QM-UNITY Arts and Technology Magazine by Katherine Harnett

10 EUSSI

1202 YAM

A COLLABORATIVE ARTS & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

QUEEN MARY'S COLLEGE

creativity in covid

A celebration of creativity & innovation in Media and the Arts from the students at Queen Mary's College during the secondwave of the pandemic.

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editor's note

We all had a vision of what that this year's College life would look like. Unfortunately for us Creative Art students, the usual exploration of ideas, collaborative work and dayto-day learning was very different. Within the first edition of our department wide magazine, we look over a year that was challenging and unpredictable, and reflect on how we found inspiration around our community.

The sudden imposition of lockdown meant that the traditional ways of learning within the creative subjects were reinvented. From Google Maps photoshoots and iPhone filmed music videos, to potato printing and up-cycling fashion using what we had at home, being stuck between four walls forced us into becoming more resourceful with our creations. Our College quickly responded to the second lockdown by moving all its teaching online. This was a familiar way of learning to many of us and totally new to others, but those who embraced it found that it came with unexpected benefits. "At first remote learning was difficult, because as students we had been used to our teachers motivating us, but as the lockdown continued, I became more of an independent learner and remote learning made me appreciate being in College far more." - First year BTEC Media Student, Harrison Kelly. Upon our return to College, students proudly shared their creative work. "It was evident that those who found inspiration in the mundane and embraced the weirdness of lockdown life, created incredible and innovative outcomes." - Bianca Brzezek, BTEC Media teacher We are proud (and should be) of the determination, willingness and final creative outcomes we produced during this academic year, when the temptation to sit on the sofa & watch Netflix during this difficult time was far more enticing.

Editor-in-Chief

NICOLE GRIENER

Ethan's next job could be in music production CREATE. DESIGN. SHARE.

TRAHKCID ASSILEM YB YHPARGOTOHP

visit https://www.qmc.ac.uk to apply

what's inside 10 ART

47 MEDIA

11 inspired by mathieu laca

48 music video for a protest song

16 gender

49 is music brainwashing you?

20 TEXTILES

51 the secret

21 inspired by laura biagiotti

52 tiktok: how has it influenced the media today? 53 hampshire 51

23 DESIGN 24 london is a modern city 28 ethical graphics 31 sustainable food packaging: design for everyday food

34 PHOTOGRAPHY 35 lockdown: the absence of people 38 portraits of my sisters (shot in lockdown) 43 shot via video chat in lockdown

streetwear & co: recyled urban streetwear

55 fashion & the media 59 teen mag 62 documentary for bbc three 63 LGBTQ+ representation in media 65 current affairs magazine & promo 62 website

69 what makes an effective tragic film 71 the media today 73 forces of the blue 75 the power of film narrative

76 GAMES 48

77 the last of us part II is a masterpiece, so why is it facing criticism? 79 how social gaming saved us during lockdown 81 design a game 83 is gaming fun?

84 EXTRA BITS 75 radar 86 creativity in covid 87 comics 88 making of CATs

Louis' next job could be in game design CREATE. DESIGN. SHARE.

NOSILLA NITLIAC YB YHPARGOTOHP

visit https://www.qmc.ac.uk to apply

10 art

inspired by mathieu laca GRACE PENNY Mathieu Laca (born in 1982) is a Canadian artist, who is known best for oil painting portraits of historical icons and people he admires. His works use texture and abstractions that play with the conventions of traditional portraits. He is significantly influenced by the processes of creating his own paintings. At the start of the process, he has a sense of vision. However, as the painting develops it sparks new ideas. Mathieu (Laca 2020) describes his creations as ‘self-generating.’ The subjects, which range from everyday people to famous subjects, inspire his works as he tries to encapsulate their personality into the outcome. Mathieu (Laca 2020) describing his own work; “I want to paint their faces to pay tribute to them, but also to give them a dirtier, more monstrous side.”

A. Smith (Smith 2017) describes Laca’s work as follows: “His process includes abstract digressions, monstrous impasto, unpredictable spatters...mad faces in front of the existential nothingness.” I have chosen to study Mathieu Laca as I think his philosophy of capturing the essence of a person’s atmospheres and emotion rather than perfect photorealism is something I want to adapt into my project. The theme of distortion is represented in his work by using unpredictable texture and colour to disfigure the individual which aligns to my theme and interests. I want to reach this level of elegant detail but also draw and connect with the viewer through the striking distortion which portrays emotion and creates a movement.

In my response to this artist's work (featured on the previous page), I wanted to focus on layering paint and texture. Within my project, I have been focused on distorting the face and body physically. However, I was drawn to Laca’s abstractions of the face with erratic texture and colour. I wanted to implement a similar pose to Laca’s portraiture, a figurehead looking at a 45degree angle. This composition is often on a landscape or square canvas. This choice of composition allowed me to make use of the negative space on the smooth muted grey background. It contrasts with the foreground texture of expressive saturated colour featuring blue and hints of red and yellow. As the A2 painting developed, I studied close-ups of the paint texture from sections of Laca's work. I tried to recreate the organic muted hues with small bursts of brighter, saturated colours. When creating the piece, I started with a more traditional portrait in respect to realism using soft blends of colour and went back over areas picking the highlights and shadow tones to add texture and build up colour. I used a credit card for smearing which gives a similar effect as a palette knife. However, it has more flexibility to range the thickness of the paint. After moving the paint around whilst still wet and layering more colour it created a similar effect to Lacas' loose paintwork in the foreground. To replicate the expressive splatters Laca turns his painting to allow gravity to take over so I used the same technique to abstract the face and create additional texture. Laca's clear attention to texture inspired my work to focus less on rebalance and realism but more on feeling, losing the paintwork and becoming more hands-on with distortion.

To take this new approach further in my project, the next pieces (as shown to the right) will be on a much larger scale allowing me to stretch the new skills I have learnt as they will be harder to execute on a larger scale. The composition will become more symmetrical to draw the eye to the centre of the page, this will produce the appearance of a traditional portrait composition. Similarly to my first response, there will be negative space surrounding the portrait to allow a place for the viewers eyes to rest in contrast to the hectic texture and colour. However, the use of less dark tones in the background will allow for a different atmosphere to be created. The texture produced in my last response allowed me to explore a new technique to paint flesh and express personality rather than just physical appearance. I found this to be very successful. The layering of the paint creates an uneven surface. Along with developing the use of ‘texture’ in my work, ‘line’ can be added by blending colour less to produce harsh contrasts between shades. Adding drips and more sporadic splatters will add line to my work. Laca, M., 2020. INTERVIEW: L'Artis Magazine. [Online] Available https://mathieulaca.com/interview-lartis-magazine/ [Accessed 27th June 2020]. Laca, M., 2020. John Adams. [Online] adams/ [Accessed 20th June 2020]. Laca, M., 2020. Page 3. [Online] [Accessed 18 May 2020].

