Here are the links to my self assessment, and the critiques

http://raws.adc.rmit.edu.au/~s3156043/blog2/?p=387

http://raws.adc.rmit.edu.au/~s3156043/blog2/?p=385

http://raws.adc.rmit.edu.au/~s3156043/blog2/?p=383

28th August 2009

Guests:

Josh Johnstone – Musician, band member of Happy Endings

Nathan Brenner – Band Manager & Artist Representation

Marline Zaibak – Arts Director for Anti-Racism-Action

Burkhard Dullwitz – Composer

I have to admit, and i know it sounds harsh, but I was embarassed about this seminar. It was so poorly organized and presented as the presenter kept mumbling, ‘umm-ing’, which just killed the anticipation I had earlier as I was really looking forward to the Music industry seminar personally as a potential career path and also because I studied Radio last year… it was almost infuriating, but also like a wet blanket to have such a poorly presented seminar to such a great group of individuals who came in for the seminar! I’m sorry but if you’re going to have people from the industry come in and you’re presenting (as well as representing the graduating class), whether you’re interested or not in the music industry you HAVE to have your sh*t together !

It seemed to lack structure, there were no (as it seems) prepared questions to channel the seminar in a certain direction, Brenner wasn’t properly introduced to the audience and only about 15 minutes in did we learn he works with several highly successful international artists and bands, one even close to me due to family (Radiohead). Brenner also does work with MMF, which parallels the digitial online music industry and piracy issues, helping artists to generate income as well as defend and promote the interests of music managers and their clients.

 Burkhard didn’t speak until towards the end of the seminar, and then (and only then) we discover his resume of work that is absolutely AMAZING – he worked on the soundtrack of the motion film The Truman Show, also winning a Golden Globe for it, having a soundtrack reaching #2 on the Billboards music chart and also touching homeground with work on the Underbelly soundtrack.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t heard of Josh’s band, ‘The Happy Ending’, so after some research online i managed to get a grasp of ‘what they’re all about’, as the band is releasing their debut album, it would’ve been nice if there was another individual in the seminar who was more experienced, although I guess his insight as an up-and-coming band was refreshing.

September 4th 2009

Guests:

Leigh Colbert - FOX SPORTS presenter

Chris Oliver-Taylor – Head of Business and Operations (ABC TV)

Adrian Dellvergin – Exec. Producer and Nine Network Producer (Kids)

Chris Perkins – Prod. Manager WTFN

There is always the constant debate that traditional ‘old school’ forms of broadcast (TV and Radio) are going extinct….Personally i don’t believe in it, but it was a really interesting seminar exploring the different types of avenues down Media city we could take after leaving RMIT, the choice of talent for the seminar was amazing, the group did a really good job of putting it all together, although after reading the blog I couldn’t help but feel that perhaps they needed one person more ‘broadsheet’ rather than ‘tabloid’, even though I’m a closet watcher of things like Fear

Factor and Summer Heights High…

While I don’t think I’ll be looking into a career in television (unless its connected to fashion or travel), the group really did open my eyes to the aspect that we (graduates) are the ones responsible for the ‘fate’ of traditional broadcast media. Chris (Oliver-Taylor) also mentioned something that erased the ‘inevitability of extinction’ (TV), by revealing how the tv industry is fragmenting, and becoming more and more intricate, resulting in more and more jobs in the industry. Therefore, its up to us to fill in those jobs, keep passionate about the good ol’ box and keep it alive, as Chris said, “Its (TV) only dead if YOU kill it”.

Overall, Oliver-Taylor was the most inspiring individual in the seminar, he seemed very organized, managing to handle a number of roles with the ABC, and responsible for several  great shows (Summer Heights, Kath & Kim Code) that have that genuine quality that many on other free to air channels such as 9 and 7 lack.

September 3rd 2009

At first I must admit I was a little unenthusiastic about this seminar, perhaps my previous experiences with online media (minus youtube) has left me somewhat scarred.

However, the seminar left me with a better understanding and a greater respect for the online/interactive media, their guests were Adam Griffith (General Manager of Get Started, a web planning and design agency), Paul Cooperman (poet and screenwriter), Trent Kusters (Torus Games Designer) and Anne Marie Anetts, the Managing Director for Interactive Selection (Asia Pacific).

The guest that stuck out to me the most was Anne Marie, having graduated with an Arts degree the self confessed ‘Party Girl’ applied for a job in Tokyo for a small company called SEGA….yes, the SEGA that is now the multi million dollar gaming company that created Playstation… Her contribution to the seminar really inspired me and reminded me of how much the times are changing – SEGA was a small company, but has now since grown to have an estimated revenue of 1.64 billion.

