Hello!
The past week has been mostly uneventful, but I'm going to write about it until I find something vaguely interesting. Or, if in doubt, I'll make something sound more interesting than it actually was.
Last Wednesday was another planning session for a live News Day this week - I was given a story about a pier but as a mobile journalist (I'm going to say social media correspondent because that sounds far more important) I just had to take photos of the other people in our group getting the story. It was actually quite nice because I didn't have to take DSLR photos, just iPhone photos. I like the sound of working in social media because I'm very good at updating Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. I'm really good at Snapchat. Mostly just Snapchatting my friends while they're unaware. It's brilliant.
On Thursday I had audio - in the morning we had our edited interviews from the week before played to the whole class and then we started planning for our audio assignment (which will be submitted by the time I write week 7) and our other assignment tasks.
That afternoon, our tutor said he hadn't got anything planned for us so we didn't have to go into our radio session if we didn't want to.
But that means there was a lot of empty radio studios. So I went and spent an hour and a half playing in the studios on my own, recording a few podcast-like things and just getting comfortable being in the studio on my own. It was going really well until that night when I accidentally deleted all the files by trying to be organised.
On Friday I had photography and we started learning about Photoshop and editing photos and we printed out our edited photos and we had to vote on which photos we thought best represented the person and I got the most votes. I was actually quite pleased, because the votes were pretty evenly spread. I still love photography, there's no element of the course that I dislike yet.
Apart from grammar lectures. My notes literally consist of me moaning about how much I hate the lecturer and how I already know everything that's being taught. For example, I was rereading my notes today and at one point he asked us where the apostrophe in 'don't' goes. Imagine me flailing angrily.
And that's been my week! The highlight was definitely having time in the radio studio on my own, but today I got to spend two hours in the rain to get some photos for News Day, but I wrote about that on my personal blog, where I also wrote my 300th consecutive blog post! It's actually my 308th post, but it's my 300th consecutive blog post in my blog-everyday-for-a-year-project and I think that's more exciting.
Looking forward to this next week, especially with my Dad coming to visit and spending more time with friends. Everything's settling down now and I'm starting to feel a little bit like I live in Southampton, rather than just staying here.
I can't wait to look back on this blog and see how much everything has changed.
Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett
Tuesday 27 October 2015
Tuesday 20 October 2015
Week 5
Hello!
This week in particular has been more eventful than most - last Wednesday I had my first live News Day, Thursday saw me conducting my first interview and Friday I was doing a photo shoot! The best part was that I also had my first trip home since I started uni.
News Day was interesting to say the least - once I was given a story and had something to do it was fun and I even got an assignment story out of it but it was also quite unorganised. As the first live News Day, the third years (as the editors) must have felt as new as we did and obviously I'm not pointing fingers or criticising - everyone's got to learn how to do their new jobs this year and it definitely leaves a lot of room for News Days to get better. But I enjoyed the story I worked on (you can read it here, I took the photos) and by talking to the charity shop manager I found another story that I can use for my assignment so overall, a productive day.
On Thursday morning, we were given a press release, told to make a list of questions and then we were given five minutes to interview the subject of the press release as she was sat in the next room. Talking to strangers is one of my weaker points so I was terrified but I put on this persona of someone who was confident and knew what they were doing and listening back to it, it actually went okay! And the editing is my favourite part - editing my croaky, freshers flu voice wasn't as fun though.
And then Friday was the day I'd been waiting for all week - I was going home! But I had photography first. This week we learnt more about lighting and balancing lighting and making the most of using one light over two - it's all very interesting and I love having the studio time. My group were done over an hour early and our tutor said we'd done well so we all got to leave early. I dropped my uni stuff in my room and walked to the train station for the long three and a half hour journey home.
My weekend at home was wonderful but short - I wrote about it on my personal blog - my dad has booked a few days in Southampton to come visit me and I'm really pleased. We're going to go over to Portsmouth to see the Mary Rose and spend the best part of three days together - I'm really excited.
This week looks set to be just as busy as last week, so Week 6 could be interesting!
Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett
This week in particular has been more eventful than most - last Wednesday I had my first live News Day, Thursday saw me conducting my first interview and Friday I was doing a photo shoot! The best part was that I also had my first trip home since I started uni.
News Day was interesting to say the least - once I was given a story and had something to do it was fun and I even got an assignment story out of it but it was also quite unorganised. As the first live News Day, the third years (as the editors) must have felt as new as we did and obviously I'm not pointing fingers or criticising - everyone's got to learn how to do their new jobs this year and it definitely leaves a lot of room for News Days to get better. But I enjoyed the story I worked on (you can read it here, I took the photos) and by talking to the charity shop manager I found another story that I can use for my assignment so overall, a productive day.
On Thursday morning, we were given a press release, told to make a list of questions and then we were given five minutes to interview the subject of the press release as she was sat in the next room. Talking to strangers is one of my weaker points so I was terrified but I put on this persona of someone who was confident and knew what they were doing and listening back to it, it actually went okay! And the editing is my favourite part - editing my croaky, freshers flu voice wasn't as fun though.
And then Friday was the day I'd been waiting for all week - I was going home! But I had photography first. This week we learnt more about lighting and balancing lighting and making the most of using one light over two - it's all very interesting and I love having the studio time. My group were done over an hour early and our tutor said we'd done well so we all got to leave early. I dropped my uni stuff in my room and walked to the train station for the long three and a half hour journey home.
