Copyright

Copyright is defined as the protection of the physical expression of ideas. As soon as an idea is given physical form such as a piece of writing, a photograph, music, a film, a web page, it is protected by copyright. There is no need for registration or to claim copyright in some way, protection is automatic at the point of creation. Both published and unpublished works are protected by copyright.
As part of the process of show, the other students and I have to talk about the copyright issues with our products. For my game, I used music from already existing games. However, because I used the files for educational purposes then it is allowed.
"Unlimited manual copies of literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works may be made for the purposes of instruction. This means, for example, that a diagram may be re-drawn on a whiteboard and hand copied by students. This exception does not cover any sort of reprographic copying, e.g. photocopying, although this may be possible under licences held by the University."
"The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 states that copyright is not infringed by anything done for the purposes of an examination."
Being an applicable examination, the show meant it was okay for me to use the music in my game.

Discussion Group

Today the other students and I had a discussion group meeting about the show and how each of us thought it went. We all had to say what we thought was good about the show but also how we thought it could be improved.
I was one of the first to express their thoughts on how I believe the show went. Firstly I stated what I thought the good elements of the show were; the length of time was the first thing I said. I thought two hours was a good amount of time for the show because it wasn't as busy towards the end of the evening as more people started to leave than the amount of people that had arrived. I then stated one thing that thought could have been done for the show to be improved. I thought the venue was the main problem for me. After the evening, people had started to vandalize the area so had we changed the location for our show, perhaps there wouldn't be any vandalism.
Sam was also one of the first to say what he thought of the show. He stated that the idea and theme for the performance was good. Shanice then said that she thought the communication between the staff and the students wasn't at all good, and had there been any more preparation then things could have been better in that area. Ross thought that the big issue with the event was not during the event but rather the cleaning and tidying afterward. Gem then expanded on Shanice's earlier comment by talking about the problems with communication between staff and students. Jodie was the first to talk extensively about the catering for the show, by saying she thought the quality of the food was good but perhaps the service could have been a bit better. I finished off the discussion by saying how better directions would have been more useful too. People may have had trouble trying to get to the show because the were no signs or any indication of were they had to go.

Show Learning Outcome 5 Task 3

For task 3 of show's learning outcome 5, I have to evaluate the show commenting upon strengths and weaknesses and must have continually reviewed my progression throughout the unit in this blog; which I believe I have done to a great extent. In this evaluation, I will talk of how well I believe I have worked, how any external factors may have affected my work, how others responded to my work and how other people are represented in my work.
Firstly, I will talk of how well I believe I have worked. Throughout this unit, I have put a great deal of effort and determination in to Show; I have researched extensively in to different options and products I could have made, by thoroughly investigating the target audience each option has to offer. I tried to link this to products I would be interested in making too, if possible; so that I could put on a very successful installation that both I and the people I show it to would be interested in. I looked into what mediums of the media people would most enjoy seeing on show and why that is. After deciding upon making a game, I then looked into possible ways I could widen my target audience which is when I thought of using an arcade machine to present it in so that people of an older audience could also relate to my product. When it came to making the game and thinking of what it could be about, I thought a game where a student trying to escape would perfectly apply to this unit. Not only would people of an older generation be interested in the product because of the arcade machine, but younger people would too be interested because of the objective of the game; escaping college. I then applied my creative skills to the publicizing of the show; by producing a professional looking poster and logo that I went on to put around college. I then used the logo and other 'trademarks' of my game to add to my arcade cabinet so it looked like the machine was designed for my game. Overall, I believe all of the above shows that I have greatly considered every aspect of the unit and therefore worked at an exceptional amount.
I will next talk of the external factors that have affected my work throughout the unit. The main factor was the time constraints for the unit. At first I was hoping to produce the game as an iPhone app, but because this would be a lengthy process as the programming of the game would take a very long time to learn, then I opted for the program, Game Maker, instead. However, it didn't get any easier after deciding to use this program. Although it was a simpler program to use than the iPhone development programs, I still had to learn the basics of the software so I could create a successful product. I created two versions of my game; the first being a very basic duplicate of my second. After realizing how unsuccessful I believed my first game would turn out, I started to create another. However, by this time, the time constraint had again got tighter. Fortunately though, I managed to complete my game in time for the show. The second major factor that affected my work, was the compatibility of the software, Game Maker. The first version of my game that I had produced was on the home PC but I then had the problem of how I would get my product to the show. Luckily though, because I have a laptop, it was possible for me to bring my game to college. However, as my laptop is a Macintosh computer, it wasn't compatible with the Microsoft version of the game I had finished making. So I then had to download the Mac version of Game Maker on to my laptop and start producing the game again from scratch. Another factor that would have affected my game greatly, would have been the adverse weather we had for a whole week. Because of the weather conditions a couple of weeks ago, the college had to close and so that meant more time lost for people who had to work in college. Luckily for me though, I was making my product from home so this didn't affect me at all.
The third factor I will talk about in this evaluation, is how people responded to my work. I found after assessing all the responses to my product that the general opinion on my game was that it was a very good effort with little needed to be done to it for it to improve. I also found that my product managed to attract a wide variety of age-groups, from below 10 years of age to middle-aged people. Some people who enjoyed interacting with my product said they have actually never been attracted to games before. One person who played my game said he has never really played games before and yet he was one of the people who played my game multiple times. I was also pleased to acknowledge that opinions never changed between the varied age groups; everyone was really enthusiastic about how good my game was. Overall, I was really pleased with the responses I got.
The last factor I will be evaluating is how people are represented in my work. Clearly my product would apply as my product is a game where a student must escape from college. This is not to say that every student spends their every week day trying to escape college, but skiving is something that is commonly associated with teenagers and so in that respect, people, or in my case, students, are represented in my work.