Paul Cooperman also stood out for me, with his collaboration of poetry and the non-traditional forms of media, as well as his history of how he got to where he is, and becoming involved with Collaborite, an online application that enables users to upload documents and have a network of people (other users) review, correct and share information with one another.

After leaving this seminar, it made me think of a friend of mine back home, Tiffany, aka Mizzie, who appears to be the human hybrid of gaming and the online/interactive media world. Funnily enough, Tiff graduated from RMIT back in 2006!

Tiff works for ESPNSTAR, broadcasted in the Asia Pacific Region and filmed in Singapore, her job as a presenter involves her trying out and reviewing new games and software, travelling and exploring events related to and interviewing some of the major ballplayers in the interactive/online media world.

While I’m not that interested in working in the online/interactive media industry, having a job like Tiff’s wouldn’t be that bad at all!

Grade: C/D

Although at the beginning of the semester, the concept of Media Industries remained blurry for a couple of weeks, once the purpose of this subject became clear it basically became the most helpful subject I’ve done at RMIT.

It’s enabled me to open my eyes and (in an orderly manner) allow myself to figure out where I want to be after university, and the necessary steps I’ll have to take in order to get there. I feel that especially this year at RMIT I began to worry and freak out a little – many people already knew where they were going, whether it was film, tv, radio or online, which just made me worry that I was a lost sheep, and perhaps that I had done the wrong degree.

However, now I feel that doing a Media (Comm) degree has provided me with a wider scope of opportunities/possibilities for me (post-uni), and I’m confident I’ll find my way, rather than freak out and jump on the bandwagon, only to look back a year ++ later and regret I hadn’t done my own thing!

For our seminar, FESTIVAL HEADS, I was in charge of posters and catering. In the beginning we were all involved with researching and looking through our networks to find possible candidates to invite to the seminar, I’m glad how our guests ended up coming from different areas of the festival spectrum: Jess Langley and Michelle Carey from MIFF (Melbourne International Film Festival), Stephen Snelleman from Broadcast ABC (Winner of 5 ARIAS) and Tim McMillan, a musician who has not only toured Australia but also to other parts of the globe, also writing soundtracks for video games.

While sometimes it was hard to organize a group meeting, we were all very good in communicating through emails and phone, and I believe that this was a prime element in successfully putting together FESTIVAL HEADS.

On flight DJ 887 from Melbourne to Sydney, I read over the green work attachment papers Rachel had handed me the previous day. Over the page was a table with 3 columns: SKILLS, DEVELOPMENTAL AIMS, and DESIRED OUTCOMES. I never thought internships were so scientific, the original idea of interning to me was working somewhere (for free) because you wanted to work there, and had to ‘prove yourself’ to your chosen company.

I guess there’s some truth to the above statement, although throughout my stay at NATASHA, it’s a lot more than proving yourself, doing dry cleaning/steaming, coffee runs, etc. Interning/work attachments require you to apply yourself to any given task, learn new skills the chosen job/industry entails, and obtain a firm grasp on the routines/operations/goings on in a day to day fashion.

Skills (needed and wanted to gain): interpersonal, the goings of the business/office process, problem solving (because everyone knows the intern gets it if something goes wrong!) and handling (PR), communication, the fast pace of the working/industry environment.

Developmental aims: seeing an industry at work-even though other brands are competition, its a highly intricate network and appears that its more friendly than competitive, developing the ‘knack’ for working in an industry where its not a 9-5 desk job.

Desired Outcomes: a possible job opportunity upon graduating!? a confirmed choice on a career path after uni, and if not confirmed, perhaps some idea of where to head to next.

Prior to NATASHA, it appeared that working in the fashion industry was painted glamorously, with fashion shows, after parties, the nonstop blackberry-ing and phone calls, and mingling with celebs. As cliché as it sounds, it seemed very ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, where those working are the creme de la creme, and the interns are screamed at because its a latte and not a flat white, and have bags and coats slammed on their desks every morning.

NATASHA’s working environment is small, with the designer (Natasha Welsh) based in Bali to manage offshore production as well as inspiration to her designs, and 3 people in the Sydney office alongside an accountant. This office is small in comparison to international designers, yet has the same foundations and procedures and I believe it was an advantage to work in a smaller environment to get a concentrated experience and fulfil my work attachment aims. Each day would entail experiencing a different role, from minor (yet ever vital) roles such as stock taking and tagging new collections in the warehouse to larger, more important roles such as PR and promotion, which included emails and couriering and styling pieces to magazines and studios for photo shoots and helping design concepts.

