Production Schedule

Production Schedule

Script – First Draft

Script – Draft 1 – Distorted Memories

Comments please, aiming to get final draft and storyboard done by Monday.

Change Of Plan!

After reading Mez’s previous comments on my last post, I’ve decided to change my idea. She mentionned that I should make my piece link to memory a bit clearer, and after today’s seminar for a seperate module, which covered the ideas of ‘Collective Memory’, I’ve thought of a different idea I want to look into for my artefact.

Collective Memory is the complete opposite to history. Whereas history is a collection of facts, figures, albiet some concepts disputed by academics ,for example we all know British soldiers had to be rescued from Dunkirk during WW2, collective memory consists of stories from the past which are “shared, passed on, and constructed by society”

The term was first coined by Maurice Halbwachs

In the lecture Will Barton mentionned that this collective memory could change over time, without the influence from the outside world or media, for example a memory you might have of a childhood event might be completely different to what the actual event was like.

This has lead me to my idea.. I want to create an artefact which subverts this, where the character’s memories are changed by a third party, or at least display this subconscious change in a media form. For this I’ve decided to change my restriction from earlier. Instead of doing a video without audio (This restriction would severely hinder the chances of my idea getting across to the audience), I’m going to produced something and attempt to use the editing packages available at university and utilise an effect I have barely got any experience in..Chroma Key.

Which brings me to my idea. I want to portray a character, in this case a girl (taking into account the fact that girls seem to take much more photos than guys, especially the ones I know..) sifting through her memories, when suddenly she comes across a photo of an event that she really enjoyed, i.e. a night out. I then want to use Chroma Key to switch this image to a video of the exact same girl, who will give the actual memory of the event, and the video will fade to a bedroom floor, with bottles on the floor, knickers on the floor, and an unused condom..sounds of babies crying will fill the video, and the thought will hit her. Fade to black.

I really think this could be one of my strongest artefacts I’ve produced, seeing as it links in so well with the things I’ve learnt from the memory theme. I have a dilemma though..I can’t shoot it until Wednesday when I’m in Cardiff, so it won’t be done to show on Monday. Hopefully I can show this research, the scripts, and the storyboards once it’s been produced.

Who’s in the house?

A quick google search has led me to the current occupants of Friar house –

Crown Prosecution Service – Courts Of Law
Address: Friars House
Manor House Drive
Coventry
CV1 2TE Tel: 02476508400

Will be phoning later to discuss potential use of their roof as a location

Update on the Great Big Idea..

Had an interesting suggestion from a fellow student today…This memory artefact is meant to challenge me to attempt something I havn’t done before, and seeing as I have mainly focused on audio for the past two artefacts, why not produce something visual – with no audio? I’ve had a think and wondered about what I could do on Friars house – perhaps a time-lapse video which is re-edited to have no particular chronological order, with some sort of narrative within? This has been influenced by a video we watched in the lecture today

It’d be quite interesting to mix and match footage like this, to perhaps convey a message of distorted memories. Even better what if I filmed half of it on the roof of Stoke On Trent’s tallest building and compared that with the Coventry skyline?

Assignment 3 – Memory – A great big idea

For this artefact I’ve been given one simple obstruction…myself. I’ve got to create something that I’ve never done before.

Immediately a few ideas have been floating around my head – some rediculous, others feasible given the timescale. Starting with the rediculous, I want to create something big. Something bold, something that would stick in people’s minds. And what could be bigger than doing a live internet radio/video broadcast from the top of a mountain? This is heavily influenced from an event which a local Christian radio station in Stoke On Trent that I’ve worked for for the past two summers held just after they launched:

http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/radio/thecrossrhythmsbennevischallenge/

This must have been amazing for all involved, and whilst I doubt I could ever climb Ben Nevis, my creative juices are flowing: Could I broadcast from Snowden, or to keep it locally, the highest point in Coventry?

A quick google search tells me it’s this…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/oct/11/furthereducationdiary.furthereducation

http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/gallery/v/coventry/friars-house-aa08767b.jpg.html

I’ll be contacting the business now housed in this building tomorrow to verify this information. Looking at the rooftop, that would be a great place to hold an event – maybe broadcast a live show with an acoustic band sometime next week (no audience)? Obviously I’d miss my deadline for the artefact to hand in, but I’m sure Mez wouldn’t mind given the grand scale of things…

Top Ten Memories/Experiences

In no particular order, as they’re all great

1) Going to my first festival and seeing my favourite band in the world – In August last year I went to the V Festival in Stafford. After seeing acts such as the Stereophonics, The Verve, Kings Of Leon, Girls Aloud and The Feeling, I finally got to see the act I’d been waiting for. An act with such showmanship, virtuosity, creativity and epicness, everything I look for in a band…Muse. It was a memorable moment for me because they didn’t disappoint, going through all the songs I’d loved so much for the past 3 years. It was also a memorable moment because it was the first time I’d met my fellow Muse friend Ella

2) Holiday to Serbia in 2007 – It was the first holiday abroad I’d been on since I was 4, and was full of fun, surprises and alcohol. I made lots of new friends, and learnt alot about Serbian culture, having spent my time on both a farm in the country, and a few days in the richer part of the country.

