Section 1a - Digital Technology

Section 1A - Digital Technology
Describe how you developed your skills in the use of digital technology for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time. 25 marks

Throughout the 2 years of media studies coursework I have used a range of different digital technologies which has influenced my work and creativity within the course in many ways. In AS I created a 2 minute film opening sequence, made to look within the Film Noir genre. Whereas in A2 we were asked to create a music promo package; including Music Video, Digipak and Advert. Throughout this essay question I will explain in depth about what digital technologies I used throughout my AS year of this course and then back that up with how I have developed my skills into my A2 year.I have developed my skills in the digital technology area such as the use of camera’s, additional software such as Final Cut, I and E mac’s, internet connected software such as Blogger and also Video camera’s. In my pre production area of work in AS level I used www.blogger.com to organise my planning materials, this is a web 2.0 technology and this means its an interactive and can post and edit the blog, also links to the idea of 2-way communication. In A2 I also used www.blogger.com but I had more knowledge on the website and was able to design it to look more professional and also allowed me to have a lot more posts in second year so I had to organize my posts a lot more, so my development of this digital technology has improved a lot. In AS I also used a stills camera (Nikon D80) this was used for my storyboard of my 2-minute sequence, also I used a Flash Mic, which I used a USB cable to import straight into IMovie, which was needed for the sequence. In A2 I used the same stills camera the Nikon D80 but had a more knowledge of how to use the camera and the picture were more crisp and fluent. I didn’t use the flash mic in A2 as I imported the song which we were creating a music video for to go into the background into IMovie this was easy as my knowledge has developed, I done this by importing the sound from a ITunes account. Production in Both AS and A2 required Final Cut this was used to created the videos of both coursework’s, in AS in only used a drag tool which shortened the sequence to 2-minutes which wasn’t very accurate, in A2 I used the razor tool to cut my video bit by bit to gain more accuracy and more fluency, this is still a basic tool but my development show me that this was needed for the development of my video which showed I have gained skills and confidence in this area. Additional software such as Photoshop was also used to make my logo for our company for, AS this wasn’t very difficult as it was very basic with a few colours and text. In A2 I have used Photoshop on the I mac instead of the Emac, which is faster and easier to work with. But also I have created my company logo, digipak and also my advert in Adobe Photoshop at A2 this required a lot more images and text using such as the magic wand or the lasso tool to get everything to fit and look more professional, this shows big improvements in my developments of digital technologies such as additional software. AS production required a video camera (Sony) to record my film opening, but was only needed for like 10 shots at most but in A2 I had to record more than 50 or even 60 this shows I have more confidence in using this camera and my digital technology of this has improved. Post production is needed to create the final product of the course in both AS and A2. In AS I used Final cut but just in a simple way dragging and importing the film and piecing it together, but in A2 I had several layers of video which needed to be in sync all using the razor tool which was quicker and more efficient. When it came to editing my AS film opening, I attached my Sony handycam camera to the Emac computer via a USB cable to import my footage into Final Cut. Final cut enabled me to edit and cop footage and piece it together. Also in AS I used Photoshop for the post-production process of my company logo. Tools included the lasso and paint tools. In A2 my understanding of Final cut and Photoshop improved greatly as in Final cut I used more layers and quick time conversation as this was the more convenient and effective method and also in Photoshop I used more tools such as the magic wand tool and such to create a more detailed digipak and advert.

Essay Question

Explain the role played by the media in the construction of collective identity (50)

Future References

In this video, Plan B uses this as an record selling rapper artist in order to show the shocking view of how youths are presented. Through his lyrics he shows some key ideas that he has about youths and when discussing his reasons during the interview talks about why the riots may have occurred, once being a youth himself who understands their point of view. He admits that showing the graphic and shocking footage of the video is done to show a fine representation of the way in which youths in a lower class live to those who may not understand. His satirical and judgemental lyrics  such as 'CHAV' standing for 'Council housed and violent'  this is against the government and people of a higher class are used to "try and get under the skin of government and youths" and change the way in which youths are perceived. This video is for youths to have a voice he is a youngster himself and was brought up in that sort of area but doesn't appear to be one this is a positive voice for youths as they are judged on there dress. This video also shows them in a negative light as they are shown in gangs, violence and the chorus lyrics also 'Oiiii, i said oiii, what are you looking at you little rich boy', this is the perception of youths people are given and is used as a statement against the mistreating of youths but can be taken in a negative way.

Social Media Responce

How far were the responses of the rioters themselves given space in the media?

