First, I would like to introduce myself:



My name is Michaela Püchel,
I was born on 07.08.1987
in Halberstadt.


I’m single
and currently living in Etgersleben,
a small village near Magdeburg.

Curriculum Vitae (download personal data sheet)

After graduating at the Egelner high school in 2007, I began to study computational visualistics at the Otto-von-Guericke-University (short OvGU) in Magdeburg. However, by the end of the 3rd semester, I realised that this course did not meet my expectations and abilities. So while I enjoyed the work on the software project »Godtobe« and the challenge to write my own program in C, I had trouble following the function of complex flip-flop circuits. Therefore in 2009, I applied with a media product for the admission restricted course media education - visual culture and communication (short mvc), which was also offered at the OvGU. The time until I got my confirmation - in other words the summer semester 2009, I bridged with various activities, such as writing applications, a two-week training course in the Communication Factory as well as trial work for Teilzeit Thiele where I worked as a call centre agent and as such gained more experience in client contact. So I was very pleased when I was able to start mvc in October 2009, as it was a course for which I felt completely able to cope with its measurements and that could still challenge me. The seminars and lectures gave theoretical and practical insights into various media form fields.
Click here for more informations about the study!

My first semester also included parts of computer science. So we were imparted rough technical details of the construction of the computer and its storage media plus the basics of website design as well as the basics of typography were approached. A knowledge that we needed to prepare our seminar papers, because we always got the chance to make either a purely written essay or a media implementation of the topic. Not only for the latter, our seminar media law suited us just fine, as an expert of this subject explained the legal regulation primarily on copyright in a very precise way during the lessons. Hereby, we knew exactly what we were allowed to do while developing a media products, mainly websites and videos.
Due to the preferences of some professors, many lectures with a cinematic background were offered. One of the most important ones for me was CampusTV, as I was taught the basics of preparation, realisation and processing of segments, which included both journalistic activities and work with the camera as well as the editing program. So I remained a part of the team of CampusTV, the TV magazine of the OvGU for that one or two programmes were produced during the semester and that is broadcasted by the »Open Channel Magdeburg«. In addition to these, however, mainly journalistic embossed contributions we also had several opportunities to create more narrative short films. Just as in Stop Motion, where we discussed various production techniques as well as the preparation of a script. The seminar Image Film went a step further, there, we should create a kind of cinematic portrait for a selected client. The individual steps always had to be talked about with the customer so that he/she could identify himself/herself with the resulting product.
But besides the pure production of own videos there were courses in which we had to rearrange already existing material. For Video Game Essay and Film History, we used scenes from the discussed game or movie to assemble them into an analysis of the overall work so that they transported the desired statement. The scientific content of the media product had priority.
During the Media Weeks, that was only marginally the case, because there we made short films on a given topic together with students from the 7th and 8th grade. We helped them with finding ideas, creating a short script and explained the operation of the camera before we let them record independently and we took over only the final film editing. In addition to the work with the students, we had further opportunities to give proof of our teaching skills. For example during the image editing tutorials for seniors, in which my fellow student and I told the participants the processing capabilities of their personal images based on the free program Artweaver.
Thus, the course kept available very diverse offerings for students to let them get to know the different fields of activity for media, hence not only movies and websites were used as seminar papers, but even purely auditory products. This gave us the opportunity to add sound to an own audio drama as well as to create a radio programme to a self-chosen topic. I immersed the chosen subject in my bachelor thesis.

Well - at the end of the course - I’m looking for the right job, one that challenges me and for which I can use the acquired knowledge and skills optimally as well as very likely expanding it.

Internships (download internships reviews [only available in German])

To learn more about some of the jobs that interested me, I completed internships during my studies and my schooltime.
In 2003, I spent a two-week internship that was founded by the school at the advertising Studio Color Design in Egeln, where I saw the activities of a media designer for the first time. My duties at that time consisted mainly of the removal of computer-cut films as well as the preparation of adhesive lettering and logos for further processing, i.e. cutting and dimensionally accurate alignment of the applications. However, surface preparation was also one of them, so the cleaning and degreasing of the surface respectively removing previous lettering, if necessary. Likewise, the bubble- and wrinkle-free bonding of lettering on surfaces such as construction and signboards, trucks and passenger cars, planes and shop windows was part of my responsibilities.
I used the autumn holiday in 2004 to inform myself about the work involved as a bank clerk. I did this in a branch of the savings bank Aschersleben / Staßfurt, where I was mainly instructed in the background to order transfer certificates or organise files. But I was also allowed to do simple transactions at the counter.
In 2011, I joined the WerbeagenTHUR in Alzey for a three-month internship during the semester break in summer. I already knew most of the work through my time at Color Design, so I had to remove films and re-label motor cars and other surfaces. However, the field of activity extended, particularly in the form of various work on the computer, such as the digitisation of graphics and formatting of documents that were needed, for example, for brochures and menus. During the last weeks, I could also talk with customers and develop first drafts according to their statements.

Awards and Acknowledgements

For the short film, which was created as part of the course »Introduction to general education«, a fellow student and I won the »Bronze kangaroo« at the VideoExpo (Photo Gallery of the VideoExpo). This is an event of the OvGU where every year the best films of the students will be awarded.
A video that has been made during the preparation of media weeks was also awarded, my group got the first prize with this film at the StudieMovie Festival - an annual short film festival for all students of Magdeburg (Report on CampusTV about the StudieMovie Festival).
Mr. Andreas Scherbaum thanked me for the created graphics in his publication »PostgreSQL - Database practice for users, administrators and developers« (The acknowledgement is also accessible online).

Knowledge and Skills

Beside my creativity, I also possess strong social skills. I have no problems integrating myself into a group and also to motivate them, if necessary, as I could already prove repeatedly in student projects and during internships. My communication skills and empathy make it easy for me to socialise quickly and to be able to cater to my fellow human beings.
Also noteworthy are my comprehension and ability to organise, they help me with larger projects and unfamiliar areas of activity to do them to the satisfaction of the client. I’m able to adapt myself quickly to new requirements and willing to acquire needed knowledge.
I work reliably and implement orders that are applied to me always with care. Because of my result-oriented actions I always give my all to achieve what I planned.

Through study and internships but also because of my own initiatives, my knowledge is very versatile. In IT, I mainly work with Windows based systems (Win98 to Win 8.1), but during the course computational visualistics, I’ve also used Linux (Solaris). Since school, I master the markup languages HTML and CSS. During my studies, I was also concerned primarily with the programming languages Java, PHP and C. On my own laptop, I use OpenOffice, but I know the Microsoft Office package as well due to the university computer. Also by studying, I learned how to deal with various Adobe programs (Photoshop, DreamWorks, Premiere, After Effects, Audition) and met the development environments Eclipse, BlueJ and Visual Studio. But during my internship CorelDRAW was used exclusively. In the 3D area, I already worked with Alias Studio and 3DS Max.

Since German is my native language, I master it impeccably written and spoken. Also writing texts or guiding conversations in the English language isn’t a problem for me. In addition, I have basic knowledge of French.

Although I have a B license, for financial reasons, I do not yet own a vehicle.

Interests

If I don’t just help my parents on their farm or stay between the pages of a book, I’m to be found either creative or active. Where this creativity manifests itself in very many ways, because in addition to the improvement of known areas, I try always new techniques and expand my skills. But when I’m active, I spend the time depending on the weather cycling, swimming or playing volleyball.