Feature

This is a feature I wrote after I interviewed Warren Harris, who is a first year photography student at Harlow College.

 

 

Feature

 

 ‘I love documenting things, telling a story’ this is the reason behind Harlow College student Warren Harrison’s passion for photography.

Even though Warren always loved photography, it didn’t come without its struggles, he decided that he would take it as a GCSE: ‘I sort of failed it’.  Despite this setback it didn’t stop Warren from wanting to pursue his dream.

It is clear that Warren’s favourite photographer Chris Tew, has contributed greatly to his ambition of becoming a professional photojournalist: ‘He is the one who taught me everything I know about photography, he travels around the world photographing and reporting on a range of different subjects’.

Warren’s main dream for the future is to work in the Caribbean ‘I would love to be teaching photography maybe in the Caribbean’.

 

Jane Maxwell-Hyslop Warren’s tutor at Harlow College spoke of his dedication to his work; ‘he is a very conscientious student, he is always precise in his work’. This shows that Warren is very serious about his desire to achieve great things in the industry.

 

Warren said that he tries to make every photo unique in some way. This statement shows that at just nineteen years old he is trying to make his mark in the photography world.

Differentiating yourself in today’s current climate seems absolutely vital when it comes to having a successful career. Alison Cobb who works at Reed gave advice on what would give a photography student an advantage in the industry: ‘mindset, it’s of key importance’ Warren already knows what he wants and where he hopefully will be in the next ten years, it is really refreshing to see.

 

 

Photography is an industry that itself is very versatile as there are many jobs that a person can do. The careers choices in this industry range from being one of the paparazzi to photographing models for a modelling agency. Warren wants to take his love of photography and use it positively to achieve the goal of helping make a difference to people’s lives.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for him, and it is clear that if he carries on with that same determined mindset he will achieve them. Warren’s aspirations already go beyond the college campus and hopefully we will hear of his success in the near future.

 

 

Background Feature

Background feature

The British Broadcasting Corporation has accumulated one of the largest multimedia archives in the world.  At the start of the BBC the company has taken a leading role in opening up the benefits of new technologies to big audiences.

The BBC was founded on the 20^th October 1922 by John Reith and George Villiers, in 1927 as a public service.  John Reith, the first general manager of the BBC and later, as it passed from private to public ownership, its first Director General. He defined public service as “primarily a standard and an outlook and only secondarily a form of administration”. The BBC was able to maintain its distinctive “standard and outlook”, and to define its own version of the public sector administration to which Reith referred, for more than fifty years.

It started with BBC Radio in 1922 as many amateur stations had closed.  The BBC took the opportunity and started its first daily radio service in London called 2LO.  After much argument, news was supplied by an agency, and music drama filled the airwaves for only a few hours a day.  In May 1932, the BBC moved from its studio in Savoy Hill.  The BBC commissioned a purpose built centre.   At the time it was one of only two in Europe.  

In November 1936, change happened. The BBC was the first broadcaster in the world to provide a regular ‘high definition’ television service.  Programmes of the kind we see today, such as drama, sport, outside broadcasts and cartoons, all featured, but not for long. The outbreak of war in 1939 brought programmes to a sudden halt.

BBC faced national competition from ITV who launched in 1955 as a result of the Television Act 1954.  The act created the Television Authority to regulate the industry and award franchises. There were six franchises started in 1954 for television, these were broadcasted in London, the Midlands and the North of England. There were two broadcasters one called Thames that was for weekdays and London Weekend which was for the weekends, having two broadcasters meant that there was only friendly competition that favoured the owners.

 

 This paved the way for the establishment of a commercial television service in the UK; it was made up of numerous companies providing a regional television service and would also generally provide programs to the network as a whole. Before this the BBC's television service had been running with no challenge for almost two decades and was fast gaining popularity due to customers eventually being able to afford televisions.  The regional broadcasters were the first major rival to the BBC its main aim was to bring diversity to television supplied by the BBC.  The beginning of commercial television created great controversy.  Churchill dismissed it as ‘a tupenny Punch and Judy show’.

