The projects from Groups 1 and 7 were particularly appealing to me at the exhibition. “The Maya Odyssey” is the name of Group 1’s project, and their team members are Stella L and Joe. Their story revolves around a treasure hunt with a romantic backdrop, and they used various media approaches to convey their project’s storyline. I appreciate their map design, which incorporates interactive gaming activities. Unlike other action games that require me to remember complex key combinations in order to win, Group 1’s map game comes under the gaming genre yet provides me with an immersive environment and simple gameplay. I’m not much of a gamer, but treasure-hunting games like this one are fascinating. My mind becomes entirely immersed in the tale of the game, presenting me with a priceless experience.

In addition, the creative work of Group 5 is also impressive. The team members in their group are Mustafa Ali and Nathan Buttigieg. “The Ages of Vitae,” tells a story about a chaotic and gloomy life cycle through three different eras. It explores how we consume others, how others consume us, and how we attempt to break the cycle by playing God. Their game is realised through a card game, which is supported by props and a graphical map to lead the audience through the game. Card games provide a pleasant way to spend time with friends and family. Playing the game involves our memory, attention, and strategic thinking. I believe their game story has a progressive effect, often presenting challenging situations to the players. They have to make strategic decisions to maximize their chances of winning. Many card games involve remembering the value, patterns, or specific gameplay of the cards. Playing card games on a regular basis will help you sharpen your memory and increase your capacity to recall information. Although I’m not a big fan of card games and frequently forget what I’ve played before, this game makes use of a number of accessories. This group’s members have worked hard to create major props for this game and have devoted a lot of energy to this project.

The Power of the Cut is a studio that explores and investigates the history of screen editing, experiencing various editing styles, and experimenting with genres, sound design, and music. In this studio, they film, direct, and interview each other, sharing stories from their own lives and creating music videos through shooting and editing. In Boyu Chen’s video production, I can see that he showcases three independent works featuring three different editing styles. For example, one film uses a narrative style to depict the story of a father and son in ‘The Return’ (2023). The second is an advertising promotional video for Western-style coffee on Instagram/TikTok. The third is a documentary about his friend Jack and his pet Luna.

Another student’s work follows a similar structure. The first video presents a narrative of a LEGO character attempting to reach the office desk and PlayStation. The second is a mockumentary that portrays how the virtual character Robert J. Swiss came up with the idea of ‘Cheese Slices’. The third video is a commercial edit of sliced cheese from the past. Both of these projects don’t have specific names for their storylines, as each work combines three different styles of videos. They establish a clear narrative structure with smooth transitions between scenes to maintain coherence (Bordwell et al., 2020). Just like in Boyu Chen’s project, the first work effectively conveys emotions through editing techniques. By using different shot lengths, angles, and rhythms, he evokes the desired emotional response from the audience. When I saw the scene of the father drinking accompanied by the rendering background music, I could also sense the character’s sadness, which elicited a feeling of sorrow within me. They take on the roles of both directors and editors, which helps them develop storytelling and editing skills. Frierson states that analyzing films, studying different narrative techniques, practicing scriptwriting, and improving storytelling abilities are important aspects (2018). In the creative editing process, they need to master editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, which allow them to efficiently edit footage. The basic steps in the creative editing process include effective communication with filmmakers and careful analysis of the expected emotional impact of the work. It’s not just a technical operation. Subsequently, the overall editing style and sound production of the work are tailored to effectively convey the desired emotions. The projects from this studio convey a creative and engaging way of producing unique ideas.

Reference list

Bordwell D, Thompson K and Smith J 2020, Film art : an introduction, McGraw-Hill US Higher Ed USE, New York.

Frierson M (2018) Theories of film editing : how editing creates meaning, Focal Press, New York.

The theme of our program is centered around international students studying in Melbourne, whom we call ‘aliens’, and the story is based on the main character Rae’s life as a student in Melbourne. The story is also relevant to other international students because we all have similar experiences. We put the story in the form of a diary in the online booklet, so it was a challenge for us to make the online booklet physical. Foxman, Markowitz and Davis suggest that the virtual and the real ‘are connected’ (2021, p.2167). We need both to create stories on the virtual web and to show people in reality how the story is presented to them. For example, we print out the contents of our online booklet and make it into a brochure. Visitors to our exhibitions can look through our booklet by hand. In the booklet, we combine pictures and text to make the project more visual.

