We were set the task to create a campaign video about a subject important to us. This exercise enabled us to use social networking and self publication sites such as Youtube in order to generate as much awareness for our campaign as possible.
I chose to make a campaign video about giving blood, as demonstrated by my interviewees- not enough young people seem to know about giving blood, and are actually becoming blood donors. I started giving blood when I was 17, the age you can start at and it is a cause I feel strongly about.
I found this exercise slightly challenging working all on my own and quickly having to learn to use new software and equipment. However I really liked the idea and once I got into it I started to really feel engaged with my campaign. I found it quite inspiring when looking at the website http://battlefront.co.uk/ and the project channel four has initiated to encourage young people to use the Internet to get their voice across. I think I took most inspiration from a video made encouraging people to be an organ donor.
I found this exercise to relate to an earlier topic. Is the internet killing our culture? A lot of the criticisms of the internet here, primarily those of Andrew Keen who would argue yes, the internet is 'killing our culture'. Would deny me the right and publish such a video believing such forms of publication should be reserved for professionals. Amateur publications in his view are full of rubbish and creating a valueless culture where creative works have no authority.
This view seems to ignore the competence of any underground artist or talented amateur who has not yet been discovered and most of all seems to ignore the potential of such self expression for the young people of today. Such works are not intended to have authority and value really they are just examples of creative outlets and experimentation as my own video demonstrates. Emily Bell supports this side of the argument surrounding the internet v culture debate which can be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/aug/10/andrewkeenvemilybell
I find Andrew Keen's view to be extremely pessimistic and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding about the internet and it's most popular functions.Youtube and Facebook are great places for this campaign video I have made to be shared potentially globally, to create interest and awareness in the issue. Such platforms act as outlets for issues which are affecting today's youth as well as less serious creative works, the appeal is that anything can be published!
I really liked this exercise, and how it demonstrated uses for social networking and self publishing sites which were not purely for teenage babble but a chance for more serious issues to be touched upon and discussed.
I have currently posted my video to my facebook page and have invited friends to watch it and comment on it. Not as much discussion has happened so far as I had anticipated. But I have had comments from people I hadn't expected, who have had experiences with blood transfusions and also feel passionate about the cause. I guess these things take time to build up interest. I might post it again in order to get more attention for it on facebook.
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