A2: Reminder (Slides and Search)

Just a brief reminder, that all of the slides used during lessons are available online. They include key quotations, concepts and on slide 14 a list of the case studies we have covered and will be covering during the module.

Also, don't forget you can search the blog to find all content related to the unit. Try searching: postmodern or postmodernism.

SoundWorks!

SoundWorks Collection offers a great insight into the use of music in film (via Andy Wallis).

The Web is REAL!

From Structuralism to Postmodernism

As promised here is your homework... it is in many parts...

First, I want to discuss audience theory in more detail next week. Please read through and make notes on the audience theories covered in the 'Audience' presentation in this post: http://chalfontmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/a2-series-of-student-made-presentations.html

Then read the section on audience in the document, embedded in this post: http://chalfontmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/a2-more-media-theory-courtesy-latymer.html

Second, read through this quotation from Jameson again, and respond to the questions that follow:

"Jameson characterizes postmodern society with four elements: (1) superficiality and lack of depth; (2) the waning of emotion or affect; (3) a loss of historicity; and (4) new technologies. A consequence of this is that people are unable to make sense of an increasingly complex society."

• What are the implications of this?

• How does this support/develop the arguments and ideas that we have encountered with Strinati and Baudrillard?

Third, consider the following statements. Do they accurately reflect the ideas we encountered within each paradigm?

• Structuralism: The 'Media' has the power to control

• Post-structuralism: The 'Media' does not have control

• Postmodernism: The 'Media' is control

Obama/Pulp Fiction MashUp

Embracing the remix in the name of politics...

Via: ihatepeacocks

Media and expression: theses in tweetform

An interesting list from Nicholas Carr. One or two should definitely resonate... how many do you agree/disagree with?

1. The complexity of the medium is inversely proportional to the eloquence of the message.
2. Hypertext is a more conservative medium than text.
3. The simpler the medium, the greater the experimentation it inspires.
4. Twitter is a more ruminative medium than Facebook.
5. The introduction of digital tools has never improved the quality of an art form.
6. The returns on interactivity quickly turn negative.
7. In the material world, doing is knowing; in media, the opposite is often true.
8. Facebook’s profitability is directly tied to the shallowness of its members: hence its strategy.
9. Increasing the intelligence of a network tends to decrease the intelligence of those connected to it.
10. The one new art form produced by the computer – the videogame – is the computer’s prisoner.
11. Personal correspondence grows less interesting as the speed of its delivery quickens.
12. Programmers are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.
13. The album cover turned out to be indispensable to popular music.
14. The pursuit of followers on Twitter is an occupation of the bourgeoisie.
15. Abundance of information breeds delusions of knowledge among the unwary.
16. No great work of literature could have been written in hypertext.
17. Recent history proves that the philistine is ideally suited to the role of cultural impresario online.
18. Television became more interesting when people started paying for it.
19. Instagram shows us what a world without art looks like.
20. Online conversation is to oral conversation as a mask is to a face.

A2: Assignment No 2

The Matrix is real but it is not a product of mainstream media. It is self-made, constructed by the public, and proliferated by social networks. We are (knowingly) constructing personalised prisons for our minds; our realities essentially giant filter bubbles, made up of ideologies we accept. We are turning ourselves into thoughtless, marketing machines, exploited by the highest bidder.

To what extent do you agree with the sentiments above?

Make explicit reference to:

• The Matrix
• Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality
• Strinati's theories about media saturation and superficiality
• The ideas you encountered in the Boyd, Turkle, Handel, Rosen, Boder, Sunstein, and Keegan articles, including digital identity and the public sphere
• The ideas put across in Eli Pariser's TED talk
• Twitter discussion about friendship, digital self and instant gratification
• Video's about digital identity and digital self
• Notes from lessons and other discussions
• Any other research/reading that you have completed

A2 Twitter Discussion - Storify

Here are all the tweets from today's Twitter discussion...

