My engagement throughout the course came mostly from independent learning. Although I did not write any blog posts about any of the readings, I still read them. The readings were very broad and sometimes I found it hard to connect the meaning of them with media, but I found it very helpful when the readings were then discussed in the next tutorial or lectorial, such as the activity we did based on ‘relations between parts’ which related to Scott McCloud’s Blood in the Gutter, which I then was able to reflect on as I understood the concept from a theoretical and practical perspective. This same theory-to-practice type of learning came from the ‘noticing things’ activity which I enjoyed, and also became aware of and remembered from that day on. Although we students enjoy complaining about reflecting on our works, and I am among them, I still think it helps me to realise (however subconsciously) what I like about my work, what I dislike and if/how I think I could change it in the future. The lesson on conscious listening I felt was one that I really engaged in and really learnt from, and it’s an idea I really enjoy; considering what we tune into, what we tune out. I really liked this lesson and enjoyed writing about it afterwards. Lastly, I’m going to admit to liking the blog post idea. I’m a lazy person so did not keep up with it as much as I should have, but I do enjoy looking back at it now and seeing what i deemed worthy to make it onto my blog, the random posts about things bugging me and the photos I threw in to fill up space.
We encountered many challenges during the ideas process of our artifact. We had trouble in creating a concise angle to focus on, and changed our focal point almost each tutorial in which we discussed how we would portray our theme. Our main problem was that we strayed from our given theme of ‘technologies’ and focused too much on social media. I wasn’t there for the first brainstorming session so I am not sure how the topic formed. Our first idea had been how technology and social media affected news media. This developed and transformed into our final artifact; social media in young people, and is it good or bad?
Once we had scripted the show and decided on how to film, we chose a location, how many and what cameras to use and how to do the audio. On the day of filming, we encountered further problems; the location had the sound of an air conditioner in the background, and also, as it was not a private room, had people walking past throughout the filming. However, we were able to work around this by filming more than one take and editing techniques on the audio, which Tim took charge of. Sandy had a lot of lines and we discovered that she was unable to recite them all in one take, so we created a scrolling of the lines on a laptop behind the camera so she was able to read whilst filming. Despite encountering numerous problems we were able to accomplish the filming within one session.
Once Tim had edited the shots together and uploaded it onto our group’s Facebook page, Sandy and I were able to comment on it and give feedback. Apart from adding in a title and mentioning sources, we were happy with it as we had previously notated where to put graphics on the screen and which camera angle to use when.
There was a lot to learn during the making process, as many things we did were new to us. Although having made short films previously, I had never made one in the style of a news show. New skills I learnt from this was the use of several cameras, the importance of the anchor’s interaction with one another (e.g. for Tim and I to look at each other when we were the only two on screen) and the importance of conveying the theme/concept of the artifact through the actual project rather than through a synopsis style written piece.
The biggest thing I will find useful to me in the future, however, is how important it is to develop a concise theme and to stick to it. I think our group got confused within in the first stages and should’ve scrapped what we had formulated and started again with a clean slate. However, we did not do this and instead continued with a vague understanding of what we were trying to convey to our audience. Because this was my first collaboration, I appreciate this was bound to happen, and now that I am aware of the importance of the idea making process, in the future I will place greater value on making sure the whole collaborative team understands, agrees and is able to work with the topic. This major hiccup in our project will now be in the back of my mind each time I create a project, and so I believe, despite the small dent in our final artifact, the confusion around our theme will help each of us in future media broadcasting.
Our choice of creating a news panel to engage with audience worked in with what we personally found engaging. I believe that style of ‘discussion’ and ‘joining the conversation’ works well with informing the audience at the same time as being an entertaining and interesting piece of media to engage and respond to. Although not a ‘real’ show, the option to ‘join the conversation’ creates responsiveness in the audience and a process of considering and forming ones own opinion on the news/topic.
Technically, I believe our final project contained further skills new to us. Mainly, the techniques applied to give the artifact a ‘news show’ effect. We did this through the use of different camera angles (three cameras; of Sandy, of Tim and I and of all three of us) and by editing in graphics. We put quotes, images and references up on the screen to create a more diverse range of viewing material. Some of this was done while the speaker was still in the same frame, and sometimes as the only thing on the screen. This meant the audience would not get bored of what they were viewing as it was changing and creating a new environment to view.
The majority of our research was done in the idea process as we were having trouble developing our idea into a concise theme. With a broader threshold of information we were able to use this knowledge to develop what would be most relevant and engaging to our audience and to our theme. Once we had decided on a concise focus we were able to do further individual research for the writing of our scripts.
As a result of our restless theme I believe it has helped our group to realize the importance of research; in how it helps to concise, develop and create a theme through the process of learned knowledge.
