Day at Birmingham City Centre

2/2/16

The day started with our school group meeting in the City Centre and going to Colmore Plaza, after getting permission to go. I had to be punctual and organised as we were given a set time to be there (9 o'clock) and only had 45 minutes to a hour to get the photos I wanted. As you can see from the photo below, the weather played a part in the photos I wanted to take, as there was a lot of thick fog which limited how far you could see. In this tab I will tell you how the day went. 

Here is the view from the room at Colmore Plaza. As you can see, it was very difficult to see far, which meant I couldn't exactly get the photos I wanted. Therefore, I decided to sit down and plan what photos I wanted to take. 

When then decided to start plan what we wanted to get from our day. Our main aims were to get images of iconic places in Birmingham City Centre, so that the audience recognise it and feel more inclined to watch it. The main buildings/areas we wanted to include were the new Grand Central and redeveloped New Street train station, the Bullring (and the iconic bull outside of it), the Rotunda, The Cube, the Library of Birmingham and the BT Tower. By getting these shots, we could use them for our title sequences and therefore complete two of the four things needed for the titles; Urban shots and shot featuring a range of ethnic groups. 

 

Images such as this could be used in my title sequence as it shows the 'classic' city centre: high concrete buildings. I could possibly pan up from the bottom to the top of the building, to really show how tall the building is and empathise the fact it is a city centre building. 

These three images are very similar; they show one of the entrances to the Bullring. Although there are people in both images, it is normally a lot busier, particularly on the weekends. I could possible use a similar angle and record the public rushing past, showing the fast pace and rush of the city centre.

Here is the Rotunda from a low angle, looking up. I could possibly pan up or down on it or, if the surrounding area is busy, possibly pan down onto the crowds of people, and record them for a couple of seconds. This could be then used as a filler shot in my reports.

These 3 images show St. Martins church in the Bullring. I could use this with a time lapse effect on it, so that the people walking would be sped up and it would be more conventional of title sequences. However, the church symbolises the Catholic religion and, with my programme being aimed at any person in Birmingham no matter their religion, it could make my News seem as its only aimed at Catholics in Birmingham. However, I could possibly use it as a filler shot.

This is the Bull in Birmingham City Centre. It is one of the most iconic attractions in Birmingham, with many tourists taking photos next to it. I could use this in many ways.I could use this as to show my location at the start of a report, I could use a time lapse for my title sequence or even use it as a filler shot. 

Here is a long shot of the three floors of the Bullring shopping centre. When busy, hundred of people would be walking on each floor. If I could get that video, I could use it for a report e.g. a report on the economy, sales etc, or again, it could be used as a filler shot. 

Grand Central is the latest project in Birmingham. Having recently opened, it is very popular. I could use this image, along with other forms of transport, to form a collage to symbolise transport and use it in the background for any transport updates in my programme. 

Here is the new Library of Birmingham. It is a popular building, with many people knowing what it is, mainly for its unique pattern (second photo). I could use this for my title sequence, with the shot going from a long/ mid shot to a close up on the pattern of the library. Also, I could the pattern in some way for my logo as it is a recognisable part of Birmingham and therefore would be recognised by my target audience.

This is part of the view of Birmingham from the top of the Library. I could pan from left to right, to get the full view of the city and use such footage as a filler shot in a report or if its sped up, it could be used as part of my title sequence. 

This photo shows the BT Tower behind the Town hall. I really like this photo as it shows two very well known buildings and is a really good quality image. I could possibly use this image by putting a left to right panning effect. Also, I could use a zoom out, with the focus being the BT Tower and as it zooms out, show the full photo. 


I also visited BBC West Midlands whilst in Birmingham. I got to see the set of the News, learning how lighting, sound and position of cameras/ props was crucial in the making of the programme. I also visited the Radio section of the building, which gave me an insight of how microphones are used and what is needed in a radio advert e.g. interesting information, attention-catching sounds etc.