Evaluation Question 4

How did you use new media technologies in the construction

and research, planning and evaluation stages?

CONSTRUCTION• When filming our music video we used the Canon EOS 650D camera to give a high quality

edge to our filming. We used this camera to not only film our music video but also take still shots to be used for the construction of our digipak and magazine advert. The use of this camera enabled us to present our filming skills such as creating a time lapse and using auto focus to centrally frame significant actions. (e.g. Auto focusing on a band member pulling the strings on the guitar.)

• Furthermore, we also used multi coloured stage lights to add to the atmosphere of our concert scene and make it more lively like a conventional rock music video.

• For the post production element of our music video, we used the program FinalCutPro on the IMac’s to import and edit our video.

• We were able to cut footage and use various transitions and effects to make our video successful and engaging for an audience. One major effect we used was the black and white film stock to give it a grainer edge and portray the protagonist’s emotions. For example, when the protagonist is walking around in London and in his house. As well as this we also used slow motion and zooms to help focus on important aspects of our video. For instance, when the protagonist is sitting in his garden the footage slows down.

• The soundtrack for our video also had to be edited so it would fit in with the visuals and most importantly be in time with the lip sync. This involved using precision editor to cut parts out which would be relevant.

• For our digipak and magazine advert we used the program Fireworks. This program is an advance software for editing images and we were able to use different tools including cutting techniques so we could cut specific images and place them onto our final product. We changed the colour saturation and contrast to make the images stand out and more appealing. Moreover, we were able to add texts and stylise the fonts which would be significant in informing the audience.

RESEARCH• The internet played an important role in helping me gather research. I used

the search engine ‘Google’ to find specific websites/images which would be useful to me.

• Sites such as ‘www.kingsofleon.com’ and ‘Google images’ were beneficial to me as it gave me a flavour of the of style and image of Kings of Leon and how they perform in certain music videos. I therefore used this information to appeal to their target audience through the use of similar features in my music video, digipak and magazine advert.

• For elements of my research, I used ‘Prezi’ and ‘PowerPoint’ to present my findings. From using Prezi I was able to copy and paste images and write information on different music videos. Not only that but I was also able to use frames and arrows to make my findings more presentable. Using PowerPoint was very easy for me to display information as it is a software I’ve been accustomed to using over the years. I was able to use arrows and text box to annotate images so they would be clearer to read.

• We used a range of digital technologies for audience research. For instance, we used the flip cameras and PhotoBooth on the Imac to film our focus group and feedback. These footages were edited on FinalCutPro from which we were able to present the reviews from our animatics, final cut, digipak and magazine advert. This edited footage was then uploaded to YouTube so it would be accessible on our blog.

• We used social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to give us an understanding of how famous artists and bands promote their music/albums. We primarily focused on features which appeal to target audiences which we found would be beneficial to ours.

• All the research conducted was eventually posted onto our blogs so they would look presentable and easy to read. I enjoyed using different technologies as it enabled me to be more creative and experiment with different programs/software I was particularly weak on.

PLANNING• We used digital technologies within the planning element for various things.• When creating a storyboard, we drew images onto a piece of paper and

scanned them into the computer through the use of the program ‘Paint’ so we could experiment what the images would look like on screen.

• To create our animatic we filmed each drawing using the flip cameras and imported them into FinalCutPro. We also imported images from Google Images which we went onto further editing on Fireworks. We thought this would create a sense of realism for our animatic and it would enable us see how the footage would look like using real images.

• We imported our soundtrack on FinalCutPro as well, so we could cut our footage and position the soundtrack and visuals matching.

• The significance of the animatic was to portray how our music video would turn out and if any changes (e.g. Longer takes, effects, transitions etc.) were needed in order to relate to a target audience.

• For the planning of our digipak we found a layout through the search engine Google, to give us a platform to experiment with. We used Fireworks to enable us to move around different images to see what position on the digipak they would look best.

• For the planning of our magazine advert, we referred back to research and analysis of professional music adverts enabling us to determine how a successful magazine advert should look like. We experimented with images on Fireworks, using different colours and texts to identify the best suitable design for our advert.

EVALUATION• I have also used digital technology in the construction of my evaluation questions in a

variety of ways:

Evaluation Question 1:For this I used Microsoft Word to create a 9 frames to analyse how we used conventions of the rock genre and how we subverted them. I created this by print screening images from our music video on YouTube, then cropping and positioning it beside each other. I then used the shapes tool and text box to help present my ideas. Once this was complete I once again print screened and uploaded it to ‘Imugr.com’ so I could edit and save the image to post onto my blog. This program was quite easy and simple to use as I was familiar with it.

Evaluation Question 2:For this I used the site ‘Prezi.com’. In using this site I learned how to import images from Google and my computer and also create different frames and arrows. Being able to do this made my work much more presentable and much easier to read key information. I enjoyed using this site as it enabled me to be more creative and use different skills to display information.

Evaluation Question 3:For this question I created a short director’s commentary on Windows Live Movie Maker. I had downloaded audience feedback videos from YouTube and imported them into the program. I muted these footages and recorded a narration explaining how each feedback benefited us. I also added title/texts and transitions to make the video look more interesting. I found this director’s commentary quite interesting to create as Windows Live Movie Maker was a program I had no experience of using. By constructing this commentary I was therefore able to learn new things such as recording narrations over footages.

Evaluation Question 4:For this question, I had chosen to create a PowerPoint as it is a program I am very comfortable with using. I was able to copy and paste images and use text to both make the information more interesting and engaging – something I am confident in doing.