at:

Available at: https://mathieulaca.com/john-

Available at: https://mathieulaca.com/page/3/

Smith, A., 2017. The Distorted, Absorbing New Portraits of Mathieu Laca. [Online] Available at: https://hifructose.com/2017/06/07/the-distorted-absorbing-newportraits-of-mathieu-laca/ [Accessed 27th June 2020].

gender ANGEL RICHARDSON My artwork explores the theme of ‘gender'. One of the biggest changes and movements happening within society today is based around the concept of equality and ‘gender constructs’; and this idea of defying this cataract of old ideologies of political ideas is particularly popular within our generation. The way you dress shouldn’t have to define the people you love or what interests you, it should instead be seen as a symbol and platform of self expression where people are able to radiate their individuality in any way they please, regardless of any label. Although the topic that I am exploring is, as a whole, ‘gender constructs’, one particular area of this that I'm

significantly interested in is the breaking of stereotypes and the unique identity you create for yourself through this. I am fascinated by the punk movement of the 1970s and the concept of anarchy that came with it. I love the fact that some people still feel so strongly against people being themselves because they’re scared of anyone being any more than the conservative ‘normal’ we’ve been told to be, but by manifesting this sense of anarchy in the way we present ourselves, we can show that we don't care and that they can't dictate us. This process of us breaking free of these ropes tying us down truly demonstrates the power in our generation and has begun the building of a more accepting world. To be uniquely you.

My goals and aspirations for my work are to create a conversation. I want to help normalise the idea of accepting your true identity and realising that it’s cool to be different. Clothes, makeup, etc. don’t have a gender and I want to break away from these social constructs and societal norms. Embrace the true you and celebrate your true identity. Embrace anarchy in the best way possible and fight for cultural change. There have been a lot of driving forces inspiring me to explore this topic but one in particular is Drag Queens and a range of music artists. I have become obsessed with Drag Queens’ ‘outrageous’ attitude and I really feel that they are a major icon for embracing one's true self. They are a perfect example of how truly being themselves has meant that they feel like a ‘Queen’ and are on top of the world because of it. As well as this, a lot of music artists I listen to, for example, ‘Yungblud’, have been large moving factors in the punk and alternative scene to advocate for this push for change and rebellion against expectations, making it cool to be called ‘weird’ or a ‘freak’ and creating a safe space for us to do so. As a result, Yungblud and those similar have been influencing our generation to look at this idea in a more positive and open way, and I really admire them for that. Therefore, my work will be about presenting these concepts in a way that makes people feel empowered through the quirkiness and ‘weirdness’ of it. Also, I want to create impressions on the way this subject is suppressed, or demonstrate how people may be left feeling when they feel this trapped, isolated sensation, doing so by making some of my work feel disturbing and uncomfortable. I was always very shy and used to struggling a lot with wearing what I wanted as I felt that I would be judged. Though, I always looked up to these Drag Queens, music artists and other self expressive people and became obsessed with them and their whole aesthetic. After listening to my favourite artist Yungblud, I took the plunge and decided to wear an outfit I truly loved and felt my best in. Since that day, I never looked back- my love for fashion grew and my confidence built immensely. I found a love for being unique so deep that I feel complimented when someone questions how I'm dressed. I actively seek new ways to find something different, trying to do the opposite to what people say I should wear. I want others to experience this self growth and evolution too as it is so freeing. I want people to throw their hands and realise it’s not worth conforming to society's boring traditional ideas; to not care and instead drop their self deprecating act. Rip apart these stereotypes and dress like YOU because the people that tear you down only do so because they don’t understand It yet.

20 textiles

ittoigaib arual yb deripsni HANNAH BLUNDEN Laura Biagiotti creates a beautifully abstract

design

through

her

combination of techniques, colour scheme and mixture of shape and line. Pairing patterns with a knitted textures is something so simple yet so effective, adding more depth to each aspect through the techniques of the other. Biagiotti’s design has inspired me to use of knitting paired with a patterned fabric and see how the pairing changes both designs and reveals a new aspect.

23 design

london is a modern city DAN PEARCE Through employing and trialling different dramatic techniques and elements such as bold lines and contrasting monochromatic shades, I believe I have successfully created a dynamic and intriguing travel poster that captures the excitement and enthusiasm of the location, whilst also promoting the purpose of the poster. The aim of this poster was to promote the location of London and its vibrant nightlife, urban atmosphere and city location. I feel that the idea of London’s modern city location is represented well through the tower-like typography - the build-up of the word London - almost symbolising the skyscrapers and tall buildings all across London. I also brought out layers of the London text by moving them slightly out of position, creating a sense of uncertainty and edge to the piece. Reinforcing the contrast and drama within the piece is the inclusion of white text silhouettes on a black background. This use of drama between light and dark creates an atmosphere of tension and thrill, developing an outlook of uncertainty towards the audience. The extremely thin strokes also help convey the tension between foreground and background. Within the second poster, my purpose was to develop a dream-like, psychedelic, and luminous theme, echoing excitement and wonder within the nightlife of London. I believe this purpose was supported by the rippling waves flowing throughout the background resting on a neon canvas, symbolising a state of dreaming and wonder. Furthermore, helping the promotion of the city London is the striking, clear, and strong capital text font that helps portray the power of the city. From an audience’s perspective, the light foreground text resting on a neon background, produces a significant contrast between foreground and background, and therefore creates distinction and outlines the purpose of the piece well (promoting London). The layering of the three aspects exaggerate the contrast within the poster well, whilst also providing a simplistic and clear nature to the piece. Furthermore, this is effective at symbolising and portraying the excitement of London’s nightlife. Overall, I really enjoy the striking and contrasting aspects of my first poster, I could possibly use these techniques further in my work by creating different locations in this style, and building up a large group of work to portray all the places my travelling company would travel to and promote. Next, I will also look to include a theme of travel into my designs to help display the purpose of travelling to certain locations alongside advertising the original location as well.

Finn's next job could be in photography CREATE. DESIGN. SHARE.

YASRAM YELNIF YB YHPARGOTOHP

visit https://www.qmc.ac.uk to apply

ethical graphics LARISA MAROIU Ethical graphics have introduced new ways for designers to

These colours

produce graphics that do not harm people or the environment, or

could also be

to prevent people from purchasing commercial products that they

suggestive of

may not need. Examples of ethical graphics can be seen in work

the fact the plastic

produced for literary festivals, tourism, education and community

waste (yellow) is

initiatives.

disrupting the peace and beauty identified with our ocean

I began researching contextual information about environmental

(blue). The typography of this logo is very simple in order to be

issues (deforestation and plastic waste) in order to develop my

easy to understand and read.

knowledge. This process will be continued in the near future by adding all the elements; the illustrations and logo, typography,

In response to design, I created the “keep our oceans plastic free”

and the research, to create the final advertisements.

logo (above). This was my

The Travel Foundation (

@travelTF) has launched a new

first idea

initiative called Sand and Sea Plastic Free to combat single-use

and design

plastic pollution. Protecting natural environments and promoting

that I

sustainable tourism is an important part of the foundation’s work.

created.

