Prompt 8: Practicing Your Knowledge

By: Johnny

Working With My New Audio Interface

I was having trouble finding a topic or a hands-on experience that I could perform for this week's prompted post, and then discuss with you guys here. Turns out, my topic and my hands-on experience that I have chose to do has been on my mind a lot more than you'd might think. Through some serious thought, I found myself at the crossroads between my own personal interests and my college assignments. My hands-on experience that I will be writing about is how I have been experimenting with my new audio interface bundle that I've purchased for recording music.

PreSonus Audiobox Studio

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Prompt post #8: Practicing Your Knowledge, instructs the blogger (me, in this case) to attempt a hands-on experience that will allow them to learn about their job field. The hands-on experience that I have attempted, and will continue to do is working with my new, PreSonus Audiobox Studio. This audio interface that I've bought is much more advanced that what I've been previously using to record music, and with these advancements and the overall professionalism of this tool, my music will sound the part but also will allow me to record with great ease, customizability, and efficiency. The bundle that I picked up came with the audio interface, the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), Studio One Artist 3, two microphones, headphones, and the cables to use the microphones.

Considering the focus of our team blog is media and communication, I figured what better hands-on experience is there for me to talk about for this post?

Writing, but particularly recording music has been an interest of mine for a while now. Working in a recording studio, recording all different kind of instruments, working with record labels and various artists; all of that seems like a practical and enjoyable career for me. Maybe not exactly like I'm describing or as glamorous as you're imagining, but a job that's somewhat similar. Similar in the sense that there's a team of individuals working together, with the help of technology, to obtain some sort of goal or to produce some sort of a reward.

On productionhub.com, under Jobs in Film, Television, Video and Digital Media Production, there are plenty of different job occupations listed that apply to our job field while still catering to my personal interests. To list a few, there's a Videographer, Social Media Video Editor/Producer, Sound Mixer/Editor, Broadcast Designer. All of these jobs are for real companies in the real world.

Working hands-on this weekend with my new audio interface has already revealed a few hard truths about recording music and working in this field, the first one being that what these people do for a living is some complex stuff. It might look nice, easy, and fluent on the TV or the internet or wherever your enjoying the content, but the people behind it are hard-working and experienced people who put in a whole lot of time to make it look or sound as good as it does. Another truth that my hands-on experience has revealed to me is that, in order to care enough to actually invest yourself in the project your working on, you have to enjoy doing it. If you're not enjoying yourself working in this field, work in a different field that is simpler and pays more. Lastly, I've learned that you need a great amount of patience to work in the field of media and media production. There'll be times when things aren't going your way, and there'll be times when things are just going slow. There will also be times when you have to wait on other people to finish their work before you can proceed, and all of this is just part of the job. Teamwork is everything in this job field.

Works Cited

"Jobs in Film, Television, Video and Digital Media Production." Production HUB. Web. productionhub.com/jobs.

"Audiobox Studio." PreSonus. Web. presonus.com/products/AudioBox-Studio.

Lessons I Learned Whilst on the Job

By: Gigi 

“That brings tonight’s episode of YOLO to an end, we hope you’ve learned a lot and that next week you’ll join us same place, same time from Gigi and Malaika and Zola it’s goodnight.” This was the line I closed of YOLO a youth show about issues affecting South African teens that I hosted last year. This show made was what made me want to pursue a career in the media industry and left me with a lot of information about my career. The top three being: 

 
1. Be versatile!

Unlike many careers that one has to study extensively for e.g. medicine, being in the media industry, especially in front of the camera for me I had to rely on my personality and learn everything as I go. When I applied for the job I had no formal training and thus had to learn everything on the job, I had to give creative input about how I viewed the shows content, I had to do research about guest and topics that I didn’t care for. This forced me to be outside my comfort zone and showed me how being open to change and allowing yourself to be versatile and not just the girl in front of the camera was beneficial. I ended up sitting in meetings that led to more job opportunities as people knew that I was very malleable and could adapt to various situations in off and on camera. 

    2. Know your brand and stay deliberate about enforcing it.

Knowing your brand means knowing what your name is synonymous with. When you are mentioned what do people think of and is it what you want? I had to think about this when I got my first job as you interact with a lot of topics people will start to view you as something and I interacted with a lot of information and people viewed me in a certain light because of them. Hence, the show I made was educational and focused on issues of body image, violence resolution and topics that I thought mattered. I hoped that people would associate me with depth rather than beauty and glamour as a young female on TV.

      3. Read, read and read!

Read everything and anything you can find. When you paid based on what you say and contribute to the discussion you want to be a person with meaningful conversation. Thus, reading on current affairs, history and everything else in between will make you look like an informed person and it will shape a lot of your own thoughts.