Show Learning Outcome 5 Task 2

Task 2 of learning outcome 5 is all about assessing the feedback that we had gained and comparing it to our own opinions. Out of seventeen comments, only one person gave a suggestion on how I could improve upon my product; whereas everyone else who gave me feedback thought my product was perfect as it was. One comment from a person of my age group was "I can't believe you made an actual game! I'm pretty impressed Jack! A really great game and good product! Well done!" I sensed that this was the vibe for all the comments I received from the people of this age range. A person of an older age group also seemed thrilled with my efforts, "Very well executed piece, designed specifically to be relevant to your target audience. The game and the cabinet both show your clear consideration and understanding of your audience as well as being a fun and well executed game to play! Excellent!!!" I was very proud to receive a comment like this because they gave good, clear critique of my product which helps greatly in my assessment of my feedback.
Personally, I feel that I couldn't have tried any harder than I did and I am very pleased that my hard work paid off to put on a seemingly successful installation. During the process of making the product, I was afraid my game wouldn't be enough to satisfy the audience that game to the show, but I believe I set my standards of work higher than others which could be the reason why my product was better than I thought it was.

Show Learning Outcome 5 Task 1

Task 1 of learning outcome 5 is all about the collection of feedback and the range of ways in which you do it. 'Vox pops' and questionnaires were some of the ways that were suggested but my class mates and I opted for notebooks beside our installations and a live blog. To produce an extensive live blog, the other students and I took turns in taking pictures of the event and uploading them to a blog which we edited by talking of what was happening and how it was going at the time. I was the first to update the live blog. I thought a good way in which I could start off the blog would be by first introducing what everyone is doing and what their individual installation was about. I took pictures of each installation and beside each picture, I wrote in the blog what the installations were about. The second way in which we collected feedback was through individual notebooks in which we would ask people to write feedback and how they thought our products were. I was very pleased with the feedback I gained; managing to get extensive and pleasing reports from everyone who played my game. I was also pleased to get feedback from a very wide range of people.

Progress Report

Over the weekend, I managed to finish my game for show and am now ready and prepared to exhibit my product on Wednesday. Below are screenshots of the process of my production and I have explained what I am doing in each one.

This is the animation process I had to do for my game in order for my characters to move. I had to import individual frames and merge them together so that it would program them to move.










This is one of the first steps of my production; adding the sprites. A sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that makes up the layout of the game.











This was another important step into the making of my game; adding the music and sound. I used music from Mario and Pokemon because these games are very well known so people could maybe relate to my game a little more from having past experiences with these games. Also, I found that these music files matched the nature of my game really well. I also considered the target audience when choosing the music and sounds that I would import into the game and surprisingly I know a lot of people my age who still play Mario and Pokemon games; including myself!







One of the next steps of the game was to create the objects. This is a process where you assign actions to your sprites so that they act how you want them to in the game.











