Welcome!

Just a quick note to welcome our new Year 12 students, this year we have a new specification to work from so there are going to be changes to this blog over time.
Good luck and enjoy your Media Studies A Level!

KW

Critical Research Hypotheses

Firstly, I hope you all have a good summer and return safely in September!

Secondly, I need you all to post your Critical Research hypotheses here please, we need to check that everybody knows what they are doing and can continue over the holiday.

Thank you!

KW

Bye

We are now close enough to the end of the year for me to confirm that Yes I am leaving at the end of this school year i.e Thursday 24th July.

I will keep in touch through visits to the blogs. But from here on in the Blogs are no longer mine.

Dermot White
(P.s my last lesson at Canon Palmer will be with Year 12 media Wednesday 23rd.)

P.P.s Easter egg number 4- another really useful one is contained in this post.

Critical Research

All post your Critical Research hypotheses here please!

They need to be ok'd by us asap.

Chunkies

Good to see nearly all the blogs updated now. It is even better to see that the standard of Posting has improved.
No more cutting and pasting -no more cutting chunks of other peoples work.

Now that the Vauxhall has disappeared I have introduced an new section.
CHUNKIES- If your blog appears there then you are CHUNKING material not researching.

DW

p.s great easter egg- useful for media and film.

Worth Reading

This article written by Kira Cochrane taken from the Guardian Newspaper July 1st 2008 is definitley worth reading for a number of reasons.

In purely CRITICAL RESEARCH terms it gives you an insight into how you should be 'SOUNDING' when you write on your blog and in the exam.

It is not an extensive critical research article and you may well disagree with some of the content but it has many of the features that you need to have in your work.

DW
p.s another EASTER EGG contained in this post- it is particulary useful for those doing Crime and the media.

Research

Remember what we have said about 'overloading' your blogs. .

Do not just cut and paste great chunks of 'interesting' stuff from other sources.
Be selective.Summarise and paraphrase the article you have read-then add a link to it.- If you do need to cut and paste it is vital that you acknowledge the sources in your post.

This LINK HERE may prove very useful to you all.

P.S This post has Easter Egg.

DW

The topics & Examiners reports

Here is the full list of topics and if you click on the topic you can read links to what the examiners made of the responses to the questions in Jan 2008 .
(Get the full report by clicking here.)
Advertising.

Children and the media.

Community Radio.

Crime and the media.

Politics and the media.

Sport and the media.

Television Drama.

Women and film.

World Cinema.

DW

Critical Research

Ok, so you have started your Critical Research and should now have an area of study and a preliminary focus. Your blogs must be updated regularly and always evaluate each stage as you progress, it will help in the later stages!
Don't worry if your focus changes, I expect it to in this early stage!

Always spell and grammar check!

Keep up the good work!

KW

FRIDAY 6TH JUNE

Sorry I can not be with you in today's lesson.

Welcome back from Study Leave and welcome to A2!

We begin Critical Research this term.

Before next lesson (use today) you need to change the focus of your Blog.

It must be redesigned as your "CRITICAL RESEARCH" blog-Your address etc can stay the same but the title and focus must change.

Forgotten how to blog? Then click here

Have look at some year 13 Critical Research blogs .
CHLOE
MAZAMAL
ALEC

You also need to write an introduction to the topic CRITICAL RESEARCH on YOUR blog.

Good Luck.

Miss you all already!

I know I will be seeing you all during and after the exams but we do miss our Year 12's.

Anywho, I hope revision is going well and that your all as busy as ...
Interesting updates on your blogs and I will be picking some new 'Picks Of the Blogs' v soon.

All those looking at social networking should have a look at this bbc report.


DW

Very Useful Links

These are new links which I will add to the links section but I wanted to bring them to your attention here first.

An opinion blog about the effects of New Media on Human Behaviour (Audience).

A blog that explores social networks, music and cellphones. (American for Mobiles!)

Wiki links.

Channel 5-The gadget show.

Want to know how to Blog from your phone -for free?

DW

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Be careful out there!

BBC exposes Facebook flaw.


Click on this for an interesting BBC facebook investigation.

dw




Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Pick of the Blogs.

Time to put the pressure on!
Now that people are blogging and revising it is time to look at the quality of what is being blogged.


From here on in your blog will be rated not just by the 'date of post' but also by the content posted- Don't just cut and paste - read and type.

A new feature on the blog is 'PICK OF THE BLOGS' and it will feature the best recent posts.
Check it out -(it is to thE right of this post).

DW

NMT

As I have said in the past there are some other really useful sites out there that you should make use of.

RSS media is The Robert Smyth School which is located in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Use this link to go to their contents page. Then find and follow the relevant links.

DW
Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

How does Social networking make money?

This is an interesting public information film. I have lifted it direct from Raeesa's blog.


DW

Shift Happens

This is the slideshow we used in lesson today.It has been described by some as "irrelevant and complete prediction" and by others as "impressive and thought provoking".



You can read the text of the presentation here.
The creator of the clip has some interesting things to say about the reaction to his work and you might want to read it here.

DW

Nearly there

Glad to see a good number of you using the blog and updating your own blogs over the two week holiday.

You may have noticed that those who update are placed at the top of the list and those who don't are near the middle or bottom. Harsh? Remember grades go from A-G!

You should have narrowed your case study focus and your aim now is to be the 'expert'. Remember to make use of BBC Technology and The Guardian Technology section in your preparation for the 'Comprehension'.

DW
Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Blinkx- and you missed it?

"What do you want to watch online - and how do you want to watch it? That's been the nagging question we in the broadcasting business have been asking recently - and it is an even bigger puzzle for those who have poured big money into internet video, from Joost to Babelgum, from YouTube to Veoh.com." Taken form 'Blinkx - another way with web video' Rory Cellan-Jones BBC website



DW

NMT-The future

This is the clip mentioned in lesson today.Stick with it...it is worth watching right to the end.

You should also have a read of this interesting piece.

DW

The final countdown

Coursework completed...

Now the fun begins.

Revision-

1-NMT- update your blogs.
2-Narrow your area of focus.
3-Use this link.

Remember NMT changes fast- Already this morning there is a news story about social networking.

DW

FINISHED.