AS: Group Writing on Editing / Sound

Currently working on analysis and quality of writing, here are the paragraphs that you wrote in small groups... please use them to critique and reflect on your own writing.

Some key points:

• Ensure that you open paragraphs with a clear point, referring back to the area of representation that you have been asked to write about
• Avoid run on sentences - clear grammar and punctuation adds to the clarity of your analysis
• Avoid description; ensure that there is evidence of technical analysis in every sentence
• Use key terms frequently and accurately
• Make sure you know the difference between 'dentotation' and 'connotation'
• Try to make links between the different technical features. This demonstrates a deeper level of understanding.

AS: Merlin Extract & Essay Question

Here is the Merlin extract, should you wish to watch it again.

And here is the essay question:

Discuss the way social status is represented in this extract from Merlin. Make specific reference to the following technical areas:

• Camera
• Editing
• Sound
• Mise-en-scene

A2: The Matrix, Social Networks & Self-made Prisons

The Matrix is real but it's not a product of mainstream media. It's self-made, constructed by the public, proliferated by social networks. We are (knowingly) constructing personalised prisons for our minds; our realities essentially giant filter bubbles, made up of ideologies we accept. We are turning ourselves into thoughtless, marketing machines, exploited by the highest bidder.

Sounds scary doesn't it!? However, the more you think about it, the more 'real' it becomes...

During the first week back I want to make a more congruous link between the work we did on 'digital self' and Baudrillard's theories of "hyperreality" explored in 'The Matrix'. 

We'll be looking at, analysing, evlauating and debating the following material. If you've got your essay out of the way, then you may want to get a head start...

Sherry Turkle: Aspect of The Self

Danah Boyd: Incantations for Muggles: The Role of Ubiquitous Web 2.0 Technologies in Everyday Life

Steven Handel: The Dark Sides of Our Digital Self

Christine Rosen: Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism

Pieter Boder: Habermas' heritage: The future of the public sphere in the network society

Cass Sunstein: The Daily We - Is the Internet really a blessing for democracy?

Helen Keegan: The Paradox of Openness: The High Costs of Giving Online

---

Thanks go to Catherine Cronin for sharing the material for her 'Social Media Classroom' online.

Remixing with X-Ray Goggles!

This afternoon A2 Media students had their first foray into learning to code, remixing websites using Mozilla's X-Ray Goggles. Here's how they got on...

Remixed by Josh
View Original

Remixed by Lucy
View Original

Also remixed by Lucy
View Original

Remixed by Danni
View Original

Remixed by Hannah
View Original

Remixed by Alice
View Original

The Fix Factor?

An article on the Daily Mail's website presents an argument whether or not "The X-Factor" is fixed after last weekends result. This would be irrelevant unless we understood mediation and how media control the outcomes and (re)presentation of certain events. This is a small-scale scenario but this can be extrapolated to television and the news channels creating and masking the truth for their own agenda. Well worth a read.

Click here for the article - Daily Mail.

Other article - Unreality TV.

Postmodern culture

The Art of Film Title Design

A title sequence should be more than just the beginning of the film…

Blogging and Research

Melissa emailed me and asked if she was on the right track with her blog. I was happy to oblige and found that she was making good progress. I felt that it was also an opportunity to impart some advice and guidance about what she should do next, particularly in relation to the research she is doing into the Thriller Genre.  As I was finishing up the comment I realised that this was useful advice for everybody, so here it is...

"Some advice... 

The post above looks like the result of 'Secondary Research', e.g. you looked things up on the web? Am I right? If so, then you should reference the websites that you drew the information from. 

This research is a great start. Now, I would recommend that you watch some openings and analyse them technically: camera, editing, sound, mise-en-scene. This is another area where the two sides of the course cross-over. :-) 

Also, aim to be 'completist'. I liked that you posted about camera techniques, including examples. You could tie this into the task above. Watch 4 clips. For each one, analyse one area. E.g. watch the opening sequence of 'Lost Highway' by David Lynch and analyse the use of camera work. Then watch the opening of 'Se7en' and analyse the mise-en-scene. And so on. It will help you develop both an understanding of the technical codes and conventions of thrillers while also helping you to develop your skills of analysing specific features."