If ‘aliens’ are new to a new language environment, they can visit our website and try to contact us on the Internet and we will help them with their difficulties. Some people become anxious when speaking English because they are afraid to talk to people in the real world and do not speak their own native language (Liu, 2018). I actually get anxious sometimes when speaking English as well as they do, but I think more practice will be good. They also can’t rely too much on the online world to just move around in it, they also need to talk to other people in the real world who are not from their own country. The content of our story was cross-pollinated between different media with the same message, making our finished product more authentic. Showing meaningful booklets through the atlases used in our project played an important role in attracting more users and promoting the project.

Reference list

Liu M (2018) ‘Understanding Chinese Middle School Students’ Anxiety in English Speaking Class’, The Journal of AsiaTEFL, 15(3):721–734, doi:https://doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2018.15.3.10.721.

We decided not to put the video on the website after a few weeks of group talks because we didn’t know how to construct the video material. However, I felt that we required an interesting activity that would provide a better experience for the viewers. I instantly realized that we had done an origami activity in week one, and I wanted to include it in our project. I discovered that aliens can be shown to people via origami art when scouring the internet for origami activities relating to our topic. Making origami is simple since it does not need cutting or gluing paper. Frayling states that craft skills ‘are redistributed in new ways and through new forms’ (2012, p.82). I will film and edit a step-by-step video tutorial on folding origami aliens. Then, I will print out the folding instructions and present them in various ways at the exhibition.

Origami can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is not only a hobby but also provides various benefits to people. Origami may be used to advertise our programs in a physical, interactive way, adding depth and engagement to the story experience. In transmedia initiatives, origami can be utilized as a storytelling tool. Daniel suggests that ‘objects form imagery in our minds, and their relationships create stories’ (2018, p.24). To enhance the narrative and create memorable moments, origami can be employed as a visual and symbolic element. Character from our products can be made into paper models and sold as collectibles or promotional goods. Audiences make origami patterns inspired by the stories or characters and share them online or in person.

Reference list

Daniel, W 2018, ‘Manifesto for Handwork: Quality, Material, and Ideas’, in Tolya, S(ed) The Design-Build Studio: Crafting Meaningful Work in Architecture Education, Routledge, 10.4324/9781315650746-4.

Frayling, C 2012, ‘The Professor of Digging’, On Craftsmanship: towards a new Bauhaus: towards a new Bauhaus, Oberon Books Ltd, United Kingdom.

Transmedia storytelling expands the world of storytelling, deepens audience engagement, and offers viewers a variety of ways to interact. Schiffmann explains that stories may unfold through different characters, plots, or perspectives, with each platform providing a different piece of the overall storytelling puzzle(2016). However, stories have both positive and negative effects on audiences through their distribution on different media platforms. On one hand, new media has not only changed the environment of the audience but also enriched the resources (Moloney 2022). For example, if I share stories about our project on Twitter, it can attract a larger audience. Nowadays, many people enjoy using Twitter, which is a popular social media platform liked and used by millions of people worldwide (Moloney, 2022). This enables me to expand the audience for my project across multiple platforms.

On the other hand, the fact that we can see stories on different platforms means that we are exposed to many media platforms(Feiereisen et al., 2020). On these platforms, there is a risk that we may be influenced by false or bad information and have a wrong perception of society. What’s more, in this assessment4 group work, each member had a different role to play and then completed the assignment on the specified date. Overall, we had a very positive group effort to complete the assignment which was good. If I were to do a webpage next time I would provide language options on my webpage to accommodate international students who may have different language preferences as it would make the experience better for the people who visit the site.

Reference list

Moloney, K 2022, Transmedia Change: Pedagogy and Practice for Socially-Concerned Transmedia Stories, Taylor and Francis, Milton.

Feiereisen S, Rasolofoarison D, Russell CA and Schau HJ 2020, ‘One Brand, Many Trajectories: Narrative Navigation in Transmedia’, Journal of Consumer Research, 22(4), doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucaa046.

Schiffmann, M 2016, ‘Rising Star: A Game-Changing Format in a Dying Genre’, TV Formats and Format Research, 5(9):34, doi:https://doi.org/10.18146/2213-0969.2016.jethc101.

This week, my tasks include writing the content for our project website and planning the webpage layout. I believe it’s essential to prepare the content and images beforehand. One of the main challenges I face is determining a background color for the website that leaves a lasting impression on the audience. Additionally, our story is set in Melbourne, and I also want international students to find our website helpful when they come to Melbourne for their study journey. People living in different countries have different habits, so I hope that when my audience arrives in Melbourne for their educational pursuits, they will find this website useful and utilize its resources (Simone, 2016). Our primary target audience is international students, from 19 to 26 years old. For example, when they don’t know the habits of living abroad, they can browse our website and get relevant information to help themselves. I think continuous growth and improvement are essential to provide the best help and support to our users.

