The Video Project

The biggest issue we faced was finding contacts. While Aneta searched them, myself and Alicia called them.

We worked so well as a group, all determined to get our video to the highest standard. We all brought ideas to the table, although the initial idea was Aneta’s.

On the filming day, I was in charge of taking photos while Alicia and Aneta video recorded. I did have a go at recording but felt my strengths were with taking stills. And, indeed, I feel I took some good shots that pictured the places well.

The questions put to Piers Corbyn were put together by all three of us. Questions we asked Hannah were more spontaneous.

The editing and decision making was all shared equally but because of her advanced knowledge of iMovie, Alicia shined and Aneta’s impressive knowledge of diverse music meant she straight away had a perfect song choice in mind – which is how we came to use Sprout and the Bean.

How could we do things better?

- A more expert knowledge of all equipment and programs would have led to a more professional project.

- Better planning because we did not know exactly what we were going to experience while visiting Mr. Corbyn and Hannah. When we visited Hannah, she was not aware that we were going to film her. (Thankfully she was kind enough to agree to be filmed but sadly her housemates were not so keen).

What I enjoyed most about this project was working in a group because all our ideas were shared and embraced equally. This applied to editorial decisions, interviews and general ideas about this project.

Video on the Internet

The Internet seems to have taken over all the mediums and incorporated it into the one platform. Just like the Internet has taken part in the huge slump of newspaper/magazine sales, it has also affected television viewing. So the danger with having video on the Internet is just that.

It is, of course, practical to have video on the Internet but I believe the more we use this one platform for everything, the quality our TV/newspapers/magazines/ will fall. And, indeed, we are already seeing this happen.

Audio Project

The audio project I’ve found particular difficult mainly because prior to the project, I had no experience with either Audacity or iMovie so I wasted a lot of time familiarising myself with the programs. It was only when I started the video project that I was taught how to use and edit footage in iMovie.

Saying that, I really did enjoy the project. I enjoyed being creative, interviewing people and trying to get contacts for the podcast.

I think podcasts work great on the Internet because the audience is given something to visually stimulate them as well as a voiceover. However, I think video works better because the danger with podcasts, as I found, is that you can be patronising to the audience at times by literally showing what is being said. For example, I spoke about Primark and at the same time had a picture of Primark on the screen.

When it comes to equipment, however, podcasts are much easier to create. I found I worked better with a still camera than a video recording one.

Online Journalism

Google News makes finding news stories so easy. However, it requires checking it daily otherwise information gets too much for the user. It also comes with the fear that the user will only read about stories that interest them and won’t learn anything new. This service is great only for finding specific stories on a subject. Otherwise, I’d rather stick to other news websites.

I really don’t see a point to Delicious. If I want something bookmarked, it’s easier to do it on the specific computer than logging into Delicious and adding it. I also don’t see the point to the whole idea of sharing bookmarks like a social network. It is unnecessary information being shared.

Twitter, on the other hand, has become an addiction bigger than Facebook. It’s surreal how something so simple is so popular. Yes celebrities have made it what it is, but I find it’s a great way to connect with people from the media, get breaking news and stories I would otherwise not have access to. I even managed to organise work experience at a national newspaper through Twitter.

Since being introduced to blogs in late 2008, I’ve become addicted. Having people view your work is great, and updating it daily means I have something to focus on everyday. The idea of having such a deadline is useful.

This module has made me aware of how vast the net is and how to make use of this, for research or for general reading. It makes a journalist’s job much easier with accessible research and easy interactivity with other Internet users.

I believe real multimedia journalism exists in the form of websites such as guardian.co.uk and bbc.co.uk, but as far as citizen journalism goes- I believe it will take time for readers to take them as serious as actual journalism.

I prefer print media but I guess short features and photographs work well online.

Till then.

Hasta la vista.