Assignment 2 Task 5 - Progression Training

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeships?ApprenticeshipLevel=All&Hash=0&Latitude=53.48286&Longitude=-2.2953&Location=Salford%20%28Greater%20Manchester%29&LocationType=NonNational&PageNumber=3&ResultsPerPage=5&SearchAction=Sort&SearchField=All&SearchMode=Keyword&SortType=Distance&WithinDistance=15

Social media apprentice
Programme: Digital Marketing
Town: Manchester
Salary: £150 per week
Postcode: M8
Tasks:

• Implement and manage all social media avenues relevant to the business
• Manage the back end of the company website
• Use own initiative to design and implement marketing activities
• Assist to produce banners, flyers, email campaigns
• Email marketing

"Start with a 12-14 month Digital Marketing apprenticeship, which consists of training in small groups and work-based assessment, covering: Search – SEO and PPC, Design, Online advertising, Email marketing, Social media and Image and video editing." 

Upon Completion: 

"94% of QA Apprentices secure permanent employment after finishing their Digital Marketing apprenticeship.Additionally may be opportunities to undertake further learning such as Higher apprenticeships."

Links:

http://apprenticeships.qa.com/vacancy-search/social-media-apprentice-1211-0001-00007017?source=indeed&utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Indeed

Graphic Design Apprentice
Nuttersons in Manchester
Work full time 4 days a week in the workplace and 1 day a week in college/university.

"This position is an exciting role which allows you to be creative and bring your personality into the workplace making it perfect for anybody who is interested in; design, media, digital marketing, graphics, illustration, photo editing, Photoshop, art and much more."

"We’re looking for somebody who is a fast-learning, hard-working perfectionist with a strong eye for design. Also they must be adaptable and thrive on constructive criticism. If you are friendly and approachable with strong people skills, work good under pressure and you enjoy learning and bettering yourself, this job would be perfect for you."

Links:
http://www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/Nuttersons/jobs/Graphic-Design-Apprentice-3a97177dcff54a81?q=Apprenticeship


Solution IT Line Support Apprentice - 6940
Weekly wage: £192.38
Working Week: 37.5 hours from 9 am to 5:30 pm with an hour unpaid lunch
Duration: 12 - 14 months
Qualifications: Ideally five GCSE grades at C or above or equivalent qualifications, including Maths and English.
What you will be doing:

• Escalating procedures, promptly allocating unresolved calls as appropriate.
• Providing advice to customers on systems, products and services which are available to them.
• Maintaining the log system and advising customers of actions taken.
• Assisting the line manager in identifying personal training and development needs.
• Gaining sound understanding of Sodexo specific PC applications and the impact of any failure/problems.
• Providing mentoring/training to more junior members of the Support team as required.
• Undertaking any other tasks as requested by Management.
• Following agreed procedures, assist customers in a pleasant and professional manner. Maintaining accurate log entries of requests with fault details and contact information.
• Following agreed procedures, searching documentation, and previous requests for assistance on related topics to establish possible solutions to calls. 

Upon Completion:

"94% of QA Apprentices secure permanent employment after finishing their IT apprenticeship. Additionally may be opportunities to undertake further learning such as Higher apprenticeships."

Links:
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/695531


Software Testing Apprenticeship

Weekly wage: £131.25
Working Week: Mon to Fri 9am - 5.30pm 37.5 Hrs

"To have the ability to communicate the findings to the development team. 
There are various levels within the testing field that you can workup to - these include software test lead, software test manager, software test architect and software test designer. You'll often be work on more than one project at a time, one product in first phase testing and another in its second or final phase. 
Your typical working hours will be a 9am to 5.30pm day. 
The job role will also include you using a range of different application software, internet use, and helping to maintain documentation. 
A key aspect is the ability to communicate problems to the development team, with steps to reproduce the issue and a description of the symptom. An eye for detail would be beneficial."

Desired Skills:

• Good written and oral communication skills(for documenting the process)
• The ability to work to deadlines.
• Good range of IT User skills and knowledge of the main MS Office application packages including:
• MS Word - produce letters, reports, use collaborative editing
• MS Excel - data management
• MS PowerPoint - to create interactive presentations
• Using the internet - research
• An interest in current smart phones and tablets.

Personal Qualities: 

• Attention to detail
• A natural curiosity
• Logical thought process
• The ability to work in a team and as an individual

Future Prospects: 

Possible progression within the company and progression onto the next level apprenticeship.

Links:
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/686197


Food and Beverage Apprenticeship 
Weekly wage: £123.75
Working Week: 37.5 Hours Per Week
Qualifications: GCSE Grade D or above in English and Maths or equivalent.
What you will be doing:

• To wait tables and take orders with a high level of customer service
• To have a full understanding of the operation of the restaurant
• To follow start and end of day procedures, keeping appropriate records
• To ensure that high levels of safety and hygiene are maintained within the shop and ensure that all HACCP procedures are followed at all times
• To maintain cleanliness to a high standard including serving areas
• To report any discrepancies or issues that could affect the smooth running of the restaurant
• To adhere to all company policies and procedures
• Be willing to undertake training to become a fully qualified Food & Beverage assistant
• To undertake any other duties, reports, etc relevant to the post as requested 

Future Prospects:
"Possible full time role for the right candidate on completion of the Apprenticeship."