To summarise:

• Reference sources
• Complete textual analysis of thriller openings
• Break that analysis up into specific areas to focus your learning/understanding

Student Presentations

Your presentations have been up loaded to Vimeo. (Click on the link below.)

To embed them on your blog:

1. Find and click on your groups video from "Student Presentations" on Vimeo.
2. When your video has loaded, go to the top right of the player, where the "Share" button is, click on it.
3. A dialogue window will appear, on the right there is the code for embedding the video.
4. Copy the code, (if you want to customise the video player e.g. the width and height, click on the blue text at the bottom "customise embed options")
5. Now go to your new blog post where you went to embed the video, click on the HTML tab at the top.
6. Paste the code into here and then go back to the "Compose" tab to see your video within your post.

AS 2012 Student presentations

[TV Drama] Primeval (Representation of Gender)

Here is the clip we are currently analysing. It was used for the OCR G322 Exam in June 2010.

Remember your focus is the representation of gender. Use and build your knowledge of camera, editing, mise-en-scene and sound, adding detail to your notes. You might choose to do this on your own or as a group.

You can see all of the past clips from OCR G322 Exam in this playlist.

Introducing Postmodernism - A Graphic Guide

Have just found the Postmodernism Graphic Guide book to download. It is just like the book, with the same content but in a digital format that takes you through each page, like a keynote. 

Here are the links for both versions of the e-book for iPhone and android both costs £1.99.

iPhone

Android

Know Your Camera

Just found this website Fuel Your Motionography which is a great place to find new videos but also to find explanations for the terms that are associated with cinematography.

If you want to broaden your understanding or are a little confused with some of the terms, this website gives fantastic examples and good descriptions for each term relating to cinematography.

Check out the following links:

Know Your Camera, Part I: Shot Lengths & Angles

Know Your Camera, Part II: Movement

Sandwich Video

Adam Lisagor fell in to video-based viral marketing... his company 'Sandwich Video' produces some of the most engaging ads for apps and services. Go check 'em out!

Link: http://sandwichvideo.com/

School Magazine

Josh and Toria are launching a School Magazine. This is an exciting endeavour and they are looking for students in Year's 10-13 to get involved. There are roles for students who are interested in:

• Writing
• Photography
• Design

The team is meeting every Wednesday in Media 1. If you're interested, come along and find out more.

Here is a sample of what the magazine might look like...

The First Days of Spring

Short Film? Music Video?

The Suburbs by Spike Jonze

Music Video? Short Film?

A Dictionary of Media and Film Studies

There is a great book that contains all the key terms and definitions for "Media and Communication" and also "Film Studies".

However there is also free supporting material online for both, that supplies you with the reference sources for further study, understanding and investigation. Definitely worth a look, if not a read.

Film Studies

Media & Communication

Further notes on blogging...

First, make sure that you have read this post...

I have seen some excellent work on your blogs so far, but there is always room for improvement, particularly when you are developing new practices.

Here are a few additional bits of advice, based on what I have seen so far.

• Don't copy up (or worse - copy & paste) your notes verbatim on to your blog. There is no point to this. Instead, do one or a combination of the following:
• Summarise what you have learned in to short, precise, manageable chunks;
• Use key terms but also write in your own voice;
• Apply what you have learned to new examples to check/demonstrate your understanding;
• Make links between work with Mr. Ford and I (This is really important as it will help you to develop a more cogent understanding of the key concepts);
• Reflect on what, how and why you learned something? How has it helped you to better understand a particular concept or idea?

• Don't write everything up. If you are set an essay, there is no need to write your notes up. Instead, complete the essay and publish it on your blog.

• With regards to homework... please publish it on your blog. While we will discuss it in class, it allows us to assess your progress individually.

