For this mash up I took two trailers from different genres, comedy and drama, and edited them together to create an action style trailer using the constraints of that genre. Things like choppy edits, cheesy box wipes as seen in the A-team and heavy rock music lend them self well to the genre.

The right trousers

Pixilation is a stop motion technique where live actors are used as a frame-by-frame subject in an animated film, by repeatedly posing while one or more frame is taken and changing pose slightly before the next frame or frames. The actor becomes a kind of living stop motion puppet. This technique is often used as a way to blend live actors with animated ones in a film, such as in The Secret Adventures Of Tom Thumb by the Bolex Brothers, which used the technique to compelling and eerie effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixilation).

We watched some short films to get some idea of how Pixilation works, one of these, “Neighbours” is an award-winning 1952 short film by Scottish-Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren.

"I was inspired to make Neighbours by a stay of almost a year in the People's Republic of China. Although I only saw the beginnings of Mao's revolution, my faith in human nature was reinvigorated by it. Then I came back to Quebec and the Korean War began. I decided to make a really strong film about anti-militarism and against war." — Norman McLaren

I found the film surprised me, I was expecting something for children and because of that was genuinly shocked by the violence in it. The pixilated technique lent itself well to the fight scenes as the jarred movement created by the stop motion filming created a feeling of agression and a sense of discomfort.

McLaren Based his film on a single idea, we used this method in the creation of our own pixilated video animation although it has to be said our idea was not exactly politically motivated, ours was based on the idea that our clothes are not inanimate objects but alive!! Really though it was just an excuse for Richee to get half naked!?

For the sound I wanted to mimic the jagged random feel of the peice. Glitch a dance music sub-genre lends itself well to this form of animation. I created the sounds using reason 3.5

Half term!!

Right now we're on a term break that's euphemistically entitled "Reading Week", although im not entirely sure what we ought to be reading as there arent many titles in the library relating to our degree! I have instead taken this opportunity to tidy up my blog, change the template and edit some of the posts. I wanted to add some text to decribe the proccesses surrounding the 'brainstorming' involved in creating our program "Pip to pint". Ive also to updated the text on the buget giving a more detailed explaination of the costs involved.

Wesail Video

This is the video evidence of our trip to a wesail, showing the roles that we undertook for the project. This was my first Wesail and I was'nt entirely sure what to expect. I had visions of druids making sacrifices, pagan rituals involving naked dancing or the worship of some bizzare gods! I was wrong of course. What it was was a truly local festival celabrating everything thats great about somerset. It was a real family affair with kids running around, young and old having a right old fashioned knees up! As you will see it was a lot of fun and there were some really knowledgable characters able to explain in detail the tradition of Wesails.

Planning an audio project

Below are some of the notes taking during the planning stage of "Pip to Pint".

Click on an image to enlarge.

These are the notes from our first "Brainstorming" session. In this session we stormed possibilities for our radio program, what type of program was it going be? Comedy? Documentary? Local interest? The posibilities were myriad so all ideas were written up on the board. As they say in radio"No ideas a bad idea", or did I just make that up!? Actually I think the saying goes "There are no original ideas in radio"!!

"Pip To Pint" Budget

When we pitched our idea for Pip to Pint to the panel we quoted them a price of £4500. Of course when we made our pitch we did'nt go in to the finacial nuts and bolts of the project, that would have bogged us down and detracted from our main focus, what a great idea pip to pint was! We gave the panel the 'above the line' costs, that is a rough outline of the gross cost to them. Here is a more detailed 'below the line' breakdown of the buget.

Click on the image to enlarge

Content now available online!!!

After much messing about I've decided to host some of my audio evidence for FdBm on myspace music. It's not ideal because I can only host 4 files at any one time but after trying loads of other less successful options this seems like the only workable solution. To access the files click on myspace in the right hand corner of the screen.

Have fun and by the way dont forget to comment on it!

'Pip to Pint' post production

In post production I had two roles. Voicing scripts in my role as a presenter and Editor, helping create the finished product. These are the parts I voiced for Pip to Pint:

Cider has been a favourite drink for many, whether it be the odd pint down the local or a quiet drink at home. But what really goes into making this unique drink and why is it so popular? We're here to answer these questions so grab a glass, Pour yourself a drink of your favourite apple brew and relax as we take you on a ciderous journey in our pubumentary 'From pip to pint'


Cider...the ancient and fascinating drink that has been consumed for hundreds of years and still going strong. Here in the west country where the sqeezing of the apples to the pouring of the pint all take place under one roof, these people are truely proud of their favourite appletastic drink.