While plastic pollution in our oceans continues to rise, solving this

I designed

problem is high on the organisation’s agenda.

the initial logo in

The Sand and Sea Plastic Free initiative is in countries such as

the

Turkey, Jamaica and Cyprus. The logo created for Plastic Free

traditional

Cyprus includes a very simple design with a sans-serif font, and a

ocean colour

colour palette of three different colours: yellow, light blue and dark

palette and then

blue.

trialled an additional option in the colour yellow as

These colours seem to be representative of the sea and its

the main colour in my design using a Risograph printer.

environment. Yellow is an association of the sand, light blue represents waves, and dark blue is associated with the ocean. The

The bright and positive colours have been chosen to mirror the

shades of blue create a feeling of calmness and peace, while

design by The Travel Foundation and to bring a sense of

yellow acts as a warning sign.

positiveness to this situation, to show that it is not too late to make changes and improve the status of our environment.

The purpose of this illustration is to present how

plastic

waste

could

affect

our

environment. The right half of the work presents a happy and healthy environment unaffected by pollution, whereas the left half presents the opposite: a world deeply damaged by pollution and plastic waste. This shows that if we don’t change our careless ways, we will slowly destroy the beauty and health of our planet.

doof yadyreve rof ngised :gnigakcap doof elbaniatsus DAINA NARMONTAITE In this project, my aim was to create a sustainable brand for staple foods in every household like pasta, cereals and other cupboard foods to attract maximum possible customers and create a larger environmental impact (as opposed to unnecessary buying). I considered

sustainable

packaging

including design, materials, shape etc. I

explored

geometrics

design

approach as well as more expressive design. I experimented with type within my logo and illustrations to help build the brand including advertising and

packaging

inspiration

that

from

other

will

take

relevant

designers and brands. I decided to call my

brand

HOMIE

because

it's

memorable, playful, relates to the brand by creating a twist on the word home and has an alternate meaning for ‘friend’ which may give the brand a friendly reliable outlook.

Finley's next job could be in social media content creation CREATE. DESIGN. SHARE.

NAVEB NNIF YB YHPARGOTOHP

visit https://www.qmc.ac.uk to apply

34 photography

lockdown: the absence of people ALANAH HEWETT This image conveys a representational, direct, and leading lines approach. There is a severe amount of repetition demonstrated in the image, due to the intertwined trolley legs, wheels, metal frame, as well as the blue handles. Shadow is also conveyed within the heavy repetition of handles, as they reflect each other. The image is pleasing to the eye but also quite overwhelming, due to the overlapping and intertwining of the subject - and this can create an abstract feel but also indicate a blur to the eye. I have also conveyed shapes through the bottom of the image, suggesting repetitive squares that make up the surface - and on top of this adds texture and colour from the element of snow.

This image also conveys a direct approach as it is confronting the subject face on, straightforwardly. There is a larger colour burst in this image due to the green and yellow outlines of the face of the building. There is a subtle and interchanging repetition of line work through the brick work but also the window shapes, door shapes, and other additional elements. There are rectangle shapes within rectangles which creates a nice overlapping feeling. The shop front is on the outside of a flat wall with the building built inside, but the surface of the floor is on a slanted angle, creating a sense of obscurity.

I feel as though this image is one of my most successful images out of the previous shoots I have done, and this current shoot. Taken in a rule of thirds approach, texture and shadowing is conveyed thoroughly - as well as interesting rounded shapes that I have not explored before. The snow is also a scene that is rare to capture, therefore I was happy to have captured an abstract approach on the thin blanket it produced, ensuring that I was close enough and zoomed in to frame the subject and its surroundings to demonstrate textures and fine details.

portraits of my sister (shot in lockdown) GRACE DUERDEN

In this project I will continue to explore documentary photography, my main aim is to explore new ways to present a series of atmospheric documentary portraits in a way that creates a narrative. I plan to do this with experimentation of the art based technique collage, previously I have created digital collages on photoshop and hand made collages with prints and magazine clippings, by experimenting with the two I found that the effect of the handmade process is better suited to the natural and simplistic style of portraiture that I want to focus on in this project.

These first three images I chose because they were the most distinctively lit out of my other selects. The natural lighting gave a dark and dramatic effect to an already unsettling set of images. I feel I could present them as a set of three, maybe using experiments such as painting to draw links between them. Regardless, I feel that these were some of the best outcomes from the long exposure, where the form was still clear beneath the distortion.

shot via video chat in lockdown YASMIN TYNDALE

These two images I picked as I liked the distortion and imperfection in them. It brings out a sense of spontaneity and surrealism which work really well for my project idea. I think in the context of a layout they may not be images I would necessarily heavily experiment on but I would definitely use them to contrast / counteract some of the more focused/ defined images . The second image in particular evokes the aesthetic of an old camcorder and I feel this ties really well into the idea of a diary and alternative ways of recording things.

47 media

music video for a protest song NICOLE GRIENER The A Level Media students were employed at a fictional independent media production company & were required to produce a three-minute music video for a protest song by a fictional band/artist signed to Warner Music Group, and two pages of a working website for the band/artist. The music videos feature a narrative appropriate to a music video (e.g. a performance montage, a linear narrative illustrating or commenting on the song, or a mix of performance montage and other narrative elements). The web pages promote the band/artist to their target audience and enable fans to interact with them.

plain jane ALANAH HEWETT Website link Music Video link

patched melancholy THOMAS WATSON Website link Music Video link

is music brainwashing you? JAMIE FRAZER Music is brainwashing you, me and everyone else.

You are what you hear; what you're surrounding yourself with will soon become a physical representation of yourself. I am specifically writing this to discuss how drill music in today's media is influencing gang and knife violence in today's youth. Drill music is a newly up-and-coming genre of rap that is specifically is made to create an opposition gang look inferior whilst boasting about selling drugs and killing other gang members. Vulnerable kids tend to mask their insecurities and hunger for the gratification of others in the social hierarchy by listening to this music and striving to live the lifestyle of these drill rappers . The lifestyle they portray on social media is overglorified, faked, or forced in a certain way to paint a picture of their lifestyle that others such as the vulnerable kids would strive to attain. This portrayal of gang life attracts young people and influences trends such as fashion and slang.

