During this semester, my digital artefact is filming some videos as it is a valuable experience to study alone in a foreign country. I started making videos before this subject begins, initially to show my parents I am all good in Australia; however, I found this is a suitable thing to be as my da. The problem I am addressing is due to Covid-19 pandemic disrupts everyone’s plan to go abroad and I am so appreciate to have been able to come to Australia at this difficult time. Therefore, I would like to share some interesting experience over here in order to accompany my audience through this period of time. I want to make a YouTube series about school vlogs because it is a significant turning point in my life and I want to be a YouTuber. Based on my research on my friends in Taiwan, I decided to create a YouTube channel due to they enjoy watching people studying abroad in different countries. I thought this would be useful for Taiwanese students because they can understand and compare the differences between themselves and international students. I decided I will develop this project by creating a YouTube channel and upload some vlogs also combine some culture comparison.
Important learning moment
Event One: Feedback loops
First, I began to design my home page to let it look better and then began to upload my first video (first vlog in Australia) when looking back to that video now, I can see a huge improvement not only from data but also film quality. In the very first three films, I am still confused because I don’t know if my target audience will come and watch my videos. Not surprisingly, the click-through rate for the initial video was really low; however, Ted had mentioned in one week’s lecture that ‘If you are not failing, you are not learning’. It really motivates me because I think of it as I’m learning something and I’m happier.
There was a time when I was really down due to lockdown I couldn’t go out and film some videos which limited me. Despite that I am still working part-time, so I decided it could be my video topic. That video got numerous feedbacks whether suggested me something I can improve on or encouraging me. At this stage, the number of feedbacks accumulated from the previous time to that time is also quit high, so I began to analyse them and synthesize them which means that put things together in a new way.
What I learnt from this
Feedback loops play a significant role in my da process. It allows me to get in touch with my target audience and know what they want to see or ideas. I have noticed the importance of feedbacks and connect with my target audience due to they can make what we are doing better.
Event two: Prototyping, Breaking and re-making & Beta
After receiving these feedbacks, I began to analysis these content and build them up in a new way. I also made a paper prototype about my video trailer which gave me a better idea of what I was looking for when I was editing. Furthermore, I had look through other Youtuber’s video such as Sherry, VanessaLiao, Amanda and 4M8er in order to give me some editing improvement and some ideas. Then, my da is reaching the stage of Breaking and re-making which I had pulled things apart and built them in a new way. At that stage, beta assignment made me reconsider my da and progress so that I was more aware of if I’m on the right track.
What I learnt from this
The most important thing is that I learnt how to paper prototype and understand the phase of analysis and synthesis. By applying #fefo and #bebo, made me less fear of failure and remained me to build thing more often.
Event three: Others
At first, I edited a video expecting to be done in 1 hour, but it took me a whole day！This has resulted in me uploading videos very infrequently. Moreover, I had advertise one of my video on my Instagram which apparently increased the click-through rate.
What I learnt from this
Due to this digital artefact, I’ve understand how hard it is to edit. At first, I though editing a video is an easy work and would not spend too much time; however, learning from scratch is challenging. This led to my artefact’s development could not be fast (#FIST) which means this is something I need to improve on in my future development. Also, I learnt the importance of sharing my work to others which in week 8 lecture Ted had mentioned: If you make something but don’t share it, was it made? Now I’m willing to share my work with others.
Yu-Tung 