Norwich Sound + Vision

So I've just spent the best part of 3 days in a freezing cold church surrounded by the smell of beer...all in a days work I tell you. I've been involved with Norwich Sound + Vision for the first time and spent 3 days working as a Registration Assistant - one of the best ways to get to meet the delegates.

Unfortunately the church had no heating but I was supplied with plenty of cups of tea (that's what we like) and sweets/chocolate to keep me going. Registration was held in the same venue as the craft beer festival so there was a constant stream of people in and out to try and warm the place up and some live music in the evening as well. As the conference was being held in Norwich I couldn't really stay and watch any of the bands performing so it was good to be able to see those playing in the beer festival.

At the end of the day it's all good experience - and good fun! - as well as being another event to add to my ever growing list and CV!

REBLOGGED: Was I BORN to be an Event Manager or am I just a control freak?

I read a blog today that suggested that the best Event Managers are born to be event managers and come with ten key traits or qualities that have them stand out from those around them that are simply ok. Apparently if I have these ten key traits I'm literally born to do the job I do and I will be amazing at it. Most people that meet me and haven’t attended an event I've run just assume I'm a control freak!

What do you think? Do I tick all the boxes?… Take a look at the list – I've added my own comments in italics.

1. Great Interpersonal Skills

You have to work with a team and other people in order to ensure the event is a success. So you should have the ability to tell and listen without any issues.

Developing interpersonal skills is a necessity, but some people are born with these skills. Such people are able to manage their team or communicate effectively and it is these people who often make great event managers.

TICK!…I was brought up in pubs! Not in a skanky way like a child whose parents spend all their dole money in the local – my parents managed pubs so you couldn’t be shy or timid, you had be sociable and give as good as you got to the cheeky punters! That’s where my social skills came in, I learnt to take the mickey out of myself as well as other too – but in a friendly way.

2. Flexibility

Nothing is fixed when organizing events. Things can change at a drop of a hat. Hence, an event manager should be flexible to take these changes in stride and work accordingly. You need to be ready to face any sort of situation and be able to think on your feet.

TICK! I’ve worked some ridiculous hours, but when you own an event and are recognised as that organiser to the attendees you really don’t mind putting that effort in. It all adds to your CV, recommendations and referral capabilities.

When it comes to facing situations – our “Steele” family motto is based around not getting stressed out, when I’d tell my Dad that something went wrong in the past he would say “Nobody died though did they?”. This puts everything into context and in the grand scheme of things, death is always the worst case scenario – everything else is fixable and if you focus on the fix, you’re set – the blame can come later if you’re that way inclined but I'm not, you learnt from your mistakes and cock-ups.

3. Energetic

Events are extremely demanding and if you want to host a successful one, you should be full of energy and passion. Do you love to deal with every challenges with zest and passion? If so, you are born an event manager without a doubt!

TICK! I enjoy what I do, it might annoy me sometimes but I manage an event with a smile on my face – I know what it’s like to feel stressed and I don’t want people in my team feeling like that during a live event, everyone should enjoy working on it so if I’ve got a smile and I'm cracking jokes at the same time as pulling an event off, everyone else remains calm and trusts that I'm in control

4. Creative and Innovative

To be a successful event manager, you need to do things differently. This requires innovation and creativity. If you are the kind of person who always thinks out-of-the-box, you are destined to be a successful event manager. This means that problems and challenges are not an issue for you, as you have an innate ability to resolve them creatively.

This is a hard one, it’s not easy to think outside of the box when the client or your boss still thinks that event ideas from the 90s are current because they haven’t done them before! Thinking outside of the box is different in each business – a bake sale could be creative for one business, whereas taking staff to a local cinema to communicate an update on the business is the same for another. 

Understanding what is creative, innovative and out of the box for each client is what’s important as if you go too far out for them you’ll scare them off because they won’t be able to visualise what you’re offering. I’ve developed new ideas for a number of events that have improved the experience for the attendee – that’s what’s important,

5. Keen Eye for Details

It is the small things that matter. Do you always delve into things and look at minute details and try to get everything right? Your keen sense of observation will prevent small things from blowing up and turning into big issues. Attention to detail allows you to ensure that everything is properly organized and in place for the event.

