Starting Out

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 This week our project work got underway, beginning with preproduction. Our given topic is Internet Algorithms and Gatekeeping. While I hadn’t expected to work on this topic, this is something I had always found interesting, as it has a complex series of implications for our society. Throughout the week, I have explored various aspects of this topic, and I think this expanded perspective will help in preparation for this video. One article I found was particularly interesting, as it pertained to the idea of “fictional influencers” and their increasing prevalence on TikTok (Vox, 2021). This had me considering how companies can easily exploit these platforms for marketing purposes. In particular, a platform like TikTok makes it easy to manipulate others due to its fast-moving nature.

I have also examined YouTube and how their algorithm, based in machine learning, is affecting the livelihoods of video creators on a massive scale. In recent years, the advertising system on YouTube has undergone changes to accommodate the wants of companies who use it as a marketing platform. In doing so, it has become harder to make money as a creator, with many looking to other income sources in recent years, such as individual video sponsors and Patreon. While Google isn’t very transparent about the inner workings of the platform, many smaller creators have taken it upon themselves to reverse engineer the monetisation system. One report (Sealow, 2019) found that YouTube has actively supressed content related to the LGBT+ community. While such groups are referenced in political commentary or hate speech, this actively hurts many earnest content creators on the site. This shows a clear oversight on YouTube’s behalf, and how automated processes like this can have unintended consequences for users of social media platforms.

In terms of the production process itself, I found some sources for equipment and production assistance that should prove useful in the weeks to come. This week, I placed a special focus on audio recording methods, as I am unfamiliar with that area of production. After researching lavalier microphones (D4Darious, 2018), I ordered a Boya BY-M1 for its audio quality and value. It also includes a 6-metre-long cable and a foam windscreen, which makes it versatile for most recording situations. I have also begun the process of sourcing stock videos and images that could make the postproduction process easier. I felt happy with the progress I made this week, and hope that I can pursue the concepts of internet algorithms and gatekeeping in further detail throughout this semester.

 

Sources:

Vox (2021) What's the deal with fictional influencers? [online] Available from <https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22734620/fictional-influencers-fourfront-fake-tiktokers> [accessed 24 Oct 2021].

 Sealow (2019) Demonetization list project [online] Available from <https://docs.google.com/document/d/18B-X77K72PUCNIV3tGonzeNKNkegFLWuLxQ_evhF3AY/edit> [accessed 24 Oct 2021].

D4Darious (2018) 5 Budget Lavalier Mics - Comparison [online] Available from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSLHcUTA5qA> [accessed 24 Oct 2021].

Peer Review #1

 I enjoyed the process of giving peer feedback this week. It felt like I was able to reflect on my own writing when considering different aspects of others’ work. The article ‘Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback’ was very helpful when I was figuring out how to structure my comments. The general idea of ‘feedforward’ is intriguing to me, as it seems to have a more productive goal in mind. Feedback has almost no consideration for how the receiver should progress, whereas feedforward leaves the receiver with something to aspire towards. As Marshall Goldsmith suggests, “Feedforward helps people envision and focus on a positive future, not a failed past” (marshallgoldsmith.com, 2015). This optimistic outlook is more effective than focusing on past experiences.

This style of thinking seems to extend into other methods of advice, as shown in ‘Be A Mirror’ by Gravity Goldberg. This article suggests that in education, students primarily have either a ‘growth’ mindset, or a ‘fixed’ mindset. By fostering a growth mindset, students can feel optimism in their learning trajectory. Another interesting note I found in this piece is taking oneself out of the feedback. By removing personal pronouns, it gets rid of the notion that the feedback is to appease the speaker’s wants, and instead focuses on improving the listener. “After all, a mirror stays focused on what is in front of it” (literacyworldwide.org, 2015). Both of these articles gave me a great deal of insight when writing comments for peer feedback this week.

Reading the posts this week allowed me to reflect on my own work. While the objective was to analyse the writing of others, it had opened my eyes to other styles of writing and how I can improve my own.

 

Sources:

Blogger (2021) Digital Media [online] Available from <https://nellyla.blogspot.com/2021/10/digital-media.html> [accessed 19 Oct 2021].

Blogger (2021) Digital Media [online] Available from <https://tarasthoughtsblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/4-video-task-introduction-to-digital.html> [accessed 19 Oct 2021].

Marshall Goldsmith (2015) Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback [online] Available from <https://marshallgoldsmith.com/articles/try-feedforward-instead-feedback/> [accessed 19 Oct 2021].

Literacy Worldwide (2015) Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset [online] Available from <https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2015/12/08/be-a-mirror-give-readers-feedback-that-fosters-a-growth-mindset> [accessed 19 Oct 2021].

Production Process

 

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The first video this week introduced me to the idea of design thinking and how it works. Design thinking is described as “a philosophy and a set of tools to help you solve problems creatively”. It is primarily used as a creative problem-solving framework when facing issues in “human-centred design”. The five steps involved, Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test all centre around the experience of the user at the end of the design process. I think this is a very important way of thinking as it forces you to stop and consider the final result of your design, as opposed to blindly rushing to a conclusion. Overall, I believe design thinking is applicable in many different fields because it places the objective of the project at the epicentre.

The following three videos each examine the stages of video/film production. The typical process involves pre-production, production, and post-production. This order of operation seems to be the most efficient because it involves meticulous planning ahead at the preproduction stage and thorough editing (including a feedback loop, according to ‘The Process of Making a Documentary’) at the postproduction stage.

The second video, ‘Film Production Stages’, goes into detail about these phases, and how these interlink. It gave me a greater perspective as to how this structure came about. For example, the preproduction stage involves a high level of planning for things like location, equipment, budget, schedule, and casting. In addition, the post-production seems quite particular, as it is “usually the longest part of the production process, requiring months, or even years to complete”.

The third video focuses intently on preproduction and postproduction of smaller productions, such as documentaries. More specifically, the ideation process at the beginning. This is done by asking questions such as how the story will be presented, “is there going to be a narrator, is it going to be in the first person or in third person?”. Previously, I assumed this could take place in postproduction, but this seems to avoid later confusion. The video also describes media security with regards to editing. Hard drives are used to back up important data like raw video and audio recordings.

The final video ‘4 Easy Steps to Film a Short Documentary’ offers professional advice to follow when documenting an event or person. I was unaware of these tips before now, and I believe they may be useful in future endeavours. For instance, the use of ‘natural sound breaks’ was something I hadn’t considered before, but now I realise it is important to maintain a natural pace.

I learned a great deal from this week’s videos, and I hope to take this information with me in future projects.

 

Sources:

 - https://youtu.be/gHGN6hs2gZY

 - https://youtu.be/e5EoMcoUI2Q

 - https://youtu.be/0hPFlGiAwEM

 - https://youtu.be/f-K_XbCLtVk