Resources Available
In terms of what I could include in my portfolio, I have a variety of work from the last 2 years at college as well as some personal work that I have done outside of college.
At college I have studied 12 different units all for Creative and Digital Media. One of the units I have done is Unit 43, in this unit I had to plan and create a TV show. Our group decided to create Yorkshire Lasses, ( a concept created in Unit 20) the show is about 4 girls from Yorkshire and the show follows their lives. I will defiantly include this in my portfolio because it shows my creative skills in script writing and my editing skills using Adobe Premiere. I have also studied Unit 31 which was about creating a collection of photos around the concept of identity. I chose to photograph homeless people and reflect them in a different light than the media does. I created and edited 5 photographs and I feel they reflect my photography skills and my Photoshop skills. So I will defiantly include the photos in my portfolio. Another unit I have done is Unit 32, in this unit I had to create graphic designs for media products. I created 5 pieces of graphic design work including a poster, wristband and hat, for a Sheffield music festival called 'Hub Fest'. I am very proud of this work because I feel it represented the festival well, I will also be using this in my portfolio. I also study A Level English Literature and Language. I feel this subject compliments Creative and Digital Media because it enables me to write creatively when I am doing a specific brief and talk about it coherently. It also helps my technical writing skills such as grammar and spelling.
Finance
If I was to go to university I would have to look at the way I would finance it. This would include applying for a student and maintenance loan where hopefully I would receive £9,000 to pay for my tuition fee and then up to £5,740 as a maintenance loan which would cover the costs of my student living. If I was sure about going to uni I would apply for my student finances via the website https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/overview by the 31st May in order to receive my loan before I start my university course.
If I was to go straight into employment, I would get paid for my work and the cost of this can vary. When I found out how much I roughly get paid, I would work out how much I could spend each week and use this as a budget guideline to discover my disposable income.
If I wanted to set up my own business, in terms of finance I would first of all have to save up some money for set up costs, however on a part time job whilst at college this would take a while so it would be a good idea to go to a bank and have a business plan set up and wrote out ready to present to the bank to see if they would be willing to give me a loan so that I could set up a Media Business.
Finally if i was to get an apprenticeship i would get paid £3.30 an hour. With this money I would budget how much money I can spend each week on essentials with a small amount for my disposable income.
Contacts
It is very important to create contacts in the media industry and one way I can do that is attend many of Sheffield's events and festivals and talk to creators and people who work in the industry. We can discuss what will help me to get a job in the industry and find out if there are any opportunities they know about that I could be a part of. Last year I attended 'Tramlines' which is a music festival and this was a great opportunity to speak to creators about what they need to improve their presence online and what media they do use.
There is also a huge local event 'Doc Fest' which is a film festival, that I could volunteer at. This means I can gain experience to put on my CV as well as meet other people working for the events and make contacts with industry professionals, meaning I am showing interest and getting my name out there.
Another way that I have made industry contacts is though going to UTC Sheffield. I have presented to Sheffield Live! with an original radio drama. Presenting this to members of Sheffield Live! gave me the opportunity to see what companies want and it was very useful to get constructive criticism from them. Another reason this was a good opportunity was because it gave me a chance to introduce myself and if I every apply for a job in their company they will recognise me and that will put me above the other candidates. I have also presented my graphics work to Nick Bax who founded the Human Studio which is a creative agency with global credentials in design, digital and moving image. So it was very useful to get feedback off of him because he knows the industry well and understands what works well.
Networking Opportunities
From meeting these people it has created a fantastic networking opportunity for me. Sheffield also has lots of different events going on all year round, this also creates more networking opportunities for me. Doc Fest is a international acclaimed documentary film festival based in Sheffield and it is on every year and many people from around the world come to show there work and visit the festival. I could volunteer for it and this would give me useful work experience and a chance to work with people that I usually wouldn't in every day life. Another reason for me to volunteer at Doc Fest is because I could make contacts with companies and this would give me a better chance to enter the media industry. The website for Doc Fest is https://sheffdocfest.com/
Help, Support and Advice
For advice about going to University there are many people that I am able to talk to. If I had concerns and questions about a university or a course I could call the university and ask them questions. My CDM teachers Ms Allen and Mr Helliwell would give me guidance about which is the right university course for me as well as which universities will suit me and insure that I excel in my corse. They could also help me look into apprenticeships and write application forms. Another person that can help and support me is my head of year Mrs Khan as she has contacts that could help me get in touch with these people and find out more information. I can always talk to my parents about what they think the best thing for me to do next year would be.
Equipment
In order to start my own business I would need to but equipment. A lot of the equipment is expensive but what I produce needs to be up to industry standard. Realistically to afford this equipment I will have to save a lot and may need to apply for a loan at the bank.
Video camera - Sony AX53 4K Handycam Camcorer-
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/sony/ax53-4k-handycam-camcorder-97668/show.html?cm_mmc=td-_-affiliate_name-_-advert_id-_-236543
Tripod - Manfrotto Compact Advanced Aluminium Tripod-
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/manfrotto/compact-advanced-aluminium-tripod-black-93359/show.htmlhttp://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/sandisk/extreme-pro-95mb-s-64gb-sdxc-card-82912/show.html
http://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-mac/imac?product=MK452B/A&step=config#
Software - Adobe Creative Cloud - https://creative.adobe.com/plans?store_code=gb&promoid=KSPAK
To buy all these items it will roughly cost around £2,193.71.
Opportunities to showcase my own work
World Skills UK is a huge competition, where both young people and adults are encourages to pursuit their skills to the highest possible level. It is a great way for people to show off their work to a large group and get constructive criticism, while also talking part in a renowned competition. This is the link to the website.
https://www.worldskills.org/what/competitions/
I have also had the opportunity to showcase my work to Sheffield Live by pitching a original radio drama we had to create a 5 minute segment from this to show. I was able so show my presenting skills and creative skills. I was also able to show my script writing skills because I wrote the script for the drama. I have also pitched my graphic design work to Nick Bax where I showed my skills when using InDesign and my creative skills.
SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)
I feel I have the skills that will help me move up into the next level of my education. I am a very creative person and I try to be creative in the work I produce. I also have a lot of enthusiasm into the work I do. I work very successfully in groups and strive in a creative atmosphere where everyone is working their hardest to fit the brief. I am keen to learn new skills and improve my already existing ones, I am constantly trying to learn more to improve the work I do. I feel I am very versatile and I am able to adapt my skills to different projects. Also I have strong communication skills and this helps me come across confident and friendly in interviews and in presentations. I work best in a hands on environment and this is why I enjoy working in the creative side of media such as scriptwriting, filming and photography. Creating something is very important to me because I enjoy the process of having an idea then making something that I'm proud of.
One of my main weaknesses is time management and organisation. When I am creating something I like to take my time and not do things in a particular order. At the start I will produce production schedules although I never usually follow them, this is because I will usually do the work at a time that suits me best rather that when I planned. This never usually stops me from getting the project finished although I understand that organisation is very important in industry and deadlines have to be met. This is why I am going to focus on improving my organisational skills so i am able to follow set plans I have made.
There are many opportunities that are available to me such as university courses, apprenticeships and volunteering. I have been offered and accepted an apprenticeship at the showroom and that will give me so many more opportunities next year. In the apprenticeship I will be meeting film directors and creators where I can make contacts and gain opportunities through them. Through college I have also gained many opportunities.
I believe there is no threat that will stop me from achieving my grades and block me from creating this portfolio.
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