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Professional Work Presentation June 5, 2011
For my professional experience I tried out 3 different work experiences. When I was first told about this module sure I was excited having the chance to be in the working environment. But the excitement didn’t last long, because what my intentions where when I first joined Coventry University had changed. I joined with the idea of becoming a better camera woman and editor, but later realized I really loved my time in the studio room and would love to pursues a path in that. Hence why I think I did 3 different work placement as I couldn’t make up my mind, and it has its advantage allowing me to explore potential different career paths.
My first work experience I chose to do is CVTV. I got to know about CVTV when Johnny Rickard (the man himself behind the project) came and introduced himself and told us about his project. Basically CVTV is a contemporary gossip news show created to promote Johnny as a presenter. I thought this would be a great work opportunity to do for couple of days, and it would be done a professional level and it’s close to home. I took on the role as a set designer and was asked to be a runner which I agreed to.
Working as a set designer for CVTV had it advantage as I got to work with other set designers who were from my class, which made it easy and comfortable to work with each other. But the disadvantage was that I didn’t get the chance to make new acquaintances which I missed out. As a runner I didn’t get much chance to gain new acquaintances either and also I hardly had anything to do in that role. To be honest I believe this project was very unorganized with dates constantly kept getting changed by either Johnny himself or the interviewees. This was a hassle as it left the people helping out of the loops, and there wasn’t clear communication between the set designer and Johnny’s assistant.
If one big thing I learned from this project is that you need very clear communication from the project manager himself (in this case Johnny) to the people working for him/her. Regular meeting and updates is necessary as it would keep things clean and organized.
I also participated for 2 days on a third year students final project called ‘Face Yourself’. This project was interviewing Steve Dawkins about his published book and to ‘face himself’. I heard about this project on the last minute, and only knew this project would take place in the studio room. As I already mentioned above I’ve recently gained interest in working in studio room productions, so I wanted to try this out. I didn’t know what I was putting myself into but I came to realize that majority of the people helping out had never been in a studio room before. So I took it upon myself to take on the role of the floor manager. I took this role because the floor manager has to keep the studio room calm and controlled and keep good communication flowing back and forth between the gallery and studio room; all the things I believed I could do easily and I which did do. As I already mentioned this was a last minutes project I came to know about but I really enjoyed being the floor manager for this and working in a big group is actually fun. It had it’s stressful moments but you feel really good at the end.
We managed to finish the show on the second day. The first day we had everything up and running but because of one little important thing which was a heat resistant spray needed to keep the studio set from going flammable. Due to not having that on the day, we had to pack everything away.
Working in a studio production is defintely a potential career prospect I like to head in the nearby future. Also towards the end of the production I got praised by Steve Dawkins himself, saying that I was calm and kept everything in the studio room controlled and had good communication, I was pleased with this comment.
The last work experience participated in is a small business called Bollywood Media expertise in videography and photography for all occasions. To be honest this was my last option initially I wanted to go to the US work experience trip, but I couldn’t afford it so therefore I ended up working for Bollywood Media. So doing this wasn’t a big excitement for me. My job was mainly to edit the wedding videos to the Bollywood Media standard. The one thing I liked about doing this job was I get to edit the video on my own pace as long as it was finished to the required deadline dates. But what I didn’t enjoy was when I had to edit some days by myself; as doing yourself gets very tiring and also gets difficult to keep concentrating for too long. I still enjoy doing editing work and hope to also pursue a career-path in that directing, but editing when other people around is easier on your brain and eyes.
In conclusion my work experience was average. But I did learn a lot of thing I can take with me. Like when I begin my final project and/or my future projects I will remember to make sure a heat resistant spray if I’m working in the TV Studio. Even better I would remember to create a list important things that have to be done. What else is essential is keeping good communication and regular meetings so that everything is up-to-date and on time, and that’s how you get a clear an organized structure.
There some unforeseen incidents that cannot have been avoided even if your tried which is something you have to personally learn how to get around it. I wish I could have made more contacts and acquaintances as the only ones I probably made was Johnny Rickard and with the people I assisted on the project ‘Face Yourself’.
When I knew I couldn’t go for the US trip because of the funding from my part, I could have looked for something better rather than relying on my last choice (Bollywood Media). I think the reason why I went to my safe spot is because I’m afraid of rejection, even though I have grown to be more confident in each passing day. But its a confidence I’ve just gained and I don’t want to lose so soon. I’ve always been afraid of rejection its a childhood thing for me which I still haven’t learn to accept, and this also prevents me from asking for help.