CHECK! Theming is a great example of having an eye for detail – I went to a showcase event once at a venue and they had themed the event to Vegas. I knew exactly what I was going to get and could tick it all off again now… Showgirls entrance, table centres with tall feathers an Elvis Impersonator and some cardboard banner type things – it was crap! To truly theme a room you should be thinking about lighting, flooring, table dressing, your surrounds, the catering, the entertainment – you need a large visual impact, you’re supposed to feel like you are in a specific era, location, city etc. I hate themed events – they’re rarely what they should be because the costs are allocated incorrectly.

6. Good Time Management Skills

Your multitasking abilities are an indication that you are tailor-made to be an event manager. You have the ability to prioritize things at work and this allows you to be more productive and achieve more within a limited time period.

CHECK! Nuff said.

7. Passionate and Enthusiastic

This is an inherent quality and people are often born with this quality. It is only then they can excel in their chosen line of work. As a successful event manager, you have to have passion and this is what allows you to be productive and overcome obstacles that you face while organizing events.

CHECK! I don’t think you could handle event management without passion, enthusiasm and drive within the industry!

8. Leadership Skills

Leaders are born and not made. This is an old saying and it is true for event managers as well. You have an innate quality for leading people and this is what shows that you were born to be an event manager. Your outstanding leadership skills help guide your team towards the end goal and that is why your events are a roaring success.

CHECK: I lead by example, if you make a mistake – learn from it, if you don’t learn from it then ill be having a word. The same rules apply – so long as nobody has died we can fix any mistake together. No question is a stupid question and if you’re a grafter we’ll get along fine. I’ve developed admin assistants up to Event Coordinators in two companies now, taking them from data entry to small event management and even AV scripting.

9. Superior Organizational Skills

Everything in an event has to be seamlessly choreographed, so that each step of the event goes off smoothly. However, organizational skills can be learned, but mastering them is difficult if you are not born with them. So with your superior and exceptional organizational skills, one can easily say that you were born to be an event manager.

CHECK! I’m organised with my work, less so at home – but that’s because I allow myself to be lazy at home!

10. Tech Savvy

Event management has changed tremendously with the availability of technology, so you should be well-versed in using it. Today, event managers have access to a wide range of event management software, such as event ticketing software, venue management software and more that makes their work easier.

CHECK! There’s loads of tech out there now, I’m aware of a lot of it but some of it is duplicated. When looking for tech I'd always advise going for recommendations and asking around initially – you don’t need to be trained in high detail on everything that’s out there, you don’t have the time!

Apparently … If you possess these qualities, it is an indication that you were born to be an event manager. These qualities mean you are tailor-made for this great profession. So, jump into event management with enthusiasm and you’ll soon carve a place for yourself in the industry.

So am I born to be an Event Manager? Are you?

Written by Amanda Morris

Events Director, JustWatchEvents

7th March 2014

JustWatchAmanda blog

Jack the Ripper Unmasked Using DNA?

The Mail Online have today announced the unmasking of the identity of Jack the Ripper...

"WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Jack the Ripper unmasked: How amateur sleuth used DNA breakthrough to identify Britain's most notorious criminal 126 years after string of terrible murders"

I'm sceptical about this bit of news but there's too many connections for me to ignore it. I've studied Jack the Ripper for GCSE History and it was one of my favourite topics to cover - bit grim I know, but I love a good murder mystery. Secondly, the shawl from which the DNA has been extracted was bought at auction in my hometown of Bury St Edmunds and then the DNA extractions were carried out by a senior lecturer from my own uni - LJMU - so I definitely couldn't ignore a story like this.

I don't know whether it can ever be conclusive, the identity of Jack, but the outcome of this investigation is certainly plausible. Aaron Kosminski was named as one of Scotland Yard's top 3 suspects in 1888 but after 126 years, is it possible to be able to rely on DNA? I think more investigations of cases 100+ years old would need to be conducted in order to prove the accuracy of this one.