• You need to log into your blog regularly to check for comments. If Mr Ford or I comment and ask you to do something, then please do it. Do not view this as extra work! This is us, doing our job, helping you to improve your skills and understanding.

If you have any further questions about your blog, please come and talk to me or send me a tweet.

Tripod Trix

Cinematography is one of the most, if not the most important aspect of production. Apart from getting a range of shot types, a range of movements is also critical to the success of your product. Creating a steady camera shot while successfully achieving pans, tilts and tracking shots is a challenge in itself, but one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment in production is the tripod. Here is a quick tutorial showing you how to achieve a clean and steady range of camera movements:

For more information about how to use tripods successfully check out these videos

• Basic step-by-step knowledge of how to attach a camera to a tripod "Tripods, an Exposè!"
• How to achieve a dramatic "Hitchcock zoom "Zoom vs. Moving Camera"
• Why use a tripod when you got a monopod "Monopod Mania"

Go forth and have fun with tripods and experiment with different shot types and movements.

How to… Green Screen

We now have a new green (and white) screen in media for you all to use. Just a quick tutorial on how to use the green screen in production and post-production.

For any other tutorials on pre-production, production and post-production I would highly recommend the Vimeo Video School, a great place to start.

A note on blogging...

A brief guide for AS student's who have begun blogging...

1. Check out previous students blogs to develop an understanding of what to include/write about; expectations in terms of post length/quality; and how to use/embed media including video, audio and documents.

The following blogs are a good place to start...

• Serena Moriarty
• Heather Casey
• Lucy Taylor
• Joshua Gray

2. Blog regularly - a minimum of once a week.

3. Your blog is your 'Foundation Portfolio in Media'. It is a record of the stages of your coursework: Research, Planning, (Post)Production, Evaluation. Therefore, it needs to be detailed and well written. Proof read your posts. Your blog will be marked and will be sent for moderation.

4. All of your posts should demonstrate learning and understanding. And where appropriate, given the purpose of the post, include evidence of analysis, reflection and evaluation. This may also include work done with me as there are direct links between the two sides of the course.

5. Evaluation is one of the most important skills at AS Level. See this document for additional guidance on what 'evaluation' is.

6. Finally, post rather than draft. You can edit/add to posts, even if they have been published. Mr Ford and I can only help you if we can see where you are at on your blog. If you keep lots of drafts we can not help you and will likely draw the conclusion that you are behind with your work.

Remember, you can get in touch with us via email or Twitter. And don't forget to ask your A2 peers. Josh, Hannah, Lucy, Danni, Avvy, Alice & Alice will be more than happy to help you.

Happy blogging...

Mr. M.

Semiotics (Homework)

Just a reminder for AS students to work through the pages of this resource on Semiotics:

• Semiotics: "The Science of Signs"

Make notes as you go and come to tomorrow's lessons with any questions that you might have.

---

If you want to push yourself, you could also begin reading through this resource:

• 'Semiotics for Beginners' by David Chandler

It is a degree level text covering the basics of semiotics and beyond, including 'Encoding/Decoding' and 'Intertextuality'.

See you tomorrow...

Mr. M.

Take a look through the 'Keyhole'...

Guy Maddin's latest film, 'Keyhole', looks as avant-garde as ever... in Cinema's from 14th September.

Embracing the Remix

This TED talk acts a nice caveat to Kirby Ferguson's fabulous 'Everything is a Remix' series...

Find out more at: www.everythingisaremix.info

A-Level Results 2012

I wanted to take a moment to formally congratulate and acknowledge the tremendous success of both our A2 and AS Media Students, who achieved our best ever set of year-end results.

A2 Media Studies

A* - 10%
A*-B - 80%
A*-C - 100%

Serena, Heather, Brogan, Tom, Ellie, Steph, Laura, Hannah, Jess and Sareena... It was an amazing journey, one that I feel I was very fortunate to be a part of. I will miss our lessons, although I'm not sure the word 'lesson' really applies. Enjoy taking the next step, whatever that may be. Remember, if you need anything, I am only a tweet or email away.

