This task has definitely been made a lot easier after attending the campus session on Tuesday. I had read the reader at least twice previous to the session, but somehow it all started to make sense!
I guess my main thought after reading Reader 1 was 'Am I utilising web 2.0 as much as possible for my own Professional Practice?' One of the key concepts within the reader is 'How we use technology professionally?' As with most professionals in the industry I am a member of Spotlight, the online CV directory, I regularly check and apply for jobs through casting websites such as 'Casting Call Pro' and 'Star Now', and actually my current job is something which I applied for through 'Star Now'. But how much more could I be utilising web 2.0?
The answer is much more and it is not that I am unaware of certain sites, wikis, forums etc. just I have never thought to utilise them in a professional way, rather just using them for social purposes. Anyone in this industry knows how you have to make things happen and that the jobs are not just going to walk right up to you. I need to do everything I can to maximise my product, me and Web 2.0 certainly allows us to do this.
Youtube is a great example of this. For example, if I needed to create a piece in the style of a certain choreographer but did not have the knowledge in this area, I can simply search on Youtube and no doubt hundreds of videos would be available at the click of a button. I could then take this video and post it to other dancers I may be working with, but edit it to suit our specific needs. This is an example of remixing data and transforming it for your own specific purpose, in order to develop your professional practice.
The great thing about Web 2.0 is that we are all play a part in it, as Bruns (2007) says 'we are both producer and consumer'. We take something, i.e. we consume it and then we remix it and put it out there again, therefore we are the Producer. Web 2.0 is easy and accessible to everyone and the web is ours to use and change as we see fit.
During the campus session someone made a very interesting point...
At the end of the day we as performers have to audition in person. We can maximise our chances as much as possible by utilising Web 2.0 and developing and enhancing our product, but this will only take us so far.
I completely agree with this comment and no piece of paper or document or fancy photo is going to guarantee us that job, but surely it's going to help us get to that point of contact and sometimes the foot in the door is the difficult part to get! We are selling a product, take for example a chocolate bar. If the product has a lovely attractive packet and a great advert on the TV we are more likely to buy this product than one that looks ugly and uninviting. At the end of the day the dull, uninviting chocolate bar may taste much better but it will never be tasted and no-one will ever know. It never got it's foot in the door ;)
Hey there Jo.
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to meet you face to face the other day, and I agree with you totally, it is well worth the painful journey to make it whether that's a day off work or a 12 hour round trip and 19 hour day, I got lots of blogging done though.
Nice work on Task 1b darlin. You make a great job of extracting some really interesting points from a text that is like porridge to read.
Your first thought was "am i utilising 2.0 as much as possible in my own professional practice".
I was really interested to hear your thoughts on how ELSE you could be capitalising on the power of 2.0 but felt that you stopped a little short of the topic, it felt a little too general. Below are two thoughts I had that could strengthen your piece further, or that you could totally ignor them as just the babblings of an idiot (people do this a lot too).
One of the points you make is to say that “Youtube is a great example of this” but the point you make before "jobs are not just going to walk right up to you. I need to do everything I can to maximise my product, me" seems more about going out and getting work rather than the use suggested by you re Youtube which is geared, if feel, more towards using 2.0 technology to further advance your professional practice whilst already in employment.
Your Youtube example is a good one and leads onto your point re “Remixing” perfectly but I would suggest another example to better illustrate your previous point before moving onto the next way in which 2.0 helps in our Professional Practices.
On this point, I really liked your reference, to, and use of, Bruno in the paragraph covering the remixing of material as it perfectly compliments and strengthens your point.
I also enjoyed the point that you make re people doing everything they can with 2.0 but if we don't deliver the goods at the end of the day then it's all wasted and would be tempted to explore this point a little further. Is this possibly one of the down sides of relying too much on 2.0?
Over all Jo I really enjoyed reading this as you have a really interesting and catchy first thought. I would have liked you to have covered this idea further though. In what further ways are You, Jo, going to use this 2.0 technology to get "your foot in the door".
As I said darlin, just a couple of thoughts, one persons opinion, to possibly “reflect” on. Take them or leave them, but they are not meant in any other way than to provide you with some, hopefully, useful feedback.
Make sure you keep thinking too where we know each other from and find me on facebook, maybe that will shed some light on matters.
On to read your CV now
Stay safe - Phil
Jo I thought this a good start on an analysis of Web 2.0, the theories behind 2.0 and applying these theories to your own practice. Phil's comments are looking at your examples and your points of view - trying to follow your arguments. Good exercises.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Web 2.0 there for after all? The personal versus commercial outlook or rather the individual versus the organisational outlook, is one which Alan did not stress during the campus session, is one that could perhaps be theorised more for the BAPP (Arts) network.
Also, taking up Phil's point about our responsibilities to produce the Web 2.0 - where do we draw the line of responsibility and how do we manage this for our own practice? If we produce and consume (Bruns, 2007) then how is this played out? You mentioned your experience with casting sites, but the purpose and function of YouTube seems to be still in flux.
Thank you so much for the comments and i think I have sussed out why I couldn't comment, hooray!!!
ReplyDeletePhil - I completely agree with your comment re Youtube and then the fact I mentioned us having to go out there and get the job. I shall expand on this point....
Tools such as Youtube can help us to develop our skills as a professional. We can research different artists or choreographers, gain further knowledge on specific topics and widen our horizons within certain areas. When we do eventually get that first break we are going to be more equipped with the knowledge and skills required in this tough industry. So it is more about utilising these tools to better prepare us for when the moment arrives, i.e the foot in the door. I hope this makes more sense. And thank you for your advice on formatting the Google docs, I shall take a look at Emily's page and see if I can sort it. Thanks phil, perhaps I know you from an audition at Northern Ballet School for a cruise company last year?? Maybe I was speaking with you during the long wait, hehe? One possibility :S Thanks so much for all your comments, now Ive figured out how to comment I will be on it with the commenting and shall aspire to take your title as comment King or Queen in my case :)
Paula - Thank you for your opinions and comments. In the note above I have expanded slightly on the use of Youtube and I will expand further in a future blog.