Presenting the Roots – Practical 11

Our project brief 4 is starting to transition from the research to the creation phase and we are trying to organise our omniscient thesis or main question that we are hoping to answer. Extensive readings have provided us with a lot of information over a variety of topics and we are working on narrowing it down into two main areas each (six in total). Still subject to change, we are starting with:

  1. Music
  2. Language
  3. Violence
  4. Gender
  5. Health and
  6. Environment

Our aim is to unpack each of these topics and their history in mainstream and alternative media. Through this we will discuss the interaction with audience and the influence on society. Ultimately, we will conclude that in combination media has provided us with the idea of not only what is social norm, but promotes an idea of “the perfect human”. Drawing from this I feel that the thesis will involved some or all of these questions. “Through analysing content what values and ideas do we find portrayed in media? What changes happen to society as a result of the interaction between audiences and producers? From a comparison and study of media content and social action can we deduce the effects media interaction has with personal values.

Who Are You? (who who, who who?) – Lectorial 9

Brian’s session on ‘audiences’ discussed the role they play in consuming and making sense of media. He also touched on the identification and categorisation of audiences into groups, in broadcast media as vast as ‘the public’ or ‘the masses’. This idea that you can group individuals by numbers and statistics into ‘markets’ is what drives targeted advertising. This information is valuable not just to advertisers but to commercial broadcasters and media producers alike.

Thus, we were prompted in class to think of what kind of an audience we are. I broke myself down into three categories:

  1. Demographic: youth, male student, urban with rural background.
  2. Means (devices): radio, laptop, smartphone, ps3, newspaper – online and print.
  3. Interests: sport, music, politics and tv shows.

Below is a rough graph of the amount of time (hrs) I access my three main digital mediums daily and for what purpose. NB, it includes time spent multi-tasking.

Screen Shot 2015-05-05 at 5.56.51 pm

 

I have begun noticing ways in which advertisement of products, services and other texts are targeted towards me based on my consumption of media. I am an avid user of Spotify radio (for those unfamiliar it is a music program which allows you to create your own library and playlists) and found that not only are their music recommendations personalised but their advertisements are based on what you listen to. They make great assumptions of audience based on statistical data no doubt sold to them by another party – you know that box you have to tick?

For example, when I first created a playlist of Aussie Hip-hop I was being bombarded with advertisements for cold beer and headline sporting matches. As I browsed through some of my favourite punk artists it became apparent that I’d be interested in band merchandise and vintage clothing. It wasn’t untilI created a playlist for my grandmother’s birthday, with all the old time favourites, that I found out how important it was that I sort out my life insurance now and was interested to learn all the super options available to me.

It is interesting to see the conclusions that can be reached about a media audience by what they have previously watched – the main fault being that these are run, like tv ratings, solely on ‘exposure’ and not ‘engagement’ with material.

Sitting on our Hands (Or Covering our Asses?) – Practical 8

Yet to take form our fourth project brief is well and truly taking hold. Early on we have been asking quite demanding questions. Today we have been able to sit down and summarise our process so far and brainstorm our options left open to us. At this point there are far too many pathways that we can take under such broad and indirect guidelines. Our approach is certainly one of caution, patience and comprehensive research in terms of action as it seems becoming too dedicated to an unacceptable program is our biggest risk. As our class co-ordinators and teachers continue to modify and adapt the project requirements we are seeking to establish strong foundations from which our artefact will take structure.

Our brainstorming began with some points of research that run tangible to themes or studies discussed in class. These will become the key references in our annotated bibliography and from there we can delve further into concepts that interest use and will be useful for our project. We also summarised what we understood “texts” to mean as a media concept and key components which we could expand on. Then we arrived at the questions that have been stalled by the project outline which was still being morphed by the teaching staff. We set out a brief outline of what mediums are available to us and we are leaning towards the multimedia platforms of a website domain or powerpoint presentation – incorporating all our various skills and interests. Our focus, inspired by lectorial notes and separate readings, is the use of conventions and forms and we discussed types of media which had strong conventions.

11124746_805089152915327_775610464_n11128089_805089146248661_2025198793_n11198507_805089182915324_657721572_n11185842_805089169581992_333964182_n11198892_805089096248666_1575340089_n

 

I’ve learnt from the first few weeks of this project the bureaucratic procedures which are used to create a cohesive basis for a collaborative project. For the moment I am unsure whether it is absolutely necessary but the detriment it has on efficient progress within the group is immediately apparent. Further affecting our movement through this piece is the timing of this project and its requirements with the schedule of our media content. We are unable to make decisions that will aid the outcome of our project as information regarding what is required of us is being with-held. However, we have gained an understanding of what it is to work collaboratively and efficient means of doing so.

Reflection on Peer Portraits – Practical 5

It was a great experience going around the class and having a chance to see the styles and features of the other self-portraits. Throughout the room there were people who had experience in photography but were editing beginners and the vice-versa, there were poets and playwrights, observers and performers so there was something to learn from everyone. To be able to hear the ideas and processes behind the works and more-so what they saw as important about themselves gave an interesting insight into the various styles, themes and approaches to this project.

I learnt that Sebs life revolves around his kitten and his kitchen, whereas Sally found identity and memory in her bedroom. I also learnt that Daniel and Trong’s perception – as bike riders – found a different meaning to Tyler in his video clip that included a bike lane on a long empty road. Jasmine’s previous experimentation with lighting and contrast saw an extra level in Tim’s use of darks and lights in every shot which he claims was a “happy accident”. What this showed me was how the meaning, of something as ambiguous as identity, can have such a wide scope in the eye of the producer. This demonstrates the importance of our own understanding and perspective on life, behind the camera, in affecting the way media is portrayed to audiences.

