Online Opportunities

The advice of pretty much every guest speaker expressed how crucial it is to build a strong portfolio and a consistent online presence. I decided to explore different social media platforms and see what kind of opportunities I could get involved in and the best ways of showcasing my work and brand. Through my research I discovered various accessible mediums offering me the necessary opportunities to enhance my professional skills.

After browsing through twitter, I managed to find some free online courses in Photography and Script writing, two disciplines that I am extremely passionate about. Ohh, did I mention that they are free courses? well yes they are absolutely free! This opportunity is part of a project by future Learn, with the hopes of encouraging people to improve their knowledge without having the burden of a huge bill afterwards.  Once I had enrolled, I was immediately able to interact with my fellow course mates through the class forum. People from all over Europe had found this opportunity and like me were keen on networking and learning more about these sectors. This is a great opportunity which I would recommend for anyone looking to improve their knowledge, making connections with people internationally as well as getting an insight into their chosen art forms is a great place to start.

Guest Speaker | Design Bootcamp

With 33 years of freelancing experience, Peter Mickleright's knowledge and tips on entrepreneurship provided an insight into the life of  freelancer. The session touched on do's and don'ts, putting a price on how much your time is worth, branding and maintaining your own business. Design Bootcamp was created to combat how ill prepared aspiring creatives are in the beginning stages of their careers. Peter described his career choice as being a lifestyle rather than a job and felt that it was his duty to pass on his knowledge and experience.

The 2 in 1 session was very informative and helped me put into perspective the value of my work and how this should be reflected in the rates I charge. After applying his formula to myself and my current earnings, I learned that the rates I have been billing clients were nowhere near as much as I should have been earning. After speaking to professionals and ex-students, this seems to be is a common mistake among creatives starting out. Its as if we are blinded by our lack of experience and therefore forget to consider the quality we produce and the investment in time, learning our disciplines and in equipment/tools we have already brought. Despite realising this tremendous loss, it has was beneficial for me to have gone through that period  in order for me to work on producing content of a standard where clients were willing to pay for it and generally conducting business in a professional manner.

I have learnt that the foundations for a good working relationship is to make a good first impression,  the location of an office/workspace is crucial. Having a clean and tranquil environment to work in and a place to conduct business with clients is essential. As a creative, networking and forming connections with other creatives who specialise in different areas to you does not only benefit both you and your contact but also the client. This integration within the creative community is so valuable and essential in order to stimulate growth. A support system within this competitive industry is imperative, a number of online companies some of which include salt, purple and creative recruiters; act as a catalogue for freelance opportunities makes getting into the freelance realm that bit easier.

The only aspect of taking the freelance route is the lack of respect for his intellectual  property rights and the risk of clients not paying for the service requested. Although Petes horror stories are real occurrences within this field, this alone would not discourage me from exploring this option. Being self-employed has always appealed to me, having the freedom of working smart rather than working hard, knowing that my client base will be built on the quality and standard of my work and my passion for my disciplines are reasons that would motivate me to start my own creative business. 

Trends | Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing is a reformed approach to businesses communicating with customers though the use of digital technologies. The aim of this interactive form of reaching consumers improves and promotes brands, increases sales and retains customers. Digital marketing began in the 90's with web 1.0 platform. Google was founded closely after this in1998, later leading to the discovery of social media platforms including blogger, myspace, Facebook and Twitter; beginning the period of web 2.0. today it is very common for businesses to utilise these platforms to advertise their services and products. In 2014 a study by we are social found that approximately 2.3 billion people are active users of social media platforms, proving that this medium is an excellent way for companies to reach a lot of people all over the world.

Cookies
The cookie is widely used in the e-commerse world to collect data about users and their search habits. The introduction of this tool changed the game of digital marketing, allowing companies to filter their advertising content depending on the user; this method is commonly used by companies such as Amazon and Ebay.

