Business presentation

In order to ensure that you all meet the requirements of these units I want you to prepare a PowerPoint presentation of your hypothetical (or actual) business.
This will have to include a brand identity,location and structure along with all the listed requirements of the units you are covering.

A detailed business presentation which has a business plan and considers all the overheads, target audience, products, units sale price, projected turnover, salary, rent, rates everything that you could encounter in setting up your business.

This is required to be done on 28th March, you will have to produce a presentation which lasts at least 5 to 10 minutes and displays in clarity all aspects of your theoretical or actual business within the context of your units.

No personal data is required here only theoretical figures for cash flow, turnover, salary and overheads.

Everyone must do the presentation in order to achieve the Units of this course.First years can also do this within the context of your units, but not as in depth as the second years.

To help you with this it may prove useful to produce a SWOT analysis of what you are doing, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to your potential business.

Engaging with Unit Requirements etc....

Can you all make sure that you have addressed the course requirements for the units you are covering for this part of the course. Some of you have indeed done this really well and are showing an ability to engage with clients and to clearly document what you are doing.
This is an important part of your Foundation Degree and must be done and not left aside from other projects that you are working on.

Also as you look through the unit requirements you need to place a label at the bottom of each post that you produce to indicate what piece of work meets which criteria. Then ensure that you have the labels gadget that will automatically stack alongside your work your unit criteria and how often you have met it within brackets.

And finally I want you to look at the link to the studio that we visited to see the latest update on the work that they have been producing over the last few months.This link to industry is one that you should be proactive about and using as a barometer to measure how you could fit into the photography industry along with all its complex requirements. This case study profile should be used to initiate your research and development.

http://adrianheapyphoto.blogspot.com

Portfolio & Client Response

Year Two - Professional and Contextual Studies 2

A Portfolio (professional file) weighted at 45%, a Journal weighted at 10%, A Dev Plan weighted at 45%

In response to the visit to the photography studio I did ask year two Foundation Degree students to write a 'Portfolio' based on all the information gleaned and images that you may of taken whilst there along with images of their work copied from their website..I want anyone who hasn't written a professional portfolio to do so.(as covered in a previous blog entry). Look at how the course marking is 'weighted' in accordance with the different learning outcomes.

In the context of this I also want you to put together a 'Business Plan' (or if you like a portfolio about you and how you see yourself operating as a photographer, what clients are you aiming to work with,what services you would like to offer, and for how much.

Location is key to providing any service and this also needs to be considered, where and how you could operate a business from a certain location maybe opposed to another, pros and cons, etc.. I will expect you for formulate a concise business plan with extended information regarding brand and identity and your potential 'position' within the current industry

Remember Assessment One is a Portfolio of evidence of participation in professional activities relating to leadership and management, with associated commentary (45%Learning Outcome 1).

Within this you should consider the following;

Exploring professional responsibilities and the qualities required for leadership and management.This supports personal development in specialist pathway, offering the opportunity to investigate processes and skills associated with positions of responsibility in the workplace and associated legal, ethical and practical constraints.

Students should experience professional situations such as interviews, bidding for funding, responding to government strategies, action planning, liaising with clients, responding to complaints, financial planning including taxation and risk assessments.

Please compare and contrast both your plans and the 'portfolio' of Adrian's photography studio because the same will apply to you, as to him, but on a different scale and to varying degrees. In this way you can meet all the outcome requirements for this course. 

It would also be important for you to consider potential turnover per month and year based upon some sensible projects from the services that you will provide. For example are you going to be doing;

Weddings, Portraits, Advertising, Editorial, PR, Commercial, Architectural, Fashion, etc..etc.. For each area I would expect to see data concerning all potential overheads, Taxation, VAT, Rent, Rates, Utilities bills, Staff, Kit and Equipment, Studio overheads, along with projected Salary and the potential diversification into different areas of photography.

These are all part of the requirement of writing a thorough and professional portfolio of information in the context of how you yourself can operate viably as a photographer within this competitive industry.

You should all be working on projects that involve clients of some description in respect to the 'Client Response' brief that you all should be continuing with. Finding and working with clients, negotiating with them and generating successful images should be happening. If this isn't the case and you are struggling to find clients in an area of photography, then you must reflect upon how much effort have you put into finding them.

Photography is a tough industry as I am sure you are all aware, but you must generate that momentum now in a very clear and concise manner because I know in a year or two all of you will be looking to work independently or within a small team or company.

Finding clients and working with them will be down to you on your own very soon so this practice is vital in order to get that vital experience now.

