Technologies have been a essential aspect of the creative process, whereby I have created a main task followed by

two ancillary tasks. Here’s how…

Most Used Technologies-

The MacThe Mac was the hardware I used the most when it came to creating my short horror film. TheMac’s are extremely advanced in comparison to any other hardware computer. I wasadvantaged enough to be given the opportunity to use the Mac’s because we have themwithin our Media Department. The Mac’s have numerous application other computers appearnot to so therefore assured my short film would look as professional as possible. Although, theMac’s are fantastic to use and allows me to access different apps, there are some negativepoints, looking back at my own personal use. One aspect which made the using the Mac’s hardand time consuming was that you could not use various other Mac’s if your Mac was in use byanother student. Which meant that I couldn’t access my work all the time. Likewise, it meantthat I may have lost some time when it came to editing because the Mac’s weren't alwaysaccessible. Furthermore, I couldn’t access my work from home either because most of mywork was stored on applications my personal laptop doesn’t have. However, on the whole Ireally liked using the Mac’s and I believe I have learnt, adapted and developed skills. However,next time if I was to use the Mac’s again, I would plan when I used them better. For instance,before school, during breaks and lunch and after school where I know my Mac will definitelybe free in order to continue with work I have started.

Blogger

Blogger was definitely one of the most used technologies during the creativeprocess of my A2 Media Coursework. Blogger is a online software applicationwhich allowed me to blog the process of my tasks. Not only did I blog importantposts such as textual analysis and evaluation's, but I also posted initial ideasduring the beginning of my process where I was questioning my ideas and whatgenre I wanted to create for my short film. Blogger was great when I waslearning about particular theorists and their ideas, it meant that I could reflecton what I have learnt in class and understand it again and put it into my ownwords. Blogger was very easily accessible and I could access it via smart phone,tablet, Mac’s and laptops therefore I could write a post where ever I was and itmeant that I didn't forget particular key ideas. It was a great way to record mywork and I will continue to use blogger once I have left school as a way ofrecording my work. I think it is a great application and nothing went wrong whileI used it because it saves my work automatically so if my computer was to breakdown to run out of battery I was reassured my posts were saved.

Memory StickAlthough my memory stick hasn’t been an essential part of my process, Ihave used it regularly in order to backup any work. I thought using amemory stick would be the best device to use because I knew if I ever lostany work, it would be backed up on another device and it wouldn’t meanme starting again on PowerPoints as an example. By assuring I have twocopies allowed me to feel more relaxed, because I wasn’t worried about mywork saving because I could access it again on a different device sotherefore, I think it is really important to back up my work on to a memorystick. I will always use a memory stick and I will continue to use a memorystick in the future if I ever have to save any work because sometimes it isdifficult to trust what a laptop will do and it’s always save to backup workmore than once and saved on more than one device.

Camera/CamcorderCamera- I used a Panasonic camera when it came down to shooting photos for myshort film poster and review page. However, I decided not to use one of the school’scamera because it means I might not always have access to it at times I need becauseother students may be using it. Likewise, the school camera’s get wiped every termbecause otherwise the storage would be taken up so therefore it meant my work mayhave been at risk of being lost and I decided not to risk it so therefore I used my owncamera from home which meant I could use it at anytime I wish, where I like andshoot whoever I wanted. Using my own camera made everything a little bit easierbecause I can record my own work in the way I wanted to.

Camcorder- I also used my own camcorder when it came to shooting my footage formy short horror film for the same reason as why I used my own camera. It meant Icould film where, when and what I wanted with no risk of my work being at risk ofgetting lost. I could also film at home without having to worry about being allowed toor worry about using the camcorder in my belonging.

Home LaptopUsing my home laptop was an important technology I usedbecause I meant that I could keep up to date with work while I wasat home. Likewise, it meant that I had a break away from using theMac’s because at time they can be complicated so using a normallaptop mean that i could upload posts on to blogger and makePowerPoints. Although I did enjoy using my own personal laptop, itdid mean that I couldn’t continue to edit my short film becauseonly the Mac’s have the application; Final Cut Pro so thereforealthough I could complete posts I could edit essential parts of myfilm which I would have liked to have done in my spare time.However, the laptop being mine meant that I could use it when Iwant without the worry of somebody touching my work or beingon my laptop when I need to use it to write new posts and uploaddrafted posts.

