For this unit I had to create a news blog, make how to videos and plan two new products; one being a news show and the other a newsletter. For this unit I mostly worked in a team which included me, Ruhee, Alex and Callum. Creativity is the expression or use of original ideas in a piece of work or task. My ideas were very creative in that they tried to be as original as possible and be unique to everything else. Therefore they ended up being very different due to style, format, quality, sound etc. The news blog was formatted well but the articles could use more work. I think the how to videos were done to a reasonable standard and are very understandable/clear. The presentations used a range of methods and presentational techniques including software such as Podomatic, Prezi and Slideshare. These allowed me to develop my skills online and learn about colour schemes and the best way to present. This also let me understand embedding easier as I now understand it very well and it is very simple. Using different presentational techniques also added to the originality of my work and thereby the creativity. It allowed me to use different functions such as zooming, arrows and control keys. All of which are skills that allowed me to improve my work through the use of creativity. This is the same as my podcast as it is a really unique way of presenting work and uses strong amounts of graphics and colours.
Working accurately is necessary to the function of successful work, our work is accurate in that to some extent in that it follows the task set in the most basic principle. The how to videos are probably most successful, but the ideas do have originality and use strong presentational skills. Most sound is diegetic in the how to videos but the occasional thing like the voiceovers are not and therefore non diegetic. The news blog was generally a success in that it did its function and was easy to understand, in the same way it was quite basic and does have a lot that could be improved about it. For example the detail could be in more depth as it is kept at a very basic level. The report was accurate but amateurish and lacks some professionalism other than the format. The written reports were subpar but allow enough detail that it keeps you interested and make you want to look into more detail of the stories. But in terms of its accuracy it is all correct nothing is wrong or misleading it states true facts and is all non-fiction. A few things may be out of sync in the how to videos but there accuracy about the information is correct to my knowledge as is the same for the presentations as they are original ideas. Even the product comparisons contain accurate knowledge of channels and newsletters. Our podcast was generally a success and our articles were from the internet but in our own words therefore they were very accurate in terms of their sources. Accuracy was very important in our work and I feel we used it to the best of our abilities.
Originally meeting deadlines was not an issue and we did really well, I'm pretty sure everything got in on time but when improvements needed to be made this slowed time down; making it struggle to meet deadlines. However it worked out in the end which is what matters most. The news blog was definitely done on time and had the information needed, formatting was the only improvement that needed to be made which was quickly resolved as the layout was some what dysfunctional. The how to videos were to some extent delayed by re-dos but the original cut was mostly on time as I believe it was delayed by just a day due to exporting time from iMovie. The presentations were handled as time sensitive in that they were holding up the unit and were definitely handed in late due to the depth and magnitude of them. The podcast was arranged with a friend to record in the recording studio very quickly, and it was arranged and sorted within hours. This was a really successful task and was definitely handed in by the deadline. But they did not become an issue overall as they were handed in by an extended deadline and completed to a reasonably high standard.
Working accurately is necessary to the function of successful work, our work is accurate in that to some extent in that it follows the task set in the most basic principle. The how to videos are probably most successful, but the ideas do have originality and use strong presentational skills. Most sound is diegetic in the how to videos but the occasional thing like the voiceovers are not and therefore non diegetic. The news blog was generally a success in that it did its function and was easy to understand, in the same way it was quite basic and does have a lot that could be improved about it. For example the detail could be in more depth as it is kept at a very basic level. The report was accurate but amateurish and lacks some professionalism other than the format. The written reports were subpar but allow enough detail that it keeps you interested and make you want to look into more detail of the stories. But in terms of its accuracy it is all correct nothing is wrong or misleading it states true facts and is all non-fiction. A few things may be out of sync in the how to videos but there accuracy about the information is correct to my knowledge as is the same for the presentations as they are original ideas. Even the product comparisons contain accurate knowledge of channels and newsletters. Our podcast was generally a success and our articles were from the internet but in our own words therefore they were very accurate in terms of their sources. Accuracy was very important in our work and I feel we used it to the best of our abilities.
Originally meeting deadlines was not an issue and we did really well, I'm pretty sure everything got in on time but when improvements needed to be made this slowed time down; making it struggle to meet deadlines. However it worked out in the end which is what matters most. The news blog was definitely done on time and had the information needed, formatting was the only improvement that needed to be made which was quickly resolved as the layout was some what dysfunctional. The how to videos were to some extent delayed by re-dos but the original cut was mostly on time as I believe it was delayed by just a day due to exporting time from iMovie. The presentations were handled as time sensitive in that they were holding up the unit and were definitely handed in late due to the depth and magnitude of them. The podcast was arranged with a friend to record in the recording studio very quickly, and it was arranged and sorted within hours. This was a really successful task and was definitely handed in by the deadline. But they did not become an issue overall as they were handed in by an extended deadline and completed to a reasonably high standard.