Links:
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/709287


Apprenticeship Chef 
Weekly wage: £123.75
Working Week: 37.5 Hours per week
Qualifications: GCSE Grade D or above in English and Maths or equivalent.
What you will be doing:

• To be totally customer focused by consistently delivering excellent customer service with an informed, friendly and effective approach
• To assist with the preparation and presentation of all dishes in your allocated working area in order that guests receive efficient service and high quality dishes
• To gain experience in all sections of the kitchen and ensure company and legal requirements are maintained at all times
• To promote the Valor Hospitality Europe Limited purpose, values and behaviours at all times

Future Prospects:

"Possible full time role for the right candidate on completion of the Apprenticeship."

Links: 
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/709278


Apprentice Painter and Decorator
Weekly wage: £128.70
Working Week: Mon to Fri 9am - 5pm 39 Hrs
Qualifications: No formal qualifications required.
What you will be doing:

"Candidates will be expected to work in all weathers, be able to follow instructions and have a head heights. The working environment will be dusty, so if you suffer with asthma please notify the employer. You will be expected to communicate with clients and tenants so excellent communication skills needed. You will be working along side experienced and qualified staff who will train the right candidate in areas of painting and decorating, preparing work surfaces, and application techniques."

Future Prospects:
"Possible progression within the company and progression onto the next level apprenticeship."

Links: 
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/619463


Apprentice Baker/Patsry Chef
Weekly wage:£150.00
Working Week: 30 hours per week
Qualifications: GCSE Grade D or above in English & Maths or equivalent.
What you will be doing:

"We are looking for a keen apprentice to be part of our bakery and pastry team at our production kitchen. With the help of our experienced Chef Patisserie you will be involved in the following:"

• Prepare desserts in accordance with the existing menus
• Bake breads to accompany different meals
• Decorate cakes and baked goods according to requirements
• Inspect the quality of the ingredients and measure them for specific recipes
• Cleanse the equipment and utensils and maintain the kitchen cleanliness in good order for proper functioning

Future Prospects:
"Potential full time position on successful completion of the apprenticeship."

Links: 
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/708935


Apprentice Catering Assistant 
Weekly wage: £99.00
Working Week: 30 Hours per week on a rota between 9am and 4.30pm
Qualifications: Educated to GCSE level including English and Maths or equivalent
Duties and Responsibilities:

• To assist with the preparation food and beverages
• To provide assistance with cooking culturally appropriate meals in accordance with menus taking into account different dietary, medical, cultural and religious requirements.
• To serve meals within the agreed time frame and observe guidance on portion control.
• To check deliveries against orders reporting discrepancies to Day Centre Team Leader
• To assist with storage systems and stock control systems in place.
• To assist with the preparation, package and label meals for delivery.
• To ensure correct use and care of equipment, reporting breakdowns or defects to ensure maximum efficiency and serviceability of all equipment used.
• To monitor the quality of the food and report any problems directly to your line manager.
• To daily clean walls, utensils, wash floors and refrigeration units following correct cleaning methods as instructed. This will ensure the catering areas meets Food Safety Law and the code of Practice laid down for the under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
• To launder towels and table cloths daily.
• To maintain a high level of hygiene practices maintaining a clean and tidy appearance, wearing correct uniform, safety shoes and hat at all times and reporting any accidents in order to produce a clean and safe working environment for all staff, volunteers and service users.
• To participate in team and community meetings.
• To work with a flexible attitude and be willing to carry out any other duties of similar nature, which may become necessary when required thus building good team relationships and excellent customer care skills and providing a friendly and efficient place of work.
• To put into practice, training and instruction given and contribute appropriately, to the efficient delivery of the Catering Service.
• To report siting of pests to the Day Services Team Leader immediately.
• Participate in cultural activities which promote the services of the ACCG.
• To carry out any other responsible request made by your Line Manager and or General Manager.
• The list is not exhaustive and can be revised in agreement with the post holder.

Desired Skills:

• An understanding of and commitment to the needs of Older African Caribbean people.
• Creative
• Good communication skills

Personal Qualities:

• Creative
• Passionate
• Confident
• Good level of Personal Hygiene
• Presentable

Future Prospects:
"On completion of the Intermediate Apprenticeship their is potential progression on to the Advanced Apprenticeship."

Links: 
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/620070


Photography Apprenticeship 
Weekly wage: £99.00
Working Week: 30 hours per week (monday to friday)
Qualifications: To be considered for this role, candidates must have a passion for Creative & Digital Media. Desired candidates should have achieved qualifications at Level 2 in Maths, English and ICT. If not, you can work towards these whilst on your apprenticeship.
What you will be doing:

• Assisting the Photographers in the studio
• Managing a photo Library
• Image touch ups
• Creating presentations for Clients
• Organising Photo shoots and being involved in the process from start to finish
• Communicating with clients on the phone and face to face
• Designing Marketing material to client needs

Desire Skills:

• Photoshop
• Adobe Bridge
• Camera Raw

Personal Qualities: 

"Due to the nature of the position, the candidate must have a clear passion for the industry and can show this through a portfolio of their work. 

