Bits & Things

ABC, Runner, 2012

Ashleigh Denham, S3283832

Work attachment questions for those in paid media employment.

 1.                        List the company and how long you have been working for them.

I worked for the Australian Broadcasting Cooperation (ABC) for a total of 12 weeks, and completed approximately 158 hours of work between February 3rd and April 23rd, 2012.

2.              Detail your exact role within the business/company and describe your regular duties.

I was employed as a production runnerfor the ABC television program Adam Hills in Gordon Street Tonight. One of the key elements this role entailed was looking after the guests and hosts of the show.  This would involve dressing their green room, catering, running errands, and packing up their rooms at the end of a show taping.  I was also required to look after the ‘VIP room,’ which is where the managers, friends and family of the featured guests would be invited to watch the show during its record. At the beginning of a show taping it was my responsibility to prepare this room for the guests to arrive, which included preparing platters of food, and managing the audiovisual setup to watch the show recording. Throughout the night of a show taping I would manage also alcoholic beverages and replenished the bar fridge, and make sure that the room was catered for and presented nicely.  I would tend to all guests in the ‘VIP room’ as well as the show guests in their green rooms, and be of assistance to them wherever needed.

During my time working at the ABC, I would have various tasks to complete throughout the day in order to prepare for a show taping that night. At the beginning of the day I would be required to collect all necessary food and materials needed for the day and night to come. I would transport this back to the studio, then prepare in advance various food platters and meals for the guests. It was also my job to setup and monitor the coffee and tearoom where the crew would visit throughout the day.

In being a runner for ADAM HILLS IN GORDON STREET TONIGHT, one of my main responsibilities would be to tend to the host and co-host of the show. Throughout the day I would replenish their rooms with drinks and snacks, take orders for dinner, and take deliveries to their room.

I would also run errands for various production departments throughout the day when requested. This often meant helping out the art department; purchasing and preparing props for the show.

During my time as a runner I was regularly handling and managing cash for the day. This meant that all receipts had to be kept and handed back to the production manager at the end of the day for the budget to be monitored.

3.                       Do you wish to remain working for the company upon graduation and in what capacity and why?  (e.g. if yes why… if no why not?)

I would most definitely like to find another position working for the ABC. I found my time here a very rewarding and beneficial opportunity where I was able to learn from my job role, my surrounding environment, and my coworkers.  I would enjoy being a runner again for ADAM HILLS IN GORDON STREET TONIGHT, or for another ABC program, however after experiencing and learning from this role I would like to pursue a more challenging position, such as a production coordinator, or a role similar to this.

I would like to engage in further work such as this because I enjoy working in this area of the media industry, and I feel I have learnt so much in such a short space of time in doing so. I would like to take this work to the next level and begin to learn from a different role in television production, and eventually make my way up to working on the studio floor.  In saying this, if the time arose again to be a runner for the ABC I would definitely take this opportunity, as I believe there is something valuable you can take from every experience in the media industry, whether you have done it before or not. No situation is ever the same, and there is always something beneficial to learn and apply at your next job.

I found everyone I came in contact with at the ABC a pleasure to work with, they were very welcoming and friendly, and gave me some good pointers for how to seek further work once the show had concluded it’s run for the year. If Adam Hills in Gordon Street Tonight is to run a third season in 2013, I have been given good confidence that I would be recruited again to work on this show. Until then, I plan to stay in contact with the networks I have now established and show keen interest in seeking further related work in this field of the industry. 

4.   What is the potential for individual career growth within the company/business? What do you need to do to take the next step? If there is no potential for growth in this business what is your next step and what have you learnt by working for this business?

There is promising potential for individual career growth within the ABC. From beginning as a show runner, I now hope to progress through the different roles of television production, taking on more challenging positions that hold more responsibility. To pursue this it is important that I stay in touch with people I have created networks with during my time working on Adam Hills in Gordon Street Tonight. There were numerous instances during my time of employment where a conversation was had regarding possible future work related opportunities with various members of the crew. These are the people whom it is wise to stay in contact with, and to show that I am keen for further work in the industry. This is something that I have already begun, through utilizing networks such as Linked In, and also by keeping in touch via email.