AS Media Studies

A - 78%
A-B - 100%

Hannah, Josh, Amy, Alice, Danielle, Alice, Lucy, Averielle and Nicole... talk about setting the bar high! I expect great things from you come September. Your journey is just beginning...

...I'll see you in the "desert of the real".

Minnesota Nice (Fargo Documentary)

Music Video: 2 Presentations and 1 Essay

For those of you considering the Music Promo Brief, the following two presentations and one essay provide a wealth of material to get your research started.

This first presentation provides a detailed guide to music video, applying key concepts including genre, narrative, representation and audience to a wealth of music videos. I recommend for this and the following presentation to have YouTube at the ready, as I would watch the videos that are discussed as you work through the presentation. I would also recommend that you begin to create a glossary of key terms, there are a lot of new concepts that will have to come to terms with.

The second presentation delves deeper into the technical construction of music videos, considering camera work, editing, representation and construction of 'star image'.

Finally, follow this link to read an essay titled: What is Music Video? Audiovisual Poetry or Commercial Salad of Images. It is a highly critical response to the purpose and nature of music videos.

Link: http://www.filmsound.org/what_is_music_video/

A2 Exam Prep - Useful Links

Responding to question 1a

Responding to question 1b

Structuring your response to questions 1a and 1b

Responding to Postmodern Media

Student Presentations (A2)

Genre presentation

Narrative presentation

Representation presentation

Thanks & Good Luck!

A2: Before You Go...

Just a few reminders before you leave today...

• We have a revision session on Thursday, 14 June.

• You can use any and all of the resources from Media Magazine.

• Lyotard is not just an item of clothing.

• I am just an email or tweet away, if you have a question.

• This email may have been written by the real Mr Michie or his Digital Self; and you'll never be 100% sure which one did it!

• Keep an eye on Twitter, if I find anything useful, from this point on that's where I be sharing it.

• I will mark any essays that you send me. The final date I will take anything in, is Tuesday, 12 June.

• And don't forget the true meaning of Po-Mo is... (link)

• Well done and good luck!

Push To Add Drama (Po-Mo?)

Helen Keegan - Who is Rufi Franzen? (Keynote - PELeCON 2012)

Helen's keynote presentation from PELeCON. A full overview of the Rufi Franzen saga with slides. 

Representation - The Exaggerated Truth

Responding to 1a

1a. Explain how far your understanding of the conventions of existing media influenced the way you created your own media products. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how this understanding developed over time.


The key words in the question are….

I have to…

I am going to use the following evidence…

---

My knowledge and understanding of existing media texts has had a significant impact on the way I created my own media products. In particular at AS, as my theoretical knowledge was developing I was more reliant on existing media to help formulate ideas. However, the impact of existing media decreased at A2 as I began to formulate more original ideas, due to a better understanding of how ‘the Media’ works, particularly in terms of representation and audience theories.

Beginning the AS course, I found it challenging to produce a media text that demonstrated originality. This was because my knowledge of the Media was limited. It became evident that I would have to rely on existing media, to draw influence from. One text that I analysed in detail was Se7en. The film opens with an engaging yet conventional thriller opening in which the genre and antagonist are introduced to the audience. This model had a more than significant impact on my work; both semantically and syntactically. For example, I chose to animate the font in my opening title sequence – this decision was directly taken from Se7en. I wanted to re-create the eerie shuddering effect that I had observed. I felt that it would help me to set an appropriate tone for the opening of my film. Moreover, I also decided to use intercutting in a similar way to Se7en. This allowed me to develop the visual iconography through font and colour while also establishing a narrative sequence involving the antagonist. In retrospect, while my work was deemed to be successful, I feel that this direct lifting of existent material limited the scope of my ideas. On the other hand it could be argued that my opening works in pastiche of an existent genre. I believe this is a fallacy however, as the process is one of creativity and here I was not particularly creative.

