We were all put to the test. Silence filled the room as soon as we started reading N. Katherine Hayles’ “Hyper and Deep Attention: The Generational Divide in Cognitive Modes” (2007). I subconsciously grabbed my highlighter and read word for word, and suddenly fell into old habits of language analysis (thanks VCE English). Once I reached the fourth out of the five pages I became conscious of time and popped my head up to just make sure I wasn’t falling behind. Crap, almost everyone on my side of the room were on Facebook, texting or just staring into space. Luckily, the last page was a summary of sorts. Actually, I don’t quite remember, I ended up skimming through it.

In this scenario, I’ve resorted to purely focusing on the single task of reading, or in other words; deep attention. Although I was able to avoid multitasking, reduce my social awareness and simplified my time management, I found myself having the urge to procrastinate throughout the extended length of time.

On the contrary, hyper attention – switching rapidly from task to task, would be my skimming of page five while simultaneously glancing around the room. In general, from completing assignments to having everyday conversations with people, I easily switch from one topic to another. There are the perks of drawing information from a variety of sources and developing high levels of alertness, but also the downsides of the difficulties in finishing an individual task and the frequent side tracking.

As a student studying media, technology is rapidly converging and advancing before our eyes that we adapt to these changes to “keep with the times” and to produce innovative content. We therefore automatically assume that hyper attention is essential and then neglect the need for deep attention.

Even though the media industry is forever expanding and complex in itself, it ultimately depends on the individual on how they process and gather information. Therefore, a balance of both hyper and deep attention is essential during this “generational shift”. This balance is vital in classrooms where children’s minds are still developing and are provided with options rather than a “one fits all” approach.

Personally, as someone who was born just a few years before the new millennium, the drastic increase of hyper attentive people compared to the decreasing deep attentive people has come to no surprise to me. I remember the days when patiently waiting for a YouTube video to load to now having no time to even watch a four minute video. Videos have diminished to seven seconds as we’ve adapted to efficiency and to a world where news circulates within a matter of seconds.

Our world is expanding through technological advances and innovation that lean towards hyper attention. However, this advancement and innovation leads to convergence of media forms, thus the need for deeper attention too. It’s ultimately the person themselves and the circumstances that justifies the best way for them to gain and receive content.

“Original media components that might contribute to a creative self portrait”

Travelling to foreign lands can often get people lost in translation. Looking back I wish I learnt a LOTE, but I was fortunate enough to grow up in a bilingual household. In order to express my self-diagnosis with a case of wanderlust, I decided to compile my favourite words from a language that is prominent in each place I’ve visited: Australia, London, America, Italy, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, Tacloban, Baguio, Dubai, Barcelona, Malaysia, Brunei.

From lullabies to the karaoke classics, Dad would always lighten up the household and gatherings with his voice (and Frank Sinatra).  The Charlie Chaplin/ Nat King Cole classic “SMILE” is one of my all time favourite songs for its charm and simplicity, and also because Dad would usually sing it from time to time since I could ever remember.

Nothing could ever beat Mum’s COOKING. Nothing beats food made with love.

A cassette tape, a floppy disk, a DSLR, a disc, a mouse, a television remote, a PS3 controller, an ipod shuffle, a USB and paper. This did not intend to resemble my face, but rather symbolises a virtual reality where anyone can be on the other side of the screen. I still remember being blown away by how a floppy and cassette revolutionised the way we stored documents and listened to music.

Yeah I know it’s blurry.
The only time when I’m afraid of heights is when I look down from a balcony at a shopping centre, I get petrified.
I guess this is me facing my fear?

Location: The State Library lawn on a sunny day.
And here we have a typical Melburnian reacting to the Melbourne weather.

Sixteen years later; I still have a red coat, white socks, polished black shoes, a Persian rug and that cheekiness (most of the time).

Long story short: I wrapped myself in fairy lights and danced like crazy.
I have a scatterbrain and sometimes I don’t need coffee to have this much energy (but coffee’s grouse).

Haven’t played the piano in months (maybe even years) and is something I want to really get back into.
On the other hand, these are just a handful of rings from my collection. They come from all over the world and in different shapes and sizes. Choosing a favourite is like choosing your favourite kid, it depends what day.

Everyone has weird quirks. Peculiarities that distinguish ourselves. Here are some:

I find myself flicking through magazines backwards, I find it quicker to skim through.
Cooked cheese > raw cheese.
Finding ironing therapeutic.
Jumping from one idea/task to another every day.

They don’t call us individuals for no reason right?

I can open my eyes wider than usual. This is apparently a “challenge” when people try to guess my ethnicity.
I experimented with the use of light in order to manipulate the shadows and evoke a different tone.

I like to look at the glass half full and occasionally love observing the city from an aerial perspective.
This is an ideal day for me: cool view, chill tunes, sun, a light breeze and a drink.
I blame the shaky camera work on the caffeine.

