Bindni's Journal

My Research Conclusion - In Practise

2009-10-07T15:48:00.003+01:00

After spending the year researching the subject of 'The Representation of Women in Multimedia' my conclusion described how an informal mentoring scheme would increase the confidence in women, particularly students that are aiming to enter the digital media industry. It would also enhance the transition from education or training into the working environment.

Ironically I have come across the following, which is an implementation of my conclusion:

11. VW Mentorship Opportunities
Do you want to make a difference and raise the aspirations of young people?
The Visable Women campaign aims to allow students to be the driving force in challenging the underrepresentation of women in certain industries and senior management positions. They want to create a female/student graduate network whose gifts and talents are discovered and nurtured so that they are prepared to be more than just employees but inspirational leaders in their workplace, local community and the wider society. One of the avenues through which they do this is via implementing an informal mentorship scheme for dynamic students who want to learn and develop with your help. This is a great way to give back and help a less experienced person hoping to enter a similar career field at the same time.

The following link has more information: http://www.womenintechnology.co.uk/october-2009-update#11

It is quite interesting as well as encouraging to learn that my research project is being practised by other organisations in the UK.

PRP: Artefact 6 - The Idea

2009-05-20T19:50:00.002+01:00

Artefact 6:

Idea:

- to set up a pilot mentoring scheme with existing multimedia students
- begin artefact early - tested over time
- Hold mentor meetings provide support where needed
- Provide training where necessary

Aim:

- to test and evaluate the effectiveness of a woman mentor studying the same subject area
- to evaluate how a mentor scheme for women multimedia students can encourage a positive transition into the working environment
- to explore the possibilities of expanding the mentor scheme into a more formal activity / group

PRP: Artefact 5 - The Idea

2009-05-20T19:47:00.002+01:00

Artefact 5:

Idea:

- To create an environment involving women and men working on technology together
- Final year fashions show (roles - camera operator, live video feed and live video editor, runner)
- Test / observe confidence level when approaching new technology
- Alter circumstances i.e. change roles, provide support as a mentor / trainer
- Mentor subjects throughout the course of the practical test
- Record the test in a video diary format with stills

Aim:

- to explore women’s approaches to roles within audio-visual production that involve technology
- test how the confidence levels are affected (through observation)
- establish whether having a woman mentor / trainer affects the confidence levels or approaches

PRP: Artefact 4 - The Evaluation

2009-05-18T21:57:00.000+01:00

For my 4th artefact I worked on a Bollywood film production and carried out various tasks as part of my job role as Assistant Co-ordinator. This enabled me to explore the representation of women in an audiovisual working environment. As a work experience student I had the flexibility to experience different aspects of the film production, which allowed me to fulfil a range of roles.

Having worked on the set as well as the production office I was able to develop a better understanding of the role of the director. In addition to this, after a week into the placement I was given the opportunity to shadow a woman 2nd Assistant Director (AD) who has had over eight years experience working as an AD.

Through observations, working practice and conversations with crew members I discovered that in order to achieve a vision it is important for the director to have creative and technical awareness. Therefore confidence around technology is an influential factor in implementing ideas effectively on film.

I also found that my confidence increased after the 2nd AD joined the production. She acted as a role model or a mentor for me and enabled me to learn skills and techniques quickly. This related directly to my previous artefacts which have highlighted the need for women in the industry to set an example for women studying multimedia subjects.

I feel that the idea of a ‘mentor’ could effectively increase confidence with technology. The role of the director requires an authoritative approach in both technical and creative terms, which is a characteristic that can be built upon with the support of a role model.
I intend to explore the confidence of women with technology for my next artefact by doing technology based exercises or focus groups with current multimedia students.

PRP: Artefact 4 - The Result

2009-05-18T21:54:00.003+01:00

1st Week: Roles fulfilled by women
–Choreographer
–Hair & Make-Up
–Production Manager
–Assistant Co-ordinator
–Casting Manager
–Props Buyer

2nd & 3rd Week:
•Woman 2nd Assistant Director
•No Creative or Technical control but she has been 1st Assistant Director for over 8 years
•Knowledge about women in the film industry
•Conversations about the representation of women in Multimedia
•Acted as a mentor / role model

I found:
•Directing involves full creative control of the film and knowledge of the technical aspects
•Requires and authoritative character in order to achieve a vision
•Difficult to manage personal and professional life in order to be successful
•Having a role model can influence your attitude, approach and confidence within a role of authority
•Women tend to be good at organising and ‘paperwork’ (that’s what I did too)

PRP: Artefact 4 - The Test

2009-05-18T21:51:00.002+01:00

Worked on a Bollywood film production (VEER) for 3 weeks and carried out the following roles:
»Assistant Co-ordinator
»Floor Runner
»Production Assistant
»2nd Assistant Director
»Tea/Coffee girl
»Junior Artiste Assistant

Tasks:
»Create Call Sheets
»Create Movement Orders
»Liaise with 1st AD, Line Producer, Producer, Production manager
»Lock off public for a take
»Co-ordinate Junior Artistes

PRP: Artefact 4 - The Idea

2009-05-18T21:48:00.001+01:00

•Idea
•To work in an audio-visual environment where I can experience and observe the roles fulfilled by women
•Explore different attitudes and approaches to women working as directors or in a technical environment
•Examine my approach and understanding of how I could become a director
•Explore possible solutions or factors that could influence my confidence and approach to film making

•Aim
•To gain an understanding of the representation of women film directors and what the role entails (technical abilities, authoritative approaches)

PRP: Artefact 3 - The Evaluation

2009-05-18T21:47:00.000+01:00

For my third artefact I visited the Birds-eye View Women’s Film Festival and used this to test the representation of women as directors. The under-representation of women as directors was highlighted as an issue at various sessions in the festival. However I found that there are women directors in the industry who are passionate about the role.

Through my findings I discovered that confidence, mentoring and parental responsibilities are three main factors that influence the role of directing for women. I found that the women that were able to manage their career and be a parent at the same time were able to progress in the industry and implement their career aspirations. However this is an element of lifestyle that would be difficult to test within the time frame and practicality of this research project.

After speaking to various practitioners in the industry it is evident that mentoring is an important and influential foundation that has enabled a sense of confidence in women. Therefore this is an area that I will be exploring.

In relation to this I will be setting up a mentoring scheme for first and second year Multimedia students. Mentoring is a concept that requires time to build a relationship. The effectiveness of this can only be tested over time. For this reason I am beginning to implement the idea from now so that I can fully explore the idea for an artefact further into my research.

For my fourth artefact I intend to concentrate on the idea of confidence. I will be exploring how this is related to technology and film directing. This is a subject that focuses on the psychology of practitioners. My aim is to test levels of confidence and evaluate how these levels are influenced.

PRP: Artefact 3 - The Test

2009-05-18T21:37:00.004+01:00

I attended the film festival and had a conversation with:
Holly Gromasio – Pervasive Games Designer
Sarah Blow – Founder of Girl Geeks
Rachel Millward – Birds Eye View Founder
Mary Harron – Film Director
Kate Kinninmont – WFTV Chief Executive
Jeanie Finlay – Film Director

I watched screenings of:
The Age of Stupid – Franny Armstrong
Frozen River – Courtney Hunt
International Shorts – Various Women Directors
UK Shorts – Various Women Directors

I gathered the following quotes:
–“You have to pretend to be who you want to be before you become it” Mary Harron
–“How do I become part of this world?”
–“What matters is getting your way!”
–“I don’t think you should have to make a choice”
–“They’re not in the big time”
–“I’d like to think that I might make 4 feature films in a year. But whether I can or not …”
–“They have a single-minded unquestioning will to become a director”
–“You’ve got to have the balls to do something, make things happen”

I learned that:
6% of film directors in the UK are women
16% of games designers are women

Live Client: The Production Stage - An Evaluation

2009-04-20T22:59:00.007+01:00

The total production stage consisted of 8 different shoots. I felt that overall I was able to develop the following skills:

Technical - Having continuous contact with technical equipment such as the Sony Z1HD camera and sound recording devices meant that I was able to pick up techniques of setting up and operating them efficiently. I was able to learn new features and functions by experimenting with the equipment.
Organisation - In order to ensure all the aspects of the shoot ran smoothly it was important to ensure the crew was aware of the schedule, the correct equipment was booked and hired for the appropriate day and the client was aware of what would be happening. This encouraged me to think laterally about all the influential factors.
Communication - I was required to communicate effectively by e-mail and in person throughout the production stage. It was crucial to be accurate in all the information that I was conveying as this affected the shoot creatively and technically. I picked up techniques where I paid extra attention to detail such as shoot times, locations, shot lists etc. The process also steered me towards making a standard system that was applicable to all the shoots. For example each call sheet had the same information but was adapted according to the particular shoot. I found that the shoots ran according to schedule as a result of effective communication.
Professionalism - I attempted to maintain a high level of professionalism with both my client and my crew. This increased my confidence as an independent multimedia practitioner as I was encouraged to act in a fashion that would be accepted in the industry. This includes characteristics such as punctuality, politeness, good presentation, co-operation and subject specific awareness.
Business Management - Creating a budget, keeping receipts of expenditures and providing invoices all formed part of developing awareness of the business aspects. This made me consider the cost implications of hiring extra equipment, taking extra taxis for transport, providing lunch for the crew members etc. Considering this was a university project, many of my costs were cut, however if this was to be commissioned or paid for I would have to seriously consider how my services (and the crew's services) would be paid for in addition to the overheads etc.

The production stage has developed a large range of skills in a short time as I had access and exposure to such environments on a day-to-day basis. I have been able to use the pre-production stage and the proposal to support the success of completing the production stage in time. I feel that I could have improved the process by allowing further time for testing and learning how to use the equipment as well as familiarising myself further with locations such as the primary school for the interviews.

I think the most effective aspect of the production stage was the team of crew members. This ensured that each role was fulfilled with concentration. However I feel I could have improved the quality of the footage by selecting crew members with expertise in certain areas such as sound. A major drawback was the lack of expertise in cinematography and lighting which had a direct impact on the quality of the interviews.

My skills and techniques as a producer and director were tested during this stage of the client project. I believe I have improved on my abilities since the simulated project as I have implemented strategies that were effective and introduced systems that I thought were needed. I have developed in practical experience of audio-visual production.

Live Client: Shoot 7 - Adult Interviews & Shoot 8 - Post Parade

2009-04-20T22:38:00.004+01:00

Compared to shoot 7 I was more prepared for the set up of this shoot. In addition to this I was more familiar and aware of the location and the people that I would be interviewing. I found that having experienced a similar set up for the children's interviews, my crew was able to set up at the Playwork's office efficiently. I had learned the fundamentals of lighting and was able to adjust the positioning to suit the location.

Lighting - Photograph by Tom Edson

I feel that that this shoot ran far better in terms of schedule, technicality and creativity. As I was more prepared I could achieve the look that I required and I could also capture answers that were crucial for the story of my documentary. The room that I had selected to conduct the interviews was larger than the room in the school and we had further flexibility with adjusting the natural light from the windows. This had an overall effect on the technical quality of the shot.