The images that you are taking should be practice shoots that will build your portfolio in an area of your specialism, ie if you want to be a fashion photographer you should be shooting test images all the time in order to be ready when that 'phone call' comes. Never stand still and wait for work to come and drop in your lap as it wont.

Assessment Two: A substantial written response in an appropriate format associated with a planning need, eg funding bid, strategic planning, training programme, etc..(45%) Learning Outcome 2.

This is being covered by the exhibition being held later in the year alongside the first years.

Portfolio / Client Response and Case Study

Year One - Professional and Contextual Studies

A Portfolio (professional file) weighted at 50%

In response to the visit to the photography studio I did ask year one Foundation Degree students to write a 'Portfolio' based on all the information gleaned and images that you may of taken whilst there along with images of their work copied from their website..I want anyone who hasn't written a professional portfolio to do so.(as covered in a previous blog entry). Look at how the course marking is 'weighted' in accordance with the different learning outcomes.

In the context of this I also want you to put together a 'Business Plan' (or if you like a portfolio about you and how you see yourself operating as a photographer, what clients are you aiming to work with,what services you would like to offer, and for how much.

Location is key to providing any service and this also needs to be considered, where and how you could operate a business from a certain location maybe opposed to another, pros and cons, etc.. I will expect you for formulate a concise business plan with extended information regarding brand and identity and your potential 'position' within the current industry

Remember Assessment One is about a portfolio of information relating to legislation and industry guidelines, with a commentary (approx 1,000 words) describing its impact on the sector (50%) Learning Outcome 1.


Within this you should consider the following;

Health and Safety
Criminal Records Clearance
Working with children & vulnerable people
Copyright
Data Protection
Permissions
Equal Ops
Public Liability
Intellectual Property Rights

Please compare and contrast both your plans and the portfolio of Adrian's photography studio because the same will apply to you, as to him, but on a different scale and to varying degrees. In this way you can meet all the outcome requirements for this course. This is required from both years within the Foundation Degree.

It would also be important for you to consider potential turnover per month and year based upon some sensible projects from the services that you will provide. For example are you going to be doing;


Weddings, Portraits, Advertising, Editorial, PR, Commercial, Architectural, Fashion, etc..etc.. For each area I would expect to see data concerning all potential overheads, Taxation, VAT, Rent, Rates, Utilities bills, Staff, Kit and Equipment, Studio overheads, along with projected Salary and the potential diversification into different areas of photography.

These are all part of the requirement of writing a thorough and professional portfolio of information in the context of how you yourself can operate viably as a photographer within this competitive industry.

You should all be working on projects that involve clients of some description in respect to the 'Client Response' brief that you all should be continuing with. Finding and working with clients, negotiating with them and generating successful images should be happening. If this isn't the case and you are struggling to find clients in an area of photography, then you must reflect upon how much effort have you put into finding them.

Photography is a tough industry as I am sure you are all aware, but you must generate that momentum now in a very clear and concise manner because I know in a year or two all of you will be looking to work independently or within a small team or company.
Finding clients and working with them will be down to you on your own very soon so this practice is vital in order to get that vital experience now.

The images that you are taking should be practice shoots that will build your portfolio in an area of your specialism, ie if you want to be a fashion photographer you should be shooting test images all the time in order to be ready when that 'phone call' comes. Never stand still and wait for work to come and drop in your lap as it wont.

Assessment Two: A Case Study of the process of organising an event or activity, showing a range of communication methods utilised, to be presented in a format reflecting the nature of the event or activity (50%) Learning Outcomes 2 and 3).


This will be covered later in the year often in the format of an exhibition of your work.

Erik Knudsen

As part of our session today we have a guest lecture by Erik Knudsen this will be at 2pm as part of this you are expected to take notes either via notebook or iPad.
Also the session will be filmed via a flip video camera to allow you to evidence the talk into your blogs. The film will load into iMovie after today and be easily compressed to upload onto your websites.

