Homeland Continuity Task

1. What was your role in the task and what did you actually do?
I was the director during the filming, and I co-planned the storyboard and shot list. I had to direct the actors and camera during the filming process, using commands such as 'camera roll', 'mark-it', 'action' and 'cut'. I then created an individual edit of the sequence.

2. What factors did you have to take into account when planning, filming and editing?
When planning our task, we focused on our brief which outlined the importance of one character entering a room whilst two others sat at a table. We used this as a starting point for our plot-line which also had to incorporate themes included in Homeland. We outlined our story arc before writing a script and making a storyboard; all of these helped us clearly know how we wanted our film to progress during planning and filming. It was also useful to have these for editing to help us edit a clear story. We created shot list so that we could easily plan which scenes to shoot first for practicality and convenience. In addition to this we drew a floor plan so we knew where we wanted furniture placed on the day of filming.
When filming I as the director had to communicate what was needed for each shot to the camera operator and actors. Through my direction I had to anticipate about how each shot would link to the next through match-on-action and continuity. We had to make sure to mark each shot with scene and take so that it would be easier to order our sequence when editing.
When editing it was important to prioritise continuity and how each shot flowed to the next to create a story through match-on-action. It was also important to make the story snappy and smooth by not have large gaps or dramatic jumps between shots.

3. How successful was your sequence? Did you manage to demonstrate match-on-action, shot-reverse-shot and the 180 degree rule? Did you achieve continuity overall?
I think that as a team we filmed a wide range of shots in an efficient way whilst maintaining the 180 degree rule and a continuous background, props and costume to provide effective continuity. This was very useful when I came to edit the sequence as there were many shots at my disposal which were all suitable for use, also including a range of techniques and perspectives which created a dynamic story. We incorporated elements of action in all our shots which made it easy to edit match-on-action effectively.

4. What have you learnt from completing this task?
From completing this task, I learnt about how to direct a filming task as well as the processes of planning which are necessary for a successful shoot. I also learnt to anticipate how shots can be cut together and what can be done pre-edit to make this task easier and more effective for a continual flow of action and continuity.

The Daily Mirror News Task

1. Explain your role/responsibility within the team and the task. What were you required to do?
Riana and I were in charge of creating The Daily Mirror's social media pages within our team. We collaboratively researched our stories and chose images we agreed were appropriate for the Mirror's social media pages. We then created headlines and wrote posts for each page.

2. For one media form, describe the codes and conventions you chose to follow and explain their intended impact.
For Facebook, we chose to feature the story about terrorism in Iraq as this was the most serious and our research showed that Facebook is often used for more severe or impactive stories. The story was also featured on our Daily Mirror online webpage and so by promoting it on Facebook we connected the two platforms as well as increasing the likelihood of the story getting more views. We also used a 'breaking news' caption, commonly used on the Daily Mirror's Facebook for the most important stories. On our Twitter page we decided to feature the story about Donald Trump. We decided this was appropriate as the story was about his posts on twitter, linking the article to the news platform. We featured the story in a comical way which follows the conventions of tabloid news, in particular the Mirror. Similarly, in our Instagram post we featured a light-hearted style, up-keeping with the Mirror's style. We also used a more aesthetic picture for Instagram, matching its use as an artistic and photographic platform. For all our social media pages we incorporated the colour red, linking them all together as well as connecting them to the Daily Mirror's logo and presenting a brand.

3. Explain how your choices reflect the real newspaper's values and target audience.
Our repeated choice of red reflects on the Mirror's left-wing associations. On our Facebook page we chose a picture of Jeremy Corbyn wearing a Santa hat. This related to the labour party, Christmas and incorporated the humorous conventions of the Mirror, gripping the attention of the target audience who are likely to be young men and women who support the left-wing in politics. We also featured the Daily Mirror's slogan 'be part of it' to relate it to the tabloid newspaper and brand. This makes the audience feel included with the use of direct address. For Twitter we chose a photograph of Donald Trump which featured him in a negative light, reflecting on the Mirror's left wing stance and anti-Trump opinions.
In our Facebook and Twitter headlines and posts we used hyperbole, and humour in our Instagram post in order to captivate our audience. In our Twitter and Instagram we used hashtags to link the stories to other stories, either by the Mirror or with similar subject material, creating an engaging and inclusive atmosphere, also including a link to the Daily Mirror website and comments on Instagram to create an interactive page.

