Friday, 24 February 2017
Thursday, 23 February 2017
Unit 8 - Practical and transferrable skills
Skills learnt during course
There are many skills that i leant during my creative media production course, from the technical aspect, to the practical aspect, to the theory. The technical aspect includes the skills i learnt from using the computer's to be able to do a variety of tasks, mainly including using the final cut pro program to edit all the footage we all filmed to be able to create productions, the ability i enhanced in using all the Microsoft office programs, word powerpoint, excel etc. The practical aspect i learnt was learning how to film and use digital cameras, use SD cards and upload footage from those to computers to be able to edit. The camera language i learnt had a massive impact on later productions that i created and will create, camera language can have a massive impact on how the final product can turn out, and how visually appealing it can be to the audience watching it. The theory side of the media course has taught me various different theories, that can be applied to modern day scenarios, particularly the Dyer's Star theory.
To go into depth into the technical aspect of skills that i learnt, learning how to use the Apple operating system at first, getting used to the layout and the way certain programs can work differently in contrast to the windows operating system. Learning how to use this software as well, has made me fluent in using 2 different systems which can be used in the future. More importantly using the blogger application from Google, allowed me to learn how to embed videos, documents, pictures into a piece of work, and additionally has taught me to use One drive, to generate HTML codes to add in work that i have done elsewhere, or on a separate file that i have saved, to be uploaded to Blogger. The editing aspect is the area where i gained a variety of skills, uploading footage from cameras, adding effects, filters, cropping, enlarging and changing video clips to suit my needs. The audio editing as well, adding music, detaching audio from clips that i filmed, adding ambient sound effects were all part of the audio editing that had to be done. Also adding graphics and text to our productions, selecting the font type, size, colour and adjusting it according to how i wanted. Lastly adding special effects, is a skill that i learnt, although not always applicable, they can be very effective in a production. Overall editing requires patience and being able to spot mistakes and correct them, fixing mistakes in the shooting stage can also arise when editing, indicating that we did a mistake in the filming process, attention to detail is important as the continuity errors need to be fixed in the editing stage, and also making sure that the project is flowing, as one second can have an impact on the editing and the overall product.
Teamwork is another skill that i improved, during the course. Having to work in groups to be able to make a production, apart from the documentary, meant that we had to work as a team. Working on pitches, the actual production, the evaluation and the editing stage, as a group meant that we needed to have, good communication with each other in order to give out tasks and roles to each other, to set up dates where we would film, designing a production schedule, listening to each others idea's and taking in all ideas into account and making sure that everyone participates in the production. Having to do focus groups in order to receive feedback on the finished project, arranging what questions each member of the group would ask, allocating roles then as well. Teamwork requires good organisation among us to be able to arrange dates to film, meet deadlines for unit's, making sure we manage our time effectively.
The camera language that i learnt, the camera movements, angles, and shot types have all reflected onto the productions that i have made, they can have a big role to play in the shooting stage and getting a variety of different shots, means that you have more footage to work with in the editing stage, also the more shot types and angles you have in a production it will keep the audience engaged more as they will looking at a scene from a different perspective and be more engaged, and not be bored by looking at the same thing all the time. Learning and knowing the various camera language has allowed me to apply them to the productions i have made and will make.
Another skill that i developed during my course is the theory part of the course, this gave me skills to recognise and know different theories in the media, and how they apply to real life scenarios, also the theory side also enhanced my extended writing skill, and structure my work accordingly, and also due to Unit's having deadline for the written work, keeping up to date with the work, editing and adding additional paragraphs to the post when needed and making sure i do not fall behind by being stuck at a post for too long. Learning how to appeal to a certain target audience through classifying the target audience through socio-economic class and making products that would suit your audience is a key skill that can be used in every industry. Being able to identify why certain aspects of film/ tv shows can appeal to the specific target audience and understanding how to use the techniques correctly to make sure the production suits to the audience's needs. Understanding the relationships between the Film producers and their viewers/fans has allowed me to also personally identify within those categories.
Lastly a skill that i further enhanced, was my research skills, having to find interviews for my documentary, having to do research that suited my industry that i was doing a documentary meant that i had to research firms in the industry and find out where they were located and if i could arrange an interview with them, this required research into depth, and then having to email then to try and arrange one, getting no reply or behind rejected meant that i had to find other firms to research on, and being based in the Uk and restricted to London, meant that i had to find firms that related to me that were in close proximity to me that i could have an interview with. Research was done throughout the course, finding out information about things that we did not particularly know a lot about, evident in Unit 3 which was research based, defining the types of research, conducting our own research, and then making graphs and vivid examples of the research and data we collected, and then lastly analyse and reaching a conclusion from those research we did.
