Personally, I feel that the best way to create awareness around issues on mental health caused by social media is to promote more stories of people affected by what they have been through and to find the roots of the issue. For example, where most hate comments are coming from, and what content triggers this - examples of influencers who have changed themselves many times due to hate comments. Social media and the internet is inevitable to avoid, and to get users to consume less. As technology develops, consumers and prosumers will increase. Many are aware of the impact hate comments and cyber bullying can do, the main promotion therefore consisting of a kinder society. Enforcing new norms, and promoting what's happening in society to people in a dramatic way, to make them realise, becoming more empathetic. Stricter policies may include restriction modes on key words and comments on social platforms, such as disabling comments on YouTube.
As media producers, we can create meaningful music, music videos, posters, podcasts, websites, etc to promote stories of cyber bullying and stories of vulnerable users. To improve the way we use social media, we could go on it less, for example by setting restricted time's from the settings of said device, and not participate in any online hate, in any form.
I feel that my own social media platform would be similar to many, as the main sites today all also have many things in common. It would consist of interactivity, and a possible place for individuals to express their creativity in any form, that being something I am passionate about. A space for people to relate in terms of being photographically, musically, etc talented, with the ability to share events, for example a category set specifically for everything recorded at an event such as a concert on a specific day, then finding more people who have posted there. Uploading would require verification stages, and would not be too easy to avoid bots and those coming on to hate.
I would aim to tackle body image issues if desired within social media overall. The issue causing insecurities and affecting many from triggering teen years in real life,it may be even worse on social media.
Having a patient, understandable persona is important to tackle mental health issues, and to ensure my own media production projects do not poke any negative topics.
Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Monday, 25 November 2019
Social media
As part of exploring audiences of the media, I have chosen to analyse the social videographic platform, YouTube.
Originated in 2005, YouTube has over 1.3 billion users, with 300 hours of content uploaded every minute. It's content progressively increased, highlighting 'YouTuber's' who began in the early days of its release, now having millions of followers, winning titles such as 'Influencer of the year,' with events such as Comic-con and Vidcon, and further filming of 'YouTube Rewind' at the end of each year, focusing on the main events that occurred within the internet and YouTube community throughout. These events cater for the YouTube community, and are examples of how the audience have reacted to the content produced.
Addiction
In terms of becoming addictive, YouTube is the main video uploading site. It has become the default for most video watching users, and the most popular for uploading videographic content. As a media student, I find myself using the platform for resources such as soundtracks as background music, alongside stock footage and informing myself on historical footage, or videos made to inform other students. As a consumer of the platform socially, I watch YouTuber's, and catch up on shows that may not be aired on Television. There are many shows in which showcase some of my favourite celebrities, such as Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. The show is widely popular with the new generation, gathering millions of views. Shows like this and other presenters such as Jimmie Fallon and Ellen DeGeneres are one of the reasons YouTube has an incline economically, and is over passing Television. I therefore believe that the platform can be addictive, however purely for the reason that it becomes dependable and provides a good source of entertainment.
Interaction
YouTube has live streams where audiences can comment at once, with comment sections on all videos for users to have their say. Like most common social sites, individuals can communicate with each other. They can do so in these comment sections, alongside the ability to make playlists. When having a channel, YouTube allows you to create playlists and share them with the public. Someone may create a playlist of songs to listen to when getting ready, for example, which may relate to many and become a popular playlist. However, I personally feel that audiences may use other social platforms such as Snapchat or Instagram to message and interact with each other. Another form of communication and interaction is between YouTuber's and their fans, when YouTuber's may ask their audience to leave opinions or answers in the comment section of the video.
User generated content - Content that has been placed on the internet by audiences themselves, meaning the content is not supported financially or by contract, e.g Wikipedia.
Prosumers - An individual who consumes and produces a product. They can be an enthusiastic consumer, then producing content off this.
The platform depends on user generated content massively. It's money and overall use is for users of the public to upload and watch other videos. YouTube themselves do not upload certain videos, in fact audiences must decide to put content out. As the platform has progressed massively, globally, everyone loves and uses it, therefore there is a constant cycle of watching and creating. However it can be seen as a bad aspect, if the audience could not upload anything, there would be no content, meaning the popularity of YouTube declines, though almost anyone and everyone can upload to the site.