The last few weeks have been very busy for the year 12 media class. All the hard work is beginning to pay off though as the 'almost finished' covers below show.
Remember each group also has a BLOG dedicated to their production so check them out and have a read of their articles.









GT
ALT STEP UP CINEMAG ADONIS

More magazine debates.

Click here for a CBBC debate that took place in 2004.

Click here for A BBC report about 'Lads Mags' from 2006.

Geoff Campbell, the acting managing director of Bauer publishing's mobile phone division, has been appointed managing director of the company's men's lifestyle wing, publishers of FHM, Zoo and Arena.Read more here.

DW

Teen -male market

I notice from the Magazine Blogs that some of you are considering the Teen- male market.
As with all the ideas you have make sure you have completed research into the market you are hoping to enter.

In 2004 a magazine called Sorted was launched into that market ...it lasted four months. Read some more about Sorted here .

Another useful link to have a look at comes via York College. Check this page out.

DW

(P.S CLICK THE TITLE 'Teen -male market' for more very useful stuff from York college.)

Magazine ABC figures for second half 2007.

The ABC figures were released a couple of weeks ago.You must make use of the data in your research. However I am not giving you the link. :( I am sure you can find it.

However here are some articles worth reading as part of your research.
The first one is from the BRANDREPUBLIC site and is about the Teen mag sales for 2007. You may well have to sign up as a user of the site to access the article. Teen mag sales 2007 Article here.

The second article is form SKY NEWS and looks at the drop in sales of Lad's mags. Find it here.

This last one is from THISISMONEY.COM

Find
it here.

DW

Welcome to Canon Palmer Media.

Special message for those attending the Sixth Form- OPEN EVENING-Tues 12th Feb 2008



You are looking at the year 12 media blog.
We also have : A year 12/13 Film Blog
A year 13 media blog.
A year 11 blog.
A year 10 blog.

You can check them out by clicking on the name of the blog you want to view.

Year 12 students use blogs as part of their media studies at Canon Palmer.
There are lots of links on this blog to student blogs..click here for an example, here for another one, and finally here for one more.

DW
P.S You are invited to use our Year 11 Revision Blog to help with your GCSE revision.

Fabulous?

"The News of the World has launched its highly anticipated new magazine, Fabulous... ".. the biggest revamp of the supplement since the 1980s, and means that NoW has one of only two weekly Sunday supplements aimed solely at women ..."But beyond the hype and expectation, does it really live up to its name?"

...READ MORE HERE

DW

60 Second Cinema

BAFTA AND ORANGE'S “60 SECONDS OF FAME”

Want to decide who from your region walks the red carpet at this year’s Orange British Academy Film Awards?

Over the last 3 months, budding filmmakers across the UK have been shooting 60 second films for BAFTA and Orange’s “60 Seconds of Fame” short film challenge. Now the best films from each of the 15 BBC nations and regions, as chosen by expert BAFTA panels, have been short listed HERE. BAFTA is inviting you to have your say and visit the website to vote for your favourite film from your region. The filmmaker with the most votes in each of the 15 BBC nations and regions will win two tickets to the Orange British Academy Film Awards in 2008.
DW

What type of magazine will you construct?

Unvarnished versus airbrushed


"Don't get sniffy about gossip magazines. When it comes to attitudes towards women, the affectionate fun they poke at imperfect starlets beats the servile deference of the upmarket glossies every time"... says Julie Burchill in the Guardian. Read the full article by clicking here.

dw

Magazine coursework

The prep work continues. I was very pleased with the photos produced in just one lesson and I will post some of them here v soon.


In the meantime this is also worth a look *ASME's Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years.




*American Society of Magazine Editors.

DW

Heath Ledger Found Dead aged 28

Oscar nominated actor Heath Ledger died yesterday. Ledger aged just 28 has recently finished filming for his latest role as the Joker in 'The Dark Knight'.

Click here to read more.

KW

Magazines

Good luck to all of you involved in exams at the moment. Remember DW is starting back with The magazine coursework element. There are already a number of useful links and posts on this blog relating to the task. This is a coursework element so you will need to know your stuff if you are to produce a convincing product.

Click here for a digest of all the Magazine industry related posts from this blog.

Click here for some interesting links from Nick Lacey. Be advised that these links refer specificaly to Magazine and gender.

If you need even more background reading then you could click here..this will show you all the year 13 magazine industry posts.

p.s keep your blogs blogging.

DW

Year 13 music vids

Click the title above or click here to have a look at the finished year 13 music vids.

You can find these and others (including last years vids) on our youtube channel...here

NMT-music year zero.

A very interesting article appeared in THE OBSERVER this weekend. Definitely worth a read to give you an overview of the turmoil in the music industry...and it is all blamed on NMT.

dw

Homestudy- Due in Wednesday 12th

This is a tough task but will be worth the hard work (and there is a reward!). It is due to be completed for Wednesday 12th Dec.

Click the title "Homestudy- Due in Wednesday 12th". It will bring you to the 'Testimony of Sir Timothy Berners-Lee given to the
United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce (01- 03-07)

Read it...Probably best to cut/ paste / print.

Summarise the testimony to 500 words and then add your response to the testimony (100 words). (total 600) Your completed task must be added to your blog by lesson 4 dec 12th. You must also include a picture or youtube clip to the task.

Good luck. This is the last Homestudy of this term.

The reward is in the links section on the right.

DW

NMT-Docs

A leap into the New media Technological future? (or an excuse to be silly ?) ...you decide.
The first 'vision' is from Dan D ,Emma h ,Alex,Tom L

Named and Praised!-UPDATED

Thanks to all those who have updated their blog and completed the Homestudy that was due in today Wed 21st.
Some of you have yet to finish (or start) the task. A full list of who has done what can be seen here, or here, or even here...but not HERE!.

Your Mini documentaries must be edited in Friday's lesson. In preparation for that I would advise you to have a look at some from Longroad media on youtube.--Remember yours will be posted on this blog and on Youtube when they are finished.

DW

Free Stuff

WHICH is well known as an independent consumer magazine. They have now produced a guide to digital TV and you can get it for free. This will be very useful for those considering Digital T.V in the Audience and Institution exam.
All you have to do is phone 0800533007 (free phone) and Quote the code TECH142 when asked for it. They will then send you the guide. I would advise all of you to order it.

