Practical 1, Week 3, Six Thinking Hats

I think this helped free me and others in adopting Edward De Bono’s process for evaluation from our egos. We were able to engage and ‘role play’ if you like as the ‘good cop’ and ‘bad cop’. It helped narrow down what exactly we were critiquing without offending the subject. My only complaint here really is that we weren’t critical enough of each other’s work.

Furthermore, it was great to see other student’s work because it taught me out different ways of communicating visually on the same topic and to see how other are way more creative than me in other areas (I’m more of a narrative artist).

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/russell-mcgilton/2015/03/16/practical-1-3rd-work/

 Lecture, Week 7, Semiotics

I enjoyed this lecture as it opened my mind to how we view and assemble images into meaning. I’d never thought of this before and it opened up a new creative possibilities. For example, a towel is just a towel, right? However, move it to a public swimming pool and lie it on a banana lounge and that space is owned by you. You have ‘signified’ ownership, thus created meaning. I thought I could make a comic video of someone doing this then going out in the city and put that same towel on different objects and claim ‘territory’. So in the end, as something as dry as semiotics actually became grist for my artist’s mill.

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/russell-mcgilton/2015/04/21/126/

 Lecture, Week 9, Audience

The lecture on audience helped make form out of the mess. It was illuminating to see audience not as passive but also active participators. This information was invaluable in looking at our project on fandom and its numerous factions and players. I’d never heard of the term Cosplay until I’d actually started this course and they subcultures within it nor of Slash Fans or Fan Wank (odd to see that in academic papers). This lecture helped add weight to our research and the shape of our documentary which was the best thing I’ve done on this course. It was a joy to see it all come together.

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/russell-mcgilton/2015/05/05/lecture-week-9-audience/

 Project 3

What I really liked about this project was apart from using the HD cameras (excellent resolution) I was able to learn more about my friend, Adam Hoss. It was like a therapy session as we sat and talked and this wonderful ‘light bulb’ moment, this realisation of a part of his life he’d never connected before. I enjoyed being the facilitator. What’s more, I got to learn iMovie more, though it is a frustrating program to use, and was able to implement some of the editing suggestions talked about in Blood in the Gutter.

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/russell-mcgilton/projects/

 Lecture, Week 3, Media is a public practice

I may not have attended this lecture but I did get a lot out of the reading, The ethical stance and its representation in the expressive techniques of documentary filming: a case study of Tagged Kay Donovan.

Ethics in documentary filmmaking is problematic as the lines can be so easily blurred. It’s not a conversation I’ve had with myself but I have seen numerous examples where these have been flouted. I also had never heard of the term ‘axiographic space’ that is ‘the Gaze’, that positioning of the camera can change meaning or threaten the ethical position of the director. This has something that has been whirring over in my mind since I read it and if I ever do make a documentary I will consider Donovan’s ethical approach.

https://www.mediafactory.org.au/russell-mcgilton/2015/03/16/lecture-week-3/