Posts tagged television

Technical vs. Creative: Why I’m Done With Web Stuff

When I applied to schools a couple of years ago, I applied everywhere as a film major. I wanted to be an editor. At Emerson specifically, I applied to be a digital post production “specialization” (Visual Media Art majors all have specializations that barely give them extra skill in that field). As I got closer to Emerson move in, I realized that I wasn’t just going to be doing film/video. I wanted to merge the web world and the video world. I started to like web design and development more and more. So I decided to merge them. So I switched into the specialization that made the most sense to my new love… “Interactive Media.” I still to this day can’t really define it too well.

Basically, I wanted to be where television is going. Be a “web video producer.” I still want to do this… Somewhat. I want to do more motion graphics design. It combines my love for video production and my love for design quite nicely. I’ll touch more on what I want to do later.

Now I do have to mention that I am currently employed by the Emerson Channel as the Website Coordinator. Basically, I’m in charge of the website. I’m going to probably keep that job. Because honestly, it’s money, and it’s nice being a part of the Emerson Channel team. I will also be in charge of this upcoming Fast Forward Rewind’s web presence. But at least on that I’ll also be an editor and working on graphics.

I’m going to keep getting these web jobs if I keep letting my resume be filled with Web producer this, web coordinator that…So, half-way through my college career, I’m shifting full into motion graphics design, graphics, and digital post production. I may very likely change my specialization back to Digital post production.

It’s become very clear to me that at Emerson and in the creative realm in general that there are the technical people, and then there are the creative people. I’m not one of those technical people. I can appreciate it, sure, but the technical people really love it. They thrive on the backends, the button pushing, the acronyms for everything under the sun, and so on. Spend a few hours with some TV majors, and you’ll know exactly what I mean. I never liked it, but I get how they’re so excited about it. I don’t make fun of them for liking any of it, and it’s great that they are so into their field, but it’s just not for me. 

You’re probably wondering why I’m even talking about TV majors and technical/logistical aspects of productions in a post about web stuff… The answer is that they’re the people I’ve been around more at Emerson. My design work is always for the TV kids. My web work is for Emerson’s own television channel, and one of my best friends Kevin is a head honcho at EIV (TV kid Hogwarts, essentially). I’m not really ever around film kids, and I’m just starting to dig into the whole creative half of emerson.

Here’s what I don’t want to do anymore, and will stop doing:

1. Web Design & Development

I used to love adapting my love for design to the web. I loved tinkering with CSS code and learning more of how to make things look just the way you wanted them, but I could never really hand code a page from the bottom-up. I know HTML, and I know CSS. But I don’t know them well enough to make something that I can make in an hour in iWeb. Side note: I used iWeb to make my own personal website. I always have. Some people are shocked/disappointed by that, but hey… It’s easier, and it looks better than anything I would code by hand. 

In short, it’s too technical for me. It’s just not fun anymore.

2. Social Media 

This one’s a little trickier to explain, but I’ll do my best. As I sit here and type how “I’m done with social media” on a micro-blogging site ironically enough, I just now know what aspects of this I don’t like. Obsessive people bother me in some way, but only when I have to work with them, and I’m not obsessive about what they’re obsessive about. That probably makes me sound like a huge ass, but it’s true. I used to be so interested in how social media has changed the world, and how things like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, digg, and so on have “changed the game.” The first thing I did at Emerson was the social networking for the college’s student run record label Wax on Felt. It was cool and all, but at a point, it starts to enter the world of Marketing. Which is very close to the world of business, my arch-enemy. 

begin rant:

I will never, ever be a “suit.” One of those corporate 9-to-5 suit wearing guy focused on business. The ones with the fancy leather looking folders that hold their legal pads and expense reports and quarterlies, or something like that. The ones who “couldn’t live without their Blackberry.”

I’m sick of the “I’m at blah blah blah (insert foursquare link here)”,  the “RT: RT: RT: RT:”, the “Buzz,” the “No, you just don’t get Google Wave until you’ve read this book and try it for 36 days” and so on. I love Tumblr, I love Twitter, and I love Facebook. I find what they’ve done to modern communication fascinating, and I can’t imagine a wold without the services that they provide. But having dived into the marketing world for a bit, I had to get out before it got too close to business.

End of rant. My apologies. Just had to get it out there.

The creative side of media doesn’t bother me with it’s obsessiveness. It is a breath of fresh air every time I see a fellow peer’s work with amazing cinematography and great music over it, or a motion design piece that you just want to watch over and over to figure out how they made it.

So here’s my plan for my remaining 2 years at Emerson:

• Help be a part of the Emerson Channel and EIV’s migration from traditional televised broadcasts to web video… But then sever myself from the web as soon as it’s stable enough.
• Start a video podcast. This is something that I’ve currently got in the planning stages for this fall. This is something I’ve always wanted to do. More info coming soon!
• Learn as much as I can about motion design, and do as much of it as I can.
• Get more involved in editing, visual effects, color correction, and digital post production as a whole.

I know there’s no way any of you probably read anywhere close to all of this, but this was more for me to just publicly state my plan, and state my feelings on my career path and future. After all, it’s my blog damn it!