3rd Blog Post
From Soundcheck to Showtime.
“To the average listener: no matter how great the band, if the sound engineer sucks, the band sucks.” Have you ever found yourself in a situation where everything had to be perfect? As part of the team at the Sonic…
Practical is best
The aspect of my placement which I enjoyed the most was undoubtedly the practical shoots. Over the course of my placement I attended a number real life shoots for a range of projects. This included creation of a sizzle reel,…
Anxiety in the Workplace
Introduction While searching for a placement I was thrilled to be given a role as a member of the SARC media team. However, I quickly realised that because I had no prior experience in media, my new role would be…
“Ready Steady Off You Go”
Last semester I joined the Junior Academy of Music (JAM) at QUB, a place to teach young people to study music. It is easy to be a “Big student” sitting with children, helping teachers build the atmosphere, or checking test…
The Harsh Reality of Being a Runner on Set
‘Working as a Runner gives you a look at the many different departments in the film industry, you will be able to see how these departments interacted together and perhaps feel drawn towards one.’ [1] As any film student learns,…
My Dance, Dance Revelation
Struggling with ‘imposter syndrome’
YES…finally. I have just finished editing the video I’ve been working on for the last few days and now I’m finally finished. I send the final cut to the head of the department, pack up my things and head home…
Editing My Time
Introduction My opportunity with my placement provider, Sean, was twofold. I assisted Sean with video and sound material for Youth Action NI but mostly assisted with his own independent podcast productions for several Belfast based comedians. Throughout the placement he…
Entering a New Reality
This year I took on a placement with Belfast’s Extended Reality Festival, a new addition to the annual Belfast Film Festival, which introduced the public to a selection of works utilising virtual and augmented reality. I was brought on to…
I promise I’m not lying… I’m 21!
Ah, the sweet joys of being mistaken as a fourth year in high school even though you are legally allowed to drink in the states (responsibly of course). At 21 years old, you probably still don’t get asked for date…
From Volunteer Videographer to Lead Graphic Designer: My Reflective Journey at Larne FC
Last year I joined Larne FC to give myself something to do over the summer, planning to leave once university started up again. I initially joined the club looking to expand upon my videography and photography skillset, and now, ten…
Navigating High-Pressure Work Environments: Reflections on Using OKRs at ByteDances
Networking as a Student
For collaboration led industries such as, film, VFX, costume and set design, the importance of networking cannot be understated. ’Chatting and being friendly with the right people can catapult you and your career opportunities’(www.creativelivesinprogress.com ). Networking refers to the act…
Establishing your place and believing you belong there!
In a work experience environment, is there a difference between learning by shadowing and learning by doing? Throughout my experience within the Stage Management Team at The Lyric Theatre, I found that there was so much to learn from watching…
Teachers are Learners too !
In this blog, I’ll discuss how I overcome these challenges using the Gibbs Reflective Model to show how I adapted my approach to teaching for the benefit of my students. According to Gibbs, teachers ought to evaluate themselves in order to…
Finding the balance: Friendship and Professionalism in the workplace
What do you want to be when you grow up? “A Princess” – Four-year-old me. Working for a dress-up company may sound like a fairy tale dream come true, but it’s not all fun and magic. The reality is that…
Confidence is key
I have thoroughly enjoyed my work placement so far, it has taught me many new skills and given me a lot of experience in an area that I hope to one day work in. But it has not been without…
Lots of plates spinning… and they are all wobbling… and on fire…
When I reflect on my placement, I have many memories of familiarity. Being back in my old secondary school, doing studio recording and mixing work, it was all stuff I’d become well adjusted to over the last 3 years as…
Inconsistency is Key… Right?
“Miss McConvey, we’re going to move you to a different class now”. A sentence I heard most days during my placement. I entered the school thinking I would be focussing on one pupil each day; I couldn’t have been more…
The ‘Public’
There is a word that, when uttered, everyone who has had the chance to work with them will understand. It is a universal experience, whether it be in retail, customer service or even festivals. The Public. Majority of them are…
A Bit of Courage Goes a Long Way
“Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll go with you,” said the Lion, “for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage.” The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum According to CPP’s Global Human Capital Report, “the average…
How I Lightened the Load
The Challenge Prior to my undertaking of AEL 3001, I have been working as an in-house lighting technician for the Limelight Belfast. Whilst I knew going from this to working at Forfey would definitely provide a different set of challenges…
“Do we have to do this?”