This was one of the last steps in completing my game; the time limit. Because I have made quite a short game, then I thought a way of making fun out of it was by adding a time limit of one minute. At first however, I found trouble in adding a time limit because I didn't know how to add a total of one minute to the whole game, rather than just ten seconds in each level. This meant I had to do extensive research into time limits in Game Maker, and in the end it meant I had to register to the Game Maker Community; which is an online forum for Game Maker users who can write their questions and get more experienced users respond with advice on how to correct it. Eventually, I managed to correct this problem by using the help and advice from the people who replied to my question. Below are some screenshots of the forum where I asked my question


This is the forum where I asked my question...











...and these are some of the responses.












This is the first level or 'room', as Game Maker calls them, of my product. In this room the player has to try and escape the class room without being caught by the teacher wondering up and down the middle of the class. Before the game even starts however, it is obviously very important to explain to the player how to play the game...






...This is when messages like these pop up, to prompt the player and advise them what to do to escape. Messages like these will pop up after every level to explain what is coming next.

















This is the next level; the library. In this room, the player must look out for the other students if they are to escape. If they bump into one of the students, they well tell on you for trying to escape qand you will go back to the beginning of the level.








This is the third level; the staff room. In this room, the player must avoid all the teachers and also get past the tutor blocking the door.










This is the fourth level; the PTL room. In this room, the player must escape the grasp of the program team leader. The fact there is only the PTL in the room may lead the player into a false sense of security; however, the level is not at all easy. The PTL moves faster than the other characters we've come across so far so the player must focus a little more in this level in order to progress further.




The level after is the exit of the building. Again, this may lead the player into a false sense of security as it's arguably the easiest level of the game; but this is indeed the intention because they then wont expect the difficulty of the next level.








This is the last level; the college gate; where the player must get outside of the college campus before the front gates close. This is the hardest level, where the player must find their way to the other end of the narrow pathway without getting caught by the teachers, tutor, PTL and the director of the college; all in what little time they are left with of the full minute.

Progress Report

Due to the progress of our class, the other students and I have all had a discussion concerning whether Wednesday 8th December is the best choice of date to host our show at the college. Instead of this time, we all agreed that the show be on the later date of Tuesday 14th so that we have enough time to get our products completed.

Show Learning Outcome 4 Task 2

For task 2 of learning outcome 4, I have to help set up the show and ensure it runs smoothly, manage the project effectively and carry out my assigned role with commitment and a high level of efficiency. The other students and I have started organizing the dates that we will use to set up the show. Namely the Monday, Tuesday and the morning and early afternoon on Wednesday before the show starts will be used as the days we will be setting up our installations. Although because of the various constraints that people have seemingly had for this unit, we are managing to hold together to ensure that everything is running as smoothly as it possibly could be.

Show Learning Outcome 4 Task 1

For part of our fourth learning outcome of show, the other students and I had to investigate possible locations and venues for the show. Before we came to this outcome however, we had already discussed this matter and of all the options we discussed, we decided that the college itself would be the most ideal choice for the location which we would use to show our products. This is because unlike most other venues, the college will be free to exhibit our work, we are familiar with the space around us, and we can also use the college resources to help us put on more of a successful show than what most of the other locations can offer us.

Progress Report

Today, I have managed to finish the press release which was my main contribution to the publicising of the show. I have drafted out about 3 copies and used my lecturer's guidance to produce a press release of a good quality. My first couple of drafts were either too long or expansive to be considered a good press release. I was told to try and keep it short and to the point. I will now use the time I have left on this specific outcome to send this to the Cornishman newspaper so that people of the local area have the opportunity to read about the show.

Progress Report

One of the worries I had about the show was how I could possibly get my product there. My game was on my home PC and my only hope was to copy it to a PC at college as the MAC computers don't run PC files. However, over the last weekend, I managed to get the MAC edition of game maker, and so I now have it running on my laptop. I have spent the last four days since I downloaded this software, to produce the game on the MAC; and fortunately, it's going at quite a swift process. I estimate that I will finish my game within the next week.

