Macguffin

Ex-GHS Media Student Is Young Journalist of the Year!

2010-10-27T18:42:00.004+01:00

Congratulations to Inderdeep Bains who has just been named 'Young Journalist of the Year' in a special awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of ethnic minorities working in the media.

Currently chief reporter at The Slough & Windsor Observer, she will be joining the Daily Mail for work experience as well as receiving a £500 prize. Links to one of her winning stories can be found here.

For those of you who saw her at 2009's GHS Media Awards, you'll know that she did A Level Media at Greenford, from 2000-2002, before going on to do a Media degree at Bournemouth University.

It's brilliant when our ex-students go on to be successful in their chosen field and an inspiration to everyone still working hard at Greenford!

Media Awards 2010 Playlist

2010-10-16T14:58:00.005+01:00

Well done to everyone involved in the fantastic event that was Media Awards 2010 (see pictures below).

Click on the playlist to see all of the TEN the winning films, produced by Year 12s and 13s.

And here are three of the best...

MediaMag Conference/Homework

2010-10-16T14:34:00.005+01:00

All Year 12/13 media students need to be at the school gates at 8.50am on Thursday 21.10.10 for the Media Magazine Conference.

Bring pen and paper with you as you'll be required to take notes, and check the conference details beforehand so you know what to expect.

The first three lectures are crucial...

Chewing gum for the brain: Why do people talk such rubbish about Media Studies?

Why Media Studies is worth studying.

Online media, Cleggmania, and the Cowell Factor.

How do online media and convergence impact on the ways audiences and producers use and create media?

Perfecting your production work.

How to get the most out of your practical projects.

After the conference, homework for 12/13s will be to summarise your notes for these three lectures and post them on your blog (MEST3 blog for Year 13s), to be completed by Monday 01.11.10.

Also: please do the online survey to give the organisers some feedback about the event.

Important pre-conference reading/activities that you MUST all do beforehand...

MediaMagazine Student Conference

...in particular, read the articles, visit Pete’s blog and, most important of all, have a go at Julian McDougall’s task (print off p1 of the document above, fill in and bring to the conference).

Media Awards 2010 Pics

2010-10-09T17:04:00.018+01:00

Media Awards '09 Playlist

2010-09-25T15:04:00.003+01:00

In anticipation of Media Awards 2010 on October 5th, Macguffin has uploaded to YouTube the best videos - all film trailers - from last year...

Media Awards '09 Playlist

...this was the first time students were following the new Film & Broadcasting brief from the AQA MEST2 specification.

You'll find the two overall winners here...

Media Awards 09...Coming Soon!

2009-10-11T18:12:00.000+01:00

Audience Vote

2008-10-27T20:11:00.004Z

Awards Pics

2008-10-27T11:05:00.004Z

Best Media Studies Production

2008-10-27T11:00:00.002Z

Most Informative Doc

2008-10-27T10:54:00.003Z

Best Bollywood Trailer (winner)

2008-10-27T10:50:00.002Z

Best Bollywood Trailer (runner up)

2008-10-27T10:43:00.002Z

Best Music Video

2008-10-27T09:21:00.001Z

Special Guest Film - Old School

2008-10-27T09:20:00.000Z

Special Guest Film - New School

2008-10-27T09:19:00.000Z

Special Guest Film - Apologize

2008-10-27T09:07:00.000Z

Best Horror/Thriller Trailer (winner)

2008-10-27T08:12:00.002Z

Best Horror/Thriller Trailer (runner up)

2008-10-27T08:09:00.002Z

Best Teen Movie Trailer (runner up)

2008-10-27T08:01:00.001Z

Ajay Davda Prize (winner)

2008-10-27T07:58:00.001Z

Ajay Davda Prize (runner up)

2008-10-27T07:53:00.002Z

Best Short Film/Best Actor

2008-10-27T07:38:00.006Z

Concrete Angel (part 2)

Concrete Angel (part 3)

Best Music Doc (winner)

2008-10-27T07:29:00.004Z

Music...In Your Control (part 2)

Best Music Doc (runner up)

2008-10-27T06:45:00.006Z

Sound of the Underdogs (part 2)

GHS Oscars VI

2008-10-18T16:14:00.004+01:00

We're holding the sixth Media Studies Awards Ceremony in the school hall next week where we'll be showcasing some of the outstanding video production work completed by AS Media Studies students over the last year…don't forget it's compulsory to attend if you take Media in the sixth form and it's definitely advisable if you do GCSE too.

This is our annual opportunity to celebrate the superb efforts of the fifty or more Year 12 students whose films will be shown. If you're one of those starring directors or actors then make sure you spread the word about how entertaining it'll be and encourage all your friends to come along.

Those who do attend will be treated to a succession of clips and short films (both fiction and documentary) representing the very best achievements of 2008.

They include: hard-hitting pieces on homosexuality and domestic violence; thoughtful investigations into a wide range of topics, from gang culture to the illegal drugs trade; celebrations of Anglo-Indian culture and Bollywood film trailers; music videos and documentaries about real-life wannabe pop stars; some compelling horror/thriller trailers and a shocking short film; and some special guest films from ex-students.

The event takes place in the school hall on Tuesday 21st October from 6.15-8.45 pm.

Whoever you are – if you have an interest in film or the issues being addressed – then please come along. But make sure you get a ticket, before they all go (from Angela in post-16 or Ms Holliday in block D) as you won't get in without one!

'Today' Programme - Video Games

2008-03-29T15:38:00.002Z

The BBC came to Greenford again last week - this time to find out what we all thought about video games, their increasingly violent content, and whether more should be done to protect children from them.

Our students featured on the 'Six O' Clock News' on BBC1, as well as on 'Newsround' on CBBC. And we were on Radio 4's 'Today' programme too.

This is an important media debate...Is it the state's responsibility to regulate content, and to what degree? Are violent games actually harmful? What is the evidence? Is this yet another 'moral panic' about new technology?

Start thinking about some of these issues by reading the Guardian article on it all.

New Media Mentors 08

2008-03-16T06:33:00.005Z

Congratulations to the five Year 13s who were successful at interview and have been appointed as the new Media Mentors. You can see their schedule below...they'll be in the edit suite every day (mornings and afternoons) giving feedback to Year 12s about their Practical Productions. And thanks, too, to Amit (as the Year 12 representative) and Mr Babu who were on the interview panel...it was a long but very fruitful morning.

Aside from working directly with Year 12s, they are also contributing weekly to a Media Mentors Blog, providing extra advice...make sure you read it regularly!

You'll see from the brief resumes that there is some outstanding talent on the Media Mentor Team - their own productions have gone on to win awards and even international recognition, and they have been majorly involved in numerous other media projects outside of their coursework...

Athar

The 'token' male on the team?! Produced - to a tight deadline - the Leadership Training video earlier this term (covering the event that took place at Windsor Castle) and this was subsequently shown in assembly. Also part of the team that went to Birmingham to film the SSAT National Conference. Last year's production - Kurdistan Unveiled - was a hard-hitting political documentary.