If you are a budding photographer in the making then please feel free to apply for the position and you will be contacted to complete an application that The Media College use to identify skills and knowledge."

Future Prospects:

"From this advanced apprenticeship in creative & digital media, candidates have the opportunity to progress onto higher level apprenticeships upon completion, such as the Level 4 Interactive Design & Development. Other progression routes include higher education and sustainable employment."

Links: 
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/706148

Assignment 2 Task 4 - UCAS

After i have completed college in 2017 the 5 higher education courses that i will consider doing are:

1. SFX and VFX 
University: University of Bolton 
Duration: 3 years
Qualification: No specified qualification although with the course than i am currently doing which is games design is enough. 

They do a 3 year course duration but in the first year they will educate you on both Visual Effects and Special Effects just so that you can experience what you have to do in both of the courses then after that first year you will be allowed to choose from the two as to which one you would like to make as your main course that you will study for the next two years. From the two courses i have decided that if i ever do this course i would choose SFX as my main course because i like to more practical and hands on task rather than technical and computer tasks. The fees for full-time undergraduate degree have been set at £9,000 per annum.

Links: 
http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Subjects/SFX/Home.aspx
http://www.bolton.ac.uk/Undergraduate/FeesFunding/Home.aspx

2. Fashion Design 
University: Anglia Ruskin University 
Duration: 3 years, Full time.
Fees: £9,000 annum.  
Qualifications: 
GCSE's: C or above in English.
BTEC's: 

• BTEC National Diploma (18 Units) (not including early years).
• BTEC National Certificate (12 Units) (not including early years).
• BTEC/Scottish Higher National Diploma (HND):

General information on subjects/grades required for entry:
Pass. Any Art/Design subject required.
Information:
Any Fashion, Textile, Design or Art subjects also preferred.

• BTEC/Scottish Higher National Certificate (HNC)

General information on subjects/grades required for entry:

Pass. Any Art/Design subject required.

Information:
Any Fashion, Textile, Design or Art subjects also preferred.

"This course will get you close to all the issues and challenges of contemporary fashion design. From an experimental and industry perspective, you’ll explore its materials, processes and production, and learn how to communicate your ideas creatively. You’ll develop your conceptual thinking and practical skills, and become a professional, innovative fashion designer with an individual identity. With a focus on womenswear and menswear, and the practical design methods used by professionals, you’ll try out techniques including traditional and creative pattern cutting and draping, surface textiles with knitwear, styling, and digital media. You’ll also investigate the culture surrounding fashion: what informs fashion trends, and consumer and market analysis"

"This course will fully equip you to pursue a career as a fashion designer, but also prepare you for a number of roles in the industry, such as design, styling, buying, pattern cutting, illustration, and trend forecasting. You’ll also be well equipped to start your own business or embark on a career in teaching. You might enjoy the course so much that you decide to continue on to a Masters course, like our MA Fashion Design."

Links:
http://search.ucas.com/course/summary/462126/fashion-design?flt99=1310%2C1314%2C1318&Vac=1&AvailableIn=2016&SubjectCode=13&ret=providers

3. Artists Blacksmithing
University: Hereford College of Arts
Duration: 3 years, Full time
Fees: £9,000 annum.
Qualification:
GCSE's:
GCSE/Standard Grade
General information on subjects/grades required for entry:
Three GCSE subjects at grade C or above.
BTEC's:

• BTEC National Diploma (18 Units) (not including early years)

General information on subjects/grades required for entry:
Minimum of 200 UCAS tariff points. (Art & Design/Media Arts related subject).
Required grades:
Grade Pass and grade Merit and grade Merit.
Information:
Portfolio and interview required

• BTEC/Scottish Higher National Diploma (HND)

Information:
Portfolio and interview also required.

• BTEC/Scottish Higher National Certificate (HNC)

Information:
Portfolio and interview also required.

"This course provides opportunities in a highly creative environment for students to explore and develop the range of design, production and entrepreneurial skills necessary to become a practising artist blacksmith. It combines traditional blacksmithing skills with contemporary design and develops design and making skills in forged metal and fabrication at all scales."

"Taught in the largest forge training facility in Europe, Artist Blacksmithing is the only undergraduate programme of its kind in the UK. It has a growing national and international reputation, attracting ambitious and diverse students from across the UK and abroad. The course is uniquely placed to be at the forefront of contemporary forged metalwork practice, combining the skills of traditional blacksmithing with contemporary design in a way which is certainly unique in the UK, and builds upon Hereford’s long history of design craft courses."

Links:
http://search.ucas.com/course/summary/438791/artist-blacksmithing?flt99=1711%2C1712%2C1713%2C1716&Vac=1&AvailableIn=2016&SubjectCode=17&ret=providers

4. Dance
University: Arts University Bournemouth
Duration: 3 years, Full time.
Fees: £9,000 annum.
Qualification:

• GCSE/Standard Grade

General information on subjects/grades required for entry:
Five GCSE at grade C or above including English and Mathematics and any other relevant subjects

• BTEC National Diploma (18 Units) (not including early years)

Required grades:
Grade Merit and grade Distinction and grade Distinction.

• BTEC National Certificate (12 Units) (not including early years)

Required grades:
Grade Merit and grade Distinction.

