Creative Technologies '19

LAN, WAN, WLAN, MAN, SAN. All types of networking - but none of which I will be discussing in this post. Instead I will be stressing the importance of building up connections towards other professionals/companies in your field. That networking. I will begin with addressing the question: Why is networking so important? After all, how far will just having a conversation with someone take you as opposed to spending that time expanding your knowledge and growing as a developer. For a start, your 'soft skills' can really drive you forward in the creative industries - especially computing. I don't blame the outside world when they stereotype people in the field of computing as introverted, lacking social skills, or a plain old 'weirdy beardy'. We set at computers for hours on end sometimes not even seeing the light of day. Sometimes, you need to stand up, walk away from your electronical devices and go sharpen up your conversational skills. After all, what use is being ...

In the creative industries freelancing has always been viable, but in the modern era it's becoming increasingly more viable with people building their online presence as their own personal .... But as appealing as it sounds, is it really the way forward for creative types? Join me as I take out the yellow notepad and review the benefits and drawbacks of freelancing. As a young person studying web development, the idea of freelancing is very exciting to me. What appeals to me is being able to make money from my work so early, which can be sorely needed as a student. I recently done a freelance job for local restaurant*, it took around 6 months (I will try to refine this in the future) and I was very pleased with the outcome, and so was my client. I got to expand my knowledge of web development and I am to be payed for my work (albeit a discounted price as i am still learning). This whole process was very helpful to me, and fit around my studies perfectly, and I hope to source mor...

IP Intellectual property rights are the rights you have over a piece of work that you have created or even just theorised. In this post I will try to convey the importance IP rights have in the creative industries, especially with an every growing technological world. Say you're on the train with your mate, you're talking, you go on to tell him this extraordinary plan of an app you're going to build. This app could do everything. It'll save lives, increase employment, end world hunger, cure cancer and in the meantime make you millions. Your mate replies with "Cool". Oh well, maybe it wasn't such a great idea. Best just scrap the lot. Then, one morning, an indefinite amount of time later, you wake up to find the headline: 'Mobile App Saves the World'. Oh? What could this be? You go on to investigate. This all sounds so familiar. Wait, hold up a sweet second. This is my app. How could this be? You start to recall everyone you told. Mum? ...

Does the concept of professionalism apply to the creative industries?  Yes. Very much so. But why? After all, most of the creative industries mainly have these flowy, do-what-you-want, think outside the box type roles - why would we want to put rules and restrictions on a field that is inherently liberal? Well, that is the very reason itself. In fact, you could make a case that professionalism and codes of conduct are more vital in the creative industries than most other industries. Let's start off by recapping what a code of conduct is. According to Collins dictionary the definition is as follows - "The code of conduct for a group or organisation is an agreement on rules of behaviour for the members of that group or organisation". This applies to the way you interact with clients, coworkers, the outside world and also the approach you take to your creative work. In computing, we have professional bodies such as the British Computing Society (BCS...

In my opinion, what makes a outstanding portfolio or show reel isn't just the grades or academic achievements within it, it is what sets you apart from every other person with those same pieces of paper. You. Your interests, your hobbies, who you are as a person is just as, if not more, important than your samey CV. Sure, technical ability is important, but any human on the planet can learn. It's about the examples of having worked with other humans in a professional environment, or how you approached a certain situation, or your inviting nature for people to approach you within a team, these are the ways that set you apart from others and ultimately set you up for success within a company or project. It also adds a different layer on to your portfolio, making you more personable, so employers see you as a real person as opposed to a slideshow or 3-page word document. Be sure to mention these things in a separate section or page in your portfolio and you'll find yourself ga...