Upon hearing David Attenborough’s voice I am immediately captivated and know it will be something worth watching. Along with my family I was a huge fan of the Planet Earth series and watching it became a Sunday night ritual. As a result I was excited to see the BBC’s latest documentary, Frozen Planet.
Even in the 1-minute trailer (seen below) for Frozen Planet it is clear the BBC have created another masterpiece. The clip below briefly introduces you to the wonderful cinematography. I can’t wait to see this Wednesday’s show.
Finally whilst captivating their audience’s attention the BBC are also providing us with an educational documentary which is highlighting the importance of climate change. My favourite part of the show has to be the conclusion, which shows us how the footage was captured in such extreme conditions.
What an honour for those students at the University of East Anglia to have Coldplay performing live as part of Radio One’s Student Tour. For starters I am jealous they are all still students and not dealing the rather demoralizing job hunt but secondly they are watching Coldplay live and NOTHING BEATS THAT.
Fearne Cotton with Coldplay in Norwich. JEALOUS!
My father and I (diehard Coldplay fans) are currently trying to pretend we are there by having the surround sound blaring out in as many rooms as possible – I must admit its getting me in the vibe and I can picture everyone jumping up and down around me.
Having seen Coldplay at Wembley I have witnessed the elation they bring to an audience. The emotions run wild, from happiness to those unstoppable tears brought on by their most touching songs.
One confession I must admit is that I am still waiting to go purchase their latest album. I have of course bought some tracks on itunes but when it comes to Coldplay the CD has to purchased and added to the infamous CD collection.
Another great commercial on TV at the moment is the latest one by Müller. With its combination of cartoon characters and brilliant story telling it has all the key ingredients. It is of course combined with a brilliant and dramatic soundtrack; casually put together by a 67 piece orchestra at Abbey Road Studios.
Question is were you able to spot all the different characters? (Knight Rider, Yogi Bear, Mr Men and of course Muttley). In the most grown up of manners I may have been getting excited seeing them all pop up.
There is something fascinating about Alexander McQueen – not only did he create a HUGE name for himself through his creations but also the fashion shows in which he launched them in. McQueen is said to have remarked “I don’t want to do a cocktail party, I’d rather people left my shows and vomited. I prefer extreme reactions”. Extreme reactions are certainly what he received for his spring/summer 2001 collection Voss.
A video of this was shown in the “Romantic Exoticism” section of his Savage Beauty Collection at the Metropolitan Museum in New York – funnily enough it was a room my mother was keen for us to move on from. He wanted the shock factor and he got it.
Then in total contrast to the impact that video had on us we didn’t want to leave the room (Romantic Nationalism) which contained the stunning hologram of Kate Moss, which was used in his Widows of Culloden Collection, autumn/winter 2006–7.
In a white floating dress Kate Moss’s hologram is representative of a ghost like spirit. The music accompanying it is fitting for the piece and adds to its elegance.
Below are some of my favourite pieces taken from the Savage Beauty Exhibition Catalogue. I was given the book, containing all of the work shown in the exhibition, at the end of my trip in New York and will most certainly cherish it for years to come.
Unless it’s in the superb form of Pixar I am not usually the greatest fan of animation but, yes there is a but, for some reason I love the new “Twinings Gets You Back to You” advert.
I’ve seen it on TV at least 3 times now and have loved it on each occasion.Without being theatrical I find it a really beautiful piece of animation, which is greatly enhanced by the stunning soundtrack. I am clearly not the only person who thinks this; the song “Wherever You Will Go by Charlene Soraia” is currently sat at number 3 in the iTunes chart.
I find amazing how commercial music branding is so apparent nowadays. Increasingly we see commercial soundtracks hitting the charts as a result of featuring in the latest commercials and this clearly reinforces that.
Finally I have begun watching Downtown Abbey and after the one episode I can see what all the hype is about. I have been out of the loop in many Downtown Abbey discussions but having now bought series one I can see myself catching up very soon. There is certainly something fascinating about a truly British period drama – the costumes, the homes and the superb cast. Plus the whole show has a truly authentic feel.
Another thing we noticed in Morocco was how sport truly brings them together. During our visit we were able to see the insane build up prior to their Africa Cup of Nations match against Tanzania. The streets were literally heaving full of excitable Moroccan’s giving us the impression they had already won. It wasn’t until later on we discovered the match was taking place late Sunday; at which stage we’d be flying home.
I felt this sense of people coming together through sport in the new Cadbury Dairy Milk advert “The Final Countdown”.
Once again this is an advert based around the 2012 Olympic Games. The campaign encourages us to get involved and get singing all in order to “KEEP TEAM GB PUMPED”. It is clear in the advert that people’s singing ability is not an issue as there are definitely some rather off notes.
They plan to make 6 adverts and in each one “Team GB need your voice”. The website link is also given at the end of the video and a snapshot of it can be seen below.
They have made it a fun, interactive website and are encouraging you to sing for their next clip.
I really enjoy this sense of bringing people together and creating an advert using everyday people – similar to the Talk Talk adverts we see during the X Factor. Next thing to do is actually record a clip of my own – I think we may be waiting a while for that!!
