Seminar Critique-Self Assaessment

I have based the grade of my self-assessment on two key criteria: participation and communication.

In our first group meeting I was assigned as one of the team members to draft emails, interview questions and topics we wanted to cover, to which we would further send to potential guests. I was assigned to be one of the members of our group that the guests could turn to in case of any enquiries concerning anything related to preparations or to the seminar itself. Nevertheless, as the semester moved on, so did my role within the ‘Women in Media’ role. This is was occasionally happen when working within a framework that is quite broad in terms of aspects of roles that need to be filled and jobs to be done. I am the potato (that might be a Norwegian saying?! Potatoes can be used for many things – they are quite versatile.

In this self-assessment report, I have listed the main roles I filled in preparations and during the third seminar of ‘the wanted’ seminars: Women in Media.

Promotion: During a few of the first of our group meetings, we tackled the difficult task to integrate a theme within our topic and seminar. A few of the group members and I came up with ‘Femme Fatale’ and started setting a structure for the promo video, photos and posters.

Contacting guests: As one of our guests was unable to join us at the set date and time, I contacted Elizabeth McCarthy from 3RRR Fm. I sent her all necessary information: topics to be covered, questions, link to facebook event and promo video. I became Elizabeth’s contact persons until my final ‘thank you’ email.

Sound: I volunteered to be the groups’ sound-guy during the seminar, and that meant firstly to source gear: a friend lend me his mixing desk, I booked microphones, recorder and cables that was needed. I sourced royalty free music and sounds to which I used to create a playlist for the seminar that were coherent with the set theme.

On the day of the seminar, after I had set up the sound equipment I ran around lending hand where I could : I made name tags for guests, helped setting up the stage, coffee runs and helping Elizabeth find her way in to the set room and then to find my place behind the mixing desk.

As I discovered writing both my PNR and Work Attachment Report, I can do a few things, but if there is one thing that I simply cannot do it is to stick to one thing only. I cannot and will not settle for one aspect of the job. I need to be a little all over the place.

Overall, I learned what is needed to prepare such an event, and I feel I got to see exactly how much work that was needed in order for it to run smoothly, just because of the fact that I was all over the place.

For the time and effort I put in to the seminar, I gave myself an HD – 80%

'The Wanted' Media Seminar Series

Documentary.

I was really impressed with the calibre of the guests attendance of first of our media seminar series. Not only did they have pressure from being the first ones out, but also the lack of time must have been somewhat of a factor in terms of the guests they wanted to contact first - and then to end up with the guests they had was impressive. I loved ‘I am eleven’ when I first watched it, so to hear from her journey and experiences of the making alone was extremely exciting.  The mix of the guests was good- different age, gender, background and experiences created a great and established panel discussion.

As previously mentioned I am aware that the documentary group lacked what other groups did not; time! I did not get the sense of any theme tying everything together alongside with promotional content. The execution of the seminar was overall quite all right – I am sorry to say, I did not feel as if it was spectacular. The question and comments round which was set out to be on social media did not sit right with me either – we were not provided enough time to formulate questions and concerns, as it was not made clear until just before tea break

.

I loved that they showed a little introduction piece of what the guests had previously done, but did not feel it was enough- could the clips have been a bit longer?

For me this seminar was all about getting to be able to hear what documentary making is all about. I am not as interested in making documentary as I am in watching them, so it was awesome to be able to hear the challenges and obstacles as well as precious moments one experiences as a documentary maker. 

Global Media

I found the Global Media group ended the wanted media seminars with a bang!

Firstly, they worked in and with a theme which made the seminar ‘something little extra’ in terms of aesthetically and visually. The room decorations, prepared ‘computer crunching numbers and codes’ video on the screen, black uniforms with sunnies – everything tied in together really well!

The guests they had invited were all really great – all with different opinions, experiences and background which together created an interesting, dynamic and educational panel.

Technically everything seems to run very smoothly, nothing distracted me from enjoying what was being discussed between themselves and between the two hosts.

Food was great; a little sugar-high to kick off the morning, followed by some cheesy pizza during lunch!

Overall, I found the seminar to be educational and informative. The guests along with questions asked from the hosts gave us a clear idea of how much work one actually need to put in in order to create something different and appealing amongst every other piece of content, which is to be found online. Most important to me, if I would ever go down that road, was the information gathered on online audiences. What is needed to hook an audience in, and then getting them to want to stay. It was important to me that they focused a little bit on audience, but also online sponsors – in terms of advertising to be shown on ones online website, blog etc. It is important to know those little things before one start off one’s own online business.

Scarecrow Campaign Research task.

sunny days

Chris Russel's Chicken Walk 'Shakedown' - Review

Chris Russel’s Chicken Walk – Shakedown

His picture is sticky taped above my side of the bed, the bed I share with my partner. That is how much I appreciate and respect this man. Besides, seeing his handsome looks before I go to bed is definitely a bonus. With his grey sleeked back hair and sideburns to match, you can’t help but to have a few sneak peeks before bedtime.

But, there is so much more to this man but his excellent appearance. Together with his wife he lives a sustainable and organic life out on his farm in Melbourne outer regions. He’s love for his veggie garden and chickens make him even more of an admirable man; ‘we have lived on our own grown food for the last two months, you know!?’ he once told me. Being a bartender at Cherry Bar sure does have its perks as I get to chat with this man at least once a month. 