Post production proved to be very stressfull. There was some ambiguity as to the deadline date and as a result it was a mad rush trying to get the program finished. We did meet the deadline but as an editor I was not happy with the final product. Given more time I feel 'Pip to pint" could have been something really special.

The decision not to extend the deadline was taken because it was thought this simulated reality within the industry. In my experience programs are rarely broadcast without at lease going through a pilot stage, which is something we missed out all together!

'Pip To Pint' production

As is common in radio I had several roles to fulfill in 'Pip To Pint'. I was a presenter and also a tech op helping to gather material. I accompanied Lloyd and Kirsty to a Wesail which is an ancient pagan blessing ceremony confered on the cider apple orchards.
Kirsty was our designated inteviewer for this outing with my role being behind the scences. I was tasked with writing questions to ask our interviewee's and recording the audio which we would later use in our project.It was particularly bad weather on the night and between the snow, hail and gail-force winds I had my work cut out with recording the interviews but managed through a series of work arounds , cupping the mike so it was shielded from the wind, to get some quite usable material. Over all I felt the trip to the wesail was very successful.

Pitching my TV Channel UDTV

This is the pitch I wrote for my TV station which I included in my powerpoint presentation.

Set your mind free, with udtv.

Our goal is to bring the best of the global dance music scene to UK clubbers.

Providing innovative entertainment, from live event coverage to club fashion and interactive music television.

Through udtv’s online portal it’s possible to check club listings, find out about your favourite artists, purchase music and interact with an online clubbing community.

Viewer figures are traditionally lower overnight but could night time television be an untapped area? Here at udtv we believe it is.
Some channels such as ITV have tried to programme overnight TV with shows like “The Mint” which had little success.
Quiz nights at 3am. Who came up with that idea? After all who’s brain is functioning enough to take part!
Our channel is aimed at clubbers aged between 18-35. We want to be the clubbers friend, the clubbers guide. The soundtrack to their weekend.

Udtv is a private company. Revenue will be drawn from advertising and sponsorship.
Young people particularly, can identify with brand names. Our demographic has a traditionally high disposable income as well so targeted brand awareness can yield good results.

Check out the promo at http://www.myspace.com/152448213

Pitching

Pitching ideas to a panel is the standard way in which as a producer or a production company ideas for content and programs are tendered.
Rarely when pitching ideas would this be undertaken by groups larger than 3 for reasons of choreography. It becomes more difficult not to talk over each other or to find specific areas of the pitch with enough interest as to warrant individual mention when pitching in larger groups. Also when pitching in larger groups there is less control available to the person overseeing the pitch, usually the producer.

We’ve talked about pitching ideas and what that means, we’ve also discussed some of the negative aspects when pitching ideas to a panel in large groups but we haven’t looked at the positives of pitching in large groups.

CREATIVITY! IDEAS! OPINIONS! INSPIRATION!

All things in abundance when working in a larger group as we did for our program pitch from ‘Pip to Pint’. First as a group we brainstormed for ideas, a method I’ve grown increasingly accustom to. The next step was to decide on our roles within the pitch. Of course our producer Lloyd took the role of overseer (A difficult task when considering his crew!). Adam and Kirsty discussed the key element of program format with Simon and Richard talking about local and national targeting and saleability and I was to discuss budget. My job was to convince the panel just what a bargain they were getting for their money! Here are the five key elements in our success when pitching our ideas and are as follows:

1. Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse again!!
2. Use each other’s names. It sets panellists at ease and gives you an emotional connection!
3. Use springboards. Cards with bullet points to keep you focused.
4. Ooze enthusiasm for your ideas.
5. Bribe the panellists!! We took in a bottle of scrumpy and gave the panellists all a glass. This helped set the scene and break the ice!

So Pitching, with planning and imagination needn’t be like auditioning for X-factor and can even be a lot of fun!

Public Service Broadcasting

‘As the broadcasting landscape in the UK changes in the digital age, the roles and processes of broadcasters, regulators and key industry personnel have to adapt with it. Does the philosophy of public service broadcasting have a role to play in the future of British broadcasting?’

Public service broadcasting is a broadcast model that serves the populous at large. Funding is drawn in whole or part from various different means including T.V licensing, donations, or indirect sources such as taxes, which is how the BBC’s world service gains some of its funding. The system of Public service broadcasting is used all over the world but was pioneered here in the U.K by the BBC.

