Creativity Works: Multimedia Training, is a free, intensive 10-week crash-course of high-impact media masterclasses and employment skills training for media-focused young Londoners who are not in employment, education or training. This is their journey.
It was such a lovely experience being able to connect with others with the same interest as us, aaallll the way from New York. We came together and created this peice on our thoughts on connecting virtually.
by Shania (NY), Tangina, Aaron, Paige, Heidi, and Neome.
8 things you need to know before entering the world of media
1) It’s okay to feel nervous, as long as your anxiety levels aren’t through the roof.
Feeling nervous is common before starting your first job in the media industry. It takes time for you to feel comfortable at your new job. Cuddy, 2016, states that “I don't mind if they're a little bit nervous; they're doing something big, something that matters to them, so it makes sense they'd be a little bit nervous.” So nervousness detects that you believe you are doing something that is important to you. A good way to calm down your nerves is to prepare yourself by pitching to your friends and family and put practice to what you have learnt. As long as you don’t have extreme levels of anxiety, nervousness is completely fine and a sign that you care.
2) Expand your network.
It’s never too late or too early to expand your network. Make sure to jump on social media because that is where a lot of people reach out to get the latest jobs/positions. It has been reported that a recent sales survey has named Twitter, rather than LinkedIn, as the leading social network. Yes, that’s right - Jump on social media and start conversing with people! - ‘Everyone is trying to get through the front door, so try going through a window.’
3) Don’t let decisive people ruin you.
Media is a tough industry, and with that comes with tough people. You are likely to come across a grumpy boss that will scream at you from time to time but make sure to remain calm and not take it seriously. Take your time to cool down and take a few breathes then come back and prove them wrong. - Make sure to build up that strength and resilience and don’t take it personally.
4) Show our creativity and imagination in the challenges that are presented to you.
When you enter the media world, you are often presented with challenges. These challenges are often tests that want to see if you are fit for the company. They want to see how creative and imaginative you can be with these challenges. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Remember, if you are creative, they will most likely want to keep you.
5) Reach out to be and ask questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is a good step in your career as it can help you climb up the ladder. If you are presented with a task you are unsure about, never feel like there is a limit in how many questions you should ask. Lovas, 2010 states that questions help build rapport and trust. They show people you’re listening to them and that you’re genuinely interested in what they have to say.
6) Go for every opportunity presented
Don’t pass up an opportunity as you never know where it will take you. Be as open minded as you can and try and be willing to engage and learn. You might not be super pleased with the mentor you have or the first job you have to do, but you never know the network and opportunities that you could get from that mentor or your first job. Keep hanging and don’t give up!
7) Trail and Error - How will you know if you don’t try?
Media covers many things so it’s great to give everything a little try. You may not be particularly interested in it at first, but when you try it you may like it. If you are presented with the opportunity to do something that you think you may be particularly interested in, still give it a try and you may be left shocked!
8) Keep motivated and carry on...
At first, you may be confused, lost, broken and disappointed, but don’t let that get to you. The first few weeks or even months at your job could be a bit of a roller coaster, but that’s where your determination comes in. Don’t give up. Keep carrying on and keep yourself motivated.
Here are the ten best tips we could find from, fresh from the mouths of Media Moguls working across TV, YouTube and Entertainment.
by Haile Jones
1) It’s not a walk in the park - Jordaan Shelley (Assistant Producer, ITN)
Having a prized media job is something many long for; never the same day twice, exciting locations, working with celebrities and stars from far yonder. What’s not to like ?
But the unfortunate truth is it comes with high expectations and working on set can often mean working long hours with extremely irritable staff who expect you to bare the grunt of the work. Those who can overcome this initial boundary tend to be successful in the industry, try your best to not take anything too personal and develop a thicker skin, as time goes on and you’re recognised for your work ethic it gets much easier.
2) Imposter syndrome is inevitable! - Fayida Jailler (Founder of Freedom is Mine; Freelance Journalist)
Like many esteemed professionals, Fayida mentioned when she started out in her first job working for a print based media company she suffered with imposter syndrome, something many can empathise with.
It’s a challenge everyone will need to conquer in their own way, but many report it going away eventually as you’re recognised for your own individual achievements and contributions. Don’t be afraid to confide in your closest peers about it.