This causes people who consume this media to act, speak and look in a certain way in hopes to be seen as intimidating when really all they are striving for is acceptance of others. This new craze over drill music by the youth is in fact, in my opinion, a mask of insecurities in hopes to seem popular and intimidating. In 2019 Met. Police released figures that revealed that 72% of knife crime or gang-related offences was caused by people between the age of 13-19. This shows the severe influence that drill could potentially have over today's youth using social media outlets such as Youtube, Snapchat and music streaming services to do so. This is just a niche part of the media that sells consumers a false sense of reality that they wish to live. The drill artists that the youth listen to are seen as popular, ruthless and powerful, getting any girls they want whilst making loads of money, which in reality may not be the actual truth. Not only is music brainwashing consumers, the media as a whole is partaking in the use of Photoshop, filters and false information to achieve this.

" " You are what you hear, what you're surrounding yourself with will soon become a physical representation of yourself.

NOSTAW NARYP YB YHPARGOTOHP

the secret OLLY MILLS Film Noir is a style or genre of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace. The term was originally applied (by a group of French critics) to American thriller or detective films made in the period 1944–54 and to the work of directors such as Orson Welles, Fritz Lang, and Billy Wilder. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the classic period of American film noir. Neo-noir has a similar style but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements and media. I like to think of it as Film Noir but modernised. The common codes and conventions of Film Noir can include; detectives, police, flashbacks and low key lighting.

To create my Film Noir opening sequence to "The Secret" I often used the fade effect to make the shots fade into each other and create a smoother, more 1950s look. It also meets common codes and conventions of the Film Noir genre as this effect is used throughout the genre. My chosen Jazz audio track is royalty-free. I used this music piece because I felt it met the common codes and conventions of the Film Noir genre. It also goes very well with my opening sequence and the timing of the music fits well. Watch the opening sequence here.

WOLRAB XAM YB NOITARTSULLI

tiktok: how has it influenced the media today? CRYSTAL FRAZER Tiktok (formerly known as music.ly) is currently one of the most popular social media platforms to date, It has just over 500 million users on the app during this moment in time. Most people use TikTok for its great entertainment purposes or to actually create entertainment for the users, but there is a lot more to it. Tiktok can now be seen as important for promoting brand opportunities and marketing. There are many small businesses out there looking for ways to catch a certain audience's eye, and they tend to look for social media opportunities. Since TikTok is very popular to all age ranges the small business could possibly promote themselves on the app itself and end up going viral. TikTok has managed to change many peoples' lives, in a good and bad way. For some people, they go viral on one or two posts and then that is practically the end, however other people manage to sustain an audience (possibly from their looks, talents or their comedic value). This means they get set up with the creator funds and manage to earn a living while posting TikToks to their audience, they also manage to get sponsored and can sponsor things within their TikToks. The only downfall to becoming a popular creator is the hate from viewers, or the new, popular ‘culture’ named ‘cancel culture’ which is when people find certain things out about a popular creator that happened in

their past (it could vary from horrible tweets or things they’ve actually said) and end up ‘cancelling’ that creator which means they could lose fans, sponsorships and anything else that benefits from being a Tiktok creator. The app itself is giving social media a whole new perspective, it is growing more and more everyday. It gives people the chance to express themselves, whether they expect to do it anonymously or freely Tiktok gives them that choice.It has managed to make certain franchises popular once again and bring back a whole community of fans, an example of this is Harry Potter. It started off with people obsessing over a certain character (Draco Malfoy) and now suddenly many people are buying the books, watching the films and are purchasing a whole lot of merch all because of one small Tiktok about a certain character. The way TikTok has managed to grow the Harry Potter franchise (not like it wasn't popular before) even more is very shocking. This also has happened with similar things such as Star Wars, Animes and even One Direction, a certain TikTok was made which went viral and suddenly everybody else was interested in them all. This shows how much it can influence the media and our generation to this day, and it is still changing since it is still growing.

raewteerts nabru delcycer :oc & raewteerts erihspmah CAITLIN ALLISON Hampshire

Streetwear

(fictional) start-up urban streetwear store which has just opened up a store in the Basingstoke town centre. The

company

aims

enter

the

competitive urban streetwear market, with its innovative repurposed sports and combat-wear, as well as its creative styling and authorised reselling of well known athletic brands. At the moment Hampshire Streetwear & Co is selling their

clothing

through

their

small

centrally located store, but are also exhibiting the work of artists and photographers who share their passion for urban style. We were tasked to develop a website with the primary purpose to showcase the brand’s repurposed urban wear, artwork and photography and let their potential customers know where the store is located.

In the future the brand owners would also like their website to have the ability to turn into an online store. The target audience for the website is fashion-savvy males and females from 16 - 25 years old. The audience is envious of the style of the hip-hop kings and queens of Harlem, the casual dressers born out of the British football culture movement and the skater scene of California. They wear streetwear with integrity and take pride in their style. The audience come from a mixed range of socioeconomic backgrounds and they live close to Basingstoke due to the store’s location. My website meets the target audience as it clearly displays clothing and it is very interactive. The assets engages their attention with interactive image galleries & videos. This meets the purpose of the website as the content helps inform the target audience about the clothing brand. I designed my website to have a consistent brand identity to have the same colours,

patterns

textures.

This

creates

continuity

throughout the website. The design of the website meets web accessibility requirements as I have made sure to use contrasting black text over a white background. This makes it easier to read for the visually impaired users. These design choices have followed the common codes and conventions of website production. These design choices enhance the user experience as it is very easy to read as well as interactive and fun. Website: https://k24593.wixsite.com/hampstreetwear

fashion & the media TAYLOR IND In the summer of this year, independent designer, Lirika gaining widespread attention on the social media platform TikTok. Soon after, articles about the dress were being

published in Vogue and the Independent, to name a few, and the dress was labelled the new it-girl dress for the summer of 2020. Matoshi’s dress is only one example of how the media can be used to propel trends in fashion into the public eye. In the past (pre ww2) fashion only had a few media outlets, such as newspapers, magazines and catalogues and trends were spread through word of mouth and were also centred on what people saw the wealthy of society adorn. When television gained popularity in the late 1930s, the

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Matoshi's ‘strawberry dress’ surged in popularity after

public would have been able to watch acclaimed celebrities exhibiting the most in and stylish fashions, giving them a sense of style and identity to aspire to. This revelation helped to prompt and popularise the interlinked relationship between fashion and media. In the post-war era, fashion in Hollywood was glamourised and a lot of the media’s attention was focused on Hollywood’s most admired celebrities. This new media attention inspired the general public to try and mimic what celebrities of the time would wear or look like in any way they could. To capitalise on this, brands such as Chanel advertised their perfume with Marilyn Monroe to the media because they knew that such a recognisable face next to a designer label perfume would allow the audience to feel closer to the world of Hollywood; therefore producing higher numbers in sales and popularising the perfume even further. This example is still relevant in the modern media landscape. In the early 2000s celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Britney Spears made the Juicy Couture velour tracksuit fashionable. This famous tracksuit symbolised a new era of celebrities and media representation, in which their personal lives were not as private as before and they were not as highly glamourised by the tabloid press as they would have been in the 1950s, which in a way made celebrities more relatable to the public. Celebrity culture today has remained relatively similar, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic celebrities have endorsed more paired down attire to promote the importance of staying home during lockdown and have also worn masks to encourage their fans to do the same. The media coverage of this has also influenced the world of fashion and in magazines such as Vogue, they have stylised the face mask and embraced the laid back look of loungewear. In addition to this, modern social media platforms have allowed fashion brands to reach an even wider audience, and the rise of influencers means a new breed of celebrity is available to promote and sell brands. Fashion, media and celebrity continue to enjoy a symbiotic relationship, feeding off each other and exploiting technological advances in media delivery. It is likely that this relationship will continue into the foreseeable future.