Show Learning Outcome 3 Task 4

For task 4 of learning outcome 3, we have to describe the target audience of our product and justify the age range through the marketing materials we have produced. Because I have made a game where a student must escape college, I would imagine my product will be best suited for 16 - 19 year old's. However, I have also broadened the age rage of my product, in order to get a wider source of feedback, by exhibiting my game through an old arcade cabinet. As I brought this element from a couple of generations ago, I hope that my target audience will grow so that more people will enjoy my product. I believe I have fully justified my target audience through my promotional materials, which in my case is the poster and the logo, and possibly even the arcade cabinet itself. My main trademark for my product was the pixelated picture of the character for my game. I made it so that it was pixelated because 8-bit animation was how all the classic arcade games looked. This element of my promotional materials would clearly appeal to the older generation of my target audience. The other promotional material of mine, the logo, would definitely appeal to the younger generation of my target audience. I entitled my game, 'I'm A Student Get Me Out Of Here'! I thought this was a very good idea for a name because the title hints at what the game is about, and also references the TV show 'I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here'! which is so popular among my age group.

Show Learning Outcome 3 Task 3

Task 3 of the third learning outcome is to carry out the publicity campaign that we all planned out. The performing arts took ownership for this part of the learning outcome and decided to tie loads of balloons to a tree to attract attention. They also attached the group poster the tree.

Show Learning Outcome 3 Task 2

For task 2 of learning outcome 3, we have to plan and carry out a publicity stunt that we will do to advertise our show. Although in a marketing meeting, that we have taken minutes for, the performing arts students volunteered to take ownership of the publicity campaign, the other media students and I do have active roles in that we are helping them to plan out what they can do. It is also worth mentioning that in this meeting, not only did we decide what the performing arts will be doing for this learning outcome, but also what each of us will be doing individually. I decided to do the press release, for which I am currently in the process of producing a second draft.

Progress Report

Outside of college hours, I have used some of my time to research innovative ways in which I could present my product. I went to the arcade on the promenade to see if the had any arcade machine cabinets that I could use. Fortunately they did have some they were prepared to give to me and so I am now guaranteed an arcade cabinet for my game for show. Although it was not my ideal cabinet, it is still fit for purpose and I was willing to take any opportunity I could get. The man I spoke to also said he would give me the cabinet and deliver it to where ever I need it to be, all free of charge; and therefore this made it a chance I could not let got to waste.

Progress Report

Over the weekend, I managed to put together the first draft of my game. The next step I plan on taking is taking out any 'bugs' that the game may have and adding the finishing touches such as the sound/music etc. After this, I hope to gain feedback from a number of people so that I can correct any bits of the game that people think could do with an improvement.

Show Learning Outcome 3 Task 1 Ideas

For task 1 of learning outcome 3, I have produced a couple of ideas of what I could put on my flyer. Our lecturer recommends us making a flyer that relates to the project that we are doing; for example, for me as I am doing a game, I could make a flyer in the shape of an iconic game such as pacman or such like. This is the idea I have already produced and there are also some other features I have generated for this idea too. I have also produced the idea of using the jigsaw puzzle pieces (the logo for show) as the individual pixels that could be seen in games like pacman. On each puzzle piece would be a picture, or a screen shot, of the work that I have produced. It would also include the title of my game 'I'm A Student Get Me Out Of Here' and information about the game.

Show Learning Outcome 3 Task 1

Today, the rest of the group and I discussed the different innovative and imaginative ways in which we could promote and advertise the show. After talking of ideas such as viral campaigns, publicity stunts and contacting local radio stations to help advertise our show, we then started to create pre-production materials for each of our flyers. On the flyers would be examples of the work we are producing for the show and the logo that the class have created.
So far, I have also created a poster and the logo for my game. I will display these in my installation at the show. We were advised to keep our posters simple because the professional looking documents are never tacky. On my individual poster, I have included a picture of the main character of my game, the Collective logo that, as a class, we all decided upon what it should look like, and also a blurb that describes what my game is about. I designed my game logo in Photoshop. It is a very useful application which allowed me to fulfill my idea of what my game logo would look like. I tried to make it look as retro as I possibly could so that it would fit the time from which I intended my game to look like it was made.
I have also drafted a press release that I intended to send to the Cornishman newspaper. However, because I didn't send it in time, I am in the process of planning a whole new draft for a press release which documents how the show went, which I can send to the newspaper after the show has finished.

Progress Report

Today, I have used most of the lesson to produce a plan, shot list and a storyboard. Although I have started producing my game, I haven't yet written down my plan of action as a hard copy. However, I have quickly corrected the error in my ways by producing the pre-production materials for this project.