Jobs in the Media

By: Curtis

Some of you may we wondering what you can do in this field. Maybe you are considering about taking up the majors related to media and are therefore looking through blogs that people like us and many others have started. People in Communication and Arts typically major in Communication, Journalism, Media and Information, Advertising, or Public Relations - the names of the major in a way already depicts what one is trying to become.

In Communication, one is mostly learning and understanding about communicating with other people. They have learn things about communication and therefore, people from this major learn more about persuasion and leadership that allows them persuade the general public. People may tend to go into public relation departments and places where communication is very important.

Journalism is more focused upon the writing portion of Communication. They go into the field and write down the things they see and hear and therefore are more likely to work as a Journalist. They also have to learn how to interview people in order to quote people on certain matters. They are set to become leaders and visionaries and therefore need the skills to allow other people to see what they see through their writing.

Media and Information is more focused on gathering information from the internet. It is also about how to gather the resources effectively. The portion about how they gather information is also crucial to the major, therefore, Media and Information is more technology based. Because of this, people in the major are more likely to create video games, create advertisements and commercials for the companies.

Here are some of the more popular jobs people in the area of media choose:

• Broadcast News Analyst
• Broadcast Technicians
• Camera Operators
• Directors
• Editors
• Film and Video Editors
• Motion Picture Projectionists
• Producers
• Program Directors
• Radio and Television Announcers
• Reporters and Correspondents
• Sound Engineering Technicians
• Talent Directors
• Technical Director/Manager
• Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers
• Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

Works Cited

"College of Communication Arts and Sciences." Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

"College of Communication Arts and Sciences." Bachelor's Degree in Communication. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

"College of Communication Arts and Sciences." B.A. in Media and Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

"Careers in Media & Communication at My Next Move." My Next Move. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

Why Taking Communication Classes Are Beneficial For Any Major

By: Emily 

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Communication is a vital part of any industry you want to go into. Whether it be having to communicate with patients, customers, or an audience, if you don’t have successful communication between both parties whatever you’re trying to do won’t be as effective. There is a wide variety of communication classes offered at most universities ranging from interpersonal communication to mass communication.

Effective communication in the workplace is essential to reduce the various barriers that arise on a daily basis. Quality communication causes an increase in productivity which is always a benefit for any given company. Verbal and nonverbal communication are both important in a variety of workplaces, many companies spend a lot of money on training their employees to communicate effectively whether it be through conversations, emails, or various reports. The effectiveness of communication essentially builds a stronger company as a whole. As a student, taking a communication class or two can only build you up and make you a more well rounded individual in anything you wish to pursue.

Intro to Organizational Communication

By: Victoria

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We’ve gotten feedback to write more about our educational experience in our discipline thus far and I thought I’d share about the COM class I’m taking this semester. In this class, as the name suggests, we learn about how communication works in organizational settings. People normally underestimate this, and don't realize that having competent communication in your company can really make or break your organization.

Indeed, it is very theory heavy. Max Weber, Frederick Taylor, and Everett Rogers are just a taste of some of the theorists we encounter in this course. (Fun Fact: Everett Rogers used to be part of the department of Communication Arts and Sciences here at MSU (“About the Department”). He is credited for coming up with what is known as the Diffusion of Innovation Theory.)

On the more practical side, we also learnt how to write good resumes and cover letters.

Right now, I’m in the midst of my term assignment. We are attempting to study some of the challenges that come with starting a business. I have just interviewed a business owner, and it was a very eye-opening conversation as he told me not only about all the difficulties he’d encountered, but also about the culture he had created for his company and why it was so important to him. He’s only three years older than me and his intelligence, wisdom and passion really struck and impressed me. (He hadn’t even gone to university, and is probably making more money than all of us)

In retrospect, I really wished I had taken this class before I had gone out to do my internships. Perhaps it would have helped me navigate the complex relationships at work a little easier.

Works Cited

"About the Department of Communication." Michigan State University, n.d., http://cas.msu.edu/places/departments/communication/about/.

Taking A Communication 100 Class

By: Johnny

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Last school year when I was a freshman, I enrolled myself into mostly entry level, or level one hundred classes, no surprise there. One of the classes that I had taken was our schools Communication 100 class. This class served as the first stepping stone into many of the individual colleges within our school, predominantly the Communication Arts & Sciences College.

COM 100, from my experience, was a class that's clear purpose was to introduce the science and the information known by humans about communication and interaction to the students; providing a good sense of what a Communication degree and what the Communication Arts & Sciences College as a whole is all about. I learned many things taking this class, many useful and interesting things that I probably wouldn't of cared to seek out and learn had it not have been for this class. Every day things such as relationships, resolving conflicts, socialization, power, were all broken down, discussed, and made sense of in COM 100.

My class was broken up into two sections. The first of the two classes each week was the lecture class. Our main Professor would present the new material to the whole class at this time and the material would be discussed between the professor and the students. The second class of the week was our recitation class where as a class we were broken up into five or so smaller classes in a different location. These smaller classes were run by a TA and things like individual assignments and the review of smaller topics in the course would be handled during this class.

