Web 2.0 is a creation which has revolutionised the way the musical theatre and the dance industry works. Not only does it let us directly be in contact with casting agents and other performers but it saves a lot of time and money which performers tend not to have either of! Of course any aid can come with it's downfalls which I would like to discuss here as well but there is no doubt that it has completely changed the way we work.
Many things sprung to mind when web 2.0 was raised in our lecture. I know I use Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and other websites every day for long periods of time for social use, but as graduation drew closer I found myself using these websites for my career too. One example I would like to use is 'dance cast'. Dance cast is a Facebook group which you can be asked to join for upcoming auditions for not only dance jobs, but the look for singers, actors and extras too. The beauty of this is that the jobs on the page are not just for the UK but for all over the world, giving you sometimes details of the casting director, choreographer, producer which is amazing as it completely broadens the amount of jobs available to performers. Even better that it is all free and on a website I use everyday to chat to my friends and check out photos.
This however, does raise the point that can we now ever separate work life from home life? Everyone needs their 'downtime' and with auditions at the tip of our fingers can we ever relax? It's a hard enough industry when you are in class, and when you are at auditions, do we need to be reminded of it so frequently? Especially if we have a smartphone...which brings me nicely onto my next point. Accessibility.
With web 2.0 and smartphones you are constantly connected to these networking sites. This has a massive impact on the way we live, especially as a performer auditioning. We can be emailed/text/tweeted/skyped...or even be rung by someone(!) to find out about a casting. But it's not just getting a job that web 2.0 can help us with, it's also keeping that job and being organised. Rehearsal schedules, social meets, reviews and promotion for a show all use Facebook and twitter. Creating event pages and groups is an amazing way for everyone to keep in contact with each other in one communal place, which is the whole allure of web 2.0 that Tim O'Reilly shows in the reader; "The users add content to the site, and the more the users access the site and add data the better the site becomes." Saying that the more we add to a site, the greater the appeal to it as we can have an influence on how a page works.
I think that web 2.0 is a brilliant tool for performers, casting directors, agents etc as it gives us all a wider variety of jobs and clients in an effective way. Not only is it instant but it is free and quick to use! For me, the benefits outweigh any problem, as I would like to have as many opportunities as possible!
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Hi Emma - I completely relate to your views on 'Web 2.0 in the workplace'.
ReplyDeleteAs the owner of a smart phone myself, I am constantly recieving emails about castings, auditions, workshops, other employment, etc, from my own agent and other agencies such as 'Dance Cast'. The same thing applys to Web 2.0 sites such as 'Facebook', where I regualarly recieve posts, messages, invites, etc, all realted to employment and the entertainment industry. Knowing this, I automtically check my phone constantly through out the day without even realising I'm doing it.
I too, agree that Web 2.0 is a brilliant and cost effective way to beable to access a much wider range of job oppotuniies. I feel the pros considerably out weigh the cons. However; if I were to answer the questions you posed: 'Can we now ever separate work life from home life?' and 'With auditions at the tip of our fingers can we ever relax?' - my answer would probably be no.
In an industry where everything moves incredibly fast, I think it is very important to beable to recieve information what ever time of the day or week. But looking at it as a work/life balance: Is it that healthy to never beable to disconnect from work for some downtime? With the constant reminder of work (through the use of Web 2.0)does it start to take away the enjoyment and passion we have for our art?
These aren't questions I would necassarily say yes too; but they are questions I asked myself after reading your views!
Let me know what you think xxx
I once went to a conference where the very last speaker - this was around 2004 ish - that one day we would have to pay for our privacy. However, who can afford to be out of the loop and now that the loop is 24/7? On the other hand older practitioners still want to keep their pace - so this is still a transitional time. Did you hear the story that the writer's for the King's speech by-passed Geoffrey Rush's agent and delivered the script to his house in the hopes he would be interested?
ReplyDeleteHi Emma, interesting post. I really related to your comments about where the workplace ends... I often find myself checking audition sites, emails and now Google reader for this course when I should be having 'me' time. Also now I have a smartphone on a contract with unlimited internet I tend to flick between things casually very often to see if anything is updated. So in a sense work could quite easily take over our personal life.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I'm making the most of a two hour train journey now to catch up with commenting- so it has its uses!