In my work there was a lot of use of equipment and materials, in terms of software I used Blogger, Prezi, Slideshare, iMovie, YouTube, Podomatic and to film I used a mini HD camcorder and a tripod. This was all equipment I was familiar with so luckily nothing was too complicated, some uploading problems occurred but they were all overcome; this was just due to lack of internet connection. All the software was free to use and made my work a lot easier by having sites that I could use to display my work. In terms of the camera usage the shots were mostly accurate we tended to use a lot of medium close-ups with tracking and panning/tilting so the audience could see what we were doing as clearly as possible. We found using the camera easy and simple to use so this was not an issue but some shot sizes could be improved. There was a bit of camera movement as some parts were done handheld as this was necessary but it does not effect the quality of the videos too much. As far as I am away all shots were in focus as this was not an issue but composition occasionally lacked. Lighting was not a key element in our productions so we only used the natural light that we had, we didn't add anything ourselves for a specific reason. The tripod was easy to use and did not occur any problems, iMovie jammed a lot but we all knew what we were doing so it was more irritating than a problem. We timed everything to blend into one another so it was very clear and thorough, voiceovers were especially timed to fit into the clip where they were situated. Titles were placed clearly were needed and were inventive, different and easy to follow. Storyboards in my presentations were another material used that was a resource that I had as a template to follow, they added to the depth of my work and presentation. Podomatic was a complicated experience as the website wasn't easy to follow but I have since had easier experiences with it and I am now more confident on how to use it.
Sharing tasks was pretty simple as everything was just uploaded to team member’s blogs and we split doing the actual work evenly. We were all really good at supporting each other actually and this is evidenced in our how to video. Most of our presentation work was done individually in terms of the written parts but we did discuss ideas between each other to generate discussion. The news blog was shared very simply as we all had our own tasks to do for the same product, so we all did our own articles and we all had the bloglog in so we put up our own tasks. Ruhee made the actual blog and I sorted out the design as I had the most technical skill to give it a more creative and colourful appearance. The how to videos are pretty self explanatory as we credited everyone to each video at the end, but we divided this based on everyone's skills. For example I am the more creative one, Ruhee is more organisational, Alex is also creative but really good with the technical side, and Callum mostly enjoyed taking part in the acting but did assist with technical skills. Therefore each time we completed a task we switched roles to make it fair and to give everyone a chance to demonstrate various skills. This was one area in which we really succeeded as we were great at dividing the tasks between us. The podcast was again shared evenly as we each presented our own news story and had our own tasks to follow so the work load was spread fairly.
Sharing tasks was pretty simple as everything was just uploaded to team member’s blogs and we split doing the actual work evenly. We were all really good at supporting each other actually and this is evidenced in our how to video. Most of our presentation work was done individually in terms of the written parts but we did discuss ideas between each other to generate discussion. The news blog was shared very simply as we all had our own tasks to do for the same product, so we all did our own articles and we all had the blog
Working under direction wasn't hard but as we were all team members we sort of advised each other so no one person was really in charge too much. This was only necessary when a bit of organisation was needed which Ruhee was particularly good at. We also received guidance from our teacher in terms of deadlines and if we were stuck on work, but were mostly able to get on with the work ourselves. But when we did need guidance we had the ability to work under direction well as this was necessary if we got stuck, otherwise there would be no solution. All tasks needed direction at some point, especially when being explained the tasks. The news blog needed assistance in how it should be presented as we needed to know the standard it should be at, which was the same with the how to videos. The presentations needed a lot of direction as they were very detailed and advise was necessary for them to be completed to a high enough quality. Working independently and in a team was a more relevant and common area in our unit, but under direction was also necessary for a chance at success.
I found working independently a lot easier at times as I sometimes struggle with team work, but when it came to things such as shooting being in a team actually made life a lot easier. But as I say I am not very good at working in a team because I have control issues, but I am getting better and I think we all worked together really well and got along great. Therefore team work was one skill that really needed developing, however other skills such as following instructions also caused issues as people got easily distracted. Personal safety is something that we developed well and was never really an issue as everyone was very sensible and safe. Working in a team also helped us to develop our own ideas for when we worked independently or together as we bounced ideas off of each other and that helped us to develop as media students. Being in a team made our work stronger and our work at a higher standard as we respected each other and were interested in each other's opinions as we knew they were relevant to our work. We made each other better by listening and actually caring about each other's work even when some did less than others team work still powered us through.
