Evaluation 4

How Did You Use Media Technologies In The Construction And Research, Planning And Evaluations Stages?

Technologies obviously play a huge part in every stage of creating the music video I have. Without all the technologies I have been able to use I wouldn’t have been able to create anything.
 

RESEARCH:

In the research stage the predominate technology I used was the internet. Mainly SAFARI and GOOGLE. Safari is a browser that is usually provided by Apple products. I find it easier to use than browsers such as INTERNET EXPLORER or GOOGLE CHROME because I find the simple layout and clear display makes it easier and quicker to find what I am looking for. 

I used GOOGLE to research different types of music videos and look into the history of music videos and it helped me determine what I wanted to create. GOOGLE would be my first choice of search engine because it gives me good results that relate to what I am searching for and with the links it gives me often then leads me on to something else, allowing me to broaden my knowledge of what I am researching. One other technology I used closely with google was YOUTUBE. Everyone uses youtube on pretty much a daily basis and its becoming more overwhelmed every minute with every and any type of video you can think of. It was very important when creating a music video to understand the classic convention of any type of genre of different music videos and so the quickest way I was able to do this was through YOUTUBE. I looked at videos like; 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJO3ROT-A4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ht5RZpzPqw
to understand the different genre of music video before I even narrowed it down to what genre of music I wanted to focus on. 

Throughout all stages I have used BLOGGER. BLOGGER is an online blog site which I have used before and am very familiar with. It allows me to easily stay it touch with my teachers and find out what other sorts of videos people doing the same course as me are doing. It also allows me to see the level of work needed for the grade I want and so I can compare my own and get advice. 

During this stage I was very dependant on technology as it was one of my only resources I had as I had no previous knowledge in this area. Obviously I could have used books and did often look at examples of music videos on the TV and looked at digi packs. However the TV is just another example of a technology so just proves I was very dependant on it within this section.

PLANNING:

When planning and creating my product the technologies I used became a lot more hands on. One of the main technologies I used when creating my video, was the video camera. Without the video camera the music video would be in existent. The model video camera I used was PANASONIC HC-V500. This is the first time have really used a video camera however I think the model camera I used was a very good one. They are quite new and the quality of film the produce is very clear and has a professional feel. I found them easy to use and once I got the hang of using it it was very simple. I do feel that I was at a disadvantage because I wasn’t able to use a dolly to more the camera around whilst recording without getting the bouncing effect from my walking whilst holding the camera. Although this wasn’t a fault of the camera. The footage uploaded easily to the MAC COMPUTER I used throughout the project.

MAC COMPUTERS are my favourite type I find them so stress-free and easy to use. One fault I do have with them is that the can freeze sometimes and it becomes really aggravating but this happens from time to time with all technologies. The software I used to upload and edit my footage was FINAL CUT PRO. Final Cut Pro is a new software that we have only just been introduced to and so I knew very little about how to use it. I am more used to using iMovie which is a lot more basic and simple to use, however doesn’t have the technology that Final Cut Pro does. The good thing about Mac Computers is when you don’t know how to something or are confused about something they have a very good help system which nearly always explains what you are trying to find out in an easy way. I used things like the different transformations that were available for example the light transformations where very natural and really what I wanted to create in real life, so these worked really well.

Once I got used to Final Cut Pro I was able to use it to the best of my abilities and it really did help make my video look more professional. I think if had had more time to try new things out with the program I would have been able to make my product look even more professional. One aspect of final cut pro I really think I took advantage of was the real thought and effort I put into the colouring of the footage. Using final cut pro I was able to slightly change the lighting and contrast of all my footage. Before, the clips look dull and boring, however after the really slight editing you can really see a difference. The images look so much more professional and eye catching. 
Although I think the ability I had was strong enough for what I was trying to produce. I would use final cut pro again as it made the task easier and allowed to me to try different effects and transitions out to create a better outcome.

 EVALUATION

In the evaluation it is good to try and evaluate the product you have created in different and innovative ways so that it isn’t dull. One way I did this was by using PREZI. I have used Prezi before and found it very difficult to use. I was trying to edit font types and add and change pictures and just got really frustrated with the software to the point where it made me want to give up. However this time I allowed the software to help me and just take me through to process. I also watched a tutorial on how to use it which made it so much easier! I tried to change less and instead just added what I wanted to use.

Another technology I used in the evaluation was QUICKTIME. For ages I have been looking for a way to record the screen of my computer so that I can use clips from things such as you tube and final cut pro. Quicktime allowed me to this and it turned out to be a lot simpler than I thought it would be. This then allowed me to easier give professional examples of work that I had taken inspirations from and gave my evaluation a more versatile feel. However I never actually ended up using this. I also used powerpoint and used a website called slideshare which allows me to upload the powerpoint and share it easily with a variety of different mediums.

