SPP3: Images - the Aim

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:

1. Audio Visual Specialisation
2. 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

The Final Showreel: March 2009

SPP3: Showreel - The Editing Process

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

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:

1. Introduction - Who I Am and What I Do
2. Street Play - Community Documentary - Producer & Director
3. What NTU Can Do For You - Promotional Video - Sound & Camera Assistant
4. Holding Pattern - Short Film - Producer & Director
5. Indian Women - Canvas Installation - Photographer & Director
6. No Knives? Positive Lives! - Youth Documentary - Camera Operator
7. Iranian Women - Video Installation - Director
8. Sketching in the Nature - Digital Sketchbook - Camera Operator
9. Green Kutchh - Environmental Documentary - Producer & Researcher
10. 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

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

Job

1. Working Title Films - Action 2009! -

   http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/employer/working-title-films/

2. Freemantle Graduate Scheme -

   http://www.fremantlemediagraduates.com/home.html

3. BBC Production Trainee -

   http://www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/pts/

4. Informa Media Academy - Graduate Scheme -

   http://www.informa.com/graduate/media_academy

Post-Graduate Course

1. The Mountbatten Internship - New York Programme -

   http://www.mountbatten.org/mipweb.nsf/pages/ny_academic_programme#cert

2. MA Global Media -

   http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-1202

3. MA Film Producing & Business Management -

   http://www.glam.ac.uk/coursedetails/685/520

4. 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

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

1. 4 Job Advertisements
2. 1 Job Application (Cover Letter, Content, CV)
3. 4 Post-Graduate Course Advertisements
4. 1 Post-Graduate Course Application (Cover Letter, Content, CV)
5. 1000 Word Rationale About Application Choice
6. Exhibition Profile Text & Image
   
7. Exhibition Portfolio Images
8. Exhibition Portfolio Showreel

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

SPP: Exhibition Ideas

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.

Hive Creative Business Programme: Communication Workshop

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.

SPP: Graduate Job Application

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.

SPP3 - Assignment 1 Evaluation

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

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

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

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

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.

SPP3 - Creating My Brand

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.

SPP3 – Assignment 1

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

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.

Sheffield International Documentary Festival

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