NFL Ones To Watch - Week Three

This week sees the first trip to England of the season and outside of that some fascinating inter conference battles take place on Sunday. The Giants take on the Eagles, the Dolphins will look to keep their opening win momentum as they tackle the Jets [good luck] and the Panthers face the Saints.

The game I'm going to be focusing on this week sees Oakland's Raiders take on Washington's football team.

Oakland [2-0] have been impressive in the early going and will look to continue on their upward trend and are clearly a better team with Derek Carr [QB] front and centre. The last time these teams faced each other, [2013] resulted in a Washington victory [24-14] but both franchises look very different from then as Robert Griffin III took on Matt Flynn [who was filling in for Terrelle Pryor] .
Oakland have the 4th ranked Offensive unit, 15th ranked defensive unit, 13th ranked passing game and 5th ranked rushing game. They also so far have averaged 35.5 points per game and as Washington allow less than 90 yards on the ground so far, this could be a sterner test. Their main chances will be to tackle the passing game and utilise the speed and quickness of Derek Carr [45/60 492 yards 5TDs] and will be keen to continue feeding Michael Crabtree [12 receptions 163 yards (at an average of 13.6 yards per catch) with 3 TDs. and with Washington allowing 266.5 passing yards this certainly appears to be the main weakness to exploit. It's not their only threat and if Marshawn Lynch who looks increasingly refreshed in Oakland goes into beast mode it could be a very long afternoon for Washington's defensive unit.

Washington's task is not made easier with the figures that Oakland allow 200 yards per game through the air and 110 on the ground perhaps former QB Terrelle Pryor [8 receptions for 97 yards averaging 12.1 yards per reception] can be found for some magic. On the ground Rob Kelley seems to be the workhorse as he's accumulated 22 carries for 108 yards [almost 5 ypc] although hasn't punched it in just yet. Those ground scores have gone to Chris Thompson from 6 carries for 81 yards scoring twice. Thompson also snagged a score through the air. Washington have managed 22 ppg, 324.5 total yards , 178 through the air and 146.5 on the ground (all on average).
Washington come into this week with one win and one loss.

For the first time, I'm going to add predictions for all games this weekend [only to win] and these teams are :
Ravens, Browns, Eagles, Dolphins, Broncos, Panthers, Steelers, Falcons , Buccaneers, Patriots, Titans, Packers, Chiefs and Cardinals.

The second play of the week honour goes to Aqib Talib and his 103 yard INT Pick 6. Honourable mentions go to Todd Gurley, Zack Ertz, Drew Brees 300 yard game, Aaron Rodgers 200th Career TD. and Kareem Hunt.

Enjoy Week Three and see you next time ! 

NFL Ones To Watch - Week Two

Week One is in the books and how sweet it is that Football has returned ! All the clubs around the league will be wondering if Week One was a sign of what's to come this season, or an outlier in terms of results that wont often happen.  For some it was a relief from their usual cellar dwelling experiences and they will be keen to explore more of this thing called Winning.

Anyway, the game I've chosen to keep an eye on this week is an intriguing [to me at least] battle between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears [0-1].

The Buccs will be keen to get off to a winning start following their week one Postponement, and I wish all the people caught up in Hurricane Irma the best at this time. The Bears however were inches away on several occasions from coming up with a W, but it wasn't to be as several 4th Quarter drops proved costly although last years beaten Super Bowl finalists Atlanta showed no Super Bowl hangover, it wasn't the same story over in Foxborough as Tom Brady's team scuffled out of the gate and eventually got turned over 42-27, there's still a long way to go yet.

Chicago had a few players that deserve recognition last week and RB Tarik Cohen was one of them. Cohen was all over the field and made 8 receptions for 47 yards and a TD [averaged 5.9 yards per reception] kept the chains moving through the air, while on the ground was even better with 5 carries for 66 yards [13.2 yards per carry] although didn't cross the end zone. Akiem Hicks was the shining light defensively however with 2.0 sacks from three total tackles [0 assisted]. The Bears also gave up 301 total yards last week with 125 coming via the rushing game, and as the Buccs somewhat struggled to punch it in via the ground last season, could serve as a building block that if the run game is stifled, Jameis Winston [TB QB] could be rushed which could force more turnovers.

Usually at this point, I'd highlight possible keys to victory to TB during their previous games [or season stats to date] but there aren't any to this point but their chances to win will be bolstered with Mike Evans being out there, and with Winston having another season of experience to call upon their understanding will be greater, and although not a 2 man team, will be relying heavily upon these two for any successes. Although they will also be hoping for more production from the running backs, as they only managed to get over the goal line a handful of times so to get double digits on the ground would add an extra dimension to the [by comparison] young O Line.