http://www.onedayfilms.com/page/erik-knudsen

Blog Link, please attach to your own blog to aid learning;

http://www.onedayfilms.com/blog

Some of the films produced are;
The Silent Accomplice.
http://www.onedayfilms.com/page/silentaccomplice
Heart of Gold.
http://www.onedayfilms.com/page/heart-of-gold

plus many more viewable here;
http://www.onedayfilms.com/page/erik-knudsen

And the school of Media, Music and Performance;
http://www.smmp.salford.ac.uk/

Street photography gallery;
http://www.onedayfilms.com/page/streetphotography

Lesson Plan 2011/2012
Staff Name:	Stephen Davies	Location:	UC 207				No. of students:	5 year 1/ 9 year 2	Week:	8
Subject/ topic:	Guest Lecture – ERIK KNUDSON	Course:	Foundation Degree Digital Media Production				Date:	7th December 2011 1:15 - 4:30 pm
Aims:	Research – gather information and images Students are expected to take notes during the lecture Notes are required to be reflected upon				Objectives:		Learners will be able to: research and write notes on the visiting practitioner discuss the context of the work research – cultural influences write about the function, purpose and qualities of the work evaluate their findings by writing a critical review
Context statement: teaching assistant will take notes for learner who has disclosed autism and receives 1 to 1 classroom support. Visiting speaker themes cover E&D, personal and cultural experience examined though film-making
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Stage	Teaching/Learning Procedures/Activities			Group Work/ Small Group/ Individual Work		Differentiated Student Activities & Extension Opportunities			Resources to be used
Introduction 1:15 – 1:20	Take register, record absences Introduce aims and objectives All of this lesson is on the following tutor support website, www.fdcourse.blogspot.com Please refer to this to see all course info and network of student blogs / plus also available via tutor ipad please ask to see this.			Group		Listen and respond; teaching assistant will take notes, will have paper copies of information All students have their own personal blog websites which receive formative feedback on a regular basis ask to see student websites to see evidence of this all available on ipad.			Whiteboard blog websites via blogger
Development 1:20-3:00 (break) 3:00 – 3:15	All learners will attend the guest lecture in the H.E lecture theatre. Learners are expected to take notes and ask questions. All site are networked into tutor support website all student work is evidenced  on their own websites after the talk to aid reflective practice			Group		Tutor will speak to all of the learners individually or in small groups while monitoring the whole group. Aims and objectives will be read aloud and written on the board (Audio and Visual learners).			Handouts are available on Moodle and on blogger websites
Development 3:15 - 4:20	All learners will return to their classroom. Tutor recaps objectives			Group / Individual		Research and review tips will be required for some students, most students will reflect on the work, all students will make notes			Macs, blogs, journals
Consolidation 4:20-4:30	Tutor gathers the class together to reflect upon the learner’s outcomes and briefly discuss what the next session will involve.			Group		Listen and respond; teaching assistant will take notes, will have paper copies of information Add reflections and associated research, thoughts and ideas onto blogger websites that each student has to evidence all their course work for the units that I deliver.			Macs, blogs, journals

Blog Link to Studio

After our visit I now have set up a way to keep in touch with the studio via a blog, which you can connect into and follow;

http://adrianheapyphoto.blogspot.com

Please follow this and keep in touch with them as part of this course and the units that you have to meet.

Case Study

Based on the studio visit last week to Adrian Heapy Photography I want you all to start and put together an in depth response to that visit. In this way you will be meeting the requirements of the course.
It needs to take the form of an analysis of each area of the business clients and professional practices.

Year 1 
It fits with a portfolio of information relating to legislation and industry guidelines describing its impact on the sector.(1,000 words) also read the units carefully to make sure to do what it says on the tin.

Year 2
Exploring professional responsibilities and qualities required for leadership and management, adrian had alot to say about this (did you take notes?, bet you wish you had now!).
This also meets the module for Personal Development in Specialist Pathway, offering the opportunity to investigate processes and skills associated with positions of responsibility in the workplace, and also the associated legal, ethical and practical constraints.
Plus expand further with the usual reflective writing to explain fully the impact, influences, thoughts and ideas this visit will of surely caused.

What were the questions that were asked and what replies were given to your questions and that of others, evidence all of this on your blogs with supporting images and videos that you took.

Studio size and location (why there)?
Type of work they undertake and why?
How has he been in photography and where did he start?
What areas have been profitable over the years and why?
Client depth and breadth across uk?
Requirements of kit, type and suitability to subject and why?
Etc...etc...etc...

Type of cameras used and why?
What does he use now, what processes used to exist before digital and where were they done?
Digital Workflow and how it is managed, what methods do they use and why, security, Archive systems etc...
Photoshop and it uses within the studio..etc...best practice
Brochures and client work that you saw...what style was it, etc...etc.

Client confidentiality, dealing with clients, being professional and what this means.
Client expectations and examples of pressure and working to tight deadlines
Repercussions of not meeting deadlines...what was said and in what context
Copyright issues and examples of infringement / breaches
Intellectual property rights, ownership , plaigarism, etc etc..
Health and Safety at work and public liability.

