The document describes the various new technologies used at different stages of the media production process. During construction, the student used a Canon EOS 650D DSLR camera to film footage and learn cinematography and directing skills. Editing was done using Final Cut Pro and Photoshop. Planning involved creating animatics, mood boards, and researching fonts. Research utilized websites, social media, YouTube, and blogs. Audience feedback was gathered through polls, questionnaires, and recording focus groups. Evaluation involved creating comparative videos using Movie Maker and Prezi with embedded YouTube clips.
1. Evaluation Question 4
How did you use new
technologies in the construction
and research, planning and
evaluation stages?
2. Construction
For the production process, I had experience using the DSLR
Canon EOS 650D .
Using this camera put me in the role of the director and
cinematography as it had many complex settings and allowed
me to create high-definition footage with controlled image
focus.
I was introduced to the rule of thirds grid where I explored
with the positioning of images in the shot, for example where
the artist is rapping, facing forwards in a close up shot.
As a text producer, it was my intention to create convincing
and realistic media texts. Learning and exploring these
techniques I found strengthened the cinematography of my
music video and therefore made my scenes more advanced
and professional looking.
(Role as cinematographer)
(Role as director)
3. Construction
The more I practiced with the DSLR (Canon EOS 650D), the
more familiarized I became with the tools, effects and settings
that was available on the camera.
(Role as photographer)
(Role as director)
I eventually was able to use these skills to produce specific
shots such as panning. I experimented with a variety of shots
and ensured that I recorded it all so that when it came to the
post production process, I would have a lot of raw footage to
work with.
This camera was also used to
capture photographs that would
be used for my digipak and
magazine advert. These would
also be edited during the post
production process, but ensuring
that the images were sharp and in
focus whilst taking these photos.
I also vlogged during the
construction of the music
video where I used my own
hand held camera (mobile
phones, film cameras) in order
to document the filming
process.
4. Editing: Visuals
When editing the shots and clips for my music video, I used Final Cut Pro to
arrange and move around the raw footage to create verisimilitude with the
use of continuity editing.
(Role as editor)
There were many effects, transitions and settings on final cut
pro that I could use for my music video. However, I did not want
to over use special effects as it would not conform to real grime
music videos. Some of the effects I used were…
• Slow motions
• Editing/cutting on beat
• Transitions: Fade, cross dissolve, blur
5. Digipak/Magazine Advert
To edit my photographs, I was then
introduced to Adobe Photoshop to take
my gained video editing skills onto still
images and photographs.
I used it to increase the brightness,
contrast and sharpness on the artist to
make him stand out from the brick wall
background. I also used this programme
to add the essential characteristics of a
digipak and magazine advert such as
text, barcodes and logos. Sharpness and
small touch ups similar to this was
mainly done on my print products in
photoshop, as it is usual of a grime
album cover or advert to include a
variety of filters and look overdone. I
feel like the general feel and
appearance is similar to that of my
music video, this was my intention in
order to create synergy.
(Role as editor)
Editing test magazine advert
Editing final magazine advert
6. After
Using photoshop allowed me to decrease
levels on saturation and increase
brightness, contrast and sharpness in
specific areas of the photograph where I
felt necessary. I also cropped the image
so that I could remove unnecessary parts
from the background for example, the
silver garage doors cluttering the shot of
the brick wall. This make the image look
more professional and appealing. Also,
cropping allowed me to shape it into the
design of a conventional album cover.
Before
7. From creating the digipak, it was then easier for me to create the magazine advert as I could then
use my new gained skills from using photoshop to produce the next print product. For instance, the
image used in the magazine advert needed editing as well. I desaturated the image and put a filter
over it in order to darken the image a little as originally it was far to dark. Also the digipak was in
black and white and I did not want the magazine advert to differ much from the digipak in terms of
colours used as I wanted to create a sense of synergy between the two print products. I also
experimented with different fonts and since I decided to shape the advert as a landscape design, I
was able to make these bigger and bolder which was limited in the construction of my digipak. I also
added reviews from reputable music magazines such as ‘rolling stone’, the artist’s name itself and
the album name.
8. For a majority of my research, such as audience feedback, focus
groups, and recordings of development, I used quick time player
on the iMac to record the footage and used iMovie and final cut
pro to edit these. From my experience with adding text in my
digipak/advert and editing video clips in order using Photoshop,
it was easy for me to edit the raw footage of my research videos
and add text, transitions, music and sound effects to make them
not only informative but also entertaining to watch.
I also learnt how to show two
clips at the same time so then
the audiences reaction was in
sync with the screen that they
were watching
9. Animatics
For the planning of my music video, a story board was created
by drawing each initial shot of the video, which was scanned
into the computer and edited on final cut pro.
The song was then imported and the drawing were edited to
the song, focusing on the durations and order of each clip.
