Throughout the semester collaboration has been an important thing but at times also frustrating. For all of the class exercises, it was vital to have a group to complete the exercise, given all the components such as camera, audio, subject, interviewer etc.

However, it also makes it much harder to create the product quickly, especially in a course where so many creative people have clashing ideas. I think for a large number of the exercises, there would be less immediate collaboration and would start with a bit of a power struggle for who was taking the reigns. I think it would have been better to have everyone try to stick with one group throughout the semester, and each lesson make sure that every role was getting switched around, so everybody got a turn directing, filming, recording audio etc. Not to say there wasn’t a chance to try everything, but everyone has a preference in what they do and I think it would have been more beneficial for both myself and others to be pushed a bit and make mistakes in something new so that we learn more for the next time around. 

I think collaboration extends beyond just doing the class exercises though, with one major example being the presentations surrounding our final individual project. The opportunity to pitch an idea and get feedback from the class gave way to feedback we may have needed to hear, and will ideally mean that everybody’s final work will be to a high standard. This type of collaboration was more fast-tracked in the class exercises, with a jumble of ideas being thrown out and not a significant amount of feedback given, just simply moving on to the next best idea. 

Overall, the collaboration throughout the semester felt very different each week and it was enjoyable moving between groups and working with different people, and also took a lot of pressure off to get it right on my own, as working in a group means everybody can input and elevate ideas beyond the first thought.