Perhaps the most exciting parts of my attachment with NATASHA were the design concepts. I loved seeing the process of sketches on papers and the development from paper to fabric samples, colours, the styling, and the finished piece. Every opportunity to see the racks at David Jones and other boutiques such as Green with Envy have been so rewarding to see the A/W 2009 collection, especially the metallic oyster coloured layered cocktail dress, which I helped constuct.

Doing an attachment at NATASHA made me feel a lot more comfortable about what to do post uni, I truly had such a great work experience with the girls I would even consider doing future internships with them after uni, to build my confidence and learn more about the industry while looking for work. I would’ve loved to of learnt more/had more ‘hands on’ experience with the styling and PR, as after dabbling in most areas of the office it appealed to me the most. I believe many people at first think that having a job in fashion/PR is all about the beautiful clothes, yet there is a lot more to it then just the clothes- mad organizational skills are needed, as if you aren’t organized, you could miss out on crucial dates that could promote the brand, miss out on a sales opportunity, etc. In a smaller office such as NATASHA, missing out on soething because of being unorganized could cost you not only your job, but the company, as both fashion and PR are fast paced environments.

There were a couple of areas I didn’t get to work with due to the timing of my work attachment. I had high hopes of maybe, possibly (with fingers crossed) assisting in styling a photo shoot, possibly for the new collection, or even assisting in organizing the shoot, however I underestimated the timing required to arrange a crew, select models, scout locations, organize transport, accommodation, etc and missed the shoot opportunity by a couple of weeks. Then again, in retrospect one could say that by missing it I also learnt how much time and effort goes into producing a lookbook! One day at the office a group of women came in to look through the collection for bridesmaid dresses for a beach wedding, so I took the initiative and turned this into an opportunity to do a mini styling session with sales management skills. It was a small beginning, but it was a great experience nonetheless, as I learnt that especially with sales, your clients are your income, to interpersonal skills are essential vital crucial!

Another area I feel I missed out on that skill wise (and probably also highly relateable to skills I’ve learnt while being at RMIT) was the online/digital concept. As a result of technology, designers these days have moved from the printed form of lookbooks (booklets promoting their upcoming collections) to digital, PDFs which they can attach to emails and send throughout their networks, as well as to potential clients. The production procedure would’ve included looking through the film, selecting certain images, digital touch ups, layout, design concepts, etc. I would’ve like to of experienced this as it would’ve been interesting to see how much skills picked up in RMIT would really transfer from the uni – working environment. I had a small experience with the website managing too which I would’ve liked to of seen more of.

Although my NATASHA experience was not my first ‘dabble’ in the fashion/PR industry (I previously worked at Toni & Guy in Singapore, and no, I wasn’t a hairdresser!), I feel that the experience and knowledge I gained in Sydney was far more valuable, even though I was only there for 2 and a half weeks compared to almost a year at T&G. This ‘intense fashion/PR course’ really opened my eyes and sucked me into the industry. They say generation Y on average will change their jobs up to 7 times in their lifetime before ’settling’, honestly? If I was offered a job at NATASHA, I would be set! Bye bye RMIT, this is my dream job!

After working with the girls for two and a half weeks, I definitely believe I’ve experienced a successful work attachment, not only have I learnt so much about the goings on in a fashion house, made great friends, and obtained a couple of NATASHA pieces, but most importantly, I’m convinced that after uni, I would like to pursue a career in the fashion/PR industry. It was pure luck to arrive at the office during the transition period of collections, but it really gave insight as to what goes into making a collection, distribution, associations with magazines and promoting the line, probably the busiest time for a collection, and I survived!

Overall, the SKILLS, DEVELOPMENTAL AIMS and DESIRED OUTCOMES were fulfilled, I thoroughly enjoyed my time soaking in the sights and sounds of Sydney, and learnt an incredible amount during my time at NATASHA. Working at such a place as NATASHA, where the possibilities of expanding not only to having their own stores, but also going internationally, as many requests from countries such as the United States have come in, not only gave a better understanding on the foundations and processes of a business, but perhaps even a ‘foot in the door’ to future employment, as many people in the industry have said that while your skills and education are essential to getting work in the industry, networking, and the right people at the right time are vital.

I debated all day on whether or not to bring this up in a blog, but have decided to do so in order to try to shed two sides of the debate, rather than take sides. The NATASHA office received more deliveries today, the furs. Do not take this offensively.