As well as filming the interviews I had integrated shoot 8 into the same day as it involved the same location. Although this was a drastic change to the schedule it proved to be beneficial as it saved time in hiring out equipment for another day, gathering crew and spending money on transport. I found that I had developed a directing style, and although the production falls within the genre of documentary I was able to direct the characters (staff of Playworks) to achieve particular shots that were crucial for the ending of the film. In order to avoid a re-shoot it was very important to capture the required footage.

PRP: Artefact 3 - The Idea

2009-04-20T15:27:00.004+01:00

After having decided that I will be concentrating the research area in a problem area that is more dense, the next artefact took the form of attending a Women's Film Festival in London.

The idea was together practical understanding of whether the statistic of 'only 6% of film directors are women in the UK' was actually true. My aim was to speak to film directors and organisers of the event to distinguish the main reasons for the shortage of women film directors.

I also wanted to record the information in multimedia format i.e. sound recordings. However this was dependent on the circumstances at the festival.

Live Client: Shoot 6 - Children's Interviews

2009-03-26T22:04:00.005Z

This shoot was completely different to the 5 earlier shoots for various reasons:

The camera was framed, static on a tripod. Compared to the other shoots the size of the shot was decided and it stayed the same for each interviewee. This is the contradicting aspect highlighting the underlying theme of how 'play' has just stopped. This is how the documentary begins - still and static. The pace then picks up.
The set up involved a full 3 point lighting kit. This was challenging as we were limited to space and adaptability in the location. In terms of practicality we had to shoot the interviews in the school in a smaller room than desired.
The shots were more directed rather than 'fly on the wall' as I wasn't just capturing what was happening but actually creating what I wanted to happen.

I found the interview process particularly challenging as I couldn't predict what the children would say. This was when my directing skills were really tested because I didn't want to force an answer from the children but I also needed to achieve and gather particular dialogue to tell my story.

Lighting is an area that is difficult to get right. It was useful to have the crew's perspective and help to achieve the style I needed. We had a black backdrop with strong 3-point lighting. I wanted to highlight the lighting and make it obvious that the 'subjects' were under a spotlight. we had limited space, which affected the lighting technique. Cinematography is an aspect of filmmaking that I would like to explore and learn in depth.

SPP3: Images - the Aim

2009-03-26T12:51:00.006Z

Image 1 - Profile Image

As part of the assignment we were required to submit 4 images, of which one had to be a profile image for the exhibition catalogue. The other 3 images were intended to represent your work. My aim was to represent the following aspects:

Audio Visual Specialisation
Theme of Women & Children

Image 2 - Canvas Installation

I chose the canvas installation Indian Women for the first image. For the other two images I wanted to create montages from the production stills of the Street Play documentary. I had not created photo montages before and therefore found this very challenging.

I used very simple techniques to create the photo montages, which mainly involved creating a layer mask and placing the images in particular places on the layers. It was a very lengthy process that required attention to detail.

Image 3 - Street Play

I found that this image summarised what the documentary is about - the right for children to play. My aim was to show the idea of play and making noise about play. It is also clear that the film was about a parade / rally. However I don't think it is explicit that the images are a compilation of stills from a documentary. Though the theme of children is clearly portrayed.

Image 4 - Audio Visual Production

I found that this image represents both my research and client project. It is clear that my specialisation is audio-visual. I have not made it explicit but the underlying theme of the image is women in multimedia, which is the focus of research project. I think that this image also outlines my values in a production - collaboration and teamwork. I did not want to just show me working with a camera, I wanted to show that I work with people to produce my vision as a combined effort.

SPP3: The Final Showreel

2009-03-26T12:45:00.001Z

The Final Showreel: March 2009

SPP3: Showreel - The Editing Process

2009-03-26T12:21:00.004Z

Initially I intended to use my previous showreel and expand on what I had already created. However as I began I found that I needed to start again with a new project. This time I decided to choose the music first and edit the content in relation to the rhythm and the time of the music. I chose a royalty free piece of music by Kevin McLeod. Compared to the music in my previous showreel this piece had a faster tempo and an upbeat motivational mood. It also had distinctive beats that were easy to split into bars of 4, 8 and 16. I decided to distinguish the videos by allocating a particular number of bars for each. This helped me follow a structure and create excitement to keep the audience engaged.

Showreel Edit - Click to see larger image

I came across various challenges:

Making sure the edit was precise - in time with the music. As the beats were defined it was easier to line the cuts in time with the music.
Engaging the audience - I had to make sure that the videos were not too long or too short so to keep the viewer engaged throughout the 2.30 minutes.
As well as the videos I had to create titles in Photoshop. With the flexibility of CS3 I was able to import them into Premiere easily. However it was challenging to place them in the right part of the video and ensure the transition was smooth. In order to ensure the consistency of the titles I decided to be precise with how long they were i.e. each transition was timed at exactly 4 seconds.
To match the music I had decided to use eye-contact as a repetitive feature. This was difficult to time with the music but was very effective as the video and the beat complimented each other.

I found that it was very beneficial to keep coming back to the edit after a break as I noticed subtle time differences that I could change. In addition to this I asked peers for their opinions to see how effective the showreel was. The final challenge was to ensure the music levels were appropriate as I had integrated diegetic sound with the music. I felt that this would be effective especially for What NTU Can Do For You as I was Sound Operator. I thought it would be suitable to be able to hear the sound as well as the music. This techinque worked well so I decided to use it consistently as a feature with each video. I found that the diegetic sound ehanced the quality of the showreel and proved my ability to give attention to the sound as well as the image.

SPP3: Showreel Content

2009-03-26T12:02:00.004Z

The aim of the showreel was to represent myself and my work in an audiovisual piece no longer than 3 minutes. Over the three years of studying Multimedia I have gathered a portfolio of work in different areas of the audiovisual pathway. Most of all I have had the opportunity this year to work on projects directed by peers. Compared to my first showreel in December I had a range of videos to show my versatility as a practitioner. In addition to my directing and producing ability I was able to highlight my skills in following direction and fulfilling roles like camera operator, sound and camera assistants. Below is an outline of the content of my showreel:

Introduction - Who I Am and What I Do
Street Play - Community Documentary - Producer & Director
What NTU Can Do For You - Promotional Video - Sound & Camera Assistant
Holding Pattern - Short Film - Producer & Director
Indian Women - Canvas Installation - Photographer & Director
No Knives? Positive Lives! - Youth Documentary - Camera Operator
Iranian Women - Video Installation - Director
Sketching in the Nature - Digital Sketchbook - Camera Operator
Green Kutchh - Environmental Documentary - Producer & Researcher
Outro - My Contact Detail

In my first showreel I had concentrated on the design of the transitions and the brand of the showreel. With the feedback I decided to focus on the actual video content and toned down the transitions. I thought the simplicity would be more effective. I also highlighted exactly what each video was and what role I had in the production, this was something that wasn't clear in the first showreel. However I decided to keep the brand consistent by using the colour scheme of black, blue and white and I also kept my logo the same as I felt it represented my personality well.

SPP3: Assignment 2 - The Submission

2009-03-26T11:28:00.005Z

For the final submission I chose the following job roles and courses:

Job

Working Title Films - Action 2009! -
http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/employer/working-title-films/
Freemantle Graduate Scheme -
http://www.fremantlemediagraduates.com/home.html
BBC Production Trainee -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/pts/
Informa Media Academy - Graduate Scheme -
http://www.informa.com/graduate/media_academy

Post-Graduate Course

The Mountbatten Internship - New York Programme -
http://www.mountbatten.org/mipweb.nsf/pages/ny_academic_programme#cert
MA Global Media -
http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-1202
MA Film Producing & Business Management -
http://www.glam.ac.uk/coursedetails/685/520
MA Arts Management - http://www2.northampton.ac.uk/portal/page/portal/Arts/home/research/pgrad/ma#am

My rationale outlined my reasons for choosing the Action 2009! programme and The Mountbatten Internship rather than the other options. As my career aspirations are to become a producer for film and video, I specifically chose roles and courses that required a combination of creative and administrative awareness. I feel that this integration will allow me to implement and develop the skills that I have gained through my education as well as learn new techniques applicable to the industry.

SPP3: Assignment 2

2009-03-26T11:02:00.002Z

Assignment 2 had various aspects that were put together to make the 'Post-graduate' package.

4 Job Advertisements
1 Job Application (Cover Letter, Content, CV)
4 Post-Graduate Course Advertisements
1 Post-Graduate Course Application (Cover Letter, Content, CV)
1000 Word Rationale About Application Choice
Exhibition Profile Text & Image
Exhibition Portfolio Images
Exhibition Portfolio Showreel

The aim of the assignment was to prepare myself for whatever I choose to do after graduating.

PRP: Artefact 2 - The Evaluation

2009-03-05T15:00:00.000Z

For my second artefact I decided to conduct interviews with practitioners in the creative industry. The questions were based around the answers I had received from the students in my first artefact. I had contacted various practitioners such as web designers, film producers/directors and games designers. However due to their commitments I was only able to speak to two practitioners over the phone.

I spoke to Meena Patel, a web designer who described the design industry as a split of 50:50 men to women ration. On the other hand she highlighted there is a lack of women developers but the reason for this is dependable on interest. I found this observation interesting and learned that there are more women in web ‘design’ than I had perceived.

I also spoke to the film producer Cassandra Sigsguard. She said there are many women film producers however only 7% of directors in the UK are women. She outlined one of the reasons for a lack of this representation is female interests and lifestyle choices.

I have drawn on a conclusion that the representation of women in Multimedia is weighed according to the sector. Due to the nature of this project I feel it would be more efficient and effective if I concentrated my research on an area that is denser with the problem. I feel that there are less women working as directors and game designers.

For my third artefact I have decided to focus the research on women film directors. I will be using the Birds-eye View Women’s Film Festival as a foundation for this. I can then apply the findings from this to the other areas of multimedia in the broader context. In addition to this I will continue engaging with other women practitioners to enhance my understanding of the project.

SPP: Exhibition Ideas

2009-02-19T19:58:00.002Z

COLLABORATION & NETWORKING

I feel that the themes of collaboration and networking would be effective for our final year exhibition. Multimedia is made up of various mediums and requires collaboration at all stages. I think that these two words represent the educational format of the subject and the industry that we all intend to enter. The image below is very simple and breaks down the idea visually.

Live Client: Shoot 5 - The Play Parade

2009-02-19T19:26:00.006Z

Today was one of the most challenging shoots that I have experienced. To start off with we were a crew of 10 people and we had three cameras to cover the event. Fortunately the weather was on our side and it was not raining. I found that having detailed shot lists for each camera was very useful and ensured that the shots I required were captured. The day ran smoothly and on schedule. The crew members worked very hard and took initiative for the project as well as worked well as a team.