The BBC audience share dropped to 28%.  Despite this, competition made the BBC up their game to be able to successfully compete; this forced the BBC to revamp its drama and news presentations as it was trying to match trends set by ITV. In just two years, ITV had won over 72% of the audience share from the BBC.

                               

A few years ago BBC faced controversy in recent years BBC has faced some controversy; in 2008 Ofcom the main regulator in the UK fined the BBC £400,000 for eight separate breaches of the Ofcom program codes, in each of these cases the BBC had fixed competitions. Only a year earlier, Ofcom had fined the BBC £50,000 for falsifying the results of competition on the program Blue Peter.    A recent that was conducted on the BBC stated that 40 percent of license fee payers believed that the BBC does not provide value for money.

 

In the late 1990s the BBC invested in new internet services - such as BBC News Online - and prepared for the launch of digital television by introducing new channels in order to keep up with competitors.

The BBC which is a vertically integrated company as all of its channels are from one company, over the years BBC has turned into a cross media company as they have a website which is www.bbc.co.uk and BBC iPlayer which allows people to watch programmes they need to catch up on – which obviously has made them more appealing to their audience, as it gives them more choice.  It also provides eight national TV channels  these include BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC News, BBC Parliament, as well as radio broadcasting, BBC Online and BBC iPlayer,  BBC also have the magazine Radio Times.

The BBC's main priority as a company in the public service media sector is to deliver high quality programmes, content and services, fewer repeats and fewer cheap programmes like other commercial channels.  It is clear that the BBC have overcome many obstacles over their ninety years. For instance in the media sector there are limitations on cross media ownership and regulations, which were made by the broadcasting Act 1990 and the 2003, these regulations have cause many problems for the BBC over the years.

In conclusion, it is clear that the BBC acts almost as a media conglomerate, as it is a company, that owns many companies in various mass media, such as television, radio, publishing, movies, and the Internet. The British Broadcasting Corporation once had a monopoly position in the broadcasting sector, but due to demand it faced competitors like ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and BskyB – these channels also operate across different sectors to offer a wide range of services to households in Britain. Also the switch to Digital meant that the audience have more choice now, than they have ever had before. 

 

 

Photography Project

I have recently been working on a photography project. For this particular assignment I had to a do photo-shoot for a magazine; the magazine I chose was BBC Wildlife magazine. I did a campaign for WWF's Earth Hour. This is a campaign that promotes green living and protecting the environment.

It has been a very enjoyable project for me as I have always loved photography. So I hope you enjoy these!

Employment report - Broadcast Media

Broadcast Media (TV & Radio)

Broadcast media is the distribution of radio and film, because of its ability of being able to reach a large amount of people broadcasting plays an important role in the media industry. In 2009 the total revenue of the broadcasting market was £ 12.5 billion. Also 62% of the broadcasting industry is based in London.

Job roles in the sector

There are many jobs in the broadcasting both in television and radio, there are also different unions for example National Union of Journalism is the trade union for journalists in the UK. There are a range of jobs in this sector that are temporary or permanent depending on the contacts you know.

TV much like other parts of the creative media industry has a higher proportion of freelance and short-term contract work.

Radio

Announcers are a radio station's "voice" and are often the people who the public know and identify as the main person on that station. This person introduces music and is the person who is in control of the radio show when they are on, that person is involved in the overall public presentation of the station.

Another role in radio is a music director- this person manages the stations music, they work with the programme director, in selecting new recordings to be played as they are submitted by record companies.

A copy writers jobs is to create the content of each slot on the radio, it is a job that can involve being fairly creative. In addition, this job is important as they want the spot to convey a message – so overall it is a fairly demanding job.

 

Television

A presenter is a person who is the front of the programme. They introduce and host programmes, read the news, interview people and report on issues and events. This job is likely to be permanent as it builds a brand for the company, only due to maternity leave would a temporary gap become available.