Argos
Argos has made significant progress in paving the way of digital retail, through their new initiative to reform the company to keep up with the digital age and to maintain their status in retail. John Walden's (Managing director) plans of transforming Argos into a digital retailer has really impacted the way we shop, by integrating convenience with familiar technologies. The series of concept stores across the UK were launched in 2013, with a new fast track service the household company provides customers the option to use in store iPads, free wifi to connect personal devices and pay and collect stands offering a quality service to each customer. Although the traditional catalogs have not been abandoned, Argos' aim to cater to the needs of their customers with urgency has been successful in changing the way we shop.

Asos
Asos' innovative use of social media to drive their #BestNightEver campaign was an amazing phenomenon in digital marketing. The campaign was based around the online tendencies and biggest inspirations of their target audience. This authentic marketing strategy reinforces celebrity influence on consumers by allowing buyers to instantly purchase the products they see in the music videos of urban artist, this clever interaction eradicated the barrier between the audiences, artists and products, whilst taking Asos to new heights. Furthermore, the huge buzz around the brand generated their best sales result during the launch of the campaign in December 2012 in time for the festive season.
 The success of this on demand strategy was  due to their extensive market research as it was evident that the platform the chose was a reflection of what their audience wanted.

Guest Speaker | Google

Since September 1997 Google has prided itself highly on user experience, its minimalistic design, accessible formats and the delivery of information. These features are the aspects we love most about google.  This global community of hard-working, daring, creatively in-tune individuals together makeup this multinational technology company. 

Raj Arjan, a User Experience Researcher at google, shared with us his journey before and during his time working for google, tips and advice for getting a foot into the creative industry as well as his hopes for the future. From his talk, I took away the importance of team work, exploring my own network and tapping into the range of skill sets available to me - In Raj Arjan's words "encouraging a cross pollination of ideas" encouraging this form of communication starts new conversations which lead to new ideas and new projects taking form. It was evident that the google team are very interconnected and share views similar to my own, that there is indeed strength in numbers. 

This notion of taking ideas and putting them into fruition is at the heart of the Google X project, the lab facility was started in California in 2010 and began with the development of the self-driving car. It is a core for experiments of the weird, wonderful and crazy ideas known as moonshots. Although approximately 100 concepts are dismissed each year this does not waiver their confidence in discovering a new revolutionary product. The creative freedom and support that Google offers its employees is next to none, I love this aspect of google because as it must not only be encouraging but make you a more resourceful and resilient individual. One Google X project that really stood out to me was Project Loon, its aim was to create satellite balloons which act as broadband hubs for less developed parts of the world. 

The digital age we live in now has developed tremendously from that of 30 years ago. Although technologies have advanced our access can still be limited by necessary resources such as electricity, finances, education and connectivity. Google aim to eliminate as many of these restrictions as possible, through ideas such as Project Loom, their ultimate aim is to make accessibility as easy and convenient for the user as possible. This was also the goal behind the internet cafe in Senegal which uses tablets instead of desktops, through this they managed to eliminate two constraints through the use of wireless connection and reducing the dependence on electricity. This really puts into perspective how different devices and platforms are dependent on the conditions of the individual, to enable each user to have an equally great experience of a product.

Although Raj isn't a designer he explained that teams can range in terms of size from being closely nit of around 5 people or up to 20 members. Despite the size of the group, each role is dependent on one another in order to present the best possible product. The experimental Delhi Public Transport app was 1. a great example of how team work works and 2. a demonstration of Larry Page's philosophy in  ensuring the best or most appropriate outcomes - "Theres no substitute for personally watching and listening to real people". The feedback received from the target audience proved that cultural and language barriers must be considered when creating technologies for the world, he gave the example of temple run the game application, a craze which began in 2011 with more than a billion downloads in the first year, a simple concept with cultural relevance meant that the phenomenon had spread to all corners of the world and challenged the conventions of most game applications by keeping players engaged years later. 

The user is at the heart of everything creators do, irrespective of the discipline. having an understanding of the fundamentals of human behaviour and cognitive process can really enhance your knowledge and make user design more appropriate.  Raj mentioned that his final paper for his masters which explored the link between psychology and user experience was extremely insightful and practical as he could apply his findings to his work in industry.

