Onteca

Our next speaker was a representative from Onteca - Jon Wetherall. This talk was based around the games industry in relation to apps for Nintendo Wii, iPhone/iPod touch/iPad, Android, Facebook and IPTV. The talk was similar to the last one as we realised that the experiences associated with the Digital Fiction Factory involved audience particpation like the games made by onteca. However, Onteca work in a different way as they design the games for people (consumers) to purchase and play, where the outside world is not involved in the actual production process.

I enjoyed the majority of the presentation, and learning about all the 'old school' games and arcades which where about before my time. We also learned about 'Freemium' and how this allows people to play the games for free, but revenue is created through other methods such as sponsorship and adverts, and upgradable content. However this did raise the issue of moral consciousness surrounding companies like Onteca which could be held responsible for creating a 'gambling' and addictive nature to the 'innocent' apps.

We were finally presented with the brief which is "What are the best monetization mechanics for media products?" and we will look at:

What we can learn by looking at Freemium games on mobile/how can it be applied to media?

What are the most appropriate/successful models?

When is it morally wrong?

How might the monetization methods effecr content?

Digital Fiction Factory

Our first guest speaker was in the form of Ian Wareing from the 'Digital Fiction Factory' who came to speak to us about the organisation and also set the first question for the class. During the talk we were introduced to the Digital Fiction Factory as a "completely new kind of development and production centre.” Ian explained how the partnership between the BBC, Channel 4, Creative England and Conker Media would not be possible without audience participation and so we understood how baring the audience in mind when creating content plays a vital role in the success of the company.

During this time we also watched some of the projects made by the Digital Fiction Factory such as 'The Well' and'The Beauty Inside', before being presented with the question:

"The Internet, social media and other open systems have allowed for user generated content (UGC), crowd-sourcing and other forms of audience participation to prevail in digital media. But how do we translate these features into storytelling experiences, without treading on the toes of the author?"

Quantative and Qualitative Research

To begin our Applied Media Research module, we were introduced to methods of gathering material through both Quantative and Qualitive research.

Quantative research is one which most are familiar with as members of the public, and although tedius, it provides a structured method of extracting useful information in the form of questionanaires, online surveys, voting polls and cencus, for example.

In groups, we had the task of creating a questionnaire with the intent of finding out which factors within a univeristy most affect a student's decision in choosing where to study - 'How to promote a university degree to potential students'. From this, we discovered that through qualitative research in the form of a questionnaire, information can be gathered in a quick space of time. I also enjoyed the group work factor within this task as it meant that different opinions could contribute to the overall outcome.

Whenever we recieved feedback from the class, a minority of people reported that the questions were vague which I will bear in mind if we ever re-visit quantative research again and ensure the questions are less open-ended.

Qualitativeresearch on the other hand, involves the same concept of extracting information from the public, but the process however differs within this method and intends to gather the 'quality' of something on a more personal level.

In order to extract this type of information we needed a more in-depth method, and so came up with a diary entry format as we realised that this was just about the most personal way in which an individual can express their opinions.

The feedback from this activity was more positive and the participants also agreed that it the diary entry was certainly useful in gaining personal information.

Second Year...hello Redmonds

After an amazing summer, it was finally time to settle back into the reality of university life in Liverpool. However, this was not as daunting as I had expected as we were welcomed into a brand new building just meters from my new accomodation. I am very enthusiastic about starting the new modules as the course content this year seems much more informative and interesting!

Over the summer I also took it upon myself to get involved with various organisations and websites in order to enhance my experience as a media student. As music is an obvious passion of mine, I got in touch with the founders of FourFour radio, a music blog based in Liverpool and expressed my interest. After an interview (which was based on a music night I run in Liverpool called 'Get Down') I was delighted when they asked me to become a writer for their blog. This has given me the perfect opportunity to improve on my internet presence through reporting on all things music related, and also means I can keep my passion alive at the same time. Here is the link to the blog: http://fourfourblog.com/about/

Another website/organisation which I have become involved in is called 'Scenefly' and has particular relevance to media as it offers an easy to understand view of local events and allows the user navigate and engage in their local music scene, which particularly reminded me of the 'convergence media' topic we learned about last year. My job is to help keep this site alive by promoting it and helping with anything that needs to be imporoved in order for a more successful business. Have a look for yourself to understand: http://www.scenefly.co.uk/account/add-profile/1

Creativity and Concept- 'Virtual Gardening'

Our final brief for Creativity and Concept required us to design a media experience for the new Liverpool Museum. We were split into groups and each was allocated with a specific target user of the museum in which we had to design the experience for- ours was 'Gardening Fanatic'. At first, we were doubtful that this category of the public would be easy to entertain when visiting the museum, but after applying some creativity enhancing techniques learned in previous lessons such as De Bono's concept extraction, we realized that the potential outcomes were endless.