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teen mag LU MINTE I have created an online magazine for an upcoming teen drama called 'Lucky High Academy.' I have always had an interest in magazine production and while being limited by Covid restrictions and lockdown, I knew developing this fictional magazine would be a fun creative challenge. For inspiration, I decided to research different magazine articles which are similar to the given brief. These magazines surrounded pre-existing teen dramas. This included front covers from teen magazines promoting shows such as Gossip Girl, Teen Wolf and Pretty Little Liars. I also looked at articles written about these different shows and how they laid the articles out. Another part of the preproduction was refreshing my memory of the different codes and conventions of a magazine. I included labels on my block layouts such as header, straplines and masthead on my block layouts to ensure I was going to be following the common codes and conventions of a magazine. As well as the common codes and conventions of a magazine I also looked at the common codes and conventions of the teen drama genre. To do this I watched the teen drama - Pretty Little Liars and looked at the storyline, characters and plot points. For my media product, I was required to create a narrative for the teen drama. 'Lucky High Academy' is about two sisters who attend Lucky High School.

The two sisters are completely opposite; one is very smart and academic however the other focuses more on creating. When the academic sister gets accepted into her dream university, the other sister is left wishing she was in a different family. This causes them to live in a continuous-time loop similar to groundhog day and the only way to escape is for them to work together. But they learn they aren’t the only ones stuck in this continuous loop. The intention of the magazine is to promote the new teen drama to the target audience by giving them exclusive information such as behind the scenes facts and an insight into what the show is about before it is released. My media product will meet my intended target audience through the images I have created in my pre-production. I have used images of the age demographic to make the show seem more relatable to the audience. As well as this I have considered the language used in the articles making sure it is clear and interesting to the target audience. Having a pink colour pallet will appeal to the female target audience through the feminine approach of the magazine making it relatable to teen girls. Read the magazine here: https://issuu.com/bianca.brzezek/docs/teen_magazine__lucky_high_academy

documentary for bbc three NICOLE GRIENER The A Level Media students were employed at an independent media production company. They were given the task of producing a three-minute opening sequence of a documentary for BBC Three and two web pages on the BBC Three website about the documentary.

social media vs real life

ANNA HEATH Website link

the youth of counter-strike GEORGE SMALLBONE Website link

LGBTQ+ representation in media LIV THORBURN LGBTQ+ representation in media has changed drastically in recent years, going from limited, stereotypical and very superficial levels of representation to shows featuring well written and 3-dimensional LGBTQ+ characters such as shows like Sex Education. Sex education is a Netflix show that covers topics of mental health, homophobia, same-sex couples and a lot of more personal topics, with the LGBTQ community. Although the show covers these topics it doesn't fall into the same trap of basing the characters' whole personalities around the idea of their sexuality. It is a positive step forward to see the LGBTQ+ community represented to explore the struggles that come with trying to find your identity, without basing its whole characters around one facet of sexuality or gender. I personally really like the character Eric. In the show Eric is the main protagonist's best friend who is a black gay man with a Nigerian/Ghanaian family with a religious background. I really appreciate the fact that they chose to have Eric struggle with his religion in the show as he suffers from constant harassment from his bullies and finds it hard to be himself with his very Christian family and slowly losing his faith in God as more harassment spills into his life. As I have also struggled with the ideas of religion, considering its outdated views of the LGBTQ+ community, it's a breath of fresh air to see characters that also exhibit this same struggle. It's also incredibly rare and validating to get LGBTQ+ people of colour representation in media, even more so for it to be so well thought out and written, which is another reason why I love Eric’s character so much; the writers actually cared about the character they were creating and took the time to make sure he was a good character and that reflects in the show. Although Sex Education is a good example of good representation of the LGBTQ+ community as well as good writing for its characters, there are some unfortunate examples of bad representation, such as with JK Rowling's new book, Troubled blood. In this book JK Rowling chooses the antagonist, a psychopathic serial killer, to be a cross-dressing man. It has long

been known of JK Rowling's views of trans men and women as she publicly displays them on social media such as Twitter. Twitter is no stranger to having hate spewed on their site, however, this book can do real harm to trans men and women everywhere, even now in Brazil the number of trans men and women being slaughtered has risen to 70% and those murderers are being pardoned and sent home because of the countries transphobic views. I understand the idea of free speech and this is certainly not it. These opinions and other people's opinion of trans men and women that are similar contribute to laws and regulations being placed on trans people meaning they can't get their basic fundamental human rights, and this book will definitely cause waves of hate for the trans community which is what JK Rowling wanted. Although personally I am not trans, this book is a disgrace and I'm ashamed to see it published. Apart from one of these unfortunate examples of bad representation, currently, the positive examples of good LGBTQ representation are rising. With shows such as Deutschland 83, Stranger Things, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Glee, Riverdale and even more, this is only including tv shows and movie representation so far. Although some of these shows may not include LGBTQ representation to the same degree as Sex Education did, it's still largely positive and helps to normalise us in a positive way which is slowly but surely helping to make a more accepting society, not to say that we are perfect yet or any time soon, but surely a step in the right direction.

current affairs magazine & promo website TALIA BARKER We were given a brief for an independent media production company with the task of producing one front cover and the contents page(s) of the first two editions of a new current affairs magazine that is being launched by Dennis and two pages for the working website for the magazine.

Visit the Coach Magazine website: here

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what makes an effective tragic film? NATE GATE Tragedy is classic.

I’ve always found tragedy in Film to be a unique form of entertainment. To witness tragedy in film & media is an experience of misery for most. Over time tragedy in all forms of narrative has persisted, maybe not as the most popular form of entertainment, but the tragic story is still a huge part of fictional media.

Trainspotting (1996) directed by Danny Boyle and The Pursuit Of Happiness (2007) directed by Gabriele Muccino are two of my favourite films although, due to the tragic subject matter, I have actively only been able to bring myself to watch them twice each. They take too much out of me emotionally to watch on the regular, however this only speaks to their effectiveness.