It's an interesting article to read and obviously an investigation that's quite close to home for me (geography wise in more ways than one) but I'll remain undecided as to whether I believe the outcome or not for the time being.

Manufacturers are Struggling to Keep Up with the Resurgence in Vinyl Records

That was the headline from The Independent this week - good news in my view. It may not be so good for the manufacturers and the ageing machines that the records are being pumped through, but it is definitely good news in terms of the resurgence of vinyl. Check out the full article here.

REBLOGGED: Running an Event on a Shoestring

Whether you’re looking to show off your expertise, launch a new product or build your connections, a well-organised event is a great way to reinforce or convey your brand message. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

First things first

Whatever your budget, your priority has to be making your attendees happy. This means getting to the core of why they’re coming, and what you can do to help them get the most out of the event. On a smaller budget, you might only be able to do one thing really well, but if you’ve taken the time to understand your audience, you’ll be in a great position to give them just what they want.

Alongside booking your venue, arranging refreshments, and lining up speakers, you need to get the word about your event out there. Although you might not be able to do lots on a tighter budget, it’s all about maximising impact. If you know what is and isn’t working, you can save yourself plenty of money and plan much more effectively for the future.

Let’s get digital

Digital marketing can be measured every step of the way. Not only that, it’s relatively cheap and can give you much greater exposure than some of the more traditional channels.

We’d recommend social media as a great outreach tool, blogging to help build authority and thought leadership, and email to communicate regularly with those who’ve confirmed their attendance. Services like Eventbrite can make it easier for people to find and register for your events on mobile and online, as well as helping you manage the process.

Going live

Depending on the nature of your business and the tightness of your budget, you might call on family, friends or other volunteers on the day. College students looking for some valuable work experience can also be a good bet. Always try to negotiate the best possible deal with your venue, and consider finding a sponsor to increase your budget.

Think about things you can do for yourself rather than paying suppliers to do them, but do consider the impact on your time – is it worth it? Remember that it’s better to do fewer things well than too many things not quite so well, so concentrate on the basics (the essential facilities, working technology and so on) and those reasons for coming that you identified early on. It might be tempting to cut corners when you’re on a limited budget, but it could be more damaging financially in the long run.

What’s next?

There are lots of great, and cost-effective, ways to follow up with your attendees – essential for building event loyalty. Why not encourage them to share photos and key moments using the event’s hashtag, or bring out your highlights in a post-event blog? A ‘thanks for joining us’ email is a good way of staying in touch, and a post-event survey shows your attendees that you’re interested to hear about – and learn from – their experiences. And why not use your post-event comms to build interest in next year’s event – you have a readymade audience, after all!

Eventbrite is an online ticketing company that makes it easier for people to create events of any size and budget.


Written by Marino Fresch
Head of Marketing, Eventbrite
12th August 2014
The MOO Blog

One Last Look

LIMF: Boy George

Over the past few weeks I've seen the posters round the city advertising the Boy George gig at St George's Hall as part of the Liverpool International Music Festival but I've just not been interested. Until about a week ago that is. I was asked, on request of one of the floor managers I worked with at IFB 2014, if I would be available to work for the gig. Well, yes. 9 times out of 10 I would much rather work for an event than attend it - that's what I feel benefits me the most.

On top of another addition to my CV, I got to attend the gig for free which is always a bonus!

REBLOGGED: Building Your Own Creative Business: Where to Begin?

For some creative professionals, working for yourself is the ultimate dream. There’s no big boss to answer to, there are no set working hours and you have complete freedom over the creative projects you choose to do. Yet going it alone can be a tough challenge, one that requires a lot of patience and perseverance if you wish to succeed. Having talent is ultimately the first step, but this will not be enough alone to start a successful creative business. Instead there are many important details to consider like where to find funding and understanding the legal obstacles that you may have to face. When starting something new it can seem impossible to know where to begin but to help you get a good beginning with your own creative business read our useful tips below.

Establish your business ideas

One of the first things you should establish is which creative services you plan to offer to your future clients. Do you want to specialise in one particular area of design or will you open up your services to attract a wider range of customers? Whichever you decide, it’s a great idea to get a portfolio together to showcase your talents and to give buyers confidence in your services. As well as this, create a website. Make it eye-catching so that you’re remembered and let your perspective clients browse through your body of work. Don’t forget to include clear contact details to make that all important sale.