Progress Report

Most recently I have been planning the direction I will take this November in relation to my product. The rest of the students and I now have 2 weeks left to complete our work and I have made a plan which describes what it is I have to do on each day leading up to the deadline. I have decided that once I have made all of the 'rooms', or levels, in the game, and also debugged it, that I will try to bring in a copy to class so that I can gain feedback from the other students. This will give me a bit of time to alter the game according to the feedback, and therefore have a good quality finished product.

Progress Report

Most recently for this unit, the other students and I discussed with our tutor the budget of our production. We all suggested what resources we need for the show, and how much each will roughly come to. We also talked of the costs for services such as the catering. This is so we can estimate how much money we will spend for our showcase and therefore, how much we will need to make to gain a profit. The reason for this is so the rest of the students and I can learn how to put on a successful show. We talked of different ways in which we could make a profit. One of the discussions that came up was how we would sell tickets for the show; or rather, if we should sell tickets at all. This is because some people suggested that instead of selling tickets, we could let people donate money. This is so that on the occasion, we may find some people have been generous enough to donate more money than what we would have believed the tickets to be worth. Of course, this experiment could also backfire if people didn't donate as much as what we had hoped. However, whatever the amount of money we receive is, it will give an accurate value for our show, and therefore tell us whether the show could have done with an improvement or not.

Progress Report

After deciding that it is a game about a student trying to escape college that I would most like to produce, I've started experimenting with the idea on Game Maker. Firstly, I've had to try and find different sprites that are applicable for my ideal character. After I found the sprite I liked the most, I had to edit the separate frames together so that they would animate. Had I not done this process, then my character would be static throughout the entire game. After animating the frames together, which was in itself a long, difficult process, I had to code the game so that the character would travel at the right speed. This again, was quite time consuming, but in many ways, was the hardest part of the production of the game. This means that as I've got this part of the game out of the way, that hopefully the rest of the game will run quite smoothly and I wont stumble across anything else that is as much of a struggle to make, than what the character was.

Progress Report

Since downloading the program Game Maker, I've used its tutorials to familiarize myself with its features and functions. After learning most of its tools, I felt I was at the stage where I was ready to produce my own game. To help me decide on the game that I would produce, I downloaded different packs from YoYo Games that contained sprites and backgrounds, and then used them as an insight into the different objects I could use, and would most like using. I found a sprite of an explorer/archeologist type character, and this gave me the idea of making an RPG game where the player takes up the role as an adventurer trying to search for an ancient relic. However, after considering the audience that my product, and the show itself, is targeting, I thought making a game about someone like a student would be better, because my target audience is primarily made up of college pupils; therefore they could connect with my product more. After drafting different stories and narratives that my game could follow, I thought a fun game would be about a student trying to escape college, but comes across different obstacles on the way; such as teachers for example!

Minutes Of Group Marketing Meeting

Today, the rest of the group and I used one of our lessons to discuss the marketing aspect of this unit. Before thinking of the ways in which we would advertise our show, we all discussed what the name of our show, and the logo of our show, could be.

First of all, we all acknowledged that it would be difficult to come up with a name too specific because all of our ideas wouldn't fit under the same title. Because of this, we all decided on choosing a name that is more general. The ideas that we were torn between were Collective and Connect. Conclusively we decided on choosing Collective because although the ideas our media group have come up with do relate to the idea of 'connecting' to their audience, the performing arts aren't doing anything that could really relate to this. So we all decided on Collective because all of our individual ideas are different, but collected together and displayed in one show.

As for the design aspect, we all decided on choosing a symbol or emblem that represents the unity of our individual ideas. We came to the conclusion that a jigsaw shape would best fit this criteria. We are now at the point of producing this logo on the college computers using photoshop and illustrator.

YoYo Games Website

Below is the link to the site YoYo games; where people can play and even create their own games. This is the site where I've downloaded the software, Game Maker.

http://www.yoyogames.com/

Game Maker

After further research into the idea of producing a game, I've come to understand that maybe creating an app is a little too ambitious considering the constraints on this unit. Instead, I've found an interesting website called YoYo Games. On this website, you can download a software called Game Maker. This software is great for beginners because it doesn't require any programming skills. The software promises to help you develop exciting computer games without spending countless hours learning how to become a programmer because with this particular software, you don't have to write one single line of code. The software is also free but you can download a pro version which has more features and will cost only 16 pounds.