As I began researching my A2 media production, I decided that I needed to take a more informed approach to my work. Having completed the AS course I was more widely versed in media theory including ideas surrounding representation, audience and postmodernism. I aimed to produce a more original response by using my wider knowledge to influence my work – and to be less reliant on existent media…

Some useful videos...

Still got questions about what you have to do in the exam? Then, watch this...

Modernism / Postmodernism explained...

Baudrillard...

And just because...

Who is Rufi Franzen?

Some links to follow on from today's talk... and thanks again to Helen Keegan for joining us.

Helen's Twitter: @heloukee

Rufi Franzen's Twitter: @RufiFranzen

Rufi Franzen's Tumblr: http://thefranze.tumblr.com/

Chales Leadbeater animated video about his book 'We Think'

Charles Leadbeater on 'The Power of Mass Creativity'

Sean Stewart on storytelling and transmedia

And the quotes / key terms:

Sean Stewart: "The makers and the consumers are in tango"


Transmedia

Hyperreality


Charles Leadbeater: "...pebbles and boulders" <-- describing difference/relationship between user generated media and traditional media.

Also look up 'Reply Girls' on YT.

See you tomorrow...

AS Media: Revision this weekend!

Over the long weekend, DL this doc... it covers all that you should know and more.

Media language

Find a text or two and contextualise!

See you next week.

Mr. M.

A2: Easter Homework and Deadlines

1. Coursework Evaluation - First Draft to be completed and handed in by Tuesday, 17 April.

2. Practice essays - Q1a and Q1b to be completed and handed in by Thursday, 19 April.

3. Update and prepare presentations on Audience, Representation, Genre and Narrative - Due to be presented on Tuesday, 24 April.

Useful Links:

• Media Theory
• Sample Questions (1a & 1b)
• Student presentations

AS: Audiences and Institutions Practice Assignment 2

Here is your next essay title; due in Monday, 16 April.

"Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences, within a media area, which you have studied."

Please make sure you read through my comments on your previous essay before attempting this one.

Have a great Easter,
Mr. M.

Something to chew on, over the weekend...

Postmodern Media - Digital Identity / Digital Self.

"Your 'Digital Self' is your online avatar, internet versions of yourself, the way you represent yourself online."

Questions:

• Do people represent themselves honestly online?
• Are the 'physical you' and the 'digital you' separate? 
• Which version of you is the most real? The 'physical you' or the 'digital you'?

Please reply to this post, providing your answers and your arguments/evidence...

Postmodern Media - Exam Practice

Please complete the following assignment:

“Postmodern media blur the boundary between reality and representation.” Discuss this idea with reference to media texts that you have studied. (50 marks)

You should write this by hand and only spend one hour completing it.

Due Thursday, 15 March.

AS/A2: Cover Work from Mr. M.

Year 12

Please complete the following essay: 

‘What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?’ (50 marks)

Year 13

Please complete the following tasks:

1. Read all the material you have been given with relation to ‘criticisms of postmodernism’.

2. Add further thoughts and ideas to the Kony 2012 wall. Link

3. Add to and edit the Postmodern Media Revision Google Doc . Link

4. Create a mind map – place the main theories / theorists related to postmodern media in the middle and then link them to the various case studies, adding key quotes, analysis, interpretations and your own thoughts about the topic.

 

Impromptu Lesson/Discussion About 'Kony 2012' (Friday, March 8, 13:10 - 14:00, Media 1)

In the lesson we will be discussing

• the postmodern dimensions of the video.
• the way it has become an 'Internet Meme'
• the backlash against the campaign, considering what this tells us about the way media is constructed and shared in the 21st Century.

Resources for the lesson:

Kony 2012 - Video

 

Kony 2012: what's the real story? - Guardian live updated blog about the Kony 2012 Video / Campaign.

Visible Children: Kony 2012 Viewed Critically - Very well written piece summing up some of the main concerns about the Kony 2012 campaign.