A new feature this season sees me pick a play of the week from the previous round of fixtures ,and the very first winner of this award goes to : Tashaun Gibson, as he snags an errant pass for a 67 yard interception return setting up a short field for the Jaguars to kill the game off with less than 4 minutes on the clock. Other great plays include a behind the back catch for Jason Witten of the Cowboys, Carson Wentz evading a sure sack for the Eagles and Mike Daniels strip of QB Russell Wilson which set up the decisive score in the Packers defeat of the Seahawks.

Week Two is sure to be a thrilling ride for many, for some they might want to get off and come back next week, but nobody really knows what is going to happen on any given Sunday [or Monday].

Enterprise. #MediaEnt

My Enterprise pitch was on Monday afternoon, and I am going to talk about my experiences of the whole process here.

On beginning the Enterprise unit, I felt a little confused about what I would have to do, but this was soon clarified. I began to use Twitter for market research into my idea and to gain interest. I was indecisive about which idea I wanted to use, but I understood that no matter what buisiness plan I was to put together, it would still apply in some way to my buisiness model. The first media idea I had was to have an independent production company which specialised in Media Production in the local area, and the second was a local media production company which was a non profit organisation helping to bring media production the local area. I settled on my first idea, as it could give me more mileage, and was easier to put into a three minute pitch. The reasons for this are: The weaknesses was really only one or two points, funding and opportunities, whereas the non profit organisation had a lot more weaknesses, namely in the funding area, as well as running costs, how I can run it after the initial set up, how to keep it fresh and who my client base would be. The process of doing a pitch really began when I had eliminated any doubts from my mind as to the best strategy, so I could really focus on an end product, as I had no clarity, up to week 5. I don't feel that I would have been able to perform well in the pitch, had I still had mixed feelings about an idea. Now, my company even had a name, which it had never had prior to pitch day. The only problems I was having now, was putting it down in such a way, that I could pitch without the use of Power Point, which would usually help me to speak for longer periods, but as this pitch was only three minutes, I was confident that I would be ok.

The Pitch.

While I felt supremely confident heading into the pitch, I knew that with a little tweak here and there from how I had performed in my Action Learning set, then I could get up to the 2 minute thirty mark, possibly 3 minutes. It has always been important to identify the weaknesses and threats, so that when pitching, you can be more confident of an idea with fewer weaknesses. On the subject of weaknesses, it is important to me, that if there are weaknesses, you know what they are, and state how you are going to eliminate them over a period of time, whether it be 3 months, or a year. This is something in which I briefly mentioned during my pitch, but as I was concious of time, I wanted to make sure I got everything in, and as a negative, I missed out my Market Research, and I should have given more detail to my current weaknesses, some of which were discovered through market research. The strengths of my idea were that I had a clear idea where I wanted my Enterprise buisiness to go, and When I wanted to get there by. I also spoke about the future goals in the short term, medium term and long term. I feel that I was clear and concise in getting my information across and did well selling myself as a current student with new ideas and that I was in the process of gaining a degree. The feedback I got was generally positive, although there were things I could improve on, such as "more detail in the Market Research and when saying I was getting a degree, why didn't I sell it, that I'd be awesome, I'm getting a first".  Other than that it was a pretty good performance. I mentioned a competitor to me in the pitch, Hello Hello Pictures. They produce a wide array of media ranging from short films and music videos to image design and audio work. These are based in the West Midlands also and are my biggest rival to date, given they only formed in latter 2011. The reason they are my rivals, is because my content would be short films, music videos, and as I have a current involvement with radio, I could do Radio work and promotion too. My next steps on my journey, are to form an even clearer vision, plan out a business plan in which my weaknesses mentioned above are addressed, and to begin gaining content for my portfolio. I would hope to accomplish this by the end of December 2012.

Checking In, one more time!

This has been one of the most enjoyable shoots I have been a part of, in my small media career. Professional throughout, and really well thought out, in terms of locations, story and structure to the schedules.

This stems from cast and crew to the facilities we were filming in. The staff of the hotel we were using, were very patient, and very accomodating. I want to here, [and have in person thank[ed] everyone for their hospitality, generousity and dedication. Appreciate, that we went into a working, hotel with legitimate people checking in (and out) of it while we ran about with a camera, some sweaty men, (and occasional females) lights and a microphone(s) on a pole. Some sight right? Well you'd be right! Unfortunately, due to copyright reasons [camera shy people] I cannot show you, so you will just have to trust me!

Trying to remember everything I did, is difficult so I won't mention individuals, as I Will have missed a few off, and that isn't fair ! :p It was great to work with new people, and also get to see people I worked with years ago back here. Full of awesome!

So much I could write here, but I will not.

Simply put, here's to Checking in , which will be viewable in 2013!

Matt. x

 

Issue of Debate #4 - BBC Birmingham

The factual production from BBC Birmingham, is in the summer months, relocating to Bristol.

Production work in BBC Birmingham currently takes place at The Mailbox. Programmes produced include output on both television and radio. Before The Mailbox, these productions took place at Pebble Mill.