Lamia

Edited a powerful film featuring two GHS students' recent visit to Auschwitz for Ms Elcock that was recently shown in assembly. Her dedicated coursework research this year on the representation of black people in 'Get Rich or Die Trying' has received favourable comments from academics in the USA! And she was a leading member of the group that produced the last year's horror trailer - Pulse of Darkness.

Zainab

Recently completed a project for Somali parents - in Somali, which was quite a challenge! - commissioned by Ms Ayshford that offers an introduction to GHS. Also produced Mr Munro's leaving film last year and the Kurdistan doc with Athar.

Naziya

Ms Bollywood (as she likes to be known) starred in Kabhi Socha Na Tha, which was a smash-hit at last year's Media Awards, as well as co-producing the year's best political documentary...Islamophobia (that's generating some heated discussion on YouTube at the moment). Was also part of the team who covered the SSAT conference, and the captain of the winning team at this year's Media Debate.

Rohini

The leading light in last year's best documentary - Dotcom - that has gone on to becoming one of GHS's most successful productions ever...featuring as the opening presentation at iNet's international online conference about New Technologies, and being included in a recent BBC1 news report about social networking.

Media Mentor Schedule

2008-03-08T20:13:00.001Z

Online Student Conference

2008-02-25T06:34:00.003Z

The video production "Dotcom", by Media students Rohini and Kunal, that investigates the dangers of social networking websites has been chosen as the opening presentation at an international online conference.

Run by iNet from Feb 25-29, the conference is on the theme "New Technologies: A Threat or a Promise?" and features submissions from all over the world.

Take a look at the site and get involved...there are opportunities to vote on and discuss a number of issues such as "What part can technology play in real learning?"

Well Done Spurs!

2008-02-24T18:10:00.003Z

Our first trophy in almost a decade! And it's all the sweeter for it to come against Chelsea...and having thrashed Arsenal on the way!

Just in case you're thinking this is irrelevant crowing, there are some important football-related media stories you should all know about at the moment...

Football magazine market heats up

Premiership overseas plan 'could net £240m'

Media Debate '08

2008-02-19T18:13:00.005Z

For all Media students...

The third annual (senior) Media Debate takes place next Thursday, 28-02-08 at 3.30 in the Lecture Theatre and we expect it to last until at least 5pm. It is compulsory for all Media Studies students in Years 12 and 13 to attend as it has been set as homework. A register will be taken and non-attendees will be chased up. Don't forget, there is no excuse not to come as you have had more than a week's warning to re-arrange any other commitments.

And who would want to miss such an exciting event? All Year 13s are participating in the debate to discover who will take the crown as 2008 champions. Year 12s are in the audience and will hopefully learn a great deal about some of the key issues in Media Studies, before having their own debate next year. They will get a chance to ask questions to the teams at various points so be prepared! Please take time to check out the blog posting on the Year 13 site to see what the topics will be.

Homework next week will also require all Media students to post a comment at the end of this message about the event. The questions for you to consider will be posted up there on Thursday night.

Thanks to both the teams who are doing a marvellous job preparing for the tough task ahead and especially to the two captains: Kabir and Naziya (click to see the full debate teams).

See you there...on time!!

Happy Xmas!

2007-12-24T07:41:00.000Z

From all in the Media Department...may 2008 be a prosperous year!

(And thanks to Mr Babu for his Photoshop skills with this card).

GHS in the News

2007-10-25T08:15:00.001+01:00

Article from the Ealing Gazette (19-10-07)...

...and for the full story about this great event here, click on GHS Media Awards 2007.

And to see all the winning films, click on the links below, or go to GHS Student Videos on You Tube (where there's even more!)...

Best Media Studies Production (Pride)
Best Documentary (Dotcom)
Ajay Davda Memorial Prize (ECMO)
Best Trailer - Winner (Kabhi Socha Na Tha)
Best Trailer - Runner Up (Final Beat)
Best Trailer - Runner Up (Pulse of Darkness)
Best Natural History Doc (Parklife)
Best General Doc - Winner (Aerosoldiers)
Best General Doc - Runner Up (House of Bhangra)
Best Political Doc - Winner (Islamophobia)
Best Political Doc - Runner Up (Kurdistan Unveiled)
Best Social Issues Doc - Winner (It's a Woman's World)
Best Social Issues Doc - Runner Up (Dying to be Thin)

Plus you can see introductions to all the nominated films at the Intro/Outro.

Best Media Studies Production

2007-10-25T08:00:00.001+01:00

Best Documentary

2007-10-25T07:59:00.001+01:00

Ajay Davda Memorial Prize

2007-10-25T07:58:00.000+01:00

Best Trailer - Winner

2007-10-25T07:57:00.002+01:00

Best Trailer - Runner Up

2007-10-25T07:57:00.001+01:00

Best Trailer - Runner Up

2007-10-25T07:56:00.001+01:00

Best Natural History Doc

2007-10-25T07:55:00.001+01:00

Best General Doc - Winner

2007-10-25T07:54:00.000+01:00

Best General Doc - Runner Up

2007-10-25T07:52:00.001+01:00

Best Political Doc - Winner

2007-10-25T07:51:00.001+01:00

Best Political Doc - Runner Up

2007-10-25T07:49:00.000+01:00

Best Social Issue Doc - Winner

2007-10-25T07:47:00.001+01:00

Best Social Issue Doc - Runner Up

2007-10-25T07:43:00.000+01:00

Tickets Please!

2007-10-13T18:45:00.001+01:00

Tickets for the big Media Awards event are now available! They are free of charge but you won't get in without one so it's essential you pick one up either Monday (15th) or Tuesday(16th).

Remember, it's compulsory for all Year 12 & 13 Media students to attend, and those in Years 10 & 11 are also strongly advised to come along. Non-Media students are also most welcome, as are ex-Media students...for the latter, just email Macguffin and get someone who's still at GHS to pick up your ticket.

You can get your ticket from any of the following people...Mr Bush, Ms Jones, Mrs Stevens (in their classrooms in D Block or the English/Media office there), and Angela and Sally (in the post-16 area).

And see page one of the special programme booklet below...

Student Vote

2007-10-13T15:38:00.000+01:00

Obviously the winners of the various prizes will not be known until Tuesday but there is another special award that involves all of you...the Student Voice Vote whereby you decide which is the Best Media Production 2007. Will you agree with the judges? Last year this didn't happen but that's the beauty of it!

Voting closes next Sunday (21st) so tell us what you think right now! And leave comments below about who you reckon is going to be successful on the big night...

STOP PRESS: Final results are now posted below...

GHS Oscars V

2007-10-07T19:34:00.000+01:00

We're holding the fifth Media Studies Awards Ceremony in the new school hall next week where we'll be showcasing some of the outstanding video production work completed by AS Media Studies students over the last year…don't forget it's compulsory to attend if you take Media in the sixth form and it's definitely advisable if you do GCSE too.

