Ashleigh Adair
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Film and Media Studies
Giving a presentation on how virtual reality storytelling can be a force for good to 200 charity professionals at King's College London is something that would daunt a lot of people, but not Ashleigh Adair, thanks to her time at the University of Otago.
"I had plenty of practice presenting my ideas and papers to my classmates whilst studying digital media and marketing so now I can confidently present to rooms full of professional peers and industry specialists."
The wide range of subjects available within the Media, Film and Communication department was a huge benefit to her studying there. It gave her room to experiment with film history, foreign film-making and digital media and to see what was most interesting. One area of study she really enjoyed was industry structure and the impact of the (then) emerging digital revolution on film production.
"Learning the history of film and exploring the wider context of the modern media industry, makes you ponder the future of that business structure and the impact of digital technology on audience experiences."
Reviewing an array of films such as animations, documentaries, fiction and non-fiction, and studying the unique styles of the world's most famous directors were also interesting but Ashleigh says her degree was so much more than that.
"The skills and knowledge you'll gain can be applied to many other industries when you eventually enter the workforce. There are things I learned during my time at Otago that I now rely on all the time, such as the ability to analyse audience insights, write strategic communications plans and present to rooms full of people."
Ashleigh is an Insights Analyst for LinkedIn in London, UK.