I’m most excited about working on film
projects, even if they’re small, because I’ve always been curious about the
processes behind creating video content but never felt like I had a good enough
opportunity to pursue it or that I knew enough about it. Last semester I
created a vlog for one of my classes, which I found enjoyable because I had
never worked with video editing software before. I’m keen to see what more I
can do with it beyond just the basics.
-what are you most nervous about?
I’m nervous about working in a
completely different field than I have before. I’m hesitant about casting aside
the one area that’s my strength and that I’ve spent years studying to hone:
writing. It’ll be interesting to push myself beyond my comfort zone and explore
new types of language—indirect ones.
-what do you want to explore/find out/discover?
I’d love to learn more about the basics
of creating video projects and see if I want to pursue creating them in my own
time. I’m also keen to explore new ways of presenting a narrative. I write
non-fiction and while I use a lot of fiction techniques in my writing, I find
it difficult to make something out of nothing—so to speak. I’m interested in
how it might be possible to presenting a narrative, particularly a non-fiction
one, without any traditional techniques or language.
-reflect on previous collaborative
projects: what have you found difficult? What skills have you picked up from
those experiences? And tips or pointers?
The number one thing that I find
difficult about collaborative projects is the possible difference in commitment
and intention for a project. For example, I’ve worked in teams of four or five
people on projects such as organising an RMIT event or writing, editing and
publishing an issue of a newsletter and I found that those numbers left room
for people to slack off. This is usually more of a problem with a team rather
than a pair but it can be really difficult when someone doesn’t put as much
into a project as you do. Working in a pair holds you both more accountable.
However, in a pair you can still have an issue with not wanting the same thing
for the project. I think communication is key to solving both of these issues.
If someone isn’t putting enough into the project you need to address it
directly and give them a chance to explain and improve upon it, rather than
jumping straight to more dramatic measures. Communication also allows everyone
to get what they want out of a project.