Perhaps one of the most familiar examples of tragic narrative is Shakespeare’s literature. We are all somewhat aware of the beautiful yet frustrating subject of Shakespearean tragedy, with such infamous examples as Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. These stories have not only influenced many of the popular films today but have also been turned into films such as the popular Baz Luhrmann film; Romeo + Juliet (1996). Shakespeare’s work helped inspire and guide our love of tragic stories and its modern definition as a form of a “drama” based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character.

Reliability The biggest juxtaposition in the traditional Shakespeare stories and these modern film examples, is the reliability. Shakespeare’s protagonists are ones in which the audience, especially at this time, have not been able to relate to at all. Although entertaining, the protagonists were Generals, Kings and other great men of power, and the scenarios they faced were ones of magic, destiny of epic proportions. Perhaps the intent was to deliver the controversial concept that even the mighty strong and the leaders are not indisputable or impervious to the hardships of life.

Although an impactful ideal, tragedy is so much more effective when we can see ourselves in the unlucky protagonists, such as we can in the examples given of contemporary tragedy. The character of Mark Trenton, a reckless drug addict, in Trainspotting and Christopher Gardner, a single father who has made poor investment decisions, in The Pursuit Of Happiness, are presented in scenarios that the audience are far more likely to find themselves in with the character of Christopher Gardner being particularly innocent and undeserving of his situation. The tragic events that take place within both films such as a broken marriage, an eviction from home, the death of a friend, and in both films the complete lack of money are ones in which many of the audience may have experienced themselves. This helps the audience experience sympathy and empathy for the main characters most pointedly within the parallels with their own lives. This inevitably leads to the feeling of sorrow and morning in the viewer being dramatically heightened. A happy ending? Another noticeable key difference within Shakespeare’s plays and the films discussed, is the optimism of the climaxes, finales, ending. Both Trainspotting and Pursuit Of Happiness have happy endings. This has the effect of giving the audience great joy after seeing our relatable protagonists good fortune after so much of the contrary. Shakespeare typically goes for a pessimistic finale, where the protagonist possibly perishes along with what he was fighting for. This has the effect of leaving the audience with an extreme depression. Shakespeare’s take on tragedy may be more accurate, but modern audiences prefer their tragic films with an ending of optimism following a story of dread.

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I find modern films with joyful endings a far superior form of entertainment. Modern tragedy leaves the viewer with a sense of relief once the poor circumstances lift. Whereas the more traditional and dismal tragedies teach the audiences the intended lesson by telling the viewers not to make the same mistake as the characters within the story. Across both modern and traditional tragedies in film or other narratives is the common theme that life should not in the least be taken for granted, because at any moment your life could enter into tragedy in an instant.

the media today ANGEL RICHARDSON

Throughout time, music created by artists has been shared, enjoyed and celebrated in different cultural regions. Though, the somewhat recent platform of media (particularly social media) has enabled these artists' influence to expand and spread from not just one region, but globally. Platforms such as Instagram and Youtube, in particular, have given anybody anywhere a device to put out whatever they please; including their works of musical arts. The impact this has had on the music industry as a whole is huge. Before we had access to such devices, consumers had to rely heavily on physical media such as CD’s, cassette tapes, records, newspapers, radios etc in order to listen to and discover music. Due to the new types of media such as Youtube, Spotify, Apple music etc, we are now able to access music within seconds. Digital download is replacing physical albums, Youtube and other streaming sites are replacing TV music channels such as MTV, and social media sites such as Instagram are replacing the job for record labels having to create a musician's fame.

The music industry is losing power over musicians due to the extreme independence social media has enabled them to have. Artists have far more, if not entire control over what they put out, and are therefore being able to build their careers and following by managing themselves through this. As a result, record companies aren't so popular anymore because people are being able to manage themselves independently and get the word out for themselves. In fact, due to this instant, and often free, way of publicising, it has meant that the large majority of artists now are bypassing music companies entirely. This in return has recently meant that these companies are struggling to generate enough revenue. Although, this has also resulted in the popular phrase used by hunters; they are now being able to enjoy the idea of saying they’ve ‘found’ someone, rather than being fed them. This idea, in a lot of cases, has been able to boost their independent reputation as well as the artists', as they can become known for ‘discovering’ incredible people; such as the fact Simon Cowell is often referred to as the person who found and created the world-dominating boy band One Direction on the entertaining TV show, The X Factor.

Even though the media today has made it easier to access artists from wherever you are in the world, and therefore spread their influence on a huge scale and build popularity you would have never witnessed before, there has still been a financial impact on them as well as the ‘dying’ record companies. Due to the internet, it has meant that consumers can access music at cheaper costs (sometimes even free!), making it more difficult for musicians to make decent money from music sales alone. This has increased the commercial sales and the need for touring and merchandise as this is the main source of revenue for today's artists; therefore popularising this recent way for ‘fandoms’ to celebrate an artists success. As a result, it has completely changed the musical culture from the majority just listening on the radio, to now filling your wardrobe with merchandised hoodies and seeing the musicians live at huge stadiums and festivals, and keeping up with their day to day life on social media - engrossing yourself into them even more. Although the media today is most likely going to be the downfall for the music industry and physical albums, I feel its impact has been far better than worse. Positively impressionable artists are being able to spread their messages at worldwide scales, and human beings as a whole are being able to create diversity in the sounds we listen to, and therefore share and experience each other's cultures. Artists are being able to communicate more directly and personally with their fan base, creating a larger and more united community, making you feel connected and realise you are not alone. The media today has re-written the blueprints on how musicians and the industry works, and I feel that the communities it has created can only get better from here as we continue to become more and more connected.

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forces of the blue CAITLIN REDPATH Within this video, I have explored and implemented the narrative conventions of R&B music videos and adapted these to tell the story of a love between two teens. I have pushed the boundaries and experimented with film by shooting the entire outcome in lockdown which forced me to become more innovative in my creation. I have filmed myself to align with the "star power" theory, which is used in other female's R&B music videos. I did so using an iPhone in a "selfie" style to capture the idea of "self" and "self-reflection." My film tells the story of the often complex love within my generation and hope that this will resonate with them.

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the power of film narrative MONTY RICE & TYLER WILLIAMSON Film is one of the most dominant creative industries in the world. Being that this is the case, it is a growing priority to understand the importance of a relatable film narrative. It could be argued that film is the most circuital and influential art form today, contributing to and moulding our everyday reality and aspects of our lives. Narrative is structure of story, without narrative there is no direction in the story line; so narrative is key in film. Without narrative the story becomes muddled and not relatable. Film and Media creates traction by making people relate and connect to their product, this is how the narrative is utilised. You might be thinking to yourself; “But Monty, how do people relate to the extreme fantasy such 'The Hulk'? That isn’t possible is it?!” Well no in theory, because last time I checked you can’t bench press more than 70kg, but you might be able to relate to the character type of being an aggressive floozy who is not in control of their emotions, which is created by the narrative.

