This weeks lectorial was conducted by Roman Lobato, a media and communications pro. It was our final week of having the privilege of a guest speaker to come in and share their experiences and knowledge with us.

Roman Lobato spoke about the changed/changing landscape and structure of Television content and culture. The lecture entitled ‘Television, Streaming and Audience Fragmentation’ was on the difference in production and consumption of TV and online streaming websites such as Netflix which I’m sure more millennials are aware of what it is.

However even with the majority of hands up when asked who prefers/watches Netflix over broadcast television, it took me and my friends by a surprise when it was said that the average hours of broadcast TV viewing each day in Australia is 2.2 hours longer than the average for online video viewing per day. With an average that Australians watches 2.7 hours of broadcast T.V per day and only 0.5 for online.

We were also introduced to new acronyms for multiple different types of Video Broadcasting Methods

eg:

IPTV = Internet Protocol Television

TVOD = Transactional Video on Demand 

SVOD = Streaming or Subscribing Video on Demand

AVOD = Audio/ Video on Demand

He also mentioned the difference as to how netflix recommends choices of movies/tv series for us to watch based on what we’ve been streaming and how TV broadcasting is hard to enjoy as theres fix times for programs and if you don’t sit infront of the tv, you pretty much miss that episode. So to some it may seem like we are somewhat un-opinionated  or a generation that is getting lazy but it’s just the fact that we are enjoying what we’re watching and have the opportunity to binge watch at our own time whereas to catch our favourite tv series ..we’d have to sit infront of the television waiting for it.

 

With a couple of weeks till the end of Semester 1, I can’t help but realise how far I’ve come. At the beginning of the semester I was feeling all kinds of feelings like whether this course was for me and knowing nothing about Premiere Pro or Audition.. in fact not even knowing those softwares existed. It amazes me as the weeks go by of how much more attention I pay to all the little details while watching YouTube Vlogs, Movies, Podcasts as compared to when I first started.

Before I started this course I would blindly watch those videos without giving a damn about the types of cuts in between scenes or what effect they may have used as well as be aware of any surround sound in different podcasts. However now I can’t help but pin point things I have learned in this course that I see being used in everyday life.

My friends would sometimes get annoyed with me when we’re just chilling , watching youtube videos because the media student in me just can’t help but observe and replay scenes/parts of a video to observe and analyse the cuts, editing and sound affects.

We began this week’s workshop by listening to a twenty minute podcast entitled, “My Lobotomy”. It was based around the story of why a twelve year old boy was forced to have a lobotomy procedure done on him. Lobotomy is a neurosurgical procedure that involves severing the connections in the pre frontal lobe of the brain.

The audio piece got me choking up as it got a little emotional here and there. The music really played a part in signifying a change in scene and different recordings of the location to differentiate the multiple scenarios going on.

Eg:

• Howard retrieving the files on his lobotomy
• walking on gravel when he was meeting up with a fellow patient

I felt really inspired and touched by the piece and the experience it gave me.

 

Radio and documentary producer for about 17 years, Kyla Brettle conducted the lectorial this week. As our final assessment is an audio piece I felt that it was good for me to get a better idea on how to create that experience thru an audio piece. I have never done a project that did not involve video clips or still images so this it has been a struggle to imagine how an audio piece would turn out.

Listening to a couple of podcasts were really beneficial as interesting to learn how to break down an audio creation and how certain sounds were made as well as going through that experience just through sound.

Kyla shared some important tips to remember when creating an audio drama.

WRITING IN TIME — The importance of creating a ‘breathing’ space for the audience whilst listening to make it more of like an experience over time, that space for them to create a scene in their head and imagine what they are hearing come to life. Moreover the importance of warning or giving signs to the audience as a build up/suspicion to what is about to happen so that the audience does not ‘zone out’.

CREATING SPACE — Kyla mentioned that one of the main reasons why she likes audio more than film is because there are no boundaries in a sense that there is a frameless space for audience to create that experience in their minds.