Studio/Outside Broadcast Camera Operator is a senior role within television camera departments, but precise responsibilities vary greatly depending on the type of production. Studio/Outside Broadcast Camera Operators cover all types of outside-broadcast (OB) and studio-based programmes. Many employees in this department are freelance, and do only shift work. Camera Operators must be multi-skilled, and to watch, listen and think on their feet while carrying out complex technical tasks.

Camera Trainees offer general support to the Studio/Outside Broadcast (OB) Camera department, carrying out simple tasks such as collecting equipment from stores, and assisting with rigging cameras and equipment.

Key Skills needed for both radio and television:

· A meticulous and methodical attention to detail

· Ability to collaborate, and to work as part of a team

· Diplomacy and sensitivity when working with artists and crew

· Good organisational skills

· Ability to be calm in difficult situations

· A practical approach to work

There are broadly three entry routes into Broadcast Journalism in Radio: traineeships offered by a few of the larger employers; moving into radio after first working as a print journalist; or completing an accredited pre-entry degree or post-graduate qualification. Employers also look for evidence of interest in, and hands-on experience of radio broadcasting, particularly skills gained through community radio, student or hospital radio.

There are many employers in the broadcasting sector for example some of the big names include; BBC, ITV, BBC Radio 1, Channel 4 etc.

There are many recruitment opportunities in the broadcasting sector, but the industry is tough so you need to show dedication and determination - here is one website with examples;

Profile

Shabazz Graham

In 2004 Shabazz Graham produced a short film about a boy suffering from sickle cell who sees the face of God. He received a work placement on the set of the BBC drama series, Doctors.

Since then he has continued to work freelance on documentaries, including directing and producing a Creative Skillset project for the Runnymede Trust entitled "This is Where I Live".

In May this year he began working at MTV Networks Europe as an On Air Producer on the network's 100th channel, MTV base Africa. This post involves producing tune in promos for the channel, editing, camera work, script writing and he has been given the opportunity to travel to Africa a number of times to produce programmes for the channel.

Qualifications and education

Although a degree may not always be essential, the majority of Broadcast Journalists are graduates. However, Radio employers do not necessarily expect this to be in a media-related subject, and may even prefer their recruits to have degrees in other disciplines. Specialist knowledge in fields such as politics, business, science or languages may be advantageous.

There are few industry trainee schemes and they take limited numbers. A degree or equivalent is usually a requirement, places are highly sought after and the selection process is rigorous. Where Broadcast Journalists are recruited from newspapers or magazines they have usually had at least two or three years' experience as a journalist, and have completed the journalism qualifications accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). There are a wide range of Broadcast Journalism courses on offer. Those undergraduate degree courses, postgraduate diplomas, and MAs in Broadcast Journalism accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC), meet the standards expected by broadcast employers in terms of practical skills, knowledge, and have a successful track record of students gaining employment in the broadcasting industry. Some employers' direct entry trainee schemes or bursary schemes may also be targeted at those who have completed BJTC accredited courses.

Broadcast Journalists are expected to develop their skills on the job, but most employers also offer a variety of forms of training to keep their journalists' skills and knowledge up-to-date, and to introduce new technologies. This training may be offered in-house or supplied by external providers depending on the size and structure of different Radio organizations and employers. Colleges and private training providers, also offer a range of short courses which support, the professional development of individual Broadcast Journalists, and may offer opportunities for them to gain promotion or to change career direction.

Networking

Networking in the media industry, will open many doors for a person who wants a career in this industry. To go about this, I would find contacts in that area – email the company and introduce myself, explaining my interest in that area. To help widen a person’s knowledge, if they are interested in the media industry they can get careers advice from careers services like Reed www.reed.co.uk/ , which will give people information on improving a CV and getting employment whether full-time or part-time. Also the Sector Skills Councils which are linked to Creative Skills Set are state-sponsored, employer-led organisation that covers specific economic sectors in the United Kingdom. They have four key goals; to reduce skills gaps and shortages, to improve productivity, to boost the skills of their sector workforces and to improve learning supply.

