Saturday, September 27, 2014

12A Institution feedback

Once we've finished our presentations on some of the biggest media institutions in the world, we need to put our feedback on our blogs. Complete the following:

  • Upload your lesson on your blog (use Google drive and put a link in your blog)
  • Type up the feedback I give your group on your blog (this needs to be done individually)
  • Use this feedback and your own reflection to write three WWWs (What Went Well) and three EBIs (Even Better Ifs) below my feedback on your blogpost.
  • Finally, write a sentence for each of the seven institutions we have covered in these lessons. How much have we learned?


  1. Viacom
  2. The BBC
  3. Time Warner
  4. News Corporation
  5. The Walt Disney Company
  6. Vivendi
  7. BSkyB

Complete for homework if you don't finish it in the lesson - due next Monday.


Extension task
Research the two institutions that weren't selected in the original draw:
  • Sony
  • Trinity Mirror (UK)

12C Sound presentations and homework

This is always a great lesson - seeing your parallel and contrapuntal sound presentations. When they are done, we'll watch the last two clips analysing sound then you'll need to complete the following tasks on your blog:

Presentation feedback/learner response
  • Upload your presentation/collages along with a YouTube/Soundcloud link to the music you chose.
  • Type up your feedback and then reflect on your work. Add three WWWs and three EBIs underneath the feedback I've given you.
  • Learner response: compare your presentation against your evaluation of the top three presentations in the class. Who did you think was best and why?

Sound task
Find a film clip on YouTube that uses sound in an interesting way. Analyse the use of sound, making sure you use the key language we have learned about sound in film:
  • Diegetic and non-diegetic sound
  • Parallel and contrapuntal sound
  • Sound bridges

Remember to discuss/analyse all the different types of sound present in the clip:
  • Music
  • Dialogue
  • Voiceover
  • Sound effects
You also need to highlight or put in bold any use of media language.

Complete for homework - due next Monday.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Y12: the story so far

We've covered a lot of material in the first couple of weeks - make sure you're up-to-date on all the work set. You should have the following work on your blog:

Exam side of course (MIGRAIN intro to Media)

  • Media consumption homework
  • Reading an image - RBK advert + Nike advert/advert of your choice


Coursework side (Film language unit)

  • Film poster analysis (8 film posters)
  • Mise-en-scene still image analysis


Blog links will be up this week on the Year 12 page. We'll then meet with you individually to check your blogs and discuss your target grade in Media.

You have 48 hours to get everything complete and up on your blog!

12C: Lighting

You'll need to use the Film Language Powerpoint to work through the Lighting tasks. These are:

Look at the still images on sides 19-23. Copy the image into your blog and answer the questions:

  1. Identify examples of high and low-key lighting.
  2. Say which depict top, back or under lighting.
  3. What effects are created by the lighting in each image?     
When these are complete, you need to do the following on a separate blog post:

  1. Research ‘film noir’ focusing on the genre’s distinctive lighting style. Find a YouTube clip that fits the film noir genre and embed it alongside your research.
Anything you don't complete in the lesson will be homework, due on Friday.


Monday, September 15, 2014

Reading an image

Complete the following from our double lesson on reading an image:

1) Finish your analysis of the RBK 50 Cent advert using the key media language you learned today



2) Analyse an advert of your choice using the same key words.

Remember to put media language in bold or highlight/colour it. A reminder of the key words:
  • Denotation, connotation, colour, pose, framing, composition, size, type of shot, subject matter, setting, lighting.

And always ask the two key questions: Who do you think is the target audience? How does it address/attract that audience?

Due: Friday (12C)

Sunday, September 14, 2014

12A Cover Work/Homework: Wed. 17/9/14, p5/6

Remember the basic rules first:
  • Arrive on time - make sure you register with the cover teacher/Mr Halsey;
  • Stay in the classroom until the end of the lesson;
  • Work responsibly on the tasks set.
Complete the following for Friday 19/9, p4:
  • Carry out a 'Film Poster Analysis' using what you learnt from the  Film Language PowerPoint when you analysed the EIGHT posters;
  • Choose any contemporary film poster you like (within the last five years) and include the image in your blog posting;
  • Include as much media terminology as you can, highlighting each term you use in a different colour.
  • On your blog, complete the task set on the bottom of slide 6 (facial expressions, body language); and the bottom of slide 10 (positioning).
  • Analyse the last three images (slides 18, 19, 20) explaining how mise-en-scene works in each of them - post on your blog.

12C Cover Work/Homework: Wed. 17/9/14, p3/4

Remember the basic rules first:
  • Arrive on time - make sure you register with the cover teacher/Mr Halsey;
  • Stay in the classroom until the end of the lesson;
  • Work responsibly on the tasks set.
Complete the following for Friday 19/9, p5:
  • Answer all the questions (on paper) from slide 29 until 37, including at least TWO sentences on each of the following: denotation, connotation, colour, pose, framing, composition, size, type of shot, subject matter, setting, lighting. After describing each technique/feature, make sure you try to explain why it has been used.
  • Analyse the Rbk print advert on slide 39.
  • Answer all the questions (on your blog) on slide 38 about the advert, in as much detail as possible. This work will be assessed!

