Starting out on the BAPP...

Well this has definitely been the task that has challenged me the most. The editing still remains questionable, however it is yet another skill I'm confident I will be able to use and improve upon in the very near future. Feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Thoughts, Feelings and Reflection...

While in the process of trying to gain inspiration and progress for task 1c, I stumbled across some old achievements of mine together with some motivational media and thought as I'm procrastinating from talking into a camera, I'd share them with you:

As performers we are constantly insecure, looking for reassurance in job confirmation, personal feedback, and even in likeness form our peers. You can feel as if no one could possibly comprehend, yet in reality when you glance around an audition room, often bursting at the seems with hopeful auditionee's, you realise that there is a whole world of understanding.
As a young dancer my idol was Darcey Bussell, not only for her magical performances she turned out show after show, but for the encouraging words I once read within her Biography "Life in Dance", I rediscovered these on my recent quest in research:

'It's very easy to become selfish and narrow-minded and see ballet as the only thing in life, but there's lots more.'


'You have to be able to cut off from the ballet and relax, or you have anxiety dreams at night, worrying about what you're going to dance the next day, going over every little detail.'


Those are just a couple detailing the importance of being able to separate the two, however I would thoroughly recommend the book, the cover photo is enough to capture you alone:

Following this I began to delve further back into my own trials and triumphs within dance, and uncovered some of my own choreography between the ages of 16 and 17, before I entered full time training. It absolutely astounded me how much I'd improved, but also (despite a lack of technique) how thought provoking and 'story telling' my choreography was even at that immature age. The links to the videos below were taken from a Gym and Dance competition, held at my local comprehensive school, Parkstone Grammar:

Slaves 2007:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=59476645665&set=vb.508410665&type=2&theater  


Tribal 2008:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=55528220665&set=vb.508410665&type=2&theater

The irony in being able to re-discover these I found could be traced back to my new found knowledge, and quickly becoming a great support mechanism to me, in Web 2.0 platforms. The more I am able to establish myself and my career, the more I am finding a need to use them, not only to move forward but to look back, criticise, improve and renew.

Me...!! Cont.

Although this was one of the first tasks we were asked to complete, it has probably been the one thats stumped me the most. After vast research, jumping in and out of other peoples blogs, and trying to establish the angle in which I would like to promote myself, I came to the conclusion that I had greatly overlooked this key step to employment alone. Like most of us on here, my CV is my first and probably most important 'audition'. This really got me thinking 'am I making a good impression?'. Though we cannot control whether we will be too big, small, blonde, brunette (the list goes on) for a particular role, we can now research a role and almost adapt our CV's to the vital requirements, leading me to believe that it is an 'open document' to be finalised as and when, at your discretion.
In addition to this new outlook, I also took a look back through my 'working' or 'non-performance' CV for a comparison. Whilst doing this not only was I able to improve my CV, but found key information which I feel could boost my performance CV. It astounded me how much they could actually cross over. So here are the links for both my professional and working CV's:

Working:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E_z8CExQv8u9y3rP_wrKRf_m8Vd2EFPgc1CkVp7wkek/edit

Professional:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RJ0evYc_5b9_OuH6GxQPwWRrfDQr6mZd3t2DX8OVr70/edit

As I previously stated, I am completely aware of their 'incomplete' status, but for now I can feel at ease for a while. Just to incorporate all this in my professional profile now....

Reader 1 - Professional Communication Technology cont.

Following on from my initial review, I have since become a more active member within the web 2.0 world joining the newest and ever populating site that is Twitter. I knew there was a certain inevitability to eventually joining this site, but I also had two main influences throughout this past week which sped up the process for me. They are as follows:

1. My brother (Louis Grandjean) - He studies Media in Radio at Bournemouth University, so he's pretty clued up on all the 'latest' technology inclusive of all these web 2.0 platforms. He explained how Twitter was not just good on a social level, but its simpleness and ease in being able to follow anyone was furthering his knowledge and career. He could also catch up with all his peers at university on this site, discussing assignments and tasks.

2. Previous work colleague (John Wright) - His story alone is inspiring. After working a variety of jobs to help support his passion within music, he was eventually discovered by producers out in LA. Just before christmas him and his band moved out there - might I add, living directly under the 'HOLLYWOOD' sign - to pursue their music. We pass emails across Facebook fleetingly, but began discussing the importance of 'networking' as a performer. He explained how you need to be advertising yourself:

"No one will help you if your not willing to help yourself"


"It's not what you know, it's who you know"


These thought provoking statements rung out in my head, and that combined with my brothers knowledge spurred me on to creating my Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/#!/SimoneGrandjean


Despite these positives, I still have to be aware of the dangers (detailed in my first review) that Twitter has to offer. I have found that even though it is very much a form of 'social media', the view that 'anything goes' is very much mistaken. Making negative or abusive tweets could completely fall against you as a person or profession. Twitter is an extremely public web 2.0 platform, permission nor acceptance is needed to follow and read what someone is thinking or feeling at the time. I read this following article defining 'good tweets' and 'bad tweets':

http://www.onewomanmarketing.com/bad-tweets

Fraser Portraits advertisement shoot

I got asked if I wouldn't mind being used for advertisement purposes, as Fraser Portraits endeavor to open a more dance based photography scheme. I got sent back some of the photos from the shoot, and as one of our tasks was to upload images of our work via Flickr I thought I'd continue practicing and share these:

Journal post...

