Tag Archives: reflection

Engaging with Media 1 through my Blog

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Since I started this course, I have been encouraged to think in new ways and make connections between everything I do in class and the outside world. I think that one of the reasons that I have learnt so much this semester is that our learning is highly practical and relevant to the current media climate.

I believe the following blog posts best demonstrate my engagement with the course, both inside and outside the classroom.

This post is a reflection on my first project brief:

http://www.mediafactory.org.au/emma-armstrong/2015/03/27/self-portrait-what-comes-next/

This post marks a turning point in the way I thought about the editing process, sparked by the course reading “Blood in the Gutter”:

http://www.mediafactory.org.au/emma-armstrong/2015/03/23/blood-in-the-gutter/

This post is made up of my notes from a particularly interesting lectorial on “narrative”, presented by Dan. I have also reflected and made comments throughout:

http://www.mediafactory.org.au/emma-armstrong/2015/05/04/everything-is-story-story-is-everything-narrative/

In this post, I brought back the concept of “noticing” from one of our early lectorials, and used it to think about all the things I had noticed, at different levels, as I worked on a performance I was involved in this semester:

http://www.mediafactory.org.au/emma-armstrong/2015/05/16/remembering-to-notice/

Finally, this post is a brief reflection on Vivid Sydney as a new platform for media and design:

http://www.mediafactory.org.au/emma-armstrong/2015/05/30/vivid/

 

And finally, here is my learning graph, which illustrates my development in…

  1. Learning about making media objects
  2. Working independently in unfamiliar ways
  3. Thinking critically and creatively
  4. Thinking about the value of the Media blog (all over the course of this semester)

20150605_113801-1

Final Course Reflection

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I’m not sure what I expected coming into Media 1, but the content covered and the assignments I’ve worked on have definitely surpassed anything I could have predicted. Over the course of semester, I’ve had the chance to develop my skills in a range of areas, working with new technology, learning to engage with the filmmaking process from conceptualisation to the finished product (and all the filming and editing in between), collaborating with others and conducting academic research. This learning experience, punctuated by my work on each of the four project briefs, has been very rewarding, especially in the moments when I finally saw my work coming together.

I experienced a change in thinking when I was editing my work for brief 3. I was watching the half-finished video I had created, and thinking about the different filming techniques and transitions we had discussed in class. I realised the difference this new knowledge made in being able to visualise how I wanted the final video to look and in putting into words the features I wanted to highlight in my work. Since then, I have been noticing these elements in commercials, television shows and movies and reflecting on the effects of each of these stylistic choices.

I have discovered this semester that I learn best by doing. At the start of the semester there were times when I was stuck for ideas, but just by getting started on something, even if it turned out that the something was later scrapped to start again, at least I had something to work from. This is what sparked ideas, and it was an amazing realisation to have about my own way of learning and working.

Given my very limited experience filming and editing, the most challenging aspect of this course was translating my ideas into film. There were times when I knew exactly what I wanted to illustrate on screen, such as the concept of yin & yang as the basis for my self portrait, but I did not yet have the technical skills to edit towards that visual. At times, this was quite frustrating for me, but I managed to work around it to produce a final product I was proud of. I hope that as I grow as a media maker I will be able to find creative solutions to the challenges I face.

In Media 1, I discovered that filmmaking is a very personal activity because I’ve seen my personality come through my work. I also realised that my creative practice involves working towards my original ideas, and weaving in new ideas as they arise. For example, I had a concept for my self portrait, but as I was editing I saw gaps in my work so I thought of new ways to illustrate key aspects of my personality. I believe these “afterthoughts” are the best features of my work, because with them I targeted what was previously missing.

I look forward to learning and overcoming new challenges next semester!

Brief 4 Final Reflection

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On the day that we formed groups and were assigned the task of creating a “Media Artefact” for Project Brief 4, I have to admit I was quite lost. It took me a long time to wrap my head around how we were going to use academic research to produce something that was both creative and meaningful. The media idea “texts” is inherently broad, and while we thought this would serve as an advantage, it actually caused us some confusion. On the bright side, there were also a lot of interesting topics for us to explore that also happen to be incredibly relevant to today’s changing media climate.

