Reflection:

Assignment 4 has been a hoot and a half to say the least. Initially I was really excited to focus on one space in particular that stood out to us to be sacred, and dive into the concept in our own unique way, expressing our thoughts through the video format.

 

‘Online Escape’ originated from Nici, Indri and I brainstorming a particular place we all felt at ease or the most comfortable. Unsurprisingly, our bedrooms came up as the most prominent yet obvious answer. Almost too obvious. We thought we could do better than that. When exploring the online world as a sacred space came up as a possible option, we were all really fascinated. Writing down words helped us determine where to start, as the online space is such an incredible broad and vast subject – it’s hard to tackle just one aspect.

 

Our most challenging aspect throughout our project was deciding we were actually going to convey our ideas through video footage. The obvious shots of laptops and smartphones being used were thrown around as ideas, however again we thought we could do better than that. Having a narrative could be really interesting and better yet, allow the audience to connect with the ideas as they could positon themselves within the story. Our story ended up being a bit more abstract, but it was still easy to follow. After presenting our final to the class, one of our classmates said how much she was following the narrative and how much she was able connect both physically and emotionally. She said she could feel the emotions of isolation, loneliness and the longing of becoming someone online – portraying a better version of ourselves.

 

This was interesting because we originally thought to explore the feelings and emotions that come with being online as the main point of focus. Mainly because it would be relatable to viewers, and also an easy concept to depict through video. So, for example, we would have footage of our main subject ‘liking’ a photo on Instagram, and because ‘likes’ are considered to be such a positive action and make people feel good, we would have footage of a laughing baby, the sun, chocolate, people smiling; basically any action that alludes to the feeling of happiness. For this to occur, we would have had to think of all sorts of external things that allude to different feelings. Another example – showing how a negative comment or a ‘thumbs down’ on a YouTube video would make people unhappy or even angry, our footage possibly the stabbing of an apple or throwing paint against a wall suggesting frustrating. This idea was awesome because it would show feelings that every single online user experience in their everyday lives. But in the end we decided against the whole idea, deciding to stick to the actual online world and focus on that one particular aspect.

 

So essentially we agreed upon branching away from the emotional aspect of the online world and more the reality, how people portray themselves and how they connect and interact. The most interesting and exciting thing about this was that the feedback we got from the class after our presentation was that despite us saying prior to showing the video that we moved away from emotions, the content remained emotional – with feelings of anxiety, stess and sadness from seeing this young girl isolated in her outside world, trying to find herself a better outcome through her laptop. So I guess we managed to stay true to our original thought without trying; go us!!

 

My personal favourite section of our video has to be the section where our main character is shown to be communicating with others online through the use of split screen. I loved creating this part, bringing our idea to life, and it turned out really well. The idea of being connected yet being along at the same time was really conveyed, as well as the idea of that everyone is basically in the same boat while online, despite how connected to the outside world they may be.

 

It was such a huge task taking on the online world as our sacred space of exploration, however we managed to tackle certain points with confidence, and the class and Robbie seemed to react quite well to our idea, saying it was clever, real and relatable. I do believe we captured it well, and am very happy and proud of Nici, Indri and I’s final work in ‘Online Escape’ 🙂

 

 

 

Blog Posts:

Liberation in Assignment 4

Collaboration At It’s Best

Finalising Details

Research …

Footage

Alice in Wonderland

Exhibition Website

Putting it Together

Presentation Day

Video – Online Escape

PowerPoint – Online Escape

 

Assignment 4 has been a hoot and a half to say the least. Initially I was really excited to focus on one space in particular that stood out to us to be sacred, and dive into the concept in our own unique way, expressing our thoughts through the video format.

‘Online Escape’ originated from Nici, Indri and I brainstorming a particular place we all felt at ease or the most comfortable. Unsurprisingly, our bedrooms came up as the most prominent yet obvious answer. Almost too obvious. We thought we could do better than that. When exploring the online world as a sacred space came up as a possible option, we were all really fascinated. Writing down words helped us determine where to start, as the online space is such an incredible broad and vast subject – it’s hard to tackle just one aspect.

Our most challenging aspect throughout our project was deciding we were actually going to convey our ideas through video footage. The obvious shots of laptops and smartphones being used were thrown around as ideas, however again we thought we could do better than that. Having a narrative could be really interesting and better yet, allow the audience to connect with the ideas as they could positon themselves within the story. Our story ended up being a bit more abstract, but it was still easy to follow. After presenting our final to the class, one of our classmates said how much she was following the narrative and how much she was able connect both physically and emotionally. She said she could feel the emotions of isolation, loneliness and the longing of becoming someone online – portraying a better version of ourselves.

This was interesting because we originally thought to explore the feelings and emotions that come with being online as the main point of focus. Mainly because it would be relatable to viewers, and also an easy concept to depict through video. So, for example, we would have footage of our main subject ‘liking’ a photo on Instagram, and because ‘likes’ are considered to be such a positive action and make people feel good, we would have footage of a laughing baby, the sun, chocolate, people smiling; basically any action that alludes to the feeling of happiness. For this to occur, we would have had to think of all sorts of external things that allude to different feelings. Another example – showing how a negative comment or a ‘thumbs down’ on a YouTube video would make people unhappy or even angry, our footage possibly the stabbing of an apple or throwing paint against a wall suggesting frustrating. This idea was awesome because it would show feelings that every single online user experience in their everyday lives. But in the end we decided against the whole idea, deciding to stick to the actual online world and focus on that one particular aspect.

