This week we had the opportunity to practice the recording skills we have learnt so far this semester by recording a performance and interview featuring the fabulous pianist Lolita and our lecturer, James. Like before, each person was assigned roles to create this project, and in this situation I was made the director. For this post I would like to approach this experience from three perspectives: as a reflection on the experience itself, a reflection on how I would approach giving such a task to students, and the pros and cons of the experience for students.
My Experience
This experience was very interesting for me. It was not the first time I had been on a set as part of a recording team, nor the first time I had been in charge of a production (though these were always audio productions), so the idea of being ‘on set’ was not unusual for me. What was unusual, however, was being made director on the spot at the start of the lesson.
I found being made the director on the spot was a little off putting and it took me a little while to find my flow. With most productions, I would know beforehand that I would be the one having to make decisions and so would have formed some idea in my mind about how I would want to approach the task. For example, I could think about the room and angles that would work well. I could think about lighting, I could think about potential cuts, and I could think about audio recording. Being made director on the spot means trying to come up with a vision on the fly, which I personally found quite difficult.
The other difficult thing about not already having a plan was it made it very hard to adapt to changing circumstances. Because you are trying to come up with a plan rather than just executing one, if something does not work it is much easier to just revert to a simpler, but less effective, method. For example, it took a while to work out how to get more than 2 tracks on the zoom, but by the time we worked it out we had already started recording. If you already have a plan of what to do and what equipment you need, it's a simple case of setting it up and starting.
Having a Plan
So if I could have had a plan, what would it have included?
Well, firstly I would have liked to have been able to get into the room before the day with the cameras. This would have allowed me to work out the lighting, the camera angles, and the method of audio recording. This could all be recorded, so when it came time to do the actual shoot, everything could be set up quickly without fussing about devices that weren't working properly or whether one recording method would be better than another. Having all these things in a plan would just make the day run smoothly, and therefore would result in a better quality product.
The plan could also include each person's different roles. It can be very hard to set up effectively when nobody is sure who is in charge of what and what they should be doing. Making these roles clear would make the whole process more efficient, and lead the creation of a better quality product.
As an example, this is a simple plan I've made to show what I mean.
As a Teacher...
If I were a teacher, I would allow the students a planning session. This would allow students to appoint positions, decide how they are going to approach the task, and make a plan. Part of the session would be allowing students to investigate the space they will be using, and talk through any issues they might face. The teacher would provide assistance to the students where necessary, such as ensuring students have made appropriate appointments, are not wasting time "investigating the space" (i.e. just hanging around talking), and potentially raising any huge issues the students may not have considered. The teacher can also be there to answer any questions the students may have, and to encourage them to think creatively about the task.
I think one of the most important steps of this process is the appointment of positions. The bystander effect is a well documented affect that can really hamper efforts to produce something of quality in such group tasks. The danger for the bystander effect is even greater with the students, as they are younger and thus less mature, and have less experience with the tools and processes required. Even though we had spent a lesson on filming in class, I personally did not feel prepared to head up a shoot, so I imagine it would be a lot more stressful for an inexperienced teenage student.
On my second practicum at a private girls school on Sydney's North Shore, I was lucky enough to see a similar project run really well, with some fantastic results. Year 8 classes were paired up and had to create a musical across two terms. The entire project was student led, beginning with the initial appointment of directors (there were two for each production). This was a very important stage as the directors provided the overall direction of the production. This is necessary for any production to ever get off the ground. Students then ran the auditions, wrote the script and music, choreographed the dances, made/found the props, learnt how to do lighting, rehearsed and finally performed. The teachers were there to guide them, but the students were really the driving forces. I was so lucky to see this in action and it showed to me how important it is to provide the initial structure.
As a student...
Group tasks such as the one we were presented with can be a blessing and a curse, and can really attract people to the subject or drive them right away.
So, what are the pros? Such tasks can be fantastic as they give students control over their learning. These tasks give them a creative outlet, designing and producing a product they want to make and are proud of rather than just something a teacher gave them. They build interpersonal and teamwork skills; skills which are highly sort after in business, especially with increasing levels of automation and greater amounts of time spent on social media. They help develop student independence and responsibility, as the quality of the final product is based on the amount of work they have put in. They develop problem-solving skills, as problems may arise that are unique to that project and which must be solved by the students themselves. All of these are vital skills that students need to develop in order to succeed when they leave school.
What are the cons? A unsuccessful project can be super demoralising if not treated well. This can make students feel like they know nothing, that they are hopeless at the subject and that they may as well not bother. Students may feel like they are not creative or artistic, and feel like that world is locked away to them. Students may also feel angry, and aim that anger at those around them and their work. If thrown into the situation, students may be fearful of future tasks in the future, and rather than develop initiative and independence, these skills can be hampered. Like with the pros, if not done well, project-based-learning tasks such as this can have a significant negative effect on students that can lead to the opposite result than that which the teacher was hoping for.