In the last of three blog posts regarding my digital artefact, Couplelablokes, I’ll be showcasing the making component and methodology of my page and its content as well as any adaptions to the original method.

The process of making Coupleblokes

Before starting my digital artefact I first broke down my passion and interests into a mind map as seen in the Ideating blog. I wanted to ensure my digital artefact would be something I’d be invested in, which led to the idea of making an Instagram page centred around film photography, mainly concentrating on themes of beach/surf culture, people and events. With the page enabling me to share one of my hobbies of film photography on a platform, making my digital artefact an easy and enjoyable process.

Making content for Couplelablokes

When making content for Couplelablokes I broke the process into these stages before uploading:

• Photo must be taken by myself
• Must be film not digital
• Has to fit the theme of beach/culture, events or people

I analysed these steps each time I uploaded a picture to ensure the pages theme and purpose is not lost to my audiences or potential viewers.

Problems experienced making Couplelablokes

Recently, I have noticed a plateau in feedback from followers and audience engagement, on the page in general, with the lack of feedback indicating that the account was becoming repetitive and boring my audience.

To improve this:

I have started uploading pictures of beaches from different locations using varies types of film from black and white to colour to ensure I’m providing my audience enough variety and content to keep them satisfied.

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To over come these problems I am also using my personal twitter account to promote the page in a hope to boost audience engagement and awareness of Couplelablokes. Whilst also using hashtags on images posted to reach new audiences and help reduce the effect of Instagrams algorithm on my page.

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As mentioned previously in the prototyping phase of my digital artefact I noticed a spike in interest when posting content centred around a person, and have now started uploading more content concentrating on people to improve involvement and interaction on the page as people find it easier to relate. With the last post shown below reaching the pages highest amount of likes since starting.

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Outcomes

From these steps I have been able to see a small but significant amount of improvement in my page engagement and interaction. Highlighting that the methods currently being used are successful helping the page in regards to its interaction and engagement issues. This can also been seen with the example of the new found audience interaction below:

Experience from making Couplelablokes

Through the making of my digital artefact of Couplelablokes I have experienced many ups and downs with each stage having its own challenges which have forced and enabled me to learn new skills. Whilst also being able to further explore a passion of mine and I will definitely be continuing on with Couplelablokes even after the semester is over, as it has been something I have thoroughly enjoyed and I believe I can use this as a part of my portfolio later in the future.

Tweets by ben27862875

The process

Before uploading any picture to Couplelablokes on Instagram it goes through a prototyping phase to ensure the image align’s with my digital artefacts purpose and objective. The stage’s an image goes through before being uploaded to Couplelablokes include:

1. The image must of been taken by myself
2. The image was taken on film
3. The image suits the pages theme of beach/surf culture, events & people

I go through this prototyping process every time before uploading an image to Couplelablokes to ensure my digital artefacts purpose and objective is not lost ensuring the theme is easy to identify for my audience and potential followers.

Inspiration

For Couplelablokes I have had two main sources of inspiration which include:

• Film Surf Photography page: Kooks.anonymous https://www.instagram.com/kooks.anonymous/
• Photographer: lukegouvignon https://www.instagram.com/lukegouvignon

I was drawn to both their styles of photography and how they structured their page. With both pages being clear in the theme of centring film photography around beach/surf culture. Which allows target audience’s to appreciate the detail and essence of the page.

It is through the influence of both pages that has helped shaped the creation of Couplelablokes. Enforcing that I prototype each image before uploading to establish a clear theme for my digital artefacts whilst also using inspiration from some of my favourite photographers for ideas.

Problem’s

During the prototyping stage Couplelablokes has come across various issues and obstacles with the main issues being:

• Limited audience engagement

Since the page only has a small audience it should make it easier to identify what about Couplelablokes they are enjoying. But I have struggled to target exactly what my audience is liking about my page due to the limited feedback and engagement from the audience.

Although my page has received one comment has seen below.

