Communicating and Presenting ideas in the creative media sector

 1.1 Describe several communication techniques and explain their appropriate application

Email: An email is a message sent from an email account to another email account (jemel5@hotmail.co.k to hibbert1@hotmail.co.uk). To send an email you need access to a computer with an Internet connection. Once you have those tools you will need an account, a popular email provider is hotmail.com or googlemail.com. Once your account is set up you can then start sending and receiving emails. As well as messages you can also send attachments through email. An attachment can be in many formats such as a doc file, mp3, wav, jpeg etc.

I log into my email accounts often; I have my personal email accessed through hotmail and my work email account accessed through Microsoft entourage. I use my personal email for anything other than work related things; leisure purposes and my work email account simply for work related topics. Sending an email is easy to do, convenient and a fast way of communicating. I find it very useful when sending documents as attachments because it saves time and money instead of having to print out a physical copy or save the document onto a USB then travelling to give it to the person.





 
Multimedia Messaging /Text: Multimedia Messaging Service is used to send and receive messages containing multimedia content such as video, images, audio and text. Applications include personal messaging and delivery of paid content. The Multimedia Messaging Service Centre (MMSC) provides the switching and network storage required to operate this service.

The concept of Multimedia Messaging Service is an extension of the SMS (short message service), which supports only text messaging.

I use text messaging as a more personal form of communication, I find texting very convenient at times when I don't feel like talking or sending and receiving details for a social even as you can always look back at that text without worrying about an internet connection or how much credit you have remaining.


   
Skype: Skype is an instant messaging; voice and video-calling application accessed on computers, mobiles phones and tablets and needs an Internet connection to work. The application also supports file transfer and is free for the basic service but costs apply for other services such as calls abroad.

I knew about Skype for a while, way before Microsoft bought the firm but its only since I've joined Live nation/Ticketmaster that I have started using it. At work we communicate to each other on Skype as an alternative to emails as we receive 100's of emails during the day so it is usually for an immediate response or light banter.


 
YouTube: YouTube is a website that allows you to upload and share your videos on your own channel with the world once you have signed up for an account. People all over the world can view and comment on your video but you can add restrictions as to who can view and comment on your channel. You can have members subscribe and follow your channel allowing them to see notifications anytime you add content. To watch content you don’t need to have an account but for any other functions you will have to sign up.

YouTube has made the Internet a livelier place. It has so much to offer for everyone, I have learnt allot on YouTube, watching tutorials for so many different things from how to install and use Wordpress, to how to use Adobe Illustrator to How to ride a motorcycle.

 
Bluetooth: Bluetooth is a wireless technology that lets you connect computers, mobile phones, and handheld devices to each other and to the Internet within a short-range. The great thing about Bluetooth technology is that it takes away the confusion and fuss of long messy cords and cables that get in the way or restrict your movement such as headphones. Bluetooth-enabled devices connect wirelessly within a 10 m range and as technology improves I’m sure the range and capacity of the Bluetooth signal will develop much further.

I use Bluetooth quite regular for listening to music, Yup! That’s rite. I have wireless Bluetooth headphones thanks to a company called Jaybird. I'm extremely impressed with these headphones, they have a great quality sound which is hard to produce when using Bluetooth as the quality is lost through streaming and the battery life is quite good. Well-done Jaybird!

1.2 Compare a range of techniques used for influencing and persuading others and their application

When working in the Creative Media sector it is part of your job to influence people in different ways such as in motivating them, gaining support, fueling imaginations and forming relationships.

We are all subject to influence by events, people, circumstances and places around us. The impact will always vary but influence is a constant force at work that we are unaware of at times.

Apples Clever Marketing & advertising has many people assuming that the I-phone is the most consumed handset, many of the public probably believe that only an I-phone can do a certain task when in reality there are loads of other Smartphone’s that can do the same thing and better (Samsung Galaxy S2). Apples approach to marketing & advertising itself is only a fraction of the game but instead I would like to talk about peer pressure acting as influence on the public. This seems like perfect timing but it was actually yesterday I was speaking to a friend of mine at work from the QA team. We were of course speaking about the I-phone 4, I asked him if he was happy with it and to my surprise his answer was ‘No’, I responded “why?” and he explained to me the difficulty he was having and the limitations he was experiencing with the phone which I agreed with as that was one of my reasons for not getting one. I then asked him why he decided to get the I-phone 4 and his response was “I don’t know really, it was the latest phone out and everyone seemed to be going on about it”. Notice the two factors that played an influential part in his decision 1. Being the latest phone out and 2. (Peer pressure) everyone seemed to be going on about it.