3) Going to University – Finally handed my independence, going to uni has been one of the highlights of my life for many reasons – so many friends made, so many happy memories, I learnt to support myself away from parents, and it has generally made me a much more well rounded person

4) Seeing two of my friends fall in love – I was the one who brought them together a few years ago, and they’re now living together and extremely happy. It makes me feel proud to know that I’d given them both so much joy

5) Falling in love – Whilst the relationship didn’t work out, I have no regrets being with the girl in question – I grew up so much during that time, have so many happy memories of our time together, and we’re still good friends today

6) Getting work experience at Mercia – It’s opened so many doors for me in the future, and hopefully is the start of my dream career in radio

7) Playing in a band during college – I felt like a mini celebrity during the short stint with the band, and it was a real confidence booster.

8: Family holidays to Barmouth – Sure they weren’t the most exotic of destinations, but we always felt close as a family and had many summers of fun together

9) Working at Woolworths – The closest knit team you could imagine working with, I worked for over a year with the team in Longton from 06 to 07, and for that year we were voted twice the best store of it’s kind in the region, only behind the larger city stores in the overall ratings. The team was more than a team, it was a family, and a great one at that.

10) Learning to drive – Havn’t passed my test yet, but it’s set me a goal I’m determined to achieve soon..

Info-post on ‘Support Our Troops’ Advert

Length : 1 minute
Music: Self Composed
SFX – Free SFX Library on internet – www.audiosparx.com
V/O – Self Produced

I have to be honest – I didn’t produce more than one draft of the script, I just produced it there and then, tweaking bits and bobs as I went along. The reasoning behind this is that I usually work better when I just get ideas down, when I’m in the flow of things. Here is the original unedited version of the recording session though, plus a copy of the script – template adapted from the ones we use at Source Radio…

Promo Script – Government Ad

I got a good response at the workshop on Monday, but feel it is now the time to really test myself. The next obstruction is only my own imagination, as we’ve now moved onto Memory. In the lecture we looked at some quite bizarre videos from the producers at tank.tv, including a woman who filmed an argument through a window, and placed it with a soundtrack of music – simple yet effective at portraying an everyday occurance in a cinematic way. Wether or not I carry on with propaganda remains to be seen, which reminds me, I havn’t posted my rationale behind the advert..

My ideas behind it were spawned by the previous research I’d done on government adverts. I’d looked at lots in WW2 and discovered there were lots of pro-troops patriotic messages being distributed, particularly on the TV and Radio. Contrast this with today. On the radio I have only really ever heard adverts getting people to join the army, never any for supporting our troops. I decided to then set about solving this problem by creating a short and snappy advert, using the same modern techniques of getting deep within the mind of the listener, touching their deep emotions like the videos posted previously – whilst utilising the message of the WW2 propaganda, a message of rousing support, a message definately needed during the present wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Assignent 2 – Power Artefact

Here it is

I wanted to create a rousing support our troops message, tieing in very nicely with the propaganda material I’ve been researching, and think I’ve pulled it off quite well – more reflection in today’s workshop to come…

A ‘Supermassive’ spectacle

Had to share this review of Muse’s latest gigs at the 02 arena on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th – nice reference to spectacle!

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Muse are on top of the world
By John Aizlewood, None 13.11.09

With Coldplay in cold storage, Radiohead in confusion, Oasis no more and Kasabian not quite there yet, Muse are Britain’s most popular band.

But whereas stardom has made Coldplay grateful and Radiohead guilty, Muse act as if their fifth and current album, The Resistance, topping charts from Austria to Australia and this British tour selling its near 100,000 tickets in minutes. are the most just of deserts and my, they swagger more than a band led by a man in comedy pink trousers otherwise might.

With their gigantic riffs and intricate melodies, the Teignmouth trio (plus a keyboardist lurking guiltily in the shadows) are in thrall to Queen — United States Of Eurasia was bursting to break into We Are The Champions — to whey-faced Goths, to Rush and to the spirit of adventure that gave the evening the feel of an almost out-of-control rollercoaster.

Unashamedly aloof leader Matt Bellamy’s penchant for a wonky conspiracy theory ensures that he’s hardly the most intellectual tool in pop’s box but aided by a rabid crowd, a laser-guided light show and, during Plug In Baby, some Prisoner-style giant balloons, he proved himself to be the master of an edgy, uncompromising spectacle — from the Dr-Who-theme-influenced Uprising, to the anthemic Starlight via the impossibly epic and impossibly daft Knights Of Cydonia.

The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed.

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And in case you havn’t seen them yet..

For me this is one of my favourite performances from the band – so raw, so spontaneous, so energetic, so amazing! Even today they push boundaries with stuff like this…