Unpacking Kony 2012 - More detailed piece about the pros and cons of the campaign.

Critiques - Invisible Children's response to the criticism they have received.

Slaxktivism - Further insight.

KONY 2012 May Be Flawed, But Slacktivism Isn’t the Enemy - Short piece focussing more on the impact of online activism. 

#kony2012 Tweets - See what others are saying.

Reflections - My students' response to the lesson, answering the following two questions:

1. What does KONY 2012 offer us, as students learning about Media in the 21st century?

2. Having now considered the campaign more critically, how do you feel about it?

Wikpedia: Joseph Kony

Wikipedia: Kony 2012

Wikipedia: Invisible Children

Wikipedia: Viral Video

Wikipedia: Internet Meme

Art of the Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

"A discussion with director David Fincher, title sequence creative director Tim Miller of Blur Studio, and type and poster designer Neil Kellerhouse of Kellerhouse, Inc."

Link: http://www.artofthetitle.com/2012/02/21/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo/

This interview offers a fascinating insight to title design... MUST WATCH!

Postmodern Media: Revision Guide (Google Doc)

Please add to, edit the google document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NJvQrI4ceFAjgPjMizIVrF3dcFjCoxHKhv2Hx2HjvbQ/edit

Postmodern Media: Digital Identity vs Digital Self

Two useful videos as we come towards the end of the unit:

Network from Michael Rigley on Vimeo.

"Information technology has become a ubiquitous presence. By visualizing the processes that underlie our interactions with this technology we can trace what happens to the information we feed into the network."

WoW from aram bartholl on Vimeo.

"The WoW project takes this mode of publicizing players’ names that’s typical of online 3D worlds and transfers it into the physical domain of everyday life. Participants of the WoW-workshop will be able to construct their own name out of cardboard and then parade around in public with it hovering above their head. What happens when a person’s customary anonymity in the public sphere is obliterated by the principles operative in virtual worlds online?"

I came across the two videos via Dean Groom. He makes some thoughtful comments in his original post as well.

What is a Meme?

Read this: internetmeme.net

Then read and play with this: whatismeme.com

Watch this:

And then have a look at these: Lolcats

Making is Connecting: The 4-minute presentation (2012)

David Gautlett kindly replied to an earlier post via Twitter and has pointed you towards the following (more recent) video. It develops the ideas discussed here in more detail focussing more intrinsically on the way modern media audiences are engaging with and interacting with Media.

The Machine is Us/ing Us

"Web 2.0" in just under 5 minutes.

 

Everything is a Remix - Part 4

It seems fitting that just as we are nearing the end of our unit on Postmodern Media, Kirby Ferguson has published the final part of his 'Everything is a Remix' series.

Please watch the video and make notes. I recommend that you click through to his site and re-watch parts one to three.

Link: Everything is a Remix

Sherry Turkle: Who Am We? (Wired)

"We are moving from modernist calculation toward postmodernist simulation, where the self is a multiple, distributed system."

Read more...

A2: Postmodern Media Wiki

In order to help you revise I want you to collaboratively edit a wiki covering the entire unit. The exercise will force you to truncate the masses of notes, quotes and information that you have accumulated in to a manageable resource that can be used for revision.

The wiki is available here: http://learning.chalfonts.bucks.sch.uk/mod/wiki/view.php?id=22954

The enrolment key is: fargo

Tutorial for Tom

How to create a VHS style 'rewind effect' in After Effects: http://ae.tutsplus.com/tutorials/motion-graphics/rewind-your-animation-like-an-old-vhs-tape/

AS and A2: Media and Everyday Life (David Gauntlett)

Watch the following video, make notes and consider how it relates to your current module:

The video was created by David Gauntlett. A2 students, you should know who he is already!

AS: Half-Term Homework - TV Drama Revision

Read through and make notes from the following slides:

View more presentations from petefrasers

They are from Pete Fraser. He is the chief examiner for A-Level Media Studies.