Find funding

Creating your own business requires a certain amount of funding to get it up and running and you can find this from many sources. Although a legitimate option, it’s not always advisable to seek a bank loan as you may not want to be burdened by a debt in the early stages of your business set up. You could, however, apply for a business loan if you open a business account and have a clear business plan to show.

Alternatively, if you calculate exactly how much you need you could use your own savings to start the initial fund. As long as you have at least £1,500 in the bank, this could work for you. Borrowing from friends and family might be a better option for you instead, as long as you set clear deadlines for repayment. There’s always the possibility that you can find an investor for your company, and this would definitely help with getting the ball rolling, but you’d need to be able to prove that their investment is worthwhile and they’re likely to see a return on this.

Legal pitfalls to avoid

When in the early stages of your business, there are many traps ready to ensnare you that may make or break your new venture.

Insufficient capital. This is where finding the funding for your business really becomes important. By ensuring that the cost of all your necessary resources are covered, you allow your business to grow and to become profitable. This also lessens the risk for your creative business to fail in its early stages.

Lack of networking. Finding clients and securing work is one of the most important elements of running a business, yet if you don’t spend the relevant amount of hours finding jobs each week then your work will ultimately dry up. Dedicate at least a few hours each week to sending out your portfolio, pitching for jobs, and generally trying to build a rapport for yourself to secure future work.

Underselling yourself. It’s very easy to undercharge for your services when you’re desperate for sales and clients. However all this gains is a heavy workload and a busy schedule that isn’t charged for what it’s worth. Be realistic with your prices but give yourself the credit you deserve for the work you know you can produce.

Tie up legal ends

Ah, the law! You really don’t want to mess with it, so make sure you’re aware of all the legalities when electing to be your own boss. If you choose to go self-employed, you’ll need to register with HMRC so that you don’t incur any monetary penalties. You’re also responsible for paying your own tax and National Insurance payments and can stay on top of this by filling out an annual Self Assessment tax return form. Remember to keep records of your earnings during the tax year so you don’t get caught out. Invoices for sales and purchases, business expense receipts and bank records should be noted throughout the year to help keep your business running smoothly.

On another note, Copyright will be automatically assigned to you once you produce a creative piece of work but you can register your Trademark at the UK intellectual property to protect your business.

Whilst a lot of information has been given, it’s all necessary to help you make the most out of your creative business venture so that you can live the life you’ve always dreamed of. Good luck, and stay creative!


Written by Editor for Creative Digest
28th June 2013

Reblogging

Ok so I don't keep up with my blog like I know I should but I don't always get the time to do it as I would like to. In which case, I've decided that, instead of neglecting my blog, I'm going to try and reblog some posts from other sites that I find of interest. Let's see how that goes for the time being!

REBLOGGED: Five Simple Steps to Getting that Creative Job

It’s difficult to get a job in your chosen creative industry – difficult, but not impossible! The competition is definitely fierce though, so we asked Anup, Design Director at MOO, to give some words of wisdom – wisdom that’s coming at you directly from the type of person who’ll be doing the hiring! And here’s what he has to say…

So you’ve passed through college and graduated – phew! Now you can just walk out and score an amazing job hanging out in a cool space, with cool people, doing cool stuff and getting paid, right? Wrong, I’m afraid… now the hard work starts. And these days the competition is tougher than ever out there – so here are five tips for showing off your skills and nailing that first job.

1. Stand out

It may seem obvious, but essentially you need to be memorable. Your business cards for instance – they’re a chance for people take a snapshot of your work away with them! If I leave a show with a printed postcard sampling your work, I’m going to remember why I liked you. If your card just has a phone number on it, I won’t have a clue. And please don’t be shy, have the courage to approach people and say ‘My work is different, let me show you why.’