Raj is a walking example that hard work can pay off, he expressed that 5 years ago he would never have expected to be working one of the largest tech companies in the world and have progressed to the stage he has reached in his career; this is a healthy reminder to stay focused and strive for the best. One piece of advice he offered us is to practice and continue to perfect our crafts,  the importance of research and paying attention to rational, you never know when you'll have the opportunity to promote your brand or tell someone about your work. knowing how you came to the finished product whether this is during an interview or a networking event it is essential. 

There is always more to learn, absorbing information from professionals and taking advantage of their lessons and experiences can only better prepare me for my future career. I could see myself thriving in an environment similar to what google offers,  being independent in my work but and also having the contrast of working within a focused and dedicated team and having the responsibility and the freedom to express my creativity. 

Web industry trends | Sara Choudhry

Sara Choudhry's presentation highlighted the key trends within the web industry, further illustrating how diverse and how frequent new developments are made. The second part of the talk was about Sara's experience in industry and how she came about making certain decisions on her career path. The content she delivered was very realistic and genuine, she gave us the sometimes harsh but true facts about what kind of things employers look for, interview tips, salary expectations and necessary levels of experience expected of a junior creative.

There is lot of money to be made within this industry, however nothing comes easily. Practice and experience are the main components to a successful career in this field.  As the digital age progresses, media is everywhere and everyone has online access instantly, by using this tools/platforms like social networking sites to our advantage bridges the gap between professionals, businesses and novices; this resource is affluent, so why would we not take advantage of it.

Sara was in the same position as us not too long ago, so she knew exactly what doubts and worries we have at this stage of our studies. It was very interesting to hear from someone who had not been on the year in industry program but had still gotten the necessary experience of working through a summer placement. She expressed that this decision was based on her own convenience and reinforces that  you firstly must, consider what your goals are, whether they are attainable in the set time constraints and then secondly, figure out the best way to achieving the goal. There are plenty of ways to do any one thing, I just have to find the best way for me.

Creative Matters

Creative Matters is a soundcloud account brought to us by creative Skillset in association with Hiive. the pre recorded audio sessions offer advice and inspiration with the hope of empowering talent with tips and information that you need to know about the industry. The monthly show started in 2015, adding soundcloud to their already extensive social media tools magnifies Creative Skillset's online presence. This integration has made accessing their content easy and convenient for people seeking their services.

Episodes 2 and 3 of the series touches on the topic of self-promotion, and desired industry skills. each segment of the show is constructive and breaks down the necessary information into feasible sizes. After listening to episode 2 I realised a lot about myself, the fundamental skills I already possess and the next steps I need to take to attain the ones I do not yet have. For me, the best piece of advice given in the Lifting the Lid segment was to be ruthless when putting showreels and portfolios together. Listening to your initial doubts and allowing your best work to shine without being over shadowed by mediocre pieces of work.

Trends | Diversity in Television Broadcast

The big screen is the traditional medium for visual communication, people now want things instantly and at their own convenience. Due to this, the bid to keep up with the entertainment needs of the public among the conglomerates within the television industry has taken shape. This transition into the digital age has altered the way we access content through the introduction of various online tools such as 4od, BBC iplayer and ITV player, by making room for new channels, increasing revenue and also creating new opportunities for smaller companies.

Commercial broadcasting networks such as chanel 4, Sky, ITV and The BBC have gotten involved in a new initiative surrounding the issue of diversity or the lack of it in the television sector both on and off the screen. The diversity category includes disability, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) and BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups). The first BAFTA Diversify conference took place in 2013 with a follow up conference in 2015, In the two years between these sessions, there have been significant advances in including these diversity groups into the productions, however many people including Lenny Henry, feel that despite the progression, there is still a lot more work to be done.

Diversity within television is a huge deal, it was reported that in 2013 the shockingly low statistics of BAME representation in television had fallen to 5.4%. The harsh reality is that the absence of relevant contributions has resulted in alienation and the formation of negative conceptions concerning these groups. I am therefore an advocate of new initiatives and schemes who aim to combat this problem. The BAFTA conference was a hub for likeminded individuals who have a common notion and urge to better represent multicultural identities. The Diversify conference part 2 was successful in delivering resolutions however for me the problem is that everyone involved is on the same page. Where are the people who do not see that there is a disproportionate opportunities or severe misrepresentations in television and how can we as a creative community get them to listen?