Moreover, if I were to distribute my work to a festival, marketplace, vendor, or exhibition, there are two key areas I would consider changing. First, I would focus on improving the user experience to make some interesting models and make the interaction more intuitive. Second, I will incorporate more social media platforms to promote our projects. For example, posting announcements on Twitter to attract a wider audience to follow the project and share knowledge with a global audience that may be interested (Steve and John, 2011, p.83). These changes will contribute to the promotion of my project and add interactive activities for the audience.

Reference list

Simone N(2016), ‘There Are No Old Media’, Journal of Communication, 66(4), https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/10.1111/jcom.12235

Steve B and John K Waters (2011) Networking to Win:The Twitter Advantage, F+W Media.

We have a general notion of the creative work we will be generating together this week, which is to distribute our tale across various media platforms in order to attract more viewers. To begin, different age groups will have different methods of obtaining external information (Gerrig, 1993). On one hand, elderly individuals tend to prefer reading newspapers to stay informed about current events, while middle-aged individuals enjoy watching television. On the other hand, young people prefer going online to discover interesting aspects of life. I also want to explore new avenues to reach a broader audience and effectively promote our project.

Second, I want my creative work to be received by the audience in the form of web pages and manually produced posters. Rutledge states that ‘transmedia extends storytelling from a single linear narrative to a multidimensional user experience through the use of multiple platforms and technologies’ (2019, p.350). I hope that my work from different avenues will stimulate curiosity, generate discussion and promote audience engagement, which will also increase the efficiency of information dissemination. Thus, we had a significant problem because we were fresh to the art of creating websites. To create our project, we need to develop a website, which requires my team members and me to explore various areas of knowledge. For instance, learning web development tutorials will help us create a website that attracts a larger audience, particularly international students. Our desired outcome is to evoke a sense of resonance among the viewers, which is what we aim to achieve.

Reference list

Rutledge P(2019) Transmedia Psychology: Creating Compelling and Immersive Experiences:Tansmedia Psychology: Creating Compelling and Immersive Experiences, Taylor & Francis Group, p350-363.

Gerrig, Richard J. 1993. Experiencing Narrative Worlds: On the Psychological Activities of Reading . New Haven: Westview.

What if craft?

The process of making crafts allows us to enhance our aesthetic skills. First of all, we need to use our brains and hands to create crafts that show that it are relevant to our lives (Saito and Yuriko 2022:203). For example, it’s my own experience. I went to my art teacher’s DIY shop to make a ring before. I love my ring so much that I keep it with me, it makes me feel like another item to add to the beauty of my life. I wear the ring on my hand every day and it has become a part of my life. I find the activity of making crafts not only relieves my stress but also allows me to focus on doing one thing. I have some crafts in my home such as paper cuttings and mugs. These crafts that I have made, or that my family has bought, can be used as decorations for our home and therefore make our home more beautiful. Whenever I see beautiful decorations in my home, my mood gets better. I think there is no standard of beauty in crafts because everyone has a different definition of beauty.

Then,I feel that craft can represent historical heritage and that their culture is more valuable than money. Crafts from different periods have different methods of production so we can learn from the crafts of the past about the culture that has been handed down to us. For instance, pottery is the oldest craft in the Solomon Islands because of the need to survive they made it their custom (Radclyffe and Charles 2023:20). This example shows that the skills of making pottery can be passed on to the next generation, and that previous techniques are a form to represent historical heritage. I believe that the work of each of those artists is unique, including our own crafts. I have a good understanding of the history of craft making, and it makes me feel in awe of crafts with a long history.

In addition, the process we take from making crafts is one that develops our creativity and imagination. For example, I have previously participated in a paper cutting activity where I learn to use scissors and paper to make shaped objects such as frogs, flowers and boxes.We can expand our horizons by thinking on our own or by watching tutorials on how to make crafts. (Nir and Alec 2023). I need to think about how to fold a piece of paper into the shape of a frog. Although it’s a little difficult to me, I used my creativity in making the paper frog to create a piece of my own. In this activity, I learn not just the simple and uncomplicated making of flowers, but patience, care and a dexterous pair of hands in the making process. This is how we are able to produce good work.

Thus,when we make different crafts we create them according to our own ideas so that each one has a unique meaning for us. Regardless of production and production method, it is more about the dedication and control of production process, and this done well, the success rate of the production will be relatively high.