(...for cat related stuff..click here and enter your blog address in the space...meant to be funny!)



DW

Homestudy -for Wed 21st Nov

You must go to 3 other student blogs and answer the questions they set on the Mobile Phone Music Industry article.
The answers must be left in the form of comments. If this is confusing in anyway then send me a question via comment on this post.
(Do not attempt to answer the questions set by those who also give the answers!)

DW

Prosumer

The term PROSUMER is mentioned in one of the 4 video clips that have been posted on the blog (also posted in this post).
The concept is a very interesting one and links in with all NMT discussions and Web 3.0


DW

Mobile phone music services-NMT-Homestudy for Fri 16th.

Can something like this save the music industry?
Click on the title 'Mobile phone music services-NMT' for the link to a very interesting article from the Guardian ( 12th nov 2007 ). You may need to register to read the full article..but that is no bad thing.

Read the article ,edit it down to 300 words (from 744) and post it on your blog (by Friday 16th) with four questions (not the answers.) Concentrate on L.I.A.R.


dw

Huw Wheldon lecture

Anthony Lilley gave the Huw Wheldon lecture-Being used in year 12 NMT LESSONS.(Click on the title for an article by Anthony Lilley about web 3.0.)

DW

Home Study task for Friday 9th Nov.

Update your blogs with more NMT related to your area. You should visit here for advice and then add at least two new features to your blog i.e a link list, a widget or RSS.

DW

Got what it takes?

Want to enter the ultimate short film challenge where 15 lucky winners will attend the Orange British Academy Film awards on 10 February 2008?
Visit here for more.

DW

Year 12 Homestudy

For Wednesday 7th November I want you to use bbc technology as the source for some research.

Find an article related to NMT, cut and paste it to a documENTt and edit it to 300 words. Then use it as a comprehension piece by constructing 3 questions based on the edited article. These must include questions about terminology.

DW

Mediabox-Money.

Mediabox offers those aged 13-19 living in England grants to make creative media projects for film, television, radio, online, print and multi media platforms.

Click the title 'Mediabox-Money' for more.

T Biggs Mills -yr13

Student blog

In preparation for the NMT section of the Audience and Institutions paper all year 12's now have a blog ( links on the right hand side of the page).

Over half term they had to;- Set it up (if not already set up in lesson). -Decide on a topic area to focus on (Click on the title 'Student Blog' for a list of the areas to chose from). - Get the blog up and running (that must be more than a picture of a cat!) before the first lesson back.

The blogs will continue to be used between now and Christmas and they should be updated regularly.


DW

Digital takeover.

"*The town of Whitehaven in Cumbria is hours away from being the first place in the UK to begin the official switchover from analogue to digital TV. BBC Two will be first to go in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with the remaining analogue channels switched off on 14 November."



So what exactly is Digital T.V
DW

The future of video games-NMT

"The video games industry is obsessed with the phrase "next generation", but what does it actually mean? What can gamers expect from any game given that name?"

Read more by clicking on the title 'The future of video games' from the BBC's CLICK programme

Of course no matter how 'next gen' they get nothing will ever capture the thrill of Pong.




DW

Reverse Engineer

In wednesdays lesson we continued our introduction to NMT and looked at how the wax record developed into the Mp3.

This raised a number of interesting questions to do with AUDIENCE , INSTITUTIONand even some thoughts about t.v detector vans!

The task for Friday is to reverse engineer (on paper) another media technolgy. You might look at T.V or moile phones (Click on the title 'Reverse Engineer' for more on mobiles.
Longroadmedia have asked their students to make short documnetaries on NMT. You can find them all here. This one is about the mobile phone.



DW

NMT

The NMT section of the exam will be introduced on Friday 5th oCT
Click on the title NMT for a detailed explanation of the unit.

I would also advise that you use BBC TECHNOLOGY to keep yourself updated on the latest developments.

The other excellent source for articles is this blog.

p.s You will be setting up a blog!

DW

So, you think you are talented?

Here's an interesting opportunity for those keen to work in media. T4 are offering you the chance to work as a photographer/journalist/music video director/fashion tailor/presenter or rapper.

You need to be over 16. For more info and the details of how to apply before SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7TH click on the title 'So, you think you are talented?'.

DW

Breaking The rules?

Once you 'know' how the media works you should look out for how the rules are broken for effect.

Adbusters.org (Click on the title above) is an example of an organisation that uses Media techniques to undermine media institutions.

DW

The Scarlatti Tilt-

This is the story we used in lesson to examine some theories of audience.

"It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a man who's learning to play the violin." That's what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver.

Below is a variation of the 'riddle' we used.

A man and his son are driving in a car one day, when they get into a fatal accident. The man is killed instantly. The boy is knocked unconscious, but he is still alive. He is rushed to hospital, and will need immediate surgery. The doctor enters the emergency room, looks at the boy, and says..."I can't operate on this boy, he is my son." So, the question is, how is this possible?

Click on the title 'The Scarlatti Tilt' for a link to a booklet about Audience.

LIAR

LANGUAGE
INSTITUTION
AUDIENCE
REPRESENTATION.

These are 4 of the key concepts in Media studies. You will have noticed that each lesson so far has had a focus on one or more of these concepts.

Click on the title 'LIAR' for a link to 'Mediaknowall'. It has some good defintions and discussions of these concepts.


DW

Magazines-Coursework

The first piece of coursework you will be involved in is to research/plan and produce a magazine front page and a double page spread.

Remember LIAR when preparing this.
In the case of magazines the Institutions are the publishers (links available on this blog)and possibly some famous Titles.

A good publisher to start with is Natmags

Click on the title 'Magazines-Coursework'to read an article about the current state of the magazine Industry.

DW

Welcome, Welcome back and Goodbye.

Here we are once again. Welcome back to those continuing into A2 and Good bye to those who have left yr 13.

If you were in the A2 class of 2007 (well done on the fantasic results) please get in touch via the blog and let us know what you are doing now. We love you all but we are particulary interested in those of you undertaking media related work/study. We will add you to our 'Where are they now section'. You are of course always welcome to leave comments about the work we discuss on the blog. Will this years music videos be even better than yours?