I can confidently say that my time as a teaching assistant in Banbridge Academy has been extremely positive and enjoyable apart from one incident. Whilst undertaking the role of choir assistant during preparations for the Christmas Carol service I was…
Attention, Attention: Learning To Command It
I have always been aware that I look young for my age. “You’ll be glad of that when you’re older” was always the response of those around me. Well, now I am older, and honestly, going into a teaching placement,…
Future of Broadcasting
Radio Ga Ga
I have to admit that if you had told me at any point in my life before this year of university that I was going to help run an online radio station for the better part of a year, I…
The last hurrah!
As my final weeks at Queens sadly come to an end, I am going to reflect back on a challenging experience that sticks out to me, from the past eight months completing my work experience at the Lyric Theatre Belfast.…
Burn in my Light: One Bad Experience to Rule Them All
Pre-Reflective Reflection As the semester draws to a close, the necessity to invest in critical reflection toward certain areas becomes increasingly paramount. With my degree having a focus in the studio environment of music and audio production, I had never…
BRINGING THEATRE INTO THE DIGITAL AGE
STUCK IN THE PAST Shamefully I must admit that I’m somewhat of a dinosaur when it comes to technology. So, you can imagine my horror, when I was asked on placement to help create digital content to advertise Big Telly’s…
Burning the Candle at Both Ends
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Zamott The Labour of Teaching It’s no secret that a placement in teaching is one of the most challenging, time-consuming and horror story-inducing…
Finding my voice on radio
All began so well in my work placement on the radio. In the first few weeks, I was living my dream, chatting away and mainly just introducing myself. But then I began speaking less, really struggling to have my say…
Priceless Proactivity
As a child, W5 in Belfast was a place of wonder. It had always held a special place in my heart, so returning many years later to complete work experience left me struck with confusing feelings of nostalgia mixed with…
Logistical Miracle
Reflecting on a challenge I faced on my placement, I will use Gibb’s reflection model to assess my behaviour and communication (1998). Description Throughout my time as a Festival Assistant with the Open House Festival, I had the opportunity to…
MATH MAESTRO OR NUMERACY NOVICE?
Undeniably, numeracy is a critical subject in the primary school curriculum, and “prospective teachers should know the mathematics they are expected to teach deeply” (Norton 2017: 47). However, many trainee teachers “have low levels of mathematical confidence” (Norton 2017: 48).…
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men…
..Often go awry.” (Steinbeck, 1937) This was a lesson I learned all too well whilst recently completing my work placement at a local school. Though I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at St. John’s, the best experiences are those that teach…
It’s simple, but not that easy
Introduction: In recent years, live streaming has become increasingly popular, particularly in industries such as music, gaming, and education. It allows content creators to broadcast their work in real-time and enables their audience to interact with them using chat rooms.…
Keep On Keeping On – Bouncing Back From Disappointment
I am a strong believer that perseverance is an invaluable trait, and by refusing to give up you prove your character is strong and can withstand hardship. Rather than falling off the career ladder when faced with a setback in…
The Biggest Challenge within my work placement: Lack of work
Reflective module I will be using the 2001 Rolfe Et Al’s model of reflection to evaluate my biggest challenge throughout my experience in my work placement. There are 3 simple steps all of which have a broad scope of meaning,…
Protected: Lights, Camera, Where’s the Engineer?
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Challenges on the Way!
The last year of my graduation in the university gave me the opportunity to take steps towards fulfilling my goal of becoming a teacher. I started my work placement in the Rosetta Primary School, Belfast as a part of my…
I Was Just… A Voice.
University. Work experience. Independence. Oh, isn’t it so exciting!? But, does that mean it didn’t have its challenges? The answer is simple, everything has its challenges, even the job you love will have hurdles you need to jump! Having finished…
The show must go on!
Pressure… responsibility… networking… what happened to the old days of interns getting coffee? My time at The MAC Belfast has enabled me to grow as a well-rounded creative professional. However, I have also experienced challenges and one in particular was…
Conquering Challenges: Navigating A Difficult Event at Work Placement
As I made my way into the city centre, excited for another day of placement at Start Together studios, I was thinking about what a fantastic learning experience it all had been. My confidence in my abilities had grown vastly…
Learn by Doing? More Like, Learn by Failing
SEQUEL* and I agreed that the videos you put together didn’t match the brand aesthetic. Christopher, Humanity Cosmetics CEO * PR Company Practitioners and intelligentsia often claim that mistakes can be regarded as “a learning opportunity”. However, this maxim has…