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Throughout the course of this class it has been interesting to look at and create different forms of media through a personal and women-centred lens as media is often not centred around women as complex human beings. One of my favourite weeks of reflection was week four when we wrote a love letter to a woman in our lives. This was impactful as I wrote a letter to my mother whom I love very much and am so thankful for everyday. I don't think my mom or many other mothers get to hear how thankful everyone is for everything they do for them because often a mothers work goes unnoticed as they are the ones keeping everyone afloat and it is expected of them to do so.

After seeing the final cut of the film, I am happy to see that it has all come together nicely. I think seeing all the different audios blended together is a great representation of womanhood and its complexities from all different perspectives. This film showcases a variety of feminist themes from navigating relationships with men, to the importance of friendships with women, to the insane standards women are held to. The detournement of the original pornographic film with these audios playing overtop the images creates an immersive experience for the audience that reclaims the content in a feminist light.

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In this module, we were able to express and share our thoughts about feminism and the male gaze. It became interesting for me to see different points of view about how women experience the world. I am grateful for having the opportunity to learn from my classmates and listen to the context they come from.

The discussions in class and Maulvey’s concept of the male gaze showed me that we have all experienced it in some way. We have seen it in media, including advertisements and society has held us up to it. Sharing these experiences and how we have felt about them, has helped me in my personal development.

Later on in the module, when we talked about Debord’s spectacle concept, I could understand better the male gaze as it is something that can’t be seen directly. If you give yourself the task of looking at it and analysing the world with better eyes, or wearing mental eyeglasses, we can see clearly how women still have a role in a selling point of view. But with feminism movements media is changing and the future looks better every day. I do trust that having more females in media will change the way society behaves about women.

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Over the course of 11 weeks, we’ve paid heavy attention on the male and female gazes. We started off with Laura Mulvey’s “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, in which she explains to us how women were and are often given little to no importance in films and are merely placed as objects of sexual desire. I do believe that some part of Mulvey’s writings apply to today’s industry, but we do see a slight change with movies or television series showcasing strong female leads who haven’t been overly sexualised. We then moved onto to Guy Debord’s ‘Society of the Spectacle’, which explains how society is governed by a spectacle, an ecosystem of images and ideas that mediate human experiences. This concept co-relates to the theory of Detournement, which shows how not everything we see caters to us in the best interest, in other words, everything is a scam. Throughout the rest of the course, we explored various ideas that could relate to the idea of the female gaze, deepening our understanding and connection to it. While exploring these ideas, we spent the last couple of weeks scratching a very explicit film and crating our own sounds to place over it. It was an interesting experience to scratch and colour and to then see our work come to life through the little scanner and eventually on the big screen!

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Immersive Media Practice - Final Assessment

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This is the end. Today we will finalise all aspects of the film and event.

You will be sent a link to able to access the finished group film to submit later this week.

You can then also upload it online to create your own link.

The screening will take place on Tuesday 30th at 1:30.

Tuke Cinema has been booked and we will be having drinks afterwards.

Details in the flyer (Thanks to Camilla!)

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Before attending Regent's Uni, I had never recognized or understood Mulvey's concept of The Male Gaze. However, as I immersed myself in this module, I gained a deep understanding of its importance. We not only studied Mulvey's ideas but also incorporated insights from Debord, applying their theories to our project.

Our project emerged as a creative response to combat the objectification of women in the sex industry and advocate for feminist ideals. We infused personal elements like conversations, poems, and experiences as women in today's society, adding a personal touch.

Upon analyzing the film, a noticeable shift in perspective emerges. Initially, the film was predominantly influenced by the male gaze, reflecting norms from decades ago. However, it now revolves around the female gaze. Our purposeful incorporation of audio materials from our own lives strengthens this transition, enhancing the project's authenticity and intimacy.

I found the scratching of the film to be a particularly creative aspect, symbolizing a sense of anger. Deliberately scratching the material served as a means to evoke frustration with the status quo. It made me question why such videos persist to this day.

Overall, I appreciated the concept of this class and the opportunity to apply these ideas in practice.

In conclusion, I found this project to be both clever and innovative. It provided a practical application of our newfound theories and served as a powerful reminder of the importance of womanhood and feminism.

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In relation to Laura Mulvey’s Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema (1975) essay and Debord’s Society of the Spectacle (1967) essay, both of these pieces have an overarching theme relating to the importance of media and film and its effects on society. I find it quite interesting how much relevance both of these essays still have today. Feminism and the media are constantly discussed topics, often sparking debate. Female influence and presence in the film and media industries are extremely important to have because they have such an impact on the people who consume them.

I think that throughout our time transforming the Super 8 footage, along with adding female only sound, there is a new theme of strong feminism for the film. Before our edits and scratches, it was simply just a piece of work for men to enjoy. But now, it is something that all of us females can look back on and admire each of our individual accomplishments. We all added a feminist touch to the film, showing that one cannot simply erase or try to dismantle the power of women. There is a feeling of empowerment that is present in our remade film.

References:

‌ Debord, G. (1967). Society of the Spectacle. [online] Marxists.org. Available at: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/debord/society.htm.

Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. In: Film: Psychology, Society, and Ideology. pp.803–816.

Toronto Public Library. (1970). Demonstrations: Programs, Classes & Exhibits. [online] Available at: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/ve/demonstrations/civil-rights.jsp.

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The context I provided for the Padlet revolves around the subjects we discussed in class regarding feminism and the male gaze in media with some reference to Guy Debord and Mulvey’s works. I mentioned how these views changed over time and how they are different in every region. The way they are viewed by different people coming from different parts of the world as I mentioned about my own situation coming from the Middle East. The idea of feminism and the male gaze is more prominent in western countries; however, the ideas of these concepts are understood in most parts of the world. The idea of men being superior to women or pleasing men in media comes first is widely debated everywhere. The Super 8 film we worked on was clearly created for the male gaze, however with edits it became more appropriate for women to enjoy. It became more of an abstract artwork that plays with your imagination. Through scratching and colors, the film completely transformed in the meaning it represents. The addition of the female voice and sound to the film gave it more female power rather than just to satisfy the male audience. In the end I enjoyed the outcome of the footage that we created.

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In our Immersive Media Practice course, we started out looking at the concept of the “male gaze”. Specifically, we read an article called “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” by Laura Mulvey. She is the one who introduced the term “male gaze” and we were asked if this concept is still relevant in our society today. I believe that the concept is still very much relevant because the objectifying and sexualizing of women as objects of male pleasure still happens today because that is what sells. For our class project, we took a 1970s porn film and we were tasked with scratching the raw film to scratch out the sexual and graphic content. At first, I was skeptical of this project because I thought what does this have to do with feminism? But as we started scratching the film and watching our part I realized that this plays into the concept that Laura Mulvey introduced. A class with thirteen women was remaking a porn film and making it something special to us. We took out the sexualized content and placed meaningful sounds, poetry, speeches, and audio on top of the film. What we did with the film completely changed the original explicit film and switched the narrative. Overall, this class taught me a lot about the media world and it will be something I look back on.

Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen, 16(3), pp.6–18.

doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/16.3.6.

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After reviewing the content of my Padlet, I can see a clear development of ideas throughout the course of the term, and I've learned a lot through my first experience with film. We started strong by analyzing Mulvey and Debord in the first two weeks, and I believe that the framing of these theories helped to inform not only the rest of my individual work, but also my interpretation of our group project, the recuperation of the super 8 film. By taking a pornographic film and not only censoring the women in it but also reworking it to where the audio is full of women’s voices and stories has been very insightful. I believe that this work would especially make Laura Mulvey proud, as we aimed to make woman the “maker of meaning” in this film. Before, women were the “bearer of meaning” and the film was created with the male gaze at the center, as male viewership and pleasure were used as a reason to exploit women in its original form. By adding our scratches and colors as well as female-centered sound we have completely flipped the meaning of the original film and taken it away from this male-centric theme. It has been a very rewarding process to be a part of creating this film and the stories of women’s strength and girlhood that are shared by my peers continue to inspire me every time I see the film.

Sources:

Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen, 16(3), pp.6–18. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/16.3.6.

Debord, G. (1967). Society of the Spectacle. [online] Marxists.org. Available at: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/debord/society.htm.

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Transcript:

When something gets broken what’s your first thought?

Do you try to find some ways to fix it? Or just trash it and replace it.

Let’s say you have a great pair of jeans. They were great you have had them for some years and they are still looking good. But one day you accidentally make a hole in them. Do you at least try to fix them?

In a world where we can buy everything and we can replace it so easy we are creating a mindset where everything is disposable. That mindset permeates deeply and without realizing it, we bring it to our human relationships.

We fight, we get angry, we lose interest, we leave some words unspoken, and then we just discard that person out of our lives as easy as we trash our jeans. It all starts with the way we treat our things but it ends in how we treat people around us.

So, When something gets broken what’s your first thought?

Reflection:

I wrote this because I started thinking of how the world is creating the idea of disposable and now the fight is to make everything biodegradable. Instead of trying to find a way for things to last longer so we can use them longer, we are getting into a world where we need to keep consuming everything to keep an economically controlled world.

