Self Reflection and Final Journal Report

Role 

In my group, Censorship For Media Production Makers, my role is to research on censorship laws within Australia covering these various points:

1. Overview of censorship in Australia

• Who controls media content that is produce and distributed in Australia?
• What is their purpose for controlling media content in Australia?

2. A brief history of how censorship began in Australia

• How and when it happened (events that occurred)?

3. The Australian National Classification Scheme

• What is its purpose?
• Who decides what is included or excluded from the scheme?
• When was it established?

4. Classification markings in Australia

• What is the purpose for having these markings?
• What are the types of markings available in Australia?
• What do they represent and limit from the public?
• Who classifies materials and devices in Australia?

5. The Australian Law Reform Commission

• What is their role?
• What power do they have?
• What is their purpose?
• What changes are proposed to the new Australian National Classification scheme?

6. A brief comparison between Eastern and Western censorship

• What are their differences?
• Who is affected?

7. Retrieve some case studies about censorship in Australia

• Are there censorship laws that are passed in Australia?
• Who were affected by censorship laws and what did the government do?

8. Conduct an interview with a professional media practitioner in Australia

• Get a broader perspective on censorship laws within Australia through media professionals.
• Have a better understanding on the challenges that I might face once I set my foot out in the media industry.
• Explore other aspects of censorship that are not covered in books or case studies.

9. Provide a summary on censorship in Australia

• Have a holistic understanding about censorship within Australia

My task in the group is to:

1. Focus my research on censorship laws in Australia and its effects.
2. Publish my research findings on the blog.
3. Search for censorship case studies in Australia and compare them.
4. Interview a professional media practitioner in Australia.
5. Participate in any video work required in this project.
6. Help in designing the website.

Issues and challenges

Some of the issues and challenges that I came across are:

1. Getting media practitioners in Australia to take some time off from their busy schedule for me to conduct an interview with them.
2. Finding the right media practitioner whose work relies heavily on censorship in Australia.
3. Finding controversial topics about censorship being discussed in Australia.
4. Finding censorship topics related to filmmaking within Australia, as Australia focuses more on Internet filtering and classifying films more than banning them in the society.
5. Organising my research findings on our website so that it is informative and well researched.

Progress

When I first began my research in this project, it was quite easy for me to find topics related to censorship laws within Australia, as there are quite a number of Australian websites that provide me with that information. In addition, they were well organised and structured so it was easy for me to identify who is in charge of the censorship laws, what powers do they have, what media content is allowed, removed or classified in Australia.

However as I shift my focus to films that are censored in Australia, I realised that films that are produce and distributed in Australia are hardly censored but are given classification markings instead. This is due to the fact that Australia only permits games, films and videos that have been classified by the classification board to be produced, distributed and consumed by the public. On the contrary, the government place their focus on Internet consumption by setting up stronger filtering systems that prevent Australians from consuming unclassified materials. Hence I found it hard to find any public dissatisfaction with film censorship within Australia and any controversial topics related to it as the Australian government allows a wide range of films to be consumed. The only issue is that Australians have to be of legal age to consume films with strong themes or content.

However, after dedicating more of my time to research on controversial topics related to film censorship in Australia I manage to find some sources that showed Australians questioning the board of film censors on their decision. This is due to the fact that I use various online platforms such as YouTube, DowJones and personal blogs to find what I need and through my interview with a media practitioner whose work relies on censorship in Australia. My strength was my decision in dedicating more time in my research and my weakness was focusing on the right angle to explore this topic.

Strategies

My strategy in conducting my research was a combination of research, collaborative and personal learning strategies. When gathering resources to research on my topic, I employ research strategies such as using various online platforms that are available on the RMIT website and searching up on catalogues and news paper articles that are available in the state library. For most areas in my research, I went to google scholar, the RMIT Library Website and the Australian Government Classification Website to look up on articles, reports and information related to censorship classification in Australia. I also read up on some of the reviews from personal blogs such as (blogs.crikey.com.au/cinetology) and movie reviews online such as (twitchfilm.com and theage.com.au). They have provided me with a comprehensive understanding of who banns and classify films in Australia and why these films are banned. When met with a challenge or an obstacle, I employ the collaborative strategies such as informing my group mates about the obstacles that I hit with and ask them for other ways that I can go about to solve it. Lastly, whenever there is a problem that presents itself before me, I will employ personal learning strategies such as reflecting on previous projects that I have done before and use that experience to solve the problem. These strategies that I use in conducting my entire research on this topic is very effective as it helps me overcome any problems that I encounter along the way. In addition it helps me in tackling future problems that I might come across when working on other projects in the future.