• BTEC level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) (Suite known as nationals)

Required grades:
Grade Merit and grade Merit and grade Distinction.

• BTEC level 3 Diploma (QCF) (Suite known as nationals)

Required grades:
Grade Merit and grade Distinction.

"The BA (Hons) Dance course offers you the opportunity to explore your potential as an artist; whether that be as a Dancer, Choreographer, Practitioner or Producer or as a bit of all four. At AUB, you can make the most of our culture of collaboration. You can work with film, costume design, and make-up to produce a music video – or join with the acting students in their big productions."

"The Dance degree course aims to provide an experience through which students can develop their potential for a career in dance and related disciplines – as a performer, choreographer, movement director, educator, researcher or project leader. This development will be facilitated through a series of specialist units designed to develop progressively the skills required to become a versatile, creative and articulate dance professional."

Links: 
http://search.ucas.com/course/summary/427217/dance?flt99=1811%2C1812&Vac=1&AvailableIn=2016&SubjectCode=18&ret=providers

5. Culinary Arts Management
University: University College Birmingham
Duration: 3 years, full time
Fees: £8830
Qualification:

• GCSE/Standard Grade

General information on subjects/grades required for entry:

• BTEC National Diploma in Children's Care, Learning and Devt (theory) (2007 onwards)

General information on subjects/grades required for entry:

• BTEC/Scottish Higher National Diploma (HND)

Information:
Suitable for entry onto Level 4, 5, 6 of Degree/Foundation Degree programmePass with a minimum of 140 UCAS tariff pointsStudents will need to have attained GCSE English at grade A-C or an equivalent qualification.

• BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF) (Known as specialist) (level 3)

General information on subjects/grades required for entry:
140 tariff points must be achieved

"Whether you want to be Executive Head Chef at a 5-star Hotel, manage the kitchen of a high profile restaurant or create new food products as a Development Chef, this course will equip you with the skills, knowledge and experience you need."

"This course incurs an additional cost of approximately £205 for uniform and specialist equipment."

"Previous graduates from this course have found very successful careers in a varied range of industry sectors including fine-dining, new product development and contract catering. Others have started their own business enterprises in areas such as specialist food production, consultancy and licensed retail. On successful completion of this course, students can then progress onto the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Culinary Arts Management, also available at UCB."

Links:
http://search.ucas.com/course/summary/419164/culinary-arts-management?flt99=2210&Vac=1&AvailableIn=2016&Query=catering%20&SubjectCode=22&ret=providers#coursedetailsmenu

Assignment 2 Task 3 - Personal Statement

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTec Level 2 Diploma in Creative Media Production

Personal Statement

Draft some answers to the following questions. This is the start of a working document that you will refine over the year. Remember to be truthful, relevant and positive. A successful personal statement is a combination of head and heart.

Name

Ramil Garceniego

What is/are your dream job(s)?

My dream job is to become a concept artist and what sparked this dream was my deep interest in the fantasy category of things be it movies or games and I want to work specifically for a game called League of legends which is a big part that sparked my aspiration to be a concept artist. And if I wanted to succeed in the games industry as concept artists I would have to fully finish my college course and further education and also to practice my drawing skills because art and creativity is a crucial factor for this job. Before I would change my mind from time to time about what I want to do as my dream job and I have thought of doing SFX because it includes having to sculpt, draw and design things in movies like if it was a fantasy movie as your job you would have to create and come with ideas for assets like creatures and also design and make fantasy inspired clothes but right now I have my mind focused on becoming a concept artist. The course that I am currently doing in Eccles Sixth Form Centre which is games design has greatly helped in terms of art because of it I learned more ways of doing things in terms of drawing like using two points to draw a 3D space station and apart from this I learned many more which I think will help greatly for my dream job.

What skills do you possess now?

The subject that I enjoyed the most while I was in school was art because I loved to draw and I still do now, I drew weapons like swords and other types of weapons like bows and arrows. When I first started drawing them they weren’t very good, at least not as good as they are now but they started out not even looking like weapons but I carried on doing them from year 7 until present time but I know that if I want to succeed on doing my dream job I would have to practice drawing things other than weapons. Art has always been my favorite subject because I enjoyed drawing a lot as it made me calm and it relaxes my brain and when I was in high school I would always look forward to the lessons because it helped me a lot in terms of growing as an artist, the lessons were always different and it varied from all kinds of things from doing clay molding to learning brush techniques and also studying famous art styles like Bansky's silhouette art but there were also artists that I had never heard of before which I also had to study and try to incorporate their art style in to mine. For the exam I made my final piece relating to order and disorder and at the end of the exam I had gotten a grade C.

Have you carried out any work experience or voluntary work?

I have carried out one work experience in a media company called MPG which was located in Manchester in which I had to travel to using the bus, my work experience lasted for a week in which I had to come in for 8 or 9 which lasted for about 7 hours. Even though travelling and the working hours were exhausting I enjoyed my work experience because the people that I worked with were friendly and they treated me nicely. I did my work experience in a media company where they do posters and other media related work. The first job that I was assigned to was make coffee for people which I enjoyed because it was quite relaxing and easy because they had made a list of what people wanted to have and I just had to follow what was written on the sheet, I did this for at least two days till they finally assigned me to assist them with small tasks like assisting them with trimming and adjusting paper sizes, another was to stick labels into folders. In between the small tasks I would still make the employees coffee in between, they weren’t big jobs but I was happy to help with it and I had some laughs with the employees and at the end of my work experience I was rewarded with £30.

