April | 2016 | Michael Firus

Media Audit: The Train

Unless it’s your very first time, you probably spend the majority of our commute glued to that kaleidoscope of information: the mobile handset. But if one’s newsfeed was hypothetically all caught up on, maybe one would start to notice the multitude of other mediated information sources around and outside the carriage: All station signs along…

Media Audit: Oakleigh Train Station

Every university day, I find myself in this little corner of the universe. It can be a place of frustration, but sometimes this negativity can be transformed into constructive reflection. Que the Media Audit: Advertising posters Directional signs and upcoming train display. (shutter speed causes deleterious effects to LED displays) LCD Display Last-minute…

Media Audit: Bus stop No.1

Usually, about twice a week I take the bus to the train station. Now and then, the stunning efficiency of Melbourne’s bus network gives me time to contemplate the many sources of mediated information that a scattered all around: Timetable: humorous in its attempt at advice Braille: Tactile mediation Phone number Infographic …

Textual Analysis: History, Wider Context and Importance

Textual analysis is something that is done to some extent constantly and everywhere. Alongside humanity’s development of written language, the need for mutual understanding between the communicator and the communicant grew. At least this was how it most likely was early on. As the idea of culture developed and people began to formulate more and…

Lesson learnt.

Lesson learnt. I think we were all quite surprised by the amount of formalities and restrictions that needed to be dealt with before filming anything as outlined in this week’s lectorial (that isn’t a word by the way). Formalities that are absolutely imperative unless filming yourself under translucent bedsheets in a blacked out tent somewhere…

Textual Analysis of Click-bait

A textual analysis of the click-bait that populates shady ‘free-services’ sites and out-of-pocket online news outlets… you know the kind. Denotation: if an alien was to analyses this, they would note the following: the advertisement is constructed very simply with a hand-drawn image and comic sans font. The two-part spread features a slightly overweight Caucasian…

Media Audit: My Desk

My desk is a place of concentration, procrastination, entertainment, panic, serenity, research, curiosity, technology and clutter. Generally though, distraction is not what I’m going for. However, it is interesting that even in my innermost sanctum there is a crowd of persistent voices. This is a media audit of my desk. Myki and wallet logo…

Roosters and Red Tape

I distinctly remember the first time I decided to do something with a camera that went past the “play with” mentality. Coming from a photographic background, my Dad felt it necessary, sometime after my 9th birthday, for me to have a camera. It was at that time that I decided to make a film. The…

Audio Recording: a Wrap

Sound Recording Exercise; A three-way interview out in the field and in a simulated studio setting: In the evening sun, things couldn’t have bene more relaxing. And for three newly christened sound recordist walking around the CBD, it seemed fit that the best thing to compliment this moment was a smooth chocolate milkshake. But class…

Sounds of the Environment

When you think of a particular place, what is evoked? For instance, if I told you to bring to mind your High-school library… what would you recall? For me, it was the distracting noise that the door made whenever someone opened it. It sounded like someone was scraping carpet with a hairbrush. But I was…