( The file doesen't upload, The link is here )
Monday, 6 February 2017
Unit 8 - Ethical Issues in TV and Film
Ethical issues in TV and Film
Ethics
Ethics are moral principles that define how a person or group act, they are self-imposed rules and a set of beliefs that are followed. They are closely related to morality, morality can be effected and can change over times according to many factors. In relation to the Tv and Film industries, there is no legal requirement for companies and broadcasters to be ethical right, they may receive a bad reputation but there is no legal repercussions, however since the companies are run by humans and people are have morals and ethics they are followed and it leads t quite diverse and controversial cases in the media industry. A big issue being the amount of racially diverse a company is and how many people it employs that are from a minority background, and also how the minorities are represented in the media. There is an ethical obligation to show the minorities so that they have a voice and are shown, however the representation may not be in a positive way, so there can be a thin line between having an ethical obligation to show the minorities but if they are represented in a bad way and since the media can have a massive impact on people's opinions and influence them, there could be a breach in morals and ethical obligations of broadcasters and companies. Morals and ethics are really subjective and may not always match with others, and also society's views and morals can also change, so matters such as sexism was much more present in history in the 1900's. Now due to society's values changing, sexism i think has decreased a lot, it still exists in the current time period. Also another ethical point related to the Tv and Film industries, particularly TV is what to air/show. Films can categorise their audience with the age rating so they can show 'un-ethical' things such as murder, nudity etc as they have placed an age limit on it. The TV industry has to be more careful and be more ethically aware that what they are showing may have an effect on their audience, especially young audiences as they can be easily influenced, and having a certain morals and rules that a broadcasters has will mean that they will follow those rules, and so have an ethical way of broadcasting programmes/shows. As TV is a more universal and general type of media, and nearly everyone can watch TV the broadcasters have to follow a set of ethical rules and guidelines, such as a 'code' that they will follow.
Code of practice
The BBC's code of practice is to make sure all the producers and directors give everyone a equal opportunity regardless of age,sex,race etc. The producers must comply with all the anti-discrimination legislation that was brought forward, the BBC is aiming act in an objective,integral, and confidential way, fairness and honesty in dealing with all their workers and trying to uphold their ethics that they have. They have written in the codes of practice that they will promote equal opportunities for everyone, in the past this was not necessarily the case, it was more dominant with white male's. in the modern times however the equal opportunities and how ethics have changed have made it more diverse and due to the legislation to promote equal opportunities in the BBC's code of practice. The BBC in their Code of practice is to also ensure impartiality in their news and to be objective. The BBC's is the national television so they have to represent the minorities, a good example is that there are now different races of news presenters which represent them in a good way. The minorities are now having a voice and are being shown on screen which allows them to be represented on national TV. The BBC also supports that all staff should be trained within the industry and to have equal opportunities in having promotions.
An example of racial diversity being upheld is through more racially diverse news presenters:
This allows for minority groups to be represented in a positive way, and allows for the minority groups to be shown on national tv. This is ethically correct to make sure everyone has a voice and can express their opinions and views.
Another example is women presenting shows and the news, where as beforehand it was just White male's so there is gender diversity as well, this allows for women to also be shown and be represented.
Lastly the BBC also upholds ethics of equal opportunities to people regardless, if they have physical disabilities or not. An example is Cerrie Burnell, in a children's show in the CBBC's.
Ethical issues in TV and film
The main issue of representation in the film and tv industry is that, there is a wrong representation, or negative representation of minorities in the industry, or that they are simply not represented are shown at all. The industry is still dominant of white people both in TV and Film. Due to society's standards changing and their moral views and opinions there has been progress, but however there is still a huge gap that needs to be filled. A case study that i will focus on is the Series Top Boy. Which is essentially about the teenage life in east London and it focuses on gang violence and crime. This may be seen as unethical to some as it represents all teenagers to be involved in gang violence and crime and also it represents the minorities in the show in a bad light that they are involved in criminal and illegal activities. The series does try to differ away form stereotypes but still gets dragged into through its plot. I think that personally it is not un-ethical to show this, because the issues that are raised and shown in the show are present in real life and especially in urban areas like London there is presence and a rising social concern of teenage crime and gang violence being raised, so showing these true 'stories' can be beneficial to the audience in that it will be an 'eye widening' experience. The series may be seen as un ethical due to there being shown drugs, guns, violence and a lot of swearing, it would not be advisable to air this show before the 9pm watershed, and even after that is may be seen as controversial. This show was made and aired on channel 4 so it was on a quite popular channel so it raised a few criticisms and if the show was suited to be shown on national tv, and so the season 3 of the series was canceled. I think that it was not un-ethical and it would show the brutal reality, as i live in the urban areas of London as well, i could personally identify with the locations and the characters meaning that i thought it as a great series, and not un ethical.
