Being honest sucks in a job!

[Mysterious Gurl]

Hey guys & gurls,

 

I need to talk to someone and I need some advice.

 

Okay ... so I do this GNVQ media studies course and I have finished my 5 minute fillm footage on smoking.

 

There are 5 groups and every group produced a video. At the end all the videos where viewed to the class so that we could do an evaluation for everyboys footage and they did one for mine.

 

I have questions like:

 

What did you dislike about the video?

 

What would you change about the video?

 

Anyway this group did a music video for the tsunami. I have to evaluate it.

I put my honest answer. It was harsh but I feel I marked if fairly. I marked it as though I was exam marker looking at the tape.

 

I feel bad because everyone marked my video as exelent ... I got a couple of comments that didn't really like the film for little reason. (which yeah fair enough I don't expect everyone to like it)

 

I got good results for my film. I think people marked other videos as a popularity contest and I marked everyones harshly but truthfully.

 

Now I'm being teased, pressured talked about and slaged off. Even getting personal offencive comments. What should I do? I feel bad but I don't regret marking the video honestly!

 

I can't tell a teacher. I don't want them thinking 'poor lil miya being picked on again'

 

even Shaz thinks im harsh and weird! great!

Please help!

 

Miya

[annie24]

I'm surprised that these comments weren't anonymous. I think that would be better, so people don't tease each other after the fact. I wouldn't even deal with the people teasing you about it. Tell them, "it's none of your business, what I wrote on someone's evaluation." You don't have to justify anything. I agree - you were truthful, you didn't treat it like a popularity contest. Tell people who are giving you problems to buzz off.

[SouthernSon]

Sometimes people tease or insult just to get a response from you. It takes a time to develop a thick skin, but sometimes that is the best way to go.

[Mysterious Gurl]

Thanks you two.

 

I felt bad when I read the comments that I got about my video because they were all compliments. Yeah I got the odd one or two pointers that can be fixed.

 

It's just I analyised each video carefully. I looked at how each scene ended and started, the structure, context and how well the film was thought out.

 

I did give a couple of people really good compliments. Having to right an evaluation for people on dislikes and improvments is hard.

 

I never put my name on any of the sheets but people worked out my handwriting, because there was a big argument as to who wrote the evaluation, so at this point I was like 'Ooh Crap! what am I going to do ... it's my work!'

 

Then when they found out I got such a fit from everyone. Then I got people saying "Well her film wasn't that good it doesn't have a point" & "My videos heaps better anyways!"

 

I feel gutted. While they where making these remarks they where watching me to see how I reacted but I never gave them any saticfaction.

 

Miya

[annie24]

I think like SouthernSon said, you have to develop a thick skin. Some people are jealous and want to try to make you feel bad. Don't let it get you down. What did your teacher think of your presentation. It's very true - your harshest critics are your peers. They may be jealous because they think you did the best job.

 

Now, I don't know if you did this or not, but when you write the critiques of others, write good things as well as constructive critisism. Even with the worst presentation, there is something good to say about it, like the length of the presentation was good, or it was an interesting topic.

 

Anyways, don't worry - this will pass soon, you'll forget all about it!

[Mysterious Gurl]

I did write really good coments for everybodys. There was one film I didn't mark down as a dislike or change.

 

I had to mark it fairly and I marked my video honestly as well. I think when I did a mark on the tsunami footage I put:

 

What would you change about the film?

 

I would improve the lighting to bring out the facial features more on scenes one and two.

All three of them sang well however I feel it could be improved because the laughing spoilt it. (Tanya, lindsay and simone were laughing while singing)

I would alter the beginning because the video clip, talking and the facts are too much. It's difficult to focus on 3 things at once.

 

Thats what I put.

 

Then I got really nasty comments off everyone, personal things. In the end I left and went to my lessons crying I just barged past the teachers when they asked what was up. I felt low.

 

Miya

[DN]

I belong to a theatre group and we enter our shows in festival and so they get adjudicated (critiqued).

 

I spoke to an adjudicator who is well liked and he said that the trick to not offending people with criticism is "nice, nasty, nice". You start by complimenting something, then you say what could be improved (never say something was bad) and then you compliment something else.

 

This way, people feel that you are on their side rather than just trashing what they did. The first compliment makes them happy, then they will listen to the adverse stuff more acceptingly and then you lift their spirits with another compliment.

 

I know the questions were not designed like that but you can still adapt it. e.g.

 

"I liked the lighting overall, it set the right mood, I felt more emphasis on facial features would have made it easier to see. The scene lighting was very clear."

 

"The singing was very good, the laughing was a distraction, but I loved the song"

 

"I liked the imaginative use of clips and voice overs, but felt some distinction between them would have helped make things clearer, although the voices were easy to listen to."

 

Don't say anything not true but you can usually find something positive to say, just mix it with the negative stuff to soften it.

[Mysterious Gurl]

wow! never thought of doing it like that!!!

 

I'll do that next time. I just didn't want to say the film wasperfect and couldn't find a fault with it incase my teachers though 'Man is she blind!?!?'

 

So I put an honest answer. I'll do the nice, nasty,nice trick next time.

 

what should I do about their comments? I have tried telling the bugger off but itjust causesmore chaos.

 

Thanks everyone!!!!

 

Miya

[DN]

Maybe apologise if anything you said caused offence. Don't take back what you said but say you could have phrased it better. Then let it go - it will all die away soon

[Mysterious Gurl]

I just wrote it how a examiner would mark it. My teachers thought it was well wrote.

 

But I can't please them by saying it's good when it wasn't. They are going to have to like it or lump it.

I just don't appreciate people giving me grief over it when they wouldn't dream of giving grief to teachers about it. I think it's because I'm more vunrable

Miya