Presentation

Here is the video of my audio-visual presentation that summarises the detail of my professional experience.

Updated Media CV

Here is an updated verision of my CV as a result of my professional experience:

Media CV2

Established Network of Contacts

Here is a list of the people I have met with and collaborated with along during my time during the professional experience:

• Sunny Sahota (FA Recruitment/Development):
  Knowing Sunny is something I believe to be useful due to my interest in sport & media, by staying in contact with her I will be able to hear updates about the type of work the FA are conducting and see if I can contribute in terms of production.
• Sarah Martin (Graphic & Design / www.twentysixmotif.co.uk):
  By continually discussing ideas with Sarah I will be able to formulate an opinion of ways to present myself and the company professionally; she also has many industry contacts, through liasing with them they will begin to become aware of the type of work I produce.
• Monique Thomas (Recording Artist / www.moniquemusic.com):
  As we have left a lasting impression on Monique we hope that she will continue to remain in contact in regards to carrying out work at projects she may have in the future. By broadcasting the images we produced for her on her website, we also hope that people will see them and inquire about their origin; generating interest from different people who could potentially book our services.
• David Yesufu (Apparently Brand Co-owner / www.apparentlyskateboards.co.uk):
  As the brand continues to grow so will the need to publicise it, I believe that as my technical skills improve I will be ready to aid the promotion of the company and work as the video specialist in their upcoming advertising campaigns and projects; also by the company featuring the work I have produced for them others will recognise where the content has come from.
• Ayo Oduniyi (Freelance Photographer / www.a-o-media.com):  
  Ayo has been professionally doing photography for a few years now and I believe that there is a lot to learn from him in terms of the experiences he has had and the type of equipment he uses. He has been able to establish himself as a credible photographer, communications with him could contribute to develop of my own technical skills.
• Ruth Ible (CEO of The Angel Resource Project UK):
  As a result of the work we carried out for Monique Thomas Ruth has booked us to cover the media for an event she has upcoming; she has also suggested that if we are both pleased with the way we work together she would recruit us as the official media producers for her company. I look forward to working on the project and collaborating with the company.
• Maureen Bennett (Co-Owner of EasyMove Students / www.easymovestudents.co.uk):
  We have been booked by EasyMove, a removable company for students to produce an advert for their commercial campaign. They are also conducting marketing and require our services for photography. We have been in good communications and been in discussion about arranging a contract to produce the media for the rest of their advertising.
• Omer (Owner of Mono Bar / www.mono-bar.co.uk):
  We have covered the media for a couple of the events at Mono Bar and the relationship between us is at a good level, I look forward to continually providing them a quality service as we improve our production work.

I am very pleased with the amount of people I have met as a result of my time doing the professional experience and hope that we will all remain in contact; I believe that each person offers me a new dynamic to what I was previously used to. By utilising my social skills I will be able to build more connections and also improve myself as a producer of media.

Upcoming Events / Projects (Clever Lens)

Clever Lens is a company we are looking to continue for a very long time, as a result of the amount of work we have conducted we have managed to obtain recognition from a large variation of people ranging from locations around the midlands region. We have began planning our next project which we aim to use as promotion for the company and are also working on producing a show-reel that showcases the recent work we have been conducting. Here is a list of the existing events & projects we already have booked:

• Easy Move Students Coventry (Agency for Student accommodation): 
  Filming Advertising Commercial (09/05/11)
  Photography for their marketing (13/05/11)
• Angel Resource Project UK (Gospel Jazz – Fundraising Event)
  Video work & Photography (19/05/11)
• Coventry ACS Awards (End of year ceremony)
  Video work & Photography (31/05/11)

We have also been contacted about covering the media for a few fashion shows that are upcoming between May and June. I look forward to taking on each of these challenges and look forward to seeing the production we begin to create.