To those joining us in year 12 you are now members of the Blog.Be afraid Be very afraid!

To those in year 13- check out your new blog by clicking on the title 'Welcome, Welcome back and Goodbye'. This will focus on Music vids/Critical research/Media issues.

More to come.

Happy Holiday!

Have a great holiday, come back to us safe and ready to start Year 13 properly! Make sure you continue your research ready for tutorials otherwise I will have to do the angry face! Remember, we will be watching for your updates!

Ms Ward & Mr White

Critical Research Tutorials

We will start tutorials as soon as we return in September. You will each be given a 10 minute slot to discuss the progress of your research. You must bring your production log with you, this is a hand written log of all your research methods, with the date you found them and commentary on their appropriateness within your field of study. Also, make sure your research is evaluated and in order, anyone not prepared will find it very difficult to keep up in the new term.

You should all now have a range of primary methods completed e.g surveys, interviews, textual analysis and vox pops. You should also be collating several secondary sources, do not rely wholly on the internet! Use articles, journals and academic texts to support your study, if you only use the internet you will struggle to reach the higher grades. Anyone wishing to hold focus groups must do so within the first two weeks of term!

We will book your tutorials during the first media lesson back.

Read the related link before you continue your research!

Critical research

Just a quick post to remind you that each post on this blog has a 'label' at the bottom of the post. This makes it easy for you to find only those posts that are relevant to you at this moment.

So if you click on the label (critical research) at the bottom of this post then you will be presented with only those posts that have that label. Clever innit.

P.s New critical research link will appear over the next few days in the critical links section.

DW
(If for some reason my wonderful instructions above confuse you,simply click on the title 'Critical research' to see what you should find.)

Lazy Hazy days of Summer?

The following is an extract from the letter that will be sent to the parents of year 13 media students.

"...in order for all students to be well prepared, research must be carried out during the summer break. This allows the department to allocate individual progress tutorials on their return in September and to monitor each student through the Media Studies blogspot.It is essential that all students carry out their research over the holidays so they do not encounter difficulties with workload and deadlines in the new term."

(Click on the title 'Lazy Hazy days of Summer?' to see some possible titles(from 2005)...BUT MAKE SURE THE TOPIC STILL EXISTS)

DW

Deadline Looming.

All final hypotheses due in Friday July 6th.

(Click on the title 'Deadlines Looming' to see how a good a regularly updated blog can be.)

DW

Lesson blog.

I am now keeping a record of the A2 lessons on a seperate blog. This will keep you updated if you miss lessons and it will include info about homestudy,deadlines,coursework.

Click on the title 'Lesson blog' for dwhitelessons blog (catchy title)

DW

Big Decision.

As we have said in lessons both the 2734 unit topic and question need careful consideration in these early stages. You can use your bLoG to show the process you are going through in deciding the topic area and the specific title or area of research.

The previous post had a link to the exam paper. Please note that the questions remain the same for Jan 2008. Would you be able to answer these questions in relation to the topic you have decided to study?

Please click on the title 'Big Decision' for a link to the exam board description of 2734. (The info you need is on pages 48-52.)

DW

Student Blogs

We have started the A2 Critical research work. This year all those taking the exam are required to set up and maintain a blog. The blogs start today and will be updated over the next 7 months (Exam in JAN 2008).

You will find links to these blogs on the right hand side of the page.

I would remind those undertaking the critical research to spend at least two weeks deciding on the area and title. The Misbourne media has helpful material.

(Click on the title 'Student Blogs' for a link to the question paper from JAN 2007 for 2734 CRITICAL RESEARCH.)

DW
p.s Click on the label Critical research (just under this post) to view all posts about this topic.

yr 12 lessons/Monday 18th-Wed 20th

Sorry I can not be with you for lessons this week. I do want you to get on with the following while I am away. It will be crucial to the Critical research unit.
As part of your research you will have to set up and run your own blog with a link to our main media blog.

I do not expect you to get them set up yet but I do want you begin by making yourself familiar with the unit and with the kind of blog you will be doing. You will find yourself whisked to Misbourne media blog. Read it,make notes,follow links and more importantly check out the student blogs. These are what you will be doing!

So click on the title 'yr 12 lessons/Monday 18th-Wed 20th' for a link to info on both.

P.S The text books have some v useful extra information for you.

DW

Language query-yr 13 mags

This post is in response to the following query..." writing in first person? What do you recommend as it is not permitted in English?"

I would refer you back to the guidance from the exam board given to examiners, "No specific marks are allocated to quality of written communication, but it should be sufficient at all levels to make meaning clear. It is possible, at the lower levels, that significant errors in detail and structure may impede or obscure meaning, and thus indirectly penalise responses. At higher
levels, information and ideas will be expressed accurately, concisely and fluently, although errors may still occur."

Hope this helps.


(Click on the title 'Language query-yr 13 mags' for a link to the mark scheme for January 2007.)

Good Luck

DW

K Y A (yr 13 Mags)

Know Your Acronyms.

This post is in response to a query about using Acronyms.

The question was "what does ipc stand for? And do we have to write out the full name of companies and organisations before the acronyms in the exam. e.g. audit bureau of circulations (ABC)."
1)IPC stands for International Publishing Corporation...and it is The UK's leading consumer magazine publisher.
2)You do not need to write out the full name of companies and organisations before the acronyms in the exam. It is more important to show that you know what you are writing about. Remember you need an overview of the industry so you are expected to use media language accurately.
(know your Emap from your ABC)

Hope this helps.

(Click on the title 'K Y A (yr 13 Mags)' for more IPC info.)

I could do that!

The annual 'film/education' Film Critic competition had just been launched and the deadline is September 21st 2007.

Click on the title for a link to Canon Palmer's film blog and read the post, dated JUNE 13TH.

DW

The Concept of Genre in Film -yr13 Media debates

At this stage you should have a good working knowledge of your chosen Genre. Presuming you have pages and pages of notes I would suggest that you now look at simple definitions of your chosen genre.Believe it or not these will help you test yourself. You should be able to expand on what you read by using information already in your head. Try using sites such as film site.org. I have now posted Genre links for you (opposite the smiley face!).