Emerging social concerns
The media and particularly TV, has an ethical obligation to let the audience and public know of any updates or more news on social concerns of the public. An example would be as i stated above Teenage gang violence, especially with knives. This has been a social concern for a long time and so the news and through and series allows for the media to relay this information to the public as they have a right too know about these topics and issues, as it is society's problem.
This Documentary on gang violence, by the BBC highlights the issues of gang violence. This then means that the audience watching this documentary will be informed about these issues in society's and through a droccumetnary they can watch it for long as it will be engaging to the audience. The TV industry has a bigger obligation to portray what the public wants as this is what they watch and so representing what their concerns are and spreading the news. This then creates a awareness for the audience that watches it and so can be more vigilant. The TV industry has an obligation to inform the public, as they cannot keep their audience in the 'dark'. The BBC has to be impartial and be objective in making this documentary, and just relay information to the public/audience to give them information about the social problem that is occurring.
Friday, 3 February 2017
Unit 8- Broadcasting Act 1990
Broadcasting Act 1990
The Broadcasting act was a law made by the Prime minister of the time Margaret Thatcher which was from the conservative political party. Margaret thatcher believed that privatizing and opening up firms to competing would make them more efficient, more innovative and creative, due to her belief that the British TV industry was far behind of other countries, particularly the USA. The act was made in order to inject more 'liveliness' into the UK film TV industry to allow for more firms and different ideas to be created and so to grow the tv industry. The act included the regulation of existing broadcasters as well as privatizing the firms to give them an incentive to be more productive and efficient. The purpose of the act was allow for firms to be able to set up new channels creating competition and allowing for more creative ideas to 'regenerate' the British TV industry. Margaret thatcher believed in privatising all the nationalised industries in order to create a better economy in the long-run due to the nationalised industry being inefficient and not making any progress, this was also present int he TV industry with the BBC the dominant TV not being very efficient or creative, and not having an impact or change on the TV industry, believing the act would allow for more creativity and allow innovation in the Industry.
The act had a huge impact on the TV industry, particularly on regulation. she believed that regulation killed creativity and allowed for a monotone, boring TV industry in the UK. The act also meant that it lead to the abolition of the IBA (independent broadcasting authority) and it's replacements Independent television commission and the radio authorities. These two have now merged and are called OFCOM. The abolition of these meant that the TV industry was far more free in what they could broadcast and show to the audience, aimed at all firms to produce and show what they wanted without the fear of being banned or taken off air. It was essentially de-regulating the market to allow for more creative freedom and to be more innovative, in order to boost the growth of the British TV industry. The ITC was also in charge of regulating both terrestrial and non-terrestrial channels which gave it technically more power than the IBA, however on a physical standpoint their powers were far more reduced. de-regulation did prove to be beneficial to growth and allowed for more companies to be able to set up a TV channel and allow for more variety in the UK TV industry. David waddington described the act as heralding a ''massive expansion in choice''. The act was indeed controversial and opposed by mostly the Labour party and a few conservative members, however the progress of the TV industry cannot be under-valued.
The ITC was the regulating body of the TV industry it lasted from 1991 to 2003, it included regulating the existing 15 channels and also the big network of ITV. They also regulated the channel 4, the regulating powers were passed onto them from Channel four television company. The ITC eventually in 2003 became OFCOM through the communications act 2003. The ITC merged with the Radio authority, office of telecommunications and the radio communication agency, to become OFCOM, they now regulate the TV and radio in the UK.
The act allowed for the final terrestrial channel to be created, Channel 5 in 1997 was created. This was seen as a good thing by many as it allowed variety in the UK TV industry and meant that more channels with different channels could be viewed by the audience. The act also allowed for multi-channel satellite TV to be put in place, which opened up the TV industry to other channels and made for a more interesting TV industry. It was also seen as a bad thing however as it may have lead to confusion and made it more difficult for the audience to pick a channel to watch, too much variety can also have bad repercussions.
The BBC before the act was introduced used to make it's programmes 'in-house' meaning that they produced everything 100%. However with the act being introduced the BBC was forced to outsource to other companies by 25%, A quarter of the programming of the BBC was to be sold to other companies for them to do, in order to try and stop a 'monopoly' in the TV industry with the BBC being the dominant firm.