Money
Money is made through advertisements. YouTube has the power to embed advertisements into video's, relating the advert to the content that the user seems to be interested in. Advertisements are sponsored, and the advertiser pays YouTube based on the number of views the advertisement receives. This is where the idea of 'Click-bait' comes into action. YouTuber's and content producers make thumbnails (images and text you view before clicking on a video) to intrigue the viewer as much as possible. Advertisements play before the video begins, meaning audiences have clicked onto the video after being intrigued therefore have viewed the advert. It should be noted that YouTuber's receive roughly $18 per 1,000 advertisement views.
Pros -
- Resources - stock footage, education videos
- Anyone can upload
- Accepts any MP4 quality
- Music
- Entertainment - shows and music videos
- Inspiring - influencers
- Community - comment sections
- Playlists and channels
Cons -
- Addictive
- Toxic, hateful comments common
- Click-bait
- Decrease in views when uploading- too popular
- Restricted mode
- Copyright
- Anyone can upload
- Privacy invasion
Originated in 2005, YouTube has over 1.3 billion users, with 300 hours of content uploaded every minute. It's content progressively increased, highlighting 'YouTuber's' who began in the early days of its release, now having millions of followers, winning titles such as 'Influencer of the year,' with events such as Comic-con and Vidcon, and further filming of 'YouTube Rewind' at the end of each year, focusing on the main events that occurred within the internet and YouTube community throughout. These events cater for the YouTube community, and are examples of how the audience have reacted to the content produced.
Addiction
In terms of becoming addictive, YouTube is the main video uploading site. It has become the default for most video watching users, and the most popular for uploading videographic content. As a media student, I find myself using the platform for resources such as soundtracks as background music, alongside stock footage and informing myself on historical footage, or videos made to inform other students. As a consumer of the platform socially, I watch YouTuber's, and catch up on shows that may not be aired on Television. There are many shows in which showcase some of my favourite celebrities, such as Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. The show is widely popular with the new generation, gathering millions of views. Shows like this and other presenters such as Jimmie Fallon and Ellen DeGeneres are one of the reasons YouTube has an incline economically, and is over passing Television. I therefore believe that the platform can be addictive, however purely for the reason that it becomes dependable and provides a good source of entertainment.
Interaction
YouTube has live streams where audiences can comment at once, with comment sections on all videos for users to have their say. Like most common social sites, individuals can communicate with each other. They can do so in these comment sections, alongside the ability to make playlists. When having a channel, YouTube allows you to create playlists and share them with the public. Someone may create a playlist of songs to listen to when getting ready, for example, which may relate to many and become a popular playlist. However, I personally feel that audiences may use other social platforms such as Snapchat or Instagram to message and interact with each other. Another form of communication and interaction is between YouTuber's and their fans, when YouTuber's may ask their audience to leave opinions or answers in the comment section of the video.
User generated content - Content that has been placed on the internet by audiences themselves, meaning the content is not supported financially or by contract, e.g Wikipedia.
Prosumers - An individual who consumes and produces a product. They can be an enthusiastic consumer, then producing content off this.
The platform depends on user generated content massively. It's money and overall use is for users of the public to upload and watch other videos. YouTube themselves do not upload certain videos, in fact audiences must decide to put content out. As the platform has progressed massively, globally, everyone loves and uses it, therefore there is a constant cycle of watching and creating. However it can be seen as a bad aspect, if the audience could not upload anything, there would be no content, meaning the popularity of YouTube declines, though almost anyone and everyone can upload to the site.
Money
Money is made through advertisements. YouTube has the power to embed advertisements into video's, relating the advert to the content that the user seems to be interested in. Advertisements are sponsored, and the advertiser pays YouTube based on the number of views the advertisement receives. This is where the idea of 'Click-bait' comes into action. YouTuber's and content producers make thumbnails (images and text you view before clicking on a video) to intrigue the viewer as much as possible. Advertisements play before the video begins, meaning audiences have clicked onto the video after being intrigued therefore have viewed the advert. It should be noted that YouTuber's receive roughly $18 per 1,000 advertisement views.
