Year 12 Media
This article by Tom Mirco, a former student, describes the kind of activities carried out in Year 12 Media.
Are we rolling? And you’re on...the year is all over; our last year. However, Media took a change...with a new teacher came different ideas and with exposure to differing ideas came better productions. With new technology to play with in the form of High Definition cameras the quality of our work was able to improve, and our work looked professional.
The year 12 course isn’t an easy one to grasp, particularly the concept of Media Art films. For us mainstream fans, if you’re watching a film and you think it’s weird or you don’t understand it, chances are that you are watching a Media Art film. Don’t worry, when I was working within my group my philosophy was if I didn’t understand what we are doing or what the film is supposed to be about then we were on task. But because it’s media art, heaven forbid that you produce it in a conventional way. No you have to break every single convention that has been created over many years of film production: alienate your audience, and make them feel uncomfortable. Definitely not my type of film, but when you totally toy with mainstream conventions there’s got to be some fun in that.
However, the media course isn’t all confusing jargon. For me, the 3B unit would have to be the most enjoyable of the course. Say hello to documentaries. You have now the chance to watch and produce your own mainstream (emphasise mainstream by the way) documentary or propaganda film. I chose to create a documentary; this was where we could let loose and create a production that persuades an audience. I chose to target the government and the education system, and their failure to put enough money in and emphasis on education in our modern society. It was an enjoyable task as we worked within our element. Who would have ever thought editing someone’s interview to change what they were originally saying into what I wanted them to say would be so much fun? The wonders of technology. Of course, major networks and production companies do it all the time. Next time you hear Mr Rudd saying something controversial, don’t jump to conclusions, because there’s a high chance that our television stations have manipulated what he has said - scandal sells.
Media Production and Analysis is a very hands-on course. While it is very enjoyable, the course is intensive and time-consuming. The industry is a high stress one and I suppose if you look at it this way, the course is just making you more prepared for it if it’s a career path that you want to pursue...cue credits.
Tom Mirco