The most controversial part of the Act was that it lead to the a profitable business for the Media giant Rupert Murdoch. It allowed for him to expand his business into the UK, and made way for ' rich get richer' which was seen as the public that the government doesn't care about the low income people, which caused controversy at the time and is still discussed today. This act allowed for him to create the company of SKY into the UK, Sky has now grown into a big company and did benefit massively from the Act, Rupert Murdoch's pro-conservative media broadcasting may have had an effect on the Act.
To summarise the Act, It had benefits in the TV industry that it allowed for more creativity and variety for the audience to watch, it allowed for de-regulation so companies and broadcasters were allowed to broadcast programme's more freely and allowed for a more creative UK TV industry. Opening up the TV industry to competition allowed for the existing firms to try and be more efficient and make different shows to attract viewers, competition is good for consumers as they will get the best possible product, the TV industry was also open to foreign companies like SKY which made sure that the BBC and other UK domestic firms would make better quality TV.
The BBC before the act was introduced used to make it's programmes 'in-house' meaning that they produced everything 100%. However with the act being introduced the BBC was forced to outsource to other companies by 25%, A quarter of the programming of the BBC was to be sold to other companies for them to do, in order to try and stop a 'monopoly' in the TV industry with the BBC being the dominant firm.
The most controversial part of the Act was that it lead to the a profitable business for the Media giant Rupert Murdoch. It allowed for him to expand his business into the UK, and made way for ' rich get richer' which was seen as the public that the government doesn't care about the low income people, which caused controversy at the time and is still discussed today. This act allowed for him to create the company of SKY into the UK, Sky has now grown into a big company and did benefit massively from the Act, Rupert Murdoch's pro-conservative media broadcasting may have had an effect on the Act.
To summarise the Act, It had benefits in the TV industry that it allowed for more creativity and variety for the audience to watch, it allowed for de-regulation so companies and broadcasters were allowed to broadcast programme's more freely and allowed for a more creative UK TV industry. Opening up the TV industry to competition allowed for the existing firms to try and be more efficient and make different shows to attract viewers, competition is good for consumers as they will get the best possible product, the TV industry was also open to foreign companies like SKY which made sure that the BBC and other UK domestic firms would make better quality TV.
The main points of the 1990 Act were that the ITC was set up to regulate all the TV services in the UK, however the BBC was exempt from this, The channel 4 was allowed to sell advertising meaning that ITV nor longer was the only commercial channel selling advertisements to get money, The channel 5 was the last terrestrial TV being set up in 1997 before the digital move of television, the TV licence was introduced to who ever owned a TV set, and also pay per view and subscription ways of paying for TV was also introduced.
Unit 8 - BECTU fact file
Equal Opportunities
This is when the employee's in the work place are treated the same and have the same opportunities to get promoted, pay rise etc. This is ensured through legislation and can be punishable by fines if the employee feels like they are being mistreated. This usually applies to lower end jobs, and covers all aspects of all employment matters including recruitment, conditions of work, pay, hours of work, holiday entitlement, overtime, work allocation, guaranteed earning, sick pay, pension, training, promotion. This is in place to ensure that all employee's can have the chance to be promoted and have a better working life.
In the past, there were no equal opportunities, the media was dominated by white male's who usually came from wealthy background's, however due to society's views and morals changing, it has led to a more diverse media industry. However due to legislation being made by ministers who represent the majority of the public, and public viewpoints have shifted and various new legislation has been out forward, in order to represent what the public wants:
- The Equality Act (2010) and associated secondary legislation
- Criminal Justice and Immigration Act (2008)
- The Racial and Religious Hatred Act (2006)
- The Civil Partnership Act (2004)
- The Gender Recognition Act (2004)
- Criminal Justice Act (2003)
- The Human Rights Act (1998)
- The Protection from Harassment Act (1997)
- Special Education Needs and Disability Act (2001)
However there is possible disadvantages to push for more 'racially-diverse' work force, as this means that the current workers have to be dismissed in order to bring in new employee's, which means that the current workers who have the necessary sills and experience still cannot find a job, which will create unemployment in the UK.
Belonging to a Trade Union
A trade union is a organisation that
represents all the members in a particular work in industry, they are
there to protect all workers rights, discuss the wage rate and
the working conditions with the employers. The trade union for the media industry is BECTU ( Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union) They were founded in 2001 and act as a normal trade union to protect it's 25,000 members int= the media industry to ensure that they get equal pay and have good working conditions. BECTU has merged into The larger trade union Prospect, however they act as their own independent body and are also affiliated with General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU).
