Newport’s chapter discusses the craftsman’s mindset – a focus on what value you’re producing in your job, and the passion mindset – a focus on what value your job offers. It’s argued that the craftsman’s mindset provides a greater deal of success as it forces you to work to your full potential and invest your effort and time into producing good content. On the flip side, the passion mindset is a more passive approach, waiting for the world to provide opportunity to achieve your goals thus bringing disappointment when this requirement isn’t met.

It’s rather shameful to say, but I’ve always had a passion mindset for the majority of my life. While I read and saw many success stories I always believed that individuals would always “stumble” across their fame and good fortune. So when I began my three year university course, I didn’t think much about creating a blog or name for myself purely based on the idea that I would happen to collide with my calling. However as my final year dawned nearer and nearer I began to realise that producing content didn’t rely purely on me “getting lucky” but also on the effort and pride I poured into my work. I wasn’t going to naturally improve and grow, I needed to seek out my passions and craft. Hence, the craftsman’s mindset was something I grew into rather than pulled over my head like a sweater and as such I grew to become more driven with my projects.

However it is important to note that two opposing ends of the spectrum can be extremely perilous, working a job without passion is meaningless and to passionately work without a goal is useless. Ultimately I believe we should aim for a happy middle ground between the spectrums.

This weeks reading, appropriately titled “Work” by Ramon Lobato and Julian Thomas, focuses on the rising jobs and underpaid positions in our media industry. Correlating alongside the exponential growth of new media platforms and evolving technology, it’s clear that our industry is currently underprepared for this dynamic new medium. They touch on the overwhelming adversity an intern student must confront before jamming their way into a tediously long line for a job at a creator and media manufacturer. The freelancer is considered and used as an example of a worker at the base of the food chain in entertainment and media careers, with most jobs low in pay or blanched of creativity.

The appropriation of this reading couldn’t be more exact to the feelings of all us students (maybe only me?) during this final semester. I’ve had many individuals claim the nuisance of the media and entertain careers and the difficulty of maintaining a stable job. I’m currently writing freelance for a website without pay hence I can relate to the anecdote that was provided and it has been hard seeking a job in that department that was an unpaid internship. It seems that due to the intangible nature of online writing, unless the list of viewers becomes rather substantial, funding is limited and done through mostly advertising through this medium and to your readers. I do hope that this issue is addressed soon (similar to how youtuber’s are able to utilize it’s platform as a career), and that our generation might proactively create a new range of careers that’s purely digitally based. Not only does this generate more jobs for us in this industry, but it also has many benefits like: working away from office, having your own hours and reaching a broader audience.

Sanchez-Laws, A. (2010). Digital storytelling as an emerging documentary form. Vol 6. Bergen: Seminar.net, 359-366. viewed 31 July 2016, http://seminar.net/images/stories/vol6-issue3/Sanchez-Laws_Digitalstorytellingasanemergingdocumentaryform.pdf

Sanchez-Laws is a PhD in the Department of Science and Media Studies at the University of Bergen, presents the concept of studying digital storytelling through the scope of documentary. Analysing the forms of storytelling and comparing them to the characterization of documentaries. Through this comparison of multiple storytelling methods it is possible to argue that there is a correspondence between digital storytelling and documentary filmmaking contextually. Defining the ability of digital storytelling as personal, short and public, Sanchez-Laws dissects further to concur that this mode of storytelling diverges into two components: the practitioner and the product. Her evidence discovers that while the product falls under the bellcurve of standards required for documentaries, the practitioners are considered amateurs in contrast and therefore places more pressure on the storytelling process. She highlights the process as one that links generations and communities, one that focuses on a more personal aspect in preference to a contract with the public that provides truthful storytelling found in documentaries. On further extrapolation, new digital media practices are presented as a dynamic new medium that has provided a platform for audience members and viewers. In this knowledge then brings new relationships that develops an essential point of discussion; emphasising the importance for professional creators to acknowledge amateur creators. The negative aspects of autobiographical documentary is further highlighted as Sanchez-Laws questions the authenticity of this storytelling method and it’s moral ambiguity that’s involved. While this report provides an evenly skewed opinion on both digital storytelling and it’s comparison to traditional documentary, it lacked information on digital mediums – despite lighting touching on this topic.

Ashton, J. Gaudenzi, S. (2012). Interactive Documentary: Setting the Field. Vol. 6. Bristol: Intellect Limited, 125-139. Viewed 1 August 2016, http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/deliver/connect/routledg/17503280/v6n2/s2.pdf?expires=1470140028&id=88304110&titleid=75007871&accname=Royal+Melbourne+Institute+of+Technology+%28RMIT%29&checksum=DCD8EF7366A24A690C25DF492B306BEE

Ashton from the University of the West of England along with Gaudenzi from the University of the Arts London collaborate in this article to focus on i-Docs, a new form of interactive documentary making. Their research brings a bundle of discussion points on the multi-faceted process involved with developing and making an i-Doc, along with it’s impact on traditional documentaries. The article presents i-Doc’s as an innovative form of storytelling, not to be tossed aside or considered fiction due to it’s interactive nature and digital realm. Defining i-Doc as any document built on a digital platform with an intention to be real or true, this broad term acknowledges that interactivity dives beyond the presentation of information but rather the viewer is dispensed in the product itself. Gaudenzi notes four different interactive modes discovered in an i-Doc: conversational, hypertext, participative and experiential. Emphasising the importance of each mode –  as they all provide users with a particular reality, this provides a plethora of ranges and perspectives regarding a single topic or issue. Despite some ever-present debates with interaction design, narrative fluidity and the degree of interaction, practitioners are already aware of the rising medium and it’s consumers. Similar to Sanchez-Law’s report, Ashton and Gaudenzi both believe that interactivity provides an balanced perspective for audiences without the domineering voice usually present in a regular documentary. While i-Doc’s are still evolving in today’s digital universe the article strong encourages any creators to collaborate together to nurture this platform of storytelling.

