How did you use media technologies in the construction

and research, planning and evaluation stages?

I used a variety of media technologies in the research and planning,

construction, and evaluation stages of my project. This year, there was a

need for a huger variety of the media technologies, due to the fact that I

created a chosen genre music video, which was more challenging than the

year 12 brief.

CONSTRUCTION

Final Cut Pro:• One media technology we predominately used was Final

Cut Pro which was used for both years. But I used more techniques and tools this year.

• We used Final Cut Pro to do a practise lip sync video of songs within our genre. So we first lip synced and done a little dance choreography to the song by Bruno Mars and it called ‘Uptown Funk’, as we initially went for an just an Pop song. Then we chose to lip sync to a song suited to our genre, so we chose Lana Del Rey’s ‘Young and Beautiful’ as it has the similar speed to out chosen song. For example, like always we edited the relevant clips that we filmed beforehand in Final Cut, but we had to make sure that speed of the my mouth lip syncing is in line with the singing in the actual song.

• There would be times where I would be lip syncing a little bit slower or faster, or I’m not enunciating the words clearly. Depending on how off key it looks, we would re-film the clips, use other back up clips or just change the speed using the ‘change speed’ option, once you right click on the specific clip.

• Lip-syncing a crucial part of the music video and because we were confident at this stage with final cut, it was fairly easy to do. This is useful preparation for the actual construction stage and gave me the skill to micro edit; zoom in into the timelines on the audio file, to accurately sync.

• In final cut this year, I became much more confident in applying effects.

• I used the ‘Desaturate’ image control/ filter to make the close up shots of the hands to be filtered in black and white, to illustrate this shot as a symbolic message of intimacy and love, and to show this as a significant memory of the singer.

• We initially used the ‘Sepia’ video filter for the older clips, but then chose to delete them because there was too many filters in one music video, which could work for a more upbeat pop song, with inter textual references of comic books. We also brightened some clips. This is because the clips that were viewed onto the ‘canvas’ window/ video player (so this views the chosen clips that you add yourself) didn’t look as clear or brighter, as it initially does in the ‘viewer’ window/video player (all the gathered up clips that you just imported are viewed in this window).

• We added a video transition in each clip; it was either a ‘fade in/fade out dissolve’ or a ‘cross dissolve’ as it suits the slow and mellow pace of the song. In our earlier drafts, we wanted to use the green screen tool or ‘Chroma Keyer’. We initially filmed the lip-syncing shots, and we got rid of the green backdrop as a few trials. But when we added our own photos and short clips of the backdrops for the green screen, it didn’t suit the dark, gothic theme and slow pace in the music video. We also used the ‘Desaturate’ tool for our lip synch practise video, as it went with the song (Lana Del Rey – Young and Beautiful).

Applying Effects

Green Screen• Another piece of technology that we used n the

construction was the green screen. • There was some limitations about our access,

the green screen room was in use by another class for some of the time. So we borrowed a green screen material and elastic bands from my art teacher. We wrapped the material around a smart board.. Then we used the elastic bands to tie up the edges the material around the board.

• We realised that the green screen shots looked pretty good when we added the ‘Desaturate’ tool, as it got rid of the green backdrop. But when we put them in in the actual music video,

• it did not suit the music video. This is because it looked like a contemporary performance studio that is expected in more Soul or Indie/Rock music video. For example, James Bay – Hold back the River music video is filmed in a huge performance studio throughout the whole music video.

• As well as that, the black and white are meant to be illustrating the past, since the hands shot is in the black and white filter for that reason and that lip sync is meant to be set in the present tense. Overall, green screening was much more difficult than we anticipated and I think in order to master this skill, we need more time and practise.

Projector• Luckily, we all agreed with the idea of adding a

projection scene using a projector for the music video instead of the green screen. The projection is used in few of the Indie/Pop music videos that I researched on, as well as that

• we had tons of footage in Wapping that was filmed during the earlier stages of filming, therefore it could be in use for the projection. The projection scene smoothly fitted in the music video, as we also included a wide pan shot of the Abney Park in the music video, which is a different location but had the same layout as the scenery in Wapping; tall trees everywhere, blue skies, grass and mud everywhere, both locations had this park/forest theme to it.

• Initially, for our earlier projection scenes, we used clips from YouTube, but then we deleted, as it would be better to use our own footage that actually suited the gothic/natural scenery in the music video. For the projection, we played the chosen location clip on repeat, as the clips were quite short.

• But it did look very nice overall because the colour of the sky was dull yet picturesque, which suited to the genre expectations. We had access our school Great Hall’s projection, which worked in our favour, as the backdrop for the projection wall was big and only painted in white,

• so there were any other disruptive displays that could potentially ruin the music video. Using a projector was a piece a technology that we planned to use but worked effectively for our video.

Stage Lights• We initially used stage lights for the fairy lights

and for the earlier practise and actual lip-synching shots.

• The fairy lights were dimly lit and could barely light up the big drama classroom/ studio. Also the natural lighting in the green scene was too dark, which then would not flow with the other brighter shots in the music video.

• We ended up not using the fairy lights shots because the stage lights did not really help, as the shot was still too dark, and the black curtains in the black with the fairy lights were more suited for an more glamorous Indie/Pop music video, rather than the Indie/Pop music video that are more simpler and focus more on scenery and subtle symbolism, which is something that we aim to illustrate.

