Okay, so we did this activity quite some time ago, but I only realised that it’s useful for my blog now. Oh well, better late than never, right?

One of the most successful of my group work experiences was last semester’s studio project: a live late night talk show “Midnight Snack”. I loved every aspect of the production and I aspire to work in professional TV or cinema industry, which probably had to do wit the success. But let’s focus on the reflection.

What did you contribute?

We filmed two episodes for our final project, and I was working as a floor manager on the first episode, and as a lighting technician on the second. Hands down I preferred being a floor manager. My job included keeping track of time, making sure everyone knows what’s happening and is on track. I served as a link between every crew member, connecting camera operators with the director, assistant director with the talents, and producers with the lighting techs. I feel like I contributed a lot to the overall success. I mean, we filmed everything on time without any delays or problems. Of course there were problems during the filming, but I was able to communicate with others and solve it on time. I can proudly say that I contributed successful management, my problem solving skill, precise timing and relaxed atmosphere on the set.

As for the second episode, I was in charge of lighting. It wasn’t nearly as much fun, but I was able to design appropriate lighting for different parts of the show and successfully execute them during the live filming. Not as exciting, but still helpful.

How did the group function?

I can answer that in one word- perfect. Everyone did the best they could and put the heart and the soul in doing their job. Whenever there was a difficulty others always came to help, and no one tried to slack off or do something they weren’t supposed to do. 30 people worked together as a clock. Now, it’s not in the question, but I will talk about it anyway: WHY did our group function so well? I believe that it had to do with genuine interest in the project. Everyone liked what they were doing, and it served as motivation and inspiration for us to progress.

What did you learn about the group process from your success?

Something I’ve noticed: the larger the team is, the easier it is to collaborate. In a group of two or three people it is sometimes difficult to collaborate and there tend to be creative differences. It’s just easier to work alone at this point. In a bigger team, however, the situation is completely different: the responsibilities kind of regulate each other. And because of a large team there wasn’t as much pressure on individual crew members.I can’t claim it it be a rule or an exception yet, but it’s definitely an interesting observation.

What does this suggest about the kind of group you’d like to be a part of for the flipped lecture presentation and project work?

I have to be honest here: I have been struggling with social anxiety for quite some time. Thankfully, it’s getting better step by step- it used to be severe and often lead to panic attacks- but it’s still work in progress. This is why the first and the most important criteria for me is to work with people I feel comfortable around. Secondly, I really like to work with hard-working, determined people who, like myself, only consider HD to be an acceptable grade. The groups I end up with a normally absolutely random, so I keep my fingers crossed for luck.

I am attaching the links to both Midnight Snack episodes. It’s not much, but it’s something I am proud of.

https://www.facebook.com/midnightsnackshow/videos/2482758671749589/

https://www.facebook.com/midnightsnackshow/videos/2471457556213034/