If I were to look for a work experience again I would have a clearer idea what I would like to go in, and that’s TV production. TV Production is something I’ve realized I really enjoy. It is hard work and you have to work in a large group but when you really enjoy something I believe everything feels just worth it; the stress, the rush, the running about and then the final recording day.
Teamwork June 5, 2011
With confidence I can say I worked best in a team when I participated in the project ‘Face Yourself’. I spoke with nearly all of the people who also came to help, and as a role of the floor manager I had clear communication going with the camera crew going. I tried to keep everyone in the studio room calm as the lighting in there was also making everyone a little heated. I worked well with the directors sometimes I was bossing them for the next instruction and for them to be more clear precise. I believe letting my little bossy side out and letting it take control worked well in my favour, allowing me to play out my role better. I don’t know what I could say that could have been improved. I think everyone just emerged well and worked well as a team, it’s like everyone synched into their roles and got busy in that.
Where I do believe team work could have hugely been improved is when I worked as a set designer for CVTV. The main problem was communication with some of the set designer; to start of with we were about 5 set designers, apparently 2 dropped out without anyones knowledge or what-so-ever. Then the set designers that were left were not given clear enough instructions or given enough updates by either Johnny or by Johnny’s assistant. This caused the back board other things to delay.
I think why the teamwork worked better in ‘Face Yourself’ project and not in the CVTV project was because there was good communication between the people in the room. Also there was a person constantly nagging for further instructions and asking fro updates; which was me. I think there should be that one person who is always asking questions and nagging. One thing I can agree what my mum says and that’s ‘If you don’t nag enough you don’t get anywhere’.
CVTV – Day 3 – Runner June 2, 2011
June 2nd
Today I got to participate with the CVTV project as a runner. I reached a little before 3 at the Ellen Terry building room 101 in Coventry University, as the debate show was held there. But due to lack of audience (because majority of the student have left) and also a last minutes cancelation Vaughn Bailey cancelled due to family member problems.
So therefore there wasn’t much job to do for the runner. I helped out with whatever I could but there wasn’t much to do.
I felt I really missed out in participating CVTV. Not only that but the next day on the very last minutes the interview was changed, and none of the people helping knew that. Neither did I and I reached at Maison Bar to find out there that the interview had already taken place. This surely annoyed me and I did let Johnny know about this.
CVTV has been very unorganized and a lot of hassle, and especially after that incident took place I decided to come out of the project. It was unstructured the times constantly kept getting changed and not enough updates and communication flowing between Johnny and everyone else.
I think next time I join a project, I will find out in details what it about, when it going to take place, and where its going to take place.
CVTV – Debate Show June 2, 2011
June 2nd
Today I got to participate with the CVTV project as a runner. I reached a little before 3 at the Ellen Terry building room 101 in Coventry University, as the debate show was held there. But due to lack of audience (because majority of the student have left) and also a last minutes cancelation Vaughn Bailey cancelled due to family member problems.
So therefore there wasn’t much job to do for the runner. I helped out with whatever I could but there wasn’t much to do.
Bollywood Media – 15 Days May 28, 2011
I spent working 15 days for Bollywood Media. Here is the following sign-off each day and a letter confirming that I worked for them.
Face Yourself – Day 2 April 21, 2011
On thursday I came back to the TV studio to help Aidah and Peto with their final project. This time they had the spray so everything was a go. Again like last time everyone helped out with setting everything up from the camera cables to the set.
Aidah was giving out roles, I came forward and said that I didn’t mind playing a Floor Manager and I was given that role. I was actually very excited playing this role it new and different for me. Usually I pick roles which I don’t lead much in. But as a floor manager you have to be loud and clear and lead the floor.
When we began shooting everything started of okay, I passed on information to the camera-men and did the countdown well. Then it started becoming a little frustrating when the producers in the gallery room took their time to give further instruction. Sometimes I would calmly but in a demanding voice ask what happening next or if the director could state clearly what he wanted.
The problem was that the questions they had prepared for the show were odd and some of them didn’t make sense clearly which confused the interviewee Steve Dawkins along with some of the rest of us. So trying to make sense of the questions took some good quality time.
There were some cases were I wouldn’t get a reply back from the directors which lead to me being more demanding in my voice for the next instruction. Even when the director didnt give me feedback, I told the poeple on the floor some lies that evrything was okay and the people in the gallery room are their to sort something out. This actually worked wonder as it calmed some people’s curiosity or from some people to not start nagging.
