Another new year dawns on Emmanuel Court and we welcome new students to the Media Centre. Things will get rolling quickly as assignments are set and productions get underway. The editing room will be abuzz with the sound of the bee-keeper, a time honoured favourite, which is an exercise where clips and interviews are arranged into a documentary about ‘how to make honey.’ This allows an introduction to video editing which is integral to most of our courses. As ever our Media stalwarts Pete and Roger will be on hand to offer expert advice in addition to their life affirming pearls of wisdom which come gratis.
The First Diploma has some new units this year with Photography and Print Production units allowing us to study a wide range of Media. We are excited about this course and look forward to seeing how wet and digital photography can be then edited and manipulated with our software to create magazine or news articles. Radio and Video elements are a major part of this course and students will be researching material and interviewing people to create documentaries.
Another exciting project involving interviews will be completed by Christmas. This involves creating a DVD for the Sutton British Legion on the theme of Remembrance. Second Year BND students will film the remembrance events and interview war veterans fulfilling a brief to be commissioned by the charity. Other local charities will be approached to see if we can provide a similar service. This allows students to respond to a real brief from a client whilst enriching the local community. They will also be busy creating factual programmes, radio dramas and running the television studio. Paula is planning to start the Film Studies unit with some hard hitting films made by New Zealand Maori directors dealing with disturbing social issues ! Prepare for some tears to be shed, tissues will be supplied.
A level courses are popular once more and heavily subscribed. Film Studies has found its home on the top floor of the Media Centre. A2 students will be deciding on a director and carrying out a detailed study of their films They then consider whether they can be considered an auteur. Last year chosen directors ranged from Tarantino to Tim Burton and Ridley Scott, whilst a challenging choice focused on French Director Jean Pierre Jeunet.
A level Media students will be analysing a range of media texts in preparation for their coursework productions. AS students will be creating 2-3 minute thriller films whilst A2 students will be making television documentaries. Kuldip is expecting to notch the standard of films up again this year as A2 students are now familiar with new editing software. This allows those who are willing to fully explore the possibilities of Final Cut Pro to create a polished and professional production. By Christmas 40% of their A2 mark could be realised.
GCSE students are also welcomed into the Media fold and will find Johnny and Heather are keen to pursue practical skills to complement the theory on the course. Four assignments starting with Soap Operas and ending with involvement in the radio broadcasts allow students to gain 50% of their marks before Easter.
We wish all our students the best of luck for the forthcoming year and look forward to celebrating your success next summer