Again, there’s even more to this man but his ability to care for animals, vegetables and the environment. He’s a hell of an artist. He has been so praised by his admirers he is now known for his own genre; the chrississippian music; ‘it’s a lot like the north Mississippi hill country juke joint party blues.’  

He has together with (recently departed) drummer Dean Muller showed what this hard working blues-band is worthy of; from playing regular Blues Sunday gigs at Cherry Bar, receive the golden boot at Meredith Festival and  toured the nation with Clairy Brown and the bangin‘ rackettes and Tony Joe White. In between all the running around, the duo managed to find time to record their second album ‘Shakedown’.  And thank God for that!

This newly released album is proof of evidence of how much they have matured since their earlier album ‘Chris Russel’s Chicken Walk’, which was released only 7 months ago. The sound is rich; full of intense and stirring vocals, with a heap of gritty and muddy guitar to match the seemingly effortless drumming by Dean.  Each song was recorded in only two takes, all live and gleaming personality and honesty. The songs comprehend structure which embrace odd, completely silent pauses; 30 sec later recuperated by a full-on-wall of sounds that slaps you right in the face (in an extremely good way). Listening through Shakedown; from the first track ‘(Somebody call the) Po’Po’ to the last, obscenely enough named 'Bad Motherfucker’ one get the sensation of having the duo right there, doing their thing, right in front of you. The combination of the penetrating vocals and tenacious guitar with the unforced beats from the drums, takes one back to experiencing their live show like it was for the first time.

Every time one sees them live, they awe one! It is like they got a consistent growth in aspect of their music and that every gig is just making them that much noticeably better. Therefore, I will suggest before you do anything; do go and check out one of their gigs. To fully comprehend their music and to be able to enjoy it to the fullest, make your track down to experience them! It is at their live show where one can truly fully grasp who Chris Russel and the rest of his Chicken Walkers are. After a few pints before the first set together with a well accomplished audience, Chris Russel transform from a regular bloke, to his alter ego; a fantastic performer who feeds on his audience to give back a hypnotising live performance. Chris Russel as an artist makes you feel straight at home; ‘you belong here; listening to my music, music I made only for you.’ I swear, when they are doing ‘Pretty Little Girl’ and he gives me that look, with those oh so seducing eyes that is surely what he is trying to tell me.

He did say something once though, in the line of; ‘dog gone lights on the stages, I can’t see a damn thing.’  

‘Shakedown’ is one of those albums you can play at any time of the day, happy or sad, party or funeral, loud or quite it really does not matter as it is music with so much honesty, guts and personality that it could either help you out on your shitty day to make it slightly more bearable, or transform your good mood into a mood so magnificent that might make your closest ones a little suspicious and probably jealous.

Also, to make sure you get to experience this man in real life; he’s got handfuls of shows in Victoria over the next couple of months including Darebin Music Feast and Wave Rock Caravan Park.

http://chrisrussellschickenwalk.com/

nostalgia

It was early Sunday morning last autumn; I and a couple of friends took off toward Camberwell markets. In my opinion that is the only way one should spend a Sunday morning, a coffee in your hand, eyes slightly drooping and on the way to somewhere new, serene and with the accessibility to spend some money on second hand goods. Towards the end of the last row of goodie stalls I came across an ‘old seadog’ selling everything from binoculars to slippers, and in the midst of all the clutter I found an analogue canon camera; $50 later I was a proud owner of my very first camera that required no more than a roll of 35mm film and a little hands-on creativity.  I used rolls of films, one by one, stockpiled them in my drawer, and it wasn't until a couple of days ago I accomplished to head down to the photo shop to get them developed.

I was awed. Not only did my first developed photos come out great, considering lighting and focus etc., but holding my very own shot photographs in my hands versus looking at them on my computer screen, I felt the sudden feeling of nostalgia; those many times I flicked through our family albums from the early nineties, touching and smelling them, they seemed to create some sense of sentiment. Unfortunately that came to an ending for most household; when digital media became ‘the shit.’

Yeah, I bet you guessed it, holding and flicking through these photos created the same sensation as it did when flicking through old family photo albums…….. It was the 3^rd best feeling in the whole wide world (No, I cannot reveal the top two, it’s personal.)  

I believe where I am getting at, no matter how wonderful unlimited the digital media, world wide web, hyperlinks and hypertext supposedly are, it cannot stand a chance to something that can touch base with the sentimental and nostalgic part of you. The digital media, hypertext and transmedia are a few remarkable ways of storytelling where the stories are able to develop freely, hey, it can be never ending with a number of different authors, it has the capacity to contain multiple different media forms and the consumer can use it to their liking; they can pick and choose their own narrative, their own personal outcome. Please, do not get me wrong, I am not one of those who loathe  the digital media, not at all, how can I anyway, when I am a media student.

A story which is shared; appreciated by a larger audience or perhaps even frowned and critiqued upon by an audience is a well written story. It might be a story that will give something to others, a meaning, a different perspective and even hope. The possibilities are endless. But when it comes to the good old fashioned developed photographs that you can physically touch and smell give yourself as a writer of the story a cherished sense of your past journey, whatever it might have been; and with the physical evidence right there in your hands, it is oh so easy to go back in time and relive the journey; the smells, the sounds, the thoughts and the impressions. It is definitely the 3^rd best feeling in the whole wide world. 

my man

by me