Media Craft Skills Critical Reflection

Jordan Bennett 2103309

Throughout this module I have been introduced to sound and lighting equipment, editing software as well as being
taught more about how to use a camera. Previously to this I had taught myself the working of the camera as well as
being taught mostly compositional aspects of photography during an art foundation degree. Because of this, I was
already familiar with a camera when it came to photography. However, I had not yet experimented with filming so
this aspect of using a camera was extremely interesting to learn about. I have had a chance to practice these skills
both on my own and whilst working with others. Overall I have enjoyed this module as it has allowed me to learn new
skills that will help me with both future projects at university and in my career beyond this.

During our beginning tasks we looked at composition and how it is used in photography and film making. This
included looking at the rule of thirds as well as going over different camera angles and shot sizes. Although I found
the theory behind this a good refresher, the tasks weren’t as successful as they could have been. The task entitled
‘the urban explorer’ was an individual task and I found that this went quite well, however, when it came to the
storyboard task that we had to work in groups for, I struggled a lot more. Even though I was very familiar with the
theory and confident in what we had to do for the task, communication within the group was a big let down. This
was an issue that slowly improved throughout the course of the module however I still feel like it needs more work.
For our final project in particular, most of our group communicated well, however I feel that an important factor for
this was that most of us had previously got along well. I was lucky with the group I got put in for this reason as it
allowed for a successful final outcome, but if I got put into a group of complete strangers or people who I don’t
necessarily ‘click’ with I think I would revert back to struggling with communication.

One of the first things that I learnt that particularly stood out to me was how to use sound equipment. In our
induction we went over how to use a zoom recorder and we also got a chance to practice this in the field using boom
mics. During this we got to practice recording interviews using sound equipment to produce clearer audio than you
get from the camera. This was extremely useful to learn when it came to the final project where having clear audio is
essential for a successful outcome. This is something that I have been interested in learning for a while now as I have
become more interested in making documentaries rather than just taking photographs. Sound is a very important
aspect to this whether you are using just a voice over or doing an onscreen interview as it is crucial that all of the
dialogue is audible. Because of this, I really enjoyed learning about this and being able to practice hands on with the
equipment.

For the majority of this module, wildlife media and film and tv students were mixed together. So, when it came to
learning about lighting setups, I assumed that this was something that was aimed at film and tv. As an artistic person
I was still very interested in learning about this and how I can use it for personal projects not necessarily related to
my specialist subject. However, as we were going through the theory behind lighting, I found how it would link to
wildlife media for things such as interviews. There is the obvious use of lighting indoor interviews however it can
also be useful for outdoor filming. When there is harsh light it creates darker shadows which is where reflectors can
become useful. If I want a filming career that relates to wildlife media the chances that I will be filming interviews
are very high, because of this learning the aspects with lighting will be useful for me in the future. As well as this
whilst experimenting with recording using a DSLR we also tested the different white balance settings on the camera
which is something that I haven’t really touched before. This aspect of lighting I would like to further explore as I feel
as though it will be useful during my everyday work - both personal and professional.

One of the final things that we learnt before beginning our final project was how to use the editing software Premiere
Pro. Previous to this I was familiar with free photo editing sites such as ‘be funky’ and had had some very basic
knowledge of photoshop. However video editing was completely unfamiliar to me which meant that this seemed very
confusing to begin with but it is something I was very eager to learn due to my interest in making documentaries. We
first got to play around with this software by editing together some videos of an audi along with an interview about
the car. This was fun to practice with and it allowed me to become familiar with what is possible to do whilst editing.
I most enjoyed it when it came to editing together our own footage from the previous interview task as it felt more
rewarding knowing that I have played a part the whole way through the production. Because of this, when it came to
my final project I decided to do my own version of the video editing as well as our group edit. With the amount of
footage I had this was great practice as editing together something longer and more complex. Since this I have
recorded videos in my own time and edited them together with some music; I have thoroughly enjoyed this, and have
been happy with the outcome. This is definitely a skill that will be very useful throughout my time at university as
well for my own personal projects.

After some communication setbacks, my group decided to look at the Wild Ennerdale project for our final
project. During this my role was camera operator which I was very excited for as it would be a great first
practice for what I hope to be doing in the future. Although it was exciting, it was also extremely daunting
as I did not feel prepared for a project as big as this. Despite this, I did the best I could and I am reasonably
happy with what I was able to achieve. The camera work definitely was not perfect; there were some shaky
pans and some shots that were not composed correctly as well as the focus being slightly out occasionally.
However, as I took many videos to make sure we had a variety of angles for interview and a wide range of
b-roll, when it came to editing many of the imperfections were able to be cut out. I am really looking
forward to doing a task similar to this again as I would like more chances to practice working with the
camera in this way so that I can become more confident and reduce the number of mistakes I make during
filming.

In conclusion, I have learnt a lot about different aspects of film and tv productions throughout this
module. Being able to practice hands on with the equipment has been very useful whilst studying the
theory behind it all by helping to cement the knowledge whilst giving practical experience. This has
allowed me to learn the skills to now develop my own personal style, particularly when it comes to filming
and editing. As well as this, being thrown in at the deep end for our final project, has given me a lot more
courage to go out and arrange projects which will be very helpful when it comes to future projects during
my course as well as for any future careers I have. This confidence is also tied to my experience with
working in a group within my practice. Previously I have only worked by myself and I very much like it
that way, however working alongside others is a very important skill to have in life in general as well as the
media industry. All of these new skills have been very interesting to learn and I am looking forward to
applying these to my future projects. My next steps to improve upon these will primarily focus around
having lots of practice and hopefully getting some of my peers as well as tutors to review my work and
give feedback on areas that need improvement.