Problems

Some of the problems that I came across are:

1. Organising my time well to channel my focus on a particular area required in my research.
2. Choosing which points from my sources that are relevant to my research topic.
3. Finding media practitioners that are willing to take some time off from their busy schedule to allow me to conduct an interview with them.
4. Finding media practitioners where their work is heavily affected by censorship laws in Australia.

How did I go about to solve them:

1. I ensure that I spend at least eight hours every week to focus on my research.
2. Having a discussion with my group mates and asking them for their opinions on which areas in my research that I should focus on.
3. Sending out emails to a list of media practitioners that I found online during my research, so that I will get at least one who is willing to take an effort to allow me to conduct my interview.
4. Starting my search for such media practitioners earlier as it requires a lot of time to source for one.

Connections And Intersections

In conclusion, this course has taught me values like:

1. Problem solving skills whenever I come across an obstacle.
2. Develop my knowledge of the media industries so that when I set my foot in it, I will have at least some substantial knowledge.
3. Develop my skills in researching these industries through looking out for various sources that will help me build project.
4. Develop my skills in analysing media industries, theories and practices in Australian, international and cross-cultural contexts, especially when our work comes together in the project.
5. Helps me identify, analyse and solve problems relevant to media practice.
6. Helps me to effectively learn to adapt, innovate and lead in a rapidly changing professional environment.
7. Help me to work effectively in a collaborative environment given a little amount of time we have.
8. It helps me contextualise my individual interests and skills within a broader, more-in-depth understanding of contemporary mediascapes.
9. Evaluate my learning experience and understanding my strengths and weaknesses.
10. 10.  It helps me to communicate professional research in appropriate forms online.

These values that I have taken from this course are very useful and I can see that they will help me in my career as a media practitioner in the future and ensure that the work that I produce are of professional quality and standard.

 

Marks Awarded:

ITEMS	HD	D	C	P	N (Fail)
Role	HD
Progress	HD
Strategies	HD
Problems	HD
Connections/intersections	HD

 

Read Full Post »

Film Production Business V.S Media Censorship – Project Brief and Collaborative Contract

Film Production Businesses v.s. Media Censorship

Synopsis:

We will be exploring censorship and copyright laws in Australia, Bahrain and Singapore to understand the intentions and purpose behind them and how they affect film producers through in depth analysis, research and case studies. This is so that we will know enough to set up our own media production business in future and adapt to the ever changing media landscape as professional media practitioners.

 

Background:

As international students, the media industries in our home countries is very different, due to the social, cultural and political environment that we live in. Television programmes, movies, news and information that are broadcasted at home, featured in our cinemas and made available on our internet may be changed, censored or restricted to the public. Hence, as media students that are about to set our foot in the industry, one of our main concerns is the issues involving producing, publishing and marketing our work to the industry. The fact that different countries have different cultures, policies and laws that govern their society, copyright and censorship laws may vary, which in turn affects how they are being consumed and vice versa. Therefore, in order for us to be successful media practitioners in future, it is important for us to have adequate knowledge about these issues so that we can produce content that is appropriate for the public. This is achievable through understanding what the government controls and limits to the public.

 

Aim:

• To help our readers understand the cultural context and direction of media production business across these countries – Australia, Bahrain and Singapore.
• To identify censorship and copyright and its regulations along with its impact applied in nominated countries to media production.

 

Scope:

• This study will thoroughly investigate Censorship classification and copyright laws in Australia, Bahrain and Singapore.
• Investigate the philosophical and political and underpinning of these laws, why and how they are enforced through research and case studies.
• The second part of this research will utilize the research done in the first part to compare the media laws of each country which will conclude in a detailed guideline for media professionals seeking to work in these countries mentioned.

 

Research questions:

• How and who controls the media and censorship board of these countries?
• What are the copyright laws for these countries?
• To what extent is the media censored in these countries?
• What are the intentions and purpose, hidden and publicised, by the government in regards to the censorship of the media in these countries?
• How different are the copyright and censorship laws between these countries?
• What are the procedures one has to adhere to when publishing work, materials or art in these countries?
• What actions have the government of these countries been known to take against people who release uncensored materials to the public?
• What actions have the government of these countries been known to take against people who break copyright laws?