2. Get noticed
Social media is great for building your profile and network. Instagram your work, tweet your exhibition, link with your industry. Big brands do it all the time, so follow their lead. You can also hunt people down – find out the name of the creative director so you can post, call, and email them directly. It removes the barriers to getting your work in front of the right eyes. Think about using other communication vehicles too. A chap in New York was recently hired for creating a £4 pop-up ad that appeared when employers he was targeting searched their own names. Genius.

3. Your CV
You’re a designer, so please design your CV! I wouldn’t look at a CV in Word – remember, it’s part of your portfolio, too. Keep it concise and never, ever forget to spellcheck. You’d be amazed how many typos I see, which doesn’t say much about your self-proclaimed “keen attention to detail”. I’ve even had someone spell my name incorrectly – not a good first impression.

4. Network
Get out and meet as many people as you can. Go to industry events and socialise with other people in the design world. You’ll learn so much and you’ll build a book full of people you can approach for introductions too. Never say no to a meeting – you don’t know what it may lead to.

5. Make an impression
When you get to your meeting, event or interview, make an impression. Be interesting and interested in the person you’re talking to. Although it can be tempting to be humble, modesty doesn’t sell. You have 60 minutes to convince somebody that you’re the person they want, need, can’t do without. And don’t wear bad shoes (I always notice them).

So, now you’ve heard what Anup has to say, it’s time to polish up that CV, make those contacts, and dig out your very best footwear (you never know who might be looking). The competition might be fierce, but someone will bag that awesome job, so make sure it’s you!


Written by Anup
20th June 2014
The MOO Blog

REBLOGGED: How to Organise your Job Search

Job-hunting can be a challenge, especially if you are sending a large number of applications to a variety of employers. How should you keep track of what you’ve done, and what you ought to do next? The key to managing your job-search is to be super organised, which isn’t nearly as time-consuming as it sounds. Here are a number of tips you can follow to ensure an easy, streamlined and less daunting job searching process:

Plan before you start
Before you even begin, start by deciding what your goals should be: identify your preferred role, industry, type of company and any other factors that are important, such as whether you wish to stay in your university town or prefer to move. Once you have highlighted these, set some realistic targets. This can be how many applications you want to send each week, how much time each day or each week you want to dedicate to your job search, or how many sources you want to consult (websites, newspapers, job boards). Aiming for a goal will increase your motivation and provide a sense of achievement once you reach them. There are a number of apps that you can use to help with your jobsearch too. Why not use  Evernote to help organise documents such as your CVs, cover letters and references and synchronise them across all of your devices?

Find a consistent routine
The job-hunting process can be very fast-paced and so finding the best routine early on will be useful in the long-term. If you are more productive in the mornings then use this time for the more challenging tasks. The mornings are also a good time to make follow-up calls or send emails to the companies you’re targeting. Similarly, if you are evening person make the most of this time by filling in online applications.

Organise a system that works for you
This begins with choosing a good place to work. Do you work better at home, or in the library with less distractions? Use a big open space where you can readily pile up all of the notes and documents that you will need.  It’s also good to keep the workspace you have selected clear of everything that’s not job search-related, as it helps focus on the task at hand. If you’re in that space, that’s what you’re there to do. Once you begin the search, find your preferred technique to keep your status with each company up to date, for example a spreadsheet, mind map or colour coded system. Maybe use an app such as Jibber Jobber, which will allow you to keep all your numerous contacts in one place. Finally, categorise your email responses into folders according to the status of the application.

Keep track of your progress
Progress will change on a day-to-day basis so keeping an accurate track will be crucial. Using a spreadsheet for this will be useful as it can be used to map everything out. Make sure that as soon as a reply comes in, or a status changes – for example if you’ve been invited to an interview or assessment centre – this is updated as soon as you can. Another great tip is to label which companies need to be followed up on which dates, to ensure that no opportunity is lost. That includes sending a thank you note after each interview you attend.

Remember to take some down-time
With the pressure of job hunting it can be easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of work involved. Taking regular breaks, or the evening off to unwind will give you some time out to relax and enjoy some time with your family and friends. They are the ones that should be supporting you and have probably been through the process themselves at some point. The process can be long and quite rigorous but by putting our tips into practice and adding a little structure and organisation to your job search will ease the stress and help you land your job much sooner than expected. Look at the roles that we have on offer and use our advice to keep on top of your progress.