Presentations

On Tuesday, some of the students and I presented our ideas to the rest of the group so we could get feedback to help us choose the most appropriate product. The students opted more towards both my animation idea and and my idea of producing a game. In the end, they came to the collective decision that I should just choose the idea I feel most motivated about. Although it was originally the animation that I was most motivated towards doing, I soon became uninspired by the idea and that's when I came up with the idea of doing a game instead. When I pitched my ideas to them, and explained that I hoped on making the game as an iPhone app, they all thought it was a good idea for a product, but is may be a bit too ambitious considering the constraints on this unit. Since the feedback, I've researched into other ways I could produce a game and have found a website called YoYo Games; where users can play, create and share games. On this website, a software called Game Maker is available to download and users can create games without the trouble of programming; because the encoding is already done for you. The only other way to program a game in the time we have to make our product, would be to hire a real programmer; because learning how to program games would take a lot of time. Therefore, I think YoYo Games and its software, Game Maker, would be the most logical choice for the program I use to produce my game.

Show Learning Outcome 2 Task 2

For the second task of learning outcome 2, the other students and I have to use a full range of technology, techniques and materials to produce something of high quality that fulfills our creative intentions and appeals to an intended audience. As I am producing a game, I thought one way in which I could try and improve upon my product by using a wider range of materials, would be by exhibiting it in an arcade machine. Being there an arcade not far from here, I thought when I had the chance I would go and inquire whether they have one they are willing to lend me for the project.

Show Learning Outcome 2 Task 1 Ideas

So far for task 1, I have managed to generate ideas that I would be interested in pursuing for this unit. Originally, I wanted to produce street art. I liked the thought of doing this idea because it is quite unique and original, and would also be perfect for a unit like this where we have to show it at the end. In terms of the show itself, the reason why I think street art would be a perfect choice is because there are many ways in which you could display a product like this. Whether it be a gallery of street art, an exhibition, or even displayed through photographs in a screening, street art opens up many opportunities in terms of the way it can be shown.
After further developing the idea of street art, I decided I wanted to get even more out of it. I tried thinking of ways I could combine other forms of creative and media products with street art, and finally concluded that a good creative idea would be an animation. However, after advancing further into the project, my idea became considerably more dominated by animation; and eventually I was talking of producing a stop motion without the intervention of street art at all.
However, most recently I have again changed my idea. Although I felt thoroughly pleased with the idea of producing an animation, I soon found myself uninspired, and felt like changing my idea completely. The third and most current idea that I've generated is to produce a game. The first step I've taken towards developing the idea of producing a game, is researching the different game platforms that are out there. The type of game that has so far interested me the most, is the hand-held platform. From the traditional Game Boy, to the more contemporary Nintendo DS, hand held games have certainly been one of the most successful of all the platforms. However, it would be anything but easy to develop a game that would be compatible with the likes of Nintendo's leading hand held console. So, when I had to develop this idea further, I tried thinking of easier ways in which I could still get a game onto the more contemporary mainstream market. This is when I instantly thought of Apple's iPhone, iPod and iPad applications, or 'apps'. These applications could arguably be seen as the next step in hand held games. Not only is it a good choice for a type of game, but it would also be a great choice for the wider context of the unit. This project is all about the show, and rather than being something like a performance, screening, installation or an exhibition, it gives me the chance to add something original to the unit because people could actually interact with this idea.

Street Art Animation

The second idea I generated was an animation. After further developing my idea for street art, I decided that I wanted to produce something more out of it. I started researching more creative multimedia products that I could combine with my idea of street art, and then I found a video on youtube that shows exactly the type of product I was looking for.

Street Art

The first idea I generated was to produce street art. I liked this idea because it is quite original and would be great for the purpose of this unit; to put on a show. The reason why it would be a good idea to produce for this unit, is because you could display it in many ways. You could show street art through an exhibition, gallery or even a screening; if you were to take pictures of your street art and display them through photographs.

This photograph shows an example of the street art that has mostly took my interest. I think 3D street art is one of the best forms of street art because being able to create the illusion of 3D with just a paint brush requires a lot of skill.

