Category Archives: Useful Tools

I Want Media

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • August 7, 2014 , , , , , ,
Image taken from 'I Want Media' website

Image taken from ‘I Want Media’ website

‘I Want Media’ is a one stop site for your media industry news. They compile news stories from large newspapers and magazines and even have interesting blog sites and book recommendations.

You can find opinion pieces on the media industries, breaking news stories and advertising and public relations news as well. It is not the flashiest site on the Internet but it is clean and easy to use. You can even get news delivered to your email, all you need to do is to sign up for the newsletter.

It is important to keep up-to-date with what’s going on with the media industry. Sites like this are also a source of inspiration for assignment and project topics. But when you read about things in the news, blog sites or opinion columns, always remember there are several sides to a story and you may want to look at what others are saying.

You can couple information from sites like this with resources available from library databases to get a well-researched and well-analysed paper.

Plus, you can always make an appointment with your friendly librarian who is always ready to help.

Short of the Week – Film Future

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • July 14, 2014 , , , ,

Short of the week

Here is a blog site to explore. Known as ‘Short of the Week’, this site is an interesting place to find and view short films from all different parts of the world, read articles written by film-makers and film-lovers, as well as keep updated with film festival news. They even have interviews with film festival participants and directors.

It is sometimes hard to find such content, as many mainstream film magazines tend to concentrate on the more well-known and popular directors and producers. Blog sites like ‘Short of the week’ tend to concentrate on the smaller productions which younger or new film makers may be able to connect with better.

I enjoyed the articled entitled ‘Fade to Black – Is the Feature Film Dying?’. I also enjoyed watching some of the short films, there are several genres to choose from and all are beautifully produced.

But as we like to cater for both the fun seeker and academic learner, here’s a book you may enjoy which also raises the question, ‘Do the movies have a future?’

You can use sites like this in your research or literature review, of course, added with other academic and scholarly sources for a more comprehensive research. Remember, your librarians would love to help you with your literature reviews so come look for us if you need help.

 

Brand and Culture – Rapper and Rocks Stars in the Board Room

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • July 1, 2014 , , , ,

Surfing the web recently, two stories caught my attention.

The first was about Beats Electronics and Beats Music was being acquired by Apple for 3 billion dollars. (read full article here). These companies are owned by music heavyweights Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine.

The second story was about U2’s Bono and Edge joining Fender’s board of directors (click to read full article).

With these new partnerships, these companies are trying to get closer to where the music is being made. Rap and rock are cultures in themselves and, let’s face it, it’s not just about purchasing a product anymore, it’s about being a part of the culture.

Brands have long known if they wanted to stand out they need to connect with their customers on a whole other level, build a culture around their brand. How they do this requires creativity, foresight and a little bit of risk. Think about brands like Harley Davidson, Apple, Bang and Olfsen, Nike and so many more.

Have a look at this article in The Gaurdian entitled, ‘Does Culture define the Brand?’ which is from their Media Partner Zone. The Gaurdian’s Media Partner Zone is a good place to keep up to date with what is happening in the media industry. Maybe even get your creative juices flowing for you next assignment.

And if you are feeling a little more intellectual, the library has many books on Brand Culture. So pick a few up, if you are game.

Game Changers – The Evolution of Advertising

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • April 16, 2014 , ,
Cover of book

Cover of book

It is no big surprise that advertising has changed over the years. But this industry belongs to the creative, and some of the best advertisements are ones which were created by those who think out of the box.

So to celebrate 60 years of the best and the most creative advertisements in the world from the Cannes Lions Festivals, the book Game Changers – The Evolution of Advertising was produced.

The book has beautiful images of some of these advertisements, many of which will make you smile and even laugh a little. Not to mention you will probably be telling yourself how smart the agency was to advertise the product that way.

It features international brands like Audi, Coke and Carlsberg and write-ups from some of the leading ad men and women in the business.

You can borrow the book from the Communication and Information Library now.

Best Creative Works of 2013

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • February 21, 2014 , , ,

Best creative

If you need to find out what are some of the top advertisement and public relations campaigns and agencies, here is a great source for you. Directory is a quarterly showcase celebrating the best direct marketing from around the world.

NTU Libraries has both online and physical access to this quarterly and it is filled with some of the most interesting and innovative ideas of public relations and marketing campaigns from all over the world.

(*Note for the online version, you will need to download a Citrix application to access the site.
Also, you can go to www.directnewideas.com but you will not have full access to come content)

Once upon a TIME, we had a story…….

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • December 6, 2013 , , , , ,

Red border book

Once upon a Time there was the magazine, Time Magazine that is. Now the magazine has come up with a new way to tell their stories and it is known as the Red Border Films.

Red Border Films are short films based on the stories from their magazine; the films are an extension of these stories. You can even follow Red Border Films on Twitter and Facebook.