Written by Enterprise Rent-A-Car

REBLOGGED: Networking’s not so Nerve-racking, Promise...

I recently came across an article from the University of Manchester with the title 'Networking? I'd rather eat my own shoes...' Aside from being a very eye-catching headline, I think it sums up pretty neatly how most of us feel about networking: it doses us with feelings of dread, inadequacy, sweaty palms, eminent embarrassment and sometimes outright terror.

If it’s meant to be the ‘key’ to finding a decent graduate job then why do we all seem to hate it?

I think it boils down to the fact that many of us have little self-confidence and approaching strangers to talk business is just too darn intimidating. University work is actually very solitary; you get an essay question via email or a virtual learning environment and you sit in front of a computer and get on with it. Later, you sit in silence in a big hall with an exam paper and you just get on with it. Professional social butterflies we are not.

So how can we boost our confidence and work up the nerve to network? Well there’s an amazing TED talk on body language by Amy Cuddy who gives some great advice: fake it until you make it. She explains it much better in the talk but the basic point is: if you’re not the confident go-getter, act the part of someone who is. So you could do this by thinking of someone you know who is chatty and confident and do what they would do. Eventually you’ll realise that you can do it, it’s not that scary and you’re a lot braver than you give yourself credit for.

Another thing to bear in mind is that ‘networking’ is just a buzzword and not as scary as it sounds. Really, all you have to do is have a chat with someone new and who’s never done that before? In the first seminars of your degree or when you joined that society, you managed to keep up a conversation with people you’d never met before – you were networking even if you didn't know it.

Top tips for networking success:

• Join LinkedIn and make connections with the people you meet.
• Keep in touch with lecturers – they usually know many people in their field.
• If you go to a guest lecture, go introduce yourself to the speaker afterwards.
• Talk to recruiters at careers fairs as well as graduates who are already employed at the company.
• Join a professional body for your career area and get involved in events and online discussions.
• Remember that it’s not about approaching someone and asking for a job outright – it’s about making yourself known so that when you do apply for a job, people already have a good impression.
• People love to talk about themselves so keep asking questions and listen to what people have to say and you’re already part of the way there.

Written by Jess Jennison

Editorial Intern
4th August 2014

TARGETjobs.co.uk

GRADUATED!!

Only a Matter of Time: UK Official Chart to Include Streaming Data

Sunday 22nd June 2014 - The UK's Official Chart Company is to start including streaming data in its chart for the first time from July 2014 (article from Official Charts Company). I had wondered when this would happen whilst writing my dissertation. If anyone's read my dissertation then you may have gathered I am rather anti-streaming. In which case, I'm not very happy with this news.

Revenue
Streaming only provides a substantial enough revenue for the more established artists so providing data for the charts will not significantly generate a higher revenue out of streaming. For many unsigned artists, streaming is one of the few routes through which they can actively distribute their music. However, even with this new development within the charts, we are very unlikely to see any change as to what music features within the Top 40. America's Billboard chart already has its own streaming chart but comparing those top 10 singles with the top 10 of the Billboard 100, there is very little difference.

Missing Out?
Not all tracks released for sale, either physically or by download, are added to streaming sites. Beyonce's latest self titled album wasn't shared on Spotify and both Coldplay and Black Keys have also resisted putting their music on the site (article). So does this mean some artists will miss out on 'the top spot'? Spotify went on the offensive after these artists didn't share their music so perhaps this is a ploy to forcibly get music onto the site. Providing data to the chart will not change the music featured but it may well have an impact on what positions the tracks ultimately get, especially if artists are absent from another avenue of figures by choice.

Christmas No.1
Every year we moan about the Christmas No.1 always going to the X Factor winner of that year, well, maybe that could all change now. It's Christmas party time so someone's got to make a playlist for the office do - this is going to be filled with Christmas songs that will be played over and over again and no doubt the person creating the playlist will do it on their Spotify account (if they've got one that is - I'd rather just get out my Christmas CD). This could be a golden opportunity for us to finally start getting proper Christmas songs back to No.1, where they belong. Just got to wait another 6 months to find out now!