The implementations and schemes that are being put into place now are really going to set the tone for the future. Living in London, a very multicultural city, it is more likely for an ethnic minority to get certain opportunities. The initiatives mentioned during the podcast are essential in ensuring these same opportunities are presented and are attainable in less diverse areas within the UK.  Action planning is a great way to begin but without execution and maintenance these efforts will go to waste.

Britain is the mother of television broadcast and we pride ourselves on this. Society is changing and incorporating all types of diversity is fundamental if we want to continue to reach audiences and exceed their entertainment needs.  As a member of an Ethnic minority, Having this conversation within the industry and having the commercial broadcasting networks recognise that changes need to be made is very positive. This makes me hopeful not only for my generation but the future generations to come.

Diversify conference (part 2) 

Copyright and Licensing

 David Gauntlett's theory of web 2.0 suggests that there has been a significant shift in the way we use the internet. Many people use the internet not just as consumers but also as producers of content the digital arena has opened its gates to a generation of pro-sumers, blurring the lines between these classifications. Due to this advance, it it important that creatives/producers educate themselves about computer law which covers a wide range of issues. While it governs the basis of how content is used, shared and created, its non-liner structure means that there are loopholes and grey areas making each case unique and subjective. From copyright, licensing to intellectual property rights - it is no longer an excuse that you simply didn't know.

Intellectual property rights
Definition: Rights given to persons over the creations of their mind
This right allows the creator exclusive use of their work for example trademarks, designs, discoveries, symbols and phrases. Obtaining these rights are subjective to the conditions of how the content is formed. Ideas arrived at for a client or employer does not meant that you hold the rights to them. Intellectual property rights also only safeguard ideas that have been written down or verified in some way, there must be evidence that the idea is yours. if there is ac dispute about the infringement of content can result in civil cases.

Licensing
Definition: Giving permission to use someone else's property
A licence sets the conditions under which you may or may not use a product whether software, piece of music or imagery. There are many platforms which aim to help the creative community share their workings and receive the credit and recognition for their artistry, for example creative commons.

Copyright
Definition: The exclusive right, given to the originator for a fixed number of years, to print, publish, perform, film or record literary, artistic or musical material. 
The copyright Design and Patents act 1988 is an automatic law which allows the creator to determine how their content can be used, the constraints of these rules are however contingent on national laws. The law protects the labour of the creation rather than the idea of the creation so if I have an idea about a television show this would not be protected, the execution of the idea and the production of the show would be preserved.

Technology of today has surpassed the law and legislations, so keeping up with developments within this ever changing industry has proven problematic. Disputes about copyright happen a lot more often than I thought among creatives so comprehending the fundamental structure of computer law has been extremely insightful for me. Understanding the fundamental legalities of this business will help me in future to protect myself and my interests when creating content and starting contracts with clients. Everything has been done before, resulting in the line between imitation and inspiration very thin. Prevention is better than cure so the importance of explicitly expressing my ideas and logging them by date and taking general precautions is an approach I am aiming to adopt.

Guest Speaker | Nimble Ape Ltd

Dan Jenkins' presentation was extremely refreshing, hearing about his journey from as an undergraduate, the early stages of his career and then the progression to his own web development business provided an interesting perspective on life after university and a great example of a successful placement.

Five years after graduating from the University of Kent, Dan Jenkins is now the founder of a development company called Nimble Ape Ltd with a strong client base and international connections in the USA. It was clear that the knowledge he gained during his placement had a huge impact on where his is today. His first hand experience of how industry works meant that the transition into self-employment was that bit easier. one of the most important things I took away from this talk was that despite your level of technical ability, without passion, individuality and drive you will not get you very far both within this competitive industry and generally in life.  

Alongside his Engineering career, Dan is a public speaker. The sessions he runs are based on web development and are delivered to all types of people. This way of passing on knowledge and empowering aspiring individuals in the field is type of support and unity needed to help mould future career paths. Although I am not a developer, I have been inspired to attend more talks about my chosen art forms to extend my knowledge and better equip myself for my own creative journey. 

