Unit 8 Assignment 2 ethics

There are certain things young children/people shouldn't watch because the content will be to explicit and inappropriate for them. In some circumstances however we have programmes like scooby-doo and other cartoons which have aspects of violence throughout, but because its cartoon, slapstick and not very detailed it seems to be ok and suitable for a young child to watch.

Ethics
As a society we have certain ethics in order to prove to ourselves what is right and wrong. however our ethics are very misleading. For example most of us believe it is ok to kill animals for food but not test products on them. In this situation the animals are still in a losing situation but because the testing sounds worse than us using them for food, it doesn't seem as humane. Our ethics come from the people who influence us i.e.parents, cultures etc. Because we trust them we believe these ethics are right even though they may not be.

What programs teach us good morals?
-Arrow
-Dexter
-Teletubbies
-Balamory
-Suits
-Judge Judy
Scrubs
Death Row

What programs teach us poor morals?
-Geordie Shore
-16 and Pregnant
-Storage Hunters
-House of Cards
-Breaking Bad
-Better Call Saul
-Jersey Shore
-Misfits
-Skins

The mixture of programs here shows that our morals and ethics are shaped within a wide range of media products.

Should TV and film be more ethical?Can TV and film be blamed for the slipping ethics of society?

I think it should be more ethical because a lot of young people have lost track of what's right and wrong due to things they've seen on TV, therefore putting more ethics into film and TV will hopefully change the way the younger generation behave and change their perspectives on how to act with and without others. The problem with this is that if TV is changed too much with ethics added, it could cause the audiences to lose interest in the programs and films they were watching therefore loosing the media industry lots of money.
bad ethics from reality TV
This link talks about how bad morals and ethics that have been publicised by TV and film are affecting the young generation. It talks about how things that used to be looked upon as 'bad' and 'irresponsible' have been turned into entertainment and something to aspire to which to me is extremely worrying and careless for young people. A good example to use when talking about bad ethical behaviour within a TV programme would be Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad is about a man (Walter White) who is diagnosed with cancer that causes him to worry about leaving his family behind. This makes him determined to make as much money as possible to leave behind so that his family don't struggle after he's gone. Now people might think Walter is a great man by leaving this much money for his family before he dies but what people tend to miss is that he's still a mass producing meth cook, breaking multiple laws and putting the lives of everyone he knows in danger. These are the kind of bad ethics that are being promoted to our younger generation, but because they're entertaining to us we wont disagree with these programs being shown because we enjoy them.
Breaking Bad:Morals and Ethics

Big Brother Clip: Jade Goody and Shilpa Shetty argument 
Looking at this clip the behaviour of Jade and the two women beside her raises a few eyebrows because it seemed to be more on the subject of bullying rather than an actual argument. Its clear that the disagreement is over much more than just an OXO cube because for one, nobody gets that upset about stock, and two jade mentions a sly racist comment within the shouting causing people to think that she's discriminating on her for different reasons. The problem with this particular situation is race. I believe that if the person Jade was arguing with was from a different origin, would the whole think have been as much of an uproar? I don't think so and thats because race and racism are very touchy subjects, and if the boundaries of racism are pushed slightly then our opinions on the people involved can be tipped in a different direction. Im not saying that Jade was wrongly portrayed a bad person here because what she was doing and saying is technically bullying and she should be ridiculed for it, however due to the nature of media and wanting to make good TV, the producers may not have shown us all of the things that were said and done therefore we cannot make snap decisions about the people involved as we don't know the whole story.

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Unit 21 Assignment 1 (Outcome 1)

Unit 21 Assignment 1

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Unit 8 Assignment 2

Trade Unions

BECTU is the UK's trade union for media and entertainment. The types of media covered include broadcasting, film, independent production, theatre arts, leisure and digital media. The union is a great thing to join as it offers mainly job protection and it improves pay and conditions of service, including pensions. 

Article on trade union BECTU on strike march:

http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2013/03/west-end-strike-action-averted-after-bectu-and-atg-resolve-dispute/

Freelance contracts

To be a freelancer in the film industry means that your working hours and income will vary drastically depending on your level of skill and quality. 

Types of freelance contracts:

-Technical

-Creative

-Editorial

-Managerial

-Sales and Marketing 

-Financial

Editorial Guidelines 

Editorial guidelines are the BBC's values and standards. They apply to all the content we receive, no matter how or where we receive it. It is very important for producers to work under guidelines so that they make sure their productions are suitable for broadcasting and reach the requirements of their targeted tv channels. 

