Kat Albiston - Unit 3 by Kat Albiston

Work attributes

keeprunning — 2016-01-05 14:38:26 UTC

I like to think that I have many attributes that would make me a worthy employee, for example I consider myself to be a rather creative person. I like to collect ideas within myself and understand how these ideas could further a project and benefit it’s creation, something I often do within college and especially when tackling the practical tasks, such as photography or editing. Another thing I consider myself to be is very good at listening and taking in instructions, something crucial when in placement as with some professions, one wrong move could cause you to lose your job or position.During lessons, I attempt to get all of my work done without a fuss but understand that I am allowed to ask questions if needed, so I listen and I take in any advice that I know will improve my work as it’s a wise move on my part and would be good for whatever end result as well. Finally, another quality that I’d consider to be crucial is determination. My work ethic is something that I understand needs serious tweaking, but during the final weeks of my projects in college, I was spending extra days in class and working seven days a week in order to get my work done to the best of my ability. I really wanted it to be acceptable and presentable, and my determination carried me through to the last round.

Job roles

keeprunning — 2016-01-05 14:55:42 UTC

Screenplay writer:
In order to handle a job of this importance, I'd need to bring original and creative ideas to the table rather regularly, therefore dedication would be one of the most key skills to have. If you aren't committed to a job like this, then you'll end up missing deadlines and purposely avoiding work. You need to be resilient, passionate, focused and imaginative. Being creative is a skill of it's own, as it's so easy to rehash popular media accidentally. I know that for me, I'd need to improve my work ethic and put a lot more effort into some projects, as sometimes I slack and then my work comes across as sloppy or rushed.

Photo journalist:
A photo journalist needs to be punctual and responsive, quick enough to understand the importance of certain things and thoughtful enough to deal with harder situations and stories they may have to shoot. As with most jobs, they need to show a certain amount of dedication in order to most likely keep it and maybe progress to higher positions and spots. To do this successfully, I'd personally have to improve my punctuality. It's something that I struggle with due to anxiety and other issues, but for a job like this, being on time would be pretty crucial, especially if I was shooting that day.

Journalist:
Similar to doing photography within this field, as a regular journalist I would need to be loyal and trustworthy. A lot of journalists seem to stretch the truth for the benefit of sales, but I'd most likely be expected not to do that depending on who I'm working for. Honesty should be a standard within journalism, and I'd probably need to improve on my fact checking and research as I can sometimes skim over and not push myself to get the full truth.

Make-up artist
A make-up artist needs to understand their craft and understand the subtle nuances and tricks that it takes to create a beautiful look and a breath-taking character of any kind at all. Art is the key here, as well as many skills that you can learn from education or a lot of personal practice. For example, if one character needs hollow cheeks, the artist must be able to contour hollow cheeks.

Composer
A composer is a creative, someone who can tell a story through the means of music, whether that's in the instrumentation or the lyrical qualities of the piece, a composer needs to be determined and dedicated, someone who can show up to work and explain why one theme belongs to a certain character and another doesn't belong. They need to be versatile and able to adapt to certain genres, no matter the job they've taken.

Editor
Editing is an incredibly technical job, so someone applying for a high calibre job must be able to work the certain programs and perform every tip and trick under the sun. As well as that, they need to understand deadlines as if an editor can't finish a scene or the entire movie on time, the film may have to be pushed back to a later release date, which isn't good for a studio or their reputation.

Publisher
Publishing, whether it's a magazine or a book, is important in terms of promotion and interest. A publisher must understand business, how to sell a book or a magazine, how to get people interested and excited. Sales will plummet if people don't care, and they know that very well. Similar to editing, they need to understand deadlines and have a good work ethic, because money could be lost if something isn't released on time or lost.

Costume designer
A costume designer, like an MUA, must primarily be an artist. Handywork is convinient, but if you don't do your research when designing a period specific ensemble, you could be completely ignored and shoved along for another designer who has put in the research, who has put in the artistry that it takes to succeed well enough in that business.