In terms of the actual ability to work in a team we needed to evaluate each other, I feel nearly everyone worked to a very high standard. There were four members in my team including me. The others were Ruhee, Alex and Callum. Ruhee did a lot of work and offered a lot of guidance on relevant topics, and worked so hard to meet deadlines and get the work done. Her writing skills could be improved. Alex did amazing work when he took part he wasn't always present or willing but really did do a great job when he tried. He had great technical skills especially in filming and editing, his attitude towards his work could of been improved. This is similar to Callum as when he did work he did it to a reasonable standard, but as a team member he was quite lazy and you had to push him to get work done constantly. He was a good team member but lacked motivation and enthusiasm for the course and tasks at hand. We used our skills well and got a long fine, so as a team there were no arguments only spirited debates in terms of ideas. Working in a team was definitely a strong point of ours as we all worked together well and got the job done.
I found working independently a lot easier at times as I sometimes struggle with team work, but when it came to things such as shooting being in a team actually made life a lot easier. But as I say I am not very good at working in a team because I have control issues, but I am getting better and I think we all worked together really well and got along great. Therefore team work was one skill that really needed developing, however other skills such as following instructions also caused issues as people got easily distracted. Personal safety is something that we developed well and was never really an issue as everyone was very sensible and safe. Working in a team also helped us to develop our own ideas for when we worked independently or together as we bounced ideas off of each other and that helped us to develop as media students. Being in a team made our work stronger and our work at a higher standard as we respected each other and were interested in each other's opinions as we knew they were relevant to our work. We made each other better by listening and actually caring about each other's work even when some did less than others team work still powered us through.
In terms of the actual ability to work in a team we needed to evaluate each other, I feel nearly everyone worked to a very high standard. There were four members in my team including me. The others were Ruhee, Alex and Callum. Ruhee did a lot of work and offered a lot of guidance on relevant topics, and worked so hard to meet deadlines and get the work done. Her writing skills could be improved. Alex did amazing work when he took part he wasn't always present or willing but really did do a great job when he tried. He had great technical skills especially in filming and editing, his attitude towards his work could of been improved. This is similar to Callum as when he did work he did it to a reasonable standard, but as a team member he was quite lazy and you had to push him to get work done constantly. He was a good team member but lacked motivation and enthusiasm for the course and tasks at hand. We used our skills well and got a long fine, so as a team there were no arguments only spirited debates in terms of ideas. Working in a team was definitely a strong point of ours as we all worked together well and got the job done.
Technical skills like editing processes could be developed through courses or training sessions, but this would only be necessary if I made the products really complicated like in professional pieces. I could improve my skills by following tutorials and by practising developing my skills, this will better my work and help me to gain a fuller understanding. My skills could be improved technically and physically through editing, leadership skills or even setting up equipment. The feedback I received was mostly in relation to tasks 3 and 4 and it talked about how the planning could be improved through more detailed research and technical ability. My strengths were definitely the how to videos as I used a range of skills and techniques to produce high quality products, that were well detailed and accurate. Such as software like iMovie which improved my editing skills and let me develop a range of concepts for the videos that I was then able to execute in the footage. My weaknesses were mostly the planning in AO3 and AO4 as I really struggled giving enough detail for the task, I could also have used better shots in our news report as it was quite basic to everything else in the unit. My technique is quite raw and could use some improvement but does contain the necessary skills to produce a decent piece of work. I feel one of the strongest aspects about our group was the group dynamic, as we all had different skills and got along really well. Which meant we all worked really hard and pulled our weight, this also meant we could trust each other to get on with tasks unsupervised. We were very good at supporting each other and the work was very equally divided.
In terms of how I could further develop my skills I could do work experience or go on educational courses that are more specialised. For example as a work experience I could go do more news reports on local events, which would improve my speaking and presenting skills, or I could do practice radio podcasts, film how to videos for another topic like playing guitar, or even do plans for other news ideas that may help to generate other ideas for news shows or papers. When it comes to educational courses I can go on ones that improve my editing, camera skills, team work, leadership, ideas generation and many others.
In terms of how I could further develop my skills I could do work experience or go on educational courses that are more specialised. For example as a work experience I could go do more news reports on local events, which would improve my speaking and presenting skills, or I could do practice radio podcasts, film how to videos for another topic like playing guitar, or even do plans for other news ideas that may help to generate other ideas for news shows or papers. When it comes to educational courses I can go on ones that improve my editing, camera skills, team work, leadership, ideas generation and many others.
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