Hi, my name is Gordon O’Neill and I am the founder of iotaMEDIA. iotaMEDIA is a full service production company working with a diverse range of clients form blue chip companies to SME’s and charities.
We have been involved in running creative video courses in schools, colleges, youth organisations and business for the last five years. The courses enable students to explore their creativity, stretch their imaginations and come away with a sound understanding of the video production process, as well as develop valuable key skills that enhance personal development such as team building and project management.
We have worked on several occasions in Chalfont Community College, myself and members of my team have greatly enjoyed our time working with students. It is a great thrill when you see a young person have an idea and through the process we take them through translate that idea into a production to be viewed by others.
C1 The ability to identify and address new issues and challenges creatively
Video production involves planning, it is important that the students are led through this planning process emphasising that this will enable them to create the best production possible production. A camera is a technical tool, in the hands of a gifted film maker it is a story teller. Our task is helping young people to see beyond the technical and to the creative use of the equipment from cameras to computers.
C2 The development and communication of new skills, ideas, knowledge and understanding
For me the biggest challenge is enabling young people to use technology and to use it in a creative way. The assumption that every young person is a computer whizz kid is inaccurate, in our experience a young persons knowledge of a computer does not go very much beyond msn or bebo.
Beyond the technical aspects, we need to encourage and enable the students to communicate their ideas. The hardest aspect of creative video making
C4 Co-construction of learning with young people
The hardest challenge is to allow the young people to make mistakes and also to come up with new ways of looking at something. Allowing people the freedom to have their own ideas however “out there” is common in the work place, particularly within the creative sector. The temptation to over direct is a strong one and the challenge during the ILP is to listen to the young people’s ideas and then try to help them realise them.