Roomsets
Client typical brief
Layouts and design methods
Mood boards
Construction by stages, chippy, builders, etc...
Wallpaper and painting / prep area...
Props and prop stores and their useage
Working with stylists benefits and costs, search fees..etc..(what company do they use)
Lighting Arri type, why this type...etc
etc...etc...etc....

Plus upload all your images and videos to your blogs please.

Studio Visit - Part 1-23rd November - Part 2- 26th November

                                                     www.adrianheapyphoto.co.uk


The visit to this studio will happen in 2 parts, the date / times will be from 9am until 4.30pm Wednesday 23rd November, and 9.00am until 1.30pm on Saturday 26th November.
The post code is DE56 1UP also use this link for visit information;

http://www.adrianheapyphoto.co.uk/contact.html

As this is a professional studio the expectation is that you arrive no later than 9- 9.30 am so we can start on time, arriving on time is vital please.

The expectation is that you arrange all the travel yourself by 'car sharing' or by train (the railway station in  Belper is very close to the studio). A nearby landmark is the Lion Hotel and you can park in the pay and display car park nearby. Look at the directions map on the website please for further information.

Take time to look around the website to get familiar with what they do and specialise in, so that you are aware also of the types of clients that they have and in what genres of photography.

The day will consist of seeing how a professional studio works and what workflow they use to resolve a variety of client work from concept to output. You will need to bring your cameras just in case we need them along with any laptops and ipads as wifi is available. Lunch can be bought nearby in the high street or bring your own.

The studio is a 'live' working environment and as such we will have to respect any last minute changes to what they are able to provide and show to us. The main subject will be the concept and construction of a room set, and will include whatever stage it is at when we arrive, it should be in its early stages and will allow you to see how the studio prepares and constructs this from its resources.
Also we should be able have a short intro to the studio from the Director Adrian Heapy supported by access to previous client work, brochures and images.

On Saturday you can come back for the return visit to see how it has come together as a final styled roomset along with preferred lighting style. You may get chance to experiment with how you would light this will the studio lighting. This is subject to approval.

Please respect the fact that this is one of the studios where I have worked in the past and I am a close associate of, and you are representing the college and not just yourselves.

Online Exhibition

Before xmas I need to have all the images you have produced for me on this course so far, and they will be on a webpage which will showcase all of your work. The internet will act as a permanent gallery space for your very best images that you have taken working with your clients and prospective creative photography.

Any ideas on the design and layout of your work will be greatly received, current websites that you may have can also play a part in how you show your work.

Students are expected to provide a least 4 final images at A3 300 dpi and given to me 1 week before the end of this term.

Week 8 - Return of the Prodigal Son

After a juggling of timetable I am now back on this course on a weds afternoon. The course I was running before will continue with the same units and outcomes.
You will need to revisit the work that you did before half term and pick up where you left off. It is vital as a photographer that you are able to keep momentum with your work, and with this in mind you need to get back up to speed with your links with clients.

From time to time I will act as a client and give you a brief to resolve which will be either specific to your theme, or broader for the whole group to resolve. I like to give warning for these but they may happen out of the blue.

I will be expecting a broad range of research of your client and thematic approach to your work which explores and examines the specific genres of your photography. In line with the lack of previous research the assignment paper has been altered to rectify this.
Also whatever kit and equipment you come into contact with you will need to evidence clearly in your blog website.

Also I would expect that in response to research and equipment that you initiate experimental test shots of your own in preparation and readiness for working in the area that you are aiming to find clients in,
ie, If you have prospective clients or would like to target, you are taking photographs at all times in preparation for working with them. These images can then be sent to these clients as loss leaders backed up with current, relevant images that you have taken.

If its fashion you are setting up fashion shoots to build your portfolio in this area, this needs to be ongoing and evaluated against original research to benchmark how well you are doing. These shoots have to be self initiated and to do this you must be as per all professional photographers, continually producing images as part of your continued professional development. Do not wait to be asked in order to produce these, you need to be very proactive (an attribute you need to develop to succeed in any area of photography).

Can you also look at what we did on week 5 and make sure that this is also underway and investigated fully and evidenced fully on your blogs. In this way we can cellotape over the small gap we have had between our classes. The Hasselblad professional investigation needs to be done to understand the context of its use throughout the decades this provides the ideal opportunity to meet the outcomes of the units you must cover.

Last thing can you all make sure that you are following this tutor support website. Also can you check that you are all following and able to comment on each others work throughout the duration of this course as this is vital and improves your network skills (and choosing of correct vocabulary to talk about each others work). This communication acts as a rolling critique of all your work as it is produced and evidenced allowing time to react, change and adapt work in response to it.