Mono Bar (Clever Lens)

Mono Bar is a venue in Birmingham that offers an event of sophistication for people who enjoy the “nightlife”. To continually promote our company we have been in communications with the owner of the bar (Omer) about covering one of their “bigger events” that goes on every month. Clever Lens were booked to cover an event that was taking place on the 29/04/11 where we would be doing photography and video. We had been working at events of a similar nature previously and knew how we wanted to carry out the evening. We made to the venue in good timing which allowed us to examine the areas we’d be working in, I acknowledged that it was not a very large venue so it would simplify the task we had to complete.

Our method of work had been quite successful leading up to this evening so we stuck to it. Omer had a popular DJ lined up for the night so he wanted us to get some video clips of him mixing the music and also the crowd’s reaction. The night went well as we were able to enjoy ourselves along the way, the shots we captured looked good, more people registered their interest in the company and took our business cards for further contact. I enjoy going to a spectrum of locations as it allows me to represent the company in a professional manner whilst also gaining valuable experience in all aspects of production work.

We spent the next day analysing and editing the final pictures that would be sent over to Omer ( www.mono-bar.co.uk ) once we were satisfied with them. We will spend some more time at a later date reviewing the video content we recorded and begin editing that into a video that highlights the event and evening. Clever Lens has previously done work for Mono Bar, we are now regarded as more credible media producer and they contact us in the occurrence of one of their major events. I believe that the steady progression we are making in terms of the service we provide and contacts we are building is a good thing that is strengthening our professional practice and knowledge.

Monique Thomas ‘Unbroken’ Album Launch (Clever Lens)

As a direct result of our work from the Rock Your Soul Showcase we were approached by an upcoming recording artist by the name of Monique Thomas, who had an album launch event for her latest studio release ‘Unbroken’ at Fazeley Studios in Birmingham on 16/04/11. Our communications in the weeks leading up to the event had been strong which led on to her inviting Clever Lens to do the photography at the album launch. Myself and Tayo felt very proud to be considered as the photographers covering the event and felt very excited about attending. We understood that as a professional recording artist Monique could have approached more established photographers and were thrilled that she was impressed with our level of work.

Our aim was to keep the impression Monique had of our work highly regarded and we made all the appropriate preparations to ensure this. We treated the event the same way we had been carrying out events of a similar nature; myself and Tayo set out across the venue taking pictures whilst also recording video clips that we’d use  to create a video highlighting the occasion. Although there were pressures that accompanied working at an event of the launch’s magnitude, we were confident in our own capabilities and felt readily able to facilitate the needs and expectations of Monique on the night. The show mainly consisted of Monique performing songs that featured in her album, whilst recording the video content we aimed to film it in a way that made it feel as though it were a live concert.

A woman named Ruth Ible (CEO of The Angel Resource Project UK) approached us mentioning she was impressed with our level of professionalism during the event; she also told us about an event she had coming up on 19/05/11 and that she wanted to book our services to cover the media of the event. We were very pleased with the way the show was going and delighted that we had been able to meet a useful contact as a result of the work we were producing. The next day was used to go through and edit the pictures before selecting our finalised ones that we’d present to Monique; she was extremely pleased with the way they came out and thanked us for carrying out such a good job. Some of the images we took have featured on the artists official website ( www.moniquemusic.com ).

We spent a further day editing the video clips on Final Cut Pro, we wanted to produce a short video no longer than 10minutes in length that highlighted the way the night went. Our method of editing was to initially remove the clips that we believed to be unnecessary which helped us to narrow it down to the ones we’d take over to the sequence we wanted to edit. As the artist had performed 7 songs on the night we did not feel it was possible to show each one at full length; instead we decided to make a video that show snippets of each song performed footage which built a general idea of the album launch for those who would watch it. We applied a few transitions and text that identified the song that was being heard. When we were satisfied with the adjustments that had been made we finally had a finished piece of production. I believe that this event has enabled Clever Lens to become more recognisable along the professional media landscape and also aided our development and potential opportunities.