LL 06/01/16

llove — 2016-01-06 15:57:34 UTC

TO BE DONE: HOMEWORK EXPAND RESEARCH

•5 different Job roles in 3 different media sectors identifying skills and qualifications required
•Work experience opportunities –
contact name and email evidence of communication with employer for March work experience
•Research Volunteer for Local Charities

keeprunning — 2016-01-06 16:00:49 UTC

Unit 2 video diary

Video diary self asessment

keeprunning — 2016-01-06 16:01:11 UTC

keeprunning — 2016-01-06 16:14:47 UTC

keeprunning — 2016-01-06 16:15:23 UTC

keeprunning — 2016-01-06 16:15:43 UTC

Methods for finding jobs

keeprunning — 2016-01-06 16:19:53 UTC

Flowchart

keeprunning — 2016-01-06 16:41:38 UTC

Diary ENTRY 1 06/01/2016

keeprunning — 2016-01-06 16:45:42 UTC

i. Attendance/punctuality to lessons I have been on time for the entire week, although before the half term I hadn't attended for a couple of days, which is why I was struggling to catch up and get certain bits of work done and finished. I will be attempting to not have another day off unless it's very urgent, but meanwhile I will be tightening my work and improving.

ii. Research and analysis skills

I really should have researched and analysed more, but I'm pretty happy with my researching skills as of today. For example, I got a very wide range of degree courses and classes that will be beneficial for when I come to selecting places to apply to. I could have been more thorough, however. iii. Confidence in verbal and written communication My communication skills are currently being worked on, slowly but surely, although in all honesty, they have a long way to go until they're improved a great deal. In my lesson with Leila, I did manage to have a conversation with her about the work which helped, and my written skills are still probably my best. I must work on my speaking, though.

iv. Organisational skills / achieving deadlines My organisational skills are pretty non-existent, but I seem to be getting a little better and worrying less, especially this week. I'm pretty happy with myself but I know that I have a few things yet to do. It's important that I do get those done, it really is.

v. IDENTIFY WHAT YOU NEED TO IMPROVE THIS WEEK

I need to organise my folders and finish off the homework from before the half term as it's something that really needs to get done.

Different jobs within the media

keeprunning — 2016-01-07 00:06:28 UTC

Social media Social media work is a field that is fairly new due to the sudden explosion of social media, but it can be a very good marketing tool, especially if your brand or product is somewhat of a niche. Design and content is key to keep people interested and keep the online following growing, and these days an online presence can be the one thing that keeps you afloat within the media. You would need a clear knowledge of the market and how social media works, for example Twitter is a popular option as so many people use it to connect to fans and consumers, and so on and so forth. Music journalist A music journalist needs to hold knowledge on varieties of different things, from the music industry to social issues, to markets and so on and so forth. Usually most relevant for reviews and specialist magazines, a music journalist may need a degree and an NCTJ, but this is a career that can be freelanced, baring in mind that that freelancing may initially be non-profit. A music journalist must be non-biased, able to keep up with the current trends whilst still knowing and applying their history, and open minded to different styles. Some reviewers delve into opinion rather than a wider range of views, and a good music journalist should understand the difference between those things. Film director To be a director, you need to have a clear vision and eye for what exactly you want to put on screen. Film school isn't essential but it's usually recommended, as you can learn the ins and outs of really creating and conceiving and idea, as well as various sections of film history. Aside from creativity, your organisational skills need to be strong and clear, as you will have many tasks to do for certain deadlines and they will need to be done fast, and your work ethic needs to be neat. Graphic designer A graphic designer needs to be artistic, they need to know exactly what works and what doesn't work and they need to have a clear eye for design, first and foremost. School options are wide for a career like this, but the most recommended would probably be a degree in art and design, or even creative media. They need to be punctual and dedicated to whatever task they're put up with, and the market for graphic designers is wide but competitive so they need to hone their abilities and show that they're the best of the best when it's really needed. Radio presenter A radio presenter needs to be sharp, and depending on what kind of station they work at, witty. A lot of soft skills are needed for a job like this, but a presence is something that's really needed and sought out for, otherwise you have no life behind the microphone and you will most likely lose listeners. Drama degrees or media degrees would probably work for this, but you do need determination and concentration, as well as many technical skills so your show can stand out.

