UNIT 11

14/12/2017 -Universities

In tutorial class, we looked on UCAS for Universities on our chosen course for undergraduate entry 2018. Currently, I want to attend University of the Arts London to study film and TV production.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2017/may/16/university-league-tables-2018

21/09/2017 - UCAS and organisation skills

In Laurie's class, we discussed the importance of organisation and how we can be more organised. As a group, we discussed what we can do to be more organised, and I said that we need to prioritise.Other students put shared their input; scheduling, writing lists, especially 'To-Do' lists, time management. To have better time management, I could use a calendar, make a timetable, and use an app called StudyLife.

09/12/2017 - skills audit

Skills audit – consider your strengths and knowledge of software (list which software), design, photography, drawing, filming and writing skills. Include other personal attributes, such as planning and time management. Fill in the chart and rate yourself (1 = good, 5 =poor), then write a statement summing up your abilities. Include what you want to improve in. Add more rows as necessary.

Skill/attribute	5	4	3	2	1	Keen/important to improve?
Photography			*			Yes
Drawing			*			No
Filming and editing		*				Yes
Writing			*			Yes
Graphics (on Adobe software)		*				Yes
Organisation			*			Yes
Planning		*				Yes
Trustworthy					*	No
Ambitious					*	No
Motivated		*				Yes
Problem solver			*			Yes
Time management	*					Yes
Punctuality	*					Yes
Reliability			*			Yes

I believe that I have a lot of potential just as everyone else does to improve in the areas that need improvement. For example, I want to improve my photography skills. To do that, I can take a photography course at college as part of my enrichment activities. It will only take an hour or so off my week. I took art design as one of my subjects for my GCSEs and I think I'm decent at drawing, but I don't think that I need to improve my drawing skills because I don't study animations and being a professional artist is not necessary for my chosen course. I believe that my writing skills are average, but I can make some improvements. For instance, I could write more eloquently, gain a larger set of vocabulary and improve my grammar by exploring poetry and reading books, especially those of past decades. I adore film making and editing and genuinely want to make improvements. To do that, I need to keep practicing. I am also keen to improve my graphics skills. I have a newfound passion for designing a website. I want to take beautiful photographs and enhance the images using Photoshop. I also want to use Adobe InDesign, Muse and similar softwares to create professional magazines, websites etc.

I must improve my punctuality and work on managing my time more wisely. Turning up late to lessons is a sign of disrespect and I hate to come across as disrespectful. I have my reasons for being late, and none of the reasons are that I don't care because I genuinely do care. I don't want my teachers or future employers to think that I am lazy and don't care and I definitely don't want to get fired from my job(s). I am making an effort to turn up on time to lessons, and I must keep doing that to stop this horrendous habit. For my time management, I've realised that when I complete tasks, I don't complete them one at a time. Instead, I do one task and leave it unfinished and move on to the next. I guess I subconsciously think that it's a way of multi-tasking, but actually, it just makes things worse as it is time-consuming and an inefficient way of completing projects. That needs to change. I find that creating a time schedule has helped me organise my tasks and it helps me keep a clear mindset, with little stress. Additionally, I aim to use websites and apps that help us with time management. Examples include, 'Monday.com' and 'Trello'. 

10/12/17 - Interview questions

     

            ·            Why do you want to do this course /get this job/apprenticeship? 

     I want to do this course because it is a fascinating subject that I want to excel in. I want to graduate from University with great knowledge, experience and skill in my chosen field. 

·         Did you attend the open day? /What do you know about the university/company?
[I have not attended the Open Day for any of the Universities that I want, but I will do in early February] 
The following is what I will say when I do attend the Open Day:
The Open day has given me an insight into how I will be spending the next three years here, and I am thrilled to use the facilities available for my course. 

·         Why do you want to study/work here?
I want to study here because this is a University filled with diversity. The environment is friendly and I can learn from people of different ethnic backgrounds and grow and gain new experiences as a uni student. I also want to study here because the course will allow me to reach my full potential.

·         Do you have a favourite artist/director/journalist/designer?
My favourite director is James Cameron. Some of his films have moved me so deeply and are films that are remarkable such as the film, Titanic. 

·         What are your favourite books/magazines/films?
Some of my favourite films are Titanic, 127 Hours, Hacksaw Ridge, Saving Private Ryan, Shutter Island and the Harry Potter Franchise. 

·         What contemporary creative practitioner inspires you?

Shailene Woodley. She is a bright, young inspirational actress and humanitarian. 

·         What are your most successful pieces of work?
A short film I made in my first year of college.

·         What exhibitions/events have you visited recently?
I have recently visited the Wellcome Collection museum and the exhibition that they held. Additionally, I recently went to an event were people sold paintings, fragrances, items of clothing etc. of the Iraqi culture.

·         Have you any ambitions of what you want to do in the future?
I aspire to create an art piece that will move people. Whether it's a moving image or still image. I want to inspire people and produce something powerful. I want to mainly focus on Film and Television but would love to further my career when I graduate and explore other moving images such as animation. I also want to act, direct and produce. I would love to continue to grow in the art field and expand my creativity and bring my ideas to life.

·         Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
When I'm 22, I see myself graduating from University, having my own apartment, working a job in my chosen field as small or big as it might be and I see myself exploring my interests. 

