Will89’s Weblog

It has been two weeks since I returned to uni and started the summer project, which I had my doubt about, however over these past two weeks I can gladly say that I am happy to be working along a highly passionate and confident group. We have all been coming up with fun and wonderful ideas about how we are going to do the project and which issue that affects people in the today’s society.

Channel 4 each year approaches Bournemouth University with a he brief that is pasted on to the students, who are in Television Production, Script Writing and Interactive Media Production. This year the brief that has been given to us, states that we have to:

C4: BATTLEFRONT

In your groups of Script Writers, Interactive Media Producers and TV Production students, create and complete a 360 degree piece, consisting of a website, moving image work and mobile phone content.

Nominated for a prestigious international digital Emmy award, Battlefront is Channel 4’s online campaign central for 14 – 24 year olds.  Download the campaigners handbook via battlefront.co.uk and you’ll find everything you need to know about creating an innovative campaign and spreading the word on a variety of platforms.

About your idea: we’re particularly looking for ideas that raise awareness about an issue in an innovative way.  International or global concerns are particularly welcomed.  You can originate your own campaign idea, or team up with an existing organisation.

The virtual presence and moving image piece must be designed as one cohesive project from the outset.  Ask yourselves, ‘how does the content on each format interrelate and complement the overall piece?’

The project must feature a campaign film, maximum 3 minutes, in any form: doc, drama or something else entirely.  The film must be embedded in the site.

You can produce other segments of video for the website – up to two minutes in total, in as many separate movies as you like.  Create up to one minute of work that can be viewed on a mobile phone.  Remember, the three platforms must relate and refer to each other.

How can you create a buzz around your campaign?  Can users create or add their own material, join in discussions etc?  Can you make use of existing online tools, such as Twitter, Flickr, YouTube or MySpace?

Channel four is looking for something edgy, possibly humorous, contemporary, creative and refreshing.    It doesn’t have to be ‘worthy’.  Challenging work, original ideas, alternative voices and approaches, an inspiring take on contemporary social and cultural issues are all welcomed.   We want you to ‘challenge people to see the world differently’.

Think about the kind of output this channel produces.  In it’s own words: ‘Channel 4 is different.  It takes creative risks that others avoid.  It offers fresh perspectives for a diverse society.’  Representatives of Channel 4 will come to the presentations.

Bournemouth University, C4 Battlefront Brief, 2009

I can say that the next 5 weeks are going to be eventful but also fun, with the people I’m working along with. At this stage in production my group have an idea nailed but can not release information about it as yet, but soon will be announcing what we will be doing.

I cannot believe how fast the past five weeks have gone over the Easter break, but finally have come to the start of the Summer Project, here at Bournemouth and now into my second day. Yesturday I can say it was an eventful day, starting with my car getting clamped in the morning before heading up to uni, but manage to resolve that little problem.

As this Summer Project would be a group based project across three degrees, which are Television Production, Script Writing and my course Interactive Media Production. I couldn’t help but reflect on the Narrative Project, which i did over the Christmas period in a group just from my course, which had it’s ups and downs, in the way of communication between people within the group and attendance of people due to medical reasons, which made organising and putting together the project harder than anticipated. Hence why i have had a few doubt over the Easter period with this forth coming project. Yet the Narrative Project was a worth while experience to how group work can be.

If you wish to read further into how the Narrative Project went please follow this link http://will89.wordpress.com/category/narrative-project-0809/

However yesturday when put into the groups, for the Summer Project and seeing who I would be working with, I can say that good chunk of those doubts I had, have now gone and I am happy to be working with a passionate and confidant group of people and I believe that over the next 6 weeks we will be able to produce a very high level piece of work.