This comment alone wasn’t enough of an true indication to what my audience was enjoying about my page. So I went looking through the insights of my digital artefact and discovered:

• Surprisingly that a more recent post of person has received the most audience interaction.
• But the landscape, colour and beach/surf culture images tent to be the most consistent in regards to my audience’s interaction.

Improvements

To see how I could my audience engagement on Couplelablokes I looked for inspiration in the pages listed above to see if there was anything they were doing to enhance their audience engagement. I notice both pages had a common theme of using hashtags which was something I wasn’t previously doing on my page. Since then I have now used hashtags on my latest three posts.

This has result in minimal improvement but I am hoping over-time it will progress and encourage audience’s to engage on the page and whilst also adding to its presence.

Also, through the insights explained above I will have started to prototype Couplelablokes to centre more of the pages content around landscape, colour and beach/surf images while also including more content of people in images. Whilst also trying not to lose the pages original feel.

In turn of the problems my digital artefact have faced it is through the prototyping phase that has enabled me to further progress and innovate my digital artefact.

For the future

Through the prototyping stage I have learned new tools and have been further able to examine my digital artefacts weakness’s enabling me to better Couplelablokes. In the future with further audience engagement I’ll be continuing to centre more content around what they are enjoying without comprising the identity and theme of the page. I am also toying with the idea of creating a personal twitter account for Couplelablokes to reach a wider range of audiences and use it has engagement tool for the page. But overall want to keep enjoying what I’m creating and present something I can be proud of.

Platform

The page can be found through the link below on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/couplelablokes/?hl=en

Tweets by ben27862875

Since first having the idea of Couplelablokes the page has begun to slowly progress and grow over-time. In the prototyping stage of my digital artefact I have used the sole social media platform of Instagram to reach my target audience. Choosing to ignore other platforms has I believe Instagram because it is a free online photo-sharing application fitting my digital artefact process of sharing film based photo’s perfectly. It is through Instagram that I have been able to engage with my audience and receive feedback on my posts. With my main focus for Couplelablockes is to post content of film based photography that I have taken centred around beach/surf culture, people & events.

https://www.instagram.com/couplelablokes/?hl=en

Challenges Couplelablokes faced

My digital artefact has faced many challenges since its humble beginning 6 weeks ago. But the one that seemed to hinder the pages progression and ability to expand was audience engagement and interaction. With the first month my page generate little to no audience interaction. To improve this I:

• I shared the page’s link & engaged with my audience via my personal twitter account using polls.

I have done this in the hope to at least generate interest & acknowledgment that the page exists online.

I also reached out to people who use any image’s I have taken off them to tag the page when using them.

Couplelablokes Improvements

It is from these actions that the page has seen an:

• Increase in followers
• Increase in audience engagement
• Profile visits have also increased

It is also now through the new increased interaction I am better able to understand what my audience is liking about my page. As seen in the comment below.

The future of Couplelablokes

The main objectives continuing into the future is to keep enjoying what I’m creating. Whilst ensuring the page is constantly progressing and expanding avoiding plateau by prioritising audience engagement and feedback. I am also potentially creating a twitter account for Couplelablokes allowing the page to branch out into a new network of audience’s while using it has a tool to notify the page’s daily posts and updates.

Thanks heaps for reading! Cannot wait to share new content in the future.

Super size me

Is an American film released in 2004 that involves a social experiment in fast food gastronomy starring Morgan Spurlock (Spurlock) see’s him exist uniquely on food purely from only the McDonald’s menu for a month to see what this can do to a human’s health. Only being allowed to exercise has much as the average American citizen of 5,000 steps per day and must super size when asked. In the process his weight balloons, energy levels plummet and experiences all kinds unexpected and terrifying side effects. He does this with also a keen interest on exploring the effect of cooperate giants (MCdonald’s, KFC’s) growing role in American youth & adults and its contribution to America’s obesity epidemic.