They are short, rabbit fur capes, with leather strap and gold buckles, and yes, they are pretty (as a finished product) and soft. But when the issue of the fur debate comes up in the office, the girls have strong opinions on the subject. Many people wear leather, yet condemn wearing fur, and they also eat meat. Understandably, cute animals becoming fur coats is disturbing, but i feel that while talking to the girls, they’ve made an educated decision on their stance on wearing fur. Everyone has a right to their own choices, mine is still quite undecided…

STOP!

Don’t put that stamp on my forehead just yet, and hear me out.

No to exotic furs, I am not Cruella DeVille.

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Even the most successful businesses have crazy days.

An Anna Wintour disaster happened today, something happened along the production lines leaving the white tops for A/W 09 collection more tea-stained then white!

There’s also been a few hiccups with the distribution, having all the stock in one warehouse for the entire country and the tags. Such a small thing as tags, you’d think they wouldn’t cause such an obstacle. However, since the last collection the brand has undergone a mini makeover, with tags and boxes becoming a little more structured and stylish. The warehouse however, didn’t get them.

So the mission tomorrow is to bring an entire stockworth of tags to the warehouse, which i’ve heard is a complete contradiction of worlds, as so many brands such as Sass & Bide and Nicola Finetti hide their designs until the stores are ready for their new collections, and yet its SO HOT in there you melt (while wearing expensive clothing. NOT GOOD!)….i’m having mixed feelings about tomorrow’s expedition!

Somer decides to take me under her wing today, and I get to take a look into the designs of future collections, with cloth, button and zip samples and sample designs (loosly made pieces to see the fit and style, with alterations before the design is sent to factories offshore for mass production). Seeing the designs really opened my eyes, it is no longer just ‘clothes’, its become art.

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What do you wear when you’re going to work in fashion?

Even worse, when you’re not used to waking up early, commuting, not getting lost, and being bright-eyed and bushy tailed, whats the worst thing that could happen to you?

Did pouring down with rain pop into your head? Simply genius!

Thankfully, my friend Sarah, who I’m staying with in Sydney ‘dropped me off’ at work, if she didn’t work in the same area as me I know I’d of been totally screwed! The office is in Surrey Hills, up some steep stairs (well, when you think about it, you’d probably want some toned legs to have this kind of job!) and is decorated with a beautiful long shell lampshade, all open planned, clean white and fresh. To the left is racks and racks, and i mean racks of beautiful clothing on display, all past season, but amazing nonetheless.

After drying off and having a quick coffee i’m given the run down of the goings on in the office, its good timing I came up for the work attachment now as we’re going through the transition of seasons, and are just about to launch the David Jones catalogue and the Autumn/Winter collection 2009. Theres one rack with a few pieces of fur, sequins, silks and purples-the new collection, I instantly am drawn to it and have a rummage through, I want, I want, I want!

I meet the girls in the office, its quite small in comparison to other fashion houses, Liberty (Libbo) is the National Sales Manager, Kristie is in charge of the PR and Somer (Libbo’s sister) is the general Manager. There is also an account in the office who has loves saying “Terrrrrrrrific!” (circa Tony the Tiger from the cornflake ads), but they all make me feel comfortable and we get to work, Liberty even presents me with a little welcome present, my own pair of silver NATASHA sandals….man I love this place already!

The first thing I’m taught is the history and positioning of NATASHA. The founder and creator, Natasha Welsh, began by selling beautifully embellished leather sandals and silk party dresses for women, who could not only wear them with day-to-day outfits, but also as/with cocktail dresses and more formal attire. These initial pieces are what shot NATASHA to cult status back in 2003. ‘Positioning’, or a products ‘position’, in the PR and advertising world is known as how the potential buyers see the product, a process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for it’s product, brand or organization. It is the ‘relative competitive comparison’ their product occupies in a given market as perceived by the target market.

Isn’t every brand/product/service/organization supposed to be different? individual? incomparable?!

I left the office that day with some serious mental homework that involved the shops, and in more ways than one! Strolling through a shopping centre and David Jones I began to notice how the floor was arranged to subconsciously position clothing…NATASHA is placed in the same area of floor as Kirrily Johnston and Fleur Wood.

All of these clothes are priced around $150 – the thousands, yet because of (in NATASHA’s case) their unique designs, hand crafted embellishments, and pioneer collections, consumers will continue to purchase their items. This is a result of NATASHA’s position. The price is part of the brand, which is a result of the quality of the pieces. If NATASHA were to decrease their prices, the novelty and image of the brand would decrease too. For example, if the watch brand Rolex became cheaper, it wouldn’t symbolize the accomplisments in your life as it did before, same goes for buying a cheap knockoff of a Rolex. It’s just wrong.

More tomorrow from the office!

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