The Media 1 Unit Guide outlines the following four learning objectives for the unit:

 

  • Analyse and discuss media objects in terms of disciplinary frameworks.
  • Analyse and evaluate your own learning styles.
  • Explore and use a range of production technologies to make media.
  • Reflect upon and explain your creative choices in individual and group contexts.

 

Upon reflection, I believe that all four of these criteria were very easily met throughout the 12 week course; and feel that I have grown so much as a student and as a media practitioner throughout the semester. O-week already feels like years ago; it’s hard to believe that it’s only been a few short months.

If I had to describe my media 1 experience in just one word, I would say humbling. It’s been a journey, for sure, and as I look back on all my blog posts I can see the shift that happened. The learning experiences surpassed just the content that was new to me (referred to in the unit guide as the “media objects in terms of disciplinary frameworks”) – such as sound affordances or the concept of institutions.

It took half a semester, but after the PB2 results were released, I learned my first very important life lesson. University is a lot harder than I remembered. The mark I received wasn’t necessarily bad, but it was a huge wake-up call for me. I think I came into week 1 of university with probably some undue smugness, under the impression Media 1 wouldn’t be difficult and that my year 12 skills would suffice.

They most certainly didn’t. Growth as a practitioner was required. And while there were growing pains, I found myself able to eventually get past these. I feel that the two rough cut feedback sessions with Brian in weeks 11 and 12 highlighted this to me – Brian had a lot of praise for us for our work in progress; and the things we needed to fix I had spotted myself during playbacks earlier on in those classes.

Part of this growth stems from my understanding of how I learn as a person. In week one, I discovered myself as a hyper-attentive learner; but there were other breakthroughs I had – like when I learned during the filming for our PB4 video essay that it was easiest for me to remember something by remembering the first letter of the key words I needed in my piece-to-camera (ie. “Institutions are a sociological term – refers to their Social, Political, Economic and Cultural relationships and Principles, Values and Rules that underlie these”).

That’s not to say that all my growing pains were easily passed. I still feel my blogging is somewhat forced; simply because I have often seen blogs as a space of self-satisfying ego-stroking, but that’s just my opinion. I still feel like I would struggle to discuss a few concepts we covered (ironically the sound theory lecture went right in one ear and out the other); but this stems from my hyper-attentive learning style. I think I also learned a lot through trial and error; my PB3 reflection highlights that I learned it was probably best to have a simultaneous recording of sound via a H2 Zoom recorder and video via an MC50 video camera; in order to optimise sound quality – rather that just using a shotgun mic attachment. I implemented this knowledge in PB4 for my group, and we found with some tweaking of the syncing, we were able to get clear audio that matched our video and improved the overall quality of our presentation. In a way, this also reflects the course objective of using a range of production technologies to make the media – I utilized both in isolation and simultaneously and discovered why boom mics, lapel mics, etc. are used in the production of professional screen media.

Moreover, I learned a lot about my creative practice – in that I can draw a lot of ideas from the media I am presented with – provided I am looking in the right places. This was most evident during PB4; in which my presentation of factual information was heavily inspired by the methods used by Youtube political commentator Friendlyjordies. I also learned to harness serendipity; particularly in PB3 when it wasn’t until I was shooting the interview with Christine that I decided to press more into her hobby in cattle farming (a shoot I documented on my blog); and actually produced some really nice, peaceful footage in order to end her portrait on a positive tone. What was – up until that point – quite a somber painting took on a nicer, more peaceful conclusion and I think that it was a much better presentation for doing so.

Ultimately, I attempted to plot this overall journey on the learning graph – but I feel it only really reflects my week-to-week feelings. My confidence, my doubt, my resurgence.

It doesn’t take into account the microfluctuations. It doesn’t take into account the little “1%ers” that I picked up from a tutor, from something I read, or from something a classmate suggested. It doesn’t take into account that I thought I was at a 7 for my skills at the start of the semester when, in hindsight, I was probably closer to a 4.

It doesn’t take into account that Media One has forged the foundations for what I hope to be a lengthy, fulfilling media career. It doesn’t take into account that, like the way I described myself in PB2 – my future is only half-written; and there is great uncertainty in what lies ahead. And it doesn’t take into the account perhaps the most important thing – the excitement I have about the breadth of opportunities that await.