Although I have brushed over elements of collaboration across a number of posts, I figured an additional post to address it specifically would be best.

Group work is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. Squadron – made up of Alex, Bonnie, Jackson, Sarah and I – fortunately got along well from the outset and we were quick to become friends. This was a huge relief as it made working with one another for the next six weeks a great deal easier.

I would say that communication is where we excelled as a group. The quality and quantity of our conversation meant we were constantly thinking about our project and were all on the same page. Over Facebook chat – our main means of communication – we would constantly conjure up new ideas, express queries, concerns and everything in between. Issues would occasionally arise, but we would always be diplomatic and fair when it came to finding a solution. It certainly helped that we had all become friendly with each other, as I find it is much easier to express my ideas and honest opinions when I am comfortable around those I am working with. Given conflicting schedules, it was difficult to organise additional times to meet in person, but we certainly compensated for this through our consistent online discussion.

For the most part, our group was collectively committed to the task at hand as we shared the mutual objective of producing a high quality outcome. We all made a conscious effort to participate and it was rare that any of us were absent from consultations or classes. However, the fact that we were not marked on the media we produce did prove to be a bit of pitfall for our group. This had the perverse effect on our activity as it lessened the level of motivation of some group members. This was slightly frustrating, yet understandable at the same time.

Throughout the various stages of our production, I worked closely with different group members to get our project underway. One of my very first collaborative endeavours was with fellow media student Bonnie, as we embarked upon on long day of location scouting. This felt less like work, however, as it was a beautiful day to walk around a beautiful area and take photographs. Nevertheless, I was happy with our efforts to get on top of things early and ultimately maximise efficiency when it came to eventually shooting. Sarah and I also worked particularly well together in the pre-production phase, as we both took on the initiative to make storyboards, shot lists, call sheets etc., which we came to rely upon heavily down the track. As for the presentations, we distributed the work fairly and equally and were each more than willing to put the required level of effort in.

Come the shoot, the girls and I managed to collaborate in a professional and productive manner through the means of communication, cooperation and problem solving. Although we had allocated crew roles, we did not restrict ourselves to these positions as we worked best as a team. Alex and I assumed the most authority over directing the shoot, yet valued the opinions of anyone who had any alternative ideas. While this may not be the most conventional methodology, it was most effective for our purposes as we were all relatively new to a production of this format, and it didn’t make sense for one person alone to lead the pack. With that, it essentially became a case of ‘four heads are better than one’, as we all put our creative minds together to figure out what would be the best approach from one take to the next.

Finally, Jackson and I’s working relationship was crucial in making ‘Black Flat’ come to life, and was perhaps my favourite collaborative experience of the entire project. Together, we completed all of the post-production and learnt not only a lot about the editing, but also how to do it best in a pair. I think it benefitted us to have a second opinion to fall back on, as it provided a sense of reassurance when making changes to our film. Jackson and I agreed on most things which was convenient, and I think we collectively did a good job of putting our rough cuts together in a relatively a short period of time.

Group projects are always challenging, but overall I think Squadron did a great job of working together to create something of a high standard. I think it’s imperative in this field of work to have to capacity to be able to cooperate with anyone and everyone, and this project certainly helped me develop my collaborative skills and get to that point.