So as you can see Influence can come in many forms and factors through different methods and mediums of application. However some are only fit for a certain purpose.

Using targeted strategic marketing & advertising is appropriate from a business sense such as Apple’s Technique to attract audiences to their products.

Peer pressure can occur within the general public and within a group of friends. As a result of successful marketing, advertising and sales apple were able to consume a colleague of mine. In some circumstances, in this case a group of friends it might not be the product the person is concerned with but by having the product a person may feel as if they will fit in or become cool or popular among a group of friends.

In the video below my technique was to gain Deri’s trust and in return achieve both of our objectives

Deri and me were given a joint negotiation task to take part in but there was an interesting catch, we were both given objectives to achieve during the task but we weren’t allowed to inform each other as to what our individual objective for the task was. So as you know the task was about negotiation hence the title of the task “Negotiation”. Deri and I sat down in a room each having a fruit to ourselves not knowing each others objectives we proceeded in accomplishing are own. My Objective was to be holding both fruits by the end of the task. The task began with Deri asking me for my fruit, which I willingly handed over to Deri who seemed to baffle Deri. From the moment Deri asked me for my fruit my strategy to which I thought would lead me to my objective was to gain Deri’s trust by willingly handing him my fruit and therefore gaining his trust he would do the same for me when I asked him for his fruit. Unfortunately my plan didn’t work out the way I had hoped, after some effort and negotiation Deri remained reluctant to hand over his fruit so I was unsuccessful in reaching my objective.

1.3 – Describe how to give and receive constructive feedback

1.Your manner

Ever heard of the phrase “Its not what you said, its how you said it”.

Well its basically highlighting that the approach to saying something can have a big impression on the receiver. It’s your use of words that can determine a friendly atmosphere or an unreceptive one. For example saying, “You’re not doing this correctly,” can leave the receiver feeling cynical from that moment you speak those words. Applying the word “you” can make the comments seem personal and can be read as extremely critical. It would be much better received if you say, “I spotted that…” or “I realize that…” starting your feedback like this talks with reference to the action that could be adapted rather than the person.

2. Begin with positive feedback.

Beginning with the positive feedback recognises the good contributions and good work. Include in your feedback examples of what the receiver carried out well. Highlighting these points adds meaning, context and validity to what you’re saying, rather than a common “well done!” comment.

3. Be clear, descriptive and keep to the facts.
Sticking with the facts will make things easier and keep things on topic. Remaining specific and clear helps the receiver in understanding the problem and what should be amended.

4. Work together to move towards ideas for implementing improvement.

Working with the recipient can have a better result as you both suggest and agree with a solution you are both happy with, gaining a stronger commitment form the recipient.

 

1.4 – Describe methods used to communicate technical and specialist issues within and across teams

Looking around the floors and offices at Live Nation I notice across the walls pinned up you’ll see print outs of Flow charts, diagrams, screenshots, charts & graphs and all kinds of technical information across the walls. Livenation uses this as a method of communicating technical and specialist issues across teams. I recently had the task of creating a flow chart for the user experience team to illustrate the user journey at the moment of purchase (checkout) on the Ticketmaster site, as the checkout had been re-designed. Because it was my first time creating a flow chart for this particular team, I referred back to some of their previous flow charts, which gave me a clear idea on how they would like to have the information presented. To get an accurate idea of the User journey checkout process, I had a meeting with a member from the User experience team who took me through the whole checkout process by showing me step-by-step art boards of the Ticketmaster Site. The purpose of the flowchart is to clearly show the flow of information during a particular process and being visual it’s an easier way to evaluate whether or not the process is an efficient and user-friendly experience for the user.

I have noticed that when it comes to communicating technical information its usually more image based rather than text. I think this is because its is more engaging for the audience and easier to have a mental image in front of you rather than a bulk of boring text. By using visuals when communicating specialist and technical information we get more across and have less of a need to include a lot of text. A good example to back up my point is this, “How many times have you bought something that requires you to manually put it together and instead of reading the full instructions you’ve gone by looking at the images”.  Now I’m not saying you should ignore the text instructions but when it’s simple enough you can get away with it and some instructions hardly include any text as the process is that simple. Another example is “At some point in your life, you’ve bought something and the instruction manual is in a different language, but that didn’t pose a problem because you still had the images to go by”.