Pros -
- Resources - stock footage, education videos
- Anyone can upload
- Accepts any MP4 quality
- Music
- Entertainment - shows and music videos
- Inspiring - influencers
- Community - comment sections
- Playlists and channels
Cons -
- Addictive
- Toxic, hateful comments common
- Click-bait
- Decrease in views when uploading- too popular
- Restricted mode
- Copyright
- Anyone can upload
- Privacy invasion
Sunday, 17 November 2019
Thursday, 14 November 2019
Surrealism
Surrealism is an art movement beginning in the 1920's. It originated from the DADA movement, as discussed below -
DADA and Surrealism
Dada was an art movement that began during and after the World War One. It took the perspective of antilogic, going against logic in state that logic began and continued the war. It was short lived between 1916 and 1922, and had works of performers, artists and other visual creatives, involving the 'Mona Lisa' painting and 'Fountain' sculpture. It's main theory is quoted as several things, Dada artists were also known for strongly going against religion and faith, this including 'Dada, abolition of prophets' and 'Dada, an abolition of memory.' It should be noted that one of their main arguments was religion. It acted as an influence for the new formed Surrealism. Surrealism takes the perspective of a dream. It's known that surrealists place work together that usually don't belong. They believe that this process triggers the unconscious mind. Their projects and art forms of work go against the usual human logic, with the purpose of audiences reacting in an unusual, provoked way. It also takes the perspective that we are all heavily psychologically influenced by unconscious sexual desires, also known as the theory of Freudianism. Surrealist techniques also had arisen, these being automatic surrealism (AS) and exquisite corpse surrealism (ECS.) AS is artwork created freely by the unconscious mind without any real thought. Imagery consists of various abstracted shapes and lines, in comparison to ECS, where a collection of images or words are put together by following a certain rule or when many contributors add to the artwork, depending on what was previously drawn. This being an exercise we also practised using wordplay.
Surrealist filmmaking
Surrealist films were produced off the idea of exquisite corpse surrealism, where surrealists would go to any film screening, and walk out when desired to move onto the next screening. Famous surrealist directors include Luis Bunuel, who started surrealist work during the 1920's as part of Avant-Garde surrealism. His films include L'age d'Or, Belle du Jour and That Obscure Object of Desire. His film 'The Phantom of Liberty' stuck with me most, a dinner scene where logic is completely challenged. Instead of the characters eating in the kitchen as the normal world would, they sit at toilet seats around each other. They have to be excused to use the kitchen, though in the real world, we would be excused to use the toilet. Another challenging surrealist filmmaker is Jan Svankmajer, known for his film 'Food.' Instead of actually eating food, the characters eat props surrounding them, including their clothes, dining table objects and furniture. Food is also recycled for each person coming in and eating, with some messages behind the story suggesting humans are too over indulgent. These being filmmakers and artists who started off the surrealist movement, more common themes can be found through visual effect movements and exploration of different, fantasy worlds. An example being Doctor Strange, directed by Scott Derrickson. The scene consists of the main character travelling to a different world purely by 'touching' and connecting with another soul. This demonstrated surrealism as there is no actual logic, but some possible meanings behind how humans are too attached to the world, that can be interpreted as short, or fake.
Surrealist activities -
Within our class, we demonstrated exquisite corpse surrealism in a group, with one person writing a line and leaving one word for the next person, without said person seeing what the previous person said. Eventually forming a story based on initial reactions of whats on their mind, or what comes to mind when viewing that first word. The other activity being free association / automatic surrealism, with a game known as 'word association.' In pairs / groups again, one person would say a word, then bouncing to the next person saying another word. We then chose the 3 main most shocking/ surprising words and made a story. The 3 words in my pair being homophobia, astronomy and 'roadman,' creating a story with complete opposing things and themes. Our words were proof of initial wordplay, again demonstrating the activity was based on the first thought, or, as argued from a surrealist point of view, what the unconscious brain is currently thinking, or what the unconscious brain had been influenced by from listening to the previous word. Personally, I found that both games were thought provoking, and formed stories that may not have been formed otherwise, as they may have been overthought or too logical, then not triggering the unconscious brain - making the stories automatically too logical from overthinking. Storytelling as the basis of creating visual work / artwork, I understand both ECS and AS as forms of surrealism techniques, depending on the desired impact the surrealist wanted to make on said audience viewing.
