Induction Assessment 2015

My Starting Point

Give examples of skills and/or experience you have in this area. Think about projects or work you have completed which have used these skills.

Rate yourself 1-10(1= unconfident, 10 = extremely confident)

Mac computers I had to use a Mac Computer throughout my two years as a BTEC Art and Design Student, and I’d say I’m quite proficient with how they work. I definitely don’t treat it like an actual PC, anyways.

9

Microsoft Word I’ve completed a full length novel with a tiny little laptop and the XP version of windows. And a little bit here and there in between with the updated version.

10

Microsoft PowerPoint

I had to finish countless powerpoint presentations for ICT, Graphics and BTEC Art coursework, and I’m very well versed in the software.

10

Photoshop I do PhotoShop painting in my spare time, and I’m easily very confident in using the program professionally. I had to use the program profusely throughout my Art and Design Exam, and I came out with a Distinction.

9

Final Cut I’m very familiar with Sony Vegas, and though I imagine the layout and general feel is probably the same, I’ve still never used Final Cut.

5

DSLR Cameras I have owned and still own numerous bridge cameras, including a Canon Rebel T2i and a Canon 600D, which I still currently use for filming my own videos.

9

Assignment 1: Write a 500 written analysis of representation of age and social class. You must make reference to the micro areas of mise en scene and camera, using appropriate terminology. In the opening scene of the BBC Sitcom “People Just Do Nothing”, the main cast are shown to be rapping and beatboxing in a fashion that is common to the Northern grime scene on what is only recognisable as a council estate. This instantly connotes the setting of the sitcom to be in a lesser economically developed part of the city, and also sets the stage for the rest of the series being primarily about a group of struggling artists with questionable fashion sense.

Straightaway, it comes clear across the series is full of satire. This comes across clear by the way the characters are depicted in ways which people typically associate with stereotypes that originate from South London; hooligan youths with no interest for working for a living, no real education, and roaming council estates in packs. This is only drove home by the dialect, mannerisms and outfits donned by each character; they all wear sportswear, speak in slang and hang around local spots on their estate. And this is all just from the first 30 seconds. The way the characters are depicted in the first 30 seconds has already told me everything I need to know about what this show entails and the type of comedy it offers.

The grime style ambient background music, the way the characters respond to (what I assume is) the documenter behind the camera in passive aggressive ways and the fact that the title frame is accompanied by a backdrop time-lapse of an estate in South London all support this idea that the show is about the behaviour and

Induction Assessment 2015

attitudes of people that are considered to be of a lower social class. This is also a depiction of how the younger generation that are either born or raised in these sorts of environments (council estates, rough neighbourhoods, etc) grow up to be and the attitudes they inherit from these places. For prime instance, a minute into the first episode and one of the characters (who’s name I can’t remember since it’s only been a minute.) states that he “[doesn’t have] bare money, ‘cuz [you lot] don’t give us no money.” This is an obvious jab at the attitude typically taken by people who are unemployed and on social benefits, whi complain that the government doesn’t offer enough money to the unemployed. This is supposed to be taken with a pinch of salt, since the characters in this series are deliberately enforcing these stereotypes for comedic value.

2 minutes into the episode, and the first female character “Michelle” explains to the documenter that though she is not christened, she considers herself a very ‘spiritual person’ and that she definitely follows ‘Christian values.’ This is followed by her explaining that the reason she feels she has those values is because she loves Christmas, and everything about Christmas is great to her. This is obviously to represent how the younger generation in lower class estates often don’t find comfort in or don’t follow any religion purely because they are misguided on what a religion actually represents. After this, Michelle asks her boyfriend “Grindah” ‘which emojis she should put on her status’, whilst holding her pink iPhone 6. The use of this prop connotes the idea that as well as being misguided, the younger generation spend far too much time on their mobile phones and care too much about irrelevant things such as emojis and getting the latest model iPhone. This is a large theme that is only subtly represented in this one scene, but is a clever use of the prop.After this scene, Grindah is sitting on a set of concrete stairs with one of his peers. In this scene, Grindah speaks about what he thinks it means to be a Godfather, and states that his decision is ‘out of Decoy and Beats.’ This use of satire is to reinforce the theme of the younger generations being completely misguided on religion, and the way Grindah over-simplifies the status of Godparent and very simply narrows his selection down to the two people he likes the most out of his peers serves as a tool to make his character seem even less intelligent. This is followed by a scene where his friend (the one he was speaking with on the stairs) props a pillow behind Grindah as he is sat on a sofa, after which Grindah turns to (who I assume to be) Beats and says ‘You see that?’ This was used to emphasise Grindah’s obvious attempts to turn it into a competition to see which of his friends can serve him best, and still reinforces the theme of religion being oversimplified to the younger generation.

Following this scene is a shot back to Michelle, who is holding up a mediocre T-Shirt design. Michelle claims she ‘took GSCE Art’ and is ‘using the skills she picked up [then.]’, this is a reference to how most teenagers that grow up on council estates and in positions of low income usually don’t end up going past GSCE level and onto further education, due to either financial issues or lack of interest. This is reinforced by the fact that Michelle is clearly far past her secondary school days, this is evident by the fact she has a child past her toddler years and the her mature but youthful facial complexion and appearance. This is an interesting use of makeup artistry and costume design.

The costume design really shines through in the scene after this, however, when the cast’s most prominent Asian stereotype in the character “Chabuddy G” comes in, introducing himself as an ambitious entrepreneur who has already delved in various commercial ventures. Chabuddy G’s newest venture, an independent clothing company specialising in customer specified designs, is deliberately put across to be poorly marketed, understaffed and underequipped. Michelle frequently misunderstands Chabuddy G, even though he speaks relatively fluent English. This is a reference to how people often jump to the conclusion that all Asians speak broken English.

Toward the end of the episode, Grindah, self proclaimed MC and arguably the main character of the series, decides the role of Godfather should fall to him, and unconsciously ruins his daughter’s baptism ceremony by constantly blurting out absurdities over the priest. I don’t want to say this supports the misguided religion idea any more than I already have, but it totally does.

Overall, there are numerous themes to be caught from the writing and the cinematography of this series, most notably the staggering lack of intelligence from the characters, their choice of apparel and their complete lack of context on the most basic of social situations.This series is god awful, but satirical and still humorous.I dig that.

Assignment 2:

Induction Assessment 2015

Task 1: Prepare flat plans for a new college magazine, to include a front page and contents page. Task 2: Create the front page of the magazine using Photoshop and a downloaded font from DaFont.com. Flatpack Cover

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