You used your blog to organise ALL of your research. •What skills did you learn about organising and referencing materials?(Remember if your research isn’t referenced correctly then you will not get full marks–e.g.every poster from the internet has to be referenced). •How did your skills of organisation develop from AS and A2?E.g. If it was the first time you used blogger at AS did you find it easier to blog at A2?
The skills I learnt about organising and referencing materials would be that I have learnt to reference them without even thinking about it too much, it has become second nature. I feel that I have progressed in the way I have referenced materials as well as the extent and detail I have gone into in order to reference, for example, analysing music videos with postmodern elements and intercontextual references in great depth.
From AS to A2, my skills of organising havent improved greatly as I think that the way in which each post is presented has been consistant over both years, however, I feel that the depth of my organisation and detail has improved with the presentation of my blog posts.
Expense/Cost of Research - Over both years, the expense of my research has including purchasing magazines for inspiration, hiring out a studio for the filming of my A2 coursework, expense of travel to places in order to have inspiration, for example, locations etc., buying costumes and pieces for mise en scene over both years, buying the track for my music video at A2 from iTunes and an OLYMPUS PEN E-PL1, although this was for other subjects also.
Accessibility - Researching wasnt too hard for me as I had alot of initial ideas in my head already for both years so all I had to do really was research further into my ideas and gather images etc. Finding locations didn't seem to be hard as I had already seen the factory I used for my AS shoot before and thought what an amazing building it was, it was really nice to use it for something. I could say that finding the studio to shoot my music video in was quite hard as many photography studios did not hire out their facilities, nor did any of the colleges nearby. Time - All of my research and planning took alot of time I would say, however, when I am so involved and interested in an idea, it doesn't seem like effort for me to put the time in as I just want my final piece to be the best it can be.
Reliability - I wouldn't say that I ever found my research sources unreliable as I feel that the inspiration suring research and planning that I found only fueled my own ideas and so I could twist and take inspiration from all kinds of places without having to 'rely' on it.
Accuracy - Due to research into audience profiles etc, I felt that over both years, the reception from my peers was positive who were ultimately my audience for both years as my AS music magazine was aimed at a 'rockaholic youth' and my band for my A2 coursework was also aimed at a teenage audience.
Bias -
Validity - Over both years, I believe that the links between my research and planning and final media texts were consistent and in this sense I believe that the outcome of both years was what I expected to get out of it and had only a positive effect on the final body of work. Usefulness - I feel that all of my research and planning added something to both years of work in some way.
For my postmodern analysis presentation of Richard Kelly's 2001 film 'Donnie Darko', I have decided to analyse and present the postmodern elemts of the following scenes:
Two superb films by NY filmmaker Kirby Ferguson. Part 1 covers music and Part 2 covers film. Both essential viewing to gain a further understanding of the connectedness of things. This links to our discussions on postmodernism and intertextuality.
A very interesting aspect of postmodern music theory. This will help you with your next essay.
Media Theorist Jonathan Kramer says "the idea that postmodernism is less a surface style or historical period than an attitude. Kramer goes on to say 16 "characteristics of postmodern music, by which I mean music that is understood in a postmodern manner, or that calls forth postmodern listening strategies, or that provides postmodern listening experiences, or that exhibits postmodern compositional practices." According to Kramer (Kramer 2002, 16–17), postmodern music":
1. is not simply a repudiation of modernism or its continuation, but has aspects of both a break and an extension 2. is, on some level and in some way, ironic 3. does not respect boundaries between sonorities and procedures of the past and of the present 4. challenges barriers between 'high' and 'low' styles 5. shows disdain for the often unquestioned value of structural unity 6. questions the mutual exclusivity of elitist and populist values 7. avoids totalizing forms (e.g., does not want entire pieces to be tonal or serial or cast in a prescribed formal mold) 8. considers music not as autonomous but as relevant to cultural, social, and political contexts 9. includes quotations of or references to music of many traditions and cultures 10. considers technology not only as a way to preserve and transmit music but also as deeply implicated in the production and essence of music 11. embraces contradictions 12. distrusts binary oppositions 13. includes fragmentations and discontinuities 14. encompasses pluralism and eclecticism 15. presents multiple meanings and multiple temporalities 16. locates meaning and even structure in listeners, more than in scores, performances, or composers
Jonathan Donald Kramer (December 7, 1942, Hartford, Connecticut – June 3, 2004, New York City), was a U.S. composer and music theorist.
