What’s Hidden: Urban Mythologies

This place is a dead, urban jungle. Over-ridden with litter and broken glass, it is hard to recall that the Maltings was one of the largest and most successful breweries in the state. We didn’t know that though. Almost no one knows that.

Located in the small town of Mittagong, NSW, it is rumoured that the Maltings brewery now stands as a site for drug dealings and shoot ups. Amelia Murphy, 19, who is a student at the University of Wollongong, and myself, decided to investigate what’s hidden behind the closed doors of the factory in order to see what really happens there. We were quite surprised at what we found. Remnants of old machinery and assembly lines were still intact, and quite artistic graffiti donned the walls of each level. Even more surprisingly, what we thought to be old airplane turbines and engines were present. Further into the building, we found marketing material for the old airline company Ansett. Looking around, Amelia said that “there was no indication that it was a brewery whatsoever.”

With some research after our visit, I found no evidence that suggested the site had ever served as a manufacturer of airplane equipment, or that it had any links with Ansett. It had always been a brewery, so to come across airplane scraps is quite bewildering. The Maltings Brewery, owned by Tooth & Co., was opened in 1899, however, many complications occurred during its operations. In 1942, the buildings were extensively damaged by a fire that broke out for unspecified reasons. In 1962, a second fire was ignited that caused for the permanent closure of the first building as all the internal structure had to be removed, and in 1980, a third fire burnt the roof of the main building. Due to financial hardships experienced by Tooth & Co., the brewery was permanently closed and abandoned in 1981.

Either a pyromaniac worked there, or the brewery was just plagued by bad luck.

“You feel very uneasy walking around here,” Amelia states as she glances at the graffiti faces staring back at her. Their children’s faces, eyes open wide, and you cannot tell if it is meant to portray innocence or something more ominous, a reflection if you will of the site’s rumoured reputation.

Although plagued with rumours of drugs, and a rather unfortunate past, it seems the brewery is now a place of refuge for artistic expression. Even if the symbolism and meaning of the art is unknown, you can’t help but appreciate it. The brewery has a purpose again.

Assignment 3 Proposal

It’s been a couple of weeks now and inspiration hasn’t really struck me. To be honest, I have no idea how to approach this question in an effective and original way, but after much deliberation I think I have an idea that could work as when I thought long and hard about it, I realized that I am in fact surrounded by a neighbourhood filled with hidden history.

A couple towns over from where I live is an abandoned brewery. Built in the early 1800s, it was one of the most successful distributors of malt for liquor companies within Australia until its closure in the 1980s. After some quick research, I learned that much of the old machinery used within the brewery is still there, however, it is hidden amongst displays of graffiti and teenage crime. I asked some family and close friends about the site, and to my surprise, many of them didn’t know why the site closed, and some even shared with me rumours they have heard about what goes on behind the closed doors today. This is where my idea emerges from. I would like to take a couple of friends with me who are unfamiliar with the site’s history or its associated rumours and record their reactions as they survey the building.

In terms of ambient sounds, I will incorporate audio of creaking stairs, doors opening and closing, footsteps, old machinery and voices of workers, as I compare our interpretations of the site’s previous business activities to the isolation and crime present today. As for music, I am not entirely sure of what I will use until I investigate the building.

In terms of photographic style, I want to convey a sense of the past and the present. As such I think I will use black and white photography as well as colour splashing to emphasize the extent of graffiti exhibited.

However, this is just one of many ideas as there are many other historical sites that I can explore near where I live. Ultimately, the success of this idea will depend on how much we can potentially uncover as I am not certain of how corroded and dilapidated the inside is.

Task 1

Out of all the projects viewed, my favourite was definitely the documentary Highrise by the NFB. Presented as an interactive storybook, this documentary explores the history of the skyscraper as housing for millions around the world.

There were many levels of interactivity employed in this project, from games, visuals, and even a 360° directional tool to navigate inside apartments within a skyscraper. This ultimately enhanced the background of the story as the viewer was invited to fully immerse themselves within the living arrangements of the buildings documented.

Interconnectivity is demonstrated through social media sharing in addition to hyperlinks with additional publications that assisted in the documentary, such as the New York Times. Media such as photography, film, audio and animation are used to capture the history and development of the modern day skyscraper. This, in itself, enhances the architectural scope of the highrise designs. Furthermore, the media assists in emphasising that many of these designs are falling into disrepair as they continue to age.

The project creates an audience as it encourages activity through social media as well as including prompts within the project for audiences to navigate through. The only fault with the project is that due to the size and levels of interactivity of the documentary, it is not very compatible with mobile devices. It is much better viewed on a larger screen like a PC.

My least favourite would have been Tomato Can Blues. Presented in long-form journalism, there was little media incorporated throughout the piece that created any stimulus whatsoever. Little interactivity was encouraged, thus instigating a detached connection with the reader. Further use of audio and visuals would have immensely improved this piece, in addition to incorporating hyperlinks to specific content and social media sharing.

#JRNL102 – Assignment 1

There is a certain integrity that can so easily become intensified when you step out on stage. That is the want to impress people, and sometimes, you can’t help but worry about what the audience will think of you. Eli, an avid musician friend of mine, talks about his experiences of performing on stage and the constant thought of having to wow the audience. However, regardless of any mistakes that you may make, he reminds us that to perform on stage, you have had the chance to showcase your talent, and that in itself is what should matter.