In the meantime click on the title 'The Concept of Genre in Film -yr13 Media debates' for a link to filmsite and watch the clip below...if you feel brave enough!



DW

Consumer magazines online-Yr 13 Media debates

Back to the BrandRepublic site for this latest discussion on the future for consumer magazines.There was a previous post about this useful site ...dated Monday, 21 May 2007.

A simple search of the BrandRepublic site using the term "magazine industry" provided me with a range of interesting articles.

Now you don't even have to type the phrase in! Just click on the title ' Consumer magazines online-Yr 13 Media debates' for a direct link to the search I completed.

You will need to register...but then again you should already have done so on Monday, 21 May 2007. :)

DW

(P.S) Anyone need Genre links/help?)

Well Done Yr 12

We very were impressed with how busy you all were in the exam. We are sure all your preparation and hard work will pay off.

See you all on the 18th.

(Eager for a sneek preview of what we will do next? Just click on the title 'Well Done Yr 12'.)

DW/KW

JUNE 7TH -YR 12 EXAM

Action/Adventure
Remember that the key factor is that the sequence should always be a setpiece with action, enabling analysis of the five key elements of camerawork, editing, mise-en-scene, special effects and sound.

NMT
You need to have a good up-to-date working knowledge of the key issues involved in new media technologies. You need to be able to refer to actual examples to support your points.

(Click on the title 'JUNE 7TH -YR 12 EXAM' for an excellent site.)

Good Luck

DW

Is the party over for Men's Monthlies?yR 13 MAGS

"Ten years ago, men's monthlies were making fortunes for publishers on both sides of the Atlantic. And FHM editor Ed Needham was at the heart of it. But, he says, the internet and trashy weeklies have destroyed all that: the party's over, and it's time to move on."

Ed Needham moved back to London last year after spending seven years in New York editing FHM, Rolling Stone and - most recently - Maxim, the most popular men's magazine in the world

(Read the rest of this very interesting and timely (for the exam) article from the Guardian ( June 4th ) by clicking on the title 'Is the party over for Men's Monthlies?')

DW

iWant it! (yr 12 nmt)

Apple has confirmed that its much-anticipated iPhone product will launch on 29th June in the US.
View a demonstration courtesy of Apple Inc's Phil Schiller coutesy of CBS.


(Find out more by clicking on the title 'iWant it! (yr 12 nmt)')

DW

The Magazine Industry-Yr 13

As you all know this element of the Media issues and Debates paper was previously known as 'Magazines and Gender'.
There are some good resources out there using the old title but they are still very useful in your study and understanding of the Magazine Industry so don't just dismiss them because the title sounds wrong.

Mediaed.org has a particularly good piece that looks at Gender and advertising in the magazine industry. Have a read of it by clicking on the title 'The magazine industry-Yr 13' . Remember it may have dated slightly so you need to see how the findings of the article fit in with your case study.

(DISMEMBERMENT..."Women are often presented in a dehumanized way in mass media images, their humanity sacrificed to display the artificial ideal...see the 'legs' advert...and click on the link to adverts/gender in the 'Magazine Industry' link section for more.)

DW

Textual analysis-Year 12

The post dated 28th March is well worth revisiting, as is the action film blog from Longroad media. (Click on the title 'Textual analysis-Year 12' to be swished directly there.)

Below we have the Government Lobby scene from the Matrix alongside The 'making of' the Government lobby scene (Via longroad). Use them for practice.



Tip: do a textual analysis with the sound down.
do a textual analysis while playing a different soundtrack.

DW

NMT-yr 12

As has been said in lessons the best way to revise/prepare for the first part of the NMT paper is to familiarise yourself with the kind of articles chosen by the examiner.

I would recommend you go to the BBC news technology website (just click on the title 'NMT-yr 12'.)Remember there are other very useful NMT links on this blog.

TIP:Use these articles to add to your glossary.



DW

MAGS v's the NET (YR 13)

The Brandrepublic site is proving very useful and a number of you have already told me about some excellent articles specific to your case study.

This post contains a link to an article which challenges the new orthodoxy that the internet is replacing magazines as a way of reaching specific audiences. (Just click on the title 'MAGS v's the WEB (YR 13) )

dw

Making good use of the blog.(yr13)

I know you are all checking back regulary for updates but I thought it best to remind you that you should not just wait for updates.To get the best from the blog you should make use of all the other features listed on the whole blog.
There are a number of specific links that should be used regularly. They can be found by scrolling down and they are usually listed with a relevant title.

Here's an excellent overview of the magazine industry over the last 12 months.Exactly the kind of useful exam prep info needed. I found it by using one of the links mentioned above. Just click on the title 'Making good use of the blog' for the article. It is from BrandRepublic a useful media site (you may need to register...but it is free.)

DW

Emap (yr 13 media issues and debates)

"Emap will unveil Heatworld.com, a state-of-the art website based on its award-winning magazine, this week. It is exactly the sort of innovation that might have saved chief executive Tom Moloney from the axe had it been unveiled a year or so ago..."

(Read more from the Observer article by clicking on the title 'Emap (yr 13 media issues and debates)'.)

DW

Young women dominate UK net scene (YR12 nmt)

An interesting article with a particular focus on user and audience.
"Young women are now the most dominant group online in the UK, according to new research from net measurement firm Nielsen/NetRatings..."

(Click the title 'Young women dominate UK net scene (YR12 nmt)'.)



DW

Joost in time(Any Time)

PC or TV.
"Imagine a world where anyone could watch any show free of charge at a time of their choosing. That could bankrupt the industry overnight, and it is a scenario that is drawing ever closer.."

Read more from this Observer article by clicking on the title 'Joost in time(Any Time)'.

DW

More about Magazines-yr13

The concept of audience is vital to any understanding of the media, and the magazine industry is no different in this respect. In fact it is often more focused than the other media in the way it defines its audience. It is possible to show this by referring to the way many magazines construct their ‘core buyer’ , a fairly comprehensive profile of the typical reader that the magazine is addressing...

Read more by clicking on the title 'More about Magazines'.

Ask the experts-YR12 NMT

Tamara yr 12 has recommended the following article for those preparing for NMT paper. It features questions and answers about digital music from some of the top executives in the music industry.