My weekend at home was wonderful but short - I wrote about it on my personal blog - my dad has booked a few days in Southampton to come visit me and I'm really pleased. We're going to go over to Portsmouth to see the Mary Rose and spend the best part of three days together - I'm really excited.
This week looks set to be just as busy as last week, so Week 6 could be interesting!
Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett
Tuesday 13 October 2015
Week 4
credit: James Griffin
Hello!
I'm trying to make this 'Tuesday blogging' thing a thing - two weeks consecutively isn't a bad start!
This week is Week 3 of uni, officially but including freshers week it's my fourth week living in Southampton. The highlight of last week academically was definitely photography - I got to use a Canon 700D and get into the studio with my friends and learn about changing settings and setting up light boxes. Today my photography tutor put on Facebook that he had a spare hot shoe adapter (the little clip thing that goes on top of the camera to connect the lights; real, technical definitions with Sophie) and I nabbed it first, which is always a highlight. Cheap tech!
I then rented the 700D for the weekend and used it to film this weeks YouTube video which was probably the best quality video I've ever filmed. My editing software refused to let me save it in it's full quality, but it looked great pre-upload I promise. You be the judge!
This week looks like it's going to be interesting - I have my first live news day tomorrow (despite my throat feeling really sore tonight) and I could potentially (hopefully) be getting a radio show in the next couple of weeks!
Outside university, in all honesty the last week has been tough - it really hit me how far away I am from home and that this is the beginning of three years of education. That's a really long time and I'm trying my best to cope.
Check my personal blog for any potential break downs!
I like having this blog to look back at my week academically and document my university course. That sounds so lame, but I'm enjoying it. And I think my mum is too!
With going home this weekend, I think next weeks post will be interesting.
Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett
Tuesday 6 October 2015
Update: Starting Week 3
Hello!
Today is my scheduled day off from uni - I think it's destined for work but as of yet I don't have much so I've been food shopping and ticking things off my to do list.
It had eight things on it and this blog post is the fourth one I'm ticking off, so I'm not doing too badly!
Now that I've had my first full week of 'proper' uni (not Welcome Week), I don't think I'll be using this blog as much for assignments and while I have my personal blog (SophieCountsClouds) to document what's going on in my life, I want to keep using this blog to practise a more formal style.
Though if I'm being honest, I think I'm writing the same but the voice in my head sounds more articulate and speaks properly.
My first week was brilliant - I got my first taste of lectures, I loved the introduction to audio and having a look at the photography department was mind blowing, I'm excited to use all the facilities.
Audio was definitely my favourite part of the week - we edited the footage we had when talking to the public in freshers week and made it into something comprehensible and succinct. I love editing, previously I'd only ever edited video but editing audio was more challenging and I love that - with video you obviously have that visual connection to what you're hearing but with audio it's just waves on a screen and I like the challenge of having to hear and pick out exactly when you want to cut and not cutting it so close that it sounds rushed and edited.
But what made our audio day even better was the two hours we had in the radio studios that afternoon - my two friends and I learnt about all the sliders and what computer does what and whilst it was at first daunting, when I got the hang of it, it was so much fun! Our tutors came in to the studio to listen to what we'd been recording (which had just been us chatting, Radio 1 style radio) and they told us we should try and get a show on the university radio!
I'm so excited, hopefully we're going to ask about getting involved in our next audio session on Thursday because I would love a radio show - I'm getting all giddy and excited just thinking about it!
Regarding this blog, I've really enjoyed writing this update on what's been going on in the past week so I might try and write something new every Tuesday on my day off! Alongside any assignments I get set, which hopefully will be more in the future.
I've just got all excited about blogging again!
Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett
Today is my scheduled day off from uni - I think it's destined for work but as of yet I don't have much so I've been food shopping and ticking things off my to do list.
It had eight things on it and this blog post is the fourth one I'm ticking off, so I'm not doing too badly!
Now that I've had my first full week of 'proper' uni (not Welcome Week), I don't think I'll be using this blog as much for assignments and while I have my personal blog (SophieCountsClouds) to document what's going on in my life, I want to keep using this blog to practise a more formal style.
Though if I'm being honest, I think I'm writing the same but the voice in my head sounds more articulate and speaks properly.
My first week was brilliant - I got my first taste of lectures, I loved the introduction to audio and having a look at the photography department was mind blowing, I'm excited to use all the facilities.
Audio was definitely my favourite part of the week - we edited the footage we had when talking to the public in freshers week and made it into something comprehensible and succinct. I love editing, previously I'd only ever edited video but editing audio was more challenging and I love that - with video you obviously have that visual connection to what you're hearing but with audio it's just waves on a screen and I like the challenge of having to hear and pick out exactly when you want to cut and not cutting it so close that it sounds rushed and edited.
But what made our audio day even better was the two hours we had in the radio studios that afternoon - my two friends and I learnt about all the sliders and what computer does what and whilst it was at first daunting, when I got the hang of it, it was so much fun! Our tutors came in to the studio to listen to what we'd been recording (which had just been us chatting, Radio 1 style radio) and they told us we should try and get a show on the university radio!
I'm so excited, hopefully we're going to ask about getting involved in our next audio session on Thursday because I would love a radio show - I'm getting all giddy and excited just thinking about it!
Regarding this blog, I've really enjoyed writing this update on what's been going on in the past week so I might try and write something new every Tuesday on my day off! Alongside any assignments I get set, which hopefully will be more in the future.
I've just got all excited about blogging again!
Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett
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