I really enjoyed getting to watch the other students in my class present their assignments as it allowed us to not only see what they’re doing but also to be inspired by their work in order to better our own pieces.
This is especially true as we presented our ongoing production processes through assignments 2-4.

One presentation I found particularly inspiring was the “Queerly” app by Zachary. From assignment 3, Zachary had really professional looking app user interface drafts which clearly showed how the app was meant to look as well as the function it was going to complete.
At the time, my idea was mostly a blandly drafted website as well as an idea of the creative direction I would like to go, so this really inspired me to put more emphasis on the app functionality and appearance for assignment 4.

Without the presentation element of this course, this likely would have been something I would have overlooked and definitely helped to make my presentation look like it had more thought put into it’s functionality.

This absolutely meets the idea of the studio regarding making media both digital and mobile, as the app functionality is one of the most crucial elements of a mobile phone-based media item.

Another presentation I found really inspiring was the “#activatemelbourne” idea by Isabella. Being able to watch the development of this idea was really interesting to see how the feedback received by Larissa was implemented as this progressed. The element of this idea I feel really helped with my piece was the way that the hashtag (something that is typically utilised by social media platforms) was used to create almost a link between the physical world and the digital by taking something that we already understand it’s use altering it in a way that becomes a game for the audience.
This inspired me to create a website that functions the way a regular tour based website would work, and then having it be a link to the audiences mobile device in the form of a connected augmented reality app.

This also very much meets the idea of the studio of urban storytelling and gamifying the exploration experience.

The studio I chose to look into is the studio “To Be At Sea”, a studio based around telling time based stories of a site, whether the site be historical or mundane.
The two pieces I chose to watch were “Shopping Centered” by Fifi and “A Site of Mysterious Werribee Mansion” by Zirui.
Shopping Centred was a retelling of real cherished memories of shoppers at Bell Street Mall, about their experiences with the mall from times passed along with real footage of some of the shops at the mall. These ranged from Kim Kardashian meetings to buying cigarettes.
A Site of Mysterious Werribee Mansion was a tour of Werribee Mansion along with some snippets of information about what makes the location a historical site.

To me, both of these videos successfully completed the studio idea of “attuning to the site” in their choice of historical retelling.
Shopping Centred had more of a casual “those were the days” feel, as it consisted of purely voice recordings and handicam footage. It felt like almost my own memories (I’ve never been to Bell St Mall) were being presented to me just by how raw the retellings of this location were. To me, this vibe perfectly fit the site of the mall as it is intended to show how something as ordinary as a mall can be a historic site.

A Site of Mysterious Werribee Mansion immediately sets the tone with ambient audio played from the site, with birds and the crunching of gravel underfoot. However, for me the audio really gave a spooky vibe to this historical site. This is complemented by stories of how the owner committed suicide, hunting and familial incest to really give the site this eery feel.
As someone who has visited the site this definitely offers a retelling that I didn’t expect but really enjoyed.