Just click on the title 'Ask the experts-YR12 NMT'.

You blog don't you?

Now that you are regulary checking in to this blog I think it might be time for you widen your blogging experience.
As with all web based activities there is a wide gap between the best and worst blogs out there.
The University of Warwick’s blogging system is one that I can highly recommend. Michael Walford from the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Warwick has a blog that is of particular use to year 12 and 13 Media students. Click the title 'You blog don't you' for more.

DW

How Print Can Add Value Online .

Will the rise in online webzines and ezines result in a further decline in magazine sales figures?

According to Ari Rosenberg at MediaPost Productions "Print brands have greater credibility than online-only brands... 'If it's in print, it must be true' Additionally, magazines are vertical beings. They cater to a specific topic and attempt to own it. Entrepreneur owns the entrepreneur, Vogue owns fashion, and Rolling Stone owns music, for example.

(Read more by clicking on the title 'How Print Can Add Value Online'.)

DW

Yr 12-NMT

The previous post (TOP TIP) can be applied to any topic you are studying. For example I typed 'downloads' into the Observer search engine and came across a very interesting article about NMT/music and the Artic Monkeys.

(As usual you can read the article by clicking on the title 'Yr 12-NMT'.)

DW

A reminder-Yr 13 Magazines

TOP TIP
The issues and debates paper requires you to keep yourself updated with relevant and topical information.
A quick way to do this is to type in a relevant title i.e 'Magazine Industry' or 'Lifestyle magazines' into the search engine of a 'quality newspaper (links provided on the blog). Then look at the most recent stories first. You will pick up useful info.

I followed this TOP TIP on Times online and got...
"Lads' mags, already suffering from a fall in circulation as readers turn to the internet, have been dealt another blow as average sales figures for the half year to December indicate that the malaise has firmly spread to the weekly titles. Over the past few years the circulation of monthly men's lifestyle magazines such as FHM and Loaded have declined in the face of competition from the internet and the emergence of weeklies such as Zoo and Nuts..."(read more by clicking comments below)

'Boldly going...'

"2007 is shaping up to be the year of a new media revolution"...Rory Cellan-Jones
Technology correspondent, BBC News


The BBC has fitted out the Boston family in Gloucestershire with the kind of kit you might need to take full advantage of a world where all the media you want arrives in digital form down your phone line.

This is an interesting experiment and should be checked out by all those preparing for the NMT section in the exam. As usual the link can be found by clicking on the title 'Boldly going...'This will take you to an online diary compiled by the family.

DW

Magazine closures.

"The industry wanted it,
the news trade wanted it,
the market was there according to every group we asked
- but come the acid test the readers were absent."


Read more about the shock closure of Popworld Pulp by clicking on the title 'Magazine closures'.

This will mention So London another magazine that has closed. Do some research and make some notes.


DW

Magazine industry-yr13

You heard it here first...the new pop music mag 'PULP' launched earlier this month has closed before the month has even finished. Darren Styles of the Brooklands Group publishers said: "The magazine has bombed in a way nobody connected with it could ever have envisaged."


(Click the title 'Magazine industry-yr13' for more info.)

DW

Genre Studies-yr13

A Film Festival devoted to Sci-fi...and it's on your doorstep.
Now in it’s third year The London Sci-fi Film Festival describes itself as a “non-geeky” look at all things science fiction and fantasy based. It brings together rare screenings, short-film showcases, numerous new-movie premieres and the occasional debate, Sci-Fi London crams wildly imaginative material from around the globe into a three-day weekend at the end of January each year. It also has an excellent website which can be found by clicking on the title (genre studies-yr 13) above.


DW

Genre studies-Y13

This is an excellent site for those in Year 13 studying and revising Horror. By using the menus on the site you can go to pages that will provide you with background information on a range of films including Texas Chainsaw.

Click on the title(genre studies) of this post to go to the horror history site.

DW

GOOGLE IT ? -YR12-link bombs

"We have come to expect a lot of search engines.Type in a phrase, and we not only expect it to find millions of relevant websites, but we also expect it to list the best or most important sites first.Woe betide a search engine that requires me to click to page two of the results before I find the site I am looking for.
Generally they do a decent job but, up until very recently, if you were to search on the term "miserable failure", top of the Google search results was the official George Bush page on the official White House site.
Bush trick. This is an example of how even the biggest search engines can be manipulated."

What you have just read is an extract from BBC news. Read more by clicking on the title (GOOGLE IT ? -YR12-link bombs) above. This is particulary relevant to those revising New Media Technology.(AUDIENCE & INSTITUTION.)

DW

New Media Technology...Year12

SAy it with chocolate

High street confectioner Thornton has announced the development of a prototype disposable mobile phone.

The Cellchoc, which is billed as the "ultimate recyclable mobile phone", has a case made from 'handling-resistant' chocolate, and contains special consumable circuitry developed by Choctronics, the "edible semiconductor research company".

Thorntons says the device will provide 30 minutes of talktime. Once this is used up, the device can be scoffed.

Some parts, such as the corners of the casing, could be eaten even whilst talk time is still available without effect on performance, although it would make the phone look "dog-eared", explained the company.

Cellchoc users can even download exciting new flavours via GRPS.

"The idea of entirely edible PCs, laptops or even printers and associated telecoms networks is not beyond our joint capabilities," claimed Prof Lolai, chief edible-technology researcher at Choctronics.

Click on the title (New Media Technology...Year12) above for more about this fascinating breakthrough.

DW

YR 12 Action Film Analysis

Here is the 2006 action film exam extract. I will add some more soon but use this to practice your textual analysis skills. Remember the question never changes.
The most recent examiners report gave the following advice
• Make useful detailed notes on the extract
• Identify moving image language techniques accurately
• Select appropriate examples from the extract to discuss – you do not have to cover the
whole extract or every example
• Analyse why/how these aspects are used to create meaning for the spectator, deconstruct
what you see and hear, explain function, purpose and effect
• Refer closely to the set extract – no generalised analysis of action adventure films nor
reference to what you might know about the rest of the film
• Cover all five aspects – do not miss one out
• Avoid just describing what happens – do not just give a descriptive chronological
commentary – analyse and interpret.

