Appendix B Understanding Mass and Mediated Communication^551NAME: Carly Gilleland
OCCUPATION: Videographer/photographer/studio managerMy life is about mes-
sages and perspec-
tives. I run a video
production and pho-
tography company and chronicle messages for
clients in one of two ways. First, I do lifestyle
video and photography work that includes cover-
ing private events like weddings, engagements,
and parties. Second, I work with businesses in
order to provide marketing and product materi-
als, such as promotional videos, internal training
videos, and even yoga fitness DVDs.
It is vital that I understand the perspectives
of my clients to fashion the words and visuals
that tell their stories. Lifestyle work often means
that I have to tailor my approach to each client
I work with, since I’m capturing an event that is
often very personal. When doing business and
marketing work, I take a more professional tone,
since the focus should be mainly on the organi-
zation and its needs.
While getting my degree in film and media
studies, I took full advantage of courses and
opportunities. I never met a communication
course I didn’t like, and I got early experience in
leadership, marketing, fundraising, and videog-
raphy by getting involved in campus and com-
munity activities related to those courses. In the
lead-up to President Barack Obama’s inaugura-
tion, a group of communication students and
I made a three-week road trip documentary to
document the occasion. In college, I also startedshooting marketing videos for the Special Olym-
pics, which I continue to do up to this day.
Although I enjoyed my interpersonal course
in college, I didn’t expect just how important it
would turn out to be. In order to craft messages
and understand others’ perspectives, I have
to constantly adjust my communication style,
and that takes skills of perception, language,
nonverbal communication, and listening. Just
one example is my current role in freelancing at
Civitan, a volunteer organization with a special
emphasis on helping people with developmental
disabilities. My sister is autistic and has Turner’s
syndrome, and I feel so honored to be able to
use my media and interpersonal skills to help not
only her but also the many children and adults
who have disabilities in our community (along
with their families). Here again, messages and
perspectives are so important when I’m shooting
short videos (for both internal and marketing pur-
poses). Some of the people are more receptive
to nonverbal messages, whereas others respond
better to clear, precise language.
Messages and perspectives are important in
my personal life, too. My young daughter is a lit-
tle sponge, taking in everything I do and say, and
I want to send the right messages to her. To do
this, I must take her perspective into account—
not expecting too much or too little of her for her
age. My career allows me a lot of flexibility, so I’m
able to get the balance of family and career that
makes me a happy person.real communicator
you love, distinguish the good from poor versions of these forms, and recognize
the value of parodies of these conventions (such as the Daily Show on Comedy
Central). With digital media technology, there are many more grammars that you
have to learn: Twitter and Facebook, for example, each has its own vernacular,
privacy settings, and ways of sharing information. With emerging media, you need
to understand where your messages are going and to whom, as well as what it may
mean in different online contexts to, for example, subscribe, like, or re-tweet.19_OHA_45766_App_B_530_556.indd 55119_OHA_45766_App_B_530_556.indd 551 13/10/14 5:39 PM13/10/14 5:39 PM