Candles have always intrigued me.
They provide light and shadows.
They melt, are fragile and strong at the same time.
Are strong in the sense where it can hurt/burn.
But you can touch most of the flame without getting hurt, just not the blue.
Fragile from a gust of wind or even shock.
But let’s out a gentle aroma.
The wax melts but hardens.
It symbolises the time to even when our ancestors were using them.
It epitomises the passing of time, or even just time and life itself.
Candles are awesome.

“Get up, you have ten minutes to capture a Melbourne moment. Go.”

Surely this must be an easy task for a born and bred Melburnian. But as soon as everyone descended to the ground floor, I was honestly too caught up in the weather and lazy to even go through the flight stairs again. Yes I know there were the lifts but as I said, I was too caught up in the infamous Melbourne weather.

I realised that being in such a thriving metropolis, I don’t give myself enough time to appreciate such Melburnian moments. Whether it’s getting lost in a novel while lying down on a patch grass in front of the State Library, appreciating the quality of coffee we’re lucky to be sipping and whiffing on, being alerted by the sound of incoming trams or taking in the sights of graffiti coming to life.

Anyway, I figured that the eleventh floor was closer to our current tenth floor. I made my way up and awkwardly tried to find a balcony with a decent view. No luck. I suddenly found myself in and out of classroom corridors while carrying the glances from students as I dash past. Again no luck. I had about five minutes left, no choice but to just go back down to ten and hope for the best.

So down I go, and what was right in front of me? A huge balcony presenting Melbourne’s skyscrapers. I hurriedly stepped onto the timber bench and captured an aerial view of a passing tram, cyclist and parked cars beside a historical building that still holds the charm of the past.

I decided to name the picture “Sonder” (the realisation that each random passer-by is living a life as vivid and complex as your own). From straight out of high school, to congregating in the same room as people who have come from all different walks of life and share a common interest as you, is mind blowing. It’s probably the same with the passengers on the tram, the cyclist and the drivers who’ve all arrived at one destination from all directions of the city.

I guess within those ten minutes, I was able to appreciate the little things and find the reasons to why I call Melbourne home.

The eighties were surely a nostalgic time; rich in fluoro, classic films, hairspray and catchy tunes.

In particular, “This Must be The Place” by the Talking Heads became an ear-worm for the entire day as soon as it was played at the beginning of my first ever lecture.

We begin the lecture by being asked to write down ten goals for our future selves to (hopefully) achieve once 2019 came around. How was I going to figure out TEN things I wanted to achieve within the next three years, let alone not having a clue about what I wanted to have for lunch as soon as the lecture was over?! As everyone started to profusely write/type, I was just sitting there. It struck me that the future didn’t seem so distant any more.

I eventually compiled quite a broad and realistic list. I don’t know about everyone else, but as soon as I constantly replayed the song in head, I realised how much the lyrics reflected some of the goals I wish to achieve once I completed the course:

Think outside of the box and to always remember that less is more.
“The less we say about it the better. Feet on the ground, head in the clouds”
I always have trouble explaining things to people, especially when it comes to ideas that just visually pop in my head. For this reason, my ideas become unrealistic and lack a sense of direction.
Throughout the three years, I aim to become more pragmatic by enhancing my skills in lighting, camera work and editing for short films (of a variety of genres) and music videos. Moreover, I hope to broaden my interests towards other forms of media such as photography, animation, video games and even advertising, and marketing.

Surround myself with people who will push, inspire and cultivate my creativity. Return the favour.
“Never for money, always for love… I find you, or you find me?”
They say that some of your Uni friends could turn out to be your friends for life. Corny right? But I can’t see how that can’t be true. In this course alone, I’m surrounded by like-minded people and so far I’ve been lucky to meet people who are already putting my creativity to work. There are even students outside my course who are broadening my perspective on issues that affect the world.
At the same time, I want to push myself to reach my full potential and simultaneously do what I can to encourage, critique and support others to achieve their own goals.

GET OUT OF MELBS FOR A BIT (or for a while, who knows?)
“…she lifted up her wings, I guess this must be the place”
I will always call Melbourne home and a place “where I want to be” once I return after circumnavigating the world in eighty days (or more). RMIT puts emphasis on studying overseas and offer the opportunities to do so. Why not take that opportunity? An opportunity that’ll combine my love for film making and travelling, get myself out of my comfort zone, satisfy my wanderlust, get myself lost in translation and make me come back to Melbourne as a better and more of an open minded person.

Who knows what the future holds? It could probably “put me down and turn me around” but hopefully the “passing of time” can lead me to something greater than for what I aim for. Although now that it seems the three years will fly by, I reflect back at week one where I “guess I must be having fun” (so far).