Review

Not being much of film buff Super size me held my attention for all 1hr and 40 minutes and would go into one of the more unique film’s I,ve watched. As this film explores the worldwide epidemic of obesity and how these global fast food chains being primarily McDonald’s in Spurlock’s film is largely to play for this still current epidemic. The film highlights and showcase’s Spurlock’s weight gain of a total 11kg’s throughout his mouth journey with Spurlock’s previously being a fit, active New Yorker with a starting weight of 84kg’s but due to the extreme nature of the diet ends up weighting 95kg’s with a serve risk of permit liver damage demonstrating first hand the negative side effects of fast-food and undertaking this unique diet. But Spurlock’s motivation behind the film is obviously to get to the centre of America’s obesity problems whilst also having a deep desire to exploit the misleading marketing of McDonald’s and the effect this is having on their youth which can be seen at the start of the film where the group of children are singing global fast food chain’s such KFC, Pizza Hut & McDonald’s in song lyric’s highlight this misleading marketing. I found this film informative and eye opening surprising my knowledge of fast food and its affects making this a must watch for anyone with a general interest in health and well-being.

Where was it made?

The film Super Size Me was made in the American City of New York where Morgan Spurlock lives in the humble town of Manhattan with vegan wife and cook Sara Bernstein

Who is its intended audience?

The films targets audience are adults who go to McDonald’s or fast food chain’s regularly. The audience is largely aimed at all American’s to raise awareness to obesity crisis that is happening in American. His audience is also worldwide has obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death. I also believe Spurlock is having a dig at McDonald’s itself trying to show cooperate figures how their propaganda is negatively affecting the youth & adults of America.

Cultural knowledge needed to understand “Super Size Me”

Before viewing the film the only cultural understanding needed is the how the derailing American lifestyle and fast-food has lead to a culture of obesity and minimal exercise with more than 60% of the U.S population being overweight. Also viewer’s need to be aware of how McDonald’s globalisation and propaganda has managed to integrated itself into pop culture with logo’s such as the famous “Golden M” or slogans “Mcloving it”. But Spurlock cover’s both these cultural understanding well in the beginning of the film allowing the viewers to be update and helping their understanding and enjoyment of the film.

How Super Size Me relates to ideas of homogenisation

Homogenisation of Super Size Me occurred when the films themes of obesity & misleading marketing spread worldwide due to its global relateablilty with many nation’s facing similar challenges due to the globalisation of Mcdonald’s. With America’s power only adding to the film’s ability to travel across the globe raising awareness of the obesity epidemic that is occurring worldwide. With many nation’s using to adapt and show the film to again raise awareness of their own countries obesity. To try and persuade people to have a different outlook and perspective on their owe health.

Overall

Personally, I throughly enjoyed the film and recommended anyone with an interest in health and how fast-food is affecting the population to watch this film.

Reference’s

• EndocrineWeb, accessed 27th August 2019, https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/obesity/obesity-america-growing-concern
• Prezi.com, 2014, accessed 27th August 2019, https://prezi.com/45azfvygybpn/super-size-me/
• Prezi.com, 2012, accessed 27th August 2019, https://prezi.com/p9fhzl5rwdzr/globalization-super-size-me/

Where does the ‘television’ I consume come from?

Most of the television I consume come’s from mostly the Westernised world from nation’s such as America and in the form of demand streaming services such as Netflix and Stan has it generally has a large range of films, series and genres to chose from. Whilst also being cheap & easy to use. On Netflix’s or Stan I generally mostly watch Americanised television programs or films. Although I do also sometimes watch free to air television where I often watch Australian reality programs such as survivor. This to me showcase’s the changing world where people are no longer opting to watch free to air TV but would much prefer to watch it through streaming service’s (Netflix’s or Stan) where they have power over what they will watch leading to the decline in consumption of free to air TV.

What does television tell you about the world in which I live?