DW

YouTube - award winners

The Golden Tubes? The Yoscars? I am not sure they have a title yet but the first annual youtube awards have been voted for.

0K GO were winners in the most creative section while the free hugs campaign won Most Inspirational.

You can check out all the winners by clicking on the title (YouTube - award winners)above.

Remember the yr 13 have their music videos hosted on Youtube but you can also see them all here. Just click on the main vid and you can watch them all in a loop, or select one from the scroll down film reel.

...( comments are always welcome)

Magazine data - yr 13

The key to the Media issues and debates module is your knowledge of the debates and issues that relate to your topic. This may seem obvious but...
Check out an excellent link for recent magazine data by clicking on the title (Magazine data - yr 13) above.

Digital takeover.-17 Oct 2007

Whitehaven will be the first and then...
By 2010 it will have taken over a T.v near you.



Click on the title( Digital takeover.-17 Oct 2007) above for an excellent link to NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGY information.

See the map for dates for your area...(and look across for digital promo)

Coming to our Sixth Form?

WELCOME to all of you who are checking out the blog following your visit to the Prospective Sixth Form Open Evening.




We hope you were impressed by what you saw on Tuesday evening. This blog and the film studies blog -which can be found by clicking the title(Coming to our Sixth Form?) above-should give you a real insight into the kind of work we do at Canon Palmer.

Good luck in your GCSE's and maybe your work will be featured on this Blog next year.
(p.s we also have a blog to help those doing year 11 media...the link can be found on this blog.)

D White

Year 13 MAGAZINE INDUSTRY

What's in it for me? Grazia's world uncovered


'One magazine is setting the agenda for the media - and tapping the psyche of British women. No wonder its getting its own fly-on-the-wall show,' says Louise France in the Observer womans magazine...Read the full article (and make notes) by clicking on the title(Year 13 MAGAZINE INDUSTRY) above...As mentioned in lesson 9.

D White

Even More Front covers-Yr 12

Year 12 Front Covers-Final versions?

Here are 4 'almost finished' front covers. Compare these to the drafts posted earlier.

FTL-in the style of Stuff/FHM.It's FOR THE LADS.

KOUTURE in the style of I.D.-Minimalist design.striking images


KNOW IT gossip/celeb/fashion..weekly magazine/busy cover used to attract attention.


JAM. Just About Men/gadgets/sport/music.

COURTEOUS.In the style of style 'bibles' such as GQ/ARENA.Gadgets/sport/music. Aimed at male readers.

Again your comments are most welcome.

And the Oscar goes to...

Click the title to go to the offical Oscar site.

The main results are below.

Best picture -The Departed/ Best director-Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Best actor-Forest Whitaker/The Last King of Scotland
Best actress-Helen Mirren/The Queen
Best supporting actress-Jennifer Hudson/Dreamgirls
Best supporting actor=Alan Arkin/ Little Miss Sunshine

(The rest of the results can be found in the comments section.)

Excellent resources(YR13)

Clicking on the above title will redirect you to a comprehensive media education site.

I have made use of it to find the following sites which follow on directly from lesson 4 and 5.(The links can be found in the links section.)

1)Magazine Arbitration Panel (TMAP)
This is the magazine industry’s self-regulatory body which ensures that the sexual content of teenage magazines is presented in a responsible and appropriate manner.



2)Tracking down circulation figures is made easier if you use Mediatel.They give cirulation figures using ABC data.

Year 12 Front Covers-Mock Ups

The year 12 media class need your feedback on their magazine front cover mock-ups.They are in the process of planning/constructing a lifestyle magazine aimed at their age group.They work in groups and each person must produce a cover and double page spread.This is part of their coursework.
More covers will be added over the next few weeks.These are examples of work in progress so remember to leave constructive comments

Will Apple pick music's digital locks?

Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, has written about the future of the music industry in an open letter on the Apple website.Among other things he argues that the copy protection software used to protect digital music downloads from piracy has not worked.

The letter makes for interesting reading and is the kind of thing Examiners use for part one of the N.M.T paper.

(Read the letter by clicking on the title above...)


DWhite

The Must Knows.

This new 'MUST KNOW' section is in response to some queries I have had about definitions of Key Terms.

'Audience' is the term used to mean the people who watch, read, buy, listen to, or use a media product.
In studying the media it is necessary to think about audiences. Many of the institutions in charge of the world’s media will go to great lengths to work out how you, as an audience, function and what you want. A course like this gives you a chance to understand the importance of audience and its impact on the way films and music and many other things are created in today’s world. Looking at the 'target audience' for a media product means looking at those people that its makers think will watch/buy/use it.

Institutions' is the term used to mean the companies who are reponsible for creating media products. So this includes, film companies, record labels, magazine publishers and so on.
The Media does not exist of its own accord. Films, magazines, adverts, radio, the music you listen to - all are created by colossal institutions. Some of these are arguably more powerful in this world than governments. Many have a massive influence on how you encounter information and what you think of major events taking place in the world at the moment. When we look at this area there are certain questions that should be asked:
• how do these institutions operate?
• who owns them?
• what influence do they have?

Why it is important to study institutions
When thinking about a media product it is important to understand the people that have input into its creation. Mostly, media companies are driven by money, but they may have other intentions. For example, they may seek to educate us, or influence us to think in a certain way, or even buy certain products. Knowing that a particular institution is behind a particular product may be important. Branding tells us that we will like, or dislike a product.
So by studying institutions we learn to expect different things from the BBC than Sky Television.

Representation Sometimes you will come across people of your age represented quite controversially in a range of media texts. You need to look no further than the nearest soap opera to see your age being screened to millions in a way that you may find offensive or patronising. Through looking at representation, you are given a chance to see how media people - most of them decades older than you - depicts people of your age. Is their representation fair?

Why representation isn't simple
When considering representation it is important to consider these points:
• is the representaion based on reality? Or are stereotypes relied on?
• does the way certain groups are represented alter how audiences think of them?
• to what degree will the representation of certain groups be accepted by the audience?

D White

Film Reviews

Here is the second in our new FILM REVIEW section.