(Take a picture of information on the office walls)

2.1 – Describe examples of effective presentation techniques and 2.2 Select and justify appropriate presentation techniques for a specific creative idea

Whenever I’ve had to do a presentation, I’ve always dreaded the thought of standing up and speaking to a group of people, the most nerve-racking moment for me was when I had to do a presentation for University about my chosen subject Egyptian architecture in front of roughly one hundred people. I have trouble speaking in front of people I know so for me to speak in front of all these unfamiliar faces was something else. I thought of ways to get out of doing it, I only came up with just not coming in but I would only have to do it on a separate day, so my only choice was to do it and get it over with. Once I had my notes and research, I then used PowerPoint to pull my presentation together and practiced over and over again until I could remember most of what I needed to say just from scanning the images and title slides. The closer the day came for me to do my presentation the more I started to feel confident, but when the day came and it was time for me to present, my mind just went blank clearly due to nerves. With a croaky voice and stutter start I began my presentation however what didn’t start off so good became good and ended well. By using a few techniques during my presentation I was able to pick up my presentation and improve my presentation skills.

The techniques I used are widely known but for a valid reason:

·      Looking at the back of the room appears as if your making eye contact with the audience which is useful if you find it hard to maintain eye contact with the audience.

·      Making the occasional eye contact is engaging with your audience, it doesn’t mean a stirring contest but just enough to keep the audience interested and attentive

·      Keeping your head up helps project your voice towards the audience making it easier to be heard instead of keeping your head down which projects your voice towards the floor and interferes with eye contact

·      Slow down and breathe, take your time to say your words clearly, by doing so you are less likely to muddle words or stutter

·      Body Language is another important factor that can effect the way the audience perceives your presentation. Moving around a little livens things up, if you remain stationary the audience is more likely to lose interest

·      Using pictures in your presentations as a substitute for words can help you meet your objectives, no one likes to be bombarded with a screen full of words.

·      Convey your point through facts and personal stories, this can aid in making your presentation more memorable and chances are the audience can relate.

These techniques are important and vital for any type of presentation or pitch, whether it is a sales pitch, motivational speech or product showcase.

(Here will be a video of motivational speaker who as an example uses all techniques mentioned)

(And another example video)

2.3 – Present own creative ideas on a one-to-one basis

2.4 – Evaluate with others areas of weakness in relation to own presentation performance

Contribute to good working relationships

1.1      Identify key roles and tasks in the production process

Below is a simple diagram I created showing the life cycle and process of creating and sustaining an eCommerce website.

The next diagram below introduces the key roles involved at each process of creating an eCommerce website. 

1.2 Outline how to clarify, agree and revise working arrangements in a way which promotes good working relationships and 3.1 Clarify, agree and revise working arrangements, promoting good working relationships

There are a number of ways to successfully negotiate working arrangements that promote good healthy work relationships. Probably the most important of them of all is face-to-face discussions. During face-to-face discussions persons involved will use eye contact, body language and tone of voice to influence and build trust while getting to know colleagues. Making a note of what is discussed during meetings can be very useful and is an important part of the process. By doing so colleagues can always refer to notes from the last meeting. Colleagues may also need to meet again to discuss anything that hasn’t been agreed or fulfilled, having notes come in handy when sending confirmation emails as back up. Lets say for example the meeting was with a business partner or a client hiring your services, a contract should be signed by the client and person(s) involved (including you) outlining the terms and conditions, service offered, time, date etc with a copy for the client and the seller. This benefits both parties, as the seller can’t rip you off as you have a contractual agreement as proof and the client can’t claim to be owed a service not purchased as the seller has contractual proof.

2.1 Explain the importance of balancing the needs of tasks and people

It’s important to have a good balance between the needs of tasks and people. Getting to know your colleagues is a good way to finding common ground which will help create a relaxed working environment. Some work places offer employees days out for the purpose of team building exercises away from the work place. The more you get to know someone, chances are the more comfortable you become around him or her and the likeliness that you’ll find common interests. When an employer is looking to hire an employee they’re always looking for a candidate with good interpersonal skills, someone who can integrate well within the team. While these skills may be relevant to the job it is also very important to be able organize and prioritize work efficiently. Too much time talking is enough time wasted. A colleague or colleagues at work considered a chatterbox can be viewed as engaging with challenging behavior which in return distracts others causing a ripple in the workplace by slowing others down, who may be dependant on each other and as a result the whole team work process suffers to a slow grind.

2.2 Explain the importance of sharing information with colleagues

Sharing information with colleagues is a vital part of teamwork; sharing and not sharing information can mean the difference between a successful completed project and a stressful overdue project.

Example – (The diagram shows the process of creating an ecommerce website for a client from beginning to end.) Looking at the diagram you can see annotations outlining who’s involved at what part of the project.