So essentially we agreed upon branching away from the emotional aspect of the online world and more the reality, how people portray themselves and how they connect and interact. The most interesting and exciting thing about this was that the feedback we got from the class after our presentation was that despite us saying prior to showing the video that we moved away from emotions, the content remained emotional – with feelings of anxiety, stess and sadness from seeing this young girl isolated in her outside world, trying to find herself a better outcome through her laptop. So I guess we managed to stay true to our original thought without trying; go us!!

My personal favourite section of our video has to be the section where our main character is shown to be communicating with others online through the use of split screen. I loved creating this part, bringing our idea to life, and it turned out really well. The idea of being connected yet being along at the same time was really conveyed, as well as the idea of that everyone is basically in the same boat while online, despite how connected to the outside world they may be.

It was such a huge task taking on the online world as our sacred space of exploration, however we managed to tackle certain points with confidence, and the class and Robbie seemed to react quite well to our idea, saying it was clever, real and relatable. I do believe we captured it well, and am very happy and proud of Nici, Indri and I’s final work in ‘Online Escape’ J

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vgxk_FgGaE4r4ov7Do5cKYwLYXZd-6uY

Feedback:

• People said they felt the emotions which is cool because that means we alluded to them without having to explicitly show them like we originally thought we would have to… (e.g Alice falling down the hole)
• People could relate to the anxiety and bottomless pit feelings that come with being immersed in the online world
• People understood the contrast between the dark, isolated beginning and the brightly edited section – showing how this girl is so alone and dark, but brightly editing a photo of herself with a friend. Pretend? Showing her ideal life is only possible online? Strong theme.

 

Even though we said in our presentation that we originally were going to mainly focus on identity and how people almost become a different person online, but shifted more towards how people interact and connect…. We realised that we kept both ideas quite as strong as the other. Not one was stronger explored than the other, both we very much explored equally.

 

Because of the contrast between the girl being alone and isolated but going online allows her to feel a sense of community and she is able to become someone she doesn’t necessarily stay true to in reality….. almost becoming her ideal self. The way she edits her own photo to make it brighter and include a friend, showing how people edit themselves and only really post the best version of themselves online. Which isn’t necessarily a negative or a wrong thing, it’s still staying true to the person, but how online world allows this alteration to occur…

 

 

Editing in suits.

Group catch up.

We have decided to eradicate the Alice in Wonderland idea. There would be no easy way to fit it in – a bit awkward. The idea is there, but would be really unfitting in the scheme of things, no obvious place to fit it in anywhere.

We are really happy with our final product though. The intro is exactly how we were picturing it to look like since the very start of the assignment, so that’s exciting!

The end is also a massive highlight. We were finding it hard to find a spot for the skype call to go, because we really wanted it in there but it looked really awkward and just thrown in with no thought….. so we decided to place it just before the last epic framing of all different online videos – but it still looked awkward. So we faded it in so it turned into one of the small videos shown from the online world, and works perfectly!

Excited to show Robbie and the class, and to tell them our whole thought process… J

Team meeting about the exhibition.

Our post for the exhibition’s website:

“….The online world can also work as a private space, creating opportunity for more introverted individuals to express themselves with a higher level of confidence and self-esteem as their identity is able to be anonymised. Through light being purely ejected from the laptop screen in amongst the extremely dark surroundings, we are aiming to visually display how although one can be alone in their own private space online with the liberty for expression, they still technically remain in a public space due to the vast accessibility that arises with the internet today. We are aiming to create content that young adults of this current generation can resonate with being so constantly involved with the online world in their own ways….”

 

Photo to go with that would probably be one of the shots we have at the start of our video. This is Indri’s face lit up from the light projecting onto it from the laptop screen. This shot will visually show what we are explaining in the description, making the audience instantly understand and resonate.

 

Continued editing our final videos. Our split screen section is coming together really well. Not only aesthetically engaging with the diverse settings, people and colours, but because it sums up really nicely that idea of people communicating with people from all over the world, even virtual strangers, while in the same online space. Seeing how easy it is to communicate with different people and change so quickly, with every clip changing every few seconds.

We were trying to think of ways we could express feelings that come from being online. For me, when I think of that feeling I imagine myself going down a hole, falling down into another world without any control. Because the internet and the online world is so large and never ending.

We were discussing how we wanted to show this idea in the video. After suggested different ideas including filming a rock down down a gutter (for example), we thought of Alice in Wonderland. This idea works so well in visually depicting the feeling you get when you enter the online world, falling down into it’s bottomless pit. Alice literally enters a whole other world when she falls down. We thought it would be cool to overlay the shot of Alice falling down the rabbit hole on top of the face scrolling through a computer feed. Showing what it feels like.

Took footage of my friend on her phone and laptop for the split screen segment of the video. Went well! I told her to look on her phone, so we get each person doing slightly different things – and because online isn’t just on laptop/computer, any form of technology really. But phones mostly as well.

Booked a dark room studio for next Tues so we can fully record our video segments.

Continued looking at readings and different insights for research..

Youth Online: Identity and literacy in the digital age by Angela Thomas

• The necessity and unavoidable creation of a persona when interacting or being part of a cyber community
• How people construct their identities in various social contexts: social, fantasy, role-playing for various social purposes
• Text illuminates the ways in which people are making sense of their own identities and their place within broader communities.
• How identity is constructed, developed and performed in online contexts.
• Discuss notions of the body as it constructs the surface of identity and emphasise that there is an intimate connection between the body and the virtual self.