 

Research Design:

• Background in the form of more traditional information is going to be the basis of our report.

• Searching Up On Case Studies and Comparing Them 

Searching up on materials that are available online or in the library.

 

• Interviews with relevant personnel

Media professionals, Directors, Actors, Production Companies, Media Graduates, News Anchors, News Companies, Government Officials, Lecturers, PHD Holders and any relevant sources.

 

• Developing An Analysis On These Topics And Providing Insights

Creating a web page or blog that presents research, findings and information and provides a brief summary after each published post. Allowing the public to give their input and other useful information.

 

• Concluding The Research By Sharing Our Experience And Takeaways

Outcomes:

• Receive valuable input from professional and experienced media practitioners.
• Develop a more in-depth understanding of censorship and copyright laws.
• Have a better understanding of the society that we live in.
• Have a clearer idea of which industry suits us.
• Have an idea of which country suits us in setting up our business.
• Receiving a holistic comprehension of the entire topic.
• Help us to network with people that have similar interest.
• Help us understand and overcome the challenges that media practitioners face.
• Useful for us when being interviewed by media related companies and organisations or as a portfolio when seeking a job.
• Help us adapt and engage future problems when producing films or videos and sharing information.
• Getting a good exposure in media related fields and experience the process of conducting in-depth research and analysis.

 

Time Line:

This project will start at the beginning of week 6 (2nd April 2012) and be completed by the end of week 13 (24th May 2012).

Week 6

1. Conduct individual research on our area of focus :
2. Contact professional media practitioners that we will be interviewing.
3. Research findings.
4. 1 case study that is relative to our topic.
5. Design the website / blog where we will present our findings.

Week 7

• Research findings.
• 1 case study.
• Designing the website / blog where we will present our findings.
• Preparation for individual progress report.

Week 8

• Research findings.
• 1 case study.
• Website / Blog completed.
• Interview subjects.

Week 9

• Research findings.
• 1 case study.
• Interview subjects.

Week 10

• Research findings.
• 1 case study.
• Interview subjects.

Week 11

• Preparation for final presentation.
• Research findings.
• Structure essay.

Week 12

• Preparation for final presentation.
• Research findings.
• Structure essay.

Week 13

• Final presentation.
• Collaborate essay together.

Week 14

• Proof read essay.
• Submit essay.

 

Part 2

Project Goals:

1. Complete with a resolute conclusion in response to the questions proposed in the project brief.
2. Produce a project that is comprehensive in its research so that it can be proudly presented to the public and media professionals.
3. Network and forge connections with media industry people throughout the process of completing the project.

Group Goals:

1. Throughout the process of completing the project, a high level of trust must be established between team members with substantial cooperation and teamwork.
2. To complete an interview with at least one professional media practitioner from the countries listed.
3. To research and compare on at least three case studies on censorship from each of the countries listed.
4. To submit our work punctually as indicated.
5. To create a web page or blog that display all our research findings.

Responsibilities:

Herald

• Will be focusing his research on Australia’s copyright and censorship laws.
• Drafting out a brief analysis of the social, cultural and political demographics of Australia and publishing it on the web page or blog.
• Looking up on case studies in Australia and comparing them.
• Interviewing at least two Australian media professionals to get their inputs.
• Comparing all our research findings and publish a post of it on the web page or blog.

Sherilyn

• Will be focusing her research on Singapore’s copyright and censorship laws.
• Draft out a brief analysis of the social, cultural and political demographics of Singapore and publishing it on the web page or blog.
• Looking up on case studies in Singapore and comparing them.
• Interview at least two Singaporean media professionals to get their inputs.
• Create and design the web page that will present our research findings.
• Comparing all our research findings and publish a post of it on the web page or blog.

Hashim

• Will be focusing his research on Bahrain’s copyright and censorship laws.
• Draft out a brief analysis of the social, cultural and political demographics of Bahrain and publishing it on the web page or blog.
• Looking up on case studies in Bahrain and comparing them.
• Interview at least two Bahrain media professionals to get their inputs.
• Compare all our research findings and publish a post of it on the web page or blog.

 

Dispute Resolution Procedure:

In the event that a team member has problems pulling their own weight or completing tasks on time, we will hold an immediate group discussion to tackle the problems and derive a solution together.

All arguments and disputes in the team will be resolved within the group via a group meeting either online or face to face. In the event that an agreement cannot be reached, the tutor will be notified.

 

Read Full Post »