To find out more about Red Border Films go to http://newsfeed.time.com/time-launches-red-border-films/. You can also go to Time.com and look for the Red Border Films section on their website. There is an inspiring story of a badly injured US solider who refuses to let his injuries get him down.

Like so many other forms of media looking for new ways to bring to life their stories and attract your ‘eyeballs’, making it more than just written words but a dialogue between the reader and the topic of the story. It becomes a collaborative effort of journalism and film-making, calling on both the talented writer and image maker for one great story.

Film English

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • September 9, 2013 , , ,

Film EnglishFilm is a great media, all communication students know this. We can learn a lot through films. Great films tell a story, carry a moral and make the audiences think. The way the director shoots the film teaches us about angles and cinematography. Even the bad films teach us what not to do.

Film-English is an interesting website that uses film to teach language. Kieran Donaghy, who teaches at a University in Barcelona, started this website with a pre-set lesson, using short films as a key component, to teach English to his students.

But film students can also learn a thing or two from the website. It gives a unique way to use film and the website also has a film glossary. Not to mention some interesting short films embedded in the website.

So explore the website, and you may see film in a different light.

 

When a Prince is born and When a Star dies

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • August 12, 2013 , , ,

What a month July has been? It started with the highly anticipated birth of the new heir to the throne of England and then it took a dip with the tragic and untimely death of one of the cast members of Glee.

On the news, you would have seen throngs of people waiting outside the hospital anxiously awaiting the new baby, or you saw Glee fans lighting candles and placing flowers outside the hotel where the actor’s body was found.

When you think about it, birth and death are everyday occurrences. Yet some people seem to have such strong emotions when it comes to celebrities.

People feel connected to these celebrities, sharing their pain and joy. We see them in glossy magazines and on our television screens. It is almost as though we have invited them to be a part of our lives. To many, they are as real as family and friends, even though we have never actually seen or spoken to them in person, and they don’t actually know we exist in this world.

When you watch the news and you hear of a terrorist attack killing citizens on the street, is the feeling just as strong?

NTU Libraries has an array of materials dealing with this topic.

Try looking for materials in the NTU Libraries Catalogue. Go to the Books and Videos section and type in ‘fame’ and ‘celebrities’ into the search box to look at some of the materials we have on this subject.

Basic Search

Or you could try looking for materials through our one-stop ‘One Search’ portal

One Search

 

 

 

 

 

Enter the keywords and hit ‘Go’. Results returned will contain resources from the library’s print and e-collection including subscribed databases.

Getting that Eyeball

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • August 12, 2013 , , , ,

Eye

So you’re at your favourite newstand or bookstore gazing at the magazines spread out in front of you, chances are you will pick up the most eye-catching cover. Be it because of the artwork, headline or in most cases (let’s just be honest), the celebrity on the cover. So it’s no wonder that magazines are working hard to get those ‘eyeballs’ – what goes on the cover is a big decision for many magazines.

In the last few months two magazines have come under fire for their decision of ‘cover men’. TIME Magazine placed a Buddhist monk on the cover with allegations of terrorism and the Rolling Stones Magazine placed the Boston Marathon bomber on the cover of their magazine. These ‘cover men’ sparked off a hail storm of comments and criticism, threats of boycott and libel.

Controversial covers

Over the years there have been many controversial covers, this is not the first or I dare say the last time such things have happened. The magazine industry is not the only industry that uses shocking images, think about print advertising, newspaper headlines and even album covers.

Are these images meant to make a statement or just to get you to buy the product?

NTU Libraries has an array of materials on this topic. Try looking for materials in the NTU Libraries Catalogue. Use keywords like ‘controversy in the media’ or ‘attention grabbing images’

Go to the Books and Videos section and type in ‘fame’ and ‘celebrities’ into the search box to look at some of the materials we have on this topic.

Basic Search

Or you could try our One Search

One Search

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enter the keywords or phrase and hit ‘Go’. Results returned will contain resources from the library’s print and e-collection including subscribed databases.

 

 

Asian Fim Archives – Saving Singapore Films

  By Debra Bernadette L’Angellier • May 15, 2013 , , ,

Do you remember the very first local film you watched or even heard of? The very first local film I ever watched was Army Daze. This was back in the early 90s.

How old do you think Singapore’s movie industry really is? It may not seem like it but our movie industry has been around for almost 85 years. Some of the first local films ever made were in Malay or Chinese, and names like P. Ramlee, Saloma, Saadiah Baharom and Siput Sarawak, were household names. These films capture the identity of early Singapore and today are a precious part of our heritage.

The Asian Film Archives is a non-governmental organisation founded to preserve the rich film heritage of Singapore and Asian Cinema, to encourage scholarly research on film, and to promote a wider critical appreciation of this art form. As an important nexus, it brings together the various segments of the Asian film community in order to open and enrich new intellectual, educational and creative spaces.

Find out more about the archive here.