Those who do attend will be treated to a succession of clips and short films (both fiction and documentary) representing the very best achievements of 2007, and the winning efforts will receive trophies and certificates from our guest speaker from the BBC.

They include: hard-hitting pieces on eating disorders, domestic violence and Islamophobia; a number of thoughtful investigations into a wide range of topics from the dangers of befriending people over the internet, to political problems in Kurdisatan, to graffiti art; natural history documentary and Bollywood film trailers; and the real-life account of one of our student's near-death experience.

The event takes place in the school hall on Tuesday 16 ^th October from 6.15-8.45 pm.

Whoever you are – if you have an interest in film or the issues being addressed – then please come along. But make sure you get a ticket - before they all go - as you won't get in without one!

High School Reunion

2007-07-07T16:07:00.000+01:00

Well done to all of those involved in the reunion of ex-pupils that we held at the end of April. It was a fantastic event as extracts from the following emails we received show...

"What a wonderful day [it] was yesterday! It was great to see the school...and to meet so many old friends. The welcome received from the current pupils was wonderful. I was so glad to see that the traditions of politeness and friendliness were being carried on." - John Anderson

"Please accept my grateful thanks for organising such a marvelous day yesterday. The opportunity for me to look round my old school which was my "home" for four years from 1944 to 1948 was absolutely marvelous. An absence of nearly 60 years, but the memories came flooding back. I particularly enjoyed the inclusiveness of it and again, very importantly, the attitude of today's pupils whom I had the pleasure of being in contact with." - Peter Newman

There are some stills below of the lunch (most shot by our very own Chintan Barot) and, naturally, we filmed several tapes of footage - with the expert help of Lindley and Jonny - that will be edited in time for the premiere of the school documentary at the new school's grand opening in March 2008.

High School Reunion Pics

2007-07-07T15:16:00.001+01:00

Student Voice Winners

2007-07-06T16:41:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to the team who put together our winning entry for the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Student Voice competition. This includes JLT/Faculty Board members...

Alex Baldwin

Yuserah El Sockary

Shaheen Mindhola (pictured below)

Jourdan Powis

Navjot Sawhney

...and the expert media team...

Jatinder Kailey

Jaskeerat Sehra

Together they produced a highly professional ten minute DVD showcasing some of the outstanding Student Voice work we do here at Greenford.

After being shortlisted from amongst entries from across the UK, the team had to go to Central London to deliver their presentation to a panel of judges...and they obviously impressed them!

The prize is a trip to Beijing, China, in September, to present the video again, but this time at an international conference for headteachers and leading educationalists, after which we hope to post the video up here for all of you to see.

Media Productions DVD

2007-05-07T17:46:00.000+01:00

After many months of true dedication, the Year 12 Media Practical Productions are finally complete. And if you really can't believe what you're hearing then take a look alongside this posting to see page one of the menu screen of the finalized DVD...copies of which will be going to the examiner at the end of the week and to each Year 12 student, too.

AS students made more films, trailers and documentaries than ever before...a total of seventeen appear, reflecting all the extra work that Mr Babu and the media mentors - Jatinder, Jaskeerat, Ramneet and Bushara - had to put in, so well done and thanks to them.

But, crucially, the commitment amongst the Year 12s was higher than ever this year...work was undertaken with real passion and professionalism so that there's every reason to assume that we'll be awarding record numbers of top grades for their achievements. You can see for yourselves how focussed they were by checking out some of their Med 3 blogs in the side bar on the Year 12 Macguffin site.

Watch out, too, for the next Media Awards Evening (scheduled for when we move into the new school building) where you'll be able to see the very best ones on the big screen.

Leadership Training Weekend

2007-03-24T08:00:00.000Z

Do you have excellent media production skills?

Fancy spending the weekend where the Queen will be?

Do you want to be involved in an exciting project that will really put our school on the map?

On the weekend of the 21st-22nd of April, the twelve members of the Junior Leadership Team are going on a training weekend at Windsor Castle, accompanied by the SLT and other teachers. We are hoping there will be a number of VIP speakers at this event who will share their experiences of life at the top. And you?

We also need four Media Studies students (from either Year 12 or 13) who will attend all weekend and film the whole event. If you are selected you will then be expected to edit the footage in June/July (after your exams) to create a promo video of the event that we can show to other schools at national conferences and post up online.

Everything will be paid for and it really will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

If you want to be part of the team then please email me this weekend with a brief outline (200 words maximum) of why you want to take part and what practical skills and personal qualities make you suitable.

For security purposes you also need to include the following: date of birth, nationality, home address, home telephone number, passport number, because if you are selected we will need to send this info to the castle on Monday morning. For those who aren't selected, I will delete this information. You will know on Monday who has been chosen. Good luck!!

More Self Evaluation

2007-03-16T19:27:00.000Z

For Year 12s and 13s: To be completed by your first lesson next week (commencing Monday 19-03)...

Write an evaluation on your blogs (Module 3 for Year 12s, Module 5 for Year 13s) of your progress on the Media course since Christmas.

a. Comment on each of the following, giving yourself a grade with an explanation outlining why:

(Grading should be 1-5: 1 = excellent, 2 = v. good, 3 = good/average, 4 = poor, 5 = v. poor)

Attainment
Effort
Punctuality
Submission and quality of homework
Ability to work independently
Quality of writing
Organisation of Media folder
Oral contributions in class
Quality of coursework
Standard of Module 3 blog (Year 12s only)
Standard of Module 5 blog (Year 13s only)
Standard of Module 6 blog (Year 13s only)

b. Make a list of three targets/areas for improvement to be achieved before study leave.

Meet the Media Mentors

2007-03-03T05:46:00.000Z

Congratulations to our four newly appointed Year 13 Media Mentors who were successful after a tough interview last week in front of a full panel comprising: Macguffin, Munro, Babu and also two Year 12 representatives - Rohini and Sonia (who, themselves, did a superb job and receive commendations for their efforts).

They will, between them, be covering the Media Suites every day between 8-9am and 3.30-5.30pm where their core tasks will be...

Providing support to AS students with the use of Adobe Premiere Pro

Offering feedback to students about the quality of their practical work

Even if a group isn't editing at school they can come in at the above times and show their work in progress to them (on DVD, for instance) and they will appraise it and give advice.

They will also be checking Year 12 blogs to keep an eye on progress, and contributing to their own Media Mentors' Blog each week which will give written feedback about the groups they've worked with.

So, without any further ado, let us introduce them...

Bushara

Hours: Thursday pm, Friday am

Year 12 Coursework Blog: Teenage Daze

Year 12 Practical Production

Year 13 Coursework Blog: What do representations of women from the past suggest about them and how do the representations of females in ‘Sex and the City’ differ?