5.                        List and reflect upon the things that you have learnt about the ‘professional’ media landscape by working for this company.

Through working for the Australian Broadcasting Cooperation I have learnt many things about the various elements that make up the professional media landscape in regards to television.  I have learnt first hand about the operation process of a studio production, including what preparation is involved in and out side the studio, and the immense quantity of work that is required from each production department to make the show possible. Whilst working at Adam Hills in Gordon Street Tonight, I was constantly amazed at the quick the turnover the team of editors accomplished each week. The show would be filmed on a Monday, then aired that week on the Wednesday. This is a small yet useful thing that I learnt through working for this show, as I thought that for a production of it’s capacity and content, a team would need longer to put together an edit ready to air only a few days later.

I have learnt about ratings and how unpredictable the notions of a television show’s popularity can be, and how this affects the future of a production. I also have a better understanding of competitors and how important it is for a show to be unique to be successful.

STUDENT NAME: Ashleigh Denham                

STUDENT NUMBER: s3283832

-        Contributing to class discussion

D= Regularlyparticipating in discussion with both tutor and peers, contributing my knowledge and ideas to various topics being discussed, actively listening, and initiating own class discussion when appropriate.

-        Frequency of blog posts

C= Although I was still active on my blog, I could have been posting more content more often. This became difficult as the semester went on and things got more busy, however I would have liked to develop a habit of posting a variety of content throughout each week.

-        Engaging across social media

D= Displayed a reasonably high amount of engagement across a variety of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram, including participation in conversations via these platforms. Some of these platforms worked better for me than others. I found it easier to stay well connected with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr, where as I struggled a little with grasping the concept of Pool. In saying this, I did still ensure that I initiated projects, began discussions, and made contributions to numerous projects on Pool, I just did not find this came as naturally to interacting via the other platforms.

-        Research

D= Self-motivated and self-initiated medium level research regarding topics related to course and industry content on a weekly basis. I fulfilled this criteria to the standard of a distinction, however, in order to have done this at a HD level, I could have improved my research behaviors by conducting research at a more disciplined and structured level.

Overall grade I choose to award myself is a Distinction

Original Assessment Criteria Overview:

-        Contributing to class discussion

Actively participating in discussion with tutor and peers, contributing your knowledge and ideas to topics being discussed, actively listening, and initiating own class discussion when appropriate.

-        Frequency of blog posts

Frequent (2-3 per week) blog posts on my main blogging platform.

-        Engaging across social media

Engagement across a variety of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram.

-        Research

So, we've reached the end of Integrated Media 2, and now comes the time where I am to summarize the experience...

I have very much enjoyed this course and what we have done through the semester, particularly the group Participatory Project. I feel as though myself and my group learned a lot from this journey. We came to understand what were successful methods of interacting with our audience and users, as well as what approaches did not work in certain contexts. From the whole experience I feel I have a better, more in depth understanding of the media landscape today, and what we can expect from future media.

From the various activities and discussions had throughout the course of IM2 I feel that I have been made to re-think media practices and can now see that there are various ways in pursuing projects that I had not before considered. It all depends on the perspective you take, and the approach you make. What your goals are, and what is your aim. I haven't before had a whole lot to do with participatory projects, however now I can see just how effective they are, and I feel I that with my acquired experience I would now know how to initiate a participatory project like this one in the future.

Will there be a time where all TV shows will be sent straight to the net? Will cinemas still be around in 50 years time? It is fare to say that a large percentage of future media will be showcased online. Well, realistically this is already the case! However I believe future media content will have an online presence even more so. Potentially to the point where traditional broadcast mediums may be fighting for their own existence. I don't think all traditional platforms will be eradicated, but I believe that online alternatives will continue to be established and the use of these may outweigh the use of the original media platforms.

