Skype with Adesola

Last night I joined the Skype conversations with eleven other students The first part I heard was Eleanor talking about reflective practice.

We then went on to discuss the our rehearsal processes and the practice interviews that the other modules are conducting. Lawrence from Module 3 said he tried to ask larger questions.

I agreed with this as I think if the person you are interviewing is nervous and the questions allow monosyllabic answer nothing will be gained. I believe that if you ask a question that allows them some artistic freedom you will get a better sense of that persons abilities and creativity. Semi-structured interviews were talked about, keeping an organic feel to them so they are never the same and can grow.

Comments were made on sharing significant moments to help others with their studies. It feels if we are generous with our thoughts the payback is that people share theirs with us. Keeping us open to all ideas and practices.

I do keep a professional journal and the importance of doing this whilst on the course and after was reiterated by Module 3 students. It isn't enough to say I did it. We have to ask why did I do it? How did I feel? Would I do it again and if I did what would I do differently?

We need to analyse and critique to allow our practice to develop.
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Verbatim theatre

BBC 2 10pm 5th March 2017 (or iplayer)

London Road" based on the National Theatre musical concerns the trial of Steve Wright.

It is Verbatim theatre (a documentary play constructed from the precise words spoken by people interviewed about a particular event or topic). Wikipedia.

It features Tom Hardy, Olivia Coleman and Anita Dobson.

I saw it 2015 when Rufus Norris the director spoke about his process when filming.

I think it is worth watching as it a genre not used very often

recordeddelivery.net

Flickr Task D

Here is my flickr address

flickr.com/photos/147990611@N02

You Tube" Now you See Me" - Audio visual task c

Here is the link to my audio visual you tube.

It is short because as an actor I tend to be quite vocal.

As an adjudicator and examiner I need to use my time productively and be concise in my judgements. Some adjudications are directly after a festival and there are always time constraints.

So, I deliberately made this choice. I'm sure I can film a longer one if needed!


youtu.be/aUqe8wNjMSE

Guess who?

When I turned on my computer this morning one of the first images I saw was

"From A-list actress to old man"
The Telegraph 3rd March 2017

As I was writing my blog on Task d "The importance of images in social media" I found I wanted to re-visit this image. I didn't look it for very long as I was curious who it was and of course when I discovered this, it was obvious by looking closely at her eyes. It confirms the fact that

an actor/performer is a person who can be anything or anybody regardless of sex or age or another perceived boundaries.

Maybe that's what gets us up in the morning. Just that very thought.

telegraph.co.uk/films/0/elderly-gentleman-really-tilda-swinton

Nice to meet you

The Digital Stranger (task 1b and 1d continued).


I have just read the article by Peter  Bryant "The Digital Stranger, Participation, Social Networking and Creativity".peterbryant.org

He asks how many of us have met on our course and

"Does this level of  knowledge about them impact our interaction?"

which is a question I blogged about in Fast Track Degrees is also relevant to task 1d "The importance of the images and audio-visual in today social media."

The blog with photographs help us to think about the person who is sending them. Skype helps us to put a face to a name. Show reels show us what they can do.

He quotes -
"Social networks are effective at increasing participation by lessening the level of motivation that participation requires".

And concludes with
"Social networks participation has provided the environment and the community to begin to interact."
believing they have a more positive effect than negative.

I hope that as many people as possible can make the campus sessions. It really would be nice to meet you.

"There are no words without pictures" Task d

When using social media what do you prefer long, dry pages of text or shorter ones with images that help replace some of the words? If it's the latter your not alone. A study by Curata ( a content curation agency) showed that images can increase "clicks" by up to 50%. .

An image can grab our attention. It can make a page "pop", it can even encourage us to read it when weren't going to. Humans with a short attention span will make a judgement within a few seconds. Images require a speedy response.

Images engage us immediately. We are wired to be receptive to them. Images help us to communicate by using our eyes, our vision.  Jeff Bullis states
"Photos are becoming a universal language."

Of course this makes sense. Even if we can't understand or read a language, a smiling face, fantastic location shot or yes even a cute kitten can say a thousand words (give or take).

His article "6 Powerful Reasons why social media should include images" is simple but effective. Although tailored towards sales, our professional practice might benefit from this self-promotion.

A poor quality or choice of image can devalue a good text and needs to be considered carefully especially if it is a idea to be shared. Used correctly it greatly can enhance the presentation.

There is increasing appetite for all types of images and audio -visual presentation in social media. These include Pinterest (used for sharing ideas), Instagram, (on-line mobile phone photo/video sharing app), Snapchat ( video that disappears after a few seconds) and Vine (an app based on six-second video).

Photo, videos, graphics, pictures, slides, animation are all being used more frequently in social media.
Wikipedia describes Infographics as "graphic visual representations of information, date or knowledge intending to present information quickly."


Three key sentences from Ekaterina Walker the author of "The Power of Visual Storytelling" stayed with me -
"visual storytelling is the new currency"
"attention is the new commodity"
"viewers spend 100% more time on a web with videos."
confirming the importance of images and audio-visual as part of social media.

It is strangely comforting when people's faces accompany their blog comments. Making us feel that they are really saying it to us and not just writing faceless text to share with the community.

How many times have you heard somebody say they felt they "knew" an actor based only on their professional performances? This is the power of images and film.

Digital storytelling is a computer based tool that tells us a story. The usual format is a short video with pictures and background music although there are endless variations. It is a personal audio-visual presentation generally to be viewed. Windows and Mac have apps that can be used to this effect.

Donna Moritz on socially.sorted.com .discusses how our telephones can be a radio, television and even our own publishing house.

Flickr is a on-line photo management/sharing application and its photos are not all for public use. It uses Creative commons licensed content as an alternative to full copyright. They is a non-profit making organisation). Upslash has a good selection of stock photos for free.

Regarding the implication of  using social media with or without images, as well audio-visual presentations, it is important to remember "ownership". Technically, if you have designed and created any social media posting you "own" it. You can sign an agreement that allows the person who may have commissioned your work to own it with your permission. There can be "grey" areas. You "own" your work for the duration of your lifetime or for seventy years after (as is the case with plays).

However, you  MUST read all the conditions of each site as they vary. Privacy policies normally in very small print somewhere on the page, are worth investigating as they can protect your professional reputation or a vulnerable person or minor.

"Legacy Locker" is a "digital safety box", an on-line tool, that allows beneficiaries to access your account when you are no longer here.

People like to pass on quotes, little word bites. As he great man himself said -
"There can be no words without pictures."
Aristotle