Most of my consumption of television coming through either my mobile to laptop due demand streaming service’s such as Netflix’s. This tells me I am living in a mostly an online world of television where accessibility and variety are king. With most of my consumption of television being by either Stan or Netflix’s mean’s I consume a lot of Americanised television and can even reflect on America’s heavy integration into Australian popular culture. This integration of popular culture can be seen through famous sitcoms such as Seinfeld making it ways to Australian via Foxtel and Stan.

Global Success

The television series ‘The Office’ can be seen as a global success with both the U.K and U.S version having their own success respectively. With the U.S version changing settings, portrayal of main characters and dialogue to better fit the American audience’s. For example Pam is much slimmer and more superficially beautiful than her U.K counterpart conforming to the more American ideal women. With British humour using regularly irony whilst using sarcasm to hide strong emotion. In contrast American humour is more straight forward and obvious predominantly using slapstick humour. The U.S version struggled at first just surviving its first season until write and producer Greg Daniels nailed both dialogue and character betrayal in season 2 where the show took off leading to the successful Americanisation of ‘The Office U.S’.

Reference

• (FKD), 2018, accessed 26th August 2019 http://www.genfkd.org/television-adapting-digital-era Griffin, Jeffery. ‘The Americanization of the Office: A Comparison of the Offbeat NBC sitcom and its British Predecessor’, Journal of Popular Film and Television, 35:4, Winter 2008, pp. 154-163.
• Porridge, 2017, accessed 26th August 2019, https://porridgemagazine.com/2017/05/19/the-americanisation-of-the-office-jason-garske/

What is it?

Music has the ability to travel globally has it is consumed by all. Which is why it also has the power and capacity to make its way into popular culture. Artist such as Stormzy & Skepta have to some degree made their way into popular culture through the musical genre of grime. Grime was born from numerous forms of music, drawing influences from Hip Hop, UK Garage, drum ‘n’ bass & Jungle to form its own genre of electronic dance music characterised by its 140bpm. Giving voice to the struggling London working class community before emerging in popularity around the 2000’s. Which was before mainly consumed by just the U.K before spreading its presence worldwide.

The affect of ‘cultural appropriation’ on the genre

The statement “Grime isn’t just music, it’s about the working class struggle & it’s new middle glass fans need to recognise the genre’s social importance” – Poppie Platt. Suggest that Grime new diverse audience of the middle class could also being ruining the culture of the genre. Leaving people to feel that how can they (the middle class) be apart of culture and lifestyle if they have never been apart of the struggle. Yet the genre new audience might come as an advantage helping increase its success and globalisation of the genre. Whilst forcing the middle class to hear their concerns in order for them to rethink their preconceptions of the working class.

Globalisation of the genre

Grime has the capacity to offer an identity. Which is open to all ethnicities, cultural & national backgrounds making it relatable worldwide. Although the contribution of the of black-culture can not be over-stated in the genre. With digital and social media potentially also at play for grime’s outbreak into mainstream music with introduction of Youtube allowing artist such as Stormzy to upload clips such as ‘Shut Up’ to a international audience allowing a much wider exposure for all artist and the genre.

Grimes ability to recognise nation’s issues & concern

“Im not a rapper, Im an activist” – Skepta. I think, that statement reflect’s how grime is intrinsic to London’s story and how it has given London’s street a voice. Using it has a platform to express all that is wrong, exploiting cultural and political issue’s which both can be seen in Skepta’s songs such as “Shutdown” urging people to listen to no politician. With his beliefs that the government is a gang and is bullying us. While “Man” Skepta happily announce how London’s come a long way from the days when white and blacks never use to mix. Showcasing how grime has given artist’s a voice to express all that is wrong with the world.

