May | 2016 | Michael Firus

Tram Surfing

A few weeks ago I participated in a rather interesting shoot. Tram Sessions is an organisation that takes upcoming artists and puts them on Melbourne’s trams to perform their latest tunes. Oh, did I mention they made such occasions into music videos? As a videographer on one such project, I found the un-officious and warm…

What is it all for? – End of the day type stuff

Media can be many things. It can be provocative, detrimental, constructive and even totally impotent. However, as a general rule, I tend to think media should be used to do a little good. For the last four months, I have been editing small promotional clips for the charity organisation International Children’s Care. This charity works…

(False) Perceptions

The first term of our course has nearly drawn to a close. Now, I must at this point discuss something that is rarely outwardly expressed. Within certain university courses, there exists an expectation that a student must, on their own initiative become an active and vibrant member of the course’s corresponding real-world discipline. Such an…

Interviews – The Psychology

There is always a hint of nervousness when one does something that, in adventure, exceeds pouring oneself a Milo. On this occasion, the author of my slight apprehension was the thought of approaching strangers in such a way that would invite them to share their beliefs and values on camera. However, using a technique which…

Institutions Close to Home

Mowing one’s grandmother’s lawn on a warm Autumn’s afternoon is not generally the situation that evokes an analysis of an institution’s impact on a culture’s development. However, as my gaze lowered I began to realise that the piece of equipment I was using formed a prominent pillar in Australian culture: the Victa lawnmower. The Victa…

Here’s to the Establishment

Ok, this isn’t some political statement. It is a statement about videography equipment brands. Now and then I become aware of those proponents of the big players in camera equipment claiming that start-ups and small companies are unreliable. Usually, I disregard these comments as unfounded and elitist. That was until I noticed an unfortunate trend….

Institutions in Popular Culture: Wall Street

Institutions have characters; they have their values, beliefs and floors, much like individuals. Here, I will examine the way popular culture perceives the character of a specific institution through examining a specific media text: Oliver Stone’s 1987 drama Wall Street. (Whether the film reflects reality is not considered here) While watching the film, I noted…

The Internet of Things

We have the internet, social media, the break from broadcast systems and many other contemporary catchphrases. But what’s next? Imagine a world where your air conditioner talks to your phone which talks to your fridge which talks to your laptop which talks to your underwear? Whether such a conversion is necessary is immaterial; it’s going…

5G

For clarification, the ‘G’ simply stands for ‘Generation.’ Currently only in the 18th year of my existence, I can only remember the transition to 2G indistinctly – in fact it was our family’s first foray into mobile phones. Officially 2G was first introduced in the 80s, however, remained elitist until the early 2000s. It the…

On Cars and Screens

Driving shotgun in my brother’s car, I couldn’t help but notice the display hub on the dashboard. The 8-inch touch LCD screen was the most prominent element. The screen was essentially the UI for an onboard computer; the functions of which were access to Spotify, maps and tethering to a mobile phone for a slew…