Active as a music theorist, Kramer published primarily on theories of musical time and postmodernism. At the time of his death he had just completed a book on postmodern music and a cello composition for the American Holocaust Museum.
Analysing exsisting music video in terms of technical camera angles used, mise en scene etc. aswell as in terms of my personal opinion of my likes and dislikes about the videos.
Researching my initial ideas in the existing world and how they could be applied in an effective way.
Initial market research through a facebook and twitter page for the fictional band I created.
Audience Profile research.
Choosing a genre and researching the genre to see if I could apply it to my initial ideas.
Analysing my pitch feedback from my peers which gave me another example of market research.
Research into my mise en scene - e.g. personal trips to locations where I took photographs which is another example of primary research as well as going to vintage stores.
Creating a mini test shoot video in order to research how to use the camera and how good my final video shots would be.
Analysing 1960's album artwork.
Analysing album magazine adverts.
Practicing the styling of my artists beforehand.
Secondary Research -
Researching songs and reading about 1960's inspired bands of today.
Researching David Bailey's techniques as a 1960's photographer.
Watching and posting about 'Factory Girl', a film made in 2006 on the subject of my music video.
Watching countless documentaries about Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgewick.
Researching and compiling videos and photographs of Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgewick and the Warholian Factory.
Read and re-wrote Edie Sedgewick's Biograhy.
Researching Edie Sedgewick's style and re-creating her famous 'Butterfly earrings'.
Researching 'star Image' and applying it to my own artists.
AS Coursework
Primary Research -
Analysing exsisting music magazine covers, contents pages and double page spreads in terms of the media conventions they use including things such as the 'three colour rule' and the use of a 'masthead'.
Colour Paletting and creating mixes of colours and analysing them in terms of whether they work or not and what genre of music they connote.
Audience Profiles.
Analysing Different texts and fonts from dafont.com in terms of whether or not they would work for my magazine.
Research into my chosen genre of music, for example, what a music magazine of that genre would traditionally look like.
Researching and analysing exsisting magazine shoots.
Analysing my test shots. By taking them, this would also could as primary research aswell as analysing whether they work or not.
Analysing my magazine pitch from comments made from my peers.
Researching into the representation of social groups.
Researching and taking initial shots of my magazine shoot.
Analysing my teacher feedback of my first draft.
Researching exsisting magazines in order to justify my magazine design choices.
Secondary Research -
Researching the 'Golden Spiral of Photography'.
Researching 'Markus Klinko', a photographer and reading through his biography and body of work.
Researching 'RANKIN', a media photography phenomenon in the world today and reading through his biography and body of work.
Reading through many magazines, as well as controversial ones such as 'Dazed & Confused' and 'LOVE'.
The Pro's and Con's of carrying out my research -
Pros's -
If primary research is not carried out beforehand then a media text may risk lacking credibility in the real world and will also risk the review it may get from an audience as well as the professional. Therefore, primary research increases the chances of a good reception.
By applying secondary research to your media text, i.e. applying theorists to you work, you can add credibility in the real world and you know in yourself that you feel confident in what you produced and that that the reviews wil be positive.
Con's -
Primary research may be carried out effectively beforehand, although there is a risk of directly 'sampling' exsisting work without realising it and therefore the reviews from a professional may be seen as 'copycatting'.
If you apply secondary research to your media text, you can sometimes risk your work being directed only at a niche audience and not by most. Even though you can add theory to your media texts etc. not ll audiences will have the background knowledge of intertextual features and therefore, your media text would not be recieved well by all.
With both years body of work, I put a huge effort into the research andplanning stages for each but although I put in equal amountsof effort, the huge demand for a more impressive body of work at A2 level left me with a larger number of posts on my blog around research and planning. I get involved with any project I do and let it literally control my life for a couple of months however, this was particularly apparent at A2 level and therefore left me to produce more research and planning in preperation for my final media text. Over the two years, I have loved getting involved with my media work and I don't feel that my determination has changed over time, but I feel that my capabilities and willingness into the depth of research I am willing to go has grown. For example, my A2 media work was my life for the three months of research and planning and I think I could answer anything about Andy, Edie and any intertextual feature I included in my work as I wanted to make it as real as possible and in order to do this, I felt like I needed to know everything there was to know. Proof of this could be the fact that I wrote an entire biography for Edie Sedgewick from memory here.