Once the show was finished towards the end Steve Dawkin praised my role as a Floor manager and said I was calm and controlled, I was pleased with that comment. So now that everything was finished it was time to pack things away not before having last minutes group pictures.
Overall I really had enjoyed my time in the studio, but I think I was more amazed at myself and how I reacted under pressure. The best thing was few minutes into the role, I forgot that I took that role I started out playing it naturally. Which to me shows I could be a natural leader if I tried. Now I just need to gain enough confidence to become a leader.
Face Yourself – Day 1 April 18, 2011
In a last moment I heard about ‘Face Yourself’ from a friend, saying that they needed helpers. As I needed more days for my professional experience I agreed to help. Also this project was going to take place in the TV studio this is something II’ve taken more interest in since joining Coventry University. So I was glad to be in the studio again and helping with someones project.
I spoke to some of the people that were there and asked if any of them have been in a TV studio before majority of them didn’t, I believe this gave me the opportunity to take on a role I wanted to try for ages as I was the only other few who had been in the studio before.
The studio was being set by everyone helping, but as we were setting everything we were asked to stop and pack everything back up. All I noticed was the producers getting frustrated. Apparently a heat resistant spray was missing, this spray is used to spray around the set so it doesn’t become over heated by the big studio lighting. Since that was missing the studio time had to be cancelled.
This just goes to show even the littlest things matter and everything should be planned and ticked-off from a list. So the only thing I could do now was help pack things away as the producers banged their heads because the interviewer they had for the day was going to holiday and wouldn’t be available after today. So they had to also search for a new interviewer. They asked me to interview but I’m not that confident in my presenting skills, so I kindly declined.
The only thing I could do now was wait for the next studio time.
Dirt – Evaluation & Reflection March 25, 2011
From the moment I got the word dirt as theme, I knew what I wanted to base it on and it was on soil. I wanted dirt being portrayed as positive things rather than negative and I believe I have achieved that but in a complete different way than I had planned in my head.
I think the reason my final dirt project was completely different than how I had in my head is because of the technique I used. It’s because I wanted to try to play with stop-motion again as last time I used this technique was in my first year of college, which is good 4 or 5 years ago. Thought I had researched on how to create stop-motion to refresh my memory, and I found a very beautiful example too (look at video below), the look of the final project was very child-like nature.
I was about to scrap that idea, that was until my baby brother Aaron loved it and was laughing at it. I asked if he liked it and he replied ‘yes, the bee is funny.’
That’s when I thought why not turn it into a clip for little children. As I do get forced to watch children’s cartoon, I have seen that sometimes between commercial breaks a quick short information cartoon pops-up and I thought mine could be exactly that as it was only 30 seconds long.
That’s when I had to replace any audio with children’s sound and music, and also change the writing style too. Like the title ‘Our nature’ was drawn to give that child-like coloured look, which now fitted better with the now new idea.
The only thing now that was bothering me the most was the words for example ‘it gives us food’ because that text now won’t really be easily readable if my now audience are in their infant years. But also I can’t take it out otherwise it just looks like a bee flying around and no real message behind it. I kept pondering for a while until I remembered what some of the children programs do, have children’s voice-over. I got Aaron to do the voice-over and in the background I also pretended to have a child voice, as I wanted to give the illusion there is a room full of kids reading it.
Then I got the necessary sounds like children laughter, pencil scribbling on a paper, a magical jingle, a bee and a nature soundscape, to complete the look of a child’s information cartoon piece.
My original idea was meant to hit an older target audience, but because how I edited and recorded the piece it hit a much younger audience. But because of this little mishap I got to learn that hitting for a younger audience there is so much involved especially with the sounds, you have to make sure any text is readable an colourful, and if not then do what I did a voice-over.
In conclusion if I can do this piece again, truth be told I’m not sure about me doing that. But would I like to improve my skills on stop-motion definitely, it’s definitely out of my comfort zone as I haven’t used this technique for at least 5 years. Also I never made anything for an infant audience, so that definitely was a new experience also and as I already mentioned there is even more to consider: for example sounds especially when making anything for a younger audience.
Overall on my final piece it does give out the message I wanted to give out, but does it reach to the infant audience. I would say the message might not get through as strong, but the visual of it is pleasing, as my baby brother Aaron said he liked it. But there could have been room for a lot of improvement mainly with my technique which is something I have put into practice.
