Professional Experience
For another part of my professional experience I worked alongside other university students to organisedand conduct a photography exhibition. This was an additional part to the photography course that we were undertaking, and was purely our choice to organised this exhibition. The exhibition showcased the work we had produced during our course, but was not compulsory to do so. As well as at tap-a-cab many group meetings were organised and attended in order to get the plans for the exhibition up and running. Once again these meetings played a huge role in discussing ideas, finance and promoting of the event, allowing each member of the group to put forward ideas and be given selected roles in which they must complete by the next meeting. I was mostly involved in the organisation of the opening night, where myself and others would greet members of the public wishing to see the exhibition, handing out drink tokens at the event and making people feel welcome. I was also involved in the hanging of work both my mine and others in the group, when people needed help I was on hand. During this experience I learnt overall how to organised an event, promote the event to a wider audience and gain experience in how to successfully put on a photography exhibition. I developed my team work skills as putting the exhibition together was very much a group effort. I had never experienced creating an event like this before so learnt and gained a lot of skills during this time. Skills including time management, organisation skills, team work, promotion skills and overall basic photography skills. after gaining this experience I would enjoy doing work like this again as you get to work with a lot of different people, yes it is very stressful at times but when complete it was nice to look back and enjoy the moment, and see how others are enjoying something you and your group have organised.
Professional Experience
For My professional experience I worked with a company called Tap-a-cab. A small private company that has created a new taxi booking app that can be used on any smart phone. I decided to work within a company as my aim is to work for a media company rather than work on self-managed projects when I finish my degree. During my time with Tap-a-cab I gained professional experience in a media based company, even though it was small I still gained an insight into the way in which a company operates and the process involved in creating such things as the website, social networks, promotional advert and contracts with taxi companies. I developed and gained many skills during my experience which helped me to understand how a media company works and what is involved. Roles included accompanying managers to interviews and meetings were I took minuets and highlighted areas of discussion, assistance in graphic design aspects for the social networking including the Facebook banner, twitter background and company logo. I also conducted market research which helped set up contracts between the taxi firms and the tap-a-cab company on a geographical scale. I also had input into the design of the business cards and finally was involved within the finance and budgeting within the company. Overall I was involved within many areas of the company giving me a wider experience within the work place and a more detailed understanding of how the company operates, allowing me to develop and gain more skills that I had not previously gained.
I had already had experience in the involvement of meetings which I gained in my other work experience both from the past and present. The meetings I was involved in with Tap-a-cab allowed me to have more responsibility and gave me a role that allowed me to feel more involved. Other meetings didn’t allow me to do this as I was simply just a fly on the wall, a person who would sit and observe what was going on. By giving me the role of taking minuets during the meetings proved I was responsible and reliable. It showed I could pay attention to the important points as well as taking detailed notes of what was being discussed. It also showed I could create helpful and detailed action plans which the company could use in order to progress. Being involved with in the meetings also gave me the opportunity to share and discuss my ideas/plans that could be used, giving the company an outsider’s perspective. During this process I learnt that meetings play a huge part within a company, discussing ideas and reviewing tasks are key in the progress and development of a company. It allows a company to reflect on what has already been done and what can be changed or improved. This can apply to whatever area of work you go into, meetings are important whatever you do, and I learnt if you can be involved as much as you can with in a meeting you will benefit a lot more both personally and commercially.