I feel this can be translated into our way of behaving with others and with the dating apps there's always a "store" where we can find a new person.

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This is the sound of the coffee maching and the coffee barista serving coffee o students.

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Week 8: Soundscape 1 - Cafeteria sounds. 

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Week 8: Soundscape 1 - Cafeteria sounds. 

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This is a sound recording of noises in the school cafeteria.

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Throughout this course, we delved into critical theories like Laura Mulvey’s concept of the male gaze and Debord’s ideas on the spectacle. Each of these provided a scholarly framework for understanding the dynamics of power and representation in film and media. I was lucky enough to grow up in a household that saw the importance in preaching women empowerment from an early age, so I have been attuned to the influence and prevalence of the male gaze and sexism for a long time now. However, this module has given me a more nuanced comprehension on the theories that are the backbone of this and offered me an outlet to express how I see the male gaze transforming into the female gaze. In our group film scratching project, we transformed the Super 8 footage into an experimental film with 14 diverse perspectives on what it means to be a woman. I believe that by reframing the footage with purely female sound, male visual pleasure has been overshadowed by the female gaze through this process. The once male dominated narrative in the original version of this film has been erased and it has been modified to reflect a more inclusive and equitable portrayal of gender. Additionally, I think after seeing all our work come to life, us as a class have felt a more collective sense of womanhood, united together under a common goal for making the project reflect our internal viewpoints on what being a girl in this society truly means.

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Week 11: Reflection

Our Immersive Media Practice course has been incredibly interesting and insightful. I do not have a background in film, nor do I possess the skills to work with film, however, this course has given me a glimpse into the world of film and media, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate. Our class project is very out-of-the-ordinary in that we are scratching and coloring a 1970’s porn film. While the idea of working with a porn film might sound concerning, the narrative of what we are doing makes that less so. The idea of taking away the graphic and ‘unclean’ parts of this film and replacing them with bright colors and scratches almost gives the power back to the women who were filmed in a derogatory manner. My classmates and I also had the opportunity to add sound over the film in which we individual decided to read a poem, lyrics, movie script, book, quotes, etc. about women. Another aspect to this course that I found to be fascinating is the material we conducted each week. This consisted of readings and concepts from Laura Mulvey all the way to Debord, as well as, films, drafting poems to a woman, creating sound effects, writing about our future selves and find a woman in the career field we wish to go into and cultivate a potential relationship. Overall, this course was something I appreciate and will remember.

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When we started this module, we discussed the views of Laura Mulvey, where women are considered the subjects in men's lives of which to gaze upon. When I first watched the film, it was very clear to me that it was from a male's viewing pleasure perspective, and a very vulgar, exploitative one at that. The process of using female voices and their experiences of womanhood over the film as well as scratching out all of the pornographic material breathed a new life into the film. The process reminded me of "upcycling," where you take trash and make it into something useful again. By upcycling this sexist film into a feminist feature, we further proved that representation and including voices that are often silenced is extremely impactful and transformative in the media world. It is similar to how women in modern society are reclaiming historically derogatory terms. All over my social media, I see girls with “slut” written on their t-shirts and lip-syncing to lyrics about proudly being a “whore.” In the same vein, women in media are reclaiming film stereotypes and traditional roles. For example, “Barbie” transformed a plastic doll that stood for a girl’s ideal body/life into a film about the challenges and universality of womanhood. Going forward, I believe women will continue to challenge the male gaze and rewrite the history that was always told for them.

Sources:

Mulvey, L. (1975) VISUAL PLEASURE IN NARRATIVE CINEMA, Luxonline. Available at: http://www.luxonline.org.uk/articles/visual_pleasure_and_narrative_cinema%28printversion%29.html (Accessed: 16 April 2024).

Mohamed, A. (2023) Reclaiming the word: Slut, The Queen’s Journal. Available at: https://www.queensjournal.ca/reclaiming-the-word-slut/ (Accessed: 16 April 2024).

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This week we will be continuing on the edit. Make sure you bring in your 1 minute of audio for you section of the group film. We will also be planning the film launch party including publicity.

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The transfer file for the film of your 13 clips of scratched Super 8 footage has come back and I have added it to a timeline. In the session on 9th April we will view the material and make any visual adjustments. The film transfer, blow-up and grading has created some very interesting effects! Please make sure you bring in the 1 minute of audio you want to include for your section as we will add that and the title and credits.

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We started this module with talking about Laura Mulvey’s feminist theory and especially focussing on the male gaze. With regard to the male gaze, we discussed that still today, visual arts and media are often centred around the pleasure of male audiences. This trend is deeply rooted in historical and cultural contexts, and despite progress with regard to gender equality, it continues to shape our society today. As a direct consequence of this male-centric perspective, women are frequently objectified within various sectors, but notably within the film and media industry. Women are often represented in a manner that emphasizes their physical attributes, diminishing their role to mere objects of visual pleasure rather than active, complex characters. Additionally, we frequently discussed the Barbie film by Greta Gerwig and the new feminist point of view it presented to the audiences. During our film project, we also changed the angle of the old film we worked with, which was supposed to please male audiences. We are now making a feminist project out of it, while scratching and colouring over the old film. In my case, for my personal soundtrack, I will use snippets from a conversation with my friends since we discussed the role of women in the TV and media industry and the feminist approach of the Barbie film. Overall, I think Taylor Swift is also an impressive example of a woman who conquered the entire media and music industry, as well as the film industry since she started the Eras tour and her way of inspiring women all over the world.

Sources:

Miller, A. (2023). The Positive Impact of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Film in Theaters. [online] DiscussingFilm. Available at: https://discussingfilm.net/2023/10/13/the-positive-impact-of-taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-film-in-theaters/.

Jackson, L.M. (2023). The Invention of ‘the Male Gaze’. [online] The New Yorker. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/books/second-read/the-invention-of-the-male-gaze.

Media Studies (2021). Laura Mulvey’s ‘Male Gaze’ Theory | Definition and Examples. [online] Media Studies. Available at: https://media-studies.com/male-gaze/.

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I recorded this while making a cup of tea.

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I recorded this sound in our garden at home in Germany.

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In the near future I see myself contributing to the field of media in regard to football coverage in my home country Qatar through working for Bein sports channels. Bein Sports’s headquarters are located in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. Their media coverage specifically focuses on football, and they cover a huge range of football tournaments locally and internationally. I see myself working for them behind the scenes and not on camera. It’s a very exciting job for me as I will be exposed to something that I am basically addicted to which is football. I get to meet many people in that field as well as some well-known football players. I am currently working for The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy in Qatar, and they were the committee that played the biggest role in organizing and hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. There are always obstacles when trying to reach your goals within your career. Some of the obstacles I will be facing is actually competing with other women. Qatari women feel that the field is mostly dominated by men in their country. They feel that there are only a few spots for Qatari women, so they try to compete with other Qatari women to stop them from achieving more than them. I know this is not the case, but some women think that way because it was not long ago where it was frowned upon for a Qatari woman to work in media. “The increasing ‘mediation of everything’ impacts the way we articulate cultures and societies on various levels: our everyday living and community building, the way we entertain ourselves, how we live religion, the forms of our political participation as well as our constructions of ethnicity”. (Kaul, 2020). The Media world is changing especially in my region, I could not imagine working at a sports channel when I was a kid. It was dominated by men because of cultural reasons and Qatari women did not have the chance.

Kaul, V. (2020, January 7). The Changing World of Media and Communication. Journal of Mass Communication & Journalism. https://www.hilarispublisher.com/abstract/the-changing-world-of-media-communication-26982.html

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Write a final self-reflection on the content of your Padlet as well as the group film. Frame your reflection within the context of the readings set at the start of the module, Mulvey and Debord. How has the process of recuperation effected the found Super 8 footage in terms of its meaning. Has male visual pleasure moved from the female gaze through this process? How has the addition of female sound changed the media product? 200 words + images by April 22nd.

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I did the sounds of reading a book/turning pages

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I thought this sound of typing could be nice if I am adding words to the first couple black slides on the intro in a type-writer like style.

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This conversation was taken in a pub and curiously there were more women than men at that time. It was a nice evening and my friend and I were talking about a man she was dating. She is thinking of ending things now that she feels he only wants something casual and she is looking for something different.

I believe people nowadays is more likely to date and look for casual relationships because people got use to things that are disposable and we are now getting that in our social interactions.

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This is a voice recording of a conversation I had with my younger sister. She is seventeen years old. I found what she said to be interesting because she is 6 years younger than me and has not experienced as much as I have yet but is still so knowledgeable. I think we can learn a lot about different types of women from women who are younger or older than us and that their viewpoints on life are so important. I liked the comparisons and analogies that she made and found them insightful. I am glad to know that she is able to recognize these things so she is not blindsided, but also makes me sad that she is going to have to experience these situations.

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For next week please record some random sounds that you find interesting and could work as an atmospheric background. You can record inside or outside but the more defined the sound the more useful it could be. Avoid street recordings, large crowds and so on. What we will do will be to then play around creatively with these sounds in class next week. Please upload some of these on your Padlet. Due 19th March.

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Ive chosen to recite America Ferrera's monologue from the Barbie movie in my audio piece. This monologue has been lingering in my mind since I started working on this project for class. It speaks profoundly to the essence of womanhood and the challenges women face in contemporary society.