Middlesex County FA Junior Cup Final (Clever Lens)

The Middlesex Cup final was taking place in London on 13/04/11, the tournament is a very prestigious one that receives a lot of coverage in and around the Middlesex region; I thought it would be a worthwhile experience if I made the journey to the match and did some photography. As I had not been formally approached by Middlesex FA to do pictures at the game I thought there might be some resistance from their side in terms of my activity. When I arrived at the ground with my kit I was not confronted by the officials and left free to do the camera work I set out to do.

The game was very intense, Initially I found it difficult to get the types of shots I wanted. I felt as though I became more of a watcher of the game than a photographer of it; this was because of my love for the sport, I eventually was able to detach myself from the match and found comfort in covering different areas of the ground to get a variation of shots from different angles and perspectives. I had previously been introduced to covering football, my involvement as a media producer in the FA project allowed me to use the technical skills I had practiced which benefitted me.

After spending the next day to review and edit my pictures through Photoscape I was pleased with the work I had carried out. In terms of the way the pictures came out I’d say that they were of a high standard but did not necessarily capture the essence of the game in its entirety. I will definitely spend more time considering the type of shots that are required whilst covering sport; this should only bolster the repertoire of work we are capable of producing. I made a phone call to the Communications & Marketing Officer at Middlesex FA (Gareth Coates) explaining that I had carried out some photography at the cup final and if there were any issues with me using them, he gave me assurance that it was fine which gave me relief about the result of this project.

Apparently Skateboards – “Takeover” Campaign (Clever Lens)

A friend of mine name David Yesufu (Co-Owner of Apparently Skateboards) told me about an advertising campaign he had started for the promotion of his brand; he mentioned that he wanted me to do some photography at a session he had arranged with some of his skaters at Coldfal park on 10/04/11 and also record some video footage he needed for a viral video he was producing. Skateboarding is an activity I enjoy taking part in, I felt enthusiastic about working on this project as I had not yet been at a video shoot at a skatepark and looked forward to seeing what type of work I would produce.

The plan for the shoot was to look as though it was a free roaming session, with skaters trying out different tricks. I found capturing the video content an interesting task; recording skateboarding requires consideration towards the beginning and end of a trick being performed. By understanding and gauging the movement of the skater I’m able to pan and zoom effectively which I believe is important in order to capture good, usable footage. We had to cameras with us on the day so whilst one of us was recording the video the other would take some time out to photography. I was very pleased with the shots I took on the day and so was David who was delighted with the way they came out. I felt as though most of the projects we had been working on had been indoors so it was nice to test my camera skills in a different scenario.

The next day was used to go through the pictures and edit them; I was very selective with the type of shots I wanted to take and found that there were more usable shots for the advertising campaign whilst selecting them. Working alongside David is something I enjoyed doing as he is a close friend of mine, I found the project to be one of my more enjoyable ones as we had fun along the way whilst also producing work of a high standard. I also feel proud about being able to contribute to the campaign through the video clips I recorded on the day; some of those have been used in the viral videos broadcasted on the company’s website ( www.apparentlyskateboards.co.uk ). I now have an even greater interest in producing work of a similar nature and optimistic about the type of work I will be conducting in the future.

Redeemed Church – Mother’s Day (Clever Lens)

I was approached by a professional drummer I knew by the name of Joseph Abimbola who told me about a Mother’s Day service that was going on at his church on 03/04/11 and if I could do photography on the day. What he required me to cover was quite similar to that of the Jesus Loves Me event we had done previously so I felt confident I would be able to match the demands. When I reached the venue I realised that it was quite large and if I was to cover all aspects of the venue it would require a great deal of effort; I referred back to the brief myself and Joseph had set which stated  the main focus of images was to be of the band playing music, the pastor and also some shots of the congregation.