Construction and Research-(This is where I relied most heavily on

technologies during my creative process)

Youtube

Before I started to create my shortfilm, I looked on Youtube at existinghorror films because that was thegenre I wished to present. I looked atsnippets from films such as ‘TheWalking Dead’ and ‘Shaun of the Dead’because they all included zombies andthat is what I wanted to include withinmy short film. So therefore this gaveme a clearer idea of the sort of make-up, acting and editing skill I had to askfrom my talents as well as from me.Moreover, before I began to even thinkabout my short film, I looked into shortfilms as a whole and after analysing 3specific examples I completed a textualanalysis of the text so I knew exactlywhat conventions I had to follow.

Google Images

I used google images, when it came to explainingparticular ideas I wanted to possibly undergo when itcame to creating my own short film, poster and reviewpage. It gave me a clearer vision of what I wanted tocreate and it gave me an aim because it meant I could useit as a possible template and improve it.

PixlrPixlr is an online editing application which allows you to editphotos. I used pixlr when it came down to editing my filmposter and my review page because I found it easy to use as Ihave used in during AS Media Studies so therefore I coulddevelop existing skills in order to make my poster and reviewpage look as professional as i could possibly make it. Theapplication allowed me to change specific effects, changeelements such as; brightness, saturation and add effects suchas text. I really enjoyed using Pixlr although because I haveused it before it would have been nice to try and use adifferent application, although I felt confident with Pixlr sodecided to use that.

Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is a programme whichallows me to edit and put all the footageI have filmed together in order to make itinto a film. It’s enabled me to pieces ofmy footage to the second and arrange itinto the order I wanted it to go. I couldthen go on to add features such assound, text and effects which then willcreate the genre I wanted to create. Asan example, in this picture I have added atime effect at the bottom the footage toillustrate the time going by as shestruggles to fall asleep. Although theapplication itself is great, the fact we canonly locate the application at school sotherefore it means finding time at schoolwhen I can finish parts of my editing for aparticular section for my short film.

Youtube Converter

Without the use of Youtube Converter, I would have not been able to add anysound to my short film. The Final Cut Pro application has a number of differentsounds and music in the music file of the application, although after listening toall of them, none of them was what I was looking for so therefore I found what Iwas looking for on youtube. However I could not figure out how to apply thesoundtrack I wanted onto Final Cut Pro. So after investigation, I found out thatthe only way i could use the wood and soundtrack I wanted was to use youtubeconverter which meant converting the soundtrack into a correct file in whichwould save onto the Mac and then I could upload to my short film .However thisdid not work so therefore I have to find another way I could save the soundtrack iwanted. Luckily, on the Mac there is a device where you can audio record anysound coming from the Mac. I had touse this and record the soundtrack fromyoutube and then upload it to Final Cut Pro via audio recorder.

Planning

Storyboards

Creating a storyboard wasimportant in order for myself tounderstand the order I wanted tofilm particular parts of my film andthe contents of what I wanted toinclude within each part of my film.Although this was digital technologyI did upload it onto my blog so Icould keep referring back to it andseeing whether or not I have kept tomy original plan or if I have changedit and if so what I have changed itto. Here is one I created:

Script

I decided not to have a scriptbecause my film doesn’t have alot of dialogue in and the partwhich does include voice Iwanted to look as realistic aspossible so therefore I asked myactors(in particular the girlgetting attack by the zombie)toput herself into that positionand what she would do and feelif it was real and how she wouldreact and as a result the actingand dialogue sounded realisticand professional.

Evaluations

SlideShare

Evidently, Slideshare is a fantastic way of presenting evaluations because it allows you to present it in another way other than blogging work which at times may become tedious so therefore Slideshare allows evaluations to become more interesting as on each slide there is something new to read about. I really enjoy using Slidesharebecause it’s a fast, easy and interesting way to present work to people.

PreziI have used Prezi in myfirst evaluation because Ithought it was mostappropriate and fitting tothe evaluation aboutconventions. I created thisPrexi from scratchbecause I had to create alot of new pathways inorder for my work to flowin the order I want edit to.It did prove difficultbecause I have ever donethat before but after acouple of hours, Iunderstand what I neededto do and now I wouldknow how to create aPrezi from scratch if I everneed to in the future.

Youtube

Youtube, is a exciting way to present your evaluations. Itmeans you have the chance to listen rather than readwhich at times im sure can become boring so thereforemaking sure some evaluations are audio pleasing it meansits less likely to get boring and everyone is more likely tobe engaged. Likewise, I have videoed a person talkingabout what they like and dislike about my courseworkpieces and how they fit together. So therefore somebodyelse talking about my work means that I have reallythought about my audience and their opinion towardswhat I have created.