We all found ourselves racing up the roads of Radford and trying to keep up with the marching crowd of over 100 adults and children. The parade only lasted for approximately 20 minutes but that time was very tense busy and stressful. It was very difficult to direct 3 cameras at the same time and I had to trust the camera operators to achieve the objectives I had set out in the shot list. It was extremely beneficial to have 'spotters' helping the camera operators. They also made logs of the shots and time-codes which will simplify the editing process. Although I now have 3 hours worth of footage for only one event, I think that this will also give me a big choice of shot sizes and angles for the edit.

Delegation is a quality that comes with hard work and practise. Especially after being used to doing everything yourself, it is something I think I am developing quickly with the scale of this project and find that this is achieving better results. Audio Visual production requires a range of skills and requires the input of various people, creatively and practically. Having to co-ordinate 3 cameras was a useful exercide and I feel more confident in operating the equipment. In addition to this I have been working with the same crew members on a regular basis and we now have an understanding of the ways in which we work. The day brief at the begginning of the shoot was very important to me and I think it was essential to gather the crew and communicate my intentions for the day.

Overall I am pleased with the outcome of today and am looking forward for the next shoots as well as the editing stage.

Live Client: Shoot 3 & 4: An Evaluation

2009-02-19T19:15:00.005Z

These two shoots were based at a new location: Radford Primary School. I found that signing release forms was the most challenging factor. In order to simplify the process I had written my own version of the release forms for parents. However it was still complicated to explain the project and obtain signatures from parents with time constraints. We were set up fairly early in the day, which resulted in extra crew members available to help with the release forms. I learned from this process that the paperwork involved in the filmmaking process is by far one of the most influential facors in the success of a smooth shoot. I had to ensure all the details were correct and in place, including risk assessments.

Shoot 3:
Camera: Sherrilyn Lombardelli
Sound: Matthew Robinson
Production Assisstant: Janet Chu

Shoot 4:
Camera 1: Sherrilyn Lombardelli
Sound 1: Diana Sabau
Camera 2: Alex Burton
Sound 2: Matthew Robinson
Production Stills: Tom Edson

We finished both days on schedule and captured the footage that was required. The weather was not pleasent and it was raining on both days. This made me consider the implications of this happening on the day of the Play Parade. It would be very difficult to get the shots I want with bad weather conditions!

Live Client: Shoot 2 - An Evaluation

2009-02-19T18:49:00.003Z

Shoot 2 was very similar to shoot 1 where we tried to capture the office atmosphere at Playworks. Unfortunately it was not as busy as the week before but we still managed to get the shots I had outlined in the shot list.

For this shoot we also had Tome Edson present to take production stills, which is very useful for documenting the process of making the film. I found that as a crew we were very efficient as we were familiar with the location, characters and the style. In addition to this we had formed a working relationship from the shoot before and understood eachother. Furthermore we were more comfortable and confident with the equipment.

PRP: Artefact 2 - The Interview Questions

2009-02-11T23:53:00.004Z

What was your route into your career?
What is your educational background? Do you think this has an influence on your career choice?
What did you find the most challenging when approaching a career in the creative/ technological industry?
Do you feel there is a shortage of women in the industry?
Do you feel that women multimedia creators are less well known and recognised? Why?
What do you think affects or influences the choices women make about their further education and career prospects?
What are your thoughts about women mentors or role models? Do you think that having a role model could influence and motivate aspiring artists? Do you think there is a lack of this in the UK?
Did you have a role model, mentor? Did anyone really influence you?
How do you think the profile of women in multimedia can be increased?
What factors influence, persuade, inspire and motivate you as a multimedia practitioner?
Do you think women take on roles that they are expected to by society? On a subconscious level?
Do you think women create their own barrier into the industry without realising?

These questions are subject to the answers given by the interviewees and are intended to lead to further conversation about the subject.

PRP: Artefact 2 - The Idea

2009-02-11T23:43:00.003Z

After interviewing young women studying Multimedia I decided that I needed to interview Multimedia practitioners in the industry in order to broaden my understanding of my research. The questions will be based around a similar style to my first artefact, however they will be targeted to a different audience.

Considering the time constraints I have decided to approach women working in and around Nottingham so that they are accessible. I may not be able to capture a physical sound recording of the interviews as the interviewees may have other commitments. I aim to at least have a conversation with 5 women from different areas of Multimedia. This conversation may be face-to-face or over the phone.

I am hoping to collect information that is specifically related to the working environment and how this relates to women and multimedia. I feel that practitioners' and students' answers will resemble and differ and various ways.

PRP: An Interesting Statistic

2009-02-11T23:26:00.003Z

I found an interesting website in which a blogger has commented that only 16% of the Games Industry are women. I found this is powerful statistic yet I was not surprised. I don't know any women that are recognised in the Games World. I am sure there are, but they are not publicised enough.

http://grandtextauto.org/2005/06/17/women-games/

This figure has been taken from Aleks Kritoski's paper 'Chicks and Joysticks: an Exploration of Women and Gaming' found at

http://mypages.surrey.ac.uk/psp1ak/publications.htm

Live Client: Shoot 1 - An Evaluation

2009-02-06T16:33:00.004Z

Street Play Documentary: Shoot 1
Location: Playworks
Scenes 3 & 4: Rally Preparation at the Office
Time: 10:30 - 15:00

Crew:

Director: Bindni Karia
Camera Operator: Sherrilyn Lombardelli
Sound Operator: Samantha Kirk
Production Assistant: Diana Andreea-Sabau

Production for the Street Play documentary began today. I was really nervous yet very excited. We were very punctual and the whole shoot ran very smoothly accodring to the schedule. I found it extremely helpful to have time to test the equipment before we set out. Fortunately the crew arrived earlier than expected which meant that we had time to go through each piece of equipment.

I had decided to have a calm and planned approach to today's shoot and feel this worked very well. For example I spent almost an hour introducing the crew to all the characters at the Playworks office. I also allowed enough time to brief the crew on health and safety and describe exactly what I wanted to achieve from the shoot. This meant that we were all well prepared and less time was wasted in discussion as the shoot was taking place. We took our time to set up the equipment and to ensure that everything was connected correctly. It was very important to double check the format, ratio and mode on the camera.

I found that setting up the sound was the most challenging task. Samantha was very confident with the equipment. I have not been through the footage yet and am worried how the sound has been recorded. As a crew, we worked well as a team and I found that staying calm and focused was extremely beneficial when trying to capture shots on the move. As a bonus we captured everything that I had planned to in the shot list. However I decided not to take the shots outside due to continuity issues with the snowy weather.

PRP: Artefact 1 - The Evaluation

2009-02-05T17:56:00.001Z

For my first artefact I carried out verbal interviews with 10 current Multimedia students from varying levels and pathways. I recorded these interviews in audio format. The questions were based around their reasons for studying Multimedia, their expectations of Multimedia, inspirations from role models in the industry, intimidation by technology, future career prospects and women’s expected roles and subjects.

From the test I discovered that Multimedia seems to be a continuation or follow on from subjects like Art, IT and Media. Students find that confidence is something that holds them back especially from furthering their knowledge in technical areas. They find that technology can be intimidating in certain situations. It was highlighted that men tend to pick things up quicker and this may be due to interest, i.e. women are just not interested in technology. They agreed that to a certain extent it is women’s attitudes and assumptions that sometimes limit them from prospering.

I found that majority of the students feel more comfortable when working around women and they are motivated or inspired by them. However when asked if they were influenced or inspired by a Multimedia practitioner in the industry only 30 % could quote a name.

This raised the question of whether there are women in high status roles within Multimedia and if there are, why are they unheard of or not publicised as much. In order to explore this further I will need to look into how current women practitioners began their career and what, or who supported them. I need to gain a deeper understanding of what women in the industry think of their representation and what can be done in order to improve this. Or what can encourage and inform more women Multimedia students about their particular prospects within the industry.

PRP: Artefact 1: - Quotes from Interviewees

2009-02-05T17:53:00.003Z

The following are a series of quotes that I gathered from the interviews. This allowed me to describe my artefact test in detail at the presentation. The quotes also act as a form of analysed results.

“…how did they get that knowledge and I haven’t?”

“men are always seen as one above us…but I think its getting a lot better”

“we just couldn’t pick it up as quickly…don’t know whether that’s because lads spend more time on the computers as teenagers…”

“…we should learn to have a bit more confidence”

“it is the social aspect of it”

“I think there are a lot less women in the industry because they just don’t find it interesting”

“…learn what you know and improve on that”

“Women now, just generally across the board are becoming a lot more career minded and pushing the boundaries”

“Its interesting, its nice to work with women as well”

“Boys are more drawn to the subjects than girls, I don’t know why…”

“I should maybe know more and be more confident…if I’m with girls I feel more comfortable”

“Not really confident with the ‘tech’ side"

PRP: Artefact 1 - The Presentation

2009-02-05T17:49:00.002Z

I did the presentation of my first artefact today. It was a useful and productive activity as it required me to fully analyse and understand my results before talking to my peers about them. The presentation also allowed me to recieve feedback from Simon and the other students in my group about how I can approach the next artefact.

It was an informal presentation and I used a powerpoint presentation to summarise my findings. The presentation prepared me to write the 300 word evaluation in a clear and concise format.

Live Cleint: Testing Equipment

2009-02-05T02:41:00.004Z

I had a two hour session today to use and test the equipment that I intend to use on Friday's shoot. I am mainly concerned about capturing everything that the protagonist says as this is how the story of my documentary will be revealed. However I also need to capture the ambient sound and have control over the levels of each in the edit.

http://www.windovertheearth.com/VSoundDevices.html

As a result of conversations with academic staff and technicians I have decided to use a portable mixer and connect a radio mic and a K6 mic into two separate mic channels. I will pan each mic hard left and hard right and change the settings on the HD camera so that each mic records onto separate channels. Although this method will result in two mono tracks I will effectively have more control on the levels of the dialogue and the ambience.

http://www.toptech-tls.co.uk/Radio%20mics.htm

At first i found it extremely difficult and challenging to get my head around the equipment. All the cables and buttons. But I am really glad I had a test today rather than on the day of the shoot. Once I attempted to push the buttons and discover what each function does, I learned that it is quite logical and not as complicated as it looks. I have made noted but I hope that I can put all this into practise for the shoot. I will have far more assistance than I have ever had on a shoot and therefore I will have more support. Fingers crossed....technically!

Hive Creative Business Programme: Communication Workshop

2009-02-05T02:22:00.004Z

I attended the 3rd Hive Creative Business Programme workshop today. The theme was communication and we had discussions and participated in activities related to this subject. We had a guest speaker (Mark Denermare) who described the perfect pitch as:

"an appropriate, concise, evocative and authentic piece of communication"

http://www.lcsc.edu/library/ILI/Classes/bus_comm.htm

The delivery was targeted to make us think about communication in Creative Business aspects, however I felt that this clearly and directly linked to the film and documentary film industry. Communication is essential in all parts of the Multimedia Industry. I am acknowledging the importance of it even more as I work with my Live Client.