As myself and Joseph have very good communications I also agreed to record some video clips of the day to show more visual elements of what happened. Recording the video for the service also allowed me to rehearse my skills with the camera, I regard each time I use it as a learning experience because of the way in which the scenario I am working in always differs from the last; by considering how to set the camera in different levels of lighting I believe my standard of photography has increased to a new level. After being satisfied with the shots I had taken I used the next day to edit them before handing them over to Joseph; he was very pleased with the final product and felt more than happy to publicise the pictures through us online. I will spend some more time going through the video clips I recorded and arranging them into a video at a later date.

Throughout my time working on this booking I have been pleased with my level of professionalism. Communication is very important when it comes to planning, I believe that by effectively communicating with the people who have requested our services I have been able to successfully deliver what they intended us to produce. By working on a variation of different bookings and projects we have been able to experience media production in many of its capacities. I will continue to take on work that covers different aspects production until we begin to narrow them down and make an informed decision about the type of work we solely want to focus on.

Feeling Free (Clever Lens)

We wanted to continue experimenting with the companies capabilities in terms of the type of projects we were taking on and the services we provided. We arranged a meeting to discuss the new ideas we were generating and also what line of work we had upcoming. Photoshoots are something that attract people as they feel special to be the subject of someone capturing images of them; we had not yet conducted our own photoshoot and thought that it would be worthwhile in terms of promotion if we had our own. We arranged time in the photography studio for 30/03/11 & 01/04/11 and began advertising the days through our Facebook page; we also invited our friends and told anyone interested to bring people along.

We wanted a white backdrop for the pictures, prior to entering the studio we found out that someone had ripped the white sheet; all that was left was the grey and black sheets. We had to use the grey sheet and improvise with our use of lighting to get the type of pictures we desired. The turnout to the first day was not very large, this worked in our favour as we had more time to configure the settings of the room and camera we were using. While we were doing the photoshoot we were also recording video clips that would contribute to a video that presented the project. As the day went on more people passed through including Derik Anyang (Owner of Randles Mens Wear) who came in with a line of his clothes to take pictures of. I felt as though we had learnt a lot about working in the photography studio and looked forward to carrying our new knowledge over to the next day.

The second day in the studio was much better as people arrived in larger numbers and with a greater enthusiasm to taking part. As we had practiced the set up of the studio and also the settings on the camera we felt confident and ready to begin the shoot more efficiently. The title of the project was ‘Feeling Free’, this was the theme as we wanted those who participated to “feel free & have fun”. By feeling confident in our own abilities and projecting that towards the ‘models’ we were able to capture some natural images and also ones that could stand out in a professional capacity. The video we aimed to produce was only to be 1-3mins long so I was also pleased with the clips we recorded.

We used the next day to go through the pictures, during the shoot we took plenty of photographs so it was through careful selection that we were able to decided on the final ones to display for public viewing. After we had selected the usable shots we put them through Photoscape os they could be refined and enhanced. I was impressed by the variation of shots we had but noticed a change in background colour among some of the pictures; this could have probably been avoided if we did not continually change the studios set up. I am pleased that we tried out different types of shot methods as it was our first photoshoot project and we wanted to learn from every outcome for next time.

After we shared the pictures online we received positive feedback and more people registered their interest; it felt good to provide an event of that nature as it strengthened my people skills and was also something different to what we had done before. The final day of this project was spent on editing the footage we had captured into a video that highlighted the photoshoots whilst also promoting the type of services we provide. I wanted the video to be short and direct so that the viewers did not lose concentration whilst watching. We discussed possibly ways of structuring the timeline and eventually came up with a sequence pattern we were both pleased with; the timeline was to show the people posing for the camera and transcend towards the final image we created. The final video for ‘Feeling Free’ is something I am happy to created, I like how it is constructed and also the way it summarises the activity of the days. Those who were involved have also mentioned their pleasure in viewing the final video and have begun sharing it online with their friends; this will only expand the network of people we are connected to which is something I feel an accomplishment.