I feel I had a strong engagement with the projects completed throughout the semester for IM2. I was regularly working on assessments and conducting research in and outside of our class setting. I delivered what was required of the assessment tasks and personally learned much in doing so. Communication is the key to success. I found it important to touch base with other group members and see where everyone was at. This benefited our project greatly and enabled the process of creating our project to run smoothly.

Week 9 (21/9/12) - Inside the Mind of the Events Industry  

1.     Seminar content is focused & relevant.

The content discussed in Eventception was certainly focused and relevant to the event industry theme. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I could feel myself as an audience member really getting into what was being discussed up on the stage, I felt curious, intrigued and engaged, and never before had learnt so much about the events industry.

= HD

2. Guests relevance to topic & career development

Eventception featured three guests on the panel. They were Michael Currucan, Bruce Keebaugh and Ryan Barwood. The guest’s variety of experience enabled wide-ranging discussion that reflected both their professionalism and long history of working with events, as well as showcasing their career development over the years.  = HD

3. Quality of seminar facilitation (including set-up, staging, refreshments, audience interaction, flow, technical eg sound, IT, rapport with guest, guest briefing)

The standard of the seminar overall was high. The set up worked well with their panel size, and the refreshments served for the audience and guests made the atmosphere very inviting. There were, however, a few minor technical setbacks, particularly in sound. Otherwise, the quality of the seminar facilitation was good. =D

4. Opportunities for audience inclusion, participation & integration

This seminar group clearly put a lot of thought into creative ways in which they could strive for audience inclusion, participation and integration. Just before the seminar was to commence, the hosts were advertising to the audience that if they sit in the front two rows you could win a bottle of sparkling. This got the audience excited and involved, and encouraged people to sit up the front and close to the action.

Audience interaction was also evident during the seminar when members of the audience were asked to choose a scenario at random from a lucky-dip bag of predetermined questions to ask the panel. Similar to previous seminars, the event concluded with the floor being opened up to the audience and any questions they had for the panel. This ended the seminar on a helpful and informative note, and again encouraged participation and inclusion of everyone present in the room. = HD

5. Promotion of this weeks seminar (timely and visible)

Week 8 (14/9/12) - It's Alive! - Why Radio Survived the Death of Traditional Media

1. Seminar content is focused & relevant.

The seminar content was very relevant to the topic of the radio industry. I was intrigued by the content discussed as much of it I had not realised or taken time to think about before. The questions that the guests were asked were focused and clear, encouraging a response that would again directly relate to the theme of choice and explore their own personal career journeys in doing so. = HD

2. Guests relevance to topic & career development

The guests who featured on this panel consisted of Lauren Brain (Nova), May Hu (SBS), Jennifer Bowen (Freelancer) and Damon Hughes (triple j Unearthed). Also featured was a short video interview with Fox FM's 'Cackling Jack' who works with the renowned Hamish and Andy on their weekly radio show. Each and every guest displayed strong relevance to the topic and all shared elements of their personal career journey and development, which gave further insight and knowledge to the audience through doing so. = HD

3. Quality of seminar facilitation (including set-up, staging, refreshments, audience interaction, flow, technical eg sound, IT, rapport with guest, guest briefing)

The set up was flawless, the refreshments for guests were above standard and added a nice touch to the atmosphere, as did the way in which the stage was set up, and the area provided for the musical act of Lurch & Chief at the end of the seminar. The IT side of things did very well particularly as this seminar was a bit more demanding in it’s need for good sound, visual etc. as they had a band perform and video interviews play. Rapport with guests was evidently sound. = HD

4. Opportunities for audience inclusion, participation & integration

The audience was actively present throughout the seminar. They responded well to all aspects of the event and were clearly captivated by the content. In closing there was the opportunity for audience to ask the guests their own questions, and after the seminar the guests were able to mingle with the audience were some took the opportunity to create further discussion. = HD