Friday, September 12, 2014

12C: Film poster analysis homework

Carry out the 'Film Poster Analysis' from the Film Language PowerPoint:

  • Analyse all EIGHT posters in as much detail as possible;
  • Try to include media terminology that you might have learnt at GCSE;
  • Explain WHY for each of the three questions for each poster;
  • Post up all your answers on your new blog;
  • Include the actual posters in your blog posting.

Due: next Friday

12A: Media consumption homework

Create a blogpost outlining your consumption of the media. 

Answer the following questions on your blog:

Newspapers

  • Which daily newspapers (if any) do you read?
  • What sections of newspapers do you turn to first, and why?
  • What sections do you never read, and why?
  • What kinds of stories do you usually read and why?
  • Do you, or someone else, buy the newspaper you read?


Magazines

  • What magazines (if any) do you buy regularly?  Why
  • What sections of the magazines do you read and not read, and why?


Television

  • Approximately how many hours a week do you spend watching television?
  • What times of day do you usually watch television?
  • What programmes do you like best and why?
  • Do you watch alone or with others?
  • If you watch with others, who decides what you will watch?


Radio

  • What stations do you like best and why?
  • Approximately how many hours a week do you spend listening to the radio?
  • What times of the day do you usually listen to the radio?
  • What stations do you dislike most and why?
  • Do you listen alone or with others?
  • Where do you listen to the radio?
  • What other activities (if any) do you do whilst listening to the radio?


Cinema

  • What films, if any, have you seen in the cinema in the last month?
  • What films have you seen in other places – for example, through rental, satellite film channels (free or otherwise) or through video-on-demand?
  • Who else watched the films with you?
  • Who decided what films to watch?


Internet

  • How often do you access the internet?
  • Where do you access the internet?  At home, at college or school, or at work?
  • What are the main sites that you access?
  • What are the main reasons for accessing these sites – for example, for information, to make purchases, communicate with friends or for entertainment?
  • What other activities (if any) do you do whilst accessing the internet?

Due: Monday

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

We're on Twitter!

OK, so we're a little late to this particular party (Twitter launched in July 2006) but I'm delighted to say that the legendary Greenford High School Macguffin Blog is now on Twitter. We'll be posting links to interesting Media stories, homework reminders and deadlines throughout the year. You'll find us:

@blogmacguffin

If you haven't joined Twitter, do so: it's a brilliant way of keeping up with what's happening in the media and you don't have to publish tweets yourself if you don't want to. Once you're on board, follow the following Twitter accounts to give yourself a comprehensive daily update on the media world:

Newspaper media sections
Media Guardian @mediaguardian
i newspaper @theipaper
Independent Media @TheIndyMedia
Telegraph film         @TelegraphFilm

Useful Media Studies-related accounts
The Media blog    @TheMediaTweets
Brilliant Ads @Brilliant_Ads
Pete Fraser @petesmediablog
Media Edu @mediaedusites

Big media personalities
Rupert Murdoch @rupertmurdoch
Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
Alasdair Campbell @campbellclaret

Journalists
Roy Greenslade @GreensladeR
Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan
Owen Jones @OwenJones84
Nick Sutton @suttonnick
Nick Davies @Bynickdavies

Others
Film4 @Film4
Mo Farah         @Mo_Farah
YouGov polling         @YouGov

There are many, many more Twitter accounts you can follow to keep up on certain aspects of the media and anything else you're interested in. Get involved and immerse yourself in the world of the media.

Sunday, September 07, 2014

12A Cover Work/Homework: Wed. 10/9/14, p5/6

Remember the basic rules first:
  • Arrive on time - make sure you register with the cover teacher/Mr Halsey;
  • Stay in the classroom until the end of the lesson;
  • Work responsibly on the tasks set.
Complete the following for Friday 14/9, p4:

Carry out the 'Film Poster Analysis' from the Film Language PowerPoint:

  • Analyse all EIGHT posters in as much detail as possible;
  • Try to include media terminology that you might have learnt at GCSE;
  • Explain WHY for each of the three questions for each poster;
  • Post up all your answers on your new blog;
  • Include the actual posters in your blog posting.

12C Cover Work/Homework: Wed. 10/9/14, p3/4

Remember the basic rules first:
  • Arrive on time - make sure you register with the cover teacher/Mr Halsey;
  • Stay in the classroom until the end of the lesson;
  • Work responsibly on the tasks set.
Complete the following for Friday 14/9, p5:

Work through the first SIXTEEN slides of the Key Concepts - MIGRAIN PowerPoint:
  • Ignore slides 5, 9;
  • The links for slides 10, 13 are...
  1. Barcelona Advert;
  2. Channel 4 News - Quentin Tarrantino;
Make sure your responses to all the tasks (including the homework) are posted up on your new blog!

Thursday, September 04, 2014

Welcome to our new AS Media students!

We are delighted you have chosen AS Media Studies and confident you will not regret it. 

Your first jobs are to get an A4 ring binder folder (bring it to every lesson) and start your Year 12 Media blog. You can find step-by-step text instructions to setting up your blog here. Once you have your blog URL, post it as a comment below with your name clearly written next to it. For example:

Mr Halsey's blog: http://mediamacguffin12.blogspot.co.uk/ 

IMPORTANT: It is absolutely essential you remember your log-in details for this blog - it is where your Media work will be posted for the next two years. Make sure you do the following:

  • Add your mobile phone number so you can get a code by text if you forget your password
  • Email your log-in details to yourself using your SCHOOL email address