In terms of filming, it helped me have a general idea of what
shots to collect and at what angles. Also, in terms of editing, it
acted as a guide/visual timeline to show me the order of the
clips and where each piece of the footage goes.
10. Websites/Social Media
I used Microsoft excel to record information that I received and to
display it on a much clear and informative way. To edit the raw
footage i.e. genre research I used public/official websites to
research news and popular events of the grime genre for example
capital xtra and Westside.
In today’s modern society,
social media is now one of the
easier modes of
communication. Therefore,
when I wanted information
from others, I used Twitter,
Facebook etc, to communicate
with them.
To access the real
music videos of the
grime genre, I used
YouTube to research
these and to guide
me in my own media
production.
11. As I was analysing real music videos, I used scribd and Prezi as an
element for my research…
I used google to find images of
the artist albums so that I
could paste them on to Prezi.
In this, I embedded music videos from YouTube by pasting
hyperlinks so that they could be played on the Prezi.
I used screenshots of YouTube clips to aid my analysis and
evaluations.
Although I found it difficult to use at first, as I got the hang
of it and was familiar with the different tools it offers, I
found myself using it more and more to present my
research.
12. Audience Feedback
It was important to understand and take into consideration the consumers’/audience’s
opinions on my products to ensure that if it were a real media product, it would do well in
the market place and be popular with the target audience. Fortunately, I found that my
music video was successful in terms of this as when I showed this to my target audience
for feedback, I gained a lot of positive comments on the realism and continuity of the
overall video. To do this, I recorded my audience watching the music video on the quick
time player program on the iMac and imported this into final cut pro for editing. By using
the 'Picture In Picture' setting, I learnt how to show my music video and the audience
video at the same time so that the reaction is in sync with my product.
13. Audience Feedback
(Print Products)
I used an online poll maker to receive votes and opinions on
my own products from others. For instance, I conducted a poll
to help me decide which digipak design to use for my print
product. I wanted to use design A but I was not sure about it.
However, after seeing the results of the votes, design A did
win and it became clearer that this was the design that I
should use.
Also, what helped me through this process was my audience
feedback. After completing a few drafts of my print products, I
conducted a few questionnaires and polls on social media
websites such as Twitter and Facebook to gain different
feedbacks and opinions from my target audience, causing me
to choose which designs and layouts were the most effective
and suitable for our print products.
14. (Role as publisher)
Not only did it help me access my own
research, Blogger also allowed me to
share my individual posts with the rest
of my group and vice- versa.
It enabled me to explore different platforms of digital technologies to
record and present my work from Prezi's and SlideShare's to podcasts
and videos. It was incredible versatile from pre-production to post-
production as I was able to access all of the research into media
products as well as my primary research like audience feedbacks and
focus groups that helped me create the final product. In doing so, I
learnt how to embed links onto posts and share relevant videos from
other websites (like YouTube)
and post them onto my blog.
A lot of research was needed in order to create this product as it
provided me with guides and structures to make my final outcome
as conventional and realistic as possible. In order to keep track of
my research and development, I used Blogger to record all of the
sources that I had collected in visual and creative ways.
15. Before creating a digital and final version
of my digipak and advert design, I drew it
out first and used a scanner so that I could
compare the two and use this plan to
guide me in creating my print products.
Planning
I constructed a mood
board to show the
different visual motifs that
would be seen in my music
video giving me a general
outlook on what the
appearance of the video
would eventually be.
17. Final fonts and real products
It was important to make the fonts clear and bold
especially in the digipak (such as for the album name
“Don’t worry about me" and the artist name
“Arkitect") in order to catch a buyer's attention.
Although it was difficult to structure the digipak and
magazine advert to appear realistic, it became easier
once I researched real artist digipaks and adverts.
Again, I used the Internet to research real media
products (particularly Grime artists such as ‘Skepta'
and ‘Wiley') to inspire me with my designs. I
constantly recorded my observations on Blogger, so
that I (and the rest of my group) can follow the
development of the digipak and magazine advert
construction.
18. Evaluation
1. I created a video using Windows movie maker where I included clips from my
own music video and compared it with clips from real music videos (from YouTube)
in the grime genre to help demonstrate the similarities and differences as well as
how I conformed/challenged the conventions of the grime genre/conventions of a
music video.
2. I created a Prezi as it allowed me to import images to compare my main and
ancillary texts as well as add text explaining how effective they are when they are
linked together. Prezi also allowed me to add YouTube videos of my audience
feedback on my print products.
3. I created a video with a voiceover where I explained what forms of audience
feedback I conducted and what I had learnt from them. I also had images that
were relevant to what I was explaining during the video to make it a visual and
eye-catching presentation.
4. I created a presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint, then I used SlideShare to
share it onto blogger. It includes images and text that work together to create a
visual and informative presentation.
