Love & Glamour (Intro)

"Love & Glamour (Intro)" - Christina Aguilera (Bionic, 2010).

Photie.

I'm not sure I'll ever get into the habit of posting regularly here. Oh well, I'm not obliged to - it is my blog, after all. :)

So much has happened since the last update... a lot of it to be expected given it was the final stretch of my last year of uni, but some surprise occurrences too.

Against all odds I finished my dissertation, a 12,603 word piece on the representation of bisexuality in the music and imagery of Lady GaGa. Can't say I was sad to see the back of it - my housemate Kirsty and I stupidly left the bulk of ours until the last week, culminating in what had to be the most stressful few hours of my life as I tried to get it formatted, printed and bound in time. Somehow, I did.

In fact, largely thanks to the mark it was given, I now have a first-class BA honours degree in Media and Communication! Which is a huge shock and pleasant surprise, given the circumstances and my atrocious motivation/time management. I got my results back the other week; went down to Birmingham personally to pick them up and met up with some mates to celebrate after.

It was so nice to see everyone so happy, but it's weird thinking that we've come to the end of it all. But I know that I'll be seeing everyone again for the graduation ceremony (in February, would you believe...) and I'm confident that so many of them will be successful in their future endeavours! :)

My final year project was completed okay, barring some technical difficulties, and our degree show "Exhibit This" was such a joy (you can see the website for it at http://www.exhibitthis.co.uk/). Cue a celebratory group excursion to 90s Night at Subway City, where none of us hesitated to make use of the £10 for 10 drinks entry policy. Beautiful.

And... I've been offered a job at the BBC! ^_^ A runner's job at Television Centre in London. So excited and so thankful! Just waiting for the start date atm, which means right now - largely bereft of anything urgently productive to do - I'm sat on the sofa at home in Blackburn, watching James Dagwell present BBC News at about 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. He must have some sort of cult night-shifter/student/insomniac following.

I could sit around waiting for the latest set of stories I'm watching to be repeated, but it's probably a better idea (and healthier) for me to go to sleep.

So, goodnight... or good morning. :)

x

On a Mission

“On a Mission” – Gabriella Cilmi (2010).

So, my plan to write at least one blog entry a week didn’t really work out. Nor did my “motivational” idea to showcase my directed study work here from (all the way back in) first semester – hence why I deleted from this blog all posts but my first.

I think I’ve always realised I’ve been of the mindset that anything I create or produce must be perfect before I show anyone else. I’m even second-guessing the words in this sentence… but I thought I’d get that out of the way before I go on.

Anyway, I guess it’s time for an update? LOL :) Well, my final year project (which you can follow at this other blog, should I get around to writing anything of substance there) is slowly but surely taking shape. We start filming on Monday, despite not having a fully drafted script or even running order for the promotional film that we’re producing… I guess it will all be okay in the edit?! Let’s hope so - our client is such a friendly and focused woman, and it would be great to provide her with something that she can actually use for her local enterprise (a vocal and dance training “academy”).

And as for my 11-13,000 word dissertation? :I … I’m currently 825 words into a 3-3,500 word literature review that ideally should have been completed last December, am scraping up a 1,500-2,000 word methodology draft due for January gone, and am meant to be coming to the end of my actual research as we speak (first draft to be submitted by next Friday). OH DEAR.

Let’s hope I can motivate myself to get to the library (or mentally to a state where I’m fully focused and productive regardless of locale) this weekend… I aim to have 5,500 words drafted by Thursday. ~1,500 for the first theoretical framework in my lit review, ~1,000 each for the other (supporting) two.

Interesting day today that left me some personal/political food for thought – my university hosted an NUS LGBT committee member who very kindly came down from Leeds to do a workshop about issues for LGBT students in higher education. Later that afternoon we listened to an inspiring guest lecture from Michael Cashman MEP (and former EastEnders actor, w00t w00t etc.). So although I got no uni work done, I feel like I’ve had a relatively productive day.

Also, I got three (!) calls from a post-production company in London that I’d been on two weeks’ work experience at in Jan/Feb – they wanted me in for an interview for an actual paid position (i.e. a JOB! In TV!). Sadly I had to graciously decline as I don’t graduate until June/July… if I get there.

Oh well. I think I might be procrastinating now and I set myself a target to have this posted by midnight. (Yes, I know blogs shouldn’t usually involve deadlines but I need structure to my life. Desperately.) So…

Cheerio!

x

Hi! :)

Hi there, I should probably introduce myself... My name's Eddy and I'm a third-year undergraduate at Birmingham City University, where I'm studying Media and Communication.

I've set up this blog as a means of recording the learning diary I've been assigned to write for my current production module, Independent Television Production Company (also known by the slightly catchier 'MC675'). I'll be documenting my research into independent TV production, and will primarily be concentrating on multiplatform television.

A bit more about me: I'm hoping to get into the TV/video post-production industry after (if!) I graduate. My dream job would be as a runner at one of the post-production houses in Soho (London) - wish me luck! :)

I'm also a Campaigns and Representation Officer for the LGBT Society at BCU, and a Media & Comms course representative for my year. Highlights of my university experience so far include appearing on behalf of BCU at the NUS LGBT conference, completing a work experience placement at the BBC, and getting onto a talent scheme at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

Feel free to comment on, critique, reply etc. to anything I write on here. Be aware that I'm rather new to this blogging business so please go easy :)

Happy reading! 

xx