The monologue delves into the complexities of the female experience, touching on both the beauty and the burdens inherent in being a woman. It articulates the struggle of navigating personal identity amidst societal expectations, which is exhausting!

Moreover, it addresses the pressures placed on women to conform to certain standards of beauty and behavior. The monologue highlights the double-edged sword of striving for perfection while facing scrutiny for any deviation from the norm. It's a nuanced portrayal of the expectations placed on women in a predominantly male-dominated world.

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"It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don't think you're good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong.

You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can't ask for money because that's crass. You have to be a boss, but you can't be mean. You have to lead, but you can't squash other people's ideas. You're supposed to love being a mother, but don't talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men's bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you're accused of complaining. You're supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you're supposed to be a part of the sisterhood.

But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful. You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It's too hard! It's too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.

I'm just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don't even know."

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My friends and I discussed the Oscar winners over dinner. Particularly, Barbie and Oppenheimer were the focus of our discussion about the Oscar awards. Both films were released on the 21st of July in 2023, hence the term "Barbenheimer" emerged. We debated the possible reasons why Oppenheimer won seven Oscars and Barbie won none, even though "Barbie" had a larger audience. Generally, we agreed that Barbie was a great film, especially in its presentation of a feminist perspective. However, one friend argued that the film was perhaps too "Americanised", as it portrayed only L.A as the "real world". Another friend suggested that the forced feminism in Barbie might have been off-putting, and that Oppenheimer appealed to a male audience, whereas Barbie was primarily viewed by females. Specifically, regarding Barbie, another friend suggested that many men might have felt uncomfortable watching it. Oppenheimer might have attracted a broader audience and won so many Oscars because it portrays a real event, whereas Barbie is pure fiction. Additionally, we discussed the new Dune film and how an actor's role in a film can alter the perception of that person, as they are often associated with the character they portrayed.

sources:

News, A.B.C. (n.d.). Oscars get audience bump from ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer,’ but ratings aren’t quite a blockbuster. [online] ABC News. Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/oscars-audience-lift-barbie-oppenheimer-ratings-lofty-108030142 [Accessed 12 Mar. 2024].

Barbie, Oppenheimer & a wardrobe mishap? The Oscars in 60 seconds. (n.d.). BBC News. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-68531112 [Accessed 12 Mar. 2024].

Lee, B. (2023). Barbenheimer bonanza: how two films saved the summer box office. The Guardian. [online] 24 Jul. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/24/barbie-oppenheimer-movie-release-box-office-ticket-sales.

Cillian Murphy: Barbenheimer was a ‘wonderful moment for cinema’. (2024). BBC News. [online] 7 Feb. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68203602 [Accessed 12 Mar. 2024].

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I was going through my camera roll this weekend trying to clear out storage when I found this audio I secretly recorded at my old house. The audio is of me and my dad in the kitchen talking about the evolutionary uselessness of men. I'm pretty sure he was just trying to make me feel better about some high school boy being a jerk to me, but looking back, it relates to what this module is all about. My dad explains how women have had to evolve to have a much stronger mind and be able to make crucial decisions because they are the ones who form life within themselves. According to him, men basically act as a barrier between the dangers of the outside world and the woman who determines if his bloodline continues or not. I think this whole conversation is ironic now, considering the threat of women's bodily autonomy in politics and country laws. In today's world, women are both the fighters and protectors of themselves because no man is helping to guard the metaphorical "cave" of life with them. I'd go as far as to say that men now open the doors and point the bears and lions directly toward the woman, instead. Thus, the protector has become the attacker and the protected have become the attacked.

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"Do women really get jealous of another woman?

Bedtime gossips conversation with my friends about jealousy and how they experience it.

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For my audio recording, I was really inspired by a Dolly Alderton quote from her book Everything I Know About Love, which states “Nearly everything I know about love, I've learnt from my long-term friendships with women.” I wanted to use this quote as inspiration for the recording as female friendships are so important and I want to highlight this. My initial thought is to gather several different audios from friends and family. I will ask my mother, aunts, cousins, and friends to send me short videos of themselves explaining what their friendships with women mean to them. In total I only got three audios, one from one of my cousins and two from my friends, which I understand as no one likes their voice on video. These audios unfortunately were of poor quality so I couldn't use two of them and the one left over wasn't enough. Then I recorded a phone call with my Mom about female friendships but she went off on a tangent about how women need to value themselves in relationships which derailed a bit from what I wanted the audio to be originally but it was all I had at that moment. When played while watching the film in class, the audio levels on that were not good and the audio did not mesh well with the other audios in the film so back to the drawing board I went. I knew I still wanted this to be about the importance of friendships between women so I called the two women I know who have had the longest friendships, my grandmothers. I recorded my phone calls with them and asked about their best friends. I think I got good results from this and their responses really convey the beauty and love displayed within long-term friendships with women.

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It's not that society doesn't recognize the existence of evil in women, because women have been portrayed as conniving and malevolent and the bringers of the apocalypse since Eve ate the apple. But we seem to prefer evil women ensconced in our fiction.

They might lead men onto the rocks (the Sirens), frame them for murder (Gone Girl), or suck out their breath in a poem (*La Belle Dame sans Merci"); It's when they enter real life and start slaying real people that our imaginations balk. We can't imagine that they did it, you know, on purpose. Typically, women are seen as solely capable of reactive homicide - murder done in self-defense, a burst of passion, an imbalance of hormones, a wave of hysteria - and not instrumental homicide, which can be plotted, calculated, and performed in cold blood.

What happens when people are confronted with a female serial killer? When ideas of the "weaker sex" break down and we're staring into the unnerving eyes of a woman with dried blood under her fingernails? First, we'll probably check to see if she's hot or not.

This helps their crimes go down easier - a spoonful of sugat, etc. In general, people take pains to link female serial killers to lust at every possible turn, even if their crimes have nothing to do with it. A clickbaity 1890 essay titled

"Truth About Female Criminals" lays it out well, caps lock and all.

"Native or foreign, young or old, handsome or hideous, she plants herself confidently upon the vantage-ground of SEX’

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I decide to record myself reading a part from my favourite book, ‘Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History’. The book describes the crimes, characters and psychology behind infamous lady killers throughout history and I’ve always found this part very interesting. The author- Tori Teller, explains to us that people cant seem to imagine women being ruthless killers like men and that our only vantage is our bodies and sex.

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Here is a voice recording of me reading the rules for 'Womanopoly' by Stella Dadzie. Because this was written around the same time as our film that we are scratching, I thought it had potential as an audio clip for the project.

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Week 6 Industry Questions: Grace, Lillie, and Camilla

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Week 6 Industry Questions: Grace, Lillie, and Camilla

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1. Can you tell us a little about how you started in your role?

2. What does the future look like for women who work in media and communications?

3. Have you run into any difficulties in which you have had to overcome with being a woman in this field?

4. Do you have any advice for young professionals that would like a career in this area of work?

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This is a clip of Camilla, Lillie and I speaking about Womanopoly as well as other issues that the art made us reflect on.

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On Saturday, I attended the Women in Revolt exhibit at the Tate Britain, which highlighted feminist art and activism in the UK from the 1970s-1990s. It was a very intriguing exhibit, as all of the captivating artwork told the stories of women and their struggles. There were many important themes touched on, such as motherhood, intersectionality, LGBTQ+ rights, and even domestic labor and policy change. These artworks not only painted a picture of what life was like for these women who were fighting for change, but it also called on feminists today to continue the work and art that goes into the feminist movement. One particular piece of art on display that was interesting was this game board called “womanopoly”. Created by feminist activist Stella Dadzie in the 1970’s, it shows how the world is stacked to give an advantage to men, and how gender can greatly impact opportunity. The line “remember - it’s only a game” written at the top is haunting because these setbacks were a reality not only to women in the late 1970’s, but also not unknown to women today. This was published less than 50 years ago, and there is still a lot of work to be done towards feminism until a game like this will not feel relatable to women, especially in generations above mine. Overall, this was only one piece of art in the whole of the incredible exhibit, and I encourage anyone to go to the Tate Britain to check out the rest of the artwork there.

Sources:

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/womanopoly-black-cultural-archives/OAUxXI933cCqFw?hl=en

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/women-in-revolt?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw17qvBhBrEiwA1rU9w41bATO6dbWJqQ6IjooWVo7EHP-U6r2lZV-_GEeAigXYwh9cF2frVxoCFxwQAvD_BwE

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This past Sunday Grace, Camilla and I attended the Women in Revolt exhibit at the Tate Britain. This exhibit showcased various art, quotes, sculptures, videos, magazine covers, games, and more. One takeaway I found to be interesting was the Womenopoly game meant to show a world in which women were first and men second. At the start of the game, women were to move 2 spaces forward and men only 1. As the game goes on, women continue to make larger strides than men, eventually, the woman playing will win. This is significant to our society today where women are constantly falling behind men; whether it is with equal pay for the same job, hiring opportunities, healthcare benefits and allowances, maternity leave, and more.