Prior to my experience at Tap-a-cab I already had a small amount of experience with in design work, I had used photo shop to change images and create new ones including my own production logo. When creating my own logo I only had myself to please as it was a logo that would represent me and my production work. When creating logos and other designs for a company it is a lot more complex. The company may always have a certain vision in their mind and it’s up to you to create this vision. Designs that you may like another person may hate so creating a balance is very important. I learnt that working as a team was very helpful when creating a design, as the group ideas helped to create something that everybody liked. I didn’t create the design but I assisted the company in doing so, I helped with feedback and gave suggestions on what could be changed or improved. By already having experience within design it allowed me to give a more productive input as I had knowledge of how designs are created and the purpose behind them. Without this knowledge I don’t think I would have been able to give as much helpful advice or creative input. By experiencing the process in which a company takes in order to have a final design, I learnt that a lot of hard work is put in and that detail is key meaning everything has a purpose, nothing is there for no reason. When your designing for a company it has to represent what the company is all about without being too complicated, so there is no room for elements that detract from the company itself. I learnt from this that you have to have a clear idea about the product or company you are designing for, as without this research or information you could create something that says nothing about what you are meant to be promoting. Finally discussion is very significant as it is were decisions are made and discussed several times in order to make sure that everything is on track and that everyone is pleased with what is being produced. I learnt it is important to constantly overlook the project you are working on as it is good to reflect on what has been completed and what needs to be changed or improved. It is also important to see if targets are being met and budgets are being stuck to so everybody has an understanding what needs to be done.
Overall my experience at tap-a-cab was very useful; I learnt the basics about how a company runs but also learnt about the depth and hard work that goes into every detail of the company, from the brainstorming meetings, to the logo design, to the finalisation of contracts being setup. I have learnt and developed more of my skills from this experience on a wide range. I have developed my designing skills by learning from those more advanced than me, I have gained confidence when forwarding my ideas and thoughts within the company, I have increased my understanding of research and how important it is to know your product or company u are working with. I have learnt to appreciate group meetings and the amount of significance these meetings have within a company. I have also learnt what it is really like to work within a professional environmental on a more advanced scale. Skills I think I should have developed more during my professional experience are my camera and film production skills, I believe I should have gained more experience with using a camera in order to create professional projects with a polished finish. Even though my aim is not to work on self-managed projects I believe having great camera skills will also become useful whatever carer you go into, technology is very important in society so having camera skills will always become useful.
References
“Changing how we see images is clearly one way to change the world……critically intervene in a way that challenges and changes.”
– bell hooks
- Hooks, B (2008). Reel To Real . NewYork: Routledge . p7.
“The age of puberty has inched downward in recent years with some girls experiencing physical changes as early as 9 or 10 years of age,” she says. “These changes can be confusing to a youth who is beginning to look like an adult on the outside, but still feels very much like a child on the inside.”
– Barbara Jessing
2. Hermann,G. (2011). Growing Up Too Fast. Available: http://family.go.com/parenting/pkg-tween/article-792631-growing-up-too-fast-t/. Last accessed 8th March 2011.
“Parents try to live out their unachieved dreams through their children or they strive to make them even more successful than they are. Attempts in transforming their kids into stars and child prodigies, even though they are not naturally gifted, have disastrous consequences.”
– Sam George
3. George, S. (2009). Youth, Teen, Young People Growing Up Too Fast?.Available: http://www.southasianconnection.com/blogs/1558/Youth-Teen-Young-People-Growing-Up-Too-Fast-.html. Last accessed 8th March 2011.
“It is a fact that mood-state knowledge is of particular relevance for the understanding of consumer behavior”
– Ademola B. Owolabi
4. Owolabi A. (2009). Effect of Consumers Mood on Advertising Effectiveness. Available: http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/243. Last accessed 8th March 2011.
“In a world that really has been turned on its head, truth is a moment of falsehood.”
– Ludwig Feuerbach
5. Debord,G (1994). The Society of the Spectacle. NewYork: Zone Books. Chapter 1.
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
-Aristotle
6. Mcdowall, C. (2011). An Aim of Art – Illumination. Available: http://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/an-aim-of-art-illumination. Last accessed 8th March 2011.
What is Creative Activism
Creative Activism;
Using media production/practice to actively critique and address issues.
- Raising awareness
- Revealing new truths
- Asking questions, researching about our cultural assumptions and values
- Manifesting these ideas through media
- Interrogating and critiquing ‘the Media’ and media texts
“a person who uses thoughts and imagination to seek solutions and ignite positive change in our world”
Theory’s
Does the media effect us?
Catharsis Theory: That the media acts as a kind of channel for us to vent our own frustrations, so by watching violence on TV or playing violent video games, we are less likely to be violent as we have already let out our frustration through watching it on the screen. This theory therefore argues that the media has a positive effect.