• Not much really, the response of the news team on the rioters were jam packed but actually giving the rioters themselves any justice and having a say probably one or two stories. Using the research i have done there is probably next to none on the newspaper front but on YouTube there is one youth talking to Boris Johnson about why this all happened and how it can stop the protest. this young man has giving the rioters a voice to the man in charge of the city overrun, this is then therefore giving only a little space in the media for the rioters still so all in all there inst much on giving them a voice or a fair response in or to the media. This News broadcast on Sky news is live and on the youths at night in London. The news presenter portrays the two boys as thugs even though they have just been on a day out in Blackpool and trying to get home but cant due to the police also thinking they are thugs, this is another negative point against youths they really don't have a say or a fair voice in the media today shown in this news broadcast as a whole.

Given the general framing  of young people as the key participants in the events, how much space was given to young peoples voices and what sorts of young people were given space to respond in the media debates ?

• Some voices were shown through news broadcasts such as the live Sky News broadcast above which are shown on youtube but only why they are bad and not giving them a fair voice really, those two boys aren't even involved in the riots and enjoyed a day out in Blackpool but because they have hoodies they are portrayed as thugs. But on a whole not many voices where given to the youth population to actually say what was really happening in there point of view instead of them getting shown negatively instead of just them saying its a stand against government. This Video below is on the Young voters and is telling the public why the youths are standing up against the government and kind of giving them a voice through Adam Deacon he is telling the viewers that youths can get away with anything now and the world is going in the different direction of what its supposed to be going.

To what extent did social media challenge or confirm  representations of youth identity in the mass media during the time of the London riots?

• Discuss the positive and negative
• Use examples and theory to illustrate your argument.

London Riots - Summary Write up

Hardened north London gangster and drug dealer, or loving family man who would never seek confrontation? Two different portraits were painted of Mark Duggan, the 29-year-old Tottenham man whose death sparked the weekend's London riots. The riots were just a simple protest outside a police station in North London about the sudden death, but escalated into a full scale outbreak across many parts of London. The youths that escalated the riots weren't given a fair voice as the moral panic and the press stereotyping ruined any chance of remorse towards them, no forgiveness or excuse. David Gauntlet's theory of 'identities are not given but are constructed and negotiated' apply's to the rioting in London effectively as the press and media have constructed this panic and fear into the nation that all youths are responsible for this and not taking there side into account.

Using the youtube videos and the newspaper headlines i have gathered on a whole its against the youths and showing them in a negative light. The headlines such as The Daily Telegraph's "Rule of the mob"  The Independent's "Mob rule" and The Times's "Mobs rule as police surrender the streets' , all of these are using the word mob to there advantage and stereotyping youths as the creator. So all in all the families are unaware of the good side of this social deviance and moral panic as the youths are just trying to get a voice as they don't have one through the media, even though it a democracy shaped country. Even the youtube videos are using the negativity as an advantage and not on the positive side actually given youths a fair voice through the rioting, only one positive image was from the young boy arguing against the press to Boris Johnson the London mayor, giving the youths a fair voice through him.

Fresh video of London riots: Crowd street rampage

This is a video showing the violence and rioting within London. This is a strong symbolization of the negative press against youths as it shows smashing shops to bits, theft of TV's and laptops; and generally causing mischief; also police using every resource to them to stop human civilization from crumbling and going on its last legs. This video is only focused on the negative aspects of the rioters and creating a moral panic, showing youths as all criminals but also not showing why they are doing this such as fee's being raised and the UK's economy being destroyed by politicians.

London Riots Newspaper headlines

Today's national newspaper front pages have found a variety of ways to headline the riots across London. Without exception, all feature images of burning buildings.

• The Daily Telegraph's "Rule of the mob" was echoed by The Independent's "Mob rule" and The Times's "Mobs rule as police surrender the streets."
• The Sun went for a single word "Anarchy" while the Daily Mail preferred "The anarchy spreads" and Metro was rather similar with "Riots: the madness spreads." The Daily Mirror chose "Yob rule."
• All were bettered by the Daily Star's excellent "Anarchy in the UK". That deserved a headline-of-the-day award.
• The Daily Express went for a more personalised line: "Flaming morons". And The Guardian was altogether more pedestrian, but less slanted than its rivals, with "The battle for London".
• Elsewhere, the Belfast Telegraph - a paper that has covered many a riot down the years - ran a page one with the headline "London blitzed."
• The Yorkshire Post devoted most of its front page to the riots, "PM flies home to 'war zone'", while The Scotsman - which was probably preparing to carry a picture of the current Edinburgh festival - published a full-page image of a riot scene with the headline "London under siege as mobs roam streets."