·         What is your greatest weakness?
Focusing mainly on the negative rather than the positive about the work that I produce. 

I will post my personal statement below. My aim is to make this personal statement filled with more experiences from my Gap Year. Therefore, it will be changed depending on the new  experiences that I will get beginning around September 2018. 

Personal Statement  

I have made 4 drafts. I received feedback from my tutor and from another teacher for the 3rd draft. I did this because I felt that it is important to get feedback from more than one person, even if they're brilliant, someone else might have other points. Below I have posted my final draft. However, it is not entirely my final draft, because I am taking a gap year in September 2018 rather than studying at University. When I complete my gap year, I will study in University in September 2019.

I have a strong desire to pursue a career in the film industry, and to do that, I aim to take a course in Film and Television Production.

  I study multimedia in college and I am now interested in print media rather than just film. I have gained two years of experience in Adobe package and in filmmaking. I have learnt the basics of Photoshop, InDesign and Premiere Pro and I aim to be adept at it. In my first year, I have acquired skills in filmmaking and print media as I have developed my camera and lighting techniques. I completed film based work such as two short films and a game show. For the print media, I designed posters, logos and a press kit. I like graphics, but I am more interested in film production. I especially enjoyed the process of producing a short film that I created called ‘My Mind is My Bully’. It was a learning experience and I enjoyed every aspect of the project. For instance, for the pre-production, researching my topic, analysing films and conducting interviews was enlightening. The production and editing process was also very enjoyable. I adored acting, directing, and setting up the equipment. During the post-production process, I learnt that I want to improve my editing skills, because I genuinely loved editing the footage and audio. I recorded sound effects on a Roland portable recorder and during the production, I learnt the proper ways of handling a boom pole.

 This course has made me attain research, pre-production and post-production skills and my teamwork and presenting skills have improved significantly.

   I am very interested in watching YouTube video creators. YouTube made me intrigued with the idea of creating video content of my own. Currently, I have one video uploaded to my YouTube channel and I aim to continue to make videos when I have the right equipment.

  For work experience in year 10, I worked in the office of ‘International Forum for Islamic Dialogue'. I excelled in a range of skills, as verified by my supervisor. I made a storyboard with my ideas for a documentary that they would make and I completed paperwork and made picture albums for their foreign visits on their Facebook page. The manager was impressed with my work and subsequently offered me a place to work there in the summer.   

Additionally, I have taken part in a school organisation called ‘Travel Green’ and recently, I have volunteered in a sweet shop. I mostly helped with brainstorming ideas for the window display, but also dealt with customers of all ages. I learnt to be patient and polite. I was recently an extra for a Channel 4 show named ‘Stath’. It was great to be involved in a professional TV production and see how the crew operates on location. I have also taken part in a Summer Camp and worked well with my teammates. We completed various physical and mentally challenging activities. I have acquired valuable skills from these jobs and voluntary work; team working, adaptability, application of IT, and communication. I will continue to take part in such activities and I am awaiting approval to do work experience for BBC in 2018.

  In my free time, I watch films, YouTube and documentaries. I am also an avid reader of books and prefer fiction. Additionally, I dance, explore museums and I have developed my skills in photography and art. I am always willing to learn and my confidence and teamwork skills have improved.

At university, I aim to use this opportunity to inspire others and to grow and excel in filmmaking to a high standard. My main interest now is to pursue a career in editing and production.

Gap Year 

I have decided to take a gap year for September 2018, meaning I will take a year off before I start studying at University. The reason I'm doing this is because I want to figure out exactly what I want to do at University by trying different mediums. Additionally, I want to improve my skills so that I can feel even more prepared for University. I will do this by gaining work experience in my field from different jobs and from doing volunteering. This will allow me to explore the varieties of media, like print, online and film media. I aim to do work experience for BBC. If that doesn't work out or if I simply complete my work experience with time left before the end of the year, my next plan is to work for an organisation that I have already done work experience with before. This organisation is IFID which stands for International Forum for Islamic Dialogue. They travel abroad a lot and their media team is important for them. They create, documentaries, photography, print media etc. I would love to work for them for a couple of months. Furthermore, I will be doing voluntary work for the Volunteering Team for Harrow. They've sent me the different volunteering opportunities via email. I asked them to keep my up to date via email when they came to our college for Careers Fair. I will also join the UAL Summer Course at London College of Communication.

The two careers that I aim to pursue are Film Editor, and being a Film and TV Producer. It's possible that being a Producer won't come easy, so I will need to first be a runner, then upgrade to other roles. Another role I would like to pursue in the means of becoming an editor or/and producer, is being a camera operator and an assistant. If this plan doesn't work out, I could pursue being an Internet influencer. Specifically, a YouTuber. It will take months and likely years to gain thousands of subscribers, but when I do, I can promote products and companies that I support to gain money. The reason that I would like being a YouTuber as a last resort, is because I've always enjoyed watching YouTube videos and I would like to create my own content even if I don't get any subscribers. Meaning I would like to do it as a hobby if I don't get money from it.

As you can see, I don't have one exact career choice that I want to pursue. My main interest is definitely Film and TV. This is one of the main reasons that I will be taking a gap year.
I have not applied to any University. The University that I want to study at is UAL London College of Communication. The course that I want to take is TV and Film Production. I would also like to attend Ravensbourne University to study Film Production.