What soft, transferable skills do you possess now or need to develop and how?
I would say that I am a reliable and honest person, if you give me a task I will do my best and not complain about it and work hard to get the task finished. I also have a creative mind and I love to draw which are ideal skills needed for being a concept artist. Sometimes I might feel unmotivated especially when I’m hungry but I’ll get right back to the task I was set and work hard to finish it on time. I’m quite a quiet person but when I get comfortable around people I don’t hold back, my head takes time to process ideas which I think is bad but once an idea pops into my head I’ll try to make that idea work.

What personal interests and hobbies do you have or have had in the past?
My hobby in the past was drawing and it still is now. I drew weapons, swords in particular which I’ve been doing since I was in year 7 and they weren’t very good but because I kept drawing since year 7 it got better and better through the years which makes me believe in the saying that practice makes perfect although my drawings aren’t exactly “perfect” yet in my point of view. Another hobby of mine now is watching anime and playing games and my favorite genre from both of those is fantasy. My favorite game right now which is League of Legends is what got me more interested and motivated on being a concept artists.

Assignment 2 Task 2 CV

Salford City College Eccles Sixth Form Centre BTec Level 2 Diploma in Creative Media Production

Curriculum Vitae

NAME	Ramil Garceniego
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
EMAIL	Ramilgarcenigo@gmail.com
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK / TWITTER /BLOG	Ramil Cyrus Ian Garceniego
DATE OF BIRTH	20 july 1998
EDUCATION	2009 – 2014 – Oasis Media City UK 2014 – 2017 - Salford City College – Eccles Sixth Form Centre
QUALIFICATIONS	GCSE Mathematics - (D) GCSE English - (C) BTEC Science - (Merit) GCSE Art - (C) BTEC Media - (Merit)

WORK EXPERIENCE
2013-2013	MPG (Manchester Print Graphics), Shudehill, Manchester Assisting with printing and with products

SKILLS & PERSONAL QUALITIES

Reliable Trustworthy Cheerful, keen & enthusiastic Patient Willing to train and gain further experience

INTERESTS

Art Drawing Anime Video games

REFEREE

Harry Arnold New Media Tutor Eccles Sixth Form Centre Chatsworth Road Eccles Salford M30 9FJ 0161 631 5000 harry.arnold@salfordcc.ac.uk

Assignment 2 Task 1 - Portfolio

https://ramilgarceniego.wordpress.com/

This is what my main page looks like and i used the cubic theme for it, it shows the pages that i have made with their individual categories, each of the categories have a few of my artworks that fit in that category. 

Perspective

When you click on the perspective box it will take you the perspective page and immediately show you one of my artworks called 2 point perspective space station that i have chosen as a feature image.

 When you hover over the images the name of the artworks will pop up which i have set up as a default setting for all the other artworks. in this category i learnt about one point, two point and three point perspective and that if used properly can create shapes, letters etc. i also learnt how to draw 3D shapes using gridded cubes and prisms.

Anatomy

This page shows my portrait artworks along with other types in connection with anatomy. The featured image is one of my portrait works where i had to draw my partner in some angle. This task was the free handed task and for this i was allowed to choose to use any of the types of media that i had previously used with my other portrait works. The anatomy task is basically everything human.

 Here it shows some of my other portrait artwork where i had to do multiple tasks consisting of using a number of different techniques and media. One of the tasks instructed me to draw with my right hand and then i had to draw a close up of my drawing partners eye using 3 different colored marker pens of our choice that are light to dark. So start it i drew the eye with the lightest outline and then went in with the two other colors as shading and i used the darkest color for the eyebrows and the pupil.

From this section on the page will be showing figure style art and some other styles. Most of the artworks in this page were either primary or secondary observation. Most of the pieces in this page are from primary observation like the portrait style pieces near the top of the page, in the image above you can see 4 drawings of hands the task was called expressive hands exercise and for this task i was instructed to express 4 types of emotions using my chosen hand which in this case was my left hand because my right hand is my drawing hand. The 4 types of emotions that i had to express were ok, peace, stop and anger. 

Most of the pieces near the bottom are secondary observation exercises, four of them to be exact this includes the mythical creature exercise, the tracing exercise, gridded exercise and the manga head construction exercise where i was instructed to follow a tutorial of two ways on how to draw a manga head on YouTube. For the mythical creature exercise i was instructed to gather various images for each body part from the internet, for the head i had to search for an image of a peacock, the body was just the torso of a man, crab claws for hands, cheetah legs for the legs, eagle feet and some additional parts which were bat wings to complete the mythical creature.

Object

I only have a couple of pieces for the object page and the feature image was an exercise where i had to follow the instruction that was written on the sheet and the first instruction was that i had to use different line techniques on the little boxes on the left hand side, for the first 6 i just had to copy the completed version but for the last six i thought up of my own line techniques. The second part the sheet instructed me to use those line techniques and use it to create 3D looking shapes using only the line techniques from the first instruction. 