A pitch should be memorable and you should be able to make a good first impression. Your communication should espouse your values and the values of what you are selling. Your voice must resonate and you must get into tune with your audience in order to effectively communicate to them or even with them. The pitch must be appropriate, as there are different formats for different audiences.

http://www.ntu.ac.uk/hive/index.html

According to a survey carried out in the 1970's at the University of Pennsylvania USA by Dr Ray Birdwhistle communication is divided up into the following sections:

7% = words
38 % = confidence in your voice
55% = physiology - body language

The session ended with an activity that involved creating a brainstorm about myself - what I believe in, what my skills are, how I describe myself. With this we each tried to write a 40 word personal statement. This is what I came up with in the 5 minute time limit:

An effective communicator and a lover of people and places. Combined travel and industry experience to develop skills in detailed organisation. Culturally aware with a positive and collaborative approach to creative challenges. A responsible and professional working attitude with enthusiasm for learning new things.

It is still in the process and I think it still needs improving. Overall I thought the session was very motivational and will definitely help me in my projects.

Film Review: Slumdog Millionnaire

2009-02-04T02:55:00.003Z

I watched Slumdog Millionnaire last week. I had heard and read many reviews about the film before hand and also seen interviews of Danny Boyle and Dev Patel. I had an idea of the plot and the story, I had also listened to the soundtrack many times.

I felt that the film was shot adventurously and the young actors were amazing. They were actually co directed by Loveleen Tandon. In addition to this I think the sound was one of the most influential aspects in creating the atmosphere, pace and anticipation in the film. A R Rehman has a distinctive style and I have always enjoyed his music. I particularly liked how various genres of music were used to add to the story. Such as the homage to classic Bollywood songs and also the remixes of EMI's songs. The lyrics emphasised and complimented what was happening visually on the screen.

In particular, I could relate to the scene where the young boys are making a living by selling products illegally on the public trains. I experienced this first hand whilst travelling on the trains in India and felt that the song that accompanied this scene was really well placed.

Although the film's story was predictable I think it was a great effort. I thought the sound was the best aspect of the film.

PRP: Artefact 1 - The Test

2009-02-04T02:48:00.002Z

I have carried out 10 interviews with current Multimedia students. They range from different years and different pathways. I have recorded each interview in audio format. I did not ask the same questions to each interviewee as their answers influenced the next question.

I found it interesting that each interviewee had drawn upon personal experiences to answer the questions however their response was similar in many ways. I am currently reflecting on the interviews and forming a method of representing the results as they are compiled.

As mentioned before, my aim is to find a common thread or a link to lead me to my next artefact.

Live Client: The Big Crew Meeting

2009-02-04T02:37:00.003Z

Over the past three weeks I have been running what I call 'A Massive Recruitment Campaign' for people to get involved in my project. So far I have had exceptional response from the first year Multimedia Students. They seem very enthusiastic and willing to gain experience, which is nice to see. I think this form of collaboration is the way forward, they get the experience and I get a helping hand, it is a win-win situation.

http://www.incognita.com.au/

I have scheduled a pre-production meeting which is less technical and more of a 'prep-talk' before production begins. My aim is to increase enthusiasm between all the contributors and create a sense of passion for the film. I do not want them to think that they are working on my project but rather we are working on this project. Hopefully it will go well, I am quite nervous about it but also excited.

Live Client: Pre-production

2009-02-04T02:28:00.003Z

The first day of my shooting schedule is very close and I feel like I have a million and one things to sort out:

Location Release forms
Shot lists
Call Sheets
Risk Assessments
Floor Plans
Talent Release forms
Book and take out equipment (as well as confirm how to use some of it)

I found my way to the Fine Art department yesterday with the help of Owen. It was like I was visiting an unknown territory and everyone looked at me as though I was from a foreign country (Waverley - the city of Multimedia). However this adventure was worth it as I have got my hands on some pag lights which will improve the light source for my documentary.

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk

SPP: Graduate Job Application

2009-02-04T02:19:00.002Z

I recently made an application to the Informa Media Academy programme. Informa plc is a leading Media organisation with activities spanning Publishing, Events and Performance improvement across a number of specialist market sectors. A FTSE-250 company with offices in 40+ countries, 150 businesses and over 10,000 high calibre people worldwide. Informa is the largest publicly-owned organiser of conferences and courses in the world with an output of over 10,000 events annually.

www.informa.com

The 12 month programme would be based in London and would cover experience in the following areas:

Editorial
Events Research
Reports
Data Forecasting

Although this is not directly linked to Audio-Visual Production I think that the skills I have gained on the Multimedia course can be effectively applied to this job role. After the 12 months I feel that the experience will allow me to develop skills that would allow me to pursue a career in Producing & Directing. The programme will give me awareness in an international marketplace and I will be able to learn new managerial and transferable skills.

The application and interview process is long, I am looking forward to see if my application progresses to the next stage.

PRP: Artefact 1 - The Interview Questions

2009-01-27T21:09:00.004Z

Below, are the questions I intend to ask the interviewees:

Why did you choose to study Multimedia? Did you always think you would? What kind of subjects did you study at school and college?
What considerations, thoughts and concerns did you have about studying Multimedia? Did you think it would be technical, creative or both? Did you ever consider it a boy's subject?
Do you think there are well known and recognised women in the Multimedia Industry? Do you know their names? Are they established?
I have seen various women's' names in credits etc however they don't seem to be as publicised. All the big names tend to be men to me, how do you feel about this?
Do you idealise a woman artist / creator, do you look up to anyone as a role model? Has anyone's work influenced you so much to convince you to enter the industry?
Do you feel intimidated when you are around technology? Does this change when there are more or less men around you?
Do you feel challenged by technology?
There have always been issues and debates about women in Science Engineering and Technology (SET). What do you have to say about that statement?
It's actually women who take on roles that they are expected to. They stop themselves from climbing further up the ladder. It's their attitude and assumptions...not the society. What do you have to say about these statements? Do you think they're true?
What profession do you see yourself in once you graduate? a) See yourself? b) Would like to be in? Are A and B the same?
If A and B are different why do you think this is? The desirable seems to be unachievable? Do you have a back-up profession, why?
Do you feel like you fulfil certain roles or are better at certain roles because you're expected to?
Do you think women always deal with particular subjects or follow a certain style for example activism and feminism?

PRP: Artefact 1 - The Idea

2009-01-27T20:59:00.002Z

For my first artefact I have decided to interview women Multimedia students at Nottingham Trent University. I will capture these interviews in audio format as a record of the test and also make notes as the questions are answered.

My aim is to achieve a deeper and varied understanding of women's thoughts and opinions of their representation in the industry as artists. I intend to have a dialogue with each interviewee and I expect all the answers to be different. Although my objective is to ask particular open ended questions, I intend to leave the conversation open to changes and expect to ask questions that have been lead to and provoked by their answers.

From the series of interviews I am expecting to find a 'thread' or a 'link' that connects each answer. This will lead me to the next artefact. I am expecting a common occurring theme in the answers although they will be based on personal experiences.

Research Via Practise - The Question

2009-01-27T20:56:00.002Z

The aim of the second part of the research project is to present arguments, test them and present the conclusions via practise. This involves practically creating tests every six weeks in order to explore and investigate an argument or question.

For my artefacts I will be researching:

How have successful women multimedia artists managed to enter the industry and what provoked them to avoid or overcome the limitation commonly characterised as ‘the glass ceiling’?

Research Via Practise - Gantt Chart

2009-01-27T20:54:00.001Z

Client Project - Gantt Chart

2009-01-27T20:18:00.004Z

Below is a gantt chart that outlines my time management during this project. To summarise:

Pre-production = December 08 & January 09
Production = February 09
Post-Production = March 09
Contingency = April (week 1)
Distribution & Evaluation = April (weeks 2-4)
Screenings & Publicity = May 09

Total Production = 6 Months

Client Proposal Presentation

2009-01-27T19:12:00.004Z

For my presentation I started off by showing the pilot film to introduce the subject, establish the characters and also show the style I am aiming for. I then went through slides with key points about the proposal as a guide. I felt the presentation went well and my confidence in talking in front of groups of people is improving. I received the following feedback from staff and peers:

Structure: define further in terms of what each section will represent. Instead of beginning, middle and end use establish subject and problem, climax, find solution, conclusion (what happens now) and resolution.
Pilot was clear and concise, showed the subject and style well. Last shot of the pilot however was not good and should not have been used. The pilot represents your skills and ability and should therefore not include anything that is shot poorly.
Ensure clarity of exact shots for the production crew.
In the pilot some of the shots were not technically correct. Make sure interviews are done at eye-level and framed correctly.
Ensure same aspect ratio is used for all filming. I had captured some of the footage in 4:3 and rectified this after handing in the proposal. I showed the corrected version for my presentation.
Advised to use children as a means of telling the story, keep the theme running visually - giving children a voice - don't get carried away allowing adults to talk about play expectations and experiences.

I felt that presenting my idea to people was a beneficial exercise as it forced me to know my proposal inside out. This also gives me the chance to receive constructive criticism from individuals with experience in audio-visual production.

Client Proposal - The Final Draft

2009-01-27T18:35:00.005Z

The final proposal for my client proposal was a 30 page bound document to include the following sections:

Background & Introduction
Synopsis
Treatment
Characters
Locations
Style & Format
Structure
Production Plan
Budget
Audience & Distribution
Production Personnel
Appendices
A: Playworks Newsletter
B: Play Parade flyer
C: Work in progress DVD
D: Location Photos
E: Visualisations
F: Script
G: Scene Summary
H: Detailed Shooting Schedule
I: Detailed Budget
J: Production Personnel Details
K: Management & Legalities
Bibliography

Writing the actual proposal was a lot easier than I had expected. Although I think this was only because I had done a lot of background research and 'preparation' for the proposal (for example the proposal organiser in Michael Rabiger's book).

I found it very difficult to produce the budget as I lack skills on Excel, which is not good considering I want to go into Producing. I found it interesting however to find out professional rates for crew staff and prices for hiring equipment. In total the foretasted budget came to a grand total of £85,000. This is the cost for the entire production including salary, insurance, staff, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution. One of the largest cost I found was my salary (if the documentary was being produced commercially for broadcast).

Producing a detailed schedule was not only time-consuming but also difficult as certain aspects had to be decided. For example I used the Production Management Software Celtx to write a script, for which I needed to know precise details. The script then acted as a backbone to create a detailed schedule, scene summary, catalogue etc. Once all the main details were inserted the software efficiently produced reports, this indirectly saves time for the rest of the pre-production phase.

Ultimately the appendix items made up most of the proposal and supported the main written section. I enjoyed producing the proposal and it gave me an insight into aspects I wouldn't have otherwise thought of. Although the proposal had been handed in there is still a great deal of pre-production to do:

Detailed call sheets for crew
Recce of all locations
Risk Assessment for all locations
Obtain talent and location release plans
Shot Lists
Equipment Lists
Production Briefing Meetings

Client: Proposal Sections

2009-01-18T05:45:00.001Z

Cover Sheet
Contents
Synopsis
Treatment - Background Information, Structure, Sequences, Theme, Style, Characters, Location, Format (Equipment), Voice, Point of View
Storyboard
Target Audience
Distribution Plans
Schedule of Works
Budget
Production Personnel
Work-in-progress (WIP) - DVD
Work-in-progress (WIP) - written description

Client: Proposal Organiser

2009-01-18T05:35:00.003Z

In order to put my documentary into perspective and fully understand the subject I followed an organisational structure outlined by Michael Rabiger in his book Directing the Documentary. This tool included the following sections which forced me to think deeply about what kind of film I am about to make.