Additionally, I saw a quote hanging on the wall as we were leaving that I feel is important to add, "Burdened with carrying the weight of the honor of the patriarchal society and injured in the name of protecting that honor" - Anonymous. This quote resinates with me in the overwhelming responsibility that women are given of constantly being the backbone for the societies we live in, yet always given the short end of the stick and "injured".

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This past Saturday, Lillie, Grace and I attended the Women in Revolt exhibition at the Tate Britain. We each found this exhibit to be quite thought-provoking and the themes of the artwork within it resonated with our current class, even showcasing parallel narratives to what we discuss each week. The chosen audio recording is a conversation between the three of us while we looked at illustrations of women’s daily to-do list and shared our opinions. In our conversation you can hear us explain these pieces as something that highlights the mundane, yet relentless cycle of day-to-day life as a women. Highlighting how these little tasks are repetitive and reflect the life a women must lead if they choose to be a wife and mother. Additionally, we talked about how this artwork showcased gender and societal norms, while also representing how so many women lead these types of lives without getting any appreciation from the men around them. The background noises are also very prevalent in this recording, which I think shows active and engaging conversations from others around feminism, the resilience of women and how art can be used to challenge social issues and sexism.

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I see myself as a creative director, bringing innovative visions to life through multimedia storytelling. My dream is to one day own my own production house that puts out meaningful, thought-provoking content across films, shows, digital series, and more. I want to direct a powerful film that positively impacts audiences and starts important conversations.

However, the path to realizing these ambitions is filled with obstacles. Breaking into the competitive entertainment industry as a creative director and filmmaker is extremely challenging. Building the experience, reputation, network and resources to launch your own successful production company requires tremendous perseverance. Funding creative projects, from short films to feature-length productions, is one of the biggest hurdles, often requiring investors, grants, or self-funding initially.

To overcome these obstacles, I will work tirelessly to hone my creative skills through taking on diverse directing projects, small and large. I'll network relentlessly and nurture relationships with writers, actors, crew members and executives who can open doors. Constantly creating fresh concepts and pitches is key, as is finding ways to cut through the clutter and get people excited about my authentic, imaginative ideas that can drive cultural conversations. Financial and business savvy will also be critical to fund projects independently at first and ultimately build a sustainable production house.

Streaming and On-Demand Traditional TV viewing is declining as audiences shift towards streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ that offer on-demand, ad-free content. Parks Associates research indicates that by 2024, more than 86% of U.S. households will subscribe to at least one OTT video service.

https://www.parksassociates.com/products/entertainment-content-video-audio-gaming/podcasting-an-exploding-market

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My future self is a work in progress. I've realised with time that opportunities make life more interesting and help create a path that is worth living. During the past months, I’ve been struggling to realize if I would want to pursue a career in Digital Marketing focusing on social media marketing or going through the Film industry again. I like working on hard jobs and work with some pressure making them challenge me. If I decide to return to film, I would like to keep my career as an AD because it’s the best mixture between being creative and working in logistics. On the other hand, choosing Social Media marketing will open for me a new path that has caught my eye for quite some time. It will be a new challenge that will make me learn more and push me further into developing new skills. I have no work experience in this industry, so it would be starting again from scratch and going through the lows and downs of a job I’ve never seen outside a classroom, but I learn fast.

The current changes in both industries are that the audience has become active, bringing a challenge in both of them. The audience is now able to decide what they want to consume and they make their own content forcing these industries to create better and produce bigger and more interesting content for them to be caught and watch what we produce.  It’s a fast-changing environment so it means that whatever I pick I will have to keep updating my knowledge to move according to these changes.

Rosen , J. (2012). The People Formerly Known as the Audience. [online] The Social Media Reader , pp.13–16. Available at: http://klangable.com/uploads/books/Mandiberg-theSocialMediaReader-cc-by-sa-nc.pdf [Accessed Feb. 2024].

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1. Which Industry media and communication do you work for?

2. ⁠why did you choose to pursue this field for your profession?

3. ⁠what advice do you have for us for pursuing a career in the media and communication field?

4. ⁠do you think there has been any obstacles you have had to face as a successful woman in this field?

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Sheikha Muneera Bint Eissa Al Thani, she is a very established and achieved woman in her 30’s. I am very intrigued by her dedication and great work at her job. She is hard working and very focused in her career and aims to continue moving forward. She is not only focused on communication, but she also has her own business, as she is the owner of a very popular restaurant in Qatar called “Chia Nation” which opened a few years ago at the Pearl. She is a media and communications graduate from the University of Northwestern in Qatar. She is currently working for the government and have been working for them for the past 5 years, she managed to become head of the Communications department at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. She managed to go up in the hierarchy of positions very quickly through her hard and continuous works and efforts as her colleagues and director saw her great potentials. She is in charge of a number of workers at the ministry, both men and women, whom she is responsible for and distributes the work to.

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Week 6: Industry Interview (Jade, Ximena and Shubhra)

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Week 6: Industry Interview (Jade, Ximena and Shubhra)

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1.⁠ ⁠Could you briefly introduce yourself?

2.⁠ ⁠Can you discuss your experience with the industry you work in and share a project or story that you worked on?

3.⁠ ⁠How do you stay informed about current trends and changes in the media industry? Can you provide an example of how you've applied this knowledge in your work?

4.⁠ ⁠In the rapidly evolving media landscape, how do you approach staying innovative and keeping your content or projects fresh and engaging?

5.⁠ ⁠Can you talk of a project that didn't go as planned? What challenges did you face, and how did you adapt to overcome them?

6.⁠ ⁠In the age of social media, how do you approach creating content that resonates with different audiences across various platforms?

7.⁠ ⁠Do you feel your experience in life as a woman has had some influence in your vision or your work in the industry?

8. Why and how do you choose the projects you work on?

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Industry Questions: Moza, McClain, McKenzie, and Sara

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Industry Questions: Moza, McClain, McKenzie, and Sara

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1. In which part of the Media and Communications industry do you work?

2. Why did you choose to pursue this field for your profession?

3. What advice do you have for us (young aspiring women in this field) for pursuing a career in the Media and Communications field?

4. Do you think there has been any obstacles you have had to face as a successful woman in this field?

5. How do you integrate storytelling in your work, since storytelling is a significant part of anything related to Media and Communications today?

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Week 6: Industry Interview - Megan & Molly

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Week 6: Industry Interview - Megan & Molly

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Media Interview Questions:

1. What inspired you to pursue a career in media, and how has your career evolved since then?

2. In an ever-changing media landscape, what do you see as the most significant challenges and opportunities for women working within media?

3. Can you share a particularly memorable experience or project you've worked on in your career and how it impacted your perspective on the media industry?

4. How do you navigate gender dynamics and biases in your workplace, and what advice would you offer to other women aspiring to thrive in the media industry?

5. With the rise of digital platforms and social media, how do you believe storytelling and journalism are evolving, and what role do women play in shaping these changes?

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Week 6 - Industry Interview Megan & Molly

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Week 6 - Industry Interview Megan & Molly

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1. Biggest obstacles to overcome when working in this industry?

2. Three tips to be successful in a similar role?

3. What inspired you to pursue a career in media, and how has your career evolved since then?

4. In an ever-changing media landscape, what do you see as the most significant challenges and opportunities for women working within media?

5. can you share a particularly memorable experience or project you've worked on in your career and how it impacted your perspective on the media industry?

6. how do you navigate gender dynamics and biases in your workplace, and what advice would you offer to other women aspiring to thrive in the media industry?

7. with the rise of digital platforms and social media, how do you believe storytelling and journalism are evolving, and what role do women play in shaping these changes?

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Week 6 - Industry Interview: Jade, Ximena and Shubhra

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Week 6 - Industry Interview: Jade, Ximena and Shubhra

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1.⁠ ⁠Could you briefly introduce yourself?

2.⁠ ⁠Can you discuss your experience with the industry you work in and share a project or story that you worked on?

3.⁠ ⁠How do you stay informed about current trends and changes in the media industry? Can you provide an example of how you've applied this knowledge in your work?

4.⁠ ⁠In the rapidly evolving media landscape, how do you approach staying innovative and keeping your content or projects fresh and engaging?

5.⁠ ⁠Can you talk of a project that didn't go as planned? What challenges did you face, and how did you adapt to overcome them?

6.⁠ ⁠In the age of social media, how do you approach creating content that resonates with different audiences across various platforms?

7.⁠ ⁠Do you feel your experience in life as a woman has had some influence in your vision or your work in the industry?

8. Why and how do you choose the projects you work on?

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Wow, it’s a bit hard to say what my life will look in the future. But if I had to picture it, I hope to see myself working in the media field as, fingers crossed, a successful writer and producer. It’s hard for me to say if I’ll be stationed in London as one of my goals is to travel and move all around the world.

Something that’s been on my bucket list for the past 5 years is to produce a documentary on my home country, India, to show the world the ‘real’ India. One of the biggest reasons as to why I want to do this is because, I feel like the media has always shown India through one lens i.e. the poverty, the street, etc. but they’ve never really shown the other side of the narrative, which I wish to one day put out there.