Year 13 Issues & Debates Blog

Jaskeerat

Hours: Monday pm, Wednesday pm

Year 12 Coursework Blog: The Guilt

Year 12 Practical Production

Year 13 Coursework Blog: How does British zombie film ‘Shaun of the Dead’ follow the codes and conventions of the zombie genre?

Year 13 Issues & Debates Blog

Jatinder

Hours: Monday am, Tuesday am, Friday pm

Year 12 Coursework Blog: The Guilt

Year 12 Practical Production

Year 13 Coursework Blog: Is the “auteur theory” any longer significant in contemporary Hollywood, with a focus on Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’ and his oeuvre?

Year 13 Issues & Debates Blog

Ramneet

Hours: Tuesday pm, Wednesday am, Thursday am

Year 12 Coursework Blog: Take it to the Floor

Year 12 Practical Production

Year 13 Coursework Blog: How has the stereotype of black males been reinforced or subverted in films such as “Get Rich Or Die Trying”?

Year 13 Issues & Debates Blog

Freshie Idol

2007-01-16T18:42:00.000Z

Here's the trailer made by Year 12 students Hasnaa, Jalna, Jasmit and Gurpreet that was featured on national television last Saturday lunchtime...on Channel 4's new user-generated content show - 'Homemade TV'. It's a polished up version of their GCSE Practical Production that makes fun of reality TV programmes and was filmed at GHS and on Southall Broadway last December. The original was spotted by the C4 producers on the Macguffin YouTube site and you can see this here allowing you to compare it with the new one.

Well done girls! And the rest of you - consider sending your films direct to 'Homemade' or making stuff for them...you could be the next to feature on TV!

The Media Debate

2006-12-10T12:41:00.000Z

For all Media students...

The second annual (senior) Media Debate takes place this Thursday, 14-12-06 at 3.25 in the Post-16 Centre and we expect it to last until at least 5pm. (Watch how it ended last year here!) It is compulsory for all Media Studies students in Years 12 and 13 to attend as it has been set as homework. A register will be taken and non-attendees will be chased up and will receive a 'K'. Don't forget, there is no excuse not to come as you have had more than a fortnight's warning to re-arrange any other commitments.

And who would want to miss such an exciting event? All Year 13s are participating in the debate to discover who will take the crown as 2006 champions: 13C or 13D. Year 12s are in the audience and will hopefully learn a great deal about some of the key issues in Media Studies, before having their own debate next year. They will get a chance to ask questions to the teams at various points so be prepared! Please take time to check out the blog posting on the Year 13 site to see what the topics will be.

Homework this week will also require all Media students to post a comment at the end of this message about the event. The questions for you to consider will be posted up there on Thursday night.

Thanks to both the teams who are doing a marvellous job preparing for the tough task ahead and especially to the two captains: Pip and Minty (click to see the full debate teams). Thanks, too, go to the judge: Mrs West, and the chair: Mr Day.

See you there...on time!!

Editorial Team

2006-12-05T07:12:00.000Z

We received many applications for the various roles on offer for the school magazine editorial team and the standard was extremely high. Thanks to everyone who took part and apologies to those who didn't make it - you can still contribute to the project but you won't be a member of the core team as this has to be kept fairly small.

Congratulations to the following who have been appointed...

Editor
Rohini Bali

Deputy Editor
Pooja Pankhania

Sub-Editors/Journalists
Amandeep Brar
Sundeep Kahlon
Simran Kohli

Design Team/Picture Editors
Baldip Atwal
Chintan Barot
Hammad Khan
Jaspreet Hayer

Marketing/Advertising
Manveer Basran
Sonia Kapoor
Deep Munde

The first Editorial Team Meeting will be on Monday 11th December at 3.25pm in E01.

Teachers' TV

2006-12-02T17:09:00.000Z

Watch Mrs Stevens on TV!!

In the summer, the digital TV station - Teachers TV - came to GHS to make a programme called 'Classroom Swap' where your ace Media Studies teacher swapped classrooms with a teacher from a neighbouring school. A bit like 'Wife Swap' but with an educational purpose!

It has been broadcast on Freeview and Sky several times over the past few months and can now be seen online on the Teachers TV website.

What do you think of her performance?

School Magazine Editorial Team

2006-11-12T19:10:00.000Z

Innit is back! We are getting started on a special commemorative issue of the school magazine to mark the transition to the new school building next year.

All Media students in both Year 12 and 13 are required this week to submit a 700-800 word article for homework that links to the key theme of change.

But, in addition (and as you probably already know) we are looking for enthusiastic and dedicated students to join the Editorial Team.

This will be excellent experience for those of you hoping one day to study the media at university, or ultimately to work in the profession, but it will also look extremely good on your UCAS statements and will be something you can talk about if called for interview.

Positions available:

Editor

Deputy Editor

Sub Editors

Picture Editors

Features Editor

Page Designers

Sales (Advertising)

Promotions (Marketing)

You need to be organised, a team player and willing to put in the hours. You will also need to be full of ideas and willing to get actively involved!

Collect an application form from Krishna Maroo in A24 or the English & Media Department, and return by Monday 20^th November at 3.25pm.

You will also need to submit one piece of work. (This can be the article you’ve written for homework or something else that you think showcases your skills.)

Evaluations

2006-11-05T08:55:00.000Z

For Year 12 & 13 students…

To be completed over the course of the next week (by Friday 10-11).

Your responses will be used to help write your Interim Reports and help us to plan a better course for you.

1. SELF EVALUATION
Write an evaluation of your progress on the Media course so far.
Year 12s do the work on paper and hand in; Year 13s post the work up on your Module 5 blogs.

a. Comment on each of the following, giving yourself a grade with an explanation outlining why:

(Grading should be1-5: 1 = excellent, 2 = v. good, 3 = good/average, 4 = poor, 5 = v. poor)

Attainment
Effort
Punctuality
Submission and quality of homework
Ability to work independently
Quality of writing
Organisation of Media folder
Oral contributions in class
Comments & contributions to the Macguffin blog (Year 12s only)
Standard of Module 5 blog (Year 13s only)
Standard of Module 6 blog (Year 13s only)

b. Make a list of three targets/areas for improvement over the next half-term.

2. COURSE EVALUATION

Write an evaluation of the actual course/teaching.
All students please submit the work as a comment after this post. Include your name!

a. Answer each of the following with a grade (1-5), giving reasons/examples:

(Grading should again be1-5: 1 = excellent, 2 = v. good, 3 = good/average, 4 = poor, 5 = v. poor)

How well is the course organised?
How interesting is the content that is covered?
How useful are the handouts?
Have the lessons been well-paced?
What is the standard of the teachers’ presentation/subject knowledge?
How well has the course met your expectations?
Have the extra-curricular events been useful? (eg. Awards Eve., Trips)
Has the Macguffin Blog been useful?

b. Make a list of three suggestions of things you’d like to see changed/improved.

Final Poll Results

2006-10-31T08:27:00.000Z

The student poll for Best Media Production 2006 has now closed. The results are that Payback was favourite, ahead by a narrow margin from Lost in a Reflection.