 

 

2.3 Identify ways of tactfully requesting others to change working arrangements to improve own productivity

At work you may find yourself up to your neck with to-do lists with several deadlines, many of them being close to each other. The next step is to prioritize and organize your time and work load accordingly. Putting together a contingency plan can help you realize any gaps where you can perhaps move things around in order to free up time to get things done. I have personally had to re-arrange work arrangements in order to improve my own productivity by re-scheduling a meeting to a later date. After reviewing my circumstance I made the decision to re-schedule a meeting by sending an email to my colleagues explaining my situation, while tactfully suggesting a change of date outlining other alternative options. Because I didn’t leave it to the last minute I was able to secure another date for the meeting and use the time available to get more work done.

2.4 Describe how to explain own decisions clearly and constructively and 3.2 Communicate own decisions clearly and constructively

When making decisions it is important to consider others and the effects or consequences it may have on yourself or the team. Decisions should be made to reach the best possible outcome for all involved, which is not always the easiest to make. Some decisions in life are far easier than others to point it becomes more of an instinct for example – You’re crossing the road and you see a car is speeding towards you, you either stop, continue as you were or you jump out the way. In this case you want to live so you jump out the way knowing you certainly made the right decision.  When it comes to making difficult decisions you should consider all the options and the benefits and drawbacks of each choice while evaluating if it makes sense to use whichever one in order to achieve the objective. Make sure you’ve considered the long term as things change it might make things harder in the long run.


2.5 Describe how to resolve conflict situations or dissatisfaction and 3.3 and resolve any conflict situations or dissatisfaction as necessary

The best way to handle a situation of conflict or dissatisfaction is to stay calm as possible, acting on emotions such as anger can result in a making the situation much worse. You should always look at these situations from the other persons perspective, it might not necessarily be their fault or under their control. If you do find yourself feeling angry or wound up its best to remove yourself from the situation even if that means going outside to take time out to calm down, reflect and think things through.

When you and persons involved are calm the next step will be to resolve the situation. This can be done in a number of ways but I believe the best way is to arrange to sit down and have a mature meeting to discuss the issues  - how they arose, how they could have been avoided and how they can be resolved.

In some situations it is best to inform your manager and any other authority as they will have the authority and experience on how to control the situation and if need be they can take action.

2.6 Explain the importance of liaison with colleagues to productivity and 3.4 liaise with appropriate colleagues to ensure effective and productive working

Making a contribution and liaising with your team through the sharing of valued information is extremely essential in the workplace, communication is an everyday thing but it is important that you have the right skills to communicate complicated information. An organisation is a team, some tasks may be done solely but they are all in favour to reach a goal/objective or to complete a task/project.

As a design apprentice at Live Nation my job isn’t only to design but also to learn as much as I can during my time spent. I usually learn something new everyday and a lot of that comes from asking my colleagues questions. My colleagues exchanging valuable information with me enables me to execute what I’ve learnt in tasks and projects. It is the exchange of valuable information between my colleagues and me that I’m able to grow and learn new things faster because I’ve been able to put into practice.

 

Ensure your own actions reduce risks to health and safety

1.1 Define hazards and risks & 1.2 Outline key hazards and risks in own workplace, describing safe working practices.

For Unit 6 my fellow apprentices and I created and a short video to define and outline hazards and risks in our own workplaces while responding with solutions to prevent any accidents from happening.

1.3 Outline key hazards and risks within own job role, describing precautions.

Staring at a VDU (Visual Display Unit) such as a computer monitor during work hours usually eight hours a day 260 days a year and on top of that going home and spending more time infront of the computer plus time spent using the computer on weekends. This long term exposure to VDU is thought to cause eye damage or eye strain but according to research and information provided by youreyeguide.co.uk eye strain is a result of overusing computers. I have suffered from eye strain myself and the good news is that it isn't too serious and it is preventable by making a few small adjustments to the environment and VDU setting if needed. 

Here are a few precautions to consider when using VDU's

• Ensure there is plenty of light entering the room
• Eliminate or minimise reflections on the display unit
• Check that the monitor is at the correct eye level
• Take a bit of time every few minutes to look away from the screen and blink, try to look at something in the distance if you can.
• Take regular breaks away from the screen.
• You can get VDU glasses that help protect your eyes when using visual display units

RSI (repetitive strain injury) is usually linked to doing a particular task repeatedly or for a long amount of time. Statistics reveals that it is mostly common in people who work with computers or carry out repetitive manual labour.

RSI occurs in relation to the excessive use of muscles usually in the upper body, largely the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck and back.

