Will’s Work Experience

Hi I’m Will or maybe I’m not and my parents have been playing a 14 year long practical joke which has actually happened because until I was 6 I had been told my name was Liam which is awkward because that’s what half my family still calls me. Bet you want to read on now don’t you? I’ve been on a work experience placement for 5 days so far.

I’m a 14 year old media student from Longdendale Community Language College in Hollingworth a self given name for a school that is not a college but a high school. I’m at Unity Radio because I am interested in media, music, journalism, writing/scripting and comedy.

I aspire to do something in media as seen above and this is the most useful placement I could have got towards those and on the plus side this is probably the most read thing I have ever written.

I’m doing quite a lot of things here at Unity Radio on quite a wide spectrum from listening to radio stations and taking notes, researching T-Shirts and painting MDF boards with emulsion paint (which I still have in my hair after 3 days).

It has so far been the most work I have ever done but also the most rewarding and enjoyable and has been quite challenging (and I’m not just putting that so I don’t get more difficult work). I have also done something towards Unity Radio outside by finding out if anyone I know listens to Unity and getting people to listen to it as well and I think I have turned some people into long term listeners.

Last week I mainly did odds and ends, learnt how to upload podcasts,edit podcasts, hoovered and mopped the stairs, painted MDF boards did research into T-Shirts and other Radio stations, bought felt tip pens and got work overalls dried at the nearby laundrette and did some research into school summer term finishing times (which considering I’m still at school should have been a walk in the park but really wasn’t) and drank countless cups of coffee and spent just under £25 on credit just to get inside sometimes it feels like I’m trying to get inside Fort Knox.

My thoughts on Unity Radio so far are all good and it’s going to seem like I’ve been told to say this but everyone has been really friendly and being here really gives you a sense of belonging. Unity is also one of the most laid back places I’ve ever been to which just adds to the atmosphere overall and before it gets too soppy I am going to say something else… Actually I don’t have much else to say everything is just really great and people here just seem to want to put out great content and be passionate about what they do which just makes everything that much better in my opinion.

I’m normally not that interesting during the weekend but this is one of the most social weekends I’ve had in a while. On Saturday I went out with my girlfriend whom I have been going out with for just under 10 months (which when you are 14 is 3 years) she will be glad (hopefully) I mentioned her so I’ll shout her out, Thanks for putting up with me all these months Pagan Heather.

After that I spent some quality time with my Dad who I’m not going to shout out because it will annoy him if I do Thanks for my twisted humour Gavin Hills and Sarah Smith (my Mum). Then the next day I went to Bankswood park with a lot of friends (too many to shout out but if they read this they know who they are) and we had a great time for the two hours I was there.

I got back to my Dads had a great roast dinner with members of my family which was hilarious and just fun. Then recorded a Podcast with a friend who I’m going to shout out because he deserves all the publicity he can get. If you are reading this check out Digital Nacho on YouTube if you like Vlogs or videos where he talks about video games and stuff he doesn’t like. The Podcast was recorded unbeknownst to me so don’t be offended by what I say. Wow big paragraph huh ^^.

I have very odd music tastes (bit like my personality) because I just like a bit of everything which is useful because it means I never feel out of the loop when listening to music but also means because of the amount of music on my iPod I can never find what I want and have to wade through the rubbish. I want to tie this into Unity Radio but I can’t because I listen everything and not just what is played on Unity. I was even in a band from an early age (I say this yet it was only about 4 or 5 years ago) we were called Rokzilla a terrible name but we were 9 and 10. Only two of us ever performed out of the six members (that’s what she said) and it made both me and my best mate (Connor Williamson) to this day want to be famous because we both played in front of a hall full of 7-10 year olds and it made me feel on top of the world. Now I want to do stand up and a sketch show with my mate Adam Holt. Well I was right this had nothing to do with Unity at all and more to do with my Childhood and my ambitions.

If I’m completely honest writing this is probably the most difficult thing I have done so far because I am not sure who to pitch this writing to age group and personality wise so I am trying to pitch it to myself and say things I might find interesting but talking to myself which is pretty weird if I’m honest. If you want to know more about me, want to give me feed back or just want to tell me that I’m just plain weird E-Mail me at william.hills96@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook and Twitter at Will Hills (facebook) and William H1lls (twitter) or through the Unity Radio website (I think you can do that).

Thanks for reading my ramblings about my weirdish life and talk about Unity Radio and remember all this is just my opinion and is not fact.

Will Hills.

Thursday 11^th November 2010

After what was a great filming session with DJ Stylus yesterday I arrived into the studio to find half his interview and the cut away shots had accidently been taped over after I captured the footage. So I spent most of the day in the editing studio cutting up the footage and working out a contingency plan. I may have to re-film some shots later in the week but hopefully we have got enough footage to make a decent promotional video to go up on the website. I put the footage in order and it looks like we may not need to re-shoot anything as there is enough footage but it’s still a right pain. Still these things happen and you just have to press on.

At 6pm I got in to film DJ Stylus and his mix-at-six. I must say I’m more of a rock chick but his mixing would convert even the most dedicated riot-girls. I was originally only going to film about ten minutes but found myself filming for a good half hour. I also got some great footage for the promo which should look wicked once cut-up and with a bit of colour modification. Despite the loss of some of the interview I think this video can easily be pulled off with a bit of careful editing. Tomorrow I will capture the footage and see where we’re at.

Friday 12^th November 2010

After trekking halfway across Salford and Manchester I managed to get into the studio to capture the last of our Stylus footage. Once it was captured I sat and carefully cut up the footage, firstly into each shot taken and then filtered out the shots which were out of focus or not up to scratch. Once you filter the footage down into the best collaboration of footage you then just work finely slicing the shots until you are left with a bunch of stylish, little cut away shots which are ready to be overlaid with the interview footage. I spend the last few hours getting the mix footage trimmed so next time I get in the studio it should be a breeze adding the cut-aways and then with the help of Alex Drane and Sam Skitt (From the Soft Skank Show) we’ll hopefully have the video completed and mastered early next week. Also next week we should have the Soft Skank shows video practically finished, I already got the cut-aways but need to get another interview recorded as the sound on the first interview was botched.

The interview shouldn’t take too long though so, fingers crossed, by Friday next week we will have two great promo videos in the bag to go up on the website.