The Pursuit of Happyness - This is such an inspirational film, something everyone can learn from, Will Smiths best ever performance. He should be nominated for an oscar for his role in this, although, it is a very hard film to watch, as this isn't a conventional film, nothing good happens to this man throughout the film, it just gets to a point where you're ready to give up as much as he is, and that's what's fantastic about this film. And for those who are confused as to why 'Happyness' is spelt like that, well you'll prob understand that particular particularity after you watch it.My own take on it is ,'Who cares how you spell happyness, as long as you have it?'. Great film.

9.5/10



Blood Diamond - Edward Zwick should be nominated for the best director award, hell, this film should nominated for many awards, it succeeds on so many levels. DiCaprio (Who, in my opionion is probably the best actor around) pulls off an awesome performance.The film was about 2 hours 10 mins, but for once, I'm forgiving on the run time, considering the intesity of the story. It's political, emotional and action packed.A brilliant film. Watch it .

8.5/10

Rahman Khan Yr 13(Check out His Review of 2006 in the comments section.)

Media sources-Yr 12/13

Remember the key to getting the most from your studies in Film and Media is to keep yourself informed. One of the best ways to keep up to date with Media/Film issues and debates is by reading newspapers.
Check out these newspapers on a weekly basis.

1)The Guardian Media Section-Every Monday.
2)The Times Media Section-Every Friday.
3)The Evening Standard-Every Thursday.
4)The Independent-Every Monday.

*The Observer/The Sunday Times/The Independent on Sunday also have excellent Media sections.*
*Keep their media sections for future reference...They can be very useful revision and research tools*

(I have added links to the web based versions of these sources in the link section.)

FILM REVIEWS

This is the first of a new feature on the blog...Reviews of Film/t.v.

I am expecting all you budding journalists to get involved ...(remember universities/employers are even more interested in you if you can show that you have already started writing...use this blog as such an opportunity.)

SIN CITY(2005-Directed byFrank Miller,Robert Rodriguez)

Sin city may have been released 2 years ago, but it definitely hasn’t lost any of its relevance or impact in the time since, as I perceived a few weeks ago when I finally saw it for the first time. With the focus being primarily on style and looks you would expect there to be a lack of an engaging story, but the film holds together exceedingly well, which is quite astounding really when you consider it follows three different characters’ with only tenuous links to each other. Each of these three personas are well-developed and have much deeper personalities than you would expect from a gritty, 2-dimensional noir film, but there they are, in all their masculine muscle and scars. The film is narrated by each character in turn, allowing the audience to see the world from three different perspectives, forming a detailed picture of a city full of drugs, blood and corrupted men spitting on the little people.




The characters, though highly unrealistic and, in most cases, superhuman, are thoroughly believable at an emotional level due to their constant outpouring of thoughts and feelings. In fact, their unrealistic nature only makes the film better, as the fight scenes reveal when huge burley blokes swing from banisters and shatter doors with their chest... REVIEW CONTINUES IN COMMENTS SECTION.CLICK 'COMMENTS' TO READ ON...
David Ruddock Yr 12

Year 12 Magazine Coursework-Have your Say.

The year 12 groups have begun this module.They work in groups of 4 and must produce 4 front pages and 4 double page spreads.

They need your views and opinions about the ideas they have for their lifestyle magazines.

Please click on the 'COMMENTS' at the bottom of this post and complete the surveys posted there. Remember to say which group you are replying too...(the name will have plc in the title.)


I have posted some relevant links in the Links Section for those undertaking this task.

Vote for the top ten videos of all time!

Click on the title above to see the AOL selection of videos and to leave your vote.

The Johnny Cash video for hurt is my choice from the AOL selection but you can't embed it here...so here is another favourite.

Happy new year.

D White

New Media Technology...Year12

Apple targets TV and film market
By Jeremy Scott-Joynt
Business reporter, BBC News

The future for Apple

Computer firm Apple has announced plans it hopes will put it at the heart of consumers' home entertainment systems.
The company has unveiled a device which will stream music and video wirelessly between televisions and computers.

The plug-in hardware is due to be released early next year and has been given the temporary name of iTV.

As well as announcing updates of its best-selling iPod music players, Apple also launched a new service allowing users to download films.

You can find the rest of this article at...(RSS from bbc technology above right.)

Music Video Evaluation.

Critical Evaluation
STARTER HINTS TO GET YOU GOING
These hints are based on the Music Video project but they can be adapted to fit all Advanced Production projects.As usual there is no simple or correct way to tackle the Critical Evaluation.

Introduction.
As far as we know there are NO MARKS for this section, but treat it seriously anyway as an integral part of the essay. It appears to be a fussy administrative preamble. DO IT LAST. Everyone on Music videos is doing something quite different from Yr 12 Magazines. Don't get hung up on this section.

Explain difference in simple terms /technology .

Stress its origins as a marketing tool with an argument about the importance of the song and the star.

Part One

Brief, planning and technical decisions. Why this song? Why this setting (mise-en-scene)? Why this style? Why these camera movements? Why this lighting? Why these edits? Why narrative or no narrative. Revisions. Why was complete revision necessary in some cases. Go back to this in Part Three if necessary.

Part Two


Form and Content affect meaning. Forms and conventions. History. How video relates to the history of the music video.
Why is the three minute song the standard fare of the music industry? What is the relationship between the song and the video?
What meaning does the video add to the song?
What meaning does the star bring to the song?
What is the meaning and importance of singing 'stars'?

Discuss ANCHORAGE - where the audience derives the PREFERRED READING from. Any issues of GENRE. INTEGRATE BASIC SEMIOTIC THEORY HERE. MENTION CODES HERE.

Part Three

Media institutions and audiences and audience feedback.
What is the INSTITUTION doing?
Why do they produce pop videos?
Why do audiences like them?
How do audiences use them?

Remember I have also added some examples and a more detailed breakdown in the 'video Killed the radio star' booklet. Good Luck

NMT

Key concepts….know them…use them…



3G - Third Generation. First generation phones were analogue, second digital. 3G is a step forward largely because of the massive increase in bandwidth (up to 384 Kbps) which may mean that TV on your mobile is not such a far-fetched idea.

GPRS - General Packet Radio Service. This is so-called
...FOR more click on the title NMT.

D White

Welcome to the blog.