It’s no doubt that it’s going to be a really hard journey to achieve these goals. The industry is growing at a rapid pace with thousands of new faces and breaking into it will be a real challenge. Thousands of individuals compete for the same parts, whether acting, singing, or dancing. This implies that even if you are talented, it can be quite difficult to stand out from the throng. Furthermore, many people are eager to labour for free or at a low wage, making it even more difficult to make a livelihood in the business. Another issue is coping with rejection. In the entertainment industry, rejection is widespread. You may apply for dozens of roles and not get any of them, or you may be eliminated from a production at the last moment. This may be quite depressing and make it tough to continue. However, persistence and tenacity are essential characteristics for anybody looking to excel in the profession (Manfredi, 2018). It’s going to be quite a rollercoaster ride, but I know if I work hard and set my mind to it, I might just succeed.

Refrences:

Menfredi. E (2018), 'Why is it so difficult to emerge in the entertainment industry?', Available at: https://medium.com/@Emanuela.Manfredi/why-is-it-so-difficult-to-emerge-in-the-entertainment-industry-4cd86af41e36

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Unspoken 200 words (also recorded as a sound file) + imagery. The subject can be of your own choosing in your voice. It can be solo, a conversation, a happening, an argument, a scream. Whatever it is it must relate to the theme of the module. Due by 12th March.

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In the future, I see myself either pursuing a career in music/entertainment journalism or film production. Each year, I learn a new skill or area of communications and end up shifting my career goals (first it was writing, then editing, then film studies, etc.). There are so many fields to go into that it’s hard for me to settle on one job, but I’ve known I was going to be a teacher one day since the age of 5 (I would make lesson plans for the workers at daycare for fun). Hence, the long-term goal is to be a media professor at a university. I think one of the biggest obstacles in securing a job in the media sector has been the shift from basic informative news under the principles of watchdog journalism to now a more polarized, click-based world. While we have always had “famous” people in history, we are at a point where the concept of a social media influencer is often dubbed the same as a trusted media source. According to the Pew Research Center, “the share of adults under 30 who express at least some trust in information from social media is at its highest level (tied with summer 2019), while the share with trust in national news is at its lowest level (tied with last year)” (Liedke, 2022). Not only do you have to compensate for the digital divide in various generations, but you also have to consider people’s divisive political backgrounds. In a recent News Gallup study, researchers found that 70% of Democrats trust mainstream media, compared to only 14% of Republicans (Brenan, 2022). The Knight Foundation also found that now half of Americans believe the news is deliberately trying to mislead/misinform them (Bauder, 2023). It is difficult to work any job where people, at their core, do not believe you and may even relish in the fact that they are correct to not believe you. Imagine if you questioned your surgeon that much, stalked all their social media, and judged their abilities to fix your heart on their political leanings. Gaining an audience’s trust will be a constant challenge I will face in the future of media.

Sources:

Bauder, D. (2023) Trust in media is so low that half of Americans now believe that news organizations deliberately mislead them, Fortune. Available at: https://fortune.com/2023/02/15/trust-in-media-low-misinform-mislead-biased-republicans-democrats-poll-gallup/ (Accessed: 05 March 2024).

Brenan, M. (2024) Americans’ Trust in media remains near record low, Gallup.com. Available at: https://news.gallup.com/poll/403166/americans-trust-media-remains-near-record-low.aspx#:~:text=Partisans%27%20Trust%20in%20Mass%20Media,-In%20general%2C%20how&text=70%25%20of%20Democrats%20have%20a,has%20been%20true%20since%202020. (Accessed: 05 March 2024).

Liedke, J. (2022) U.S. adults under 30 now trust information from social media almost as much as from national news outlets, Pew Research Center. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/10/27/u-s-adults-under-30-now-trust-information-from-social-media-almost-as-much-as-from-national-news-outlets/ (Accessed: 05 March 2024).

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In the future, I see myself as a graphic designer for a fashion company, specializing in creating brand visuals and graphics for a fashion company's social media. This unique role blends graphic design and fashion, offering a distinct career path often overlooked. To pursue this, I qualifications in graphic design and an eye for fashion. Pantanella (2021) explains that in this field, most aim to start as a junior fashion graphic designer and work their way up from there. The job involves designing print motifs, conducting industry research, and collaborating with fashion designers (Pantanella, 2021). However, one notable obstacle in this journey I think I will run into is the intense competition in the field. The demand for fashion graphic designers is high, but so is the number of aspiring individuals seeking similar roles. Standing out in a crowded job market requires not only talent, but also a strong portfolio showcasing creative and unique work. Pantanella (2021) goes on to describe the essential skills for this job to include: advanced graphic design, creativity, attention to detail, time management, and knowledge of fashion trends. The financial prospects are promising, with salaries ranging from £15,000 to £55,000. In reality, the media and communications world is transcending quickly, as companies are moving their marketing and communication deeper and deeper into the digital world. This will make jobs within this field in higher demand, and vital so sustain brand image. Graphic design is just one of many branches within this larger field that will continously see growth.

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The role of the modern-day fashion graphic designer

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Everything you need to know about the role of a fashion graphic designer. What does a fashion graphic designer do, how much do they earn, and more.

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Week 6 Industry Questions: Lillie, Grace, and Camilla

Can you tell us a little about how you started in your role?

What does the future look like for women who work in media and communications?

Have you run into any difficulties in which you have had to overcome with being a woman in this field?

Do you have any advice for young professionals that would like a career in this area of work?

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For me, it is hard to picture myself in the future in terms of my career because I truly have no idea where I will be. Will I be in London, or will I be back home in the United States somewhere, or could I be somewhere completely different? Regardless of where I will be, I would like to think that I am still doing something I love. I really enjoy digital marketing and would like to oversee digital marketing content for luxury brands or a fashion brand, such as the strategies used in putting together a digital campaign for a company. I aspire to do this because I think it would be a job that requires a lot of creativity, prestige, challenges, and opportunities. The internship that I have this summer is at a digital marketing firm here in London, and I am excited to see what working is like here in the UK and get more experience in this field.

Media and communications are changing every day due to technological advancements. The digitalization that has been created from the rise of digital platforms and other technologies has completely changed the way we live our daily lives. It has changed, for almost all of us, how/where we get our news, work, school, shopping, entertainment, communicate with one another and much more. I think in the future, we will see more ways that media and communications will change other aspects of our lives.

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-nonfiction/5-ways-journalism-has-changed-in-the-digital-age#:~:text=Technology%20has%20permanently%20changed%20the,different%20news%20sources%20and%20platforms.

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Carlow Today & Tomorrow | Creating a More Just and Merciful World

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Technology has transformed the way we interact in profound ways.

New devices and platforms are constantly coming out. We can communicate and work seamlessly while being remote or traveling. In homes and offices, we can get information and operate things with the stroke of a finger or sound of a voice.

The communications field, in particular, has been greatly impacted by digital media and technology. Here are some ways digital media has changed communications:
New Media vs. Traditional Media
New technology has created compelling opportunities for advertisers and media organizations to communicate with audiences. People used to rely on newspapers and television to get information. There are now several channels and outlets for people to consume content, spanning websites, video platforms and social media.

Social media apps and sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, are now the go-to sources for breaking news and information. This has caused competition between professional journalists and amateur publishers for readers' attention.

Numerous platforms also mean there are many more ways advertisers can reach consumers. Instead of focusing on everybody, advertisers can now display ads that appeal to individualized interests. They have also expanded their marketing and communications capabilities, including:

Retargeting ads, which follow web users as they visit various sites.

Native advertising, which resembles editorial content in a publication, but is paid for by an advertiser to promote a product or service.

Customer relationship management tools that allow for greater automation and insights into customer data.

Big data, which provides marketers with vast amounts of information about audiences so they can make predictions and smarter decisions.

Media Consumption Habits
Meanwhile, Americans are spending more time on mobile devices. Since 2011, mobile internet usage has grown 504% in daily media consumption.

According to a new report from mobile data and analytics firm App Annie, global consumers are now spending an average of 4.2 hours per day using apps on their smartphones, an increase of 30% from just two years prior. In some markets, the average is even higher, topping more than five hours.

The growing variety of tech devices means people can be constantly connected through a computer or mobile phone anywhere.
Time and Money
Although we are spending more time online, technology has saved us time and money in many areas of our lives, whether through online shopping and banking, less paper use or the assistance of navigation and location tracking while driving and traveling.

Communication today is instantaneous with the help of social media, emails and text messaging. We can send a message and receive a response in seconds. Digital communication also allows us to share photos, videos and stories instantly.
In the Workplace
Technology has changed how businesses market, operate and interact with employees.

For businesses, technology has improved collaboration, costs and co-worker communication. Today, work teams have several options to communicate without being face to face, including by email, instant and direct messaging and group collaboration software. Video conferencing and teleworking also became major activities recently as people across the world worked from home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Opportunities in Digital Media
Digital media has become an essential part of daily life. You can learn the skills needed for this rapidly evolving field in Carlow University's Bachelor's in Digital Media degree program. As a Communication major specializing in Digital Media, you can gain experience in marketing, social media and public relations. You will master the elements and software of digital media to deliver your message clearly, concisely and widely through courses such as Digital Storytelling, Mass Media Society and Communication Ethics.