The ethos of Public service broadcasting is for many best described using the “Reithian” principles set out by the main protagonist of the system, the BBC’s first director general, John Reith. Reith’s views were fairly right wing. Described by the New York Times as "the single most dominating influence on British broadcasting," John Reith was born the fifth son of a Scottish minister and trained in Glasgow as an engineer . After various jobs and serving a term in the army during the in WWI he was made general manager of the newly formed British Broadcasting Company. The doctrine and principles Reith developed were thus: to inform, through news programmes and announcements. To educate, through documentaries and factual programmes and to entertain, which I’m sure most people don’t have a problem with!

When asked whether he would give people what they wanted Reith replied “ No, Something better than that, we’ll carry into the greatest number of homes everything that is best in every department of human knowledge, endeavour and achievement” .
These principles were first formulated in the 1920’s and were considered by critics of the BBC to be paternalistic and overtly patronising to the consumer because of the way in which the BBC delivered their service, deciding what we should watch on our televisions. This was demonstrated during the general strike of 1922 When Reith, who viewed the BBC as an instrument of parliament, broadcast views that were not sympathetic to the strikers cause and then refused to broadcast their views, thus presenting a biased view on the situation.

Mark Armstrong of University College London outlined his views on public service broadcasting in this quote from his paper, public service broadcasting in the digital world. “ The aim of public service broadcasting would appear to encompass two main strands: that television should give people the programmes they want to watch, and that it should also satisfy the wider social purposes such as education and citizenship”.

In aspiring to this aim all public service broadcasting follows a similar philosophy. First, to show a wide variety of material from popular programming, such as soaps and quiz shows and to fulfil its wider social obligations, the less popular cultural and educationally stimulating genres such as science, art and religion. Second, to have a significant percentage of its content produced in the host country thus fostering development of the broadcast industry. Channel 4 is a great example of how a broadcast organization can help develop the media production industry. “The Channel Four Television Corporation is a publicly-owned, not-for-profit broadcaster that provides vital competition to the BBC in the provision of public service TV As a publisher-broadcaster, Channel 4 does not produce its own material but commissions it from more than 300 independent production companies across the UK each year. It works very closely with the independent production sector, and invests heavily in training and talent development throughout the industry” - Company overview, an extract taken from channel 4’s recent paper on new media and the creative industries.

The third point is public service broadcasting’s responsibility to consumer sensibility. That is, not to offend through views expressed or visual content that goes to air i.e. Violent, racist or sexually explicit programming. Helen Weeds of Essex University stated her views on paternalism and media responsibility in a recent paper on public service broadcasting, “ Some viewers do not necessarily choose what is in their best interests to watch” . This statement seems to justify the constraints placed on the broadcast of harmful content, especially to protect minors.

John Reith’s model for public service broadcasting was developed during the analogue era but is it still a relevant system and how will it fair as we move deeper and deeper into the age of the binary digit?
ITV’s Richard Eyre believes that this philosophy is outdated and the ideals of Public Service broadcasting unrealistic, “PSB will soon be dead. It will soon be dead because it relies on an active broadcaster and a passive viewer. Once upon a time, viewers (and listeners) could reasonably be expected to eat what they were given because we, the broadcasters, knew it was good for them”.

We can relate this statement to the link between technologies and how the public consumes media; and that, is changing forever. We are no longer passive viewers who watch whatever is shown to us. Not only can we choose from a myriad of TV channels; many of us spend more time on the Internet, which is a heavily interactive medium with people able to network and create their own program content. Some believe web sites like youtube.com could be the final nail in the coffin for traditional broadcasting systems like PSB . These views are typified in the following extract from a Blog entitled “The Future Of TV” started by D. Weinberger.

“We like amateur pod casts and video casts from websites like youtube.com in part because they are amateur. Sure, I like big budget movies and top-notch TV like The Sopranos, and I don't imagine that that's going to come from the grassroots for a while. But I don't feel like I'm in a two-tiered system in which there's the professional programming from the networks and then homemade programming. First, the tiers are already healing, as grassroots content is getting more professional. Second, and more important, the broadcasters think it's obvious that the quality is on the professional side. The notion that quality is on the side of the broadcasters confuses three- camera setups with creativity and humanity” .
This would suggest that even though we are changing our consumer habits there is still a place for quality television, although PSB would do well to pay mind to comments from people such as D Weinberger.
Whatever the future holds it is very important that Public service broadcasting anticipate the coming changes in the digital era or it risks being left behind. Channel four’s Andy Duncan spoke of the difficulties surrounding the digital age in his 2006 keynote at the oxford media convention,” We only have to look to the music industry to see what happens if you don’t prepare for this kind of revolutionary change. Companies who thought they were ‘in the record business’ and failed to take account of how music downloads were transforming their industry, are now a shadow of their former selves. Television companies face a similar fate unless they can make the transition from being single focus broadcast businesses to multi dimensional media organizations”.