“The Rise Of The Selfie” – Practicle 2

BBC news published an article in June 2013 discussing “the rise of the selfie” and “the selfie age”, a phenomenon – while only recently globalised thanks to social media – credited to Robert Cornelius as long ago as 1839. Today chances are, if you haven’t taken a selfie you’ve seen your BFF do it, your sister do it and unless you reside in Unit 1 under a rock, in Out of the Loop Province you’ve seen one taken by a complete stranger.

So what has caused this increase in the supply (and importantly demand) of the Selfie?

Selfies can be taking and published by or on behalf of anybody from a toddler on his parent’s iPad to a singer/superstar on their smartphone. It’s a worldwide craze that has brought interest from everyday consumers, producers trying to promote modern features and even behavioural experts such as Dr Pamela Rutledge of Media Psychology Research Centre. Dr Rutledge points that it allows us to create and indulge in an alternative albeit it tangible character and “imagine how we would feel as that part of ourselves”.

Looking further into motives for selfie-taking, you can find what people hope to achieve by publishing their photos online and through social media. By being able to decide which photos you do or don’t publish you are able to screen or filter how the online world sees you. Somebody may publish a flattering photo that will bring compliments, equally they may publish a particularly Unflattering photo in hope that it will create a comedic or relaxed character. Therefore a persons interest in publishing a selfie lies not in “how we would feel as that part of ourselves” but rather in figuring out how people respond to that part of ourselves. A concept greater than this form, understanding audience response and reception of produced material

Comparatively consumers (or viewers) of selfies love to see their friends engaging in an active and experimental lifestyle. Photographs are a much more engaging and inclusive medium as opposed to text, hence the idiom “a picture paints a thousand words.” This allows viewers to instantly take in and understand the scenario, becoming more involved and interactive in the consuming process. As 22 year-old instagrammer Emily Cook proposed “Instead of saying you’re going to work, a photo of you in your uniform does that”. A selfie that shows how good you look in your wonderful new dress can show the viewer much more: where you wore, who you wore it with and if you find the ultimately angle, your lovely heels that match.

Important to my future as a media student and practitioner is this increasing trend to portray information of place, time, character and more through image. It is an effective medium for communication and something that I wish to gain a proficiency in – to not only be able to document my own life through a selfie but to establish an entire scenario, real or fake, and introduce the audience to this world. It brings to mind the old cliche “a picture paints a thousand words”, however I prefer the less metaphorical phrase for simple purposes “never use a large word, when a small one will do” (George Orwell).

To finish, selfies are enjoyed by the producer and the consumer so here are a few tips to get the best out of your selfie experience:

Life as a Post(er) Boy – Practical 1

As part of our media 1 course we have been requested to start and maintain a blog. I’ve never had a blog before nor have I been a religious follower. Taking a passive approach to social media in general I am an observer who finds it useful to the extent of communicating directly with friends and associates. Never have I considered putting my views and opinions into such an open forum. The main idea of this assignment then, is to get us used to working in public light and developing ways to promote ourselves and colleagues to potential audiences.

Currently my understanding of the purpose of this blog is to introduce us to the process of research, creation, reflection and edit. Having our work published on a public forum also makes us think about how we present ourselves as media producers and prompt us to work under copyright law and media ethics.

Questions that I am pondering:

  • How will I incorporate an “entertainment factor” into what is essentially an academic assignment?
  • How much personality and moral opinion should I include in the entries?Should they be separated from academic entries or interwoven?
  • What other platforms can I use to advertise my material? Links through Facebook, on youtube videos created for this course?
  • How can I motivate myself to remain interested in subjects of prescribed entries?
  • What do I hope to gain as a media practitioner from this experience?

Throughout the term of this program my answers to these questions will no doubt change and adapt to the course requirements but also develop with my approach to media production and promotion. Firstly I hope to learn effective ways of presenting myself to current and future audiences, enjoying myself and thinking critically of my own work in the progress.

 

NOTE: APRIL 13th 2015

One component to our group project is individually compiled 1200 word annotated bibliographies. Having never produced an annotated bibliography before this seemed a daunting and extensive task. However, after researching I was able to find an effective system to approaching my chosen resources that meant I could quite easily summarise the texts purpose and importance into this space (though I could have easily written more). It is asking more than an analysis of the words within the text, and provoking you to ask questions such as:

Who is this text addressing?

How does it effectively use data and research to support its claims?

What are the limitations in the application of its theories?

And many more that I had never considered were crucial for a summary, rather I dismissed them as extra-currical thoughts.

A useful tool I found was UNSW’s walkthrough, designed to give fellow students an introduction and help them map out their annotated bibliographies. They follow an eight step principle:

(1) Citation

(2) Introduction

(3) Aims & Research methods

(4) Scope

(5) Usefulness

(6) Limitations

(7) Conclusions

(8) Reflection

This is a method that I have recently introduced in my blog posts (note from practical 7 onwards) that I feels give them a stronger substance and is a flexible layout that can be applied to films, readings and experiences. This method of thinking has enhanced my approach to many aspects of study, particularly in developing a rhetorical approach to history in my media and politics classes.

This approach has greatly increased my understand of the blog as a critical evaluation and reflection. It has certainly helped me with my process for reading texts and engaging with their content as an audience and a media producer.