Working Hypothesis - what do I believe in? how is this reflected in my film? what are the conflicts? what is the POV? What do I want the audience to feel?
Topic & Exposition - the film's subject and background information
Action sequences - characters that will appear, events and activities that will take place
Main Characters
Conflict
Social Significance
My motivation for making the film
Audience, its knowledge and prejudices
To-camera interviews
Style
Tone
Structure
Resolution

This process not only made me question why I am making this film but also how it will come together as a story and what significance each aspect will have. This has also prepared me to write my proposal.

Multimedia Trip to London

2009-01-13T13:05:00.003Z

We went to London yesterday to see the Indian Highway exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery. The exhibition was a lot smaller than I expected but very interesting. I really liked the collection of paintings by India's respected artist M.F. Husain, which depicts the history of India. I also visited the Tate Modern with a few friends. I did not have any expections and was amazed by some of the work showcased. I liked the piece 'Let a Thousand Roses Bloom' by Anslem Kiefer (2000) and also 'Thirty Pieces of Silver' by Cornelia Parker.

http://www.tate.org.uk/magazine/issue1/newacquisition.htm

http://kids.tate.org.uk/films/thirty-pieces-of-silver.shtm

Sketching in the Nature

2009-01-11T06:22:00.002Z

Armita Shirazi is an MA Textile Design and Innovation student. She decided to do some work in the park as part of her project. She required a record of her process and asked me to produce and direct a video for her. This was a personal project through which I developed my camera operation and editing techniques. I found it challenging as I was working completely on my own however this also encouraged me to be creative and produce a piece of multimedia with minimal resources. Armita showed the final video to her tutors and also presented the last minute to the whole Art & Design MA group. This video will be used as part of her research and development as a digital sketch book.

Live Client - Rally Meeting

2009-01-11T05:41:00.004Z

I attended a meeting on the 8th Jan 09 at Playworks with regards to the Rally that will be taking place in the February half term. This will be a big part of the documentary and will also be challenging to film. Through the meeting I discovered that the documentary can easily take shape of a common structured story to include a beginning middle and end. Although this kind of narrative structure is almost inevitable I do not want the outcome to be visually typical. This has made me think of ways in which I can create something that visually tells the narrative and emphasises the importance of 'play' without using common characteristics such as interviews. This is not only to make the documentary unique but to also support and compliment the underlying theme of children having 'freely chosen' play opportunities and therefore having their own voice to represent what they think play is.

Alice suggested that we could do a play session with the children about filming. I think this would be very interesting and could lead to shots and ways of telling the story that may not be achievable by an adult or student camera operator. However this would mean varied image quality and formats as the children would use a normal miniDV compared to a HD Camera.

The idea of allowing the children to tell the story of play has made me consider splitting the documentary into two parts:

1. What is play?
2. What is the Street Play Project? = Alice and the Rally

These two areas fit together well, part 1 establishes the subject and introduces the problem. Part 2 finds a solution through the character Alice Sidwell and resolves the problem through the rally as the launch of street play. However the story has to be constructed precisely in order for the parts to flow into eachother.

SPP3 - Assignment 1 Evaluation

2008-12-15T20:03:00.022Z

I thought that this assignment was challenging, interesting and useful. Whilst doing the client and the research project it is easy to forget what use all the studying will be once university is finished and I have graduated. This assignment forced me to think about myself as a Multimedia Practitioner, my current position, how I would like to represent myself and how this representation will effect my career prospects.

I found that creating a logo and colour scheme was the most useful exercise and helped me form and identity for myself which I can continue through the course of the final year, use in the exhibition and also use after graduating. I have also realised however that my showreel is a working creation and will always have scope to be expanded on or improved. This is also applicable to my logo, however consistency can prove to be effective especially in the industry.

I would like to continue adding to my showreel as I will collect material from other projects. In addition to this I would like to develop my online portfolio into a hosted website with a personal domain and access to upload videos. I feel that this project can be expanded further by creating business cards with contact details and my web address. This can be seen as a form of easily distributing access to myself and my work as well as portray a professional working practise.

SPP3 - Showreel December 08

2008-12-15T20:03:00.021Z

This is my final showreel:

I submitted the showreel as a fully authored DVD and also created a label and a case for it. I think that the presentation of the final product has as much of an impression as the product itself as it is the first thing an audience (or an employer) will see. This not only shows a sense of professionalism but also emphasises my brand and logo.

SPP3 - Editing the Showreel

2008-12-15T20:02:00.016Z

I found compiling and editing the showreel the most difficult part of the assignment. A showreel wholely reflects the artists' work and personality and also sets an impression to whoever sees it. I began with deciding on the sound to accompany and compliment the image montage. It was also difficult to represent my organisational and production management skills. As I already had a brand identity I incorporated the colour scheme and the logo.

I wanted the final showreel to have a professional and creative feel so I used a combination of still frames and videos. This was challenging to edit and ensure the timing was right. I found that establishing a rhythm in time with the music made the videos flow. It is important to keep the viewer engaged but also show enough of a particular video in order to show off skills and style. Therefore I continuously showed friends versions to make sure all the aspects were appropriate and not too long or short.

The beginning and end of the showreel are essential and leave a lasting impression. I felt that my logo and a photo of myself would introduce my personality. The last frame of the showreel had to include contact details. I decided to include my logo again to emphasise the continuity of my brand.

SPP3 - Rationale & Catalogue Text

2008-12-15T20:02:00.011Z

My rationale included the following sections:

- Introduction
- The Producer's Role
- My Skills
- Routes into employment
- Importance of Brand Identity
- My interests - Women & Children
- Research focus - Representation of women
- Case studies - Mira Nair, Kathleen Kennedy
- Importance of final year exhibition
- Catalogue entry

I inserted the catalogue images into the text and referred to them when appropriate as justifications to why I chose those particular images and how they relate to my current position in the industry and my future career objectives.

Catalogue Text:

"Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental
blueprint and begin. Climb high; climb far. Your goal is the sky; your aim is
the star " [Robert Collier & Inscription at Williams College]

Outgoing effective communicator and a lover of people and places around
the world. Key believer in respect, hard work, planning and action.
Experience and skills range in audio-visual production, image manipulation,
administration and researching.

SPP3 - Catalogue Images

2008-12-13T15:54:00.005Z

As part of the assignment we were required to submit 8 or more images that may be used in the Multimedia Exhibition catalogue. These images would structure how I am trying to portray myself as a Multimedia artist. I decided that I wanted to reflect various skills through projects I have carried out. I also wanted the images to reflect the kind of subjects I am interested in.

I submitted 11 images and compiled them in Photoshop with a common colour and font theme in relation to my brand identity. The final images can be seen on my Online Portfolio at

http://bindnikaria.carbonmade.com/

The online portfolio can be used as a professional tool to advertise myself and my work. Ideally this would be more efficient as a fully hosted website with facilities to upload videos and my showreel. Although this would require personal funds and additional commitment and skills it would be very useful and valuable. I can set this is a target for the next assignment. Furthermore this would be more professional if I had my personal domain, like I do with my blog.

Live Client Shoot 1 - Preparation

2008-12-13T15:53:00.026Z

Playworks held a re-launch of the Play Action Network (PAN) which was a social event and debate on ‘the state of play today’. PAN exists to bring people interested in play together; providing a forum for debate on current issues affecting children and young people’s freedom to play, highlighting good practice and mobilising action needed to preserve and promote play at a grass roots level. This was an extremely valuable opportunity to capture some footage of the launch presentation of the Street Play project by Alice and Paul and also gather information and research from the variety of people connected to play in Nottingham.

Although I did not intend to begin filming until early February, I decided to shoot the re-launch of PAN as a form of research. Considering many important people were going to be attending it would have been a shame to shoot the event with only research objectives. This forced me to think about the narrative of my documentary and capture particular shots as well as research. This meant I would need to prepare various pre-production documents. To start off with I found this difficult to put into context as I had not planned the rest of the shoots or set the story in stone. Therefore I approached this task by looking at the basics – I considered what foundations would be required for the client project as a whole. Below is a list of the preparation I carried out:

1. Find crew for the shoot – E-mail 2^nd and 3^rd Year students

2. Book equipment

3. Create posters to inform guests of filming

4. Location Release

5. Talent Release

6. Shot List – shots that will be used in documentary

7. Location plan and Recce

8. Shoot day schedule

9. Call sheets for crew

10. Brief client on what will be filmed

11. Brief crew on what is required of them

12. Risk Assessment

13. Buy Tapes

14. Interview questions for particular guests

SPP3 - Creating My Brand

2008-12-13T15:53:00.022Z

The objectives of this module are based around how this degree can be put into practise after graduating. I see it as a way of forcing you to think of what you will do after university. This particular assignment is about branding yourself and compiling material that can be used as tools to sell yourself. Critical ingredients of a brand include a logo and a colour scheme and in order to design these I first needed to establish what I want this brand to say. What connotational messages do I want my logo and colour scheme to send to my audience - potential employers? I wanted to say the following things:

- Organised
- Creative
- Multimedia
- Management
- Professionalism
- Cultural
- Belief in respect
- Belief in reaching for the sky
- Strong and bold
- Technical - production skills

These were aspects that I wanted to be reflected throughout the assignment - in the showreel and on-line portfolio. Amanpreet Budesha is on the Online Environments pathway and is focusing her final year around Brand Identity. Through consultations with her and experimental designs I established a colour theme and also designed a personalised logo.

I felt that this logo represented me as a person, my values and what I believe in. I think that it also portrays a creative and professional persona that can be carried through my creations as a brand identity.

Live Client - Playworks

2008-12-13T15:52:00.003Z

My live client is going to be Playworks – is an independent citywide voluntary organisation that exists in order to support and promote children’s right to good quality / freely chosen play opportunities.

Playworks is funded by the National Lottery for various projects and is launching a new ‘Street Play’ project. I will be producing and directing a documentary about the project assistant Alice Sidwell, how she is involved in the project and what she intends to do with it. The final multimedia product will be an authored DVD and will also act as a promotional video for Playworks. I intend to make a character lead authored documentary with a strong stylistic approach.

The research process had begun from the first meeting with Alice and the Project Co-ordinator Paul Booth. They have given me an overview of the project, how it fits into the Play Action Network (a larger project) in Nottingham and what their intentions are in the coming months with regards to Street Play.

Holding Pattern

2008-12-11T09:55:00.002Z

ISIS Application

2008-12-09T14:06:00.001Z

ISIS is a programme being offered to Women Film Makers from the Documentary Filmmaker’s Group. I had made an application to this programme which included a proposal for a 5 minute short film on a Human Rights subject.