There is no denying that these two films go down well with audiences but it's interesting that both came out runners up (rather than overall winners of awards) on the actual night. They may also have been particularly skilled at waging an online campaign for support. Whatever the reasons - well done, ladies!

Teenage Daze and Three Shades of Red also did well. But the big surprises are how relatively poorly Bullicide and Take it to the Floor did. Both these films were runaway favourites as far as Year 12 Media students are concerned...see their comments. Perhaps we can't trust internet polls. What do you think?

Class of the Week!

2006-10-28T22:03:00.000+01:00

Here's the article that appears across the borough in the various editions of this week's local newspaper, The Gazette (Greenford, Southall, Ealing...) Get your copy now before they all sell out!

It's great to get some really positive coverage for the school (and for Media Studies, of course). And the shots are great aren't they?

What a glamorous bunch we all are at 'Hollywood High'!

Year 13 Group Pic

2006-10-28T07:16:00.000+01:00

Recognition At Last!

2006-10-28T07:14:00.000+01:00

A Big Thank You!

2006-10-14T10:54:00.000+01:00

A very big thank you to all of you who turned up at GHS Media Awards '06 and helped make it such a brilliant night.

The films were really appreciated by the audience and even the screaming and shouting during many of them at times was more down to how much people were enjoying themselves than anything else.

For example, see for yourselves how much the Year 12 Media students thought of the productions by checking out their reviews of what they considered were the best ones.

Extra special thanks - and commendations - to the following students for the extra help they gave the event...

Chintan - for being a cool, calm and extremely well organised projectionist!

Vishna - for being the official photographer. Great pics!

Ruby, Sam & Priya - for putting together the Awards Programme. Very professional!

Pip & Shreena (& Ruby, Sam & Priya, again) - for being a great promotions team. Posters, hassling reluctant staff to come...go Team Bush!

Even More Awards Pics

2006-10-14T10:39:00.000+01:00

More Awards Pics

2006-10-14T10:28:00.000+01:00

Best Trailer (General)

2006-10-14T10:22:00.000+01:00

Best Doc - Winner

2006-10-14T10:14:00.000+01:00

Part One followed by Part Two...

Best Doc - Runner Up

2006-10-14T10:06:00.000+01:00

Best Horror/Thriller - Winner

2006-10-14T10:03:00.000+01:00

Best Horror/Thriller - Runner Up

2006-10-14T10:01:00.000+01:00

Ajay Davda Prize - Winner

2006-10-14T10:00:00.000+01:00

Ajay Davda Prize - Runner Up

2006-10-14T09:56:00.000+01:00

Best Arthouse - Winner

2006-10-14T09:44:00.000+01:00

Best Arthouse - Runner Up

2006-10-14T05:38:00.000+01:00

Awards 06 Pics

2006-10-13T06:33:00.000+01:00

And The Winner Is...

2006-10-13T06:13:00.000+01:00

Check out the proud Mums who claim they were in tears of joy when it was announced that their boys had won 'Best Media Studies Production' 2006. Ashley and Nathan follow in a long and illustrious line of winners for this award that now reads:

2003 - Smoke Weed Everyday
(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

2004 - Strap (Part 1, Part 2)

2005 - Misunderstood
(& Mugged & Light in the Sky)

2006 - A Life of Grime

And so after all the talk of Girl Power it was actually the lads that won it but, then again, they've still got their Mums to thank at the end of it all!

Here's the review (on your left, click on the image to enlarge) of the top film, that went down a storm at the Awards Evening last night, and although it faced some stiff competition (most notably from Bullicide) its triumph was richly deserved, with most people in the audience agreeing with the judges' verdict.

And below you can see the whole thing again...Part One is the first window, followed by Part Two.

What did you think of the night? The atmosphere was amazing - so much tension and so much excitement. But did the screams, whistles and glowsticks get to be a bit too much - girls, eh? Did it live up to its billing as one of the biggest events in the GHS calendar? And how could it be improved in future years? Let us know in the comments.

Also, keep voting in the Macguffin poll - it'll be interesting to see how things change now that everyone has seen the films.

Brapp, brapp! (As they say)...

Best Media Production?

2006-10-08T13:31:00.000+01:00

Now you have the chance to vote for what you think is the Best Media Production 2006. In the sidebar there's a poll table (like the one next to this) where you can pick from one of the ten productions that have been shortlisted for this prize.

Year 13s have already seen them all and will no doubt start the voting before Thursday but the rest of you will want to wait until the Awards Evening before making your decision.

You'll see all of these films in their entirety (and quite a few more too) but these are the ones that we think are the very best and have most chance of walking away with the prestigious trophy.

Which one will it be? The tension is mounting!!

Tickets Available

2006-10-07T06:36:00.000+01:00

Have you got your tickets for the Media Awards yet? (Available from the English Office or the Post-16 Centre). This event takes place on Thursday 12th October at 6.15pm and it'll be a fantastic evening of entertainment but if you don't get your ticket fast you won't get in!!

Media Awards 06 - Coming Soon!

2006-10-01T19:32:00.000+01:00

We are holding the fourth annual Media Studies Awards Ceremony in the school hall next week where we will be showcasing some of the superb video production work carried out by GCSE, BTEC and A’ Level Media Studies students over the last year...and tickets are available NOW!

If you come you will be treated to a succession of clips and short films (both fiction and documentary) representing the very best of their achievements, and the winning efforts will receive trophies and certificates from Channel 5 news reporter, Lindley Gooden.

Nominations include: hard-hitting pieces on school bullying, peer group pressure and teenage smoking; a number of thoughtful investigations into a wide range of topics from body dysmorphic disorder to AIDS to pirate radio; bhangra music videos and arthouse film trailers; and a special guest film from an ex-student (now studying film at university) that commemorates the 70^th anniversary of the Cable Street riot against fascism.

SEE YOU THERE for the biggest film night of the year!!

Well Done!!

2006-09-10T15:20:00.000+01:00

GHS Media Studies students got some superb exam results this year...

GCSE Media Studies

84% A*-C

This is 23% higher than national average (which stands at 61%)
28% of you achieved A*-A grades (well above national figures of 15%)
Manpreet Matharu got one of the top five highest scores in the UK
And extra special congratulations to those others who got A* grades...

Baldip Atwal, Rohini Bali, Chintan Barot, Sepand Bastani, Manveer Bedi, Sundeep Kahlon, Sonia Kapoor, Tanya Loi, Alan Murad, Lakhvinder Sandhu, Samira Seini, Vishna Solanki & Mandeep Virdi.

BTEC Media

100% Pass

All students got at least a Merit
66% got the top grade of Distinction. Well done in particular to...

Valeria Bramucci, Sahra Hussain, Charankamal Kandora & Parminder Sadhra.

AS Media Studies

100% A-E

You achieved the most number of A grades ever on this course: 33% (nationally: 14%)
62% of you got A-B grades (way above national average: 40%)
These were the best A-B grades in the school
There was an average of +0.98 of a grade per student above Minimum Target Grades
Grade A for...