O’Flynn, S. (2012). Documentary’s metamorphic form: Webdoc, interactive, transmedia, participatory and beyond. Vol 6. Toronto: Intellect Limited, 141-157. Viewed 1 August 2016, http://docserver.ingentaconnect.com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/deliver/connect/routledg/17503280/v6n2/s3.pdf?expires=1470140064&id=88304120&titleid=75007871&accname=Royal+Melbourne+Institute+of+Technology+%28RMIT%29&checksum=65384BA48722709CB62BD16B81295485 

Rosenstein, J. (2005). Documentary Filmmakers Speak/Documentary Storytelling For Film and Videomakers. Issue 2. Columbia:Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, 226-229. Viewed 31 July 2016, http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/docview/215288830/fulltext/8DCD8FDA284B487CPQ/1?accountid=13552

Chris Lederer and Megan Brownlow’s report on Media’s expanding industry discusses the statistics of exponential growth and decay of Media’s current stronghold with the population. While it might seem that it has become an ailing ship, the report goes to depict that while published media has plateaued online/digital media is swelling – especially with countries that hold a younger populace. It seems that our group as a whole prefers to consume media through a plethora of different platforms as opposed to the babyboomers who prefer more traditional methods.

Local VS International (or US produced) media also became an interesting topic of choice, while the US currently stands at no.1 it is calculated that China may over take that position soon, globally. However it has come to a halt that trends thagt certain digital and published media are being produced in correlation to the demand of locals as opposed to international demand.

This report does not come as a surprise to me as 99% of content I consume is online, blogs, news, music, tv, film…etc the list goes on. While I have been skeptical about print media dying out, it’s no joke that the internet is exploding, with more people logging on each day. Content itself it sacrilege, e.g. Netflix – it’s ability to spread shows to individuals whenever without the inconvenience of television advertisements, and while I don’t mind free content I think that it’s important to give justice where justice is deserved.

Ultimately, content is an important factor to the growth of publishing mediums. The better the content the more it’s consumed, this could be print media or digital but the highlighting attribute is that digital media can be distributed internationally. Hence, digital media has the upperhand when it comes to distribution and ownership of content vastly increases your chances of bringing in more consumers.

Kalus Schwag’s piece “Megatrends” and it’s overall effect on society discusses how “autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, advance robotics and new materials” are changing the way we work. These elements are all archiving themes for many technological items that we use on a daily basis and are furthering our studies biologically and industrially. He explains that not only has technology improved our communication (Internet of all things) but also the efficiency of our work. Despite some set backs, including; ethical and morality considerations, Government and public VS private, Schwag makes it clear that conformity and adaptability are important to maintain this exponential growth in technology.

Reading this piece during the first week of university, fresh from my holidays gives me an odd sense of comfort. One that I couldn’t initially describe. Here I was, sitting at my desk reading and I felt a wave of emotion, the familiarity of when I initially step into a uber after a long night. I came to realise this feeling was due to the continual interaction with these developments.

A few specific topics did come to mind when reading this section; Pokemon Go and AR/VR, VantaBlack and Kimye VS TayTay.

Yes, it’s a strange accumulation of topics, some that people might be accustomed with and another which you might have never heard.

Firstly, Pokemon Go, HOW COULD I NOT? We talked about AR (Augmented Reality) in class this week and I couldn’t resisted talking about the exploding phenomenon. Decades back, what took NASA to space is now a laughing stock compared to the processing power on our phones, and even so I remembered when AR was initially kicking off and now every single individual with a smart device can access it internationally. I mean, if you’re not impressed then who is?

VantaBlack, maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t, it’s not a common material found in your everyday paint/fabric draw.

Vantablack is a substance made of carbon nanotubes and is the blackest substance known, absorbing up to 99.965% of radiation in the visible spectrum.

I thought immediately to this technology when Schwag wrote about new materials, it’s pretty crazy and I’ve seen images of this material and it looks like a hole… well in space.

And finally Kimye VS TayTay, you might be wondering; what does this have to do with technology or the digital world? Excuse me? What does this NOT have to do with technology. I’m not talking directly about the issue itself, but I’m referring to the digital platform that it has been mediated on. Schwag discusses the ethical and moral considerations that come into play when technology has grow to such a degree. This might be the prime example of such, TayTay “lied” (I’m using quotations because this hasn’t been 100% proven) and Kimye posted a video of her call her out on this, however there’s a law that states an individual’s call can’t be recorded without their consent.

So who’s in the wrong? You make the decision.