DT552 - Media Arts

KidRuley

Anyone else starting this course? :cool:

The Volt

I'm starting 3rd year in it mate so any questions you might have I'd be happy to answer them for you

KidRuley

Thanks, that's really nice of you

The Volt

First year breaks down a little like this. You'll be split into two groups on the first day, with one half doing audio production and still photography for the first semester, and the other doing video production. After Christmas the groups will swap and the video people will do audio...etc.

There's no documentary work in video for first year, purely drama. Each member pitches their script/idea to the lecturers and rest of the class and whoever is picked becomes director. You'll start off doing shorts of about a minute long with no sound and natural lighting, up to three-ish minute long ones with sound, lighting, bigger crew, multiple locations etc by the end of the semester.

Photography is a bit of a pain as you need to get your hands on an SLR camera (i.e. not the little digital snappers that everyone has), be it digital or traditional film. You can get a film one cheaper but the cost and effort of bringing them to get developed makes me wish I splurged on a digital one, which would have been more useful afterwards. (To my knowledge you'll never be doing photography again after this single semester in first year so don't blow the bank if you don't intend to use it outside of college, it's just something they do to help you understand lenses etc which will become useful when you do video.) Try Conn's cameras just off Grafton (Head for tower records but turn left down the street halfway there, it looks a bit like a pharmacy from the outside).

Audio consists of recording vox pops, interviews and a soundscape then editing them. As for the rest you'll have four hours a week of your respective language and the other non-practical classes are kind of like the bastard sons of English and Philosophy- English with film appreciation instead of literature appreciation, and Philosophy...well, emm, they make reference to tv but a lot of it went over my head half the time! Only a minor gripe though as I thought everything was interesting in one way or another, and if you really don't like something, chances are you'll only have to do it for that semester.

This is dragging on so I'll wrap up by saying its a great course, plus you'll only have 13-16 hours a week of classes in first year! Plus each half of the class will have Mondays off for one semester each, but I won't tell which half you have to go for to get it first

KidRuley

Ah, cheers man...very informative! That's good news about the hours, 13-16 doesn't sound to strenuous. Starting to really look forward to it now!

The Volt

KidRuley wrote: »

Ah, cheers man...very informative! That's good news about the hours, 13-16 doesn't sound to strenuous. Starting to really look forward to it now!

You'll enjoy it no doubt, Assuming the structure hasn't changed too much, you'll have Film studies on a Thursday which is a great class and usually has a screening afterwards.

-ilikeshorts

Hey Voltad, I'm going into second year and wondering if there was anyone in your year repeating a first year language module throughout second year?

The Volt

-ilikeshorts wrote: »

Hey Voltad, I'm going into second year and wondering if there was anyone in your year repeating a first year language module throughout second year?

I repeated german literature before the start of 2nd year. I know that across the board there were a few who needed repeats but they were all done around this time last year.