Further education ideas

keeprunning — 2016-01-12 19:48:47 UTC

Creative writing: University of Roehampton - London - Accessible - BA - Top three in London for Creative Writing - Undergrad courses City University - Specifically a novel writing course - Also in London - £6000 full time Keele university http://www.keele.ac.uk/ugcourses/englishwithcreativewriting/ full link here with entry requirements - goes into film, good thing for screenplays

Diary entry criteria 2.1

keeprunning — 2016-01-20 15:50:29 UTC

The practices are similar in the film and music industries, as they both deal with manners of celebrity and privacy is a big code of conduct that must be respected, especially when working with someone important. The group who conducted the film research seemed to misunderstand the question, so there's not much else to say on this matter. There are other similarities in issues such as skill and mentality, as you need to be passionate and dedicated to work in the entertainment industry in general, and artistic talent is also important in both to a degree.

Some differences may be in how these practices are conducted, as there are different guilds and organisations for film and music but there aren't any ones that seem to do the same things. For example, the music industry has the PRS which takes care of publishing and copyright, and the film industry has BFI which is more of an appreciation organisation as well as protection. The contrast is little due to their prominent entertainment positions, but there is the difference of jobs that are needed. Someone recording an album wouldn't need a cinematographer working part-time, for example, and vice versa to that, but that is about as different as it may get. Also, if you're a performer or actor and that's what you do for a living, it's harder for you to be freelance or not have a contract tying you down, so in terms of the types of placement and how long it would last, people in these creative industries may have similar ways of working, especially session musicians and make-up artists/art directors/etc who may freelance.

In terms of ethics, the typical downfall of women getting paid less than men is evident in both fields, and as prominent as this year, a female singer was forced to stay in her recording contract with her sexual abuser, as well as women constantly being poised as sexual objects in either industry. Discrimination is rampant in the recording studio and on the set, and there are practices that help a singer or an actor out with money issues, but there's always been a lacking of help for those who are taken advantage of and have nowhere to turn. Obviously, there are law practices, but it's very hard for women or any other discriminated group of people to proceed and succeed in either industry. That's where a big similarity lies. Of course, there's issues with prejudice against men in both music and film, especially men of colour and LGBT+ men, but the discrimination and sexism that is evident in the entertainment industry continues to thrive and has thrived from the very start of recorded film and music.

Diary entry 2

keeprunning — 2016-01-20 16:25:21 UTC

I was fairly comfortable with the group I was in for the main task, and working together was probably the easiest part. We decided to run like a unit, rather than bundling together and doing each section as a team. Taking on an individual part of both tasks each, this allowed us to collect a solid unit of facts and figures. With my guidelines, I did struggle to find a good amount of information, as I got a little lost and over-analytical mid-task, but after some explanation and help from the team leader, who seemed just as lost as I until we both got a mutual understanding, I was confident enough to submit the work to him and even had a crucial part in presenting to the class when we were made to. There was a moment where my group struggled to speak up, so I took the lead and felt a sense of pride in my own courage, something I often struggle to develop. I had many ups and downs today when it came to the work, but I completed it.

Criteria 1.1 Locate, access and use information to support own development

keeprunning — 2016-01-20 23:02:46 UTC

Above anything, I'd like to be some sort of writer, and when applying that to a media sector this could mean anything from screen writing to some kind of journalism. Most specifically, I'd be very interested in writing film scripts, as I've always had an interest and passion for writing and I feel as if my current skills and creativity could carry me through this career path with both success and joy. I'm a determined and thoughtful person with a confident writing style, but I realise that these qualities alone wouldn't garner me a job at all. If I really wanted a good career in screen-writing, I know that I need to improve my organisational skills and my time management, as often struggle with meeting the correct deadlines and then my work can suffer from that. It's not an easy business to get into, and companies or studios wouldn't hire a slacker or someone known to leave everything to the last minute and create something that is nothing but a rush job.

I've researched a few websites that could cover what it is that I want to do, but a regular job website such as Reed or Indeed may not be as effective as I really hoped it would be. This is because websites such as those are often clogged with many jobs that lie in other fields and it's neither of them are media orientated. The BAFTA program however can be good for young writers starting out, although a main downside could be that a high profile organisation such as BAFTA may have slimmer chances of getting in. There are easier options that offer services to freelance writers such as Copify, and with a site such as this, the picking may not be as slim.

