AT1: Digital Story Proposal Personal Statement
God, where do I start? Watching team mate Veronica Ong editing our pitch video last night was like listening to Jim Hendrix play the guitar. I wondered why I had even begun this course and instantly slumped into a depression. My skills on Premier Pro are limited. I’m like a mum on an iPad…painful to watch. Even if I devote my whole life to mastering the damn program, these little digital natives are always going to be so much more capable than me. It’s tempting to check the census cut off date….
I wasn’t particularly enamoured with any of the ideas I’d scrounged together for the project and so I was happy when Zexi approached me about forming a group to create a project on the topic of Melbourne street art. I was immediately aware that this was a project that would have a great visual impact on screen and that there were no barriers to accessing it. However, after a quick online search it was apparent how well-documented this subject already is, particularly on social media. Key too, was that this project needed to be narrative-based, not just a presentation of images or information, and it was suddenly a challenge to try and come up with a story to tell or question to investigate. Upon deeper and more extensive reading, some of the issues related to street art (in general and in Melbourne), such as gentrification, brandalism, depoliticisation and heritage became apparent, and luckily these were interesting enough to warrant exploration.
According to Johansson (2017) narratives are essential for content strategy to succeed. She documents that stories are second only to experience in learning; they allow for more creativity which allows differentiation from competitors; and they are immersive and memorable, which makes the audience more likely to follow the content through to completion. Coming up with a decent narrative for our project was definitely a challenge, however now that we have one, the excitement has definitely kicked in and it feels delightful to sink my teeth into the ways in which to achieve it. Do we wander around street art-drenched Fitzroy filming million dollar apartments and people eating overpriced smashed avocado on toast to document the gentrification angle? Will street artist Lushsux agreed to be interviewed and lament the depoliticisation of the Melbourne street art scene while throwing up a wicked piece on Tony Abbott right before our eyes? It feels good to start working this stuff out.
My primary role within the group is content creation and I’m determined the content of our final digital story, as well as the posts on social media will be engaging and relevant. It seems quality content has never been more important as Google has changed its ranking algorithm and this has pushed websites into the territory where ranking manipulation through link building is finally being eclipsed in search results by website quality (Relander, 2016). I believe quality content can be achieved through well-executed research, with which to determine a structured focus for investigation. However the flexibility to tailor the narrative will exist, in order to accommodate our findings and ensure there is an organic quality to the story.
I naturally became the group’s coordinator due to my age and native-speaker status. I think it’s probably a relief for my team mates, knowing someone who ‘appears’ to know more is ultimately responsible for organising them, liaising with other parties, making final decisions and shaping the direction of the narrative. However I think it’s important that I carefully communicate some of the high level ideas we are going to explore with them in a way that they understand and relate to, so we don’t become fragmented or they feel like it’s my project and I’m just assigning them tasks.
All the literature on management points to effective communication. Communication in turn serves as a foundation for planning and managers must communicate effectively with their team so as to achieve the team goals. Written and oral communication is vital to our success, especially as two-thirds of the team members are non-native English speakers.
My team mates outstrip me hands down when it comes to technology. I have strong ideas when it comes to concept, production and design but not the skills to execute them. With their background in website design and dexterity at Premier Pro, we really are the perfect compliment. I am already enjoying working with them immensely.
References:
Johansson, A, 2017, Why narratives are so important (and how to make a great one), Econtent Magazine, http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Column/Content-Marketing-Evolution/Why-Narratives-Are-So-Important-and-How-to-Make-a-Great-One-119756.htm, viewed 15 August 2018.
Relander, B, 2016, Creating good content is your best business strategy, Entrepreneur Magazine, https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/281105, viewed 15 August 2018.