TV Tears
So anyhoo, I’m back on this blog just to see if anyone’s listening. This could become another loose end or a bright future for Ciren COllege blogging, but just for now here’s something about the future of TV that might entertain you – that is, of course, if you can access youtube!
DIY Creativity
Okay this is my blog so, just occasionally I get to indulge in a little unashamed self – publicity. Here’s a link to a book I have self published on Lulu http://www.lulu.com/content/788743. feel free to buy it!
DRM
To you that’s Digital Restrictions Management aka – that stuff you ignore when you download music or anything illegally – and how is this relevant to New Technology? Because Apple and EMI have come to a deal – now EMI’s catalogue can be downloaded DRM free through iTunes – for a price (you may have noticed that the default price has gone up – those of you who pay that is) – so using music on your website, MySpace or hey, in your A2 music video, can now be legal – more or less, so long as it’s EMI, iTunes, you’ve paid the right price, accepted the agreement…….. well it’s easier anyway. For an explanation check out this podcast.nowshowdrm
For some DRM free music check this concert I went to last week Barenaked Ladies have been DRM free for a long time, in fact at their concert you could buy a USB with that night’s concert on it – giving away their DRM doesn’t seem to have affected their 10 million worldwide sales – now go and watch an XFiles with no lights on http://www.bnlmusic.com/
If you think new technology is tough, remember it has always been thus – check this out.
New Links
Check out this link see what you think
http://kinowords.edublogs.org
Plus a few others
Media Knowall
North Allerton College
Longroadmedia
Media Theory
And closer to home
Archway Blog
Do Something
If you actually feel like doing something, check the publicity here from Cre8 in Swindon.Deadline 23rd
Focus Groups
Okay those of you who have participated in focus or discussion groups for A2 Critical Research, here are the files, downloadable to your iPod, Mp3 thingy, or whatever. To be honest most of the discussion is a little random and you will have to scroll through to find the sound of your own voice. This is a first attempt at blogging a pod and I will get a better system going next time round, the one with no title is a mix of topics. Hopefully though none of you will need any of this in June. Good Luck.
Focus Group Adverts 1
Focus Groups Adverts2
Focus Group 1
Focus Group Crime 1
Focus Group Crime 2
Focus Group Crime 3
Focus Group Crime 4
Bond Beauty
This one’s for English and Media students
For those of you who remember that James Bond can be a cunning linguist you boffins might like to know that in Casino Royale the Macguffin (media terminology) rests on a code word ellipsis (lingustic terminology) so – if you go to see the film listen to the very beginning – what word never gets said by either Bond or his antagonist? Why is that relevant to ellipsis…?
As to the film itself - free running, claustrophobic fights, red dresses in Venice and an objectified male – a high concept save of revived genre. bb.
Welcome Freshers
Whether you are studying Media or English with me, welcome anyway and this is the place to look – pretty soon there will be some information on the first modules of both subjects, a bit of humour for English students and Thriller for Media students – I’ll explain more in class blog on!
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A2 Start Up
SO now you’ve got your UCAS Apply login and you’ve already written you personal statement – well mostly, but now you need to get the grades to get into the unviersity, college or job of your choice. Our startups were on Critical Research. The topics are:Crime and the Media; Women and Film; Sport and the Media; Advertising. Your assignment for the summer is to choose a topic, choose some texts related to the topic and get going. Links for each topic below.
Crime and the Media
Crime figures and representation http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/sta_index.htm
http://timlambert.org/2002/10/malcolm/
News Values http://www.mediaknowall.com/gcsenews.html
Moral Panic http://www.mediaknowall.com/violence/moralpanicnotes.html
Sociology portal – www.sociology.org.uk/ladev.htm
This is a portal to several articles and sites on crime and the media
http://www.northallertoncoll.org.uk/media/crime.htm
Women and Film: This looks fun! Click on the pic! 
For more go to: http://www.let.uu.nl/womens_studies/anneke/filmtheory.html
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_n1-2_v38/ai_20816291/print
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/824060/index.html
Sport and the Media
Watch the World Cup – I’m watching Wimbledon
www.culture.gov.uk
covers sport sponsorship and funding, the 2012 Olympic Games etc
www.bbc.co.uk/sport
very comprehensive website covering a wide range of sports; news; and other relevant links
www.sky.com
Sky sport – very similar to BBC, more commercialisation
www.guardian.co.uk
search engine for articles about sport and the media
www.services.pa-sport.com/en/sports_media.html
PA sports services, deals with sponsorship and contract deals with TV
Advertising http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/
story_id=2787854http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/adclass/berger.html
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Moving On
Okay, so exams are over and Year 1 moves into Year 2 and before you know it, you’re out, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Gap year, uni, job, apprenticeship or maybe one more year, that’s what you have got to decide in the next month or two. The biggest deadline most of you have to meet now is UCAS, look under Links and you’ll find UCAS, UCAS apply and a basic gap year link, but the first thing you will have to do is think about what course you want to do and how you are going to write your personal statement.
“You spend 3 years of your life at your chosen university so it’s important that you find out everything you can about it before you apply. Make sure the course is right for you, by checking out all the details on the web and in booklets and that the place is one you could happily live in. When reading applications I look for enthusiasm, wider reading and a personal statement that is exactly that: personal and that touch different or interesting”.
Dr Gail Ashton, admissions tutor, English, The University of Manchester
That’s what they want, you will get more info’ from your tutor but in the meantime, the college as a little advice for you on this link and if you want to know more about UCAS try this Wikipedia page and for more advice on personal statement go to this page at University Options.