Ideally, I'd like to write freelance, as I'd benefit from having the flexible timetables that come with the pathway and I'd have time to develop my CPD. I'd like to take specific writing classes, whether I end up going to uni or not, so I can develop my skills and become a stronger writer. Doing these classes whilst I also work freelance may give me the ability to pay them off easily, which is a plus within itself. I am however aware of the drawbacks that lie within freelance work, and I'm completely aware that I'd struggle with taxes, due to poor maths skills that I am attempting to improve.

I'm currently looking for a place to my work experience, but I'd like to do it at a film studio, or a magazine company, as both of these places could give me valuable experience that I would take into account for whatever job I end up taking. A film studio would however be preferred, as I'd really like to see what goes on and how I'd end up contributing.

Uni is an option for my post-college career, but I'm looking into ways that I can just take classes on creative writing and jump straight into work, as I can't exactly afford 4 years of university and feel as if I'd benefit more from singular and more fast paced courses.

keeprunning — 2016-01-28 10:07:04 UTC

Personal statement 1

keeprunning — 2016-02-01 00:45:49 UTC

Job interview questions

keeprunning — 2016-02-09 19:46:25 UTC

Mock cover letter

keeprunning — 2016-02-09 19:47:25 UTC

Creative portfolio

keeprunning — 2016-02-09 20:44:41 UTC

Apprenticeships opportunities

keeprunning — 2016-02-10 15:10:26 UTC

Internal Progression

keeprunning — 2016-02-21 19:18:25 UTC

What is a traineeship? How would it help you?
A traineship is a pre-apprenticeship that sort of introduces you to the sector of work before getting you out there and ready to earn and learn. For me, a traineeship could be useful as I would like to gain as much experience and knowledge as possible, but I could always live without it as by the time I take an apprenticeship, I'd have been studying media for over three years and could find use in just getting out there and doing all of the jobs that are needed.

What do you need to consider if you're moving on to another course?
It would be a good idea to consider what you'd need to do in preparation, especially if you need to take pre-examinations in order to even study the course. This more or less applies to specialist colleges, but it's a possibility. Another thing you may need to consider is the pathway you're pushing yourself into. If you move from one field to another, you need to realise that it could take you a little longer to get into that career than if you'd been studying one subject for a while.

Do-It.org:
Social Media Volunteer:
https://do-it.org/opportunities/674eaa9d-2ceb-4723-b8ab-cd6721bb044a
Summer production volunteer:
https://do-it.org/opportunities/00b8afc0-7dd6-4b97-bff6-e108d19c32b6

To find opportunities, put in your postcode of the town you live in and then the jobs will come up for you. From there, you can customize more specific options, such as if you want a technical job or a caring job.

Payscale report:
Couldn't manage to get a hang of the website. Will update this section.

Diary log 3

keeprunning — 2016-02-24 16:22:11 UTC

I had written the interview questions and the whole group proceeded to use them, and this yet again shows my strength when it comes to writing and working as a team. I'm confident in applying my various skills to odd jobs in a team, but I must admit that I do sometimes get to a bit of a loss when my team or group mess around. I'm very easily stressed out, but today I channelled that into being a leader and calming everyone down. We completed the interviews and completed them to a nice standard. In my own interview, I must admit that I do often allow myself to become nervous and worried, and I'll stutter from there in a loss. In the future, I plan to make notes I can read over and practice my answers to myself, just so I have a stronger understanding of what I will say. I'm pretty good with words, so I don't find it very hard to get through an interview, but I do allow nerves to overcome me and that was evident in the short mock interview.

My work ethic has impacted me into finishing today, albeit a little slower than I hoped. I sometimes allow myself to get distracted and caught up in tasks that aren't work, but today I achieved deadlines by getting down to it and focusing on the tasks at hand when it's crucial for them to be finished. For example, I urged my group to finish up and get on track so we could all finish up earlier, and it took a bit of time to get to that point, but we got to it. To improve, I need to work on my time management so I have more time to improve and correct my work. This would mean that I can achieve my targets and get the best grade I can.