At the beginning of the process, we had several ideas floating around and not much direction for any of them. After further research and working to improve and combine these ideas, we finally settled on a topic we were all excited about: textual adaptations. The next challenge was narrowing down the topic area, which was still too broad. We attempted this in several stages, each time taking out some aspect of the work until we whittled away our topic to a core that we could explore in depth. I think that strangely the most successful aspect of the creation process was revealed when someone in the group was having trouble. This prompted us to ask questions to clarify what we were working on, and this not only helped us to come up with new ideas and better approaches to our work, but also highlighted the collaborative strength of our group.

Once we had a solid idea of the work we wanted to include, it was a little problematic deciding how we wanted everything to be presented. We were concerned that we would not be able to efficiently present our learning through a video or audio, so we eventually decided on a website. I think our final work is strong and demonstrative of the hard work we have put in over the semester. The only area I think we could have improved upon is the overall cohesiveness of the final website. There are three core branches we focused our work on: texts, leading into adaptations with a focus on Romeo and Juliet adaptations into a range of mediums, but we could have tied everything together more clearly.

I think the major success of our final artefact is one of the things I was most concerned about at the beginning of the process; the effective integration and application of references into our work. This element of the work fell into place as we watched the different Romeo and Juliet adaptations, and thought analytically about these works. The sources we used provided a highly relevant framework upon which we were able to substantiate our ideas.

As a group, I think Lucas, Rob and I all worked really well together, supporting and expanding on each others’ ideas and ensuring everyone was tasked with something that they had a personal interest in. I also learnt a lot from working with these two talented up-and-coming media practitioners, especially in terms of thinking about and following through with creative ideas. I especially respect the work Lucas and Rob did in filming and editing the adaptations interview with professional dancer Maddie.

At the same time, I was also able to showcase my strength in research and use this to improve the academic rigour of our artefact. Working on this assignment taught me a lot about the characteristics of positive collaboration, and how this can create a platform for elevating individuals’ ideas and highlighting everyone’s best abilities.

During the weeks I spent working on this assignment, I was able to refine my research skills, in particular learning how to use the RMIT library resources. I also developed my ability to perform meaningful analysis on media texts, learning to recognise conventions and techniques in particular works to expand my understanding of media as an area of study. Finally, I discovered a lot about intricacies in the field of media adaptations.

I think that everything I learnt and the skills I developed during the brainstorming, researching, creating and editing stages of this brief will help to inform my future work and studies in media. I believe this is significant because texts are constantly evolving in the fast-paced media industry, and to have a solid understanding of this strand of media is invaluable.

Achieving Goals

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On day 1 of this course, I wrote out 10 goals including things I wanted to learn or achieve over a range of different timelines, so I thought the end of Media 1 would be a good time to check back in and see how much progress I’ve made…

1. The standout qualities employers are looking for in the field of media

This semester we haven’t really talked about what employers are looking for, but I have realised the rigour of work that is expected, and gained a better understanding of requirements for project briefs. I think both of these things will be helpful in the future.

2. The best way (for me personally) to spark ideas that develop into creative approaches to project briefs

I did struggle with this at the beginning of the semester but I found that the two things that worked best for me were a) creating a brainstorm, writing down anything and everything that popped into my mind and b) getting out there and starting to create something, because this always sparked new ideas.

3. Working well in groups

I have had the chance to work in a number of groups in my different classes this semester. Though there were some challenges, I was able to practice resolving them. I also had one great group experience working on brief 4 for media, and this taught me how collaborating with others can help you create something so much better than you could have created alone.

4. Communicating effectively with classmates and lecturers/tutors

I think I have done quite well with this over the semester, and I will continue to work on my communication skills as I progress through my degree.

5. Effectively getting ideas onto paper/developed into a final product

There were times when this was more challenging than others. Again, I found that the best way to create something was just to get something down on paper (or on screen) because it’s easier to make decisions when you have something in front of you rather than just a blank screen.

6. Create a network to open up job prospects

I haven’t really had a chance to work on this much, so I’ll have to revisit it next semester. I have, however, met some wonderfully talented people in my media class, and I think that’s an important step in networking.

7. Understand the context of classroom learning and how this can be applied to jobs internationally

Again, this is something I haven’t given too much thought to because it’s still early days in my degree, but it’s something to keep in mind going forward.