3) Don’t take no for an answer. Try and Try again - Jordaan Shelley (Assistant Producer, ITN)
Such a cliché saying but it rings true in the creative industries. Sometimes you can work with demanding clients who are unable to meet your demands, but this calls for a flexible approach. Can they do your interview on Facetime ? Over the phone ? Maybe they’re unsure about the intent of your piece as often people are quite sceptical of the media – this calls for reassuring them and maybe asking them exactly what they would be ok with saying on screen.
4) Have a mentor ? Set SMART goals with them - Jazmine Dotiwala
An unfortunate mistake many make is assuming a mentorship is a guaranteed path to success, nothing can surely get in the way of working with someone exactly where you’d like to be right ?
Wrong.
Mentorships are only as productive as you make them be, the best way to to make progress within a mentorship is to set SMART goals and keep track of them.
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time bound
goals.
You got this.
5) Remember how far you’ve come - Jordaan Shelley (Assistant Producer, ITN)
In an incredibly competitive industry where you’re working directly with big names who have accomplished things far and wide, it can be easy to catch yourself comparing yourself against their achievements and long stellar CVs and portfolios. But by doing so, it’s easy to get disheartened. Take the time to remind yourself how far you’ve come, and often, you owe it to yourself..
3 Top Tips You Need To Know Whilst Moving Forwards In the Media Industry (Influenced By MediaTrust Alumni)
Written By Kwame
1). Take things step by step!
Use the training we are recieving proactively by networking, enquiring for new opportunites and trying to connect with te right people who can get you involved with the people that you want to present your ideas to.
2). Create more short term goals rather than long term
Try your best not to overthink things by thinking too far ahead, try and replace this with short term goals that you can accomplish and push yourself to meet them.
3).
Don’t take feedback personally!
In the media industry you will get ruthless feedback and it’s all about knowing how to take it. Even if you’ve spent hours working on something and it gets rejected without further information, try not to think this person has it out for you. These things happen in this tough industry and it’s all about building a mental shell that can keep you sane.
This awesome piece of Street Art can be seen just under the train Bridge that passes Penge. I caught a glimpse of this whilst on my daily walks. it stood out amongst the normal landscape of houses and shops even thought it can be difficult to find at first. Plus Penge has several of these bits of street art around the village.
This is a picture from my daily walk, I decided to take it a bit later to catch the sunset over the train tracks. To me it kind of looks like the train tracks are leading to the sun and creates a utopian atmosphere.
7 things people with ADHD want you to understand. By Sarah Salvador
1) We are not zoning out on you because you are boring. (Well at least sometimes, anyway)
A lot of the time, people with ADHD have a difficult time paying attention to one thing, or our minds are all over the place. So it’s not uncommon for us to be zoning out on you whilst you are talking to us. You might mistake us for being rude or being completely bored as you are speaking to us. But the truth is, many of us have very short attention spans so our mind just ends up drifting away.
2) It’s not only something that you grow out off.
Although symptoms occur when you are young, and it may be only during their childhood, it is usually continued when you reach adulthood as well. In fact, the majority of cases of ADHD are diagnosed when you are in adulthood. Field, 2018, quotes that ‘ADHD is typically a chronic disorder, meaning that most children (50 to 80 percent) with ADHD continue to meet criteria for the diagnosis as they move into adolescence, and many (35 to 65 percent) continue to meet criteria as adults. Further, only a small number (10 to 20 percent) of children with ADHD will have no symptoms or impairment as adults. In other words, relatively few people appear to fully “outgrow” ADHD in adulthood.’
3) We aren’t being lazy.
When you have ADHD, getting started on tasks can be notoriously hard, but it’s not us being lazy, we promise. It’s just that we struggle with procrastinating a lot. Brown suggests that ‘For many years, it has been recognized that individuals with ADHD tend to chronically have insufficient release and reloading of the neurotransmitter dopamine at synaptic junctions of neurons in the networks that manage executive functions.’
4) Yes, we find it difficult to sit still.
People that suffer from ADHD tend to have a hard time sitting still. Especially the ones that tend to be more hyperactive. This can be very annoying living with ADHD, as we constantly get up, move around a lot and fidget a lot. Please have patience with us and don’t get annoyed at us too much.
