MPI305 – 2006 #2

Ideas, Research and Time Management

I have trouble with both written research and creative practical assignments. As a result I have decided to research a working method that is structured so that it is comprehensive to encourage thoroughness yet flexible so as to be applied to both kinds of work.

I have begun creating a rough sketch of what the preproduction and production process of my assignments should be like. For this part of my research I have been referencing exclusively from Research and Composition: A Guide for the Beginning Researcher.

At the moment my reasearch is split into three sections: Ideas, Research and Time Management. Ideas and Research can be performed simultaneously or seperately (one after the other) depending on the assignment, with Ideas being more applicable to practical creative assignments than written research assignments.

Ideas (practical creative assignments)

I have a lot of trouble coming up with ideas for my creative assignments. Usually I have a vague image of a still from a scene in my head that is unattached to a story or an articulated event. Rather, it is a snapshot of something I find interesting (such as a fight scene or a stormy beach etc) asking me to design a story around it which more often than not is too difficult a challenge for me to meet. So essentially it is not finding the idea that is my problem. Rather, it is the development of an idea into a coherent story/script that is the biggest hurdle in my creative process.

So far I have found one way of combatting this mental block. I am yet to test it out, so it remains a theory for the time being. I have decided that going to the library and looking through creative books and videos (such as photography, fine art, cinema, and poetry) could assist me in finding ways to develop my ideas into finished works.

The visual stimulants (photography, fine art, cinema etc) could help me with visualising my thoughts. This means I would have a better idea of character and set concepts and for the composition of scenes for storyboarding. Obviously the idea is not to copy another artists work. It is about gaining an idea of what is acceptable aesthetically and what is original (and cliched, so you know what to avoid). It also helps to see other completed works to get an idea of how to tell a story both visually and structurally (does it have to be told in a linear fashion or could you tell the story from end to the beginning or from someone elses perspective etc). Of course, this would only be helpful if the student is willing to analyse and learn from the resources.

Written works (scripts, stories and poetry) are helpful with providing examples of how well written pieces should sound. This means the student can get an idea of what sounds good and what does not sound so good. They can also learn about grammar and different writing styles (such as prose, haiku and ballad). A brilliant piece of work could have started as a small idea that turned into a poem, then a story, then a script. Reading a wide variety of writings allows you to develop an idea with ease using the techniques you learn from those writings.

All of the practical and written works mentioned above could also provide inspiration for the student, and a formula to work to if they are unsure of how to go about their work in the beginning.

Research (written research assignments and some practical creative assignments)

Once you have your idea or have been given your research assignment question it is a good idea to research your topic. A good place to start is the encyclopaedia. An encyclopaedia will give you a general overview of what you are researching. Research should never end with the encyclopaedia! Once you have an understanding of the topic you can use the encyclopaedia to direct you to other resources. For example, in the topic of vampires the encyclopaedia might mention the names of some specific vampires or vampire countries that you may wish to research further.

Additional research can be done in the library and on the internet, though it is important to be cautious when using the internet as some sites are not as trustworthy as others when it comes to the legitimacy of their information.

For the most part I use Google to search the web for sites. Google seems to be the most reliable engine for returning relevant and usable sites, but you still need to be careful. I also use SIGRAPH and CTHEORY to find information online. These sites provide entry to a good database of articles and writings on many different topics.

Time Management (written research assignments and practical creative assignments)

As I mentioned in my last post I am terrible with time management. As a part of my research into finding a better working method for myself I am looking into ways I can save time so I can spend it on being more productive.

So far I have learned the importance of aquainting yourself with your library and the services it provides. It seems very simple however, I have to admit that I didn’t attempt to use the uni library until second year, all because I decided to skip the library tour in O-week and was too scared to go in and ask the librarians for their help. So I spent first year commuting to and from the National Library in Canberra every so often to do my research for my assignments. Was the uni library as hard as I thought it would be? Not at all. Those hours I spent driving to my resources could have been spent with my resources being productive. I have learned that every hour counts.

Something else I have learned since first year is the importance of keeping an organised and readily available copy of your bibliography. This saves hours of poring over pages of notes in an attempt to find a resource to add to your bibliography or to rehire. This also works for quotes. Keeping page numbers and titles with each quote can save a lot of time at the end. There is nothing more frustrating than finishing an assignment only to realise you have 5 unsourced quotes and 20 resources to go through to find them.

Areas I need to research are: preproduction and motivational techniques. I will also provide a diagram illustrating how the working method I am developing for myself can be applied to both practical creative assignments and written research assignments.

Inglish, J., Jackson, J., Research and Composition: A Guide for the Beginning Researcher, Prentice-Hall Inc., New Jersey, 1977

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