Factors that can put you at risk of RSI include:
repetitive activities
doing an activity for a long time without rest
doing an activity that involves force, such as lifting heavy objects
poor posture or activities that require you to work in an awkward position

If you work at a computer all day, make sure your seat, keyboard, mouse and screen are positioned so that they cause the least amount of strain to your fingers, hands, wrists, neck and back.
Sit at your desk with a good posture. Adjust your chair so that your forearms are horizontal with the desk and your eyes are the same height as the top of your computer screen.
If you do a repetitive task at work try to take regular breaks. It is better to take smaller breaks more frequently than just one long break at lunch.
Speak to your employer if there is anything relating to your working environment that you feel could be improved.

Awareness of Converging Technology in the Creative Media Sector

1.2 Describe key intellectual property and copyright issues, related to digital technology and content creation.

Creative work that can be treated as an asset or physical property is referred to as Intellectual property. The rights to Intellectual property fall mainly into four core areas; copyright, trademarks, design rights and patent laws. It is illegal to use any intellectual property under the four main property right laws without permission from the rightful owner or proof to the right to use.

A good example surrounding the issue of copyright & patent infringement is the ongoing battle between Apple and Samsung.  According to Wall Street Journal Apple has filed suit against Samsung, alleging that the Samsung Galaxy line mimics the look and feel of the I-phone and I-OS. In particular the lawsuit highlights Samsung's products, such as the Galaxy S 4G, Epic 4G, Nexus S and Galaxy Tab, stating that, "Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products."

The thing that makes this lawsuit particularly awkward is the fact that Apple is Samsung's competitor, but also one of its biggest customers. Samsung at present equipments Apple with large amounts of flash memory, LCD displays and the A4 and A5 chips found in I-Phone 4’s and I-Pad’s. 

For more information regarding copyright and intellectual property please visit the links below:

Copyright & Intellectual Property

Wall street journal

2.1 Explain what is meant by converging technology.

The term “converging technology” is used to describe the merge of two or more technologies that were previously separate technologies. Converging technology seems to be the case for the future of all technology; the ability to multi task from a single device seems to be most appealing to the public and pushes the boundaries for competitors in the market while opening up more opportunities for business.

With new technology becoming more mobile most media content can be accessed on the go, while traveling by train, commuting by bus or from any other place away from home without the use of an adapter plugged into the wall mains.

One of the most popular tools and converged piece of technology we use today is the mobile phone now evolved and known as the Smartphone. Smart? Smart because it almost eliminates the need for consumers to carry multiple devices at once by converging previously separate technologies into a single device. Smartphone’s can send and receive emails, surf the Internet, play games and provide navigation.

I personally use my Smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S2) for:     

   ·      Phone calls

   ·      Video calls,

   ·      Text,

   ·      MMS,

   ·      Camera

   ·      Gaming

   ·      GPS Navigation

   ·      Web Browsing

   ·      Bluetooth to send files

   ·      Alarm clock

   ·      Calculator

   ·      Calendar

   ·      Email

   ·      Memo

   ·      Voice recorder

   ·      Entertainment

Smartphone’s having a long list of functions and access to media content and applications provide platforms for businesses to bring their services over to mobile platforms which in return will give them a wider range of access to consumers and other opportunities.

2.2 Explain the impact of converging technology on the workforce within a specific Creative Media industry.

In my workplace we use computers both PC and Apple Mac as the main source for productivity. As you all know computers speed up and make long time-consuming tasks much easier and provide fast access to vast amounts of information.

My workplace benefits from the use of computers in many ways but one that stands out from the obvious is Long distance communication. What would we do if we didn’t have the technology to perform long-range conference and video calls with offices in other parts of the world at one time? Well after arranging an appropriate time and place to meet, employees would most likely have to travel by plane to meet, which would cost the business money, as it would be claimed on business expenses. Having to travel often could be an inconvenience and also time consuming. With those issues outlined we can clearly make an informed decision that for the business having access to computers is cost effective, convenient and time saving.

3.1 Describe the changing expectations of audiences and consumers within a chosen Creative Media Industry

Unlike many years ago Computers today are being used as the main method to distribute, store, record and play music. This technological shift made quite an impact causing economic changes and fundamentally changed the relationships within the music industry and the interaction with consumers. A decline in album sales was met with an increase in consumers downloading single songs more so than whole albums with applications like I-tunes. Recording artists began to rely primarily on live performances and merchandise for their income, which in turn made them more dependent on music promoters such as Live Nation (For whom I so proudly work for).