This semester has truly been educative, advantageous and memorable. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning and working individually and collaboratively on projects that have developed new skills and improved my understanding of what it is and takes to be a successful media practitioner. At the beginning, I was sceptical about this unfamiliar working environment, I lacked confidence to challenge and develop innovative responses during studio discussions. I was very much accustomed to the traditional method of learning and producing; so hearing I had to maintain a blog and have continual engagement with peers even in the lectures was frightening. However, this course progressed much slower than expected. We started with a few simple non-graded production exercises that allowed me to gain traction for the briefs to come. I learnt how to use a number of different microphones and was able to further experiment with my editing software. I realised my previous film and television experience could be applied to all four briefs. However, the distinct orientation to studio-based learning where theory and practice are integrated was something I had to adjust to. I knew how to produce a fancy polished edit but amalgamating this with the theory learnt in class was the most challenging aspect of the course.
My two other subjects, politics and documentary studies both required a substantial amount of readings each week. These at times were at the expense of the assigned media readings and also affected my blogging. I know now that I must prioritise my workload better and keep on top of my blogs as the course progresses. I have discovered how essential my organisational skills are to my learning process. I have learnt that in having an efficient schedule, achieving weekly goals can be easily accomplished. I learnt that in the lectures sometimes it is best to sit back and absorb the information rather than frantically take notes that need making sense of later. I noticed this in my blog posts, when taking a casual approach to the post I was able to communicate what I personally took from the lecture and found of interest. Also, possessing the motivation and enthusiasm required in the tutorials is crucial in shaping my future in the media industry. The more you get involved the better the outcome… which is why I joined RMITV.
The perpetual collaboration incorporated in this course really challenged my ability to think in different and creative ways. It has been eye opening to see that when people come together and experiment with the technologies available, there is a noticeable improvement in the productions. These ‘light-bulb’ moments have not only influenced my awareness of the media saturated world we live in, but will stay with me as I smash through challenges of the semesters ahead.
1.[RED] How much have I learnt about making media objects/stories?
2.[GREEN] What is my ability to work independently in unfamiliar ways or with new systems and tools?
3.[BROWN] How much do I understand and think critically and creatively about what I make?
4.[ORANGE] What is my understanding of the role/value of the blog?
