Using sound and camera equipment.

In class on monday, we had a workshop on how to use different techniques on the cameras and also how to use sound with cameras. In this workshop we were shown what all the different buttons on the cameras where and what they were used for. Once we had been talked through all the different effects on the cameras, we were then shown how to use the sound for cameras, what level the sound should be at, how to hold it when interviewing someone and if needed how to use a boom for the microphone.
Afterwards, we where then asked to get into our groups that we are working on for creating our films. We were then each  given a camera and a microphone and asked to go out and film eachother to test out using microphones.

Although I found this workshop very useful, I had already used this equipment before when I was in college. I still thought it was good because I was able to have a reminder of how to use the equipment. We will be filming our short film this week and will hopefully have sound in the film.

Telling stories through Google maps.

In contemparory media issues class, we have been giving a task of creating a story though using Google maps. For this, we have been put into groups of 4 and have each been given a location in Liverpool where we have to start our story. The story has to be in 5 different locations and we have to make up what is going to happen in each of these locations.
My group has been given the chinese arch in Liverpool. We have decided to create a love story around chinese arches.Our group is going to start off with a girl who has a dream she is under a chinese arch and meets a man who she falls for. We are then going to have her travel to different chinese arches around the world until she meets the man from her dream. The last location is then going to be in China under the chinese arches where they are getting married.

I think the idea of using Google maps to create a story is a good idea. It helps people to use their imagination more which is what I did when thinking of stories for this.

Back To University.

When we came back after our Christmas break, our first class was Production Practice. In this class we talked about what we had achieved in our first semister. We talked about our short film "People on the Move" and our storyboard photographs that we made.
Once we had recaped on everything we had done, we then were given new handouts of what we are going to be doing this semister.
In this semister, we have to make 3 different short films. For our first short film, we have to base the film around Liverpool. Because our group last semester worked so well together we decided to keep in the same group. We have discussed different ideas and thought that basing our short film around the bombed out church in Liverpool would make a good short film.
Our group hopes to have our first short film completed within the next 2 weeks.

Lego Serious Play.

In my creativity and concept class, we had a Lego workshop. This Lego workshop was away for us to be able to learn more about ourselves and learn more about what people think is important when working in a group.
In this class, we were asked to build a tower, starting with a small square base. The tower could be any shape or size just as long as it stayed on the square base. Once we had built our towers, we discussed our towers with the rest of the group. We also looked at if there was any part of the tower that could actually reflect our own individual personalities. Mine was quite structured. I think that I like to be quite organised especially when I am working with other people.
We also had a new task, this was to think of what is most important when working in a group. I chose that everyone should have an equal chance to voice their thoughts. I then used the Lego to create a building which I thought represents this.
I thought Lego serious play was a very good way of helping people express themselves rather than trying to explain themselves from writing.

Creating a game.

In class on Tuesday, we were paired in two's. I paired up with James Mc Keown. In our groups, we were asked to come up with a game that we would be able to use within the university.
James and I looked at different types of games including intellectual, physical, group games and board games. From looking at different games, we talked about what games people enjoy the most.
James and I then decided that we were going to come up with a game for a mobile phone. This game is going to give different challenges everyday. If you complete the task and have evidence such as a photograph or video to prove, it can result in prizes for the winner.
Now, James and I have to show how our game is going to work and give evidence as to who is going to enjoy this type of game.
Below is a link to our prezi that we made to represent our game idea.
http://prezi.com/5fkezmki60ju/challenge-accepted/

Animation Time

In class on Tuesday, we were given a task. Our task is to make an animation, it has to be 1 minute long and can be any form of animation that we choose. I am in a group with Mark and James Dunn. We talked about different ways of creating an animation and also looked at different animations on the internet.

We chose to make an animation out of lego. Mark came up with a good storyline for an animation which James and I both agreed was a good idea and would make a good animation.

Because our teacher had lego in the class, we started building the house that we were going to use in the animation. We then started to create our animation taking photographs and moving the objects very slowly. Unfortunately we ran out of time so we will hopefully finish our animation in class next week.



The lego house above is the one that we built for our animation.

Using Wiki's to talk about "Charles Leadbeater"

Recently in class we have started using Wiki's. A wiki is a way way of finding information on a particular topic. I was given the topic of Charles Leadbeater's book "We Think" and had to write about the positives and negatives of the book.
I was lucky to get We Think as a topic to write for my wiki because Charles Leadbeater talkes in his book about what is good and what is bad about using wiki's and collective intellegance.
When I was creating my Wiki, I thought it was quite a boring process. I didn't quite plan out how I was going to start my wiki and how it was going to end however after speaking to a lecture about planning out the wiki, I discovered that most wiki's don't be planned out well and they are just knowledge from other people.
I think using wiki's is a good way to find out information on particular topics. I also think that this is a good way to share u knowledge with other people so that we can all learn more.

Below is a link to our Wiki that we created for Charles Leadbeaters book, "We Think".
http://contemporarymediaissues.wetpaint.com/page/Charles+Leadbeater+-+We+think