With this project, my goal was to create a visual experience of an individual’s life in a way that is both entertaining and thoughtful. I wanted the audience to be attracted to the idea of the unknown in life. I hope this project communicates the randomness in life, just like how people pick a card, or getting a capsule toy; reflecting on the unpredictability of life and how that is both exciting and scary.
I would say the most successful aspect of our was our idea pitching as with the help of the tutors and feedback from peers, we were able to expand our idea more and more, maybe expanded our idea a little too much and realising everything could not happen in only one project in a short amount of time and limited resources. I would say the most problematic aspect of our project was making the props since our project almost fully relies on props. First, we bought the gacha capsules and when it arrived, it came out much smaller than we thought so we had to change our plan for the gacha machine. As we made the gacha machine, another problem was the dispensing mechanism would often be stuck or releasing more capsules than intended. It was challenging and frustrating for us as we almost had to rebuild the machine. In the end, fortunately it worked out well. “The method teaches an invaluable lesson: failure is not an antithesis to success, but rather, a stepping stone towards it.” Branch (2024)
If we were to keep working on this media piece, a core thing that we would improve and extend on would be making it a collection of gacha toys like blind boxes, collectable cards, fortune cookies etc.. expanding to telling stories of more introduced characters, adding more layers to the storytelling. With new collections, we may be able to create more stories and explore different themes, deepening the emotional connection with the audience.
One key thing I have learnt from my studio experience that I will take into my future thinking and practice is patience. Working through the process of creating something, especially with unexpected issues like prop malfunctions, helped me understand that creativity is not always clear and smooth, oftentimes there is a lot of trial and error throughout the whole production, from pitching to producing, it takes time to resolve, there are always solutions. “Patience allows creative individuals to explore different ideas, experiment with various approaches, and refine their work over time. Rushing the creative process often leads to superficial results and missed opportunities for breakthrough ideas.”Iboro (2023) Knowing that patience is the key to producing quality work, in my future projects, I will remind myself to take things slow and not rush into things.
Another key takeaway about working collaboratively is the willingness to compromise and being flexible, being open to other ideas and opinions. Everyone is scared of being criticised or judge, but through this studio I understood the importance of knowing other people’s thoughts on your work, as you are focused in your work it is easy to forget that, the audiences does not know your thought process, and having peers and groupmates point out confusion, asking question, providing new insights and ideas really help with boosting creativity and pushing boundaries. In a group, everyone has an unique perspective on an idea, and combining strengths, it helps explore new ideas. This studio has reinforced my appreciation for team work as even though everyone has different ideas and opinions, by collaborating, it allows us to be more creative and build something we all like. “Each party must also then think outside the box to offer a new way of solving the problem.” Gilbert (2023)
In conclusion, this studio and this project allowed me to engage in more collaborative work whether it is with new people or new media, it helped me understand the importance of being patient and collaborating in a creative workspace. In the future, this journey will continue to remind me of my approach to working in creative fields and working with others.
reference –
Branch E (2024) Trial & Error: A Method for Effective Solutions, IIENSTITU, https://www.iienstitu.com/en/blog/trial-error.
Gilbert G (2023) Collaborate, Don’t Compromise: How Effective Leaders Solve Problems, Customercontactwomen.com, https://blog.customercontactwomen.com/ccwomen-content/collaborate-dont-compromise-how-effective-leaders-solve-problems, accessed 23 October 2024.
Iboro E (2023) In the fast-paced world of creativity and innovation, where deadlines and expectations often loom overhead, the virtue of patience might seem counterintuitive. However, beneath the surface of rapid progress lies a profound truth: patience plays an indispensable role in fostering a thriving and succe, Linkedin.com, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/crucial-role-patience-creative-workspace-esther-sunday, accessed 23 October 2024.