Two weeks back I made a last minute decision with friends that a long weekend away was in order. Their main criterion was for some sunshine (of course I couldn’t argue with that) but I was also keen to experience another culture and traditions.
Marrakech ticked all of our boxes and is a city full of hidden jems. Every time we arrived at a destination we were uncertain of what we’d find inside. Despite our initial reservations we were overwhelmed by the elegant and stylish interiors at each venue. Our meals were exceptional and we certainly had a Moroccan feast or two - Dar Zellij and Le Foundouk were two of our favourites.
Of course Morocco was full of fantastic photo opportunities but there were many incidents where people would either beg for money or it just didn’t seem appropriate to take their photo. Despite this I have uploaded a few of my favourites from the trip. They were all taken in the chaotic Souks and I just love the combination of colours. For anyone looking to take a few days break I can thoroughly recommend Morocco as a destination.
There is certainly something exciting about London when London Fashion Week arrives. There is a general buzz about town and the streets become full of young fashionista’s. I was lucky enough to attend the Daks Fashion Show, even receiving one of their fabulous little goody bags, which consisted of a striped leather pouch, postcards and pick a mix – although the 9am start meant I wasn’t quite in the mood for sweets.
You can see the show below. I was loving their music choices.
BA’s latest commercial finally competes with Virgin Atlantic.
Lasting 1 minute 30 seconds it’s a bit longer than most commercials. There is a great choice of music which keeps you captivated and their concluding moto “to fly, to serve” gives you a great sense of patriotism – similar to those adverts appealing to people to sign up with the army. The whole commercial really speaks of a great production.
Unlike Virgin’s rather sexualized commercials, BA have given us a trip through time starting with planes no longer in service to their latest collection. BA have of course included a glimpse of state of the art terminal 5 their dedicated Terminal!
There is certainly something about seeing a city at night time. I will never forget climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge at twlight and seeing the city lights begin to switch on. Sadly no cameras were allowed but it’s a memory which will stick with me. I guess nothing epitomises a city of lights better than Time Square in New York City. I find it astounding how despite it being pitch black elsewhere you enter Time Square and it feels like daylight again.
Here are some photos I’ve taken from various places which I think shows how stunning places appear at night time. I hope you like them!
More than most people I am outrageously excited about the London 2012 Olympics. Firstly because I seem to be one of the few people lucky enough to have not only received tickets, but tickets for one of the most sought after events - the men’s 4x100 relay final! I continued to get excited when I saw the latest Coca-Cola Future Flames advert, which can be found here:
Firstly it highlights Coca-Colas involvement and sponsorship of the Olympics but it subsequently focuses on finding “extraordinary people with a burning passion” deserving enough to carry the Olympic torch. I sat there going “come on Emma think, you must know someone deserving enough to run with the Olympic torch”. I genuinely racked my brains hoping I could think of someone to nominate – and sadly I failed. But I think the campaigns initiative is brilliant.
Mother London is responsible for creating the ad and they describe the campaign aims as being “to identify passionate young people and give them a chance to carry the Olympic Torch”. I am positive they will be able to compile a fantastic group of youngsters and I look forward to seeing the campaign move forward.
With a love for travelling I have been fortunate enough to go to some amazing places. A few years back I took part in a volunteer project based in South America. It was an incredible experience and one I ensured was captured on camera. Unfortunately at the time I was without my much loved SLR camera but with my trusty Olympus waterproof camera I still managed to come home with some touching photographs. The one below is I guess, the closest I got to recreating Steve McCurry’s Afghan girl image.
On a separate trip last summer to Cuba I took this next photo. Whilst walking down some side streets in Havana this little boy popped his head out of his doorway and I couldn’t resist taking a photo.
As a keen photographer I derive excitement from capturing the right shot but also joy looking back at photos as they trigger those memories. As much as I enjoy taking photos myself, I am equally fascinated by other people’s images.
One of the most amazing images has to be the Afghan girl taken by Steve Murray. When I was doing volunteer work in South America I was dying to capture a shot of such power, simply through the subject’s eyes he was able to capture the desperation of her world. Steve McCurray states “I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a persons face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person”. If you would like to see more of his images they can be found on his website http://www.stevemccurry.com/main.php
Having graduated this summer from Oxford Brookes University with a 2:1 in Communication, Media and Culture – I am currently looking for a gap in the industry which is suited to me. My CV will also be uploaded onto my blog so if you are reading this and think you may have a role suited to me – PLEASE GET IN CONTACT.
I am greatly interested in the power of imagery to tell stories. Whether that is a motion picture or a still shot they are both capable of telling a story or portraying a message. This is why TV production is something that has grabbed my attention and interests me as much as it does. Having worked briefly with commercials I am amazed how a short clip can be such a powerful and vital advertising tool.
With a passion for the media industry is has become increasingly clear to me that blogging is a vital part of mainstream media and I decided it was about time I created one.
I intend to use my blog to share stories, experiences and, more importantly, to feature aspects of the media which are of interest to me. Whether that is the latest TV commercial to have grabbed my attention, an impressive image or a story worth sharing I will use my blog to compile them.
I hope you find it interesting and worth a read. Please let me know your thoughts.