Tags: how digital media has changed communication

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how digital media has changed communication

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How Digital Media Has Changed Communications | Carlow Today & Tomorrow

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Technology has transformed the way we interact in profound ways. New devices and platforms are constantly coming out. We can communicate and work seamlessly while being remote or traveling. In homes and offices, we can get information and operate things with the stroke of a finger or sound of a voice.

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In the future, I would love to do PR or some other communications role, hopefully in the publishing industry. Whether it be books or magazines, my dream job is probably in publishing, and I think I’ve known that for a while. I would love to stay in London for the foreseeable future, and luckily for me, there are so many big players in the media and publishing industry in London, including Penguin Random House and HarperCollins. I’ve always had a passion for reading, writing, and books, so working at a book publishing company would be the most exciting job to me. However, circling back to my week 5 assignment, I’ve always loved magazines, especially in the lifestyle and entertainment genres, so doing digital/print communications at a magazine company would also be a dream career for me.

I think that some obstacles that I would have to get through would be a general lack of experience and connections, however this isn’t anything that time can't help. I will likely need a few years of work experience, as I’ve heard from personal accounts that you need at least a few years in corporate communications before you have a chance at these selective publishing jobs. However, as I will link below, there are assistant roles that might fit the bill for gaining this experience.

One way that the Media and Communications world is changing, at least in the publishing world, is the continued shift into the digital. Digital publishing is expected to continue rising greatly in the next 10 years. Roles are being created to reflect this, as Emma-Louise Pritchard from my week 5 assignment holds the role of Executive Digital Editor for Country Living Magazine. As books, magazines, and even news continues to shift online, the importance of social media and digital print/communications could possibly open up more opportunities in this field.

Sources:

https://www.publishers.org.uk/about-publishing/careers/publicity-assistant/

https://www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk/Discover/IndustrySectors/details/4/media-and-publishing

https://www.publishers.org.uk/publishing-industry-shows-resilience-with-record-breaking-growth/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digital-publishing-market-size-2023-growth-opportunities/

https://blog.reedsy.com/publishers/gb/london/

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In terms of my career, I hope that in the future I am a successful marketer. Specifically, I would like to work in tech marketing. As I have done this in the past, I would like to stick to this industry and help tech companies connect to the world of social media marketing. I enjoy putting together marketing content, whether it’s for email marketing or other marketing strategies. I also really enjoy creating events. At my last job, this was a major aspect. I often planned smaller ‘lunch and learns’, helping connect the sales team to their customers. The biggest obstacle I can think of is the issue of how many others strive to work in the tech industry, making it harder to get a foot in the door. But luckily, I have learned from others how important networking is. Connecting with others in the industry to gain advice when applying to jobs in the industry is one of the biggest advantages a person like me can get.

The world of media and communications is always changing as new technologies come out. One of the biggest changes I have noticed is the change in consumer habits due to influencers on social media. “Popular social media platforms have integrated a wide variety of options for consumers to conjugate with brands and companies alike, even offering the ability to make purchases of goods or services directly on an app” (Kowalewicz, 2022). In regards to my future career, the technology industry and the ever growing digital world go hand in hand. Social media and digital communications would be nothing without the technological advancements that have fueled them, so working in that industry gives one good insight into the background of all the functions of various tech products and applications.

References:

Kowalewicz, R. (n.d.). Council Post: How Social Media Impacts Consumer Buying. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2022/04/28/how-social-media-impacts-consumer-buying/?sh=5a7c01d337d5 [Accessed 4 Mar. 2024].

Whitler, K.A. (n.d.). The 4 Types Of Marketing Roles In Tech. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlywhitler/2017/09/24/the-4-different-types-of-tech-marketing-jobs/?sh=6d1e2ff5230b [Accessed 4 Mar. 2024].

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Ever since I was young I have loved the arts. Whether it be listening to music, going to art museums, getting lost in a book, or watching movies and television shows, I have depended on these mediums every day of my life. Whether I was using them as a form of escapism or wanting to expand my knowledge of something I didn’t know before, these forms of media captured my attention constantly. That's why I was so drawn to film/television as it combines all my favourite mediums into one beautiful mosaic of art.

My dream is to work as a writer and producer for film and television. Through this I will be able to tell stories that matter to people and bring characters to life that people relate to, just like other films and television shows have for me.

One of the hardest parts of my industry is getting your foot in the door. You need industry connections to get jobs, which will help you network with more people, which in turn will help you to get more jobs. Which is also why I chose to get a masters degree in media and communications so I could also work in public relations or as a social media manager for a production company, not just solely in production, as this could be another avenue of working my way up the ladder in my career.

A big discussion in the world of entertainment is obviously the threat of AI being used to replace creatives and other professionals within the creation and production process. In the United States last year actors and writers were on strike for 148 days due to unfair wages and threats of AI taking their jobs (Nast, 2023). This was settled for the time being, but will no doubt continue to be a threat. Another changing element within the industry is the fight between straight to streaming platform releases vs traditional theatrical releases. As theatres have seen a significant uptick in revenue in the past year, while companies continue to break off into so many separate streaming platforms that it is hard for consumers to pay for all of them (Carro, 2023).

Sources:

Carro, L. (2023). Film | Extras: TOP 7 TRENDS EXPECTED TO RESHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE FILM INDUSTRY. [online] Stage and Cinema. Available at: https://stageandcinema.com/2023/07/12/7-trends-reshape-the-future-film-industry/

Nast, C. (2023). Hollywood Actors Strike Ends With a Deal That Will Impact AI and Streaming for Decades. [online] Wired UK. Available at: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/hollywood-actors-strike-ends-ai-streaming#:~:text=After%20118%20days%20on%20the

Picture:

kaellish (2023). Film Crew on Set. Pinterest. Available at: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/27/bd/52/27bd52334861758fc26c96132806ce17.jpg

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In the future I would like to work in social media marketing for a luxury brand. Currently, I am thinking of doing an internship in Paris after I finish this MA degree. Personally, I would love to work for LVMH which is the global leader in the luxury goods industry. The company owns brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Tiffany & Co. etc. Personally, I would like to live and work in Europe and be part of an international team since I would like to be able to use my foreign language skills. I think the competition in the luxury industry is very high, but I would like to do multiple internships for different international companies in the future since having a diverse CV is very helpful when applying for jobs. Besides, I received the Certilingua which is a label of excellence, promotion of plurilingualism, intercultural learning and international cooperation since I went to a bilingual German and French class in school and therefore double graduated. This certificate is supported by various brands such as for instance LORÉAL.

I think AI is affecting the media and communications industry immensely. According to IBM “by 2030, artificial intelligence (AI) will generate more than USD 15 trillion for the global economy and boost local economies by as much as 26%.“ (Flinders, 2023). AI is used for translations, generating texts etc. with regard to the communication industry, but also has a significant impact on marketing since it is used to generate content to promote new products. Davenport also argues that the marketing industry heavily profits from the use of AI: “Marketing’s core activities are understanding customer needs, matching them to products and services, and persuading people to buy—capabilities that AI can dramatically enhance.“ (Davenport, 2021).

Sources:

Chazen, D. (2020). AI in Media Industry: Artificial Intelligence & Latest Technology. [online] Verbit. Available at: https://verbit.ai/ai-in-media-industry-latest-technology/.

Davenport, T.H., Guha, A. and Grewal, D. (2021). How to Design an AI Marketing Strategy. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2021/07/how-to-design-an-ai-marketing-strategy.

Flinders, M. (2023). AI in marketing: How to leverage this powerful new technology for your next campaign. [online] IBM Blog. Available at: https://www.ibm.com/blog/ai-in-marketing/#.

Habash, F. (2023). Artificial Intelligence Changing the Translation Services Industry. [online] Localization Services by BLEND. Available at: https://www.getblend.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-changing-the-translation-services-industry/.

MotionPoint. (2023). The Role of AI and Machine Learning in Translation. [online] Available at: https://www.motionpoint.com/blog/the-role-of-ai-and-machine-learning-in-translation/#:~:text=The%20most%20obvious%20benefit%20of.

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Week 6 – Industry Interview: Moza, McClain, McKenzie, Sara

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Week 6 – Industry Interview: Moza, McClain, McKenzie, Sara

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1.     In which part of the Media and Communications industry do you work?

2.     Why did you choose to pursue this field for your profession?

3.     What advice do you have for us (young aspiring women in this field) for pursuing a career in the Media and Communications field?

4.     Do you think there has been any obstacles you have had to face as a successful woman in this field?

5.     How do you integrate storytelling in your work, since storytelling is a significant part of anything related to Media and Communications today?

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Week 6 Industry Questions: Moza, McClain, McKenzie, and Sara 

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Week 6 Industry Questions: Moza, McClain, McKenzie, and Sara 

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1. In which part of the Media and Communications industry do you work?

2. Why did you choose to pursue this field for your profession?

3. What advice do you have for us (young aspiring women in this field) for pursuing a career in the Media and Communications field?

4. Do you think there has been any obstacles you have had to face as a successful woman in this field?

5. How do you integrate storytelling in your work, since storytelling is a significant part of anything related to Media and Communications today?