Navdeep Dehala, Jatinder Kailey, Alliya Khan, Rajan Mangat, Alice Moran, Ashley Muhammad, Puja Patel, Bushara Raja, Dinveer Sandhu, Parampreet Saran, Nathan Sawford, Jaskeerat Sehra, Gurveer Ubhi.

And a special mention for getting Grade A for all three modules...

Sherish Aftab & Shreena Thakarshi.

A2 Media Studies

100% A-E

No student got below a D
You achieved the most number of A grades ever on this course: 27% (nationally: 14%)
Best ever A-B grades: 61% (above national average: 44%)
Best A-B grades in the school
Average of +1.1 of a grade per student above Minmum Target Grades
Grade A for...

Aanchal Clare, Manjoth Dehala, Iena Dua, Atter Kalsi, Sonia Kapur, Nadia Khan, Bilan Mohamed, Danny Pascal & Mariam Raja.

Well done to everyone for all their hard work. See - it all pays off in the end!

Rare Matinee Track

2006-06-04T19:16:00.000+01:00

To help you through your revision, take a moment to listen to this rare, undiscovered gem of a track from top GHS indie band The Matinee.

Lasting just 90 seconds, it has raw energy and trendy lo-fi prodcution values. Who'd think that the smiling faces pictured left - band members Gurveer, Kavita, Jatinder and Jaskeerat - could produce such a rough and ready sound?

So here it is...Graffiti.

Play it loud!

School Doc Update

2006-06-01T06:44:00.000+01:00

While you're all busy revising you may have forgotten about the school documentary. Please don't as the project rumbles on and team members will be needed as soon as the exams are over to finish filming and to complete the edit.

And lower down the school the work continues...last week some Year 9s and 10s produced a track with 'Creative Partnerships' that we're hoping to feature on the soundtrack. We've also commissioned them to produce more material next half term that we want to include as well. Click on the image above to hear the track at the Macguffin Podcast page and tell us what you think of it.

Undermine Censorship

2006-05-30T06:01:00.000+01:00

It is likely that you all take many of your basic internet freedoms for granted...saying what you like in chat rooms (even if sometimes you know you shouldn't), being confident that your blog won't be deleted overnight by a government who disagrees with your views (good excuse for not doing homework though), and being sure that you won't be imprisoned for sending an email to someone that is critical of those in power.

But in many countries these freedoms are not available so you are urged to join the Amnesty International campaign - irrepressible.info - to fight for the simple human right of freedom of expression.

So take a short break from your revision and do something that will help others in real need...

Sign the pledge and post up the link on your blog that automatically publishes censored material that some governments don't want their people to see.

And let us know if and when you've signed the pledge in the comments section below...

Remember This?

2006-05-26T06:31:00.000+01:00

Best Media Essay 2006

2006-05-19T19:15:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to Aanchal who receives the accolade of having written the best Media Studies essay this year. This is a prestigious award that goes to the Year 13 student who produces a 3000-word coursework submission with the highest score...she got 59 out of 60!!

Her self-titled study is called - “You have to be twice as good as the English to get anywhere” How are Asians represented in the film 'Anita and Me'? - and you can read her introduction below...

Since migrating to the UK, mostly in the 1970’s, ‘Asians now make up just over 3.5% of the total UK population’ and ‘Asians like steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal regularly enter Britain’s Rich List’. Yet despite their ever-growing success and stature in this country, up until recently the lack of Asian presence in the UK media has been a major cause for concern, arguably due to the long-term white hegemonic hold over media industries. However, the recent introduction of more Asian-orientated entertainment, such as the BBC’s groundbreaking sketch show 'Goodness Gracious Me' (1998) and the recent hit 'Bend it Like Beckham' (Gurinder Chadha, 2002), has contributed to a growth in awareness of Asian culture and also acted as a catalyst for the increase in multicultural entertainment that is now much more firmly entrenched in the UK’s mainstream media. 'Anita and Me' (Metin Huseyin, 2002) is one of the many recent films that can be categorised under the newly formed genre: British Asian. Meera Syal who, over recent years, has contributed a great deal to the newfound popularity of Asian culture scripts this relatively low budget film. 'Anita and Me' tells the story of Meena, a young Asian girl living with her family in the small mining town of Tollington. Set in the 1970’s, the audience is encouraged to understand and appreciate how Meena and her family live in an era where racist views are the dominant ideology, and gaining in currency in some quarters what with the rise of the National Front.

To read the rest of the essay go to Aanchal's blog and find the post dated May 3rd 2006. Also, check out some of the other finished essays on the Year 13 page.

DVD - Coming Soon!

2006-05-06T08:37:00.000+01:00

What you see here is the first exclusive screen shot from the forthcoming DVD containing all the Year 12 AS Practical Productions.

As you would expect, the documentaries and film trailers on offer here are of the usual high standard that GHS students seem ever capable of producing.

Both Year 12 and Year 13 classes will get the chance to see the work in special premieres in their last lessons before study leave. (Providing a great opportunity to carry out some textual analysis practice for the Module 1 and Module 6 exam papers).

And every Year 12 student will get a free copy of the DVD to keep as a memento of their achievements and (for those wanting to do Film/Media at university) to put in their portfolio for when they are called for interviews.

If anyone else would like a copy they are available - for a short time only - at the special rate of only £1. See Macguffin or Mr Babu to order one.

Comics Competition

2006-05-05T17:15:00.000+01:00

Well done to the Year 11s who were prizewinners in the school comics competition. Students had to design a comic strip for a 7-11 year old target audience in preparation for the forthcoming Controlled Test on Children's Comics. Out of 150 entries we selected the fifteen that were the very best and you can read all of these of the Year 11 blog.

What you see here is one of the winners - 'Terrible Trio' by Angeli Patel - that is absolutely superb, as you will doubtless agree.

A number of the others also reached this very high standard and the general quality (even amongst those who didn't win) was most impressive which suggests that students will do very well in the exam.

Congratulations, especially though, go to the following...Chintan Barot, Sonia Kapoor, Tanya Loi, Radhika Sorathia, Samira Seini, Manpreet Matharu, Manveer Bedi, Lakhvinder Sandhu, Nishank Dhirajlal, Baldip Atwal, Sepand Bastani, Dipika Tripathi, Natasha Kumari, Latika Pallan

Do check out the site and post up some comments (even if you're not Year 11), saying what you like about them.

Revision Classes

2006-04-02T08:49:00.000+01:00

THIS WEEK! For Year 11s, 12s and 13s. Details can be found here...

Year 11 and finished Comic Strips

Year 12

Year 13

School Doc Camera Day

2006-03-25T19:15:00.000Z

Well done to all of the School Documentary team who did some excellent work on the Camera Day on Wednesday.

In particular, the following are to be highly commended (and receive credits)...