Referencing

• Adam, R 2018, “Home Sweet Home, That’s Where I Come From, Where I Got MyKnowledge of the Road and the Flow From” (Kano, “Home SweetHome”): Grime Music as an Expression of Identity in Postcolonial London: Popular Music and Society’, pp. 1-18, accessed 28th August 2019 from Scopus.
• Medium, 2016, accessed 28th August 2019,https://medium.com/@politicsndat/why-critics-of-the-uk-grime-scene-s-new-diverse-audience-need-to-fix-up-look-sharp-53d08ee7b696
• Time Out London, 2016, accessed 28th August 2019, https://www.timeout.com/london/music/skepta-interview-im-not-a-rapper-im-an-activist

Since learning that we will be making a Digital Artefact for bcm114. I have been racking my brain for ideas in which will hopefully reflect something that is true of myself and that I can look back on be proud of regardless. I started the process by asking myself what I’m interested in with three things only coming to my mind where the beach, photography & sport. So with these three key theme’s in mind I decided to jot down some idea’s on a mind map to see what I came up with.

Mind Map

Idea

The mind map allowed me the clarity to pick an idea in which I would enjoy the most and have the largest passion in. This left me with the idea to:

• Create an Instagram page based around film-photography
• Which will be centred around beach culture/lifestyle, people & events
• Images will not be restricted to a particular style or colour of photography with the page using both landscape & portrait whilst being opening to using both colour and Black & White film
• Posting weekly & interacting regularly
• With the pages target audience being around those who enjoy the uniqueness to film photography.

To me, from all that I’ve learnt so far in bcm114 I knew that failing early & failing often (FEFO) was apart of the process of creating my Digital Artefact. This to me meant that if I failed early in my project (film-based photography page) it will only allow although me to better it. Enforcing to me that I should stick by my idea and see where it leads me.

Platforms

I intent to use both Twitter & Instagram for my Digital Artefact.

Equipment

• Cannon EOS 500
• Film
• Computer
• Iphone

Audience Interaction

My audience will be obtained through both Twitter & Instagram as said above. This will allow me to ask the audience what content they want to see more off. I will use both twitter and Instagram to make polls regarding the pages content. Through these polls I will be able to obtain information such as if the audience is enjoying the Black & White over colour film. This will allow me to adjust my page’s content to better suit the preference of my audience. My Digital Artefact is open to all on Instagram but will mainly target those who enjoy film photography especially centred around the beach culture and lifestyle. Which in turn will hopefully inspiring people to get into this type of photography.

I am also hopeful that through my Digital Artefact idea I will now be able to share the type of photography I enjoy and find interesting giving me the courage to put more of what I like out into the world. Whilst also build my experience and portfolio for any opportunities outside university.

Progression

It is through my Instagram photography page (Couplelablokes) below the audience is able to view content and stay up to date with the page.

Since beginning the page within the last two weeks it’s engagement has hovered around 5-6. But within the last week it has slowly improved to 7 and with the last post gaining a new best of 10 showing that the page is slowly enhancing and not plateauing.

Although my page has not taken off incredible well in terms of follower’s or engagement in the ideating phase I don’t believe my Digital Artefact is failing. With this being my first ever Digital Artefact my focus was to primarily just create something I would enjoy working on and be proud of regardless.

Evaluation

I believe I’ve accomplished a successful progress in my Digital Artefact through the ideating phase. Where I’ve undergone each element of thinking, observing, defining and ideating. With continued work hopefully my page will continued to improve and succeed in the coming future.

Tweets by ben27862875

Pitch Brief

What It Is

Couplablokes is an film based photography Instagram page where I will be posting pictures from mostly around the Cronulla area with my cheap second hand camera. With most content being centred around the beach/surf culture & people. With the page posting similar images as seen below.

Why This

CouplaBlokes will provide me a platform which will enable me to post photos which previously would of gone unseen and explore a passion in photograpghy.

How This Will Work

I intent to upload pictures recently or previously taken using Instagram as my primary social media site to post. Since it is a free online photo-sharing application and network which I believe will be the perfect platform for my digital artefact enabling me to connect, follow and contact with like minded people.

How This Can Progress

Couplablokes will grow through time & sharing of the account. Which will hopefully leading to a progression in the pages interact and followers.

Who Will Benefit

People with an interest in film based photography.

Add it on insta if you wish!