Trends | 4k Technology

The world of high definition has changed significantly in recent years. The 4k screen resolution or frequently referred to as as ultra high definition and all of its features have become a popular format within the media world. Offering about 4 times more pixels than HD, UHD boosts image clarity, increases frame rate, provides more vibrant colours and improves image depth. Although one of the first 4k cameras, the Dalsa Origin was used in cinematography in 2003, UHD only arrived on the mass market in 2011when cinemas began using 4k projectors. The filming world has seen companies such as RED make accessing the necessary tools to creating quality footage affordable within the filmmaking industry.

One of the first movies to be filmed in 4k was snow white and the seven dwarfs in 1993. Despite capturing the initial footage in this form, it was downscaled to 2k in order to fit the technologies at the time. Now, most of our favourite films such as Interstellar, Gone Girl and After Earth are shot and displayed in UHD through mediums such as Netflix. This technology is broadly used across many devices and gadgets such as cameras, drones and televisions underlining the notion that better picture is attainable anywhere.

4k is the future, however the debate about whether the transiting to UHD is advantageous remains. Despite the doubts of many, statistics show that there has been an increase of 17% in the sale of UHD televisions in the UK in the last 2 years alone. The issue many have with this format is that it is not widely used enough to be standardized in the media world, some deem it to be a waste as the visible advance is not as advantageous on smaller screens resulting in an expensive transition to accommodating this technology.

The preservation of the Creative Industry

Creative industries council
The Creative Industry Council bridges the gap between the creative industry and the government, members of this forum are leading representatives across this industry including Josh Berger (warner bros), Dinah Caine (Creative Skillset) and Tony Hall (BBC). This body aims to stimulate growth and expansion within the industry by seeking funding, offering advice for legal aspects such as intellectual property and copyright. having a structure such as this to guide, advice and promote people is essential within this lucrative field.

In 2014 the council launched a website (thecreativeindustries.co.uk) to promote the UK's creative industry internationally, the statistics for this project proves that it has been successful in unifying this sector, showcasing opportunities and generally demonstrating the accreditation of the British sector.

Venters such as these really make a statement about British hopes for the industry's future, the support from the government with this scheme reinforces that this is an investment in the economy. A platform such as this is useful not only for professionals both here and intentionally but also for newbies trying to get a feel for the industry.

Creative Skillset

Creative Skillset focuses mainly on the new generation of talent, educators and creative businesses within the industry offering a diverse range of free resources such as masterclasses, online courses and career advice. Their online presence and partnerships with other organisations makes them a leading service. I first heard about Creative Skillset through a volunteering experience, at this time I had no idea that in would be so heavily invested in this commerce in the near future. I have personally benefitted from this resource on numerous occasions, through attending events and enrolling in online courses with the hope of improving my own creative skill set.

A recent collaboration between Creative Skillset, FutureLearn and international leading universities has expanded the means of accessing interactive courses online thus building a digital tool to take convenient learning to new heights. MOOC is the result of a calling from the government and the creative industry to provide a network which promotes cross innovation and acts as a portal into exploring the best avenue for each individual.

Guest Speaker | Eurocontrol

The guest speaker for this week was, Moritz Graf von Hochberg, a student who just completed his placement year at Eurocontrol. A European organisation which governs air navigation and traffic based in Luxembourg. Moritz's presentation instilled confidence in my ability and transparency in my doubts and worries. My biggest concern was starting my placement with a limited experience and therefore struggling to deliver work of industry standard, whilst adapting to all the other challenges this experience would bring. His honest and open advice made it clear that this journey is very much about gaining knowledge, the focus isn’t so much about where you are when you start but what you draw from the experience. A break down of his 12 months at Eurocontrol articulated that placement schemes take this common worry into consideration. This opportunity acts as a gateway between the amateur and the professional world. The intensive training and hands on projects for interns during the introductory months aim for students to utilize the transferable skills learnt at university such as group work, working to tight deadlines and pitching ideas.  