5. Promotion of this weeks seminar (timely and visible)

Week 6 (24/8/12) - Documentary - Digging Up the Truth

1.     Seminar content is focused & relevant.

The guests that they chose to have on the panel explored topics that were relevant and interesting, and all of which related to the main topic of the seminar. Topics discussed included the newest strategies to get a documentary film distributed, interviewing techniques and how one should go about finding inspiration for a new film. Another point discussed was regarding the growing combination of the Internet in documentary story telling and how the potential of interactive documentaries may arise in the future. The seminar content was very much focused and agreeably relevant, if ever a guest would go astray from a topic the host would bring them back with a fresh question directly relating to the overall theme.  = HD

2.     Guest’s relevance to topic & career development.

The guest panel consisted Nicholas Hansen, Dennis K. Smith, Helen Gaynor and John Safran. The choice of guests was diverse enough to enable invigorating and dynamic discussion throughout the seminar. All guests held significant relevance to documentary making, and their career development reflected this soundly.  = HD

3. Quality of seminar facilitation (including set-up, staging, refreshments, audience interaction, flow, technical eg sound, IT, rapport with guest, guest briefing)

The set up was of good standard, and the stage was constructed and organised in a way that would work with their presentation accordingly. The audience interaction was strong, and the crowd responded well to this. The technical side of things was adequate, sound and IT was good and worked in a way that supported the seminar. = D

4. Opportunities for audience inclusion, participation & integration

Opportunities for audience interaction were evident, such as towards the conclusion of the seminar where audience members were given the opportunity to ask the panellists questions allowing them to interact with the featured guests. For this participation was evident, but could have been more so.  = D

5. Promotion of this week’s seminar (timely and visible)

PART 3 - Self-assessed/peer moderated contribution & participation        

Ashleigh Denham- S3283832                     

October 10, 2012

Contribution and collaboration – describe what you did throughout the process of organising, delivering and publishing your seminar event. Describe your collaborative process and identify the strategies you used to solve any issues or problems that arose in the process.

Throughout the process of organising, delivering and publishing my seminar event ‘Filmenstein’ there were various tasks and responsibilities that I was involved in to ensure that the event could happen. One of my main tasks was researching and attaining details of potential guests that we could invite to be on our panel. I had to find relevant and realistic potentials for our panel, present them to the rest of the group, and then once given the approval of fellow classmates I would search for their contact details and give them a call. One of the problems that arose was that more often than not the person in whom I would try to contact would be unreachable, and because we were the first seminar to take place we were running on a tight time schedule. This meant I would have to leave them a voice mail, and try to call again, often more than once before I could speak to them. In cases where we did not hear back from people, we had no choice but to make an executive decision to move on and focus on searching for other potential guests that were relevant to our topic of focus.

On the day of our event, I had various responsibilities that I undertook which enabled our seminar to run in a smooth, orderly fashion.  Prior to the commencement of our event I waited out the front of the venue and greeted each of the panel guests as they entered. After welcoming them I led them through to the seminar room, where there was refreshments and the remainder of the seminar team awaiting them.

In the process of publishing our seminar there were various tasks in which I assisted the group with. Some of these tasks included finalising and approving documents that were to be published on the website, and approving the highlights video to be published on the main seminar website and shared on Vimeo.

Proactive Learning - describe the extent to which you took responsibility for your own learning throughout the process of arranging and delivering the seminar series. Did you actively seek to improve your skills by extending beyond what was presented in class and what you already knew?

Throughout this project I took it upon myself to ensure that I was researching regularly what had been discussed in class. I was very proactive in my learning styles this year; and this was evident in the process of arranging and delivering the seminar series for Media Industries 2. I would actively seek to improve my skills through collaborating with other students, discussing topics from class and learning from their points of view, thoughts, insights and study methods. I believe that throughout this course I successfully extended beyond what was presented in class and what I already knew through engaging with seminars and fellow classmates, as well as partaking in substantial research out side of uni.

