Video Game and Me

I do not regularly play video games but over the years I have played a variety of games on several platforms. Initially, I owned a Wii and enjoyed playing games such as Wii Sports, Mario Kart and Just Dance. I often played these in the living room with friends or family as this made the gaming experience more fun. More recently, I have played games such as FIFA, GTA, Rocket League and Call of Duty in my bedroom on my PS3 and more recently on my PS4, however I do not use this very often anymore as I often do not have time for it. I mostly play games such as FIFA and Rocket League only with friends, as these games have a multiplayer option, meaning that I rarely play the single player games. I would not consider myself a gamer as I only play video games once in a while and often only during school holidays.

Despite not owning these consoles, I have also experienced playing on PS2, Xbox 360 and Xbox 1 with friends or family at their houses. Surprisingly, I have never owned a handheld/portable console, as I prefer to play video games inside.

Minecraft: Pocket Edition Mission

Although I have played Minecraft before on a PC, I found playing the pocket edition on an iPad much harder, especially when playing on survival mode. Despite this, the games unstructured sandbox style allowed me to thoroughly enjoy my playing experience as the feeling of infinite possibilities was created. One important point that I noted while playing the game is that its blocky/indie look doesn't hinder your ability to become immersed in it. A downside to the game is that it is an individual game in which it is difficult to play with people around you, therefore it appeals to those who enjoy playing games by themselves. 

Additionally, as I was playing this game in a classroom with others around me, I couldn't enjoy the game as much as I would if I was in my own bedroom, as the game encourages you to switch off from the real world by providing an alternate world, which is harder to become immersed in with others around you. The idea of escapism is a key factor when playing the game, therefore it would be most suitable to play in the afternoon/evening when you are looking to unwind. Also, the fact that the game is now available across multiple platforms including portable ones such as iPads, PSVita and Wii U, allowing you to play wherever you are and on the go.

My Breakfast Show Segment

Did you fulfill all the content requirements; both in terms of including all the correct features and as well as the actual choices made.

I believe that we did fulfill all the content requirements as we followed all the rules on the brief. We made sure to included 10 seconds of two contrasting music tracks: Too Good at Goodbyes by Sam Smith and White Noise by Disclosure, both of these being British artists. We also included three different jingles made on Logic, one for Latymer Radio, one for Celebrity Gamble and a final one for the news towards the end. The segment predominantly featured the host talking but we also included a member of the public who calls into the radio station and a news presenter as requested by the brief. Additionally, there was some interaction and banter between the host and the caller/new presenter. Crucially, we included Celebrity Gamble as Nick calls up on his was to University, allowing audience interaction to be made. After this responses about the callers choice are read out from Twitter by Morgan, the host. Additionally, we included a quick promo of the celebrity guest for the day, Mr Pashley, near the beginning and two headlines at the end about the Latymer community, including the Latymer team football score and an update on the schools financial situation, both of which are relevant to the audience group of the radio station.

Have you nailed the conventions and style of Nick Grimshaw and the Radio 1 Breakfast Show?

Overall, I think that we have nailed the style of Nick Grimshaw and his show, through the use of direct address to the audience, done by the host. Additionally, we have a created a similar lively and energetic feel to the show, just like Nick Grimshaw does. Additionally, we have created a sense of Britishness, by playing songs by British artists, however also music that is varied but still mainstream. Perhaps to make our radio show more like Nick Grimshaw's, we could have included more jokey banter between the host and the caller, in order to create a more light hearted feel to the show. Despite this, I believe that we achieved the style of his show through our hosts conversational tone and upbeat persona.

How did you manage your running order/timings?

Timing was possibly the area in which we struggled the most in this task, as there is so much content to include in such little time. Our first take was far too long, around four and a half minutes,  however we manage to reduce this to three and a half minutes in our final take. Overall, we followed the running order template but the second section was too long in our first take, so this is where we cut down significantly, in order to reduce the overall length of the segment. We also made sure to not create any awkward pauses in our final take, as this would waste time and sound unprofessional. Also, we used the jingles to help us separate out each section, making it easier for us to follow. 

Music Video Analysis

Taylor Swift- Look What You Made Me Do

                     

1. Fast Pace Editing

Towards the end of the music video, there are fast pace montages such as the one on the left. This is done to follow the pace and tone of the song just before the dramatic finish, leaving a greater impact on the audience.  As well as being cut to the beat, there is a 180 degree angle change between two shots, which would be unusual in a film but gives this music video a dramatic finish.     

2. Cutting to the Beat        

There are several examples of cutting to the beat in this music video. The example to the left stood out to me as the cut is also shows a complete change in mise-en-scene, despite the camera angle and framing being the same as the previous shot. The cutting to the beat allows the change in the shot to be more prominent while allowing narrative to change.                               

3. Varied and Fast Changing Mise-en-scene   

In this clip, there are four consecutive shots all with completely different mise-en-scene, allowing a non-linear structure to be formed. This allows the broken narratives to come together towards the end of the video. This allows different versions of Taylor Swift in different costume and make up to be shown, a typical convention of music videos.

4. Beauty Shot

A beauty shot or close up is also very common in a music video. This CU shot of the artist, Taylor Swift with a make up, is a convention of music videos as it adds an aesthetically pleasing element. It is also an example of direct address as Taylor Swift is looking directly into the camera, allowing the audience to be engaged early in in the video. 

5. Visual Depiction of Lyrics

This shot is of Taylor Swift making a gun sign with her hand. This follows what is said in the lyrics of the song during this shot. The lyrics are: "You said the gun was mine". This allows the video to illustrate the video in this moment, allowing the lyrics to become more prominent.