Work Experience

You can get work experience in many companies in the industry if you enquire on their websites by using the internet. I would email the companies that I wanted to work for and enquire about potential work experience, if you are lucky enough to be offered work experience it is crucial that you show reliability and efficiency for example by meeting deadlines. Also you should make sure you are attending and punctual by managing your time and making sure you do not skip a day, furthermore it is important to think about self-presentations as its important to look smart and present yourself well. Doing this will benefit you and show that you have good commitment skills – these may benefit you in the end as they may offer the person a job. Doing work experience may enable you to get a chance to give contributions to team projects, allowing the company to see the skills that you have to offer, and could potentially give you a job when the company next looks for recruitment.

Self-training and voluntary jobs

Doing voluntary work shows that you are willing to work and dedicate time, which shows that you are reliable and serious about this career, whether it be casually working for just a day a week or more, it also shows that you are determined and taking personal responsibility in trying to achieve what you want. Also another way is doing your own blog or having a personal website for example I have recently set up my own blog about the media industry and some of the work that I have been doing , this shows that you have a keen interest in the media sector, and are dedicated as you have given up your own time to fulfil this task. It shows to that you are developing your career as again you are improving your writing skills etc. – both of these are good ways of building your portfolio and is something you can add to your CV.

ACV is a document which should show your past records, employers and record skills that you have attributed from them, as experience this will allow any future employer to see the progress you have made with regards to your records of employment history and the skills you’ve gained from those experiences, doing this will also enable you to get references, so that future employers will be able to ask them about the skills you have gained. A Curriculum Vitae is something that a person should update through their continuing professional development for future employment.

Profile Piece Steve Jobs

This is a snippet from my profile piece I did about Steve Jobs for a magazine called 'Vision', which was part of a project I was working on back in January. Hope you enjoy!


                                                                            Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs born on February 24th, 1955, founded one of the biggest companies in the world with his childhood friend. This company was Apple; it is now a multinational technology corporation.

Steve Jobs love for electronics started from a young age, as his adoptive father Paul, would show his son how to take apart and re-make electronics.  This hobby built confidence, and mechanical knowledge in Jobs from a very young age.   Jobs, was always a very innovative thinker. From a young age he didn’t have much patient for school.  In 1976 at the age of 21, Steve Jobs founded Apple Computers, with his childhood friend Steve Wozniak.  He and Wozniak started Apple Computers and it was incorporated in 1977.

They started in the Jobs family garage, to fund this idea Jobs sold his Volkswagen bus and Wozniak sold his beloved scientific calculator amongst    other things proving that they could perform against financial concerns – this proved to be their source of income in getting the business up and running. Apple originally marketed the computers for $666.66 each.

 Apple Computer became a publically traded company, with a market value of $1.2 billion on the very first day of trading. Jobs were Apple's chief visionary, a role that put him in charge of the team developing Apple's next revolutionary product, the Macintosh computer.

Despite Apple Computer initially starting off well, things took a turn for the worse, as the next few products that were released didn’t do as well because they had design flaws, which caused a setback for Apple itself, as it left the consumers  unable to rely on the company.  But his lack of business skills due to his age meant that decisions in the boardroom were left to other members of the team, and they seemed to feel that Jobs had served his purpose.

Eventually it turned to disagreement with chief executive John Sculley in 1985; Jobs left the company that he had created. But despite the setback Jobs set his sights elsewhere. Steve went onto create the company NeXT, this company developed and manufactured a series of computer workstations intended for the higher education and business markets.

Welcome :)

Welcome to my professional blog about media. I will be discussing how the media industry is growing, and the opportunities within the media amongst many other things. I will also be publishing some of my own work that I have done that links with media.

One of my most recent projects included working on a media magazine called 'Vision', for this I had to write a background feature and a profile piece that I will be uploading soon!