Also, complete your audience survey analysis and finish reading the various articles you were given on Wednesday.

"The Big Lebowski" as Postmodern Posterboy (or How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love Baudrillard)

Please read the following article in preparation for tomorrow's ILP Day.

"The Big Lebowski" as Postmodern Posterboy (or How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love Baudrillard) by David Larson

We will be in Room 82.

It is an important day, we will be completing the following activities:

1. A review and round up of our analysis of the works of the Coen Brothers
2. An analysis of advertising as a form of postmodern media
3. An analysis of music video as a form of postmodern media (including a particular focus on Gorillaz)
4. An analysis of the Mighty Boosh as postmodern media

There will be related reading material provided throughout.

Also, there will be a follow on homework activity, in which you will begin your preparation for assessment.

Part of this will be to collaborate on a revision source for the unit. This will be created as a wiki within the VLE.

The following adverts and music videos will be used during the day:

Advertising:

Volkswagen

Google

Music Video

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Gorillaz

Investigating reading habits...

Follow the link and add your questions to be included in a survey of people's magazine reading habits.

Consider, what would we want to know and why?

Link: http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/magsurvey

AS Coursework Deadlines (2012)

Year 12 Deadlines: AS Coursework 2012: There are no Extensions to these deadlines!

You must ensure you plan accordingly and appropriately to meet these deadlines!

February 29^th: Filming to be completed: Ensure you have plenty of footage. Post-production should have started.

March 16^th: Rough Cut in Full to be presented to FRD-Media 1 Lunchtime.

March 30^th: Projects to be completed: Final Cuts This is the lastday before Easter holidays

April 16^th: Blog completed with finished Evaluation ( ppt with visual aids) This is after Easter

A2: Coen Brothers, Postmodernism, Fargo

Please complete the following reading:

Coughlin, Paul., 2003, Joel and Ethan Coen, Senses of Cinema, Issue 26: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/coens/

Sharrett, Christopher., 2004, Chapter 4: Fargo, or the Blank Frontier, The Coen Brothers' Fargo, Cambridge University Press:

A2: Theory of Genre

Please read through slides 1-17 and make notes.



via: robertclackmedia

And some more explanation from Mr. Ford including some helpful activities you can complete:

AS/A2: Exam Dates

FYI:

AS Exam: Key Media Concepts (TV Drama) - Tuesday 15th May

A2 Exam: Critical Perspective in Media - Friday 15th June

Postmodernism: Chris Holmlund on Miller's Crossing

Please read the section about Miller's Crossing, from the bottom of page 39 to the end of page 31 and make notes.

The reference for the text is as follows:
HOLMLUND, Chris., 2008, American cinema of the 1990s: themes and variations, Rutgers University Press.

• How does this add to your understanding of 'Miller's Crossing' as both a 'genre' piece and an example of postmodern filmmaking?

GCSE Media Studies: Re-sit Revision Sessions

The following revision sessions will be available to those of you who are re-sitting your GCSE Media Studies exam on Wednesday, 25 January.

• Friday, 13 January - 8:20-9:10 - Media 1
• Monday, 16 January - 4:00-5:00 - Media 1
• Monday, 23 January - 4:00-5:00 - Media 1

A2 Coursework Deadlines (2012)

1. Tuesday 21st February - All practical work to be submitted for 'formative assessment'. You may be asked to make further edits after this.

• Music Promo: Music Video, Digipack and Advertisement
• Short Film: Film, Poster and Review
• Advertising: 2 x Adverts, Sponsorship Sequence and either Web Popup or Radio Advertisement

2. Tuesday 13th March - First draft of Evaluation and all final edits made (as advised) to practical work.

3. Wednesday 28th March - Final draft of Evaluation (uploaded to blog), all practical work uploaded to blog and any gaps in research/planning filled.

Audience and Institutions: The Death of Print Media?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/dec/19/us-press-publishing-digital-media

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/dec/29/media-predictions-press-digital?fb=native