Channel four is not alone in identifying this challenge . The BBC recognizes the need for change and have embraced this new digital era with services like BBC online and their ever-expanding portfolio of digital TV and radio stations.
The technology industries that public service broadcasting was built on are going through huge changes due to the advent of digital technology. One of the drawbacks of analogue is that each channel needs its own dedicated frequency. Digital broadcasting means much more choice as it does not suffer the same difficulties as analogue. Many channels may occupy the signal as they take up less bandwidth due to sophisticated compression techniques, and can be decoded using a receiver in the form of a set top box or PVR or personal video recorder.

This equipment changes the way we as viewers can consume television. Now we can pause, rewind or record a whole series by pushing just one button. We are no longer bound by traditional linear viewing choosing what we want to watch, when we want to watch it, thus becoming truly non-linear in our consumption of television. PVR presents a particular problem to Public service broadcasters who draw their revenue not from a licence fee but from sale of advertising either between programmes or during in the form of sponsorship. When we consider that unlike radio, which has one of the lowest ad avoidance levels at 16%, compare it to that of TV, which has an ad avoidance level 44% and you can see there’s potential for massive loss of revenue. For public service broadcasting to go continue into the digital age, it must find other means of generating more revenue, it needs to adapt and innovate.

Going one step further than PVR, in the 4th business quarter of 2006 channel four launched its break though service “VOD” video on demand. Available at the point of launch only though the Internet with a PC the service is expected to be rolled out to TV though broadband connections sometime in 2007. The opportunities VOD presents are huge. TV companies will be able to target consumers with specific program’s based on their previous purchases much like Apple iTunes, When you buy material of a certain genre you will receive other recommendations based on that choice. Of course the legalities and copyright surrounding VOD are complex and it’s not appropriate for me to go into detail here, but perhaps we will see a similar system to that employed by iTunes whereby content is copy protected and can only be played on authorized equipment.

The UK has always been a market leader in broadcasting and this statement has never been more true that in the advent of digital technology. The British government has championed the transition to digital with an aim to completing the transition to digital by 2010. These views are echoed in the following statement.
“At its best, our TV is the envy of the world ”
Tessa Jowell, Secretary of state for Culture,
Media and Sport (BTDA 2004)

This quote sums up my feelings on the future of public service broadcasting. I believe John Reith’s principles that were described earlier in this essay still hold water in the digital age of broadcasting, especially as the ethnic make up of Britain changes, promoting education, Citizenship, and society. Of course the Technology and viewing habits that I have discussed in this paper dictate that Public Service must change. To stay in the game PSB must change but I believe it can and will and that it does have a place in the digital age.


References

Media rights and intellectual property, Richard Haynes, Edinburgh press, 2006
Mcnae’s Essential law for journalists
http://www.channel4.com/about4/consultations/speeches_html
What is channel 4, accessed on Jan 8,2007
http://channel4.com/about4_andyduncanlecture_oxfordmedia.indd.pdf Andy Duncan’s oxford media convention keynote, accessed on Jan 10,2007
http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/mtarchive/the_future_of_tv.html Joho the Blog_The future of TV. PDF
Helen Weeds and Mark Armstrong-Public service broadcasting in the digital world.
http://www.rab.co.uk/rab2006/publicationDocs/adavoidance.pdf Media advertising avoidance, Accessed on Jan 10, 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=john_reith%2C_1st_baron_reith 1st baron Reith, accessed on Jan 4,2007.
www.teletronic.co.uk/bair#EC3E0. The history of John Reith, accessed on Jan 7,2007.

Soundscapes, a viable artform?

Check out my soundscape http://www.myspace.com/152448213

This is a definition of Soundscapes from (R. Murray Schaffer)
“A Soundscape is an acoustic environment or an environment created by sound. As such, it refers in the first place to the natural acoustic environment, consisting of the sounds of the forces of nature and animals, including humans. This is the domain of acoustic design”.
It’s perhaps useful to give some background on the subject to give it some context. The Idea of the Soundscape was developed in the 1970’s at Simon Fraser University in America. Originally designed as an educational and archival tool-used by B. Truax to promote awareness of sounds that can all to often be ignored. Shaped by early visionaries Truax and Shaffer it metamorphosed into electroacoustical music that Truax termed “Soundscape composition”.