Show Learning Outcome 2 Task 1

For show's task 1 of learning outcome 2, the rest of the students and I have to generate imaginative and innovative ideas for a production which will contribute to the show. There are many ways that we could present our show. This includes performances, screenings, installations or exhibitions. However, first the rest of the students and I have to undertake pre-production which will enable us to progress further into the latter stages of the unit. We all have to produce a proposal, pitch our ideas to the rest of the group, gain feedback, specify how we will target an audience, and reflect upon this all in our blogs and process portfolios.

Practitioner Interview

Later in the same day that we interviewed the Acorn's Operations Manager, we interviewd another practitioner who has a background in animation and visual design. She was telling us of how she has worked on the film 'Miles Away', which is an independent film that made an appearance at the annual Raindance Film Festival. She was telling us of the film and how it is about two men who go on a trip but get stuck in a surreal world. Her job on the film was to help produce all the visual effects for the film. She told us how much work had been put into the film and that to be successful with the making of our own products, that we do not procrastinate.

Acorn Arts Centre Saved

In the summer of this year, the Acorn Arts Centre building in Penzance closed as a fully-staffed professional venue but the trustees say grants from the Arts Council England and Cornwall Council mean they will not have to sell the building anymore. Instead, over the next four months, a new business model will be developed for the "iconic" (Cornishman Newspaper) Arts Centre. The Acorn will now be dependent on volunteers to run its operations, but there will still be a number of events in the theatre between now and January. It is also hoped that a number of the current users, such as Shallal and the Big Blue Club, will continue to use the premises. The evolution of a new operating model will involve public consultation and building links with local partners, including theatre companies, individual artists, schools and colleges. The Acorn's trustees will be leading the development of the new plan and will also be seeking to create a new and larger board of people with relevant skills and experience.

Research Source:
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/Time-new-act-Acorn-centre-saved/article-2620328-detail/article.html

Show Learning Outcome 1 Task 3

For task 3 of Show's learning outcome 1, the rest of the group and I have to conduct a case study into the Acorn Arts Centre.
The Acorn Arts Centre is a small, independently run arts venue with charitable status, in the heart of Penzance, Cornwall.
The Acorn Arts Centre was founded in 1987 when a small scale touring arts company took over the near defunct Penzance Arts Centre. The aim of this was to spread art into the local community and create an enthusiastic vibe for art in and around Penzance.
In June 1996 the Acorn Arts Centre received a significant grant from the National Lottery to undertake essential refurbishment and re-design the interior layout. The Arts Centre re-opened in 1998 when building works were completed.
The Acorn Arts Centre receives ongoing funding from Penwith District Council and Cornwall County Council. This funding equates to just under 20% of the cost to run the organization. Penzance Town Council supports their Penlee Park outdoor season with an annual project grant. The balance required is raised through ticket sales, hiring, bar sales and fund-raising activities. The Acorn Arts Centre also receives financial support from the Arts Council, England, South West through their grants for the arts programme.
In 2006, the Acorn Arts Centre presented over 200 opportunities for people to come and see a theatre performance, dance, music, comedy, plays for children, talks, literature and poetry events, films and workshops.
Being a friendly and welcoming venue, the Acorn Arts Centre is highly regarded by visiting artists and audiences. Presenting the best of small scale arts and entertainment has made the Acorn Arts Centre one of the longest running venues in Cornwall.

Practitioner Interview

Today the rest of the students and I interviewed the Acorn Operation Manager. Her job is to help organize all the events and sort out all the acts so everything at the Arts Centre runs smoothly. She gave us in depth information about how the Centre was run so we can extract what information we may need when it comes to the production of our own show for this unit. She also gave us advice on how we should produce our own show; she recommends putting on a show with a line-up based on how we want to pitch to our audiences. She also thinks we should have a line-up that is broken into different types of performers; this is so the audience don't get bored of the same thing and that there is an act for everyone to enjoy. She says when it comes to putting on our own show, that we think about only producing media materials that play over a duration of about 5 minutes each. Again this is so the audience don't get bored and lose interest. She said in all, try to make it short and snappy. Apart from describing to us how she thinks we should make our own show, she gave us the latest information about the break down news surrounding the Acorn. She said that although the Acorn is no longer a centre run by a group of people, it still remains as an arts theater for volunteers who want to hire the building out and want to put on shows of their own.