8. How to effectively utilise technology to work on varied media project briefs

I think even from one project brief to the next, my editing skills definitely improved. I also got to film with a proper video camera and sound recorder for the first time, so that was an important step in developing my technical skills.

9. Figure out my postgraduate/career pathway

I have been thinking a lot about this over the course of the semester and I think that after I complete my degree, I would like to continue into a Masters of Marketing. Of course, this could still change between now and the end of my degree…

10. Gain practical experience working with a range of media platforms

I have started to gain experience working with basic software and some new technology, but I am looking forward to working with more high tech programs in the future and experimenting with the available features.

Vivid

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Last weekend I went to Sydney to visit some friends, and while I was there I went into the city to see Vivid. It was the first time I had ever been to see the lights show, and I stood and watched in awe, thinking about all the work that must have gone into creating something so imaginative and beautiful.

“Vivid” is a perfect example of taking media elements and placing them in a new context. We see animations everywhere; on television, in movies, video games, electronic billboards… and now the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The projections really liven up the city for tourists and locals alike. It is hard not to appreciate the beauty of the Opera House lit up with funky colours, patterns and characters, and all the work that must have gone into creating the graphics.

This is where I draw back to Media. Firstly, one really cool think about Vivid is that its main stage is the Opera House, which has such a distinct and recognisable shape, that it poses a new challenge and something a little bit different for the designers of the animations.

Vivid as a concept takes design and animation to a new audience, making it a very public affair. Animation is no longer just something you watch passively on your television screen at home or notice from your car driving through the city, but something that people can gather to see and admire. Their is also enormous hype around Vivid, which means that its reaching more people and creating more of an impact.

And besides, who doesn’t like to take their mind of the world for a while to watch something bright and mesmerising?

Institutions/Audiences/Texts/Mediums/Technologies

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In our tutorial yesterday, we looked at each group’s second draft for project brief 4. It was great to finally see what everyone else had been working on after being so caught up in our own work. A couple of the artefacts that really stood out to me were the following:

Elise and Jack

  • Institutions
  • Gave a clear explanation of what an institution was, then honed in on their topic of classification (connecting to the classification board of Australia)
  • Presented their work as a short 10 minute film explaining the intricacies of the classification system
    • How it works
    • What the different ratings are
    • Challenges facing film-makers today
  • I thought this was a very well executed media artefact that did well integrating academic information, whilst also being creative and interesting

Maggie, Jac and Dusty

  • Audiences
  • Focused on how audiences now interact with the content they watch, and the effect this then has on the media content produced
  • Presented their work in the form of a website, but also created Youtube videos to demonstrate linking to other sources and created an app to view the website easily from a mobile device
    • I thought these ideas were particularly creative because they were highly relevant to their content
    • Teaching about interactivity by creating something interactive

I also liked Gloria, Patrick and Bianca’s work. They created a sound recording with information and interviews with experts in their topic. It was the first assignment presented as a sound recording, and it really changed the way we experienced the artefact, requiring more attention because there was no visual component. Though this work still needed to be edited, I thought it was a really interesting response to the brief.

“True to the Spirit” – Adaptations & Textual Analysis

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One of my sources for Project Brief 4 was a book titled, True to the Spirit: film adaptation and the question of fidelity, by Colin MacCabe, Kathleen Murray and Rick Warner.

The following are the notes I took that have helped me to better understand what is meant by “textual analysis”. This reading will be invaluable going forward with analysing the different adaptations of Romeo & Juliet, as I intend to incorporate these analytical tools into my work on this brief.