The third part was easy because all i had to do was draw lines but for the first line i drew quite a thin line then i drew it darker for the other two. The second task instructed me to create a still life using plastic cups, paper plates and cutlery.

 After i set up my still life i started drawing it via observation with the willow charcoal while using a regressive technique. And then i used this tonal technique to give each of the object a form by drawing the outlines first and then going in dark for the shadows while gently blending it away to create the lighter tones.

Textures

 For this task it consisted of two types of medium and 8 different drawings to do. I was instructed to use 2 types of pastels one was oil based and the other was chalk, for the oil based pastels i had draw textures from the outside like mulches under the bushes and yellow parking marks. For the chalk based pastel task i drew textures that was within the college like the carpet in the student area and the books in the library.

For these drawings i tried to make it look as much as the original and i'm happy with how they came out, i like the chalk based pastels because they were easier to use and blend with each other but it was quite messy because it leaves left-over dusts on the paper but for the oil based pastels it was quite hard to work with because when you try to draw with another color on top of the other it kind of just drags the other color along and also the other color sticks to stick meaning the next drawing would be messy because the other color has mixed into it but unlike the chalk pastels it was as messy because they didn't leave any kind of dust or left overs that could potentially stain your clothes.

Colours

For this task i played with analogous, complementary and triadic colour schemes using the colour wheel that i had to construct by cross hatching primary colours together to make the secondary and then cross hatching the primary and the secondary to make the tertiary colours in between them. So the first task was the color wheel and for the second task i had to use three colours in the colour wheel that were next to each other and i chose red, orange and yellow and for this task i wasn't allowed to let the same colour touch each other but from the image above you see that on the C and the A i put the colour orange right next to each other but i just carried on anyway.

For the third task i had to use two colours that were opposite to each other so i chose blue and orange and all i had to for this one was to alternatively use the two colours so if i use orange for the letter and blue for the outside then the next one would be colouring the letter in blue and orange for the outside and i just kept this cycle going. For the final task i was instructed to use three colours that were equally apart from each other meaning that it could be either the primary or secondary colour scheme and i used both of them alternatively and i think that they turned out quite well.

Ideas (Party Blower Alternatives)    

  

Assignment 1 Task 1 - Structure – The Value Chain

Developers

The games industry is just like any other industry has and established structure and developers in the games industry are the ones that come up with the ideas and carry out the plan to make the idea a reality. The workers or teams can vary in numbers of over 100 employees and freelance staffs or just under 5. Game developers can either be owned by a publisher or independent, independent game developers are self payed and are known for creating and making indie games making them known as indie developers. Project wise they can either be commissioned or authorized by a publisher or the developers will initiate and pitch to the publishers to get the funding they need to create the game and for offer take-up's. 
    
Publishers
Publishers are the ones that publish the games but are also responsible for promoting, marketing, distributing and usually, financing game titles meaning they provide the funding to make it just like book and DVD publishers. Most publishing companies are UK based with some being home-grown exceptions. They usually fund the development of the game by paying sometimes paying game developers which they call external development but sometimes they also pay an internal staff of developers which they call a studio. The large publishing companies distribute the games they publish whilst some smaller ones hire distribution companies or other big publishing companies to distribute the games they had published. Examples of well known game publishing companies are Capcom, Bandai, Blizzard Entertainment, EA, SEGA, Ubisoft etc. But there are game developing companies that also publish their own games two examples are Blizzard and Ubisoft.     

Console Manufacturers/First Party Publishers
Console manufacturers or first party publishers are the makers or manufacturers of the hardware for example game consoles and specifically Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. They are known for being the gatekeepers of the games industry because they decide whether or not they want to approve each of the game that is targeted for development on their console platforms. They also own the development companies meaning wholly meaning that they can take control of the production process. This sector of the gaming industry have required an immense amount of power and influence over what gets released and which titles get priority for marketing.

Distribution and Retail
Physical: Physical distribution is when the distributors directly deliver the products from the their warehouse to the retailer. This is where the public buys the games that have been developed, published and produce. The retailers distribute shelf space for titles. 

Digital: Games now a days are increasingly being distributed electronically, they are either distributed through the internet through the console manufacturers and sites like steam. This is much more efficient money wise because it cuts out the cost of duplication, packaging, warehouse transporting to the retailer and the retail space. With this method game updates and extra content can now be added easily into the game making it less time consuming. Because the use of mobile phones and tablet based platforms are on the rise companies like Apple, The android Market (Sony) and Windows (Microsoft) are becoming more and more important in the way the games are being distributed and played. Social networking site like Facebook are becoming more significant platforms for gaming purposes. These companies have also significant influence what type of games that get made.    

Outsourcing Companies
Outsourcing companies provide services to the developers and publishers of other companies, the services they provide includes having to do the art, animation and design; rendering, graphics and physics engines and programming; audio and sound design; and localisation. This method is now getting more common to use because it is a great method that allows other companies to reduce the cost of their production rather than doing all the work internally or by themselves. 

Press and Media
This sector of the industry are the ones that provide journalistic output, reviews and analysis for both the trade and the consumer. This includes magazines, websites and television. This sectors coverage can greatly affect both the success or the failure of the game, this also applies to other industries but specifically the films industry.  