I had chosen the subject of a child’s right to freely chosen play opportunities as this was an area I had already looked into for my Live Client project. The proposal included outlining a summary of the film, the structure, style and scenes that would be included. Unfortunately I was not successful and was not short listed for an interview. However the application was a big learning curve and improved my application skills as well as my CV.

I had worked on my CV extensively to make it more subject-specific and to show my multimedia skills, experience and qualifications. This was difficult and I did not realise how irrelevant many sections in my CV were. Overall I really enjoyed the application process and I am sure it will help me develop my skills in the SPP3 module.

SPP3 – Assignment 1

2008-12-09T14:05:00.000Z

Showreel
- Camping
- Boy
- Holding Pattern
- Virtual Water
- India Documentary
- Sketching in the Nature
- Indian Women Installation
- Name
- Logo / Brand
- Producer & Director
- Contact information

Online Portfolio – Website
- Domain (bindni.com / bindnikaria.com)
- Logo / Brand
- About Me (biography, main skills, aspirations)
- Showreel
- My Work (images, stills, installation)
- CV
- Contact Information

Catalogue Entry 75 words
- Who am I
- What do I do?
- What are my main skills
- Goals and aspirations
- Contact information

Rationale 1000 words
- What images I have chosen
- Why I have chosen these images
- How am I a practitioner
- How I position myself in the audio-visual industry

SPP – End of Year Exhibition & Electronic Portfolio

2008-12-09T14:04:00.000Z

As part of our final year we are given the option to take part in an end of year exhibition. The main purpose of this is to showcase ourselves and our work to professionals in the industry. This will create networking opportunities and also a chance to ‘sell ourselves’ to potential employers.

This links in with the first SPP3 assignment which includes an electronic portfolio and a written catalogue entry that can be published in an exhibition handbook. Considering most of my work is in an audio-visual format a digital Showreel would be the most ideal and appropriate format of an electronic proposal. An online portfolio would also complement this and can be targeted to a wider audience through the World Wide Web.

Although I lack skills in web developing there are many programmes and online avenues through which I can create an online portfolio with minimum programming experience. This has really made me think about how I want to brand myself as a multimedia practitioner and what how I want to represent myself.

PRP – The Conclusion & the Question

2008-12-09T14:03:00.001Z

Part of the conclusion was to define what I had found out from the process and what I intended to test in the second part of the project – Research Via Practise.

How have successful women multimedia artists managed to enter the industry and what provoked them to avoid or overcome the limitation commonly characterised as ‘the glass ceiling’?

How can women Multimedia artists be encouraged to develop their education into successful carreers?

What are the limiting factors that prevent women from developing their education into practise and succeeding in the workplace? What can be done to encourage women to overcome these limitations?

PRP – Writing the Document

2008-12-09T14:02:00.000Z

I found that beginning to write the document was very difficult. Although I had looked at a wide variety of sources it was a challenge to place them in a linear and coherent manner. So I decided to make a table or a form of database which I could constantly refer to and also put all the sources in one place and into perspective. The table consisted of the following fields:

1. Area (Multimedia, women, representation, technology?)
2. What is being said in the source (main points)
3. Who said it (author, title, section, page number)
4. How does this relate to my topic
5. Is it ‘for’ or ‘against’ my argument

This process not only gathered all the sources into one document but also gave me a clear idea of what my argument is and what I can use to back it up in the discussion. I began with writing the Literature review followed by the discussion. As I wrote the conclusion the question that will be tested in the second part of the project also became clearer. The Research Method, Introduction and Abstract were straight forward sections.

To improve my project I could have concentrated on time management, as I found that having a draft to constantly work on and revise would have benefited me further. However I spent more time researching rather than actually writing the document. I would have been able to develop the final document if I had allowed myself more time between versions of the drafts to reflect on what I had written. In addition to this I also found that referencing the document as I wrote it would have also saved me time. I learnt how to personalise and use the Refworks software package which proved to be very efficient.

Simulated Client – Presentation and Feedback

2008-12-09T14:01:00.000Z

The final stage of the simulated client project was to present the multimedia product in your tutorial group. The following are the main points of feedback I received:

- Message not so clear – what virtual water actually is
- Message could have been stressed further by voiceover
- Video quality not so good – could have been improved by lighting
- Sound levels needed to be adjusted
- Voiceover was very effective
- Graphics were good – could have been slightly bigger and bolder
- Concept was really good, the idea made sense
- Good subject choice – something that people don’t really know about
- Could have been improved through better technical skills

I felt the feedback was well justified, and agreed with what my peers and tutor advised. My specialisation within the AV pathway is producing and directing and therefore the final product lacked high quality standards although the concept was really strong. By concentrating on my skills and using other specialised people for the actual production I could drastically improve my future projects. For example someone with camera operation skills and specific sound skills would know the technical aspects better than I would and I could therefore concentrate on directing them towards what I want to achieve.

Overall I thought the concept of Virtual Water was quite strong, however due to my lack of technical skills I was unable to deliver the idea effectively through the advert.

Simulated Client – The Final Multimedia Product

2008-12-09T13:23:00.005Z

This is the link for the final Multimedia product:

Simulated Client – The Edit

2008-12-09T13:20:00.003Z

Unfortunately the editing process began with my tape being wound up in the editing machines, resulting in loss of some footage and sound. This really stressed the importance of cleaning tape machines and backing up footage. Luckily I hadn’t lost too much to require a re-shoot.

As the total footage was only 5 minutes I was able to capture it all at once. In addition to this I had decided the sequence of shots in my storyboard, so it was very straight forward to prepare the first edit. I showed this version to various people and received the following feedback:

- slow down the part where food is thrown into dustbin so you can see the product
- Improve graphics
- Add a voiceover to accompany graphics
- Increase the pace of the advert

I recorded the sound separately on an Ediroll which gave clear quality and enhanced the image. During the shoot I had made the error of recording the sound in mono and this not only created further work during the post production but also resulted in clipped audio which decreased its quality. I used Adobe Sound Booth to master the final sound mix.

Although I have used Adobe Premiere before to edit video I found it difficult to get used to the new version CS3. To overcome this I made use of the online tutorials through which I learned about new features only available in CS3 like ‘Time-remapping’. In addition to this the integration with other Adobe software packages was a lot easier through Adobe Bridge. This was especially beneficial for creating the graphics in Illustrator, developing the graphics into a frame in Photoshop and then finally transferring them to Premiere. With CS3 I didn’t have to save the frame or graphics in particular formats to import them into the other software. This could be done directly through the ‘Export to ….’ Feature.

Sheffield International Documentary Festival

2008-11-08T00:23:00.008Z

On Thursday Atif and I went to Sheffield for the International Documentary Festival. We didn't actually see any screenings but attended the New Comer's Day held by the DFG (Documentary Film Group). I found the whole day an extremely useful and valuable experience. It opened my eyes to the Industry as well many other aspects of filmmaking that I didn't realise. The day included four 90 minute sessions led by industry professionals from the DFG, Current TV, and Channel 4 amongst others.

Session 1: The ABC's (and XYZ's) of Getting into Television

Many things were covered in this session, below are a few of the ones I found really interesting:

Access - knowing a character, having an amazing story. Relationships with the subject matter can be used as a USP (Unique Selling Point).
Broadcasters: Channel 4 , BBC, Channel 5 - visit the commissioning sections on their websites for further information.
Commissioning Editors - the people that give you the money - funding!
Determination is key - you must keep going!
Executive Producers are the first point of contact - their job is to help you pitch your idea and make it work. You must have trust between each other.
Film Festivals are an excellent method to showcase your work - IDFA Amsterdam, HotDocs, South by South West, DocFest Sheffield.
Knowledge - know what's on TV; be aware of the media on a day-to-day basis.
Multi-skilling - learn to shoot yourself, have a high standard of aesthetics, and make sure you know about other areas of the filmmaking process.
Pitching - have titles, pictures and most importantly a STORY. Tell them what they will see i.e. scenes, shots. Pitch to your friends first to test your idea.
Rejection - is a part of the process, learn to accept and move on.
Taster Tape - always a good idea when pitching, it shows you have already thought about it and shows what the film might look like as well as your skills as a filmmaker!

Session 2: Who Do You Think You Are?

This session was led by Olly Lambert (Documentary Film Maker), Peter Dale (Commissioning Editor) and Kerry McLeod (DFG).

A commissioning editor looks for someone who can be their eyes and ears outside the building.
The ability to hold a conversation or dialogue is key
You must understand and watch TV and have a critical but positive take on it. This creates a common language which is reassuring.
You must want to engage with the world - know what's going on
You must have ideas but want them to be collaborative. You should have the ability to see that you are part of an industry.
Find your voice and your distinct signature - what kind of films do YOU want to make?
Smuggling - finding the balance between what you want to do and what the commissioning editor wants you to do

Session 3: Making the Most of the World Outside Broadcast

This session was led by Lisa Salem an independent film maker ('Walk LA With Me'), Danielle DiGiacomo (Head of Documentary Acquisitions at IndiePix), Kerry McLeod (DFG) and Isis Thompson (Student Film Maker). They covered the following points:

Build an audience
Use your audience to support your funding
Outreach and distribution also costs money
Look at the following artists who created their own funding: Franny Armstrong, Rob Greenwell, Liz Rosenthal, Tracy Rooster.
Visit following websites:
http://www.indiepixfilms.com/
http://www.workbookproject.com/

Session 4: The Current TV Pitch

This session was a 'Mini Meet-Market' where six individuals were given the opportunity to pitch live to a panel of Current TV Executives. The winner received a commission from current TV for their documentary which would be part of their Crime Season in March 2009. I found this session very practically useful as I got to experience how pitches are made, what kind of feedback the panel gave and also how they came to deciding the winner. I found the following points very interesting:

The pitch should include your idea, structure, style, characters, scenes and access
Something visual to accompany the pitch is very useful and attractive
Keep it short, concise, simple and clear
Ensure you have a STORY!!!
Know your subject - do the research
Having unique access is a bonus

Simulated Client: Production - The Shoot

2008-11-07T23:54:00.004Z

Virtual Water - Film Shoot 05/11/2008

Overall the shoot went really well and we finished ahead of schedule. I picked up the equipment on Tuesday 4th Nov and tested it that evening to make sure everything was working properly. This also gave me a chance to set up the lighting and tripod in advance to save time on the day of the shoot. Whilst testing the lights I found it very difficult to position the lights correctly to achieve a balanced shot.

For the main shoot I used 3-point lighting (image below) that involved a key, fill and back light. At first I attempted to position the key and back lights towards the subject, however after altering them slightly they worked better pointed up at the cieling. Therefore all three lights acted as fill lights, I think this was due to the bright white background behind the dustbin.

The position of the camera didn't change much and there were many scenes that ivolved various shots with the same framing but different props. As I had extra time I also took some different angled shots for choice during post-production, even though I hadn't planned to in my storyboard.

Amanpreet helped me with the sound and the actress Nina Richardson was from MA Fashion. She had also had some experience with lighting for her photography shoots and gave her creative input at some points.

