Wednesday 28 March 2012

Dreamweaver

Over the past few weeks I have been designing and creating a website using Dreamweaver for the Digital Media Tools module. This website is to showcase me and some of the work that I have done since starting LJMU.

To begin with I had to design the website using Photoshop and save all the individual elements ready for Dreamweaver. Once this was done I could begin to put everything into Dreamweaver and start building the actual website, ready for putting online.

This was the first time that I'd used Dreamweaver but I had previously built a web page using the online creator Wix. Getting used to using Dreamweaver didn't take me too long as once you get the hang of how to do something it just becomes a process of repeating. As always, using this software didn't come without it's problems but through perseverance I got round them one way or another. I quite enjoyed the process of designing and building my own website but I found Dreamweaver to be a bit awkward at times. As this was only my first time with this software I thought it was quite good to use and wouldn't mind using it again. Hopefully the second time around I'd find it a bit easier as I'll know what I'm doing then.

To view my website just follow this link (the domain URL is annoying but we'll just have to deal with it for now) - www.student.ljmu.ac.uk/LSSCDACK/My%20Site/welcome.html

Lost & Found

It's no big secret but I don't like going to the Aldham Robarts LRC to get books out. Taking them back is fine but getting them out is quite a scary prospect - I always get lost in that library.

Well today brought with it a trip to the library to get a couple of books out for my film essay. I knew what I wanted but trying to find where they actually were in the library was no mean feet. However, when you've spent a while in the library because you have no idea what you're doing or where your going and you finally find the book you've been looking for, it's a great relief when you discover that the photo on the front cover actually comes from the film that you're going to be writing your essay on. That's when, for once, you know you're definitely on the right tracks!


Tuesday 27 March 2012

Factual Short

Today marked the end of our filming for the 1st year of the Production Practise module as it was the deadline day for our latest assignment, the factual short. This film could be about a person, a group of people, an event, a place - anything that had an interesting story. We decided to create a film about the 1989 Hillsborough disaster in which 96 Liverpool FC lost their lives.This assignment was also linked to the previous location profile (it's liverpool) and the personal profile which we did.



Justice for the 96.

Saturday 24 March 2012

Reversing Levels

A brand new track is played on the radio and within a few weeks someone has done a remix of it that's also being played. Well, who'd have thought that if you just reverse the music on a track it could sound so good? George Monev certainly did when he reversed Avicii's 'Levels'.

I love this track the right way round but I have to say, I definitely prefer the reversed version - it sound's like Summer's finally here!

Thursday 22 March 2012

Meet Bobby Charles

Over the last few weeks for the Contemporary Media Issues module we've all had to maintain some fake profiles online. Sounds strange but it's all to do with creating a character presence online. I'll just introduce you to Bobby Charles and then you can see what I'm talking about for yourself.

Bobby is a 19 year old student from Manchester who is currently living in Liverpool as he's studying Media at LJMU. He's got a passion for photography, drives a red Ford Fiesta Zetec S, loves football, works behind the bar in Revolution, oh, and he's single. You can add Bobby on Facebook, follow him on Twitter and Pinterest and check out his photos on Flickr.

Please note: The profile pictures have either been removed or changed at the request of our model.

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Avid

By editing together 3 production assignments using Avid I have managed to piece together the ins and outs of this software over the time. However, I'm not a fan of it. I would happily choose Final Cut over Avid any day, but because I have to, I'm persevering with it -  often with a huge Avid book of 'basics' close by now that I've discovered one.

Anyhow, today, for the first time since starting uni, I got the chance to edit on my own. It may sound strange but that's something that I quite enjoy - sitting on my own, preferably in a corner, with an editing suite. Editing is the part that I've often enjoyed most in production work, regardless of the fact that I usually hit brick walls throughout, so getting my hands on the editing on my own is something that I relish.

Sometimes it's easier to get to know how to use a piece of software when you're on your own as well. No-one's watching you or looking over your shoulder and you can take as long as you want or need to get to grips with it.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Filming on Derby Day at Anfield


Pinterest

Pinterest is a fairly new social network and after having a look at it I decided to request an invite to it. I didn't know anyone who actually had one before I got on there but thought I'd try it out anyway. I'm actually really getting into it now and I think it's a really good site and I'm definitely going to keep at it. It's a place where I can 'pin' photos of absolutely anything and everything and you discover so much stuff once you're on there. You can check out my 'boards' at www.pinterest.com/ceriynwa and if you want an invitation to join then just let me know (it'd be quicker than waiting for them to send you one!).

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Whitechapel

So, Whitechapel has now finished for another series, but during the final episode I couldn't help but realise something - the killer always ends up dead.


  • Series 1 - the Jack the Ripper copycat committed suicide by drowning himself in the Thames.
  • Series 2 - the supposed Kray twins were both assassinated whilst in Police custody.
  • Series 3 - case 1 - the murder falls to his death.
  • Series 3 - case 2 - the murder's alter-ego kills himself.
  • Series 3 - case 3 - the murderer dies from his injury's after jumping off a roof.

  • All except one that is - in the last episode of series 3 the mother of the murderer is arrested when she kills the psychologist in the Police witness room.

    With series 1 it was obvious why the killer was never caught as the case of Jack the Ripper is one of the most famous murder mysteries in history. Then with series 2 it took quite a dramatic turn of events. In series 3, with each case they knew who the killer was and always became very close to catching them, but never did. In some ways this is quite fitting as many of the cases that have emerged from history were never solved or fully proven, but then again, this could be a comment on justice - but that's a whole other debate in itself!

    Sunday 4 March 2012

    Weavrs that Tweet & Blog

    First of all, what is a Weavr? A Weavrs is like a little robot that likes online as a person that blog and tweet about things that they find interesting or they like depending on what attributes you give them.

    We each had to create our own Weavrs and set them up a Twitter account for the module Contemporary Media Issues. I decided to call my Weavr TJ McQueen and she was from Liverpool. You can see what see says about herself here www.tj-mcqueen.weavrs.info/about and view the things she's been blogging about here www.tj-mcqueen.weavrs.info/#/view/grid. After being suspended from Twitter for about a week, you can now view TJ's Twitter feed on @TJ_McQ.

    To begin with I wasn't too sure about Weavrs but after checking back with mine today, I've been quite impressed by some of the things that have been posted, especially the music. I've also been able to interact with my Weavr by asking her questions and leaving her comments on her posts and then she has replied...that is kind of weird though.