I have now completed all four assignments across two semesters which marks the end of the Manipulating Media module. As someone who hasn’t studied media before at GCSE nor A-level, this module proved to be extremely beneficial as I have learnt not only new skills, but also adapted and improved those I learnt in other modules this year.
In the first assignment I was assigned the role of Project Manager which, whilst appearing daunting at first, proved to be helpful as I got to see the other roles first-hand and work with them closely to ensure the work was completed at a satisfactory level. Seeing these roles in action impacted how I undertook my role in the other projects, for instance, whilst I was the leader of the group, I also learnt how valuable it is to be a team player and complete your stage of the project so that the others can start there’s. I soon realised a pattern in the order of work, from research to content creation and then finally to production and dissemination, but there was also more to this. I didn’t limit myself to just my one role, I was happy to help others particularly if they were less confident with software or had personal issues, which was the case for the infographic project, in which as content creator, I actively played a large role in production and dissemination and as a group we managed each other in the absence of our project manager for a week. I also learnt throughout that even if you think your role is done, there is always more you can do or go back to, to ensure your work is of the highest quality.
The second project was a podcast in which we talked about a topical international issue. This was one of the more challenging tasks as under the role of production and dissemination I was tasked to edit the podcast and make it to an industry standard. This was where my previous experience with audio editing in Media Skills became key. Looking back however I was still naïve and assumed the editing would have been easier than it was due to the project just being audio. Listening to it again now I can appreciate that it isn’t my best possible work. My confidence in working as a team had improved by this point however when compared to the first project. I personally prefer working on my own and given that university was a new setting with new people I didn’t know, I felt by the second project I had adapted well and was comfortable working with others in my group.
The third project, the infographic, was where my experience from the previous projects came into play. We, as a group, quickly decided on investigating the growth of music streaming as it was all something we did and so had a personal investment into the topic. This project was arguably the least smooth as our project manager fell ill and was at home for the majority of the project. This coincided with the fact that we only had three weeks instead of four to make a finished product. Personally, as well, I was assigned content creator yet also took on a lot of the responsibilities of production and dissemination due to our P+D member lacking experience on Adobe Illustrator. Thankfully, I already knew what both roles entailed due to my previous experience of working alongside the content creator in project two and carrying out the role of P+D as well. As previously noted, we took over project manager duties as a team, as we updated our PM through Facebook, as we sent pictures of what the infographic looked like and what could be changed. I originally felt like the infographic looked too much like a poster, but looking back now and at other’s work, I was happy with the final product.
Finally, project four saw us develop, market and lead a stall on an issue of our choice. Whilst the initial workload seemed to be much more than anything I had faced in previous projects, it actually proved to be one of the most competent and successful projects I had done. Whilst I was assigned the role of researcher, my role within the group took me much further than this, as it did for all members of the group. I feel like this was the project that taught me to not be confined to a certain area and instead help others if they needed it. Whilst previous projects felt more like solo projects or just me on my own, project four was a team effort that required, and I feel showcased our various talents and strengths. All our previous experiences with equipment, software, work skills and research culminated into this final task which I feel we were very competent in completing, as shown by the fact we finished a week early and had time to reflect and change our work.
In conclusion, the manipulating media module has not only given but also developed my skills that are ever so important in the media industry. The wide range of formats and software explored, from podcasts to graphic design, to short films/documentaries gave me new problems to solve and ideas to think about. It’s taught me that not everything can be completed on your own and that effective team work relies on communication and understanding. These are important qualities to have and be made self-aware of as many jobs in the industry will require working in teams. I enjoyed the practice of being given shorter jobs to do in a set time parameter because it not only allowed me to be methodical and plan what needs to be completed using a Gantt chart, but it was also a more accurate representation of the kinds of tasks I will be prescribed in a future career.
Media and communications 