4. Explain how your team adapted the news across the three different media forms and the reasons behind your decisions.
We chose different pictures across all the platforms to make each unique, but still connecting them through same stories and content. As a group we aimed to balance comedy with information to successfully present conventions of a tabloid newspaper. We decided that the most important story was the terrorist attack, and so we featured it across all three media forms, however the more comical stories such as the frozen finger were featured individually.

5. In hindsight, is there anything about your team's outcomes that you would adapt or improve?
In hindsight, our team would've not had the bold text box outlines as they look slightly out-of-place and unlike the website. We also would've extended our Facebook header so that it filled the whole top bar. We could have also added a filter to our Instagram picture to show a typical convention of that platform. I think our team prepared very well for the task and worked well together.

Billboard Music Magazine Cover

1. Summarise the music celebrity you have created.  Include name, music genre, personality and how they are being used to comment on contemporary celebrity.

My music celebrity is Lara Fox, a guitarist, singer-songwriter from the band Fur which create indie-rock music. Lara Fox is a feminist and believes in equality between all people. I have used this characterisation to oppose modern glamorised celebrity culture as well as the sexualisation of women in the media. She also shows that music should be the most important part of a career as a music artist.

2. Evaluate how you have constructed the representation of your celebrity through your cover image and cover headline/text (denotation/connotation of text and image).

I have used a black and white filter for the main photo to show the simplification of celebrity culture.
This is further enforced by the use of a mundane and simplistic background. I have also limited make-up and airbrushing to make the model seem more natural. The choice of outfit is very simplistic, using a baggy t-shirt instead of expensive or designer brands. This is to promote the idea of simplicity and normality of my celebrity, showing that celebrities don't have to be glamorous or seen as different from other people. The theme of valuing music is clear through the use of the guitar in the foreground, and the Green Day t-shirt. The artist's hold of the guitar also connotes intimacy between her and her music, showing its importance.

The significance of showing my celebrity's legs is to show how women's skin is not only used to imply sexual connotations. Here, bare legs show simplification but also convey how the artist is exposing herself for who she is; there are no sexual overtones of the photo. This is reinforced with the title of the article, 'don't call me foxy', which is both a play on words with her name, as well as criticising the perception of women in the media.

With the formatting of my text I have used a contrasting and striking colour to highlight the title of the magazine and article. I have also used a different font to make key details stand out.

3. Analyse how far you have used and/or challenged stereotypes of gender/race/age/sexuality in your cover.

I believe I have successfully challenged stereotypes of gender in my cover, by showing that women are not simply sexual objects. My music artist is also not a stereotypical female celebrity as she is not skinny or toned. I believe my celebrity provides a positive image for young girls. However, it does not address racial stereotypes as my celebrity is not of a minority ethnic group, and culture is not a projected theme in my cover.

4. Reflect on the production/editing process.  Are you pleased with the end result? Identify what is successful about your shot?  What would you have done differently in hindsight?

I was very pleased with the production and editing process of my cover. I took several shots, so I had a good range to choose from for my final cover. Because of my detailed research and the clear idea of what I wanted my cover to look like, the editing process, though complex, was quickly completed. The hardest element I found to complete was the small extract of text, as I was trying to think of the best way to present my ideas about stereotypes. In hindsight, I addressed a lot of issues in this cover, and it may have been more effective to focus of one idea and present it more prominently. Overall, I am very pleased with the way my cover turned out.

Minecraft Pocket Edition Gameplay Video for YouTube

How did you make the video (eg. what videos did you look at, what technology did you use?)
In preparation for this video I watched videos made by vloggers such as Stampy Cat, Toebuscus and Littlelizardgaming. I thought about how they interact with the audience and the kind of language they use, which was very casual and animated. They also used a lot of direct address and banter, which I attempted to replicate in my video.

To make this video I recorded myself talking about the game on one iPad whilst watching the gameplay footage on another iPad. I acted as if I was playing the game, and talked about what was going on, giving specific terminology such as 'stone pick-axe'. When I was satisfied with my commentary I edited the two clips together using the FilmmakerPro iPad app, overlaying my video over the gameplay clip.

How might your video attract the attention of mojang and/or microsoft, and how might it influence them?
My video may attract the attention of Mojang and Microsoft as, by playing Minecraft: Pocket Edition, I am advertising the game to potential viewers. I am also presenting it in a very positive light and not giving it bad reviews, which promotes the game. As well as this, this video may attract their attention as it is family-friendly and doesn't feature any swearing or violence making it suitable for their target audience.