Young Promoters Website

You can find the official website of the Young Promoters by using this link

http://youngpromoters.org/

Practitioner Interview

Last week the rest of the group and I interviewed a practitioner called Ellen Moule. She works for a young promoters scheme that promotes, commissions and creates arts events in the South West. The Young Promoters is a new group of young people in the arts industry working to increase the appeal of arts in Cornwall to, and for, their own age group. Whether it be theatre, dance, music or visual art, the Young Promoters think about what young people want and then team up with, commission and create arts productions that fit the bill, drawing in new audiences of all ages.
The Young Promoters scheme is a very good source of research for our Show project because they not only produce work that is similar to what we try to achieve, but they also present it in the same way we're thinking of by putting on shows for audiences.

Show Learning Outcome 1 Task 2

For show's task 2 of learning outcome 1, the rest of the students and I have to interview a range of practioners and organizers. The idea of this is so we can ask them questions that will be of help for us when it comes to making our own show. In our process portfolios, we also have to explain how these practitioners and organizers present their work and also how their methods and techniques have changed over time.

Montol Festival Website

This is a link to the official website of Montol Festival.

http://www.montol.co.uk/

Montol Festival 2009

This is a video showing the Montol Festival of last year.

Montol Festival, Task 1 Research

The Montol Festival is an annual heritage, arts and community festival in Penzance and lasts for a period of 9 days from the 14th to the 22nd December of each year. It is a gathering for the local community who want to celebrate and revive many of the Cornish Christmas time traditions that were formally practiced in and around Penzance. The event is mainly celebrated through traditional dances and carol singing but also features music and arts and crafts that are made in community workshops put together by the festival. These workshops are mainly dedicated to the making of lanterns which are used in a large lantern parade on 20 December in Penzance Town Centre.

This picture shows Penglaz the Penzance 'Obby 'Oss (Hobby Horse).

Cornwall Film Festival Website

This is a link to the official website of The Cornwall Film Festival.

http://www.cornwallfilmfestival.com/

Cornwall Film Festival 2009

This film documents last year's festival.

The Cornwall Film Festival, Task 1 Research

The Cornwall Film Festival is a relatively young event that started in 2001, which focuses mainly on regional work, but does provide some material from outside of Cornwall. The show hosts local and national premieres, and masterclasses, workshops and discussions for everyone from the enthusiast to the professional. This year's festival will be at The Phoenix Cinema in Falmouth (UK Independent Cinema of the Year) and will take place 5-7 November. The Festival has announced two relatively prestigious films being shown at this year's event. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest, the third in the trilogy that was preceded by both The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire respectively. The second film being Another Year, which competed for this year’s Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Another interesting note is how The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest is being shown at the festival a whole 3 weeks before its UK release.

This picture shows the The Cornwall Film Festival emblem. Goel Fylm means Cornwall Film Festival in Kernewek (Cornish).

Glastonbury Website

This is a link to the official website of Glastonbury festival.

http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/

Sweet Child O' Mine - Slash

This is a video of Slash, arguably the best guitarist in history, performing the great hit Sweet Child O' Mine by his former band Guns N' Roses, at this year's Glastonbury Festival.

Glastonbury Festival, Task 1 Research

The first example of a show I researched into, was Glastonbury. The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, is the largest music and arts festival in the world. The festival presents arts of different forms to audiences of more than a hundred thousand. The art-forms it puts on show features dance, comedy, theatre, circus and of course a wide variety of music. However, Glastonbury hasn't always been the major event it's established itself as today. The first Glastonbury show, which was in the September of 1970 (the day after Jimmy Hendrix died), put on 5 acts to an audience of 1,500 and at the cost of just 1 pound. In the year of 2007, over 700 acts played on more than 80 stages. The cost of the tickets have also rocketed up to more than 100 pounds; a hundred times more than the price 40 years ago. Another interesting note is that when tickets went on sale last October, they sold out within just 12 hours.

This picture shows Glastonbury this year, on its 40th anniversary.

Show Learning Outcome 1 Task 1

Show is about understanding the principles of showing creative and media work. Over the course of this unit, the other students and I will be creating work especially for a show that we will publicise around the community. Before doing so though, we will research and explore into already existent shows, such as Glastonbury Festival and the Cornwall Film Festival, to help us when planning a show of our own. At the end of the unit, I will evaluate show through the audience response I collate throughout the event.