When the New Year alone came in I decided that this would be the year that I would begin to keep a diary. Not only to keep me organised, and in the right place at the right time - as all performers know this is key - but to log any important events or knowledge I gain throughout the journey that is our professional career. So, once I had officially enrolled on the BAPP course and got to grips with the courses purpose and outline; to find that a 'journal' would play its part as key 'evidence', as we endeavor to gain objective views on ourselves and the tasks at hand, was the biggest motivation to keep this resolution of mine. With that said I have decided to blog one of my entries:

Saturday 28th January

After spending the majority  of my younger years very much involved with 'stage life' and 'dance' I'm so keen to become involved in 'TV'. Today confirmed that even more so for me on our visit up to the SKY Studios, to become an audience member of Soccer AM. Watching the laid back nature of the show, clocking how each runner and producer was a complete active member of the cast was so exciting. Though obviously as a performer you want to be the centre of attention, the one in front of the camera, even the jobs performed by all of the 'off camera' staff I found enthralling. At the end of the show we managed to get talking to the assistant producer, nicknamed 'Rocket'. His story as to how he achieved his career today was so compelling. It really gets you thinking about all the networking and persistency this career takes. I gained a contact there, but even me with my basic knowledge knows that everything in TV is a long shot....

Review of reader 1 - Professional Communication Technology

Despite feeling fairly ‘in the know’ when it comes to social and informational technologies, I found that after reviewing  ‘Reader 1 – Professional Communication Technology (WBS 3730)’ that there was far more knowledge and exploration to be had below, what I now perceive to be its superficial surface level.

The web 2.0 platforms such as; Blogs, Facebook, and YouTube (all detailed in the introduction to professional communications) are programs of which I am familiar with both for social and career boosting prospects within my world of work. I was aware of their benefit to me, but once I began to read and review this reader I started to explore and identify other forms of enhancing web 2.0 programs, as well as how they are used globally. While researching I came across this article, which I felt elaborated on the reader itself:

ARTICLE LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

Ironically I found it on one of the largest web 2.0 informational platforms Wikipedia, which I feel supports the ever-engulfing power these forms are having within technology today. It really identifies the importance of communication and file sharing between users, eradicating the typical one way communication between reader and creator, which can still be seen in more physical forms of media such as; newspapers. Before studying this reader I did not fully appreciate nor comprehend the importance of this ‘equality’ between reader and creator. This form, I believe allows each individual to feel more involved during the progression within society.

Throughout my further research I also discovered numerous other forms of web 2.0 platforms, one of which I feel will be particularly beneficial to me. The site is called ‘delicious’ and allows you to bookmark sites that interest you, as well as viewing the sites that capture others. My link is as follows:

DELICIOUS LINK: http://delicious.com/simone_grandjean

Despite all the positives these web 2.0 platforms can provide us with, for example; the marketing of ourselves or the unlimited forms of interaction and communication of knowledge, as I read further into the three competencies – based upon O’Reilly’s meme - It occurred to me ‘what about privacy policies?’ ‘When are we becoming too publically exposed?’ Young adults are un-knowingly revealing themselves to the wider world via these web 2.0 sites such as Facebook. Unlike us as professionals who can see the benefits of this freely exchangeable knowledge to enhance us, as well as our careers; children as young as 7 and 8 are not only being exposed to the ever demanding and ever changing media, but becoming influenced and persuaded into views or opinions that they may not have. In addition to this, the children that are growing up in this world that is becoming more and more ‘technologically consumed’ are finding it hard to differentiate between ‘cyber worlds’ and ‘reality’. I found this short video clip on YouTube detailing this:

To conclude my review of Reader 1 – Professional Communication Technology, I feel that I have explored and identified both the positives and negatives that the world of web 2.0 has to offer. For me personally, the unlimited boundary whereby the reader has now become the creator and vice versa, is a phenomenon. Catapulting my progress to gain knowledge and promoting myself to establish the best career I can achieve. On the flip side, the harsh and addictive natures of these sites I believe are too much for young adults to be experiencing. Without boundaries and guidelines at these young ages, who knows what damage can be caused.

Reading and reviewing this reader has definitely captured and encouraged me whilst exploring media further. It has left me more ‘in the know’, yet curious as to others opinions and the question ‘what is to come next within this web 2.0 world?’ While asking myself this question I discovered some quotes I found thought provoking and have detailed them below:

"I'll go to multiple news sites because I don't trust any one site." - Sean, age 17, on how he gets news online.

"For me, transparency is a competitive weapon." - Sun COO Jonathan Schwartz, on why he blogs.

"eBay has 150M customers, in the nicest terms, that's 150M people who have learned to trust strangers." - eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, on how business can be an engine of positive social change.

"[In 5-10 years, the value in media] will be in the companies who can grow audiences, not in those who control content." - Vinod Khosla, former General Partner at Kleiner Perkins.