Album Cover Challenge

1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random”
or click www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations"
or click www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and open Explore drop down menu and choose 'creative commons'. Under the first one "Attribution License" click see more. Or go click here: www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0/
Into the search box, enter the fictitious song title gained in step 2 and the first picture, no matter what, will be your album cover.

Try and create a back cover with a list of songs, label, barcode etc too.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together. Remember to manipulate the image in photoshop.

Photoshop Tutorials

With thanks to Jonny for these! (and if you are stuck, ask him!)

http://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/layers/layer-masks/



 

REPRESENTATION

Here is a really useful introduction to the overview of Media Representation theory:



It's really worth your while watching this lecture (all 4 parts) from leading theorist Stuart Hall. He has some really interesting ideas on the presentation/representation of the conflict in Northern Ireland. It is also interesting to think of who constructs representation of race, gender, politicians etc too.


This presentation is very useful as it gives a short synopsis of the dominant critics/theories. It is very important that you try and see if these theories apply to your own production work so far, or if not, how not. It is fine if a theory doesn't apply, but you must articulate and argue why you think it doesn't.



David Chandler's introduction to Representation
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14165439/Media-Representation-David-Chandler

Laura Mulvey: The Male Gaze
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/gaze/gaze09.html

Apply the theory of Representation to ONE of your coursework productions. 
25 Marks: 10 Explanation/Argument, 10 Examples, 5 Terminology
30 Mins

Examiner's Report:

Once again, marks for 1(b) were often the lowest awarded but there was a significant increase in the application of theories to the candidates’ own chosen text. A large number of candidates were able to access the question by focusing on the extent to which they had reinforced or

challenged gender stereotypes usually by applying Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze’ and Propp’s ‘spheres of action’ (other concepts are available). Representations of class and ethnicity were frequently discussed in terms of hegemony. There was also a sense of how active audiences might decode the representations that had been created using Hall’s dominant, oppositional and negotiated. All this was pleasing but there are two important points to make – firstly, candidates need to ‘switch register’ from 1(a) to 1(b) to move from talking about what they did to how the text can be analysed. Still only a small number of candidates manage to this, with the majority writing about how they applied the theory, as opposed to how the theory can be applied to the text. Much more disturbing was the overwhelming acceptance of the ‘male gaze’ as a neutral fact of life, something to be straightforwardly ‘applied’ in the production of a text, with the objectification of women accounted for as no more than a convention. Although candidates would not be penalised for describing their own text in these terms, if Mulvey’s theory was appropriately applied, centres are encouraged to support candidates in taking a rather more critical perspective on representation. 

Book Covers

This may be useful for inspiration:

http://bookcoverarchive.com/

Final Cut Basix

Another useful site for FCPX

http://finalcutbasix.com

FCPX Plug Ins etc

Really useful site here folks for all your FCPX needs
http://www.fcp.co/forum/9-free-fcpx-plugins-and-templates/

This is from the same site, absolutely amazing run down of all effects etc!!

Level 4 Group Blog

1. Regular postings and updates, with no long gaps between them (unless these are explained)

2. Ongoing evidence of group work as specified in the coursework tasks, relating to research, planning, production and follow up tasks including inspirational links, actor and location photos, inspirational videos and tracks, video clips of test shots, plans, schedules, shot lists, storyboards, shot logs, feedback etc

3. Ongoing evidence of development, change and progress including diary style summaries of your ongoing progress as a group

4. Proper headings to posts, and named posts, including group posts

5. Lots of communication between the various group members, with regular posts from all group members, including reactions/suggestions/new ideas/arrangements and so on

6. Links to the main blog, and the group members blogs

7. A link to the final music video, album cover, and myspace

8. Thorough labelling of posts, using a labels list. Use labels to identify who posted what. All posts should also be labelled as either research, planning, or production. 

9. Availability of the correct tools for editing posts, browsing etc

10 Your own blog style/ blog name 

Level 4 Individual Blog

1. Regular postings and updates, with no long gaps between them (unless these are explained)

2. Ongoing evidence of individual research, analysis, theory and ideas as specified in the coursework tasks

3. Ongoing evidence of development, change and progress including diary style summaries of your individual contribution to the project as a whole

4. Ongoing reflections/ thoughts/comments on the progress of the group project

5. Communication between you, the teachers and the group

6. Links to the main blog, the group members blogs, group blog

7. labelling of posts, using a labels list; labels should be individual research, individual planning, evaluation

8. list of links to external websites you have found useful/inspirational

9. Availability of the correct tools for editing posts, browsing etc

10 Your own unique blog style to represent you as a media student/music consumer

The Production Brief

The unit requires you to engage with contemporary media technologies, giving you the opportunity to develop in these technologies. It also enables you to develop the skills of presentation that are required for further study at higher levels and in the workplace.

Candidates will produce:

1) a media portfolio, comprising a main and ancillary texts
2) a presentation of their research, planning and evaluation in electronic format

Your production brief is as follows:

Brief 1: A promotion package of the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with 2 of the following 3 options:

1. a website homepage for the band
2. a digipak cover for its release on cd
3. a magazine advert for the album

Note: Original imagery, (including publicity stills for the ancillary products) must be included on all products. You are expected to shoot stills specifically for use on your print materials.