Simulated Project: Risk Assessment

2008-11-04T15:51:00.001Z

Simulated Project: Call Sheet

2008-11-04T15:29:00.004Z

A call sheet is a very efficient tool in Video Production and filmmaking. It outlines all the necessary details of the production so that everyone involved knows exactly where to be and when. It not only acts as a schedule for the day/days but also becomes a checklist to ensure that nothing is missed out.

Risk Assessment: What is Required?

2008-11-04T11:28:00.001Z

What are the steps for carrying out a risk assessment?

Step 1
Identify the hazards

Step 2
Decide who might be harmed and how

Step 3
Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Step 4
Record your findings and implement them

Step 5
Review your assessment and update if necessary

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg163.pdf

Simulated Project: Shoot Schedule

2008-11-04T01:47:00.003Z

Virtual Water Advert: Shoot Schedule

Bindni Karia 2008 ©

Simulated Project: Floor Plan

2008-11-04T01:42:00.005Z

Virtual Water Advert: Shoot Floor Plan

Bindni Karia 2008 ©

Research - The Document

2008-10-31T23:04:00.003Z

I have now decided on a sub-topic for my research project, which outlines the following issues:

Employability of Women in Multimedia
Multimedia as an industry
Contemporary – Women in Multimedia – the representation, under representation, roles and issues
Education of Multimedia / Technological subjects to Women
Is it a male dominated industry? Roles for men and women

I have also made a start on the research documentby writing bullet points on what I intend to cover. The document will have the following sections:

Title Page
Contents
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Contents
List of illustrations (or figures)
Chapter 1 Introduction and context
Chapter 2 Research Method
Chapter 3 Survey of literature & works
Chapter 4 Discussion
Chapter 5 Conclusion
References
Bibliography
Appendices

My next objective is to actually write the document and carry out more focused research as required within the field of the topic. I think writing the document will direct me to researching certain aspects of the topic, rather than reading a wide range of materials and then trying to define them into a document.

Client Tutorial - 28/10/08

2008-10-28T13:21:00.003Z

We had a tutorial today and discussed what we have done so far on our simulated project and what we plan to have achieved by next week. My goals for next week's tutorial are to have the following things:

1. Booked equipment
2. Sorted out crew members
3. A draft edit of the advert with the text
4. Location photographs
5. Floor Plan
6. Shot list
7. Date and time of shoot
8. Live Client Project - draft of agreement

Proposal Presentation Feedback

2008-10-27T13:12:00.004Z

Below is the feedback I recieved for my Proposal Presentation:

- Strong facts about chosen topic - Virtual Water
- Decision on final shots not clear i.e. exactly what products will be thrown away in the dustbin
- Visual images, audio-visual items or photograpghs would have improved the presentation
- Good delivery of presentation
- Good justifications for decisions
- Client liaison needs to be included in the schedule of works
- Consider cast
- maybe introduce male character
- Clearer direction of location
- Clearer direction on who will be part of the cast and crew

Since the presentation I have been looking for an actress for my advert. Although I have found someone that fits the profile she is not available until the middle of next week, which means I may be delayed on my schedule. However it is still possible to shoot the advert and have a final edit by the end of next week.

Independent Charity Work

2008-10-21T11:27:00.004+01:00

I was approached by a friend who is organising a charity Fashion show in Leicester. She required some marketing material to advertise the event. I took this as an opportunity and did a mini client project with her. She gave me a brief with requirements and all the information that needed to be advertised to the target audience. She gave me the following details:

Even Name
Date and time
Location
What the event will include
Contact details
Logos
Colour theme: Cream and Red

From this brief and a few e-mail conversations I decided to produce an A3 poster design, an A6 Flyer and an A6 ticket design. In the beginning I gave her 6 options, 3 of them were according to her colour theme and in three of them I had added another colour to the theme – black. Below are a few of the options I gave her, she decided with design 2.

Design 1

Design 2

Design 3

Design 4

Design 5

Design 6

I developed her chosen idea into three promotional pieces: poster, flyer and ticket. Although the layout, design and theme were exactly the same on all three each one had slight differences to fulfil its purpose, for example, the ticket design had a small box to writ in ticket numbers and also detailed information on the address of the location. The poster and the flyer were very similar, below is the ticket and flyer designs that were sent to the printers.

Through this project I had built a relationship with the client, as this was voluntary I had to fit it in with my other commitments such as a part-time job and university. However my client understood my circumstances and was flexible about how quick I delivered the designs, even though she needed them urgently.

Verbal Proposal - The Presentation

2008-10-21T11:22:00.002+01:00

Below is an outline of what I have included in my presentation in my tutorial:

Slide 1: My name, ID, Module, Title and contents of presentation

Slide 2: Introduction, what is my piece of multimedia, my category, concentration

Slide 3: Research, what is virtual reality, facts about water crises and virtual reality

Slide 4: My Idea, plot summary, the message, aims and objectives of advert

Slide 5: Production Plans, advert length, location equipment and props

Slide 6: Gantt Chart Image

Slide 7: References and any questions from group

Simulated Project: The Proposal

2008-10-21T11:12:00.006+01:00

The proposal is divided into two sections, the written proposal and the verbal presentation. Below is an outline of what I included in my Written Proposal:

Introduction: What I am going to do, what the Multimedia problem is, the project and client requirements, what is my topic and what research I have done.

Treatment: An outline of my final idea to include plot, message, cast, mise-enscene, resources, etc.

Production Plans: Schedule of works (Gantt Chart - below), sound, lighting, equipment, post-production and editing techniques.

Click on the Image to see a clearer view of the Gantt Chart

Visualisations: A detailed storyboard explaining and showing what the AV will look like and feel like.

References and Bibliography: References that relate to the research and further reading material.

Simulated Project: Advert Concepts

2008-10-21T11:08:00.002+01:00

Idea A:
Fact about water usage in the UK followed by a visual montage. First someone brushing their teeth and suddenly the water stops, second someone washing the dishes and once again the water stops coming out of the tap. The same scenario occurs whilst someone is in the shower. The message would be to inform people of the water crises in the future and to turn off their taps.

Evaluation: Easy to shoot, simple and concise however not so unique and effective.

Idea B:
Fact: It takes 3400 litres to produce 1kg of rice
Shot: 1kg bag of rice next to 3400 litres of water
Fact: It takes 40 litres to produce 1 slice of bread
Shot: 1 slice of bread next to 40 litres of water
Fact: It takes 2700 litres to produce 1 cotton t-shirt
Shot: 1 cotton t-shirt next to 2700 litres of water
Etc

Evaluation: Easy to shoot no actor – maybe voice over needed, simple yet message may not be clearly delivered.

Idea C:
A young woman pours a large bucket of water into a dustbin. A fact about the water consumption in England is shown on the screen. The character then throws daily household products in the dustbin one after the other (each shot is accompanied with statistical text on its virtual water). This is to imply how much virtual water each product comprises and how much is wasted when these products are simply thrown away. The advert finishes with a question / statement about how much you as an individual can have an impact on the virtual water consumption of England. This will be followed by a website for further information.

Evaluation: Fairly simple to shoot, message is concise, may require too many props and could become too lengthy for brief but is effective as it could be shocking.

Idea D:
Marks & Spencers style spoof:
‘Its not just 1 slice of bread it is 40 litres of water used to grow the wheat.’ Etc
the same kind of dialogue with various other products followed by a website to visit for more information.

Evaluate: Humorous approach, many other M&S spoofs already on Youtube. Simple to shoot, no actors required only voiceover, however good production qualities difficult to achieve. Also difficult to gain legal access to original music score of M&S!

In the end I decided to develop idea C as I thought it would be the most effective and achievable keeping the brief and the client requirements in mind.

My Ideas - Part 1

2008-10-21T10:55:00.004+01:00

Below is a summarisation of my ideas and what my final product is going to be. This brainstorm helped me to put my final ideas into perspective.

Virtual Water - What Is It?

2008-10-21T10:46:00.002+01:00

'The way we use the planet's resources makes up our ecological footprint.'

http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

Through my research I was lead to the following website:

www.waterfoorprint.org

This website clearly explains what virtual water is:

‘…an assessment of the way that food, bio-fuel and cotton production can drive the over-abstraction and pollution of freshwater ecosystems. UK lifestyles are dependent on water from many nations, making British lives inextricably linked with what happens elsewhere.’

The organisation has done extensive research and studies into the consumption of virtual water in the UK. I found this particular aspect within the water crises very interesting as it is an issue that is not publicised as in issue in mainstream media. I therefore decided to make ‘The Government’ my client and ‘The General Public’ my target audience to produce an informative piece of multimedia to create awareness of the growing issue.

My Category: Climate Change

2008-10-21T10:19:00.002+01:00

Topic: Water Crisis

Below is some research I did on the water crisis forecasted for the future. Included are some very interesting facts and also some links to websites that I looked at as part of my research on this area:

More than 2.7 billion people will face severe water shortages by the year 2025 if the world continues consuming water at the same rate, the United Nations has warned

The UN body says wasted water is costing Europe around $10bn a year

at least 120 million people living in Europe - one in seven of the population - still do not have access to clean water and sanitation

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/1887451.stm

Within 25 years, half the world’s population could have trouble finding enough freshwater for drinking and irrigation

Nevertheless, one in six people still have no regular access to safe drinking water

The cost of providing safe drinking water and proper sanitation to everyone in the world by 2025 will be US$180 billion a year, two to three times greater than present investments

On average, individual daily domestic use of freshwater in developed countries is 10 times more than in developing countries. In the UK the average person uses 135 litres of water every day. In the developing world the average person uses 10 litres

On current trends, over the next 20 years humans will use 40 per cent more water than they do now

Water problems are more related to mismanagement than scarcity.

http://www.unep.org/wed/2003/keyfacts.htm

Already one person in five has no access to safe drinking water

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2000/world_water_crisis/default.stm

As WWF's new report on the UK's water usage explains today, virtual water is the volume of water that is required to produce a particular product. A can of fizzy drink might contain 0.35 litres of water, for instance, yet it also requires around 200 litres to grow and process the sugar that goes into it. A pair of leather shoes may contain no water at all, but it requires 8,000 litres to grow the feed, support the cow and then process its skin before you start wearing the shoes. Add all this virtual water together and you have a water footprint for a person, a business, a community or a country

a typical British household uses 30 times as much virtual water as the amount it obtains through the taps for washing, cooking or drinking.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/20/water.food

The UK has become the sixth largest net importer of water in the world

Average household water use for washing and drinking in the UK is about 150 litres a person daily, but we consume about 30 times as much in "virtual water", used in the production of imported food and textiles;

Different diets have different water footprints. A meat and dairy-based diet consumes about 5,000 litres of virtual water a day while a vegetarian diet uses about 2,000 litres

Other Reading:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/20/water.food1

http://www.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/UnitedKingdom

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2008/aug/19/water.food?picture=336718164

Simulated Client: Proposal Introduction

2008-10-17T14:46:00.004+01:00

After being given the brief I made a brainstorm of what this project is about, the options I have, and what factors will influence the decisions I make with regards to the final Multimedia product. Below is a summarisation of all my ideas, which will hopefully lead me to a more defined idea and proposal.

