Video Games and Me

  When I was younger I often played video games, mainly on my Nintendo DS, Wii or Xbox. I really enjoyed playing games and collected many different ones to switch between.
I would usually play on my DS with my sister as we played games such as 'Kim Possible' and 'Cooking Mama'. I played a variety of games of different genres, from action adventure to puzzle, educational or arcade games etc. I vividly remember playing whilst travelling on holiday, when in the car or at my grandparents house.
Also, we would play on the Wii when friends came round, which enabled us to play multiple player games. For example, often playing Wii fit or bowling which was a favourite from the Wii sport collection. Recently whilst away with friends, I was introduced to FIFA which I quickly got into, becoming competitive whilst playing.
When I was younger and often played video games I enjoyed it because it was a way to pass the time, socialise with my fiends and have fun. Now however,  I rarely play but when I do I find it very
nostalgic. I would love to continue playing video games now however do not find the time.

Minecraft Mission

This was my attempt at building a house when first playing the game Minecraft. Although I ran out of time in the lesson and was not able to finish my house, I managed to start building the foundations. From this experience, I can easily see how people may want to play and quickly become addicted. We played on an iPad which was slightly more difficult to use however its portability means you can play anywhere and at any time which is very convenient.  Overall I would like to get better at playing.

My Breakfast Show Segment

1) Did you fulfill all the content requirements; both in terms of including all the correct features as well as the actual choices made?
We were able to fulfill all the requirements for our Latymer radio breakfast show. For example, extracts from different music tracks, the jingles, the show host and audience member for the main feature- Celebrity gamble. We also managed to include some chat similar to the way in which the presenters of radio 1 breakfast show do, and news headlines to finish off. 

2) Have you nailed the conventions and style of Nick Grimshaw and the Radio 1 Breakfast Show?
Throughout, we kept a friendly and upbeat tone, mimicking that of the radio 1 breakfast show. We had light conversation and used mainstream pop music tracks , helping to engage our audience. Conventions we used were the celebrity gamble game in which we lightheartedly poked fun at our celebrities without causing offence, similar to the actual breakfast show. Other conventions used were the reference to a social media response, the jingles and the news headlines at the very end. 

3) How well did you manage running order/timings?
Overall, I think we were able to keep to the timings quite well. At first we had difficulty with silent gaps in which we were still setting up tracks or going over or under in time. However, after a few more practices we quickly picked up the timings and we were able to smoothly run through the whole show. 

Analysis of current music video

Music video analysis: Paramore- Hard Times 

Many current music videos appear to have similar conventions. Here is my analysis of 5 different conventional techniques used in this music video.



Direct address to the audience-the musicians/actors will directly stare into the camera looking to the audience. This breaks the 'fourth wall' and is quite common in music videos, as oppose to films, where a suspension of disbelief is held throughout.







Lighting changes-these are often and very noticeable. Lighting can jump from dark, low lighting to high key in little to no time. This is not apparent in films as this would seem unrealistic and shock the audience who would not be expecting it.






Special effects are commonly used to add a visual and many times may not match the music. In this music video, boldly coloured streaks of light randomly appear and disappear throughout the video. It draws in the audience through the use of colour and having a cool effect.




Costume changes are very apparent in music videos. They often connote different aspects of the character within the video, or different persons they are taking on. Most often they are bold and immediately recognized by the audience instead of blending in. In this video, they are wearing brightly coloured jumpsuits for example, yellow, pink and blue.



The editing of a music video is, in many ways, the most common convention of music videos. The discontinuous editing is used throughout which creates a dysfunctional sense of time for the audience. It is an instantly identifiable feature of music videos as scenes often jump from one to another.