THE SPOKEN WORD — This subtopic was about how a persons voice can tell us so much about how they are feeling or how they want us to feel, with all the different textures. It conveys their emotions in a way that cannot be replicated and would not have the same impact.

MUSIC — It is important to not use music that has lyrics as it could distract the audience from getting information or paying attention to the initial message. If used too much in an audio piece it could be overpowering and eventually get boring to the audience, therefore better to use in small doses.

(SCROLL DOWN FOR PB3 INTERVIEW)

Honestly, I am not satisfied with my piece and I feel like I could have done 10 times better. Very much disappointed in  myself.

But it is with these bumps along the road that will push me to do better in the future.

What worked?

I feel like some of my shots in different angles really worked and like the natural lighting through my subjects window really gave a soft effect to the video. Considering my subject is a student, I didn’t want to make it too serious and take her out of her comfort zone therefore I felt like the idea of her sitting on a beanbag and drinking some tea during the interview really made it feel more personal.

What I would have done differently ?

Honestly..A LOT OF THINGS! URGH.

Firstly, as the interview was in process there were a few clips and questions that I thought I had been filming but when in fact ..it was not filming. This was one of the most upsetting things as there was a very crucial question that I have now missed out on putting in my film as well as missing out on some really good clips for the film. Therefore next time I will definitely be more attentive and observant and double check before I start rolling. I was also very disappointed at the fact that I have no background music in my film, I feel like that would have enhanced my video so much, SO MUCH MORE. My original intention was to have my subject play a couple of counts on the guitar and upload the audio over as background music. However I forgot…was too caught up in the interview and when I realised I did not have the background music, I was already in the midst of editing and have returned the video camera. Another thing I would have done different is getting more shots at different angles and also being more steady, I was disappointed when editing because I was not quite satisfied with some shots. They were either, shake-ey, not a good angle or I’m just not very satisfied with. Moreover, I encountered a difficulty of transferring my files from the camera to my laptop which delayed my editing time.

Key Learning Discoveries?

Key learning discoveries would definitely be to be more prepared as well as shoot more than I think I need. Words can not described how disappointed I am with my PB3 , I honestly feel like I could have done so much better if my head was a little more in the game. I felt like I was prepared, prepared my list of questions and went thru them with my subject, planned some shots in my head and wrote the sequence down, I just did not reach my expectation of how it looked like in my vision for this project. \

What I learnt in the making process that will help me as a media practitioner? 

Preparation. Self preparation which would be remembering my purpose going in to film, knowing the questions by heart, being more confident in setting up and using the equipment. And because of the relationship I had with the subject, I now know and understand the importance of that comfortable space between the subject as I can’t imagine how it would be like if I was interviewing a stranger and went through the difficulties that I did.

 

Being a part of the media team in my church has been a real eye opener and is a huge part of my love for media. Not gonna lie, studying media in uni and having the stress of assignments has shaken a bit of that love and occasionally making it feel like a burden.

However being a part of this amazing team in church always reminds me of the reason I do what I do. Live streams, instagram updates and Facebook live streams were implemented for the people around the world who are unable to attend.

However sometimes in between the hectic-ness of running around and taking photos/videos you lose track of your purpose on the team. When I got the chance to sit down and scroll through the comments on the live streams and instagram photos, it amazed me to see how many people were impacted and got the chance to encounter God through the types of media platforms we were able to share with them.

It’s important to keep in mind the positive impacts social media platforms have on peoples live and not just focus on what some media dictates such as rumours, cyber bullying and so on, referring to the reading.

This was a bit more personal than other posts but serving at church and my faith has really helped in my strength to get through this semester as it’s been a really really tough few weeks emotionally and physically in the most crucial few weeks of uni.

It’s week 9 already???? what???? 