Assignment 1 Task 2 – Job Roles

Creative Development

Game Designer: Game designers devise what a game consists of and how it plays, they do this to define all the core elements of a game and by elements i mean the setting; structure; rules; flow of the story; characters; props; the objects; the vehicles and the devices that are available to the characters; the design of the interface and the modes of play. And once they have devised an idea they then start to communicate it to the rest of the development team who are in charge with creating art assets and computer code. This department is very collaborative with multi-disciplinary teams.

Level Editor: Level editors are exactly how their title sounds, they create and define the interactive architecture for a part of the game. This includes the landscape's, building's and the objects. They have practical understanding of programming and scripting language so that they can work closely with the artists and programmers. To be up to the job they have to be able to visualize game layouts, be organized, be able to accept and give directions to the other members of the department, be able to train the QA testers to play the games that they have designed a level to so that they can get feedback on things they want and etc.


In class we did an experiment or test to have a feel of what it's like to work in the creative development group in the games industry. In the experiment people were divided into groups of programmers, level editors, audio engineers, artists, researchers and the production director who started us up with the idea of making a sci-fi shooter game they were individually put in teams that they specialized in, but for the people that didn't specialize in those aspects were put in random teams as extra help and this made the game easier and quicker to put together. The image below is one of the level editors level design.    

   

Lead Artist: Just like the artists in this department they create art for a game but the only difference is that they have the power to give the other artists directions on what to do and what it is that needs to be created, they are responsible for giving the overall of a game meaning how it should look by the end of the production, they also devise the game's visual style but also direct the production of all the visual material throughout the development of the game. Other than this they also manage the art and animation team. 

In the class experiment we tested out i was put in the art team because it was my specialty, and while in the process of making the assets for the game our lead artist, would tell us what to do and he kept notes on who's doing which from the environment or background, the assets and the characters. While working the lead artist would come to us and ask us to draw something like asteroids or debris from destroyed aircraft's be it enemy or ally but the lead artist didn't just come up with these ideas he was directed by the creative director to ask us draw certain things. The images below show some of the work done by the art team. 

Boss sprite

Enemy 1 Sprite

Laser

Player Sprite

Satellite Asset

Technical Artist: Technical artists are the bridges that stand between the art and programming department that are working on the game. They ensure that the art assets created can be integrated into the game easily without sacrificing any sort of artistic vision or exceeding the platforms technical limit. Technical artists always investigate new techniques so that things can be done easily and quickly, put them into use and train team. Technical artists are very observant, good team workers and good listeners as it is needed because like i said before they stand as a bridge between the art and programming team so good observation skills are crucial for this job.    

Artist: Games artists are the ones that create the visual elements of the game like characters, the scenery or background, objects like items, vehicles, textures of the surface, clothing, etc. They create the concept art and the storyboards which helps them to communicate and present the visual elements during the pre-production process. 

In the class experiment that we did i was in the art team and we created the character, the enemy, the boss, the assets, etc. The theme of our game was a sci-fi shooter game and we created assets according to the idea that the creative director presented to us, also we were directed by our lead artist that was directed by the creative director. We were directed to draw in sections and i was the one that was supposed to be drawing the assets like the asteroids which i had completed but there things that were left uncovered like the satellites and the debris so instead of me doing all of the assets the other members of the art team also participated on creating the other assets and so we got the job done. The images below are some of the work done by the art team.
                                                                      Enemy Missiles 

                                                                       HP and Debris

                                                           Asteroid/comet animation

Game Main Menu

Animator: Animators are responsible for the portrayal of movement and behavior within a game, they make good use of the game engines technology, within the platforms limits. Communication with other teams are crucial within this  department because the artists and technical artists might want certain things in a certain way if they can't communicate then they wouldn't get along and it could mess things up, also because the movement and behavior of a character is important because it should match the characters profile and personality, but there are cases of having a character act a different way from how they look and how their personality is. 

Audio Engineer: The title speaks for itself. Audio engineers are the ones responsible for creating the soundtrack for a game, this includes music, sound effects, the characters voice, spoken instructions and ambient effects. Audio engineers don't necessarily make the soundtrack like for example with the music they might hire a band or an orchestral group to play the music they have composed and same for voice acting they can either do it themselves or get a professional voice actor but of course the voice of the actor has to match the characters look and personality. 

In the class experiment the audio engineer group made some pretty good sounds for the game and here's an example and this is the music that was used for the boss level. 




Technical Development 

Game Programmer: Game programmers work at the middle of the game development process. They're the ones that write and design the code that runs and controls the game. They incorporate and adapt any ready-made code libraries and also if required they write custom codes. They test the codes and fix the bug withing the system, they also develop tools the have been customized for other members of the development team to use. 
Different platforms obviously have different programming requirements and like other departments there are some specialism withing the programming department, such as physics programming the title speaks for itself on what they specialize in and that's programming in realistic physiology into the game like if a character were programmed to loose it's grip while climbing of course the right kind of physics would be that the character would fall, there are also people who specialize in AI which means artificial intelligence these are the ones where if you go on a quest based games they'll be the ones giving you information or the quest itself but in fighting games they're the ones that you can use to practice your moves on. The last three are 3D engine development, interface and control systems. In our class experiment they were the one's putting the sprite's and soundtrack together to completely finish the game.