My biggest take-away from this class would have to be the level of comfort of publicly speaking amongst my classmates that I obtained with taking this course. We had four speeches to give throughout the course and the way at which these speeches were assigned made each speech increasingly more challenging every time. The first speech was a special occasion speech, and then it was an informative speech, a pro/con speech, and the last was a persuasive speech. Giving these speeches taught me a communication skill that I wouldn't of been able to learn by just reading or writing out the material for the class.

Top Five Paying Jobs in Film/ Television

By: Gigi

For those of us wanting to venture into a career we often ask ourselves several questions about our path. These may be based on several factors such as passion and prestige as one enters a career in entertainment. However, even as professional entertainers we all want to pay our bills and maybe one day enter the list of the 20 richest media moguls. This article thus, attempts to show you the most lucrative careers in the film industry that will make you the most money.

If you are too lazy to read scroll down and watch the video. :)

1.     Multimedia Artists and Animators: The guys at Pixar.

These are the artists in charge of the visual effects behind blockbusters such as Shrek and Finding Memo. They create the images and and the entire set design for most movies and TV shows that use visual effects such as dragons or cartoons.

Photo Credit: HBO

GENERAL: 

Top 10% Average Annual Salary: $ $113,600

Average Hourly Wage: $17.75

Average Hourly Wage: $54.62

Low 10% Average Annual Salary: $ 36, 930

2.   Talent Agents: The guys that book the gigs.

Talent Agents are categorized as they people who are in charge of managing the artists. This includes representing and promoting the artist, dealing with contracts and negotiating deals and benefits.  

Photo Credit: Lloyd Shepherd

GENERAL:

 Top 10% Average Annual Salary: $ $113,120

 Average Hourly Wage: $54.39

 Low 10% Average Annual Salary: $28, 060

 Average Hourly Wage: $13,49

COOL FACT:

Kevin Huvane is the wealthiest talent agent and is worth $50 million and represents stars like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

3. Cinematographer and Director of Photography: The guys holding the camera. 

Cinematographers are the people capturing the film as its acted out. They need to have an artistic eye and understand the technical work of the camera and the angles.

Photo Credit: Phill Hunt/Getty Images

GENERAL:

Top 10% Average Annual Salary: $ 105,120

Average Hourly Wage: $50,54

Low 10% Average Annual Salary: $25,070

Average Hourly Wage: $12,05

4.     Construction Manager: The guys creating all the buildings and sets a movie will be filmed in. 

The construction manager is the person in charge of the team that take the art directors vision and bring it to life. They are the ones who make sure certain paintings in a house a placed in a particular way. The construction manager ensure that the set builders, carpenters, painters and plumbers are building what is expected. 

Photo Credit: Ross Land/Getty Images 

GENERAL:

Top 10% Average Annual Salary: $ 155,200

Average Hourly Wage: $ 74,61

Low 10% Average Annual Salary: $52,350

Average Hourly Wage: $25,17

5.    Art Director: The guys doing the creative work and deciding how your favorite movie looks. 

The art director is in charge of conceptualizing what the movie will look and how the screenwriters vision can be turned into life. Once they have come up with the idea's it is the construction managers job to create it. 

Photo Credit: Doczi Atitla

GENERAL:

Top 10% Average Annual Salary: $ 172, 900

Average Hourly Wage: $ 83, 32

Low 10% Average Annual Salary: $47,320

Average Hourly Wage: $22, 72

Work Cited: 

"Art Director." Art Director. Creativeskillset, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.

"Assistant Construction Manager." Assistant Construction Manager. Creativeskillset, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.A

Http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNkJZN0bnYSjgRo5B8b4Xvw. "The Wolverine Movie - Set Construction Timelapse." YouTube. YouTube, 08 Apr. 2016. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.

Fafsamadeeasy. "So You Want to Be a Talent Agent or Business Manager of Artists, Performers, or Athletes." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Sept. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.

Thvbgd. "James Blake - Limit To Your Love (Kygo Remix)." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Aug. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.

Roos, Http://www.howstuffworks.com/about-author.htm Dave. "10 Highest Paying Jobs in the Film I             industry."HowStuffWorks. Entertainment Now, 30 May 2008. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.

"27-4031 Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Motion Picture." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.             U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.

"13-1011 Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes." U.S. Bureau of Labor               Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.

Shepherd, Lloyd, and About Lloyd Shepherd Lloyd Is the Author of The English Monster, The Poisoned           Island, and Savage Magic. He Lives in London, and Only Talks about Himself in the Third Person for       SEO Purposes. "The Infectious Disease That Is Modern Entertainment." Lloyd Shepherd. N.p., 12            Nov. 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.