Themes throughout the narrative speak to us (the audience), which show interchangeable remarks about our world and the world presented on screen. These themes can be used as almighty poetic metaphors that compare the unreal and real, which normally would seem far fetched. Due to the power of these themes our minds can pick the analogy that is presented to us without any forethought. The themes in the narrative become so embedded unknowingly - in our mind that we adopt them into our daily life; in a way, the visual narrative of film is so powerful that it brainwashes us into thinking a certain way without us noticing it -- modern day propaganda. The powers of a relatable film narrative are endless; to empathising with a monstruos green beast , to making us believe certain world views. The narratives in films will adapt and grow with the modern times. I am sure we will see relatable pandemic narratives in films to be released shortly.

76 games

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THE LAST OF US PART II IS A MASTERPIECE, SO WHY IS IT FACING CRITICISM? NAOMI ALDRIDGE I have done nothing but listen to these critics since June `19th, these ones who have decided one of my favourite games ever is void of all positive feedback due to an objectively enjoyable storyline. Obviously, reading awful articles on the very day I’d been expecting to receive a package containing my pre-ordered version of this masterpiece, or, what I assumed would be a masterpiece, didn’t exactly help my satisfaction when I opened the package.

Reading constantly, over and over, that this game was ‘zombie world trite’, ‘badly written’, ‘includes characters used to get a reaction but in the end, get none’ and ‘tries to get us to feel pity for the evil we then have to play as’, did in fact make me a little uneasy.

And I can’t help but wonder why, since when I tapped into that game and played the first three hours, witnessing multiple visceral murders- which of course is another rabbithole into the diverse subject of video games as determining factors of mental states and social behaviour, a topic which is clearly suited to a different article of discussion- I also witnessed the death of a beloved character, the homely sense that the settlement of the survivors had and I felt that same sort of human elation at the sight of a long-lost friend that was barely even real. Was that odd? Strange? So I did some research.

But then I opened it. The cover is great- I looked through all the extra products I got as a result of pre ordering a week earlier for a sharp fifty-four pounds, and I remember, distinctly, texting my friend in a panic.

What’s an SJW? I asked Google, multiple times, then my friends, and received that same sort of response I expected. ‘ Short for social justice warrior ’. Social justice warrior meaning the pejorative term for those who promote socially progressive views- feminism, civil rights, multiculturalism.

‘What if it’s not any good?’, I remember putting that exact message in writing, without hesitation, to three people.

So someone says to me, ‘the game is a journey for SJWs’, and I realise exactly what they mean for the first time.

All because of the media.

We have two women as our main characters, the recurring character Ellie and the brand-new Abby. Neither are conventionally attractive, unlike Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, who’s sexualised form has been in the eye of feminists for almost a decade now, and one of them, Abby, shows brutal strength in the form of a bodybuilder-like muscle build. I’ve made some brief trips to the darker parts of the internet (the unholy being, social media platform, Reddit), and the hate is directed heavily onto this character. Abby. Kills one of the beloved characters in the first few hours of the game, kills another, blinds one more. From the surface level, some consider that unforgivable. But, she then adopts two abandoned children into her carerejected from their own family- and risks her life multiple times to save them, has her friends murdered one by one. She had her father murdered and saw his dead corpse first hand. The epilogue includes her tortured and hung on a post on a weather-beaten beach until she was emaciated enough that her previouslycontroversial, considerably large amount of muscle mass is entirely gone. These sort of things, I realise, not everyone these days is able to take into account. But these comments, I’ve genuinely noticed, are around eighty percent male-written. Horrible, awful things, death threats to the voice actor and motion capture actor. Suggestions that she was transgender cropped up in the first few days of the game being released, and then everything seemed to spiral downhill from there. Laura Bailey, the voice actress here, is not the first to suffer like this. Off topic for a moment, we’ve witnessed the likes of Kelly Marie Tran and her character Rose Tico in the divisive Star Wars realm be a victim of this brutal abuse over the internet. Why were people so disgusted that Abby could be transgender? Why were people so upset they had to send these threats to people who, in fact, were just doing their job? Why have I been told multiple times that this video game has an agenda? That it’s a piece of political, excuse me, preposterous, and that I should not enjoy it because it’s been created just to push that LGBTQ+ agenda? Or, even, the feminist agenda?

This is not a game about love. This is a game about hate. This is a game built and set in the horrific, deathstruck world of a zombie apocalypse, with dilapidated communities, insane cults and groups of warfare-lovers, a world brutalised by a virus. Eerily reflective of our own society- could this be why this game was a nervetoucher? The game is a cycle of violence, yet no matter how vividly obvious the few positive reviews can be, some people still don’t understand. So is it sexism that’s brought this game to its knees at the behest of the media? Is it homophobia? Is it discrimination? Or is it just simply keyboard warriors? They blame it on the story. They blame it on the death of their favourite characters. For the last time- this is not an easy world. People do not die heroes, they do not die with justice, they do not die at the right time, nor do some die at all. I think it’s a real shame people have gone this far to slate this masterpiece. The game seems to have taken a step out of virtual reality into hyper reality, stepping across the threshold of fake and real, of computer based humans and real, organic human beings. People feel the same grief from a video game about characters more foreign to them than their real life relationships, they feel the same grief about losing those people in their real lives, too. The game has 95/100 on professional critic sites, Metacritic, a 10/10 on IGN. Maybe it does have an agenda. Maybe I enjoyed it because I am a woman. Or maybe the media has two sides. Maybe I enjoyed it because I am an SJW. I enjoyed it because I enjoyed it for what it was. A game. A moment out of reality. A rollercoaster of emotions and devout, strong relationships between screen and player. I suppose we’ll never really know.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FREDDIE SMITH

How social gaming saved us during lockdown CAITLIN ALLISON Saved by the game.

Lockdown in all senses means to be shut away from friends and family and to be serving a prison sentence due to the various speeds of COVID-19. But in our 21st century world, thanks to technology and, of course, the internet; a whole new way to socialise without leaving the house is at our fingertips.

This open world game allows you and your friends to do whatever you want as there is no limit. Minecraft is accessible on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Smartphones. Minecraft is also a cross platform game, meaning that friends are able to play with each other on different platforms.

Games have been very popular in recent years, and have been a great way to socialise with friends, meet new people and lift our spirits in such hard times. Over the COVID-19 lockdown, social games like Minecraft and Among Us really gained popularity.