Mock interviews: professionalism

keeprunning — 2016-03-01 17:28:57 UTC

This week, I feel as if I demonstrated a high level of professionalism. This isn't me attempting to put down any members of my group, but if I was to be completely honest, I felt like a true leader within the group, Most of the time, due to the circumstances of our room and the people who were inside, I found it hard to get my voice heard, but I stopped messing around and got everyone focused. It was a challenge, and I often felt overpowered by the prominent personalities in group, but when I finally got the courage, I spoke up and asked them to calm down and just get the work done. In the long run, this approach wasn't awful, but I do wish that I'd attempted to calm them down before it had gotten out of hand. At times, it was honestly frustrating, but I kept as calm as I could and was prepared well enough for the interviews. During my own interview, I must admit that I became a little nervous and unconfident due being put on the spot, but I got through it in one piece and was proud of what I did. I'm pleased that my group finished all three videos, and I'm also pleased I had a chance to show my leadership skills, as I often am unable to do that.

Targets 02/03/2016

keeprunning — 2016-03-02 11:17:37 UTC

Writing about things = needing to compare and contrast
Homework this week: speak about how you demonstrated professionalism in Leila's class

Planning for powerpoint

keeprunning — 2016-03-02 17:12:10 UTC

Diary log 6

keeprunning — 2016-03-03 01:17:14 UTC

I feel a mixture of both confidence and fear that I won't be able to finish and complete my targets, mostly due to the fact that I am running out of time to get any of them done in the first place and I worry my best efforts will not equate to anything. This is mostly just anxiety speaking, but I understand that I did panic somewhat during the lesson today. I also understand that this isn't the most professional practice, but I did crack under the pressure today and realise it may have cost me a chunk of time. By putting in the extra work and extra time, I was able to finish the main framework that was set today, and I did so to my best standards, even if some sections were a little rushed.
To ensure that I complete all of my units and meet the deadlines, I will be coming in on my study days and spending long hours finishing off the assignments to the best of my ability. I don't want to be missing any work, so I know it's important that I put in the extra effort and realise that this isn't a walk in the park. I know what I signed up for, and I will be carefully taking all the time and patience I need to get everything done.
In term of areas of planning that I've improved, I can say that I've ever so slightly been improving and bumping up my time management skills, as I'm now getting hefty sections of work done and dusted when they're most needed. This is where I often fell flat last term, so I'm glad I can happily do this now.

Harry Potter sheet 1

keeprunning — 2016-03-04 19:41:38 UTC

Harry Potter sheet 2

keeprunning — 2016-03-04 19:44:45 UTC

Presentation notes

keeprunning — 2016-03-07 01:40:59 UTC

Presentation

keeprunning — 2016-03-07 01:41:29 UTC

CV

keeprunning — 2016-03-08 12:05:04 UTC

Types of contracts within the industry

keeprunning — 2016-03-09 12:11:43 UTC

Stringer
A stringer is a type of freelance work that doesn't really apply to me. It's more of a contract description created for journalists working in newspapers or what not, and for my brand of fictional screenwriting, it wouldn't make sense for me to have a stringer styled contract. In a bit more detail, a stringer is generally on a part-time contract rather than being a permanent member of the team.

Freelance
A freelance worker is often self-employed and hired for part-time positions, only when they're lacking a link and needing someone. Freelancing is popular within the graphic design industry, and make-up artistry field and various other specialist skills, and as a future writer, I would probably use freelancing the most frequently, as it would be easy for a writer in my field to get a freelancing job on something such as a short film, rather than a hard fixed contract.

Part-time
Part time work consists of fewer hours on the job and usually less days, so it's a bit of a looser contract in comparison with full time, and may come with a smaller pay-out, but it's still a completely valid form of work and may be most common within retail work and young people. I don't think I'd be offered a part time position as a writer, due to the fact that it's tricky to hire someone on the basis that they only partially write.

Fixed term
A fixed term contract has a clear start date and a clear end date, it's a contract that will end on a certain date or whenever the deadline is due, and this could be a very valid form of writing contract, especially for a longer, high budget movie.