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Week 6 Industry Questions: Lillie, Grace, and Camilla 

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Week 6 Industry Questions: Lillie, Grace, and Camilla 

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1. Can you tell us a little about how you started in your role?

2. What does the future look like for women who work in media and communications?

3. Have you run into any difficulties in which you have had to overcome with being a woman in this field?

4. Do you have any advice for young professionals that would like a career in this area of work?

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My name is Lillie Moller and since I can remember my dream has been to work for the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C. As of 5 years ago this dream came true; I am the Assistant Communications Director for the Smithsonian Museums and live in Northern Virginia in a place called Alexandria just outside of D.C. Growing up, my uncle lived in Alexandria in which we visited every year, sometimes a few times a year. Now that I live here, I have grown to love it even more. While this is my dream job, there are plenty of obstacles that come with it. This is a federally funded institution which entails strict guidelines on the ability of our team to be creative.

Since arriving at the Smithsonian, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the changing world in which digital technology has been increasingly introduced in museums and their interaction of visitors. From our data, we have found that this has only improved our visitors experiences. My role has been internal communication, but also overseeing our communications team’s plans for technology in the museum exhibits. I look forward to the continued efforts our teams are making and see what the future holds.

Image: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/

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In the future, I see myself staying in London and building my career in this city. My dream is to find a job that I love here. As I navigate my future career, my dream would be to go in public relations and event planning for a PR firm. I would want to tie that into digital communications by helping with social media for the events itself. My placement is for a PR firm in Marylebone, so I think it will give a better insight into this potential profession and if it is something I could do long-term.

I think my main obstacle is getting my foot in the door. London is not my native country, and deciding to live in any foreign country comes with uncomfortable obstacles. It will take time to adjust, but these obstacles aren’t anything I can’t overcome with a little hard work! Additionally, the pay is something to take into account. I would take a huge pay cut by staying to live in London. Just trying to make sure it is the right choice for myself!

I think the realm of media and communications is changing exponentially as the digital age we live in continues to develop in such a fast way. I think marketing and digital communications will continue to maintain its importance, because that is how we receive a lot of our information.

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Dear Mom,

I am writing this letter to you to express my love for you. You were always there for me during my hard times and during times of celebration. The prophet Mohammed PBUH told people to love and care for their mothers three times before anyone else. Through my life I understood the reasons why. A mother’s love, care and devotion are on another level. I can’t help but express my endless love for you and I am very grateful for having you in my life in every step of the way. I remember as a child when I would get sick or scared you would always make me sleep with you in bed and kept an eye on me all night, I felt very safe and cared for. As I grew older, I still feel the same love and care coming from you and if you could do the same you would. You are the only person I know that would sacrifice a great deal for me just to see me happy. I love you and care for you the same way you do for me, and I too will sacrifice a great deal to make you happy.

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WEEK 5 - Industry

Kenya Hunt epitomizes groundbreaking leadership in media and communications, particularly in the fashion industry. As the pioneering Editor-in-Chief of ELLE UK, she shattered barriers as the first Black woman to hold such a prestigious title, inspiring inclusivity and representation. From her roots as an Assistant Editor at Jane magazine to pivotal roles at Grazia UK and ELLE UK, she's been a steadfast advocate for diversity.

Kenya Hunt's transformative journey not only inspires every woman but also sets a profound example of breaking barriers and reshaping industries. Her unwavering commitment to diversity and representation resonates deeply with aspiring professionals, like myself, in media and communications.

As I aspire to contribute meaningfully to the field, Kenya's leadership at ELLE UK serves as a beacon of possibility and purpose. Her trailblazing path and dedication to amplifying underrepresented voices ignite a passion within me to be part of initiatives that drive inclusivity and authenticity in media narratives.

Joining ELLE UK would not only be a professional milestone but also a personal commitment to championing diversity and empowering women through storytelling and representation. Kenya's leadership exemplifies the transformative impact of inclusive media platforms, and I am inspired to contribute to ELLE UK's mission of shaping culture and fostering meaningful dialogue.

Sources - http://www.kenyahunt.com/bio

https://www.elle.com/uk/author/3850/kenya-hunt/

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Shonda Rhimes is a Producer and writer from the USA who has created some of my favorite stories. Some of her Filmography includes Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, Bridgerton, and The Princess Diaries 2. She has a great vision of the shows and a good creativity as a writer.  She has been in the industry for quite a long time and has learnt how to deal with the technological changes the industry has gone through in those years. The challenges she has in the shows she produces like the period costumes and the research it involves in Grey’s Anatomy lead me to believe she has a great structured way of working which I would love to learn.

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Dear Bunny,

I know we have had some hard times trying to find time for each other. Sometimes life gets in the way but i wanted to take this few minutes to express how I feel about you. Since the first time they told me I was going to have a little sister I got excited. I thought of all the posible things we would be similar and all the things that we could share. Then I met you, and as soon as you started growing I realize that the similarities we have are not the thing that I love of you the most. The things we do different and the way you think and see the life amaze me everyday. You remind me that life is not about being all the same but that we can enjoy our differences and share them with others. You are the reason I want to be better and I hope I can be there to see you achieve every goal you put to yourself. I love you today, tomorrow and always.

From the day I met you and until the day I leave I will allways be proud of you.

With all my love,

Panda.

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One woman that I admire in the Media and Communications field is Emma-Louise Pritchard. Emma-Louise is the Executive Digital Editor for the Country Living UK magazine. As Executive Digital Editor, she managed the website for Country Living as well as all of the social media accounts. The content posted on Instagram and Pinterest could include anything from home interiors, pets, gardening, to health and wellness. Emma-Louise came to Country Living Magazine after being a writer for both Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan, and her work at these magazines earned her many awards, which include AOP Digital Editor of the Year and PPA 30 under 20. Prior to this career experience, she earned an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University.

I have always loved home and garden magazines, as magazines like Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Living were always being dogeared and clipped around me as a child. I would love to work in digital communications or editing and any connection to lifestyle content writing is definitely in my field of interest. The work that Emma-Louise Pritchard has done throughout her career, especially as an Executive Digital Editor, is very impressive and a goal of mine that I hope I can get to down the road in my career.

https://www.countryliving.com/uk/

https://www.countryliving.com/uk/author/14889/emma-pritchard/

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Rupali Dean is a catalyst, as the name suggests, she helps bring about a big change in businesses by tailor making a strategy that suits the business, bringing the right eyeballs to your business, be it via star power or the appropriate target audience.  She is a trained hospitality professional, and executing events comes naturally to her !

Her passion and work takes her on various travels across the world and her byline is familiar to discerning readers of newspapers and magazines. She also takes her own pictures and her expertise is in food styling & lifestyle photography (especiallly food & travel ).

A trained hospitality professional, from the Institute of Hotel Management, Ahmedabad, Dean started her career with the Leela Kempinski and moved on to the Taj group of Hotels. She had a brief stint with the Choice Hotels as Assistant Manager Training in 1995. Motherhood meant break from a job regimen so she moved on to Freelance writing on Travel, food, wine and lifestyle which has been her biggest forte.

Apart from this she also take classes on various food subjects like trends across the world, cuisines of the world and so on. She has also appeared and won the IFB chef contest aired in “STAR PLUS” some years back and has travelled to various countries for cuisine enhancement. She studied at The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, an academic college of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The namesake of the college, Chef John Folse is known as "Louisiana’s Culinary Ambassador to the World".

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In my search for a woman in Media and Communications whom I admire, I've faced a challenge of finding people popular enough to have full articles or background on them. While I've found inspiring women in graphic design and social media marketing at dream companies of mine, details about them are mainly confined to LinkedIn. One person I really look up to is Katie Campling, a graphic and video designer at Jaded London. Her profile explains her work to be, skillfully showcasing the brand's design processes and aesthetics in digital marketing. She uses social media as the medium for the video and graphic design Katie has also worked at other popular brands like House of Sunny.

However, detailed information about these inspiring women in my specific field is limited to LinkedIn profiles, so there is struggle and obstacles when it comes to reaching out to them and seeing some of their professional work . I'm eager for a more comprehensive understanding of their career paths, but in the meantime will link an article I found about female designers on the rise.

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Collaborating with our friends at Shillington, the original graphic design boot camp, we've highlighted some of Shillington's recent graduates from its six campuses around the world.

From London and Manchester to New York, Sydney and Melbourne, the following creatives have either just stepped onto the career ladder or have changed course to do something more of what they love. Join us as we take a closer look at these women and their recent work for brands, both large and small.

As today is International Women's Day - an important date in the calendar that celebrates women's achievements and seeks to make the world an equal place - we thought we'd champion 25 female graphic designers and illustrators that are making waves in the industry.

We've, of course, highlighted some of Shillington's recent graduates from our six campuses around the world - from London and Manchester to New York, Sydney and Melbourne. But you'll also see recommendations from elsewhere, including those who are just starting on their creative path to others who've switched careers to do something they love. Here, we'll take a closer look at these women and explore their recent projects for brands and companies worldwide.

Juliette van Rhyn has designed printed textiles for fashion and interiors for the last decade and today works as a freelance print and graphic designer in London. A graduate of Shillington's London campus, she is driven by a love of colour and strives for a sense of tactility, playfulness and atmosphere in her designs.