DADA and Surrealism
Dada was an art movement that began during and after the World War One. It took the perspective of antilogic, going against logic in state that logic began and continued the war. It was short lived between 1916 and 1922, and had works of performers, artists and other visual creatives, involving the 'Mona Lisa' painting and 'Fountain' sculpture. It's main theory is quoted as several things, Dada artists were also known for strongly going against religion and faith, this including 'Dada, abolition of prophets' and 'Dada, an abolition of memory.' It should be noted that one of their main arguments was religion. It acted as an influence for the new formed Surrealism. Surrealism takes the perspective of a dream. It's known that surrealists place work together that usually don't belong. They believe that this process triggers the unconscious mind. Their projects and art forms of work go against the usual human logic, with the purpose of audiences reacting in an unusual, provoked way. It also takes the perspective that we are all heavily psychologically influenced by unconscious sexual desires, also known as the theory of Freudianism. Surrealist techniques also had arisen, these being automatic surrealism (AS) and exquisite corpse surrealism (ECS.) AS is artwork created freely by the unconscious mind without any real thought. Imagery consists of various abstracted shapes and lines, in comparison to ECS, where a collection of images or words are put together by following a certain rule or when many contributors add to the artwork, depending on what was previously drawn. This being an exercise we also practised using wordplay.
Surrealist filmmaking
Surrealist films were produced off the idea of exquisite corpse surrealism, where surrealists would go to any film screening, and walk out when desired to move onto the next screening. Famous surrealist directors include Luis Bunuel, who started surrealist work during the 1920's as part of Avant-Garde surrealism. His films include L'age d'Or, Belle du Jour and That Obscure Object of Desire. His film 'The Phantom of Liberty' stuck with me most, a dinner scene where logic is completely challenged. Instead of the characters eating in the kitchen as the normal world would, they sit at toilet seats around each other. They have to be excused to use the kitchen, though in the real world, we would be excused to use the toilet. Another challenging surrealist filmmaker is Jan Svankmajer, known for his film 'Food.' Instead of actually eating food, the characters eat props surrounding them, including their clothes, dining table objects and furniture. Food is also recycled for each person coming in and eating, with some messages behind the story suggesting humans are too over indulgent. These being filmmakers and artists who started off the surrealist movement, more common themes can be found through visual effect movements and exploration of different, fantasy worlds. An example being Doctor Strange, directed by Scott Derrickson. The scene consists of the main character travelling to a different world purely by 'touching' and connecting with another soul. This demonstrated surrealism as there is no actual logic, but some possible meanings behind how humans are too attached to the world, that can be interpreted as short, or fake.
Surrealist activities -
Within our class, we demonstrated exquisite corpse surrealism in a group, with one person writing a line and leaving one word for the next person, without said person seeing what the previous person said. Eventually forming a story based on initial reactions of whats on their mind, or what comes to mind when viewing that first word. The other activity being free association / automatic surrealism, with a game known as 'word association.' In pairs / groups again, one person would say a word, then bouncing to the next person saying another word. We then chose the 3 main most shocking/ surprising words and made a story. The 3 words in my pair being homophobia, astronomy and 'roadman,' creating a story with complete opposing things and themes. Our words were proof of initial wordplay, again demonstrating the activity was based on the first thought, or, as argued from a surrealist point of view, what the unconscious brain is currently thinking, or what the unconscious brain had been influenced by from listening to the previous word. Personally, I found that both games were thought provoking, and formed stories that may not have been formed otherwise, as they may have been overthought or too logical, then not triggering the unconscious brain - making the stories automatically too logical from overthinking. Storytelling as the basis of creating visual work / artwork, I understand both ECS and AS as forms of surrealism techniques, depending on the desired impact the surrealist wanted to make on said audience viewing.
Monday, 11 November 2019
Monday, 4 November 2019
Storyboard and shot list
As our selected media work is moving image, as part of our pre production we have created a shotlist and storyboard. From this shotlist, we have started planning dates to start production, and will practise these shots / ensure these locations will not be dramatically disrupted for the upcoming weeks.
Shotlist -
Storyboard -
Shotlist -
Storyboard -
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Brainstormed ideas for practical photography: Using a male model wearing something that may be seen as female or promoting makeup - ...