After discussing the initial developed idea with the tutors, we decided that our gardening experience would take the form of a smart phone application. Virtual Gardening’allows users to build their own garden through visiting the museum and is available for all modern smartphones.

The tutors seems impressed with our idea after presenting it to them and suggested that we incorporate various types of gardens into our App. Here is the link to the final Prezi which we presented to the tutors:

http://prezi.com/yuvvtmkdkd9-/virtual-gardening/

Contemporary Media Issues - Fictional online entity

Over the past couple of lessons we have been exploring identity online. First were introduced to the website 'Weavrs' were we created a character which independently posts twitter updates relating to it's characteristics which we had chosen. Our next task was to create a more complex character on facebook in which we have total control over, i.e. we could choose it's name, age, personality etc. I found this very enjoyable as there were no limits to what our character could embody, therefore we decided that ours should be a teenage traveller called Tara Mc Donagh. As the presence of travellers in the modern world is quite a hot topic at the minute with tv shows like 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding', we thought it would be good to create someone born into this different way of life. Tara is a 17 year old irish traveller who is outspoken and passionate about her roots although feels oppressed by the restricting customs of gypsy life. She has used Youtube to help her express her views and speaks out over this aswell as Twitter. Here is Taras facebook account: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100003625996984

Production Practice- Treatments and Development

Over the past couple of Production Practice lessons we have been developing ideas for the current 'factual short' assignment. We initially thought of different possible themes/locations we could base our film on, and presented these to the tutors in the form of a treatment. I thought it would be interesting to film a day in the life of a worker at St John's market, highlighting the hard work and passion these individuals show on a daily basis. After 'rekki'ing the location and considering possible interviewees, we realised that this idea was quite unrealistic as the workers' busy schedules and opening times made it quite difficult. We did the same for the other members of the group and their ideas and decided to base the film on animal rights and a theatre piece performed on the subject by the friend of a group member.

Digital Media Tools- Designing our Website

Over the past couple of lessons we have been going over the main principles of website design and how to produce an effective and user friendly website. We were taught how to use HTML, which is responsible for delivering the layout and balancing the webpage. This gave me an insight into just how much effort goes into making a website and I was shocked at the amount of time which goes into a process which we take for granted every day when browsing the web. After learning about HTML, which I am now quite familiar with, we were told that a solid structure and accessible content is key in designing a successful site. We were also taught of the aesthetics of web design, and certain 'rules' such as the use of neutral backgrounds and not to use sound or striking, luminous colours which are sure to deter any user. As I am a keen music fan and constantly browsing various sites regarding music, I have came across many different pages which have caught my eye and influenced me in my design. I would love to achieve something like this by the end of Semester One: http://www.nathanfake.co.uk/content/

Creativity and Concept

Our current Creativity and Concept brief requires us to deliver a presentation on a new exhibition/event at the Liverpool Museum which appeals to a certain visitor group, in our case- Gardening Fanatics. This group task allows us to put our lateral thinking tehniques to work in order to come up with an original and innovative idea. Since given the brief, I have visited various museums such as the world museum and of course the new Liverpool Museum for inspiration and also to explore the surroundings in order to utilize the space in the best way possible. In addition, I have also been watching gardening programmes on tv such as Young Gardener of the Year which has given a useful insight into the various aspects of gardening. In previous classes we have came up with different concepts for our exhibition with the aid of De Bono cards and other tools, which will soon be put into ideas. Some of these are shown below:

Wikis and Maps- Contemporary Media Issues

Social Networking

Session 16 presented us with the task of creating another Wiki, only this time we had to explore how social networking is employed to engage audiences. In groups, we were given various topics, ours being 'Legalisation of Drugs' and each individual had a different aspect of this topic to explore. These were as follows: Social networking and identity, Collective Intelligence, The creation of communities, Social networking and democracy and Social networks as a market / distribution mechanism. I chose Social networking and identity and here is our wiki showing each individual thread: http://contemporarymediaissues.wetpaint.com/page/Legalisation+of+drugs

I felt that utilising a wiki was the best way to communicate such an issue as it not just outlines each individual's thoughts on the matter, but also allows for the opportunity to voice your opinion on other people's threads in a clear and approachable manner.