  • “First error: critics claim films have a duty to be faithful to a literary source. Second error: Critics ignore the unique language of cinema and thus do not acknowledge a filmic adaptation to be an independent cinematic work.”-p41
  • “acknowledge film adaptations as specifically cinematic, rather then viewing them simply as translations into another medium of the essence of the work”-p42
    • NOTE: Shakespeare seen as highly academic while adaptations lose the essence of this
  • “Transformation that takes place between the source text and the final film. This includes changes made in the story as well as the more subtle transformations involved in the transfer to another medium…“textual information”…“diverse semiotic levels”…“adjustments that take place during shooting, and quite crucially during post-production…”-p42-43
  • “Innovative staging and composition, lighting, decor and styles of acting, and most importantly, a variety of means of conveying characters’ motivations or reactions, frequently occur in films that involve literary appropriation.”-p45
  • *Of silent films in particular* – “order of narrative incidents… early filmic adaptations frequently retell the events in strictly chronological order, converting literary back-story into the early narrative events”-p49
    • Flashbacks were introduced to film at a later date

Work Attachment

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Notes about Media work attachment (spoken about in week 10 lectorial)

  • Minimum 1500-word report but often much longer
    • Serves to demonstrate learning experience through the attachment
  • Reflections in google drive – not on the blog or in any other public place
  • Best to get as much experience as possible while RMIT has you insured
  • Minimum 80 hours
    • Must be approved by Paul Ritchard
    • Then fill in form about attachment

Previous internships:

  • Australian Chamber of Commerce – events and communications team
  • Newspaper
    • Australian Financial Review
    • Shanghai Daily

Goals for future internships/work attachments:

  • Newspapers – The Age, the Herald Sun
  • Marketing & communications team – National Australia Bank, Telstra
  • Advertising agency
  • …

I’m so excited that this is a part of the degree and I can’t wait to start searching for opportunities!

Remembering to Notice

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“I remember everything. I forget nothing. I write everything down so that later I’ll know exactly what happened.” – Thomas Klopper, The Book of Everything (by Richard Tulloch)

This past week, I have been working intensively on a play I am in, The Book of Everything. Being in the cast of a production has taught me so much about awareness and noticing, because I have to know myself and my surroundings well enough to be able to switch off my ‘ticks’, become my character and immerse myself in her world.

In the past week, here are some things I’ve noticed…

  1. Ordinary noticing:
    1. Our director told each of us about our acting ticks. Mine are that I play with my hair when I’m nervous and there are times when I get distracted and come out of character for a couple of seconds. When he told me my ticks, I was vaguely aware of them, but I had never actively stopped to think about them before.
  2. Marking:
    1. During each run, I made a mental note of all the cues to remember throughout the performance
    2. Each day we had a performance, I made a concerted effort to remember our pre-show cast rituals
    3. I thought about a key moment during each performance to tell the cast about afterwards, as part of a cast sharing tradition
  3. Recording:
    1. After each run of the performance, I wrote down each of the points our director made about things that needed to be changed or improved upon
    2. At the end of the process, I wrote down a number of things I learnt from being a part of this performance because I want to remember the people and the experience, and be able to look back on it during the rehearsal process for future productions I hope to work on

Brief 4: New Ideas (& Annotated Bibliographies)

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Today, we each came to class with our annotated bibliographies and a much fuller understanding of where we wanted to go with the project. Our research made it much easier to think about the topic in more concrete terms, and our ideas flowed from there.

Here are our team meeting minutes from today to illustrate the progress we made on our project today and where we are now.

07/05/2015

    • Met up before media tutorial
    • Spoke about our research findings
      • Rob: remixing, copyright in relation to parodies, semiotics
      • Lucas: evolution of audiences and interpretation of meaning, semiotics
      • Emma: adaptations (literary works to films), semiotics
    • Discussed with Rachel how to narrow down topic
      • Texts > Adaptations > Literary to Film OR specific author
    • Further discussion of this within our group led to the decision to focus on the works of William Shakespeare
      • Modern adaptations
      • Twelfth Night – She’s the Man (film)
      • Romeo & Juliet
        • Shakespeare Play > Modern Plays > Movies > West Side Story Film and Plays
    • 2 separate parts
      • Basics of adaptations and remixes (Rob – interviews)
      • Romeo & Juliet – linked to West Side Story (focused on the differences between adaptations and the effect this has)

For next week, our task is to have something concrete to show for our research. For our group, this will be footage from the interviews Rob has set up, and a set structure for the website we will create, with the following:

  • Introduction to our group and the subject of ‘texts’, also introducing ‘adaptations’
  • Sections of the website
  • Planned content (which media we will use and who will work on which aspects)

Every week, as I get a better idea of where this project is heading, I am more and more excited to see the final product (artefact) our research will culminate in.