The Official UK Singles Chart was always based on sales figures and that aim is about to be lost with the introduction of streaming data. 100 streams will equal 1 sale but it's not the same as many people don't even pay to stream the music as they have only opted for the free account option.

When I was younger I often used to listen to the charts on a Sunday evening, now I usually only listen to them when I remember it's a Sunday and happen to be in my room. I've always tried to make a point of listening to the Christmas chart though. Now I'm not so sure I'll bother listening to the chart show any more, knowing it's no longer truly based on sales figures. It came as a bit of a shock to many when the Arctic Monkeys shot straight to No.1 with their debut single, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, based on download sales alone, but at least they were still sales figures. It is possible, however, for old tracks to make a bit of a comeback into the charts. This usually only happens at Christmas, if a track gets re-released or covered on the X Factor. Streaming sites are an archive of tracks just waiting to end up on people's 'guilty pleasures' and 'old skool' playlists that this is likely to be the most visible change we see to the charts.

I knew this would probably happen at some point but I'll never be happy about it. Just nobody suggest including the figures from illegal downloads please - not even as a joke.

And just to prove the foresight...

Lightning over Liverpool!

DISSERTATION - Complete!!

PRINTED, BOUND AND SUBMITTED!! At long last I have finished my dissertation! I'm so pleased that it's finally done but in a way I'll miss writing it, it's not been easy but I've definitely enjoyed the experience. I am so proud of my dissertation and would love to get it published one day.

A 7 month process in 4 pictures:

LJMU Showreel

3 years in 3 minutes - showcasing some of the production work which I have produced as part of my course (BA(Hons) Media Professional Studies).



I'm nearing the end of university obviously!

Schindler's List

I wasn't quite sure why I started watching Schindler's List (Spielberg, 1993) but I suppose it was because of the iconic image of the little girl in the red dress. I knew it wasn't going to be an easy film to watch but I stuck with it (right until 2am in the morning when it finished). I've studied Nazi Germany for A-level history so it was a film I thought I ought to watch. Schlinder's List is a long film but one I'm glad I saw through to the end, mainly for the ending itself which was really quite something - you really should go and watch it if you want to know what I mean.

Blue Peter Trip

Yesterday we went on our very first uni trip to Media City in Salford to have a behind the scenes look at Blue Peter and have a talk from those in charge of set design and lighting. That was also accompanied by a tour of the studios that Dock 10 own and hire out to channels like the BBC and ITV, along with the galleries and edit suites.

Having grown up watching Blue Peter, it was nice to be able to visit the studio. However, it wasn't the same studio that I was used to watching and I was surprised at just how small it really was. We went the day before the live shoot (which was aired tonight) as they were redoing the set ready.

I watched that episode of Blue Peter today and I don't know whether it's just the fact that I've got older but they don't make it like they used to and wasn't the same for me unfortunately.

Final Production Project

WE'RE DONE!! Yes, at long last we've finished and submitted our final production piece.

The past 4 months have seemed like a very long time in which I don't think I've ever really been able to stop thinking about the project. It has been hard work and it has been stressful but it's still been enjoyable (most of the time anyway).

So, just as a bit of a re-cap, this is what our project's about.

Way back at the end of October I made contact with the Liverpool band, Rangoon Sons. I put the idea to them of doing a music promo as my final piece for uni and they agreed that they'd be up for being involved. I then pitched this as my idea and took on 3 more people to form my group. Since then we've been having endless production meetings and brainstorming, organising shooting dates with the band and getting various pieces of content off of them, going out filming (in most weather) and then topped off with long hours in the edit.

It's not all been plain sailing but we got there in the end - thankfully - and still all in one piece. So here it is:



We had also decided we would be creating a website for the band as part of the project but we were unfortunately told to drop this in the final week before the deadline. As we had done a fair it of work on the website already and the band were still interested in having it, I am taking on the project to finish it off to be able to hand it over to the boys. In the mean time, check them out on Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud and Instagram.

Flying Solo!

Flying solo filming the Rangoon Sons gig at Zanzibar.