Parampreet, Sonal, Chiraag and Sherish for their interviewing of Mrs Griffin.

Russell, Jagdish, Shreena and Anita for their interviewing of Michael Elliot.

Both the Head and the Mayor want me to pass on my congratulations to those who were involved in these interviews - they were most impressed with your maturity and professionalism.

We have got some superb footage, shot by our professional cameraman Johnny; and Lindley - the Channel 5 News reporter - is very pleased with the progress we made on Wednesday...we have almost three hours in the can!

We need a volunteer or two from the team to log the footage with Ms Dol this week. It's a crucial job and would suit someone who is keen to be invoved in the editing part of the documentary. Please email Macguffin this weekend if you're interested.

As you all know, there is a lot to do this week as it's 'officially' the last week of the shoot so most of the footage should have been shot and logged by the holiday (with the exception of 'The Reunion' group).

Therefore, could each group leader and deputy post up an outline of their group's progress so far and a schedule for this week to the Macguffin forum. Post it as a reply to the 'Week Commencing 27-03-06' thread in each section, please.

Finally, both Lindley and Johnny were also very impressed with the standard of the Year 12 Practical Productions (which they saw when they were in the edit suite). Keep up the good work!

New Macguffin Blog For Year 11

2006-03-19T06:01:00.000Z

As the standard of work keeps getting better, so Macguffin keeps having to get bigger. The newest addition to the Macguffin online empire is a site especially dedicated to work produced by Year 11s that also provides help and information for them as they lead up to their exams.

At present there are three video productions on offer as well as one audio production. Do check out what's on offer and make some comments as to what you think. I'm sure you'll agree that it's mightily impressive for Year 11s. They might even make some Year 12s start worrying about the standard of their productions!!

Over the next few weeks you'll also (hopefully) see excellent examples of comic strips produced by Year 11s as practice for their controlled test (which is on Children's Comics). They have all entered a competition to produce the best ones and the winners will each receive a £15 prize and be posted up here.

New Media Mentors

2006-02-27T22:02:00.000Z

After gruelling interviews by a four-person panel (including student rep Ruby) this year's media mentors have now been selected. The three Year 13s will be available to support Year 12s with their all-important Practical Productions - passing on their expertise in the fine art of editing on Adobe Premiere and providing feedback on the new Year 12 projects as they take shape.

Each is an excellent student who has already achieved top grades for practical work and they are all planning to continue to do Media Studies and video editing at university so they'll have plenty to offer. They are...

Danny

One of the driving forces behind last year's £1000 Macintyre Award winner - the powerful documentary on crime against the elderly, "Mugged".

Quite possibly the nicest young man in the whole of the Sixth Form (no, make that West London!)

He'll be working on Monday and Tuesday afternoons after school and Thursday and Friday mornings before school.

Sofia

She was part of the incredible team that produced last year's 'Best Media Studies Production' about the issue of dyslexia, called "Misunderstood".

A very patient and hard-working student, she spent hours and hours sitting at PC6 this time last year - now it's the Year 12's turn, and her job to help them.

Sofia will be working with all the 'earlybirds' - she'll be in every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 8 until 9am.

And don't forget all Year 12s - you must send along at least one representative (preferably two) to every editing session (before school, and after school) every day. In addition, all available frees should be spent in the edit suite until the work is finished...there's only four and a half weeks to go!

Chiraag

Made a documentary last year about learning disabilities but was also called upon at the last minute to produce the final montage sequence that was played at the end of the Media Awards Evening 2005. His work here showed his capacity to work under pressure and to meet deadlines -something all Year 12s will have to do!

He'll be in the media suite during the after school session (from 3.30 until 5.30pm) every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoon.

School Documentary

2006-02-19T12:59:00.000Z

For all Media students...

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to be involved in a prestigious project that will remain long after you've left GHS. Imagine your name on the end credits of a documentary that people are watching in 50 years time to see what the school was like at the start of the millennium!

As most of you should already know, Mrs Griffin has commissioned a film to be made over the course of the next year that will document our school as we prepare to leave our present accommodation and move into the new buildings.

We are hoping that this will serve as a record of a very important time in the school's history - of the staff and students who work here and of the current environment where this happens (before it is demolished), thus preserving memories and images of GHS in 2005-2006 for future generations. It is something that we hope to show to invited audiences (like at the Media Awards Evening) and for it to appear on the new school website when it's up and running.

A number of Year 13s have already captured footage from the Prospective Parents' Evening and various other major events over the past term or so (well done to them!) Now we are moving on to the exciting second stage of the project that will involve some of you working alongside real media professionals!

During the week commencing 27-02, a top Channel 5 news reporter - Lindley Gooden (above) - will be in school for a whole day to work with a select group of Year 12 and 13 Media students who will form the main planning team of the project. Your task will be to come up with ideas about what we want to include in the film - it's your school and you know it as well as anyone!

On this day we will also be assigning roles for the remainder of the project. To get one of the key roles you must have been selected for the planning meeting. We'll need camera crews, interviewers, people to be involved in the editing etc. Some of the subsequent shoot will be filmed by you (either with or without Lindley) and we'll also be employing a professional cameraperson for a few days to work with you too. When it comes to the editing stage we will also seek to get outside involvement, so again you will get to work alongside someone with industry knowhow.

There really is no substitute for this kind of opportunity - it's a bit like getting media work experience (often really hard to come by) without having to leave the school! It will look very impressive on your CV/Personal Statement whether you choose to go on to do media in the future or not.

So if you want to be part of the team you need to email Macguffin to say why you want to be involved, what experience you already have that makes you suitable to be a member (media experience and your personal qualities) and which specific roles interest you and why. You may also like to suggest a few ideas for the film itself that might demonstrate your keen eye for documentary production and this could be the thing that sets you apart from the other candidates. The deadline is Sunday 26-02 and you will be informed by email if you are successful and when the day-long planning meeting will occur.

Good luck!

Commendations Latest

2006-02-15T14:30:00.000Z

Following Interim Report 2, it's now time to total up all the commendations awarded to each student since the start of this academic year. A big well done to everyone who finds themselves on this list - you have received your commendations either for reaching five credits or for a single outstanding contribution to Media Studies.

As you can see the number of commendations individuals have achieved ranges from one to five...well done to Manjoth for the most in the whole of the sixth form. Check out her blog to see the excellent work she's been doing.

For each class there is also a figure for how many they achieved as a whole. This is divided by the number of students in the class to arrive at an average number of commendations per student. This way we can work out which are the most successful classes - the highest scores win - and it means that leading at this stage in the year are 13C. Congratulations!!

But don't forget, there are still about eleven weeks of school left until you all go on study leave (yes, only eleven weeks!) so there is still time for things to change. Who will be crowned Best Media Class 2006? Which of you will get the most commendations? Game on!