Participation – describe the extent of your participation in the seminar. Did you attend all, most or just a few classes & group meetings, the event and post-production sessions? Did you seek to engage with and contribute to class or group discussions? If not what do you think hindered this for you?

I believe that I participated in the seminars a substantial amount this semester. I attended most seminars, classes and group meetings, with the exception of a few.  Nevertheless, when I was unable to make it to a meeting, I was still present and fully involved through our communication out side of class, such as staying in touch and planning on our Facebook group. I felt I contributed to discussions and communicated with other team members well, and would always seek to catch up on anything that I may have missed on the rare occasion that I could not be present. This did hinder me to an extent because I was in effect making more work for myself, however as it was not a regular occurrence I was able to pick up where we had left off quite easily and efficiently.  

Connections & intersections – what do you see as the value of the seminar series? Overall what have you discovered about your learning, your group interactions and your networking abilities in relation to this series? How do you see what you have learnt about yourself via the process (and via the content) fitting into your future career development and future work?

The seminar series have brought me much insight into aspects of the media industry I had not heavily researched before. I feel like I now understand a good amount regarding elements of various industries I had not considered as a career path before. I have discovered that I am a good proactive learner. I work well with others and have the ability to manage several tasks at a time. I had already realised how essential networking is in the media industry, but through the seminar series and the countless industry insights from the panel’s guests I have learnt how to best utilise these networks in a way that supports my career endeavours. I have taken these teachings and already begun to put them into practice in more ways than one, and this is already proving beneficial in more ways than one.

I have been lucky enough to work on the sets up tv productions, short films, a feature film, but never a music video... until last week. I was awake bright and early at the fresh hour of 4am, and off to pick up the producer. My role of the day was production assistant. I always love being apart of film production, I was curious to find out how differently or similarily the production was of a music clip was.

The day ran relatively smoothly, we didn't have a huge crew, there was about 16 of us in total. I did the usual od jobs that need to get done, then got to hang around and help out on set in the studio for a bit on playback.

Both the band and crew were lovely, which always makes the experience all the more enjoyable. The shoot contained the usual hustle and bustle of any film shoot, I was somewhat surprised to discover that the order and structure and happenings of the day were really not that different to any other film production I have been apart of.

I am a student studying media communications; I am interested in pursuing a career in film, TV or radio. I love the creativity in producing various pieces of media. I have already been involved in various small and large-scale film productions, radio shows, and have worked on a TV series hosted by the ABC.

I currently present myself in both a social and professional manor online, which is something that I have noticed other professional identities tend to do when projecting their identities on different online networks. So that I can establish a social media presence I have broadened my online presence from Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, to other social networking platforms, such as Twitter, Linked In and ABC Pool.

On ABC Pool and My Tribe I have come across many interesting people and projects. I am currently following various projects, some that I am hoping to contribute to, and others that I am purely interested in tracking its progress.

The audience of Pool are not passive consumers. This is something that I have taken into account when contributing and sharing content. When starting my own project I have had to consider what will motivate others to get involved and participate, and how can I encourage participation from people who are connecting through this online space.

The type of projects that exist on Pool are those of which seek and draw upon user generated content and media with the intent of creative story telling and developing collaborative, socially engaged experiences.

The users of Pool are all connected through the media works they post and comment on, as well as the activities they engage in. They communicate and collaborate with other people who share similar interests in what they are creating.

STUDENT NAME: Ashleigh Denham                  STUDENT NUMBER: s3283832 WORKSHOP DAY/TIME: Tuesday 2.30-4.30

My progress to date: (Overall grade- distinction)

-        Contributing to class discussion

D= Often participating in discussion with both tutor and peers, contributing my knowledge and ideas to topics being discussed, actively listening, and initiating own class discussion when appropriate.