I’ve learnt about a lot of the building blocks of media; what it’s made of, how it is defined and how it can be used. I’ve discovered the word ‘media’ is even broader than I thought, as it reaches such a wide range of people and institutions through different ways. The most important thing I’ve learnt is how media affects everything, whether you know it or not. During one tutorial we spoke about institutions and although I’m still unsure what I took from it, it is still stuck in my head about how marriage is an institution and how everyone had a different opinion on it.
Through media I’ve discovered I like to learn independently (e.g. through readings done at home, or individual research) and then to have the reading discussed in the next class. This helps me to understand, first what I’ve taken from it, and then what the lecturer intended the class to take from it. I also enjoyed Dan’s presentations as he was able to communicate what he meant quite successful through the exampled he gave (the memes helped me to enjoy it more too, of course).
The most challenging thing about the media course has been the theory side; as media is a practice, it can then be difficult to put what has been created into words, or to reflect on ones own piece of work. This especially, as, of course I am extremely critical of my own work and may not be happy with it, believe there is always room for improvement. However, if I have not improved it and instead left it in a sate of completion I am unhappy with, this reflects back on to my own ethic of work. So, to reflect honestly on where I have gone wrong and where I believe I cold tweak my final assessment, is difficult during this course as it requires a process of create and then reflect. I’ve also learnt it is a lot easier to reflect when you have done something wrong than when you have done something right (modesty?).
I have discovered a lot about my own creative practice, but most importantly I have discovered my own aspirations for this course. Nearing the end of the first semester I began to realize that Media and Communication might not be the course I wanted to do. The creation of film, however interesting to me, is not something I want to do in my future. I enjoyed my other classes and I did enjoy the theory side of media, but I have come to the conclusion I do not want to be behind a camera. However, I have been convinced to stick with this course until the end of the year. Through this I will further discover my creative practice, even if this discovery is that I do not enjoy it. What I have discovered so far is that I am still not putting enough time into the actual filming and focusing too much on the planning aspect of creating a project
¶ ?
Over the past weeks I have been considering what I want to get from this course, how I think it will help me in the future etc. and through this I have discovered that Media and Communication is not the course for me. I am still not 100% certain, but I am maybe 75% sure about wanting to change my course. I am unsure, again, on what I wish to change to but am considering Professional Communication.
I think it is good to have my thoughts written down and published on my blog so I am able to look back and re-reflect on my decision.
In an attempt to increase the amount of blog posts on my very empty looking blog I’m going to be posting a lot of upcoming posts that, upon first sight, seem quite unrelated to media. But look a little deeper and I’m sure you’ll be able to find some morsel of media in anything.
As the time nearing semester break comes I find myself doing some serious laziness preparation: Netflix. But every time I settle down to watch a movie or discover another unneeded TV show to binge on, I find myself spending 20+ minutes just browsing the categories and looking up titles on IMDB. I don’t have any kind of statement to make about this, I just want it to be said, something has to be done.
I’ve wasted too much precious time staring at the screen browsing when I could have been staring at the screen soaking up some serious culture via media (whoop- there it is). Someone should fix this with some media related magic, the strange sub-categories just really aren’t doing it for me anymore.
The below is the learning graph we had to create in our last tutorial (Thursday). Being handed a blank graph gave me vivid flashbacks to high school maths accompanied by feelings of dread. I truly believed myself when I’d left high school promising myself I would never use maths again.
Luckily, this learning graph was easy 🙂 I just drew some squiggly lines that kind of reflected what my memory was telling me (did i really think I’d improved since week two?).
The graph is small and messy and probably illegible, sorry.
Media materialism, dust and the anthropocene
- Technology: things, processes, skills. Anything effective, traditional (walk, eat, swim; taught, social expectations, upbringing, environment)
- Technique: technological determinism vs. social constructivism- we made it, we control it (guns don’t kill people, people kill people)
- Culture: 1. Identifying subgroups within population, 2. the world as culture, humankind, 3. art, theatre, cinema: creative expression. “culture is multiple.. messy confused…unpredictable”, “culture is everything we d not have to do…have to eat, but do not have to have cuisine. Have to cover against weather, do not have to wear levis”. Culture is something we do, but also something we are.
- Obsession with/struggle for resources: The Walking Dead (TV show), The Road (book + film), Mad Max (film), The Last of Us (game).
Blog O’clock
- Technological determinism is a valid way of looking at the world
- Humanity is in charge of its own future
- Innovation and progress is hindered by scientific regulation
- Machines are becoming too intuitive/intelligent
- Dust has negligible matter, but it has great power
I did write under one of these topics but it turned into a mushy ramble stew that I don’t wish to share.