My own practice is based on filmmaking, however as a specialist film and video technician, I teach the technical elements of filmmaking to the students at UAL CSM. I start off by teaching them how to visualise the production and then we go through the process of reverse engineering to bring their ideas into reality.

Within my workshop I aim for students to learn a new sets of skills which requires the brain to work quite hard. From the results I’ve had in my workshops, the best way to be able to create those new knowledge bases, is to use reverse engineering. This entails looking at still and moving image, then dissect key aesthetic choices, analyse them and then recreate them (Eilam, E.,2005). Reverse engineering includes lighting design (even looking at the shadow pattern), editing techniques, and camera movements and angles, lenses used and how we can identify the aesthetics we enjoy most.

Norman Doidge (2007) in his book ‘The brain that changes itself’ reveals that the human brain is not fixed at learning, but instead has the remarkable ability to adapt and change throughout life. The brain is capable of creating new neural networks, which showcases an amazing ability called neuroplasticity, it has the ability to rewire itself. This is how new habits and skills are formed.

With the above in mind, brain building is taking place as reverse engineering is utilised in my workshop, because students are learning how to reflect and identify key effects. They recreate those aesthetic choices within an environment where I can provide learning scaffolding to perpetuate new skills in a safe environment. Here students also understand the risks associated to the equipment and how to manage them.

Thompson and Thompson (2008) in ‘The critically Reflective practitioner’ made key points, that we as practitioners and teachers should consider in terms of reflection. I deduced the following with regards to reverse engineering:

• Reflective practice is a professional responsibility so that everyone can get better in their daily work.
• Personal reflective space is crucial, Clutterbuck (1998) highlights the need for dedicated mental space for critical analysis and understanding.
• Critical analysis develop students’ ability to ask questions about the aesthetics they enjoy, developing effective media production management strategies, so they can plan their film shoots well.
•  Learning effective work flow strategies is vital to develop skills and techniques for ones own practice.
• And because reflection emphasises individual initiative, it would encourage the curious mind to ask better questions; which is exactly what needs to be done during the process of reverse engineering.

Overall, developing reflective practice requires individual commitment alongside efforts to improve the way students ask questions, to break down a process of reverse engineering, so we can foster productivity and improved thinking.

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References:

Clutterbuck, D. (1998). Learning alliances: Tapping into talent. CIPD Publishing.

Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. Penguin Books.

Eilam, E.(2005). Reversing: Secrets of Reverse Engineering. Wiley Publishing. p. 595. ISBN 978-0-7645-7481-8.

Thompson, S, & Thompson, N 2008, The Critically Reflective Practitioner, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [5 February 2024]. Created from ual on 2024-02-05 17:36:54.