B. Truax has identified four key principles to Soundscape composition.

1. The source materials need to be recognizable to the listener.
2. The listener’s emotions and memories are triggered.
3. The composer’s knowledge of the environment.
4. The work enhances our understanding of the world and it’s influence carries over into everyday perceptual habits.
The first point I believe is that these principles although identified in 1973, still hold true today and I have adhered to them in my work. My source material is recognisable as sounds associated with the sea-side, even the donkey hee-haw that in the second part has been processed with a pitch bend effect and morphs into something entirely different manages to retain its integrity.
On the second point, the subject matter of my piece focuses on something that is an integral part of growing up in our society. Sand castles, Sea gulls and swimming in the sea are all things experienced by people in their formative years on trips to the seaside. Like other art forms such as Music, Soundscapes use emotional connections as pegs on which to hang ideas from.
I have used the sound of children swimming on the beach to create that emotional connection. Later in the piece I have reversed the sound and chopped it into smaller pieces then applied some echo and reverb to simulate in an acoustic sense that dream like fuzziness that people tend to experience when recalling memories from childhood.
In relating to the third point the idea for my Soundscape came from my own knowledge and experiences from my daily life; which the beach is part of. It occurred to me that the seasides acoustic foot print changes dramatically throughout the year. From bustling and exiting in the summer season, to cold, grey and lonely in the winter months. It’s this juxtaposition that my Soundscape depicts.
Point number four states that a Soundscape must enhance understanding. I do believe that my piece, although an artistic representation does enrich the listeners ideas of the seaside. That being said I believe Listening is an individual experience. Soundscapes like Oil paintings for example are a subjective experience. Meaning that people experience it differently from one another.
Found sound is a term coined by R Shaffer and is real world source material from the environment, not usually processed or effected.
A good example of how found sounds can be used within a Soundscape can be found in “Summer Solstice” (B Truax 1973), where short pieces from each hourly recording over a 24 hour period were edited together seamlessly to form an hour long Soundscape. Like “Summer Solstice” my piece also uses found sound from the environment, in this case Weston beach. These sounds are layered together to form the basis of the composition.

Abstract sounds can be best described as sounds perhaps alien to the environment. Hildegard Westercamp’s seminal work “Camel Voice” (1981) is a great example of how abstract sounds, even though not recognisable as anything coherent, can be a useful tool in the composers sonic pallet to help portray mood or atmosphere.
I have employed the use of abstract sounds to great effect in my Soundscape. In the second half of the piece, which describes Weston in winter juxtaposed with memories of summer, I have used a granular technique known as time stretching on the sea gulls. This emphasised the resonant high frequencies and lent the piece an eerie quality not unlike a violin. The dissonance of the stretched sea gull adds to the desolation of winter in Weston super mare.



Another important factor to Soundscape composition is perspective. According to B Truax there are a range of approaches to perspective. These are, fixed, moving or variable.
1. Fixed. A static perspective based on techniques such as layering.
2. Moving. This perspective is defined by techniques such as cross fades and describes a journey through time.
3. Variable. Discontinuous space/time flow. Defined by techniques such as multi track editing.

Literature on the subject of Soundscapes is somewhat limited to papers written by American academics and although some of the information contained in them has been invaluable in writing this essay, many of them are somewhat dated.
It is not accurate to describe my piece as fixed, moving or variable in perspective but rather a hybrid of the three. The first part of “Beachscape” begins as moving perspective with the sound of a train arriving, which fades into the sound of surf cross faded slowly into sea gulls. This is layered with other sounds then looped, taking on a quad phonic fixed perspective.


The second part of the piece contains all three perspectives simultaneously, as it adds on the first part with abstract sounds such as a donkey sound reversed dogs barking and seagulls effected using a granular time stretching. These abstract techniques are often found in Soundscape composition using variable perspective. I have employed this technique to show how the non-linear quality of memories from the summer juxtaposed over the reality of winter at the seaside.
I have drawn various comparisons throughout this essay between Soundscape composition and other more traditional art forms like music and paint. What is interesting is that Soundscape composition is now moving into the mainstream. The boundaries between visual art and sound art are becoming blurred with artists who normally use mediums like paint or sculpture, now turning to electro-acoustic art. Artists such as John Cage and Bruce Neumann, who recently had an installation using Soundscape techniques at Tate modern, turning to this burgeoning art form for inspiration.