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.