BECTU provides a wide range of services to its 25,000 members, which are:
- Negotiating pay, conditions and contracts with employers
- Personal advice and representation for individual members
- Advice and representation on health and safety
- Benefits and services for BECTU members
- Training support and courses
- Networking events and career development opportunities
- Union journal, Stage Screen and Radio, published six times a year.
- Website designed to improve access to the union's advice and support.
An example where BECTU is helping it's members:
Another Example of the BECTU taking action is with the ITV, directly linked with the TV industry.
Bibliography:
https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2016/jul/20/five-strategies-creating-gender-equality-media
Wednesday, 1 February 2017
Unit 8 - Exclusive agreements
Exclusive Agreement
An exclusive agreement is when a company or individual has a contract where they work only for the specific company, or they only specifically provide the company with certain goods, this is when the person who has signed the exclusive agreement cannot work with other companies, as they have an contract to only supply/work for the company that they have signed with. When the agreement is formed the party supplying the goods can only exclusively supply the goods to the buyer, if they supply to any other parties/companies then they will have broken the agreement and may face legal action by the other company, however breaking the agreement is very unlikely as it is mutually beneficial to both companies people.
These type of agreement are usually between two companies that want to have an edge in the competition and beat out it's rivals to make sure they have the most customers, the agreement will usually be between a broadcasting company or a company that shows a variety of programmes to it's viewers, and if they see a standalone company specialising in one thing, they will approach the relatively smaller company to allow for a mutual growth, this is good for the standalone company as they will have monopsony power and allow for them to generate higher revenue. This is also good for the 'parent' company as if the previous watchers of the programmes the stand-alone company aired, has to now be watched on the bigger company which leads the consumer to have no choice but to watch it on the buyer's channels. This then creates a monopoly of those programmes as they are the only provider of the programs onto the market, so they generate a lot more revenue as the consumers have no choice or substitute for the exclusive shows that they have.
For example it benefits companies like Sky, as they have wont he exclusive rights to show all the England competitive matches, so people wanting to follow the England national football team through it journey through the Euro 2020, and the 2022 world cup. So customers wanting to watch all of England games, have to watch it through sky sports, and so this generates huge amounts of revenue for sky sports, as viewers have no choice but to subscribe to sky and get a sky box set. Sky is the only provider of England's competitive matches, and so can charge a different or high price as there no substitute for it.
These type of agreement are usually between two companies that want to have an edge in the competition and beat out it's rivals to make sure they have the most customers, the agreement will usually be between a broadcasting company or a company that shows a variety of programmes to it's viewers, and if they see a standalone company specialising in one thing, they will approach the relatively smaller company to allow for a mutual growth, this is good for the standalone company as they will have monopsony power and allow for them to generate higher revenue. This is also good for the 'parent' company as if the previous watchers of the programmes the stand-alone company aired, has to now be watched on the bigger company which leads the consumer to have no choice but to watch it on the buyer's channels. This then creates a monopoly of those programmes as they are the only provider of the programs onto the market, so they generate a lot more revenue as the consumers have no choice or substitute for the exclusive shows that they have.
For example it benefits companies like Sky, as they have wont he exclusive rights to show all the England competitive matches, so people wanting to follow the England national football team through it journey through the Euro 2020, and the 2022 world cup. So customers wanting to watch all of England games, have to watch it through sky sports, and so this generates huge amounts of revenue for sky sports, as viewers have no choice but to subscribe to sky and get a sky box set. Sky is the only provider of England's competitive matches, and so can charge a different or high price as there no substitute for it.
Another example of companies signing exclusive agreements, is again sky which has made another exclusive agreement in the Formula 1. So the people who follow and watch all the Formula ! races, will again have to watch it through sky, through their subscription service.
Another example of an exclusive agreement, where two Spanish and Mexican companies have come together to only live broadcast MMA event in the US and Mexico. People who follow MMA will have to watch it exclusively from these channels.
A confidentiality agreement is a legal contract that offers protection where two companies will be disclosing confidential information to each other. It is a contract through which the parties agree not to disclose information covered by the agreement to other companies or third parties. Confidentiality agreements can be "mutual" meaning both parties they can restrict the use of material by a single party.
An exclusive agreement can be similar to this, as the companies that are in the exclusive agreement may also male an confidential agreement so that no information is leaked to the outside to other companies, as other companies may also do similar exclusive agreements to try and kill the competition, so an confidentiality agreement will be made so that no information is given to other companies or third parties, In some cases exclusive agreements can be illegal and will be investigated by the Competition and Markets authority (CMA).
Bibliography:
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