Reference

Nir Eisikovits and Alec Stubbs(2023), ChatGPT, DALL-E 2 and the collapse of the creative process, The Conversation website, accessed 13 Jan 2023.

https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-dall-e-2-and-the-collapse-of-the-creative-process-196461

Radclyffe, Charles J. T. “Sereke Pua (’Pottery-Making’): History of a Dying Tradition on Lauru (Choiseul), Solomon Islands”, Taylor & Francis Online Journals Collection website, The Journal of Pacific history ahead-of-print.ahead-of-print (2023): 1–21. accessed 25 May 2022.

https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/10.1080/00223344.2022.2047622

Saito and Yuriko (2022) in The Role of Imperfection in Consumer Aesthetics,edited by Cheyne, Peter, Milton: Taylor & Francis Group, p203.

Post link

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/luyi-ye/2023/04/11/real-world_media_craftdoc_luyi_ye/

Vimeo video link

https://vimeo.com/816424007

This teddy bear is my 15th birthday my grandmother handmade it as my birthday gift to me. I think this plush toy is made of plush fabric, rolled plush, cotton fabric and then filled with various fillers inside the toy, which can also be called a soft toy. Then, she will cut, sew, assemble, fill, shape, package, and get a handmade plush toy. What’s more, I think the object will connect to media that we discussed in week 1, brainstorm activity. I also think  factory  will connect to the economy,  media, and the internet.

This week we did a lot of activities around the themes of technology and media respectively. Firstly, we browsed the Playground AI website and watched a tutorial on how to use avidemux for datamosh, an effect that was new to me as I hadn’t made a video with such an effect before although I was struck by how much these effects are used in everyday life (Bennett and Jane 2001). I also learn a new technique for making videos but it is still a bit difficult for me to learn because it’s difficult to learn. However, I learn a new knowledge from it and this has increased my knowledge.

Moreover, I think it takes a long time for my brain to go from anxious to calm (Paasonen 2020) because I think I have a restless personality and I don’t calm down easily. For instance, we did an activity in class where we had to sit in silence for ten minutes and I felt bored for ten minutes and I didn’t know what I should do. However, I spent these ten minutes thinking that I would go to student connect after class and ask myself questions about the course. I think this activity also helped to stabilise my restlessness because my brain was able to think quietly during this process. Not only can I develop more patience but I can also focus more on one thing. Thus, if I can improve my concentration then I think this is a way to improve my learning. So I can learn some ways to improve my learning from these activities.

Reference list

Bennett and Jane(2001) The Enchantment of Modern Life: Attachments, Crossings, and Ethics, Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400884537.

Paasonen Susanna (2020) Distracted Present, Golden Past?:Media Theory, University of Turku, Finland.

all pictures shot by myself

I think I can’t live without social media in my daily lives because its presence has affected so many aspects of my life. For example, I like use social networking app is WeChat, which has a wide range of functions that allow me to chat with friends and watch videos. I use it every day in order to I use these social apps every day, they allow me to divert my attention and stress(Nir and Alec 2023). For example, I can’t say I’m addicted to social apps either because I need to browse the web version of the library to access information when I’m studying.

In the Tuesday classroom activities, we also took a look at social media, the electronic devices that we use in our lives. Our group made an analysis of which electronic devices were used between 1999 and 2023. For me, I was in junior high school around 2013 when my parents bought me an electronic dictionary to help me learn English better. The creation of every electronic product requires a creator and his team to develop and produce it on the Internet( Nir and Alec 2023). These creators have created a product that helps me learn English. I don’t think my phone had many developed apps at the time, so I thought an electronic dictionary would be a good learning tool and would also help me quickly access the meaning and pronunciation of words I didn’t know.

What’s more, we did an activity around nostalgia and I found two pictures of my brother’s birthday that I took for him on the 3rd of December 2020. I miss those times and I have a desire to go back in time. (Pickering et al. 2006) I posted those photos on WeChat because it was my brother’s birthday.I feel that anything worth remembering from my past makes me feel happy. Therefore, the emergence of social media has had a significant impact on today’s society with both advantages and disadvantages.

Reference list

Nir Eisikovits and Alec Stubbs(2023), ChatGPT, DALL-E 2 and the collapse of the creative process, The Conversation website, accessed 13 Jan 2023.

https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-dall-e-2-and-the-collapse-of-the-creative-process-196461

Pickering, Michael, Keightley and Emily(2006), ‘The modalities of nostalgia : Journal of communication’, Current Sociology, 54(6),919–941. doi:10.1177/0011392106068458.

all pictures shot by myself