 

Critique – Emotional Histories

Although I enjoyed the overall piece, I think that there was a lot of potential with this story that was not fully realized. Being an issue that many individuals could probably relate to, I feel like there should have been more talking as opposed to musical intervals to capture the raw emotion of the woman’s story. Although effective at certain points throughout the interview, it was too lengthy and rather unnecessary. However, that and the scripted narrative of the interviewer did establish a sense of rhythm that relayed consistency throughout the piece.

Where this interview did succeed was the evident character development of the woman as she comes to terms with her collapsed marriage. The use of ambient sounds accentuates this alongside the hardship of her domestic life, but in saying that, there were some sounds that were confusing and irrelevant in regards to what she was discussing. The chopping of vegetables and the assumed pouring of what is meant to be an alcoholic drink did not fit the story at the point in time that they were played.

All in all, the story did meet its end goal in creating a narrative arc that emotively captured the ending of her marriage. Perhaps the most endearing part of the story was when the woman started tearing up as she realized she wouldn’t have a twenty five year wedding anniversary, creating a strong, heartfelt reaction from the listener.

Assignment 1 – Reflection

When asked to contemplate on a person and place for this assignment, I couldn’t help but be reminded of my good friend Eli. He always has something to say. Always. No matter how mundane or extreme the conversation may be.

Ever since I’ve known Eli, he has always had a soft spot for his guitar and his music. Thus, I was inclined to ask him about his experiences with performing on stage – both good and bad. I knew it was something he would be able to talk about with a genuine perspective.

I want to communicate the transition of nerves to confidence with musical skill sets in performance, something I know Eli has, and continues, to struggle with. Therefore, the tone, emotion and mood conveyed in the piece should be somewhat uneasy, provoking people to channel their thoughts on stage fright or a time of sincere nervousness. However, music and additional audio integrated within the interview should create a rhythm that shows a build-up from this nervousness to a confident outlook.

My intentions are that hopefully this will demonstrate a development of character as Eli shares his thoughts of coming to terms with his anxieties about performance on stage. With any luck, this will create a narrative arc by giving his story some tension as he reflects on these experiences.

A Day at the Beach – Reflection

Trying to create a symmetry between my photographs and audio recordings was a bit of a challenge for me. Using the beach as my setting, there were a lot of environmental impacts that affected the overall quality of my work.

Regarding the photographs, I faced many difficulties with lighting as I decided to shoot my photos during sunset. When first shooting, this allowed for a rather compelling background due to the colours present in the sky. However, as time passed I had many difficulties with shadows in my images making them unsuitable to use.

As for the audio, I realised early on that many of my recordings were going to be distorted by the wind. For that reason, I decided to capture my sounds along the walkway. However, doing this I lost the ambience of a tranquil beach and managed to capture the frenzied pace of the people. Although an interesting aspect of the beach, it wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to record.

From this, I know now to plan ahead when working outdoors. This especially concerns timing as I didn’t leave myself with enough time to take an array of photographs before it became too dark. Also, being a busy time at the beach many of my recordings were distorted by people’s voices as they strolled by. Modifications using various audio softwares can correct the volume of background disturbances to make it barely noticeable. Next time, I will definitely edit my sounds further to create clear and focused sounds to accompany my stories.

A Day at the Beach

North Beach – a place for friendly chatter and fitness for Amelia and I. Twice a week, we will meet up at this very location and go for a “jog” along the beach. By jog I mean intense running for about a minute then a relaxed stroll to the pier and back.

When we are done with a rather chilled fitness routine we will find a spot at the beach to relax and share what is new with our lives. But sometimes, if we have the money, we will go to the kiosk and splurge on a smoothie or coffee while we catch up on some much needed chit-chat and find our place amongst the other customers.

All in all, this has become a very traditional afternoon for Amelia and I.

 

Contemporary Storytelling and Multimedia Advances

Here is the link to my first Storify post. Enjoy!

https://storify.com/JasminMacey/contemporary-storytelling-and-multimedia-advances

 

Citizen Journalism

 

Not only can the everyday person passively consume news, they can now co-produce it.

Citizen journalism has well blurred the lines of the restrictions regarding who can be a reporter. No special skill-set is required, thus a new level of accountability is presented to the journalistic field. However, one is to contemplate the effects this practice holds on educated journalists.

Paul Lewis quoted at a previous presentation that “it can enable ordinary people to hold powerful organizations to account.”  It presents an array of alternative truths that has in many instances revealed a story that would be impossible without a witness recording and sharing it with the world.

The case of Ian Tomlinson is such an occurrence, where without citizen journalism, the truth behind his death would not have been exposed.  Through this example, citizen journalists can be perceived as revolutionaries in abiding the justice system. In a way, it is a new form of activism in the sense that there is a subjective approach in engaging individuals to gain interest in certain issues.

But then again, a concern in ethics is addressed by numerous journalistic publications as citizen journalists are not trained in handling sensitive matters. This leads to an issue of quality and accuracy in their work.

In this sense, professional journalists have the upper hand as legitimacy is guaranteed as opposed to that of citizen journalism.

However, the multiplicity of voices provided by citizen journalists in our technologically inclined culture creates a community for collaboration where citizen journalists can aid the professional media. An in-depth and detailed recount of an event or story is the result of such collaboration.

All in all, it is the viewer’s choice in deciding whether a piece is credible or not. If the viewer enjoys the piece, finding it informative and reliable, there should be no disputing that.