BBFC

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) is the organisation that set the boundaries on our TV programmes and films which tell us what sort of content is included. The ratings range from U (safest) to R18 (most unsafe).

PG-a PG rated production I suitable or a child with the parents guidance and will not contain themes which may be in appropriate. Anythin like violence or bad language will be mild, an thngs like sexual references are unlikely unless they're I detailed and infrequent.

12A-This classification means any hold under 12 must be accompanied by an adult if they're watching the film at the cinema. Also if a DVD is rated 12A it means that the buyer must be able to prove that they're over 12 years old before they can purchase the DVD. The boundaries of violence and bad language in a 12A are pushed slightly further and will have more of an offensive nature. 

15-A rated 15 film will be substantially more offensive and you must be able to prove you're over 15 to be able to watch or purchase a film of this rating. It can include things such as:

-Strong language

-Portrayals of sexual activity

-Strong verbal references to sex

-Sexual nudity 

-Brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence 

-Discriminatory language or behaviour

-Drug taking

Unit 8 Assignment 4

Producer
http://www.productionbase.co.uk/film-tv-jobs/producer
A producer would be a good job for me because i would love to see my work in the cinema or on TV and be abe to entertain people worldwide. Also the salary would be very high and enable me to have many luxuries.

Camera Operator
http://www.myjobsearch.com/careers/camera-operator.html
A camera operator would be a really good job as you get right up close and personal with the action of the production. Your skills as a camera man are what brings the production to life and defines a proffessional production from an amatur. The pay for this job is also very good and will leave you financially stable.

Production Manager
http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/manufacturing/production-manager
I would enjoy being a production manager because it means you have to take charge and control over the production, making sure everyones doing what they should be. This would take confidence which is why i would be good at the job. Again this job would be very well paid because it's an important role within the industry.

Courses

The University of Salford-Animation
                                           -Media Production

The University of Central Lancashire-Media Production

The Manchester Metropolitan University-Digital Media and Communications

Sheffield Hallam University-Film and Media Production

I have applied for these courses because over the past two years i have become really interested in the film and media industry due to my BTEC media course. This is because i love working practically and creating productions. I feel that these university courses will help me expand my knowledge and skill set further in the industry, as well as being very enjoyable. My favourite choice is definitely animation at Salford as i've always been very creative and obtaining this qualification would be very beneficial to me in the future when trying to get a job in the animation industry.

https://asfcdugi.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=ilNwV0sBAAA.AIs4-S74Q8kczfIIgeQAMA.E22Fb7QfR6ytTEjzDTQu9w&postId=5745429918642460785&type=POST

http://youtu.be/7ZPPd7UKhEQ

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_s_LVkV33WTdjY3MFlRT1dtbHM/edit?usp=docslist_api

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_s_LVkV33WTMWJGVnNRMGUzSjA/edit?usp=docslist_api

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_s_LVkV33WTLVQ2czFuUUk3WG8/edit?usp=docslist_api

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_s_LVkV33WTTUZBVDR5eEpsUmc/edit?usp=docslist_api

(Ignore one of the CV's, it's my real version.)

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studio production presentation pitch 2 and script

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_s_LVkV33WTM1lxQ1djMWtDSEk/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_s_LVkV33WTT2dGOHA0Y05WQVk/view?usp=sharing

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Unit 32 Assignment 3 Ident

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Unit 24 Podcast

Becoming a screenwriter

Within this industry, you are generally more likely to get hired if you show a good understanding and a lot of experience in screenwriting, rather than a few qualifications on a piece of paper. The employer isn't going to want to sit through masses of boring paper work are they? they'll want to be reading an interesting script or screenplay.

However, if you're new to this field of work, you're not going to be able to write a perfect screenplay in one go. A good Screenwriter will always gather together a group of trusted readers who can collectively deliver constructive criticism and feedback in order for you to correct and improve your work, giving you the best chance possible of getting hired.

The easiest way to get yourself noticed is by getting your work out there to loads of different companies, though you probably wont hear back from anyone in your first few attempts, so do expect rejection, a lot of rejection. Writers used to be able to apply directly to the uk film council for development funding, but unfortunately those funds are now distributed by the BFI.

Another great way to rocket yourself into this industry is by entering screenplay contests. Not all you come across will be worth the hassle and the funding, but some like the Nicholl Fellowship are well astablished launch pads for new writers. If you do enter these contests, dont be disheartened if you dont win, as many hollywood production companies wont only look at the winning scripts, they'll also look through the top ten or even twenty scripts so you could still have a chance of success.