Among Us increased in popularity in early 2020. The game is about space travel, betrayal and murder. Players are randomly assigned roles of crew members aboard a spaceship and must complete various tasks, acting as maintenance workers around the ship. There is one (or more) imposter who acts as a crew mate. The rest of the group must find out who is committing all of these murders before they lose. This game allows players to socialise and solve the mystery.

Minecraft allows groups of people to meet online and explore the world. The players can construct amazing buildings, adventure in caves, and even defeat mobs.

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design a game LU MINTE The inspiration behind my game was racing games such as Mario Kart or Sonic racing. I wanted to create a racing game designed for this age demographic. For the aesthetic of the game I was inspired by the video game in the film Wreck it Ralph called Sugar Rush. When I was younger I always wanted this to be a real game so I thought it was a fun concept to help me design a game similar to this. While my game will be a racing game with the same principles as most racing games I wanted to add some twists to it such as the game being directed towards a female demographic. For the genre of my video game, I have decided on a racing game. I feel like this style of game would appeal to my age demographic of 7 - 13 year-olds. The game will follow the codes and conventions of the racing game genre such as racing placements, items to increase your chance of winning, and different laps and

cups. The game will be unique to other racing games by having a female demographic in mind. I will be following the codes and conventions for a third-person perspective rather than first-person due to the age demographic being younger it is much easier for them to play if they can see the Kart and characters rather than see the wheel of the car. I decided to include a cup of races for the player - this considers the need to replay to win the cup and 2 laps of each race etc. In the game, there will be different cups inspired by pieces of fruit and 4 races in each cup. The player will race against 7 other racers and compete to win. There will different item boxes the player collects which increases their chances of winning. As the player progresses through the races in the cup the map design slowly increases in difficulty. This helps build up the players skills and control while racing.

I have designed the different characters with different speeds and abilities. Some are heavier meaning they weigh more than others. These can be balanced out with the Karts. I have also given each of the characters a special item, which they will always get after driving through an item box.

is gaming fun? JACOB CARTER In the modern-day and age, video games are among the most prevalent forms of media, despite that they have only been around for about 40 years now. However, video games continue to innovate and evolve through the years and it’s easy to see just how far they have come from their roots. This is similar to how other types of media have developed over time, but it may just be even more impressive in the case of video games as they have gone so far in a much shorter span of time. Most types of media try to offer a different purpose with some being for enjoyment while others are to inform the people on areas in the modern world. The majority can agree that the purpose of video games is for a fun, interactive experience, something that only video games can offer. But this raises the question, do video games still manage to give the player the experience they want or are they left feeling as though they have wasted their time.

This isn’t exactly the case though and in actuality, these offline games are definitely more hit or miss than the alternative. If a single-player game is simply unable to interest players, then it can end up being marked down as a bad game by various reviewers and so we find that both the developers of the game and the players have just wasted their time and no one was able to have any fun. These types of games also have it rougher than online games as they aren’t supposed to be tampered with beyond recognition from the original product, unlike online games that can be completely overhauled if it just hasn’t worked. When video games have such expectations to live up to and ultimately so many of them fail to meet the mark, we must wonder if video games as a whole can really be considered fun. In the end, it all comes down to one's own preferences and in my case, I find that I can get plenty of enjoyment in the games I play regardless of the generally accepted opinion on a game. What one person may find to be complete trash is a game another person may praise highly.

One reason someone could question if video games are fun is due to the toxic nature of players in online, competitive games. As people know, winning is a good feeling in all aspects of life and oftentimes winning is fun. A player can easily become obsessed with winning in games when they seek a feeling of satisfaction which is even more incentivised when victories are rewarded in games and losses are punished.

On the other side of the spectrum, offline single-player games that often seek to immerse a player in a different world, seem to have an easier time of guaranteeing enjoyment as everything has been cleverly crafted and other than the occasional, unavoidable bug someone may find, there should be very few flaws.

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A certain amount of balancing is required when making an online game to prevent a player from becoming completely downhearted when they lose but also that there is some challenge and winning isn’t a simple task. This way, a player could take a loss or two but instead of giving up, seek improvement and therefore find more enjoyment in the game. Unfortunately, the games on the market at the moment are struggling to nail the perfect online experience and so going online on any game feels like entering a dangerous territory where you never know who is going to be taking their rage out on you next. These factors lead us to ask whether gaming is really all that fun.

84 extra bits

RADAR

WHAT'S ON OUR RADAR IN MAY 2021

ETHAN BAKER & KYLE BUCKLE

new PS5

The newest Playstation console got a very good reception when it first launched back in November 2020, with 4.5 million sales worldwide. April brings new updates to the new console, like storage expansion and management, more social features and enhanced control and personalisation options.

new Spotify releases Spotify recently released a new basketball inspired interactive game to come out along side with AJ Tracey's new album. Spotify also releases a new 'Hey Spotify' feature, which helps with playing music if your hands are all tied up doing something else. BROCKHAMPTON, Taylor Swift, Twenty One Pilots and Justin Bieber all release new albums this month.

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all about esports

student savers

If you're a student in either college, university or sixth form, you could save money off on your favourite brands, restaurants, gym equipment and more. There is multiple ways to start saving money online such as free apps like Unidays or savethestudent.org.

Here at QMC, our new esports room is opening its doors on the 27th of May. It includes 52 state-of-the-art gaming machines, a yoga room, an editing and streaming room as well as a mini cafe too.

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creativity in covid MELISSA DICKHART In January of 2021, the Covid pandemic gained new life in the United Kingdom, resulting in a second lockdown. The CATs students (Art, Photography, Textiles, Film, Graphics and Media) were forced to continue their studies from home. This severely limited the access we had to equipment, props, and studio space that we once thought we needed to complete our work.

Luckily, the nature of the Creative Arts students is to adapt and innovate. For example, a lot of students began to pick up new (often creative) hobbies and learned the value that Creative Arts brings to those already acquainted with them. We began to adapt to working from home, creating art with our families and discovering new, refreshing ways to express our creativity.

One notable way that we learned to adapt to the new learning environment was through embracing technology to aid project creation. For example, many students who would typically work with traditional art mediums, such as paint, decided to try out digital illustration apps to make up for the lack of access to equipment. The Photography students used FaceTime and other video streaming to develop an experimental series of work. Within Media, we began developing opening sequences to a fictional Film Noir film using only our phones. While this was challenging, this forced us into becoming more resourceful with our creations. Being locked down gave way to a new and unexpected kind of approach to creativity.

When faced with the challenge of being forced to learn very hand-on subjects in a decidedly hands-off environment, we embraced a digital age of creativity. Whether through using video calls to film with people miles away, or through learning to create their Art with a new and unfamiliar medium, there is no denying that the Covid lockdown has allowed creativity to blossom in unexpected ways.

SREDNUAS ANNA

scimoc pat the cat ARI BROWN

creativity during covid JACK CAVANGH

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