12C (29 commendations/24 students = 1.21/student...4th place)
Kiran 2, Kiranjit 1, Navdeep 1, Sam 1, Kelly 1, Jatinder 3, Alliaya 2, Alice 2, Priya 2, Ajay 1, Parampreet 4, Sukhpreet 1, Nathan 1, Ragdeep 1, Jaskeerat 3, Avinash 2, Ruby 1

12D (39 commendations/23 students = 1.70/student...2nd place)
Shreena 2, Sherish 4, Furzana 1, Balinder 3, Kavita 2, Sandeep 1, Hiba 1, Rishi 1, Sawan 2, Harpreet 1, Kiran 2, Prascilla 1, Rajan 3, Ramneet 2, Puja 1, Bushara 2, Harveen 1, Dinveer 3, Jagdish 3, Gurveer 3

13C (37 commendations/18 students = 2.10/student...1st place)
Shabaaz 1, Roohdip 1, Charanpal 2, Aanchal 2, Manjoth 5 (top score!!), Harbinder 2, Iena 2, Steven 4, John 1, Abisheik 2, Bilan 3, Danny 2, Anita 2, Mariam 1, Pardeep 1, Kristina 4, Russell 2

13D (22 commendations/14 students = 1.57/student...3rd place)
Rajpreet 2, Imroz 2, Abdullah 1, Sonia 3, Nadia 2, Sofia 1, Hari 1,Ladan 2, Chiraag 2, Renuka 2, Nisha 2, Kimberley 2

Disneyland 2006

2006-02-06T18:06:00.000Z

You wouldn't believe that this bunch had just experienced 'Space Mountain 2' twice in quick succession, would you? Or is it relief that you can see on their faces? I'm kicking myself now for not shelling out the fifteen Euros it cost to buy the picture of one of your teachers with a look of terror on his face. (Ooops, given away who it was!)

What a fantastic trip and what fantastic conduct from GHS students! Everyone seemed to have a great time without breaking the rules which is, frankly, unprecedented - this is the first time we have made it back without having to issue a single red card. Well done!

So we survived 'Aerosmith: Rock and Roller Coaster', the lack of sleep and the Paris Freeze and made it back in one piece (although we had to replace the coach driver on the way, poor guy) and then what happens? Half the party - so it seems - go down with flu, including two of the teachers!

This may be the reason that the assignments have not all been completed...yet. However, most of you must be recovered by now so get to work, posting up your answers to the questions at the Macguffin Forum. There are some thoughtful and detailed responses up there already - credits for the best ones when we get back after half term; yellow cards if they're still not done!

Competition Winner!

2006-02-05T15:31:00.000Z

Congratulations to Gurveer Ubhi whose newspaper article was recently selected as a winning entry in the National Newspapers Diversity Forum school journalism competition. He has won a £200 cash prize for himself and £500 for the school, along with the chance to get a week's work experience at a top national newspaper in the summer.

We reprint the excellent article here in full...

DEAD OR ALIVE?

Is the music scene dying out, where it is being slain by technology? Is the younger generation the cause of this? One thing stands to reason, that music is not the same as it used to be.

When you think of music, what is the first image or word that comes to your mind? classical; opera; piano; guitar; all things of the long forgotten past. Nowadays, the only thing that comes to one’s mind is commercial music.

Is it true? The majority of artists and bands these days are aided with one important member, the computer. The Spice Girls, whom everyone remembers, but why? They sounded more like a bunch of cats slung in a sack being hurled against a brick wall, but at the click of a button and with a few adjustments, were able to sound like heavenly angels, serenading us with their atrocious lyrics. Since that monstrosity, many have followed.

But why are they making such a success? It is the youth falling for the controversial lyrics, computerised samples and sexual iconography, but most importantly; they are following each other. There is no thought behind the song or meaning behind the lyrics, just a façade of half dressed women, flash motors and masses of jewellery.

What happened to songs that could make a tear crawl out from the corner of your eye? Songs that could change your mood in an instance? Bob Marley, Sinatra, The Jackson 5, Elvis, Stevie Wonder, The Carpenters, Marvin Gaye and Barry White all wonders of the past, yet who now is able to carry on the level of musicianship?

Nowadays, there are but a mere handful of artists that have had an effect on their fans through the quality of music, and not an incessant sample accompanied with either obnoxious, foul mouthed or ignorant lyrics. Artists that have made use of real instruments, inspiring and emotional lyrics and produced to perfection, until everything is in the correct position, at the correct level.

Musicians are now at an endless war against machines. The majority of songs produced are created or even inspired by computer samples, but there is only a certain limit to what one can accomplish. A computer cannot produce the same phenomenal yet unique guitar solos as Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton or Slash, nor can it produce the same rhythm and fiery passion as the drum solos of Dave Weckl or Steve Gadd. So what is the solution?

Well, many artists these days have resorted to covering an old hit with their claptrap, desecrating what was once a piece of music, to just infernal racket. These phoneys make millions from this because of the uneducated, mindless youth and there duty to follow one another.

So what is the future of music? With just a few artists out there rebelling against commercialism, and musicians forever battling machines, what are the chances of real music surviving? The younger generations need to open their ears and hear what is actually being produced. They need a change in direction and to be educated in the ‘Greats of our Time’. After all, they are our future where the fate of the music scene lies.

Do you agree with him?? Post a comment with your views.

Disney Assignments

2006-01-28T17:20:00.000Z

Make sure that you read all the information in the pack you received at the Disney meeting last week. It MUST be highlighted/annotated to prove that you've read it. You will have to show this to us before you board the coach next Tuesday morning or you'll be sitting next to a teacher for the first part of the journey while you complete the task. (Shame!)

In particular, read the 'Subject Specific Guide' as this is most relevant to you as Media Studies students and contains the assignments that you have to work on while you're at Disneyland.

These assignments are posted at the Macguffin Forum and you'll have to answer them online when you're back in England (although you should take notes while you're away). There are only five (unlike the seven in the pack) as these are the most useful for you - we don't like setting unnecessary work, do we? The deadlines for completion of all tasks is as follows...

Year 12s - Monday 6th February at 9am (so it will have to be done over the weekend after you get back);

Year 13s - Thursday 9th February at 9am (giving you an extra two days as you've got your Independent Studies to worry about before then - due on Tuesday 7th, in case you'd forgotten)

Please note that these deadlines must be met or you'll be referred to the PSWs and we'll have to reconsider whether we can allow you on future trips - you must have something to show for taking three days off school during your A Levels.

Don't forget as well - see your teachers on Monday (if you haven't already done so) to find out what work you'll be missing and make sure you catch up!

Finally, don't forget your passport, your toothbrush or your microwave oven (Russell).

Best GHS Media Production 08?
	A Rapper's Ambition
	Asian Invasion
	Concrete Angel
	Crime (Drugs doc)
	Dream School
	Face of Fear
	How Homophobic Is London?
	Kuch To Hua Hai
	Music...In Your Control
	Pyar Ki Ek Kahani
	Saving Faith
	Silent Pain
	Sound of the Underdogs
	Stranger