Full time
A full time contract is fairly simple, it's a higher position consisting of a heftier amount of hours and days, and it's usually applied to various business positions, especially if you're out of education. It's possibly a valid contract for a writer, especially if they may be needed in the post production aspect of a film, but freelance is more suited.

Casual worker
A casual worker has no expectations when it comes to continuing with a certain company, and this may apply in fields such as music with session musicians, or art-types who can supply visuals but then be let free to work on another job. This could apply to a writer, but a more solid contract would make sense if you're supplying something as important as narrative.

keeprunning — 2016-03-09 16:53:19 UTC

Critical comparison of work practices

keeprunning — 2016-03-09 17:27:25 UTC

There are ranges and ranges of practices you must perform in order to do a certain list of things in one field to another, and a pretty universal one to mention is health and safety. It's kind of awkward to handle this quickly and quietly, as for a field like film, it may mean going to a location and assessing the area before you can shoot, but a pro is that you will not receive any fines, lawsuits or formal letters in protest of your actions if someone gets badly injured. It gives you time to clean and tidy the area before settling in, for example if you're shooting in a forest, you can move out all out the stray branches that may be in your way, or if you're a musician recording in a studio, you have time to clean the area and create space. Whilst these are not thrilling tasks in the slightest, they're essential and can save a lot of money and a lot of harm.

Another practice may be copyright issues, and all areas of media have problems and cons when it comes to copyright and the many legalities and risks that come along with it. If you're recording a song and your bassline sounds like one that was recording 30 years a go, it's a sure fire bet that someone will pick that up on that when they get to their first or sixteenth listen, and then the lawsuits and harsher actions come into play, and this could risk the lack of airtime your song may have, or your entire contract. This could also be applied to scripts in screenwriting, articles in journalism and entire graphics being taken by large companies without permission in the graphic design field. Copyright is essential to protect your work, a safety net for your creativity, but it can also limit just that and stop one young artist from expressing their artistry due to a mistake they may not have caught. A career could be in the gutter if a copyright case is taken very far, and that doesn't exactly help any industry at all.

Some codes of conduct require that an artist or a creative has an official degree, and this is prominent in many fields. In this day and age, there is a real problem with university fees and the poorer this country gets, the less poverty stricken artists can afford this degree. Talent is wasted and forgotten, and this may not seem like a problem, but it's something quite sticky. If we don't have young talent behind the media sectors in this country, we won't be seeing new media cropping up in the future, and kids like me may be giving up at the idea in the first place. It isn't a terrible rule, as a lot of studios may just need a higher qualified worker, but it's a growing issue in the country that may continue if it's not solved.

We have many governing borders in the UK that regulate most industries, such as RAJAR (radio), OFCOM (broadcasting), and so on and so forth. Some focus on copyright, some focus on protecting artists and helping them get a head start, some are unneeded and just around to pull things down from the airwaves if it gets a complaint. I feel as if OFCOM can honestly harm artists in the modern day, as some adverts are taken away due to small irrelevant details that damage a graphic designer, a producer or an actor. I don't think OFCOM is irrelevant, but I feel as if their power is all seeing and goes a little far sometimes. BBFC is a little more reasonable, as it not only protects and savours creativity, but it rates as a reasonable rate, at least in comparison to OFCOM.

Work experience audio diaries

keeprunning — 2016-04-14 10:00:46 UTC

One - http://vocaroo.com/i/s1WkvaglJ08e
Two - http://vocaroo.com/i/s1inEorW3LPF

LL 16.04.16

llove — 2016-04-16 09:47:24 UTC

Kat you have worked are and been very focussed on evidencing your ability to demonstrate professionalism required to work in the media industry. While you have been concerned at times that you have not managed your time effectively you have actually produced and excellent portfolio that has met the required deadlines. You need to realise the potential you have and take pride in the professionalism and commitment you have illustrated in this work. Continue to remain focussed on your work and motivated and I am sure your FMP will be of a great standard, showcasing your creativity and professionalism.. well done

Legalities and ethics in the film industry

keeprunning — 2016-04-18 13:04:14 UTC