Shell prosecution update

just using stills

Waitrose supermarket occupied by Israel boycott

First thoughts on Comm. Tech. What I am going to do and why..

What technology, equipment and software am I likely to use as a practitioner?

One of the things I did last year was video, both filming and editing and I really enjoyed it. I would really like to do more of this. So I will use this com tech brief to find out as much as possible about it and try and learn more hands on skills.
I struggled a lot with story boarding and prefer to just film what was happening. this can be costly and time consuming. but I am also very interested in video advocacy, citizen journalism and documentation so this may not be a problem.
I was brought up watching the undercurrents video's and thought they were all amazing.. may even borrow them from the library and watch them again.
I'm also very interested in storytelling and animation particularly stop motion and old school styles full of character. I like watching computer generated animation with the children as a family but it's not really something that I want to learn too much.


Some of the things I may need to learn about are;

Final cut - I have used this before but only a little last year and have forgotten most of it.
Flash - never used
Graphics tablet - never used
Video recorder - used a little but not sure how to use it properly. I just turn it on and press record and keep it on automatic.
Stop motion - never done
After effects - never used
Green Screen - never done
Audio programs - never used
Mic's - never used
Lighting - have had an induction but again never used
Story boarding - tried
Fire wire. (link the camera straight to the computer.)

As a child I could only watch what was provided for me to watch on the television and we only had 4 channels. It was exiting to learn we were getting another when channel 5 came out.. although that was a massive disappointment. Being below a certain income and not having a huge extended family meant that watching television was something we did a lot of and I know this is the same for lots of people today.

I remember my mum getting sky television. Then we had lots of channels to watch. I spent a huge chunk of my teenage years watching music videos on M.T.V. then and we had a video recorder so I could go one step further and record the music I liked so that I didn't have to hear or watch the rest. I also did this on the radio. But still someone else is choosing what is being broadcast. There are often repeats of repeats of mindless programs for people to watch when they come home from work that doesn't require to much thought, television they can "switch off" too.

Before the internet became common place I was introduced to undercurrents videos by some friends. I had taken part in some animal rights demonstrations myself and lived in a couple of squats but was now at home with a young child and found it really encouraging and inspiring watching them and being kept up to date and just seeing that people were out there trying to make changes. These films were never or hardly ever reported in the mainstream media.

I developed a massive hatred for television.

Years have gone by although not really that many and we have developed technology so much just in my lifetime. I find it quite scary but at the same time I can see the potential for it to be used for good.

16.5 million households have internet access in the UK, which equates to 64%.
56% of UK households have broadband.

This means we can choose what we want to watch and when we watch it it also means that practically anyone can upload content. This is not always a good thing but again you can choose what you do and don't watch.

It also means that companies/individuals/organizations/countries/governments etc. that are "unethical" or news that wouldn't make the "news" may find it harder to cover up or keep things covered up and can be held accountable.



What I am going to do

I want to keep this quite open in what I am doing and remain multi-disciplined because I do have many interests and I also work better that way. If I get bored of one thing I can try something else.
I am going to set myself small tasks to get out with the camera. I am quite lucky in that I have Sharon Hooper and Matt Burton as tutors to ask questions and speak with in college also there are some other people on our course in all three years that I can also speak with about that.
I would also like to do some stop motion animation, making my own sets and characters to animate.