The image below is an event sheet made by the programmers in the class experiment that we conducted. This applies for both the programmer and the lead programmer. 

Lead Game Programmer: Tile lead programmer speaks for itself, they lead the programming team who are responsible for creating the codes used to run and control the game. Programmers like i said before have various roles and specialism which includes AI, developing game engines, user interface, tools development and the in game physics. 
The lead programmer is the one that oversees all of this. They are responsible for managing the over all code development process and making sure there is technical specification for the game. They also make sure that the programming team delivers the project on time and that it is withing the given budget. 
They are the ones that manage the software engineering of a game from start to finish. They do this in conjunction with the other key team leaders like for example the Game designer, the Lead Artist etc. They are responsible for developing the technical specification for the game and then represent the elements to their team of programmers. 
   

Project Implementation

Project Manager/Producer: A project manager/producer's job is to ensure that the delivery of a game is successful, on time and is within the given budget. They oversee all the aspects of the games development and delivery. They are the ones that are in control of the finance and and the other resources that are needed for a project, they co-ordinate the work to the production team, they make sure that the quality and the vision of the game is maintained, whatever kind of problems might arise. From start to finish they keep an overview of the entire process and they are understand every members contribution to a game. 
This role has become increasingly important because production schedules have lengthen and cost of the development has increased. The development of a game is a highly complex process and often last up to two years this includes requiring teams of programmers, designers, artists, writers, musicians, and even actors. Managing all this is a big job and it carries a considerable amount of financial responsibility.     

Assistant Producer: The assistant/junior producer works with the game's production staff to make sure that the quality of the game is at it's best when completely developed. Usually the assistant producers will focus working on specific areas of the development process. This may involve having to handle the communication between the publisher and the developer, or coordinating the work on some project's key processes like the outsourcing of art assets. 
   

External Producer: External producers are the ones who are responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of a game, while they work externally away from the development team. They are mostly employed by game publishers, they work out of the publishers head office and they collaborate between the publisher's sales and marketing departments and the game developer, which can often be located. External Producers are like consultants, they are the ones who advise the game developers instead of dealing with day-to-day problems. They have the responsibility to be best described as ensuring the publisher has all the relevant information and data that is needed to make the game as commercially successful as possible.

Creative Director: The creative director is the key member during the process of the games development, they oversee any kind of high-level decisions that affects how the game play, looks or sounds. most of the times games companies employ because some prefer to split the tasks between the games lead artists, lead programmers, designers and producers. They are responsible for the general look and feel of a computer game. This position is quite new withing the games industry. Where the position maybe used, each of the game's development team has their own creative director, some of the highly experienced and talented creative directors oversee several projects. 
  

Quality Assurance

QA Tester: QA testers short for Quality Assurance Technicians play a vital role in the games industry. They are the ones that test, tune, debug and recommend detailed clarifications that will ensure the quality and playability of the game. They play-test the game in a way which you would call systematic, examining the games performance opposed to the game designers intentions, pinpointing problems and suggesting improvements. They have the responsibility of assuring the quality of the final product and identifying all the flaws of a game before it get's publicly released. They look for bugs including grammar mistakes, localisation problems, graphical or audio glitches and also any kind of copyright issues.        


Business Development
Public Relations Manager: Public relations manager or officers are responsible for managing an organisations image and reputation. They are the link between the mass's and the media, they monitor the public and the media's opinion and they write and edit the leaflets, brochures, press releases, speeches, newsletters, websites and social media. When i said they were the link between the mass's or the public and the media this is because they arrange and represent the company at events like the press launches news conference, exhibitions, open days and sponsorship. They are basically in charge with everything to do with the media and the public hence their title.          

Product Manager: The role of the product manager is to help the create and implement marketing campaigns so that they can maximize the sales on the games that they are currently working on. They stand as supports for the senior marketing managers who are organizing international or global campaigns. They can also work with product managers, who are responsible for for developing long-term plans for individual game franchises and giving strategic overview of how the brand of the game should change over time. 
one important task that a product manager must do is to define the marketing positioning of their game, especially in terms like showing how they are different from the other competing games. The most important part of this job role happens initial from the release, when the games launch plan is put into effect.      

Marketing Executive: Marketing executives have the responsibility to promote their employers products' services and ideas. They are also responsible for doing various tasks including doing market research, creating marketing campaigns, explore the customers opinions and the gaps in the market, studying the competitors marketing strategies, arranging sponsorship's managing the campaigns social media like Twitter and Facebook and also manage the campaigns websites. As part of the job they could also work with the public during the process of market research and doing focus groups to get people's opinions.     

Marketing Manager: The marketing managers job could vary depending on the organisation they work for and the sector they work in. Their work may include Researching and analyzing the market trends, identify target markets and what the best way is to reach them, coming up with marketing strategies, planning the campaigns and manage the budget, designing social media strategies and so on. Marketing managers plan the direction of all the marketing activities on a campaign. They use their creativity and expertise to think of new ways they can deliver company's message to the customers. They could also be in charge of a number of campaigns and manage and motivate the marketing team just to make sure that each of the campaigns go well and end successfully.