Week 7

Hello!

This week's been harder than the others so far but I'm dealing with it better than I expected. Yesterday was my first assignment deadline and now 50% of my Introduction to Audio unit is done! It's somewhat surreal to think that I've already submitted my first formal assignment less than two months in but it's a little reassuring (amongst making all the other assignments feel infinitely more real).

Last Wednesday saw our second live news day - I was assigned to a story about substitute teachers and had to go take pictures of books in the library. But upon returning from taking these photos we were told the story wasn't running as school's were on half term this week and we could get in touch with anyone. The third year I was working with and I then looked for other potential stories but we were sent to take footage of some lanterns outside the library for a video bulletin. By the time we got back the editor told me that there was nothing more for me to do and if my tutor was okay with it I could go.

After telling me it was only because he knows I'm a conscientious student, I was allowed to leave a lot earlier than anticipated. I then went back to my halls for a conscientious nap. 

What can I say, it's been a stressful week? I don't think that makes it better. Never mind.

In audio on Thursday we did our first 'as live' bulletin - we had to plan a 5-8 minute show with news headlines, sports headlines and an interview with a guest speaker. We had this guy in our class who'll be giving us vocal coaching this week (I think) and he was acting as the expert for our interview. It actually went really well - my group have been working together for a few weeks now and we're good at radio, to be perfectly honest. Our timing was good and the flow was good and I'm really happy with how it went, particularly since the rest of my class was stood in the room just watching us perform our bulletin, show, thing.

On Friday we had photography and we learnt more about editing photos - we were put into groups and told to turn a before picture into the after picture with some basic instructions to help. I was put in a smaller group and my tutor came over afterwards and said it was to give us a fighting chance, because 'we already had experience with the software'.

I hadn't used the software before the week before, so we were really happy.

Then we started learning about portable, outdoor lighting and I was surprised by how easy I picked it all up - since learning about the lighting in the studio and being in the mindset for photography, I've managed to retain what we're learning better than I thought. I don't want to speak too soon - next week will probably be something really complicated now!

The weekend following was Halloween and my flat mate and I spent the evening making cupcakes and decorating them. It was super fun and they're really tasty so it makes this busy week somewhat more bearable.

This week shouldn't seem that busy but as my dad is visiting on top of all my uni stuff it seems busier - Monday was traditional lectures Monday but I went to see my dad and we went out for dinner and in between all of that we went to the Apple store and he bought me a MacBook Pro!

Not out of nowhere, we'd been planning it for a while but I'm now blogging from a MacBook! It's so exciting, I love it already - I've been setting it up yesterday and today and it's almost fully transitioned with everything from my old laptop. I'm so excited to use better software and really make the most of this machine. I can't explain it I'm just so excited!

Tuesday is meant to be my day off - which is why I allocated this day for blogging on this blog - but I had to go record an interview with my friend for one of our assignment stories and then I met my dad and we went over to Portsmouth to the Mary Rose museum, which was both interesting and intimidating as we managed to go around the whole museum with members of the Korean Navy! They weren't particularly polite but I smiled and let them do their thing anyway - resisted asking their photographer what camera they were using!

I'm seeing my dad again tomorrow before he leaves on Thursday. I'm loving spending time with him and showing him what is now becoming my home - my little corner of the country so far away from his corner of the country. There's a lot of change going on at home right now (as in home home, where my family is!) and I think it's done him some good to be able to step away from it all.

Thursday is looking to be my first real chilled out day this week, I'm looking forward to it - a few of my flat mates and I are going over to the park to watch the Bonfire Night fireworks so I think it'll be a nice way to begin the end of a stressful week.

I'll let you know how stressful this week ends up being in next week's post!




Personal blog: http://sophiecountsclouds.blogspot.co.uk/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SophieCountsClouds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophieALuckett