Making Media Studies: The Creativity Turn in Media and Cultural Studies (2015) David Gauntlett. (http://davidgauntlett.com)
SOURCE: http://www.digitalfolk.org/project-team/david-gauntlett/
The ideas that we were asked to consider for this weeks readings included what is media now and how do we study it? And how is craft and the creativity of individuals (‘me-dia’) an important and hitherto underexamined part of the current media ecology?
Immediately when asked how do we study media? I think back to my year 12 media studies and other than creating our final film, learning the media content was all very theory based. We learnt about narrative, society values and media influences in year 12 and in studying this we watched media in the forms of movies, tv show clips, magazine and newspaper articles, images, radio etc. This helped us relate to the things we were studying as we were using the media we were learning about. Likewise, when learning how to use final cut pro and photoshop we didn’t read about it we used it. We created images and videos and were encouraged to do this at home as well. Not only does doing hands on activites give us greater experience as we practice and develop our skills but its also fun! we also enjoy it and want to learn and study media which results in a far better work product and productivity.
Due to labour day this week we didn’t have a lecture but our readings covered the ideas of media studies and how creativity is important. Gauntlet’s key points in his piece were…
- learning with media not about media
- making new things (meanings) looking forward not backwards
- transformational not documentary
- media studies refreshed by the creating and making side of media
He basically says that media studies is made up of three things; conversations and the connections we have between people this may not necessarily be verbal this could be online but in general the interaction with others. Secondly, inspiration and how we are apart of this web like strucutre where we network with others around us and gather ideas from there creativity. Lastly making things happen, how media is a tool that can be used to communicate ideas, views, values, opinions and is a way to make things happen in the world.