One of Shillington's Sydney teachers, Missy Dempsey is a multi-disciplinary creative focused on spreading joy and optimism. You'll certainly smile when you see Missy's cheerful work, which spans graphic design, illustration, animation and art direction. Here, we share Missy's work for Sydney's Mardi Gras Film Festival, an event that she's supported for over five years. This year's festival artwork invites you to have some fun and enjoy queer storytelling at its best.

Hélène Baum-Owoyele is an afropean illustrator based in Berlin. Originally a trained graphic designer, she enjoys creating colourful, vibrant images which draw inspiration from her multi-cultural background. With clients such as Tate and The New York Times, her watercolour and vector artworks have been used in various contexts, from the editorial to advertising, through children's books.

A graduate of Shillington's Manchester campus, Louise Brady is a designer now based in Dublin, working at Zero-G, a brand and strategy studio whose clients include Vodafone, Trinity College Dublin and Amnesty International. Louise previously worked as an art director for film and TV and as a visual artist and illustrator - an experience which she says made her resilient. "I approach my work from a place of empathy. I always strive to forge a meaningful connection with an audience that informs them through design and leaves a lasting impression," she says.

As a child, Niamh Tulley was always drawing. It was a full-time obsession that led to her studying Fine Art at the prestigious Camberwell College of Arts. But Niamh found herself working in a more corporate setting following graduation, working in events and communications for a hospitality brand. It was here that she became envious of her graphic design colleagues and spurred her to apply for a Shillington scholarship, which she won, and the rest is history. Today, the London graduate is working as an independent brand designer, doing what she loves.

Khadijah Abdul Nabi was a freelance designer in her hometown of Erbil, Iraq, but found it hard to gain the necessary skills. To address this, she packed her bags and spent three months studying graphic design at Shillington's London campus. Since graduating, Khadijah has moved back to Erbil, worked on Iraq's first business incubator, appeared on television, built a community of Iraqi female creatives, all while documenting her journey as a female designer in her home country on her YouTube channel.

One of Shillington's teachers for its online course, Maaya Lad is a creative designer whose inspiration stems from her Indian heritage - something apparent in her work, too. Using vibrant yet refreshing colours and geometric patterns, Maaya's work covers many different themes from culture and environment to the female experience and diversity.

Vanesa Álvarez is a Spanish visual artist and muralist based in Brooklyn. She has a degree in Plastic Arts and Design and works with graphics, performing arts, fashion, poetry, and urban art. Álvarez has made large-scale murals in Spain and New York, photography and graphic exhibitions in art galleries in Spain, Portugal, and New York, and poetic actions in Mexico, too.

She also loves to work with people in art workshops and collaborative murals. Álvarez has published two illustrated books for children, and she is a co-director of the International Kerouac Festival of Poetry and Performance, which has been a platform for the exchange of artist between America and Europe for 10 years. In all her art and murals there is a search for equality, the empowerment of women, and creation as the future and union of the community.

We're big fans of Faride Mereb, the award-winning book designer, researcher and editor with over ten years of experience in design. Originally from Venezuela, she's currently based in New York City. "Having Caribbean and Middle eastern heritage and a profound love of books has deeply influenced my work, giving it a specific hybrid nature," she states on her website.

Oyinkan Karunwi developed an interest in design while studying law at university. She dedicated her free time to designing posters for parties and events whenever friends needed some help. Despite having a passion for creativity, she continued to work in law for three years as a business advisor in Nigeria. But there was always a creative itch where she wanted design to be more than just a side hustle. After learning about Shillington from a family friend, she decided to go to its New York campus. Since graduating from there, Oyinkan is back in Nigeria and has founded her studio, specialising in brand strategy. She hopes to contribute to the growing design community and positively impact creative literacy for upcoming Nigerian designers.

Majo Crespo is from Guatemala City and has a background in creative development, marketing and strategy. While on a trip to New York, she discovered Shillington and decided to enrol in its full-time course to boost her technical skills. Since then, she has been the co-founder and strategic designer at Facético; a design studio focused on helping companies launch products and services. She's also worked as the head of design and experience for Tecki, a Latin American start-up helping older people with using tech devices. She's now the founder of her studio, crafting identities and campaigns for brands worldwide.

Crafting up technicolour illustrations for packaging designs and rainbow-coloured identities for various brands, Amanda Lobos is an artist and designer based in Brazil. She's currently a junior creative analyst at Time For Fun - a leading live entertainment company in South America - and is also freelancing on the side. She's finishing her design degree at Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo. One to watch.

Yasmin Banks is a talented creative based in Manchester who has been freelancing since she graduated with a graphic design degree from The University of Salford in 2019. On the side, she's the founder of Proper Talk, a platform that aims to amplify graduates' voices within the creative industry. We love her typographic-led style and use of colour.

Jillian Adel is an artist, activist, and designer currently living and working in Los Angeles. She believes that "the way we show up in our art is the way we show up in our communities and that we shouldn't have to compromise on either front".

Her current design practice focuses on movie and entertainment design (key art), editorial illustration, lettering, and social impact projects, with most recent clients including The Criterion Collection, Netflix, and The New York Times. She has spent time "in and around the worlds of typography, pole dance and sensual movement, storytelling, and sex-positive spaces," all of which inform the "weaves and wefts" of her commercial art, paintings, and most recently, ceramics, which can be seen on her Instagram.

Born in Nigeria and based in New York City through Trinidad, Scotland and Minnesota, Nneka Njoku is an award-winning graphic designer and illustrator who today runs her own studio in the Big Apple. Her recent work for publishing platform Legacy scooped an American Graphic Design Award in 2020. Nneka is a graduate of Shillington's New York campus.

Vanessa Low describes herself as an "all-round creative with a critical eye for visual communication and a passion for designing with colour and care". With a background in art theory and graphic design, she has worked as a freelance writer, photographer and designer for over a decade. Also known as Van, she's a graduate of Shillington's Sydney campus. "For me, art has the valuable potential to reveal alternate perspectives on life and to capture the human experience in new, intimate and insightful ways," Van tells us.

Carolyn Hawkins is an artist living in Naarm, Melbourne in Australia, whose practice spans graphic design, printmaking, illustration, ceramics, writing, animation, and various musical projects. A graduate of Shillington's Melbourne campus, she's designed campaigns and identities for local brands and organisations. She has also scooped an Indigo Design Award for her work on Cô Cò Pavilion. One to add to your watch list.

Ping Ni used to be a product manager for string instruments at Eastman Music Company before deciding to mix things up and seek a more creative career. After a "disastrous" semester of graphic design at college, she enrolled at Shillington's Melbourne campus. Since graduating, she now calls herself a "newly minted" graphic designer and has moved to Washington, DC, where she works on freelance projects, doing what she loves. It doesn't get better than that.

One of Shillington's teachers at its New York campus, Cathy Sison is a graphic designer, art director and calligrapher based in the Big Apple. A lover of design, type and photography, Kyashi - as she's also known - also curates words and positive affirmations via @kyashi_writes on Instagram.

Another Shillington teacher, this time from London, Lizzie Curtis calls herself a "versatile" designer, illustrator and maker with "bags of experience across the branding process", from the "big picture to the details". We love her work for Ruffer, an investment firm that she supported during her time as a senior designer at Sparks Studio with character animation by Emma Ehrling.

Sophy Hollington is an illustrator and artist living in Brighton, UK. Her gorgeous work takes the form of relief prints, created using the lengthy process of lino-cutting. While on a personal note, she loves to explore themes from meteoric folklore to alchemical symbolism, and she's interested in "wrangling the most out-there ideas to make them tangible". Clients include The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Harkiran Kalsi, otherwise known as Harky, is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator based in London. She has worked for organisations and brands such as Comic Relief, BBC Children in Need, London Marathon Events, #Merky Books, Footlocker and NBA. As a lettering and mural artist, she has created murals for schools and companies across London and her work has also appeared across billboards highlighting issues around racism and inequality.

Carmela Caldart is a Brazilian illustrator and GIF-maker based in Barcelona. Her work is often bold, colourful and lighthearted. But it also touches on issues she's passionate about and "making sure to be as diverse, inclusive, and accessible as possible," as she puts it. "Through my work, I strive to break down paradigms and stereotypes about bodies, portraying women who are confident, strong, present, badass, and who take up space."

Cindy Kang is an award-winning artist and illustrator based in Seoul, South Korea. Since graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York City with a BFA in Illustration, Cindy has been freelancing and working for clients such as Samsung and Slate. Her colourful illustrations are full of heart and are often inspired by her surroundings and emotional responses.

Maria Midttun is a Norwegian illustrator currently living and working in London. She regularly self-publishes zines and artist books and is also a visiting tutor on the Arts University Bournemouth illustration course. Follow her on Instagram where she shares her beautiful, delicate illustrations and collages, many of which you can buy.

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25 exciting female graphic designers and illustrators to follow this International Women's Day

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Collaborating with our friends at Shillington, the original graphic design boot camp, we've highlighted some of Shillington's recent graduates from its six campuses around the world. From London and Manchester to New York, Sydney and Melbourne, the following creatives have either just stepped onto the career ladder or have changed course to do something more of what they love.