Presenting our Google Map

Last Wednesday we finished our location based narrative brief and presented our Google Map to the class. We decided to base our map on the life and achievements of Steven Gerrard, which proved successful due to the feedback from the class. In our map we included locations from London to Ukraine, which each included some information and either a picture or video to accompany. I thought this was a dynamic and interactive way to deliver a narritive and I fully enjoyed sharing the 'story' with the class. I also enjoyed the'Street view' application which offers an interactive opportunity allowing the user to pin point the location and view the actual surroundings. For this brief we achieved a grade of 58. I thought the idea of basing our map on a biography was a breath of fresh air, and the class agreed also. Our project was described as having a 'tactile nature'- "like flicking through an album or unfolding a map" which I felt was a good way of explaining it. However, if we were to do the map again I would take Sarah and Mark's advice to include more media, as our photos and videos consisted mainly of Gerrard's football outcomes. Therefore, basing the map around a less well-known character would allow for more to discover.

This is the link to our map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=203481394485836462880.0004b6cadc9eeaa54cd6b&msa=0

After the brief, I searched for other examples which make use google maps in the same way and came across this 'Scenefly' group on facebook. The group offers an easy to understand view local events, musical talent and people who share your interests using Google Maps. I see this as a massive internet advancement as it provides a platform for common interests which branch off to wider possibilities.

Desperate Scousewives extra-ing

I did some extra work on a new show called 'Desparate Scousewives' in December which was screened this week. Although only a glimpse was aired, the work gave me an insight into how a tv set is delivered and just how much work goes into such a show.

Creative Facilitation- Creativity and Concept

Today we each took on the role of a facilitator and in groups of 4 or 5, had the task of gathering ideas for a John Moores festival. We came up with many different original ideas including an event where unsigned student bands have the opportunity to collaberate with real bands. Taking on the role of facilitator allowed me to realize how a team can be directed and motivated in order to produce as much original ideas as possible. Having a facilitator also insured that the group was performing to the best of it's ability and total involvement and cooperation was achieved.

Semester 2 - first week back

^ A heavely view from the plane welcomes me back to Liverpool..

After 3 weeks of over-indulgence and home luxeries, its back to reality again. This week we've been given an insight into the upcoming assignments in each of the modules. For our production practice module, we were introduced to our first assignment which includes two short films that profile liverpool in some way. The first is a Location Profile which will be entered for the 'I'ts Liverpool' competition and must show a 'slice of life'. Our ideas for this are endless and I am very excited to get filming! The other brief requires us to base a short film around another person, with emphasis on the visual interpretation of the story, which I am also eager to get started on.

In Contemporary Media Issues, we continued on with our Location based narrative assignment and in our groups, discussed possible locations and narratives. This style of assignment is very different to any other, and I look forward to the final outcome. In Digital Media Tools we recapped on photoshop tools and photography enhancing techniques such as framing, depth of field and Rule of thirds and also looked at animations and flash. In addition, we were introduced to our next task of designing a website; so in the upcoming weeks I will be considering any content I wish to put on my website. My initial ideas involve digital music and music as entertainment.

For Creativity and Concept we were also set the next brief and put into different teams. Our brief for semester two is to deliver a presentation of an idea for a media exhibit/artifact/event for visitors of the new Liverpool Museum, aimed at a certain group of people. Our group was allocated with the target group of 'Gardening Fanatic' so we will have so search far and wide for ideas. In this lesson we also looked at approaches to teamwork and how our team is made up in terms of personal attributes, technical skills and interests. We also did a team roles questionaire online in which determined our strengths within a group with a score from 0 to 12. My results are as follows:

Evaluator- 7

Ideas Person- 7

Leader- 7

Compromiser- 9

Summariser- 8

Recorder- 5

Encourager- 7

So as you can see, I must try to improve my input to group work in Semester 2 for not just individual reasons but also for the benefit of a team.