Can’t believe there is only a few more weeks till the end of the semester and here we are kick starting the last assignment! In this weeks tutorial,  we discussed Project Brief 4. I’m honestly not that excited about this assignment in particular as it is towards audio which in my opinion is not my forte. I am pleased with the group members I have been assigned to however hope that we create a stronger and more open environment between each other as I find we are still very much awkward and not as responsive to each other just yet. As this past few weeks has not been the greatest for me, I am finding it hard to push myself in the research area of this assignment or research in general as I tend to just get a headache from it. I was struggling to understand particularly what we had to do for the assignment.

I hope to improve on my research skills and as a team, come up with a great idea for our pb4.

After being put in out groups, we did a class exercise based around learning how to use the Zoom H2n audio recorder. I have learned the importance of audio after the discussion we had with Liam however I didn’t find this exercise quite as exciting as previous ones which involved camera work. (and my friends)

GROUP WORK spell out the word FEAR in my head. Fear of getting put into a group I am not particularly comfortable with, letting my group members down, fear of not being able to keep up with them or having conflicts and uncooperative members. However there are good parts about group work that are achievable if everyone works together, contributes, is considerate and understands the importance of the assignment.

In the first half of this weeks lectorial we had Rachel Wilson come in and share with us Importance and Characteristics pf Positive Collaboration. It is no doubt that employers look for candidates with high level tech capabilities however Rachel shared that one of the main qualities employers look for is evidence that you are are able to work in a team and be proactive at sorting things out. Group work gives us the opportunity to develop our skills as a group and as individuals for a professional career and to learn more affectively. At the beginning of the lectorial Rachel asked us to discuss with the person next to us some PROS AND CONS of group work. Here is what we came up with , with some additional points from other students in class.

 PROS

• able to get more contribution of ideas
• learn new things from other group members
• able to get feedback from each other to improve the ideas/project
• spreading the workload

CONS 

• some people do not contribute
• conflicts can arise during discussions
• difference in level of enthusiasm
• unequel distribution of work
• compromise of artistic vision

Characteristics of Positive Collaboration

-To produce a successful project created from positive collab, begins with having CLEAR OBJECTIVES within the group which means knowing what your goal is as a group. From the goals being clearly established, everyone believing in the idea, having an that idea is attainable and achievable to knowing the future potential of the piece, which means knowing and creating that room to move or possibly change in the future.

-Good communication such as the ability to accept and give constructive criticism without making it a personal thing. It’s also being able to check up on group members and making sure they’re doing okay with their workload. In my opinion this is the key, good communication is the starting point of the rest of the project. You will not get anywhere without being able to talk and discuss with your group members

-Consistency is giving your group members the chance to trust what you are going to do in your part.

-Support

-Responsibility

-Equitable

---

Rachel suggested some solutions that can help us solve some problems we may have in the group which I found very very helpful as now is the time of the semester where we start all the group work. First and foremost is establishing an environment of trust, autonomy and clarity. Followed by creating a timetable , establishing team rules and conducting productive meetings.

We had the privilege of having Paul Richard, a former student and now successful media producer to come and speak to us in the first half of the lectorial about the pre-production and crucial information about what could potentially go wrong during a shoot. He emphasised the importance of time management such as getting to the location of your shoot three times earlier than scheduled as well as providing the subjects/ ‘actors’ with more information rather than not enough. He also stated the importance of taking and having notes in advance for interviews and creating a story board in preparation for a shoot followed by discussing with the right people as to where the location of the shoot will be at.

As reflecting on this weeks tutorial, I have learned that there are a lot of procedures and behind the scenes steps that need to be taken to produce the best outcome. From the communication between the subjects, location release process, insurance and legals that have to be dealt with, finding the right location and knowing the regulations for that location, performance releases to the safety procedures. It was helpful for Paul to share some ‘nightmare’ experiences not to scare us or make us fearful but to give us a rough idea of what NOT TO DO when it is our turn to be in that position.

‘Serendipity’ : The effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate especially while looking for something else entirely.

-a philosophy mentioned by Paul in the lecture, and something I hope to look hopefully throughout my journey as a media student.