Evaluation Activity 4

Hardware:

1) Camera: I used a camera within many stages of my coursework. I used a camera for both filming and photography throughout the coursework process. This includes any trial shots, such as lip syncing videos or camera testing, as well as the filming process, the animatic and taking the photos for my Digipak and poster and any costume/location shots. The camera I used was the camera which was provided, which was the Nikon D3200. I liked using this camera because it was easy to use while still giving professional and clear results. The reason that I chose to use and SLR camera was mainly because of the quality difference. The clear filming allowed to create a greater sense of emotion to add further effect to my music video. Also, With this camera, I was able to use the focus to my favor. This quality was maintained whilst using the camera for photography.

2) Tripod: I used a tripod for the photography parts of my coursework. I found that slight movement of the camera created a better effect for the filming so a tripod was not needed. By using it for the photographs, I was able to get a straight and clear picture. The tripod, therefore, helped a lot during the photography process.

3) SD Card: When filming, I chose to always carry a spare SD card with me at all times in the case that I would run out of space which would prevent me from filming. Each SD card was 8GB. I found that transfer rates were a problem as I was using a very low transfer speed which prevented me from, thus being why I decided to simply swap to a 16GB SD card, to keep all of my footage together, thus making it easier to put onto the computer. This worked a lot better for me as the high quality shots were able to transfer a lot quicker, thus giving me more time to edit.

4) Battery Pack: The battery life of the camera was my biggest problem during filming. I would charge up the battery and it tended to constantly die, so in the end I decided to charge up two battery packs so that I didnt have to stop filming and wait for the power to recharge. This was especially beneficial during the outdoor narrative scenes, due to the fact that the camera could quickly be powered up again and I wouldnt have to postpone the shoot. I made sure that every time I put the new one in I would charge up the next battery in order to continue the process.

5) Steadicam: I used a Steadicam throughout the filming process so that I would get some natural movement of the camera without my shots being shaky. This allowed me to freely move around and experiment with different angles and movement speeds. I found that the Steadicam was quite difficult to set up to begin with, due to the fact that it was difficult to distribute the weight evenly. Although the Steadicam made the camera very heavy and sometimes hard to use, the shot variation and the ability to experiment with the camera made it well worth it in the end. By using the Steadicam, I was able to make unique, emotional shots which helped to present the mood and atmosphere of the song.

6) Soft Box: When filming and shooting photos for my ancillary task, I decided to use soft box lighting in order to set the mood and create tension and intimacy. Go reflect the mood of the song, as well as the genre, I decided that use of lighting would be essential. When using these lights, I used the skills of basic three-point lighting to create shadows. When I realized that the shadows were not as dark as I wanted them to be, I decided to move the lights into other random positions until I was happy with the effect. By doing this, I was able to frame the artist in a much better way and create clear and focused shots which improved the quality of my final video. I decided to use the soft boxs after trialing lip syncing with my artist. The light looked extremely unprofessional and struggled to set the mood for the song. Once lighting was added, I felt that the portrayal within the music video became much more convincing.

Software:

1. Adobe Premiere Pro: I used Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 for all parts of video editing throughout my coursework, including all trial or test shots, the animatic and the final music video. By using this editing software, I was able to create precise cuts and transitions, and perfectly fit Taylors lip syncing to the lyrics of the song. I was also able to adjust lighting and contrast areas, which further helped me create a convincing music video. My ability was further stretched by adding the black and white effect on, and then further changing to tones of this video. Previously, my AS coursework was edited on Serif Moviemaker. I found that Adobe had more advanced functions which allowed me to experiment with different aspects of my music video to help follow the conventions of my genre, as well as create a professional looking finish.

2. Photoshop: I used Photoshop for my ancillary tasks, which included my Digipak and promotional poster. I used this editing software because it allowed me to use a wide range of tools to change and modify my photographs to create a professional and good quality final product. Although being hard to use, after watching a few online tutorials, I was able to use difficult tools such as liquify to change the shape of her nose and mouth, and the blur tool to create a blurred background for the back panel behind the CD. Things such as changing and editing out stray hair in order to gain more space would not have been possible on any other software. Making her skin smoother and removing imperfections and blemishes was very easily done. Furthermore, Adding text and changing the shape and size of thus text was also relatively easy to do.

3. Scribd: Scribd was my most used software, as it allowed me to upload word documents from my computer and embed the files onto my blog. This further gave my blog a more professional look and portrayed my use of ICT skills. Scribd is very easy to use and very effective. By using this software, I was able to upload multiple pages of work to my blog without clogging up the feed or facing the threat of my blog freezing. I was also able to easily place photos and diagrams onto my blog with this software, simply by placing them into a word document and then uploading it.

4. Slideshare: I used this software in order to upload my PowerPoints which I had created on Microsoft PowerPoint. This allowed me to embed this work onto my blog.

5. Mybrainshark: Using this software further allowed me to add commentate over the top of my PowerPoints. By doing this, I was able to add a personal touch to my work, further allowing me to go into extra depth and explain my points to the best of my ability.

6. Bubbl.Us: By using this website, I was able to create spider diagrams to be copied into my work files. I used it on the third part of the evaluation stage of my coursework when analyzing audience feedback to separate the positive feedback from any improvements that needed to be made. By doing this, I was able to construct a clear piece of data to allow accessibility to the opinions and thoughts of the target audience. It allowed it to be easily read and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

7. Youtube: This piece of software was crucial to my coursework, starting with the initial research stages and following right through to the final product, and even the evaluation. By using Youtube, I was able to look at similar products to find the conventions of my chosen genre, as well as upload all my videos which I created as development rushs, as well as uploading my final video. This allowed me to see how many people were watching my video, as well as receive likes to see who enjoyed the video, and any feedback left afterwards. This also meant that I was able to share the video, and embed it onto my blog. We used Youtube as it is easily accessible for all, it is a free website and uploads quickly with very good quality.

8. Tagul: As the wordle software was not supported on my computer, I decided to find an alternative option for my evaluation. Tagul also creates word clouds with the ability of changing shapes, fonts and colours of the text, thus making an impressive and personal word cloud. By using this software, I was able to create a picture filled with words taken from my audience feedback. This allowed me to conclude what the audience wanted from my music video and find areas to work upon. I placed my Tagul word cloud within the audience feedback section of my evaluation. I chose to use Tagul opposed to creating my own word cloud as it was a quick and effective way to create a collage within seconds. I feel that the personal touches that I could add to the word cloud using Tagul added a personal touch to my coursework.