The decision to move the production from Birmingham to Bristol, among other places, certainly on one hand creates a lack of employment opportunities in my area, but on the other hand, could open up a new opportunity to gain employment. With this coming out of the area, it could gain me employment with the job cuts closer to home, but also one on hand, could make the job market even more competitive.

Some radio and television products which will remain in Birmingham, include Midlands Today and Countryfile. For radio includes The Archers and BBC WM. 

Issue of Debate #3 - Twitter Interactivity.

The interactivity of Twitter, has helped reinvigorate the Television industry. A few years ago, viewers were not able to discuss their thoughts on a television show, as it was airing, but Twitter has allowed users of the social networking site, to share their opinions, by creating hash tags, or using ones provided by the programme in question. A popular one I have used in University, is #Drama, for the Television Drama module, and #Docs for the TV Documentary and features module in Semester one.

This allowed me to intearct with other members of my tutor group while watching in the comfort of my own home, and the following weeks scheduled class, saw us able to elaborate on what we liked about the programmes we had watched. Twitter can also be a bad thing for television, as over exposure to it, and forcing it down peoples throats could have an effect where people may not want to watch that particular TV show. An example of this, is recently on WWE Raw every week promoting Twitter, and a month ago, it was overkill, mentioning twitter at every opportunity. Luckily it has died down now, but Twitter is still seen with on screen graphics promoting various things to do with either the current show, or upcoming shows of WWE television.

Another example, where Twitter can help television programmes is on shows such as Unreported World. Unreported World is now in its 23 series, and has been widely watched throughout its run, and due to its unique nature of a different person doing an episode each week, adds a sense of danger, to me , that if they were in another place that they may not be as safe, as an "undercover, unreported" world. Twitter certainly opens the eyes to the world of the dangerous nature of some of the places, and the awful stuff which is happening.

Issue of Debate # 2 - Reality Programming.

Now, I'm a fan of some reality shows, such as 24 hours in A&E, but I am not a fan of TOWIE or Big Brother. I understand the requirements for shows like TOWIE and similar shows (Geordie Shore, Desperate Scousewives), as they focus on a normal person in an everday situation which we can all have experience with. I don't really understand why a show such as Big Brother is as appealing as it is. Let us all, as a nation, sit on the settee and watch a bunch of people doing exactly the same.

24 Hours in A&E.
This show is broadcast on Channel 4, and it was filmed 24/7 for 28 days. The episode I am basing this review of was originally broadcast on Channel 4 at 9 pm on the 27th June 2012. The first 2 minutes of an episode, introduce the viewer to what they will see in the upcoming episode, and is edited together really effiently, and quickly, to symbolise the buisiness of the hospital and the urgency of the jobs by the talking heads in the introduction monologues. What also helped the following three minutes, was the case of a man who had a finger laceration, and you can feel the vulnerability and fear that he was a burden keeping the nurse from a more important medical case. You can also see the plights of the staff, as one of the doctors is quoted at 06:20 "Why is this person in A&E, she's got a cold". We then meet "Malcolm" After this, we get a close up of the red Phone ringing, which is probably a cut away added in editing, which then takes us onto the next case, that being of "a 93 year old man, who was knocked over just outside" named Earnest. For the next ten or so minutes, we are taken between the two cases, and briefly introducing another case, Sean who "hurt his shoulder on the way to work". After the break, we meet a mother and son , who are in A & E because the son fell on the stairs and had lingering rib issues and pain. The format for the rest of the show is the same, to keep each case in the forethough of the viewers' and also to keep it fresh enough it feels different.

In this show you can really feel for some of the characters, which have been well selected by producers, and probably, are from a selection of characters, but some might not come across well on camera, or in working with them, they get a sense of the character in their job.

TOWIE.
This show is broadcast on ITV2. It is filmed a few days in advance of it being aired, and an exert from the episode Series 5 Episode 10 is the basis of this review. The show was originally broadcast on ITV2.
It is a groundbreaking scene between Arg and Gem. After some previous tomfoolery and shenanigans both finally come clean with each other about their feelings for each other in a controlled and unrealistic way.


With Big brother, the format is always the same, and always disappoints so many people, yet there are always people who claim to love it, then be the first to complain about it. While I loved the idea of Big brother, in its infancy, I have grown to lothe all the television time it had gotten across the summer, although with the revivial on Channel 5, it is only on Television for an hour or 2 every night instead of 24/7 coverage, so I can understand the recent surge in viewers. I may even begin to watch it myself, if it continues to be a limited format.

In conclusion, I think if you think of a reality genred programme, it will be more successful if you follow the lineage of 24 Hours in A & E , although shows like TOWIE are becoming more popular, with the likes of Geordie Shore, Desperate scousewives, and a rumoured show about Birmingham. I don't believe the format of Big Brother, which is a simplistic approach is a good long term approach.