Click on the Image to see the Mind Map clearly.

Final Year Intro - Client Project

2008-10-16T10:57:00.000+01:00

The client project has two parts and we were immediately introduced to the first simulated project brief:

Produce a piece of multimedia that can be used to support a public information campaign. Cover ONE of the following categories.

1) Climate Change
2) Sexual Health
3) Sustainability
4) Healthy Living

At first instance, being on the AV pathway, I imagined and presumed my final product would be an advert. Also the ‘Climate Change’ category appealed to me the most. As a general subject I was interested in the ‘Water Crisis’ predicted for the future.

Final Year Intro - Research Project Ideas

2008-10-16T10:49:00.002+01:00

We had an induction into the final year of Multimedia to prepare us after coming back from the Gap Year. Jools explained what the final year will be about, the three modules and what will be expected from us.

As I had moved to Nottingham earlier I made a start on deciding on a research project. We were advised to research something in a field that we would like to enter after graduating from university. Documentary work and Producing are two careers that I am really interested in. On the other hand I was also interested in the development of Inidan Cinema in terms of technology, globalisation and crossover into the west.

I started off reading through various journals and articles through the online catalogue. I found that the areas were really broad and I found it extremely difficult to decide on a research topic. Here are the titles of some of the journals and articles I read:

‘Film Co-operation Agreement Between India & UK Will Increase World Audiences for Indian Cinema – Hindustani Times – 6 December 2005

Bollywood in Britain: Sight & Sound vol.ns8no.8 (August 1998) p.20-2

New Cultural Technologies & the Fading Gliter of Indian Cinema – Quarterly Review of Film & Video V.11 (October 1989) p. 69-78

An Investigation into the Use of Multimedia for Electronic Learning – Dissertations – Thesis MPHIL/2005/OLE

I then did a few brainstorms and mind-maps to see what areas I could research into. Below is a summarisation of the process:

After all the research and reading I decided on my Research Project Topic

'The Representation of Women In Multimedia'

I feel that the "Multimedia" aspect is very broad yet a very fresh and new area that has more scope rather than simply film making. However I think 'film making' will be the particular method I will use for the second part of the project - Research in Practise (Artefacts).

Gap Year Part 2

2008-10-16T10:40:00.004+01:00

I started working as a Youth Leader again and doing some temporary jobs along side creating the installation project for the Belgrave Playhouse. I had now decided to save up and travel South America.

The Inca Trail - Dead Woman's Pass - June 2008

In May 2008 I left the UK with a friend and started off the adventure in Ecuador. After that we spent almost three weeks in Peru which included an extremely challenging expedition to Machu Picchu through the famous Inca Trail. We travelled through many countries including Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uraguay, Brazil and Paraguay. I came across many interesting people and different cultures and lifestyles. It was an amazing experience and really improved my organisation skills as sticking to the itinerary was a key factor in the success of the trip.

Documentary - Finding a Story

2008-10-16T10:26:00.005+01:00

To make a documentary was a personal aim which I incorporated into the project during my free time. I had taken a Sony MiniDV Camera, a tripod and some blank tapes. Before I left I had a meeting with Deborah and Jools who suggested I should have a story in mind before I begin to shoot, otherwise I will end up with too much footage. This advise proved to be extremely helpful and practical.

I literally spent the first few weeks of the 8 weeks I was there talking to people – researching for my story. By the second week things were really not looking good, I had not shot anything and I thought my aim would not be achievable. However I hadn’t realised that all the talking was collating to form a subject that linked to me, the village and the school. All of a sudden I had a great concept, which started from a conversation with one of the trustees of the school. I discovered that support for village children in terms of further education after primary school was very small or didn’t exist, especially for young girls. This idea developed into an interesting subject matter about the importance of education (English and IT), the restrictions of social and cultural traditions in India that limit further education and the economic growth of the country that influences the educational system.

By the fourth week I had many notes and ideas on what could develop into a documentary. I then started planning shots and interviews. I had expected to start shooting in the 2nd week, however majority of my shots were taken in the last three weeks of my stay in the village.

I came back with a lot of footage, however due to access and working circumstances I was unable to develop the footage and edit it into a documentary straight away.

Belgrave Playhouse - Freelance Client Project

2008-10-16T10:07:00.007+01:00

The Belgrave Playhouse is a charity that provides care for children and young people in Leicester. In conjunction with the foundation I was set a broad brief to follow and produce an installation to be placed in their play setting.

My brief was ‘Indian Women’ and stretched through the 3 months I spent in India as a whole (including the volunteer project and travelling North India). Although I was set a brief I had the freedom to develop this into any product, which I decided would be photography based.

I had collected almost 250 photographs that were based around the brief of ‘Indian Women’. The next step was to liaise with my client (the Belgrave Playhouse) to produce the finalised project. I started with filtering the photographs to what I thought were effective images that met the brief exactly. I then took a collection of 30 photographs to a Committee Meeting where I did a presentation on what I did in India, what I had collected and what I intended to do with the material. The Committee in return gave me their feedback which I used to refine the photograph collection further to 12 images.

I placed the images in different orders and kept in contact with the director of the charity on a constant basis as I was also working there at the time. She would give me critical feedback in the various meetings we had, which developed the project further. These client meetings were essential as the communication ensured the client’s needs were met and also gave me ideas on how to improve my work. I learned that working with client is not simple and you can be restricted to their creative ideas instead of implementing only your perspective and opinion.

Below are some of the options that came out of meetings with the Client:

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

As you can see the options are very similar, however the smallest details would make a difference on the impact. For example how much space is left between the images and the order/placement of the image.

After many meetings and discussions as well as various changes to the design we decided on a final product which was then printed on a large canvas. The delivering of the product involved me researching different print companies and to get the best possible price for the print. Below is the final installation which is now placed in the ‘Homework Room’ at the Belgrave Playhouse.

Indian Women - Printed on Canvas 48" x 40"

Teacher Support Scheme

2008-10-16T09:59:00.004+01:00

To achieve the full objectives I felt it was essential I was close to the school, and therefore was fortunately able to stay with a host family in the village. This not only gave me an insight into rural village lifestyles but also what the students experience on a day-to-day basis.

Me - Washing Up

My Room

During the two months that I spent at the school I taught a various classes in English Language, assisted with the administration and maintenance of the school, devised an improved time-table with the Principal and motivated the children and teachers.

The School - December 2007

Gap Year Part 1

2008-10-16T09:50:00.004+01:00

I started off my gap year working as a Youth Leader with young people aged 11-18 years in a summer play scheme. This led me to an exciting opportunity to work on a volunteer project in India.

The Rushey Mead Foundation is a UK based charity that built a Secondary school in a village in the state of Gujarat, India. During the earthquake in 2001, BBC reporter Bhasker Solanki was in Gujarat and found the need for a school in a small village called Nagor near the city of Bhuj. The first class started in 2004 and since then the foundation has achieved a lot.

I was sent to the school with various aims and objectives:

1. Teacher Support Scheme – to provide educational and motivational support to the students and the teachers

2. Belgrave Playhouse Project – Photographic Installation project for a charity childcare centre based in Leicester

3. Documentary – possibly find a story to develop into a documentary

Stage 6: Insert Architectural Objects

2007-05-24T19:32:00.000+01:00

3D Studio Max has a feature that allows you to add ready made doors and windows. This feature was very useful as it made the process of this stage a lot quicker. As I had many doors and windows I decided to create templates, add textures to them and then clone them into the appropriate place on the model. This saved a lot of time as i didn't have to add textures to each object individually. Once again I used the elevations to estimate the size of the of the windows and the doors.

VR Stage 5: Model Proposed Extension

2007-05-24T19:28:00.000+01:00

Modelling the proposed extension was very quick and simple as I already had half of it done with the existing house. I just needed to add the extra walls, delete any doors and windows that would be demolished and boolean spaces for new windows and doors.

VR Stage 4: Stairs

2007-05-24T19:23:00.000+01:00

I created the stairs by cloning 3D boxes and placing them on top of eachother. There is a feature on the software which you can use to automatically create stairs, however I needed the stairs to be a particular height, length and width and found it easier to make them manually. As I didn't have exact measurements it took me a few times to get the stairs the right size. It was simple to align them as I already had the the 2D drawings as a guideline.

VR Stage 3: Boolean Windows & Doors

2007-05-24T18:58:00.001+01:00

To insert spaces for the windows and doors I started off by creating 3D boxes that were slightly bigger in depth than the walls. I then positioned them all on the model using the drwings as a guide to where the windows and doors are. Before I applied the bollean tool I added segments to all the walls. This made sure the structure was stable as when meshes are edited too much the model would collapse. Below is a screenshot of what the model looked like after the boolean tool had been applied.

VR Stage 2: Extrude 2D Splines

2007-05-24T18:45:00.000+01:00

I extruded the 2D splines to create the main structure of my house in 3D. I decided to model the existing house first and then use it as a basis create the proposed instead of modelling them both twice. I did not have measurements for the height of the house and therefore used the elevations as a guideline to estimate it. I kept the 2D drawings in the scene and positioned them on the model. This was useful for the placement of the doors and windows.

VR Stage 1: Trace 2D Drawings

2007-05-24T18:35:00.000+01:00

The first stage of the project involved importing the2D AutoCAD drawings into 3D Studio Max. I used these as a guideline to trace the main walls in the existing and proposed drawings for the ground floor and the first floor. At first I traced the walls as they were on the plans leaving gaps for the doors. However I realised that all spaces for the doors and windows would be inserted using the boolean tool. If the space for the door had been left from before then there would be no wall above it when the actual door was inserted. I feel these initial foundations of the project (walls and floor) were very accurate.

Virtual Environments - Project Planning

2007-05-24T18:28:00.000+01:00

Before I started modelling the house I felt it was important to plan what I was going to do on paper. This would break down the stages and would ensure I didn't forget to model anything. The following were the main stages that I would go through:

* Import CAD Drawings
* Trace
* Extrude Add details: Windows/Doors/Furniture
* Textures
* Lighting
* Other Details
* Model Extention Animation or Create VRML

Virtual Environments - Project 2

2007-05-24T18:13:00.000+01:00

Introduction

For this project we were set the following brief:

Design, model and present a virtual environment based on an industry that you think will benefit by using 3D modelling, to convey a message or an idea, i.e. architecture, town planning or internet chat room etc.

From this I wrote the following individual brief:

Design and model a virtual environment for 96 Surrey Street and its proposed extension. Present research and reasons on how you think 3D and Architectural Modelling will benefit the industry of Residential Property Development and its consumers.

My project aims and objectives were:

• To create a 3D model of the existing property
• To create a 3D model of the proposed extension
• To combine the existing and proposed 3D model to create a VRML walkthrough of the property or an animation of the extension
• Effectively demonstrate what the property looks like now and what it will look like after the extension