Hey! So just to say I have began a new blog for my second year as a Media Production student, why not take a peek?
https://grantsnaithyr2blog.wordpress.com
UNITED STATES – CIRCA 1950s: Woman with surprised look. (Photo by George Marks/Retrofile/Getty Images)
For the second part of my assigned task we were now asked to consider the digital footprint of another professional media practitioner and how they represent themselves. So to do this I decided to pick a favourite director of mine in James Gunn from such films as ‘Super’ and most recently ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’.
On what sites do they present themselves on the internet?
So James Gunn has a Facebook page which he operates himself and posts fairly often to it as you may have seen I posted a quote of advise to fellow filmmakers from James Gunn on my blog a month back. He also operates a Twitter page on which some of his posts are the same as on Facebook however he appears to use this more regularly than Facebook, whether this is because her recognises the rising popularity of Twitter for following celebrities or whether this is just because of ease I am unsure. He has his own website ( http://jamesgunn.com ) which I only just discovered since starting writing this blog and can I say it is eye catching and intriguing. The opening header of his website says “the official website of filmmaker james gunn for shit outside the norm”. This particularly struck me as a website is a means of advertisement to potential employees, and although James Gunn is now a big name surely this was still a resource for potential employers. However it is in keeping with his relaxed and casual display of self throughout all media outlets.
What kind of images do they use and do they brand themselves?
So with James Gunn having recently released hit sensation Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy it is clear that James Gunn has since been branding himself as a Marvel fanatic by posting images not only about his hit film but also others related to the MCU such as this image of Daredevil in his early black costume sporting the line “For those among you complaining about Daredevil’s initial costume in the series may I remind you of this…”
Considering Gunn is signed on to direct Guardians of the Galaxy 2 it is within reason that he would show support to Marvel so as to keep employers happy, however nothing about James Gunn’s appearance on the internet appears out of synch with him being interested in things such as comics and so it could simply be a very real appearance of himself.
Do they give interviews?
Yes, Yes he does and I have seen some interviews with Mr.Gunn that have been a delight to watch. Here is one where he discusses writing and it really captures the laid back approach of James Gunn to his media professional career. It is a really interesting watch not just because it shows us what he is really like but also because it is an eye opener to just what the industry is like these days and what it takes to be successful as a writer.
As part of our new module 161MC Creating Impact in Media Production we were asked to stop and analyse what is called our digital footprint, our presence in the open expanse of the word wide web and whether this presents a coherent message to consumers. I am currently active on Facebook, WordPress, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo however I am new to Twitter and have yet to really do anything but follow others.
Taking a look at my footprint across the other media sites it is clear that I have a passion for film and the moving image. My last few posts on Facebook have been film related and my only contributions to Vimeo and YouTube so far have been my own short films. Since starting my university course, one thing I have began to realise is that I am already a media professional. Actions I have taken to present myself as such have been on my Facebook page where I changed my profile picture and cover photo to more career oriented images whilst keeping a slight amount of casualness and fluid creativity. I also did the same with my YouTube and Vimeo channel as I realised that these are the kind of sights that potential employers would be looking upon and they would have to sell me to them in the future.
Areas I could improve on are apparent. My Facebook page has been littered with various status’ throughout the years that have been unprofessional in style, I have been debating restarting fresh or starting a second page so that professional and social could be separated somewhat (although as was illustrated in todays lectures, that is never truly possible). What I do know is that I am still a true media professional who is learning and adapting at an astonishing rate.
The Journey Begins 