The option to study abroad was one I have briefly considered, although Moritz had connections in Luxembourg prior to his settlement, the idea of moving so far away from everything that is familiar to me would be a real test. The creative industry in Europe contributes to approximately 6.8% of the GDP and generates 6.5% of jobs. Unfortunately the lethargic integration of new technologies within the sector has resulted in the destruction of thousands of jobs. The implementation of Horizon 2020, an initiative aiming to conduct research to better develop this sector by 2020. Joining the industry halfway through the initiative would be beneficial as I would gain first hand experience of how new advances are being made and the impact they will have on society, the economy and their way of life.

My upper-intermediate proficiency in Spanish makes, an opportunity in a Spanish speaking location a viable route. I would rapidly improve my Spanish, gain a better insight into the economy and proceedings of businesses outside of the UK all whilst expanding my knowledge in my chosen field/craft. Embracing a new culture and adapting too a new way of life would equip me with imperative life lessons, I am confident that these combined aspects would only heighten my experience. I was really able to identify with Moritz, everyone’s experience and review of their placement year is different and getting an insight into his experience of working abroad has offered me a new perspective.

Guest Speaker | Soapbox

Soapbox is a communications agency based in London. Their team of designers and developers work hard to bring alive the ideas of non-conglomerate businesses such as research based NGOs and academic institutions - offering services for the web, print and imagery. The focus of this talk was on their services within web development, and a brief outline of their placement scheme. 

As an employer and Production manager, Farina Broadley-pederson expressed her concern for creative students who are enthusiastic about their chosen art forms, but do not have any evidence or work outside of their course requirements to validate this.  Her view really spoke volumes for me and put into perspective the critical thinking of industry professionals. Applying for internship roles are one thing but impressing potential employers and making your work memorable is the real challenge. 

The projects Soapbox has been involved in during recent years have ranged from online summaries for The International rescue committee, to branding for Lankelly Chase. The visual design for UNICEF's 'Education Equality now!' campaign by Soapbox really is the definition for good design, it it is efficient in delivering the necessary content and is aesthetically pleasing. Not only do I love what the campaign stands for but the visual communication is presented in a way that will maintain the attention of the intended audience.

Stuart Brockwell was a great case study of a student who underwent a successful placement at the company and who now after graduating has started his career in the very place that helped to lay the foundation. I managed to draw a lot of relevance from this talk to apply to my own understanding of finding the right placement and about where it could take me in the future. Stuart expressed that the skills he had learnt during his placement year were invaluable and were in some respects more advantageous/relevant to the teachings during his time in university. The practicality and efficiency of learning on the job enables students to apply their structured or conditioned learnings to real life situations; developing our expertise to industry standard.

The Creative Industry

The Uk defines the creative industry as 'An industry that are based on individual creativity, skill and talent with the potential to create wealth and jobs through developing intellectual property'.

Industry sectors include:

• Design
• Film
• Photography
• Broadcasting
• Advertising 
• Archetecture
• Publishing
• Software 
• Performing Arts

Creative marketplaces around the world are ever expanding and there is an increasing demand for new perspectives and creative outlooks. This unique industry is centred around artistry, knowledge and information, providing 1.8million jobs throughout different sectors in 2014 and contributed to approximately £76.9billion to the economy in 2013.  This platform allows passionate creatives the freedom to be multidisciplinary or specialists, delve into the world of freelancing or pursue a career with a business. There is an essence of this niche commerce in everything. Art, business and technology share the trade of intellectual property. There are a number of organisations and NGO's who are advocates of this trade and work hard to support its development and growth.

Objective

Hey, I'm Jazmin Adena
I am an avid graphic designer, photographer and digital arts student. My passion for innovative artistry and the constant developments within the digital and creative industry intrigue me and fuel my interest within the sector. I love that there is always something new to learn, whether its an advance in a trend, an alluring pieces of news or generally gaining new experience.

Throughout my journey I hope to understand more about myself and my hopes for the future, I also want to learn from the experiences of professional and novice key note speakers.  Over the next 12 weeks I hope to use this blog as a platform to house my thoughts on the creative industries, track my professional growth and gain a better insight into the creative line of business.