Where can I find Digipaks to analyse?

Answer: discogs.com.

Search an artist or album:

In the list presented, search for ‘gat' or ‘dig'.

Hopefully, you will find that the entire packaging has been scanned and added.

A2 Coursework: B324 Deadlines (2017-18)

28th August: x30 research tasks:

• 10 short films
• 10 posters
• 10 film reviews

Or the equivalent texts, dependent on your chosen brief. 

25th September: All research tasks completed:

• 30 set
• 10 independent
• Target audience research

16th October: All Planning documents:

• Script
• Storyboard
• Animatic

11th December: First complete draft:

• Main video
• Ancillary 1
• Ancillary 2

5th February: Final drafts:

• Main video
• Ancillary 1
• Ancillary 2

5th March: Evaluation & Blog complete

Steven Spielberg: Opening Shots 1971-1991

Interesting video collection of Steven Spielberg's opening shots from 1971-1991.

Useful for A2 Short Film and Trailer students and AS Opening students.

What should I be doing?

Music Video:

1. Research in to Music Video styles: Concept, Performance, Narrative, Hybrid.
2. Research into existing media: 10 x Music Videos; 10 x Digi Packs (4 and 6 panel); 10 x Adverts

Short Film:

1. Research into existing media: 10 x Short Films; 10 x Reviews; 10 Websites or Posters
2. Detailed research into Genre.

Trailer:

1. Research into existing media: 10 x Trailers; 10 x Film Posters; 10 x Film Magazine covers
2. Detailed research into Genre.

There should never be an idle moment.

Mr. M.

#PostmodernMedia #FilterBubble

From this Rolling Stone article on the late Roger Ailes:

What most of us are buying when we tune in to this or that channel or read this or that newspaper is a reassuring take on the changes in the world that most frighten us. We buy the version of the world that pleases us and live in little bubbles where we get to nurse resentments all day long and no one ever tells us we're wrong about anything. 

~ Taibbi, Matt - 2017.

 Sounds familiar... keep revising!

Mr. M.

HyperNormalisation and Fake News

Ex-student George Turner emailed me and suggested that we would find the programme: HyperNormalisation by Adam Curtis, both relevant and interesting. Having watched the first 30 minutes, so far, I am inclined to agree.

Please watch the programme on BBC iPlayer and make notes. It is quite long, so you might want to break it up into sections. This Wikipedia article has a good synopsis of the different chapters.

In reading about the show and watching it, it also got me thinking about Fake News and misinformation. Please read through the following articles and make notes. This will add to your understanding of hyperreality and provide you with a current and evolving case study for your essays.

• Fake News (Wikipedia)
• What is Fake News? (The Guardian)
• Wikipedia bans Daily Mail (The Guardian)

Wes Anderson - #Pomo or not #Pomo?

As we are going to be looking at the concepts of 'quirky sensibility' and 'new sincerity' through the work of Wes Anderson, this video (once again shared via 'FilmSchoolRejects') was very timely:

You can see more videos about Wes Anderson's films here, here and here.

We will be asking the question: Is Wes Anderson's work postmodern or does his work represent something that might be considered post-postmodernism, metamodernism or is it not postmodern at all?

Under the Influence: Barry Jenkins on Wong Kar-Wai

It is always interesting to see how one director influences another...

In this video, Barry Jenkins discusses the influence that Wong Kar-Wai had on his work.

Here is a side by side comparison of shots from 'Moonlight' and various Wong Kar-Wai films.

Wong Kar-Wai is one of my favourite directors. Every film student must watch 'In the Mood for Love'. It is a masterpiece of cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound and editing working in unison to make a true work of art.

Both videos were found via: FilmSchoolRejects, which is a fantastic site that regularly shares interesting articles and videos about film. Consider following them on Twitter or Facebook.

The new culture war: how Hollywood took on Trump

Big Bang Theory star Simon Helberg posed with his wife, Jocelyn Towne, on the award ceremony’s red carpet, he with a teeny sign reading “Refugees welcome”, she with the words “Let them in”, written on her chest.

Click here to read the rest of the Guardian article