• This then gave us a another idea to just focus on the natural lighting on the shots of the natural scenery, particularly at sunset, as the light from the sun will be more direct and more abstract looking, as the cameras lenses will get a flare, which looks very dream-like; which links with the fairy-tale theme in the digipak yet visually beautiful too.

• I think that our use of lighting was more effective this year and we learnt the importance of using lighting to create mood and atmosphere.

Photoshop• Towards the end of the production, we used

the photos for the Abney Park filming; lip-syncing and particularly the walking away from the sunset for the ancillary tasks.

• I developed the ancillary tasks onto Photoshop. I used the ‘Colour Replacement’ tool to add in and carefully blend in the purple and subtle teal and emerald filter to the bright green based natural scenery,

• to create a purple theme to the overall media products. The font was carefully selected from Dafont, it was chosen according to which font goes with the overall artwork in the ancillary tasks.

• We picked a calligraphy based for the artist title, because it illustrates the artist’s name well and it goes with the fairy-tale theme to the ancillary tasks. I also blended and smooth out my face using the ‘Ink dropper’ and ‘Brush’ too.

• I was fairly advantaged to my peers because I was using Photoshop prior to this project, however it was an opportunity to refine my skills and I found it quite difficult to connect the print editing with the video edit.

Initial draft of magazine ad

Initial draft of front cover

Cameras• For the film opening last year, I used a standard

camcorder for all the clips and edited them in the simplest form because we didn’t have to worry about matching any lip-synching with the music. The score was needed for the film opening, and it was repetitive to keep those mysterious and muted actions to carry on.

• But this year, we used the DSLR Camera, as we wanted a clearer quality for the scenic shots and the visual is more important, whilst the narrative and ambiguity is more important for the film opening.

• The DSLR had a focus tool in the camera, which benefitted us hugely because we were able to film the focus pull wide shots in Abney Park, which are our main camera shots in the music video.

• We made sure that the shot were still and professional, as tripod was wobbly and not sitting very well in most of our outer locations, it was better to use inside; the projection scene and the painting scene.

• I think our camera skills improved significantly this year, having a camera with a more professional feel as well as having to manually focus forced us to concentrate on the quality for our camerawork.

• I think that it is clear that we captured more artistic and creative footage this year and this is down to having a better camera as well as the development as media students.

 

Focus pull

RESEARCH AND

PLANNING

YouTubeYouTube enabled me to upload my own

clips relating the coursework. I also had to watch a lot more music videos for research purposes. I uploaded my lip syncs, practise green screen, lyric video and the drafts and

rough footage onto YouTube.

SurveyMonkey• We used SurveyMonkey in the beginning stages of the

production and during the researching because we wanted an insightful view from our target audience on what they

expect in an Indie/Pop music video, • especially because our target audience watch Indie/Pop

music video a lot more than others in school. In SurveyMonkey, there is a template where the overall

questionnaire would laid out on, • with additional options on what type of format will be needed

for each question; for voting questions, textbox based questions etc. This is the same target audience that were then later asked to be recorded for research purposes on their feedback on the earlier drafts of the music video.

Keeping a record of my work

• Last year, I used Blogger to keep a record of all my coursework, including the seven evaluation questions. It had a simpler form to organise each of your work. This year I used Wix to put the music video coursework as well as the four evaluations.

• This web designing site is a lot more better for presenting my music video work, as the creative and visual is need to be presented in sophisticated form. Wix presented all my work that was then uploaded in Slideshare, YouTube, PowToon and prezi. in a clear way, which benefitted me.

• Particularly when I uploaded the research work, allowing me to refer back to research in any PC/laptop.

Online programs and technology were imperative to the success of our planning and research stages.

We would not have had such a clear idea of our genre, have we

not had the easy access to existing video through YouTube. And our planning wouldn’t have been as efficient had we not use

online resource such as Wix.

Mobile phones and Convergence• The mobile phones were the most useful form

of media technology. We were able to get direct contact from our peers within the group, particularly when we hired the actor; we would message him and make an agreement to what days he will be free to film. The use of WhatsApp has enable to make a compromise with what days and time we should film, what costume to wear and if any last minute cancellations. When my group and I were looking for a song from an unsigned artist,

• we searched online; particularly on Sound cloud, Unsigned and YouTube to research for the unsigned artists. Recently, the majority of media hardware, software and apps have converged; this benefitted us to then ask for permission from our selection of unsigned artists by contacting them through the social media platforms, Instagram and through emailing them in Hotmail which is already easy to access through using the Wi-Fi in our mobile phones.

Based on everyone’s agreements o what time they are available

Producing & designing my evaluations

• I used Prezi and PowToon and Microsoft PowerPoint in my research. I usually used Microsoft Word to write up all my work for Prezi and PowToon, as well as create the table for schedule and risk assessment. This was then uploaded onto Wix, using the HTML code.

• I used Slideshare to upload all the work that was done in PowerPoint and Word, so Slideshare will give me the HTML code, that allows me upload it onto my Wix.

EVALUATION

In my evaluation, I used varied type of formats, which had different technologies.

The reason to use the different technologies so I can use a range, which is required in the criteria. Prezi and PowToon allowed me to incorporate video and texts.

Videos that I uploaded on YouTube allow me to communicate orally whilst text is a

written form of communication.