-        Frequency of blog posts

D= Reasonably frequent (1-3 per week) blog posts on my main blogging platform. (This is something I can still improve on... more regularity needed.)

-        Engaging across social media

D= Fairly high amount of engagement across a variety of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram, including participation in converstations via these platforms. From not using Twitter before I believe I have adapted well to this and am beginning to use it on a regular basis, whether it be checking up on the happenings of those I am following, or posting my own tweets.

-        Research

D= Self-motivated and self-initiated medium level research regarding topics related to course and industry content on a weekly basis. However, this can be improved on by doing even more research and follow up from class.

Original Assessment Criteria Overview:

-        Contributing to class discussion

Actively participating in discussion with tutor and peers, contributing your knowledge and ideas to topics being discussed, actively listening, and initiating own class discussion when appropriate.

-        Frequency of blog posts

Frequent (2-3 per week) blog posts on my main blogging platform.

-        Engaging across social media

Engagement across a variety of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram.

-        Research

STUDENT NAME: Ashleigh Denham                  STUDENT NUMBER: s3283832 WORKSHOP DAY/TIME: Tuesday 2.30-4.30

Assessment Criteria Overview:

-        Contributing to class discussion

Actively participating in discussion with tutor and peers, contributing your knowledge and ideas to topics being discussed, actively listening, and initiating own class discussion when appropriate.

-        Frequency of blog posts

Frequent (2-3 per week) blog posts on my main blogging platform.

-        Engaging across social media

Engagement across a variety of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram.

-        Research

Self-motivated and self-initiated research regarding topics related to course and industry content.

Assessment Criteria Details

-        Contributing to class discussion

HD= Frequently actively participating in discussion with both tutor and peers, contributing my knowledge and ideas to topics being discussed, actively listening, and initiating own class discussion when appropriate.

D= Often participating in discussion with both tutor and peers, contributing my knowledge and ideas to topics being discussed, actively listening, and initiating own class discussion when appropriate.

CR= Sometimes participating in discussion with both tutor and peers, and contributing my knowledge and ideas to topics being discussed.

P= At least on a few occasion, participate in discussion with both tutor and peers during class.

F= Never actively participating in discussion with both tutor and peers, contributing my knowledge and ideas to topics being discussed, actively listening, and initiating own class discussion when appropriate.

-        Frequency of blog posts

HD= Frequent (2-3 per week) blog posts on my main blogging platform.

D= Reasonably frequent (1-3 per week) blog posts on my main blogging platform.

CR= 1 blog post per week on blog.

P= Less than 1 per week, but still evidence of blog posts throughout course.

F= No blog posts.

-        Engaging across social media

HD= Thorough engagement across a variety of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram, including participation in converstations via these platforms on a regular basis throughout the week.

D= Fairly high amount of engagement across a variety of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram, including participation in converstations via these platforms.

CR= Some engagement across a variety of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram, including participation in some converstations via these platforms.

P= At least once, have shown engagement across a variety of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram.

F= No engagement across a variety of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pool, Tumblr, and Instagram, and no participation in converstations via these platforms.

-        Research

HD= Self-motivated and self-initiated high level research regarding topics related to course and industry content on a weekly basis.

D= Self-motivated and self-initiated medium level research regarding topics related to course and industry content on a weekly basis.

CR= Self-motivated and self-initiated average level research regarding topics related to course and industry content on a fortnightly basis.

P= Some research conducted (at a low standard).

My name is Ashleigh.

I am studying Communications (Media) at RMIT.

Amongst many other things, I have a passion for film, music, & TV.

I have been lucky enough to work in some of these areas already.

I love it.

If you are reading this, hello!

Thanks for dropping by.

My name is Ash, and this is my blog.

I hope that the bits and things that are posted here can bring you something, whether that is entertainment, inspiration, a new idea or thought, or simply something to pass the time.