OVERALL..

I think that technologies have helped me rather than hindered me. Once I grasped the basics of each the softwares I used I was able to push them to the best of their and my ability and that therefore gave me the basis to create a professional product. I have learnt that if you don’t try and mess around with what the technology gives you then it can help you a lot more and if you’re patient then the answers are right in front of you. I think the stage I was most dependant on technology was the creating stage as without a camera or an editing software I wouldn’t have been able to create anything. 

To conclude technology has really helped me create what I envisioned. 

Evaulation 3

Evaluation 2

Evaluation 1

FINAL DIGI PACK AND MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTS

Above are my final ancillary tasks. I went through a series of different stages and what I thought were final products when creating them. My Digi Pack is on the right and includes a front cover, back cover, two lyrics pages, a thank you page and a page the CD would be placed on. I think these all work well and compliment each other, I believe there is a general colour theme throughout the mediums of an almost sepia, natural, neutral colours. This is maintained throughout all the mediums to show consistency.
On the left is my magazine advertisement. Originally I wanted my magazine article image to be different to any that was included in my digi pack to show you another aspect of the video in a different medium. However after I completed research into the conventions of magazine articles I realized that the main image was usually the same as the cover of the digi pack. I therefore decided to follow this convention and I believe this works well. I also wanted to keep the magazine advertisement quite simple and not include too many gimics. This was not only to foollow the conventions of my genre but to also appeal to a wider audience as I don't feel the mediums above are gender or age biased.

QUESTIONS

1. In which area have you seen an improvement - from foundation to advanced portfolio? (see areas in question 1a)
Creativity- I would say my creativity improved so much so that I was wanting to attempt things that were way out of my league and unrealistic to achieve. Therefore I ended up probably being less creative on the second project than the first because on the music magazine I was a lot more focused and had lower expectations of what I could produce. 
Digital Technology- Although my understanding and level of what I can achieve with and from technology has definitley improved leaps and bounds I think I showed of less of what I could achieve in the second project. Not because I didn't want to because what I had learnt was really applicable to what I was creating.
Conventions From Media Texts- I think this is the area I have improved most in. I think I used and challenged a lot of conventions in both of my projects which has allowed me to create texts that appeal to the target audience I have aimed at.  

2. What challenges did you face in each portfolio? Explain how you resolved challenge/s or if, as a result, you approached your advanced portfolio differently?The biggest challenge I faced when creating the music video was initially deciding the song I wanted to use. However I overcame this when a friend showed me the song I ended up using and immediately thought it would be a good song to use. The next challenge I faced was creating the storyboard. This was a big issue for me as I had loads of ideas, but they were all really unrealistic, for example I wanted to create a tornado for my artist to sing in front of with a house being destroyed. Making my ideas more realistic was difficult but in the end I worked with what I got and luckily the weather often helped with the theme I was trying to create.
The main challenges I faced when creating my music magazine was usually technological difficulties.Although I knew what I wanted to achieve this was the first time I'd really used the technology I had and although the software was probably capable of doing what I wanted it do, I had no idea of how to attempt anything. However I overcame this when I discovered the hundreds of tutorials on YouTube that explain how to do different things on certain programs. This made things a lot easier and by the end of the project I'd like to say I knew exactly waht I was doing. 

3. Which area is your strength? (See areas in question 1a). Please give examples and consider if this strength has developed in the advanced portfolio.
I feel that the area I have the most strength in is the digital technology area. This is because I believe my understand and therefore fluency and efficiency of different skills and effects is a lot more effective and easily produced. This strength has improved from my first project to the second because when I was creating the magazine I often became frustrated when I was trying to do something that I didn't know how to; Know these challenges are just second nature to me which means I can complete things a lot easier and quicker.

4. What would you do differently? (For both portfolios)....(Is there an area of weakness still?)The thing I would do differently about my music video would definitely give it more of a narrative and include more characters to the video to give it more depth and variation. I would also try and film in more locations and from the beginning have a clearer idea of what I wanted to achieve without wanting to do things that are out of my league and unrealistic. 
I wouldn't really a lot different with my music magazine cover, contents and double page spread. One thing I wish i had done was photograph more people as different artists so that I could include a bigger variety of photos in the magazine and make it look more professional.

5.Finally, what advice would you impart to a prospective media student?
My advice would to be that make sure you make your filming and evaluation a priority. You should try and get as much filming done as you can and be realistic when you plan your story board and what you want to include. Make sure you have a clear idea you want to follow, although this may seem hard when you are thinking something up, it will help a lot when you begin to struggle during the process, giving you something to look back on. Also with the evaluation be creative and make sure you use media terminology. Finally, make sure you ask for advice. 

MY FINAL MUSIC VIDEO