Becoming a screenwriter clearly wont provide a steady fixed income, especially within the starting process. Most writers will often have a second or even third job to earn themselves money whilst they get established. In the long run, its probably a better idea to have a non-media related job, leaving you plenty of time to wirk on your scripts and screenplays rather than spending countless hours in a draining  positon at the very bottom of the entertainment industry.

A good website to start creating your screenplays which i found very helpful is adobe story. This website gives you all the tools you need to create a professional looking screenplay which you can then take around to different production companies and begin building your career in the media. 

What is a staff writer

A staff writer is basically the first steps to becoming a television writer. Your role will consist of sitting in a large conference room with other writers where you will deeply analyse and break down scripts, develop the plot and narrative and so on. The group will then bounce ideas off one another and come up with brainstorms. Due to these groups being so large, if and criticism is given it should be backed up by a solution to the issue.

here is a list of staff writers for the popular comedy show 'Saturday Night Live':

• Anne Beatts
• Chevy Chase
• Tom Davis
• Lorne Michaels
• Michael O'Donoghue
• Herb Sargent
• Tom Schiller
• Rosie Shuster
• Alan Zweibel

and so on...

What is the commissioning process

In the commissioning process the fist thing that'll be looked at is the genre. If they like it and think it'll fit in well with their mix they may ask you to develop your idea further. If and when they thing your idea is ready they'll take it to the channel controller. Companies such as the BBC will try to make the commissioning decisions as fast as possible. They will give feedback on ideas that they have been developing but it will vary by genre depending on the amount of proposals coming in.

What feedback should you expect?

For rejections at an early stage, high volume areas like Factual will give headline feedback only. Lower volume areas will provide more detail.
Proposals that are rejected later in the commissioning process will receive more specific feedback.  This may include subject matter, format, audience, plot or character - to provide a useful steer for future projects.

If for example you were to submit your screenplays to a channel such as ITV, they say that they aim to respond to all submissions within four to six weeks. However if you are interested in working for ITV they only accept submissions from production companies, so you should join a good working company if you want to start a career with ITV.

The Option Period

The option period is the time taken by the producer or the studio to get the film/screenplay up and running. the length of time could vary drastically from 6 months to 3 years, and often you may find that the producers will include an option extension in there agreement if more time is needed. The option agreement will enclose the sum of money in which the writer will receive for letting the producer utilize their screenplay in order to develop it. This payment will again vary drastically from little to a lot of money, and if the producer requires an extension, the writer will receive another option payment. the amount of money the writer receives will depend highly on the level of experience they have, and what would be a fair offer to them if the screenplay was to make it into production.

Why do you need an agent

you will need an agent who is able to find you good opportunities to express your work and develop a name for yourself. Even if you come across a producer who is interested in your work, you should never go forward with it if you don't have an agent beside you.

When you find a suitable, well qualified agent you must make sure they know you inside and out. They should know you level of writing skill, where you want your work to end up, who you want to work for etc.

How does a staff writer get paid

A staff writer doesnt get paid script fees on top of their weekly salaries. This means if they are hired on a specific show and write a couple of the episodes on their own, they dont make any more money than they are commissioned to.

Plagerism

Plagerism is such a big issue for writers because its so hard to come up with an original idea that hasnt already been copyrighted. Plagerism is when somebody uses someone elses work and classes it as their own. This is very illegal as it is still classed as stealing. Screenwriters have to go through a long process of getting their work checked and analysed to make sure they havent stolen ideas from other screenplays.

In the california federal court, screenwriters Stephanie Counts and Shari gold filed a lawsuit against 21st Century Fox, accusing them of stealing the idea for their hit TV show 'New Girl'. They said that they stole it from a pilot and screenplay script which they had written back in 2006. They have also named show creator Elizabeth Meriwether, executive producer Peter Chernin, director Jake Kasdan and William Morris Endeavor as defendants in the suit. The lawsuit made very bold allegations that the idea of 'New Girl' was given to an agent at William Morris through a network of communications, and it was eventually given to Meriwether to alter and produce, passing it off as her own and taking full credit.

High and low points

I believe there are many highs and lows of working as a screenwriter. The highs would be that if you get a lucky break, your screenplays will be broadcasted to millions world wide and make lots of money, if its successful. This means you will begin your career and design and develop many more shows and films in the future.

The main low points would be waiting for your ideas to be noticed in the initial stages of becoming a screenwriter. The actual effort you put in to getting yourself out there and involved in the industry is the hardest part of the job, once you succeed in this you should be on your way to the career in media that you've always wanted.

Podcast

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_s_LVkV33WTc2lXY0MzUzdLYkxrUk1ReWZSTXpacy1zR2ow/view?usp=sharing

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