5) Yes, it may be sometimes difficult for us to focus, but doesn’t mean we can’t.
Although it can be difficult for people with ADHD to focus on a task, sometimes we can focus on one thing. You may think that someone may not have ADHD because they can play video games in the room for hours, or they can go on their phones for hours. However Timothy, 2016 recites that ‘Hyperfocus is the experience of deep and intense concentration in some people with ADHD. ADHD is not necessarily a deficit of attention, but rather a problem with regulating one's attention span to desired tasks. So, while mundane tasks may be difficult to focus on, others may be completely absorbing, An individual with ADHD who may not be able to complete homework assignments or work projects may instead be able to focus for hours on video games, sports, or reading.’
6) Organising things can be really hard for us
If you have ever lived with someone with ADHD, you may find that they aren’t the cleanest people or tidiest people to live with. But that’s because ADHD can make tasks such as cleaning or organising difficult to do. A good way for me to make me more organised is by setting alarms. Peterson proposes that ‘ADHD makes getting and staying organized challenging. Restlessness, impulsivity, focusing difficulties, and other symptoms of adult ADHD get in the way of someone’s ability to concentrate on a tedious task like organizing.’
7) We have trouble losing things.
A lot of people with ADHD tend to be fairly clumsy, so if you need us to keep something, we may be your last option. One problem that annoys me the most about having ADHD is that I can lose my debit card so many times, it’s very frustrating. Brady states that ‘ In life, losing things is a frequent occurrence. For someone with ADHD, though, it’s guaranteed — money back. If you have ADHD, you’ll feel like there’s virtually nothing you can do to avoid misplacing something. ‘
I am probably part of the small minority of people in this country who still has to work, and even in this case has to go into work for more days than usual.
I documented a glimpse into what it’s like to be commuting whilst a whole city is under social isolation
UK Youth Parliament. ' #GreaterLondoner - community heroes'
UK Youth Parliament provides many opportunities for 11-18 year olds to use their elected voice to bring about social change through meaningful representation and campaigning. UK Youth Parliament has been campaigning to bring about social change since 1999. Each year, following the Make Your Mark ballot and a vote by Members of Youth Parliament in the House of Commons, we set about campaigning on the most important issues for young people. They address many issues that affect young people, especially those that grew up in impoverished, unprivileged backgrounds such as knife crime and education. They create campaigns that are raising awareness of the devastating effects of knife crime and how it affects people across the UK. They explore the multiple factors of knife crime, including mental health, education and youth services, gaining support from decision makers. They address ways to prevent young people from carrying knives, by creating platforms for young people to engage with the community. Which further Raises awareness of what young people can do to support the cause. They have even proposed a hashtag on social media called #ActionAgainstKnifeCrime to vocalise knife crime issues on social media platforms.
My brother brings back happy and sad memories. Sad that he was gone too soon, and happy that his legacy lives on not only through my family but also through his friends. Moe was the best big brother anyone could have. Protected and guided me through my media journey, and his creative journey was an inspiration to me. RIP MOE YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
From each photo I have taken I can draw both good and bad memories and experiences. The hospital represents an institution that undoubtably saved my life, the park a place where I engage with my community and lastly the Library which I use to aid my exploration of philosophy. Having said this though I still think the good out-weighs the bad.
Having gone to hospital with a potentially fatal condition which I am currently still dealing with now, I chose to show the positives of my neighbourhood, this is because going through this situation at the age of 17 it gave me a greater respect for life and time in general probably because of the realisation of how fickle and fleeting life could be which is what got me on the path of pursuing media. This is because I see a career as an extension or expression of who I am instead of just a means or survival (for money).
Today I visited the photo gallery and had an informative and engaging session with Marysa Dowling. The time was used to explore the potential career prospects for photographers; ranging from portrait photography to Cinematic photography, yielding some areas that I had not considered showing how much goes into producing an photo.
We also asked questions of Who was needed for a shoot? What was the purpose for the production of a photo? Among many more. Great day which got me thinking.
It was also very Interesting finding out more about the importance of the Cinematographer in film production and learning about exactly what this role entailed. Despite what I thought, this is actually a very vital and crucial role in which the person has to be in constant contact with the many different departments to ensure that the final product fits the vision that the Director/ producers had for the film.
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