Aggressive Cues Theory: This theory argues that the exposure to violent stimuli in the media increases our psychological and physical arousal around these acts. Therefore increasing our chances of behaving in certain ways.
Observation learning theory: This theory takes this a stage further and is related to the way we are positioned in terms of the act we are being exposed to. So for example if we can relate to the character we are more likely to see their behavior as normal. So if we are taught to be scared by a certain situation then we will potentially observationally learn to experience that situation in the same way.
Reinforcement Theory: This theory goes against the above in that it argues that we already come to view the media with in a preconceived way- and that the media merely reinforces our views that we have. So if we already have certain attitudes- seeing media portrayals that support our attitudes will merely reinforce our opinions and actions. This will be to do with our background.
Cultivation Theory: This theory argues that the symbolic realm of television actually shapes our conception of the world, our values and our attitudes toward certain people (through media portrayals such as stereotyping). That we come to believe in the reality of the media- we come to believe in the symbolic reality that the media portrays and this determines our very consciousness.
Michelle Sank
Michelle Sank
Michelle Sank is a photographer who was born in South Africa but has been living in England since 1987. The images she produces often reflects social and cultural diversity and is seen as a social documentary. She has been involved in many projects which include:
In My Skin
This project being about young people under the age of 25 that have either undertaken cosmetic surgery or is thinking about doing so to challenge their body image and make them feel beautiful. The images are taken in spaces that are personal to the individual, giving the image a very natural feel to them. A contrast to the subject of changing what is natural on their bodies.
Bye-Bye Baby
This project being about how young people interpret their understanding of masculinity and femininity. How they mimic adult figures around them, how the youth are turning into adults at such a young age. The images taken are often taken in the moment nothing has been set, everything you see is how it was. These young people haven’t changed anything for the camera.
Young Carers
This project being about young people aged under 18 who care for parents or sibling who are critically ill. Not only caring for them they have to do daily tasks of washing, bathing, cooking and shopping as well as going to school and dealing with things such as bullying. These children do not have a social life. This projects allows these young children to portray themselves how they want giving them their own identity and creating normality in their life. The children could dress in what ever they wanted and were removed from their home environment/ workplace, giving them a sense of freedom.
Other projects include:
The Submerge
The Adorned
Tidal
Reality Crossing
Celestial Echoes
Endgame
Into the Arms of Babes
Teenagers Belfast
The Waters Edge
Wondrous
Interface
The Golden Mile
Michelle often works out does and developed her work by including clouds and the sky in her images. If you notice in most of her images the sky is always visible. It creates a certain mood and atmosphere within the picture. She has only done a few projects in doors one being Into the Arms of Babes. She explained that she wanted to show these parents environments, show the personal things that complete their life. It gave a personal touch to the image.
I learnt a lot from Michelle Sank as she showed me that if you believe some one looks interesting don’t hesitate to ask them for a picture, if you walk away from the opportunity you will regret not taking the chance. I lack in confidence when it comes to talking to strangers but by looking at the work she has done it made me push and challenge myself to gain confidence to talking to others and producing images.
Noam Chomsky & Guy Debord
Noam Chomsky has developed an interesting analysis of news in mass media. His 1988 book, Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, introduced the propaganda model of the media.
In this book he talked about 5 biases:
1.media institutions are after profit and in order to make that easier, join forces in media conglomerates and choose the information according to their own interests.
2. The main source of income is advertising (from companies and from individuals), which means the final piece will reflect advertising’ needs.
3. Because of their sourcing they are tending to deny access to people from outside.
4. As a flak can turn out to be expensive and discrediting and the corporations have the necessary resources, they set up ‘flak machines’ to manage public information and to discredit true information.
5. Anti-communism, which has recently been replaced by the war on terror, as the major social control mechanism.
Guy Debord also argues that since the late 1920’s, with Barney’s tobacco campaign, we’ve started living in a society of spectacle, which he sees as a confluence of advanced capitalism, the mass media, and the types of governments who favor those phenomena. In our modern society authentic social life has been replaced with its representation (“All that was once directly lived has become mere representation.”), which means that social relationships between people are mediated by images and commodities.
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