How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?Thomas MaddenQuestion 4Media Evaluation

The Media technologies?• As, part of a media project I had to use a variety of

technological platforms to help plan, construct and research into making a music video.

• In the construction of this platform there are many technologies used to make the finished product including the conventional camera and final cut pro (the programme accessible on the Macintosh computers to make footage edits) to make the video.

• Throughout this project I plan on evaluating the media technologies I used throughout the whole project; in every stage.

Why I used them specifically for planning?

• There were many technological platforms that I used to research and to plan into this project post actually making the project immediately. Before actually making the product, I knew that I had to research into existing products and plan the project. I researched a variety of things, including: existing digi-paks (Rhianna- loud, Kate Nash, Norah Jones etc.) as well as existing print posters (Ellie Golding and Wretch 32) and actual music video (aha, Norah Jones- don’t know why, “Stay” Lisa Loeb etc.).

• As I didn’t want this process of researching to look the same but a multiple of times, I utilized the use of media platforms. So to research some of the existing products I made videos with writing on the top in final cut pro, giving me the chance to make a quick video and learn some skills prior to making the music video. I also used a platform which you can incorporate visuals, videos and writing together. This was called Glogster and this allowed me to visually document existing products whilst writing about them. Which I found very useful when referencing what I was writing about.

• Other technologies included the use of a scanner to input essays I had wrote about as well as put the storyboards on my blog, to show how I intended the video was going to look. This was paramount as it meant that if anything happened to the storyboard, scans would be accessible on my blog. Videos as well as PowerPoints, digital cameras and Prezi documents were also useful as they allowed me to enhance the visual layout of my blog. Which made it one more interesting, two less meaty on verbose phrases and three, creative; which was essential as I am planning to make a music video.

• Though, the most important piece of technology that I endorsed in the planning and research stages and to be the use of my blog as, it allowed me to me to publish posts about what I was doing and when. So it was an easy reference point when I was struggling to remember what I had planned the video to appear like later on in the project.

How I used the technologies for construction?Digi-pak and Poster

• The actual construction of the media text had to be the most technology heavy part of the whole project. As, every stage of the actual production needed some sort of technology to assist it. Whether, this be through the use of Photoshop to produce the digi-pak and print poster or the DSLR camera to film the footage through the music video.

• To produce both the digi-pak and the poster advertising the digi-pak, I used Photoshop I relished this programme as it gave me the opportunity to fine-tune small details on the pieces to make them really successful. Through using this programme I learnt many new skill such as certain tools. I specifically became very good at using the stamping tool which allowed me to get rid of the copyright logo of a pattern, in which I used on the poster to give it that extra wow effect. I also learnt specifically how to use the pipette to pick up certain colours and drop them into other layers so the colour scheme was continuous and cohesive.

• Similarly, for the digi-pak I learnt how to use, specifically tools that allowed me adjust colour, brightness and contrast. One specific tool that is only accessible on Photoshop is the rectangular tool which I used regularly to cut the images into sections and then, change each level of the contrast and hue on each individual layer. I loved this effect that was used on the digi-pak as it gave my digi-pak a professional and creative flare, something that I spent along time trying to create with other tools but couldn’t achieve.

• I also had to use dafont to source a font that I could use for my artist, this was essential when making the artist, as through the font it connotes what type of artist the singer is and what they are about. I specifically choose a font called “tangerine” as the font was curvaceous, cute, vintage and handwritten all traits I associate with artists in the jazz-pop industry.

How I used the technologies for construction?Music Video

• To create the music video I used many different media technologies. I had to use the obvious digital camera and DSLR camera. I purposely started to film in digital so that I could see what the quality of the footage was like, once I saw what the footage was like I knew it was nowhere near professional enough. So, I then filmed the footage again but deciding to use the DSLR camera and the footage was brilliant and had a very clear, focussed lighting which is expected in a music video.

• Amongst this technology, I had to use Final Cut Pro to actually make the music video. Using this technology allowed me to cut footage, shorten footage, speed footage up (if it was too long), move footage in the timeline and match the footage to the song in the timeline, which was essential to build the foundations of my music video.

• This technology allowed me to do even more advance things though. This included things I didn’t even think were capable. Such as using a hdmi lead to link child memories of my sister. This was a great thing as it allowed me to bring more diversity to my music video and create a narrative, one in which saw the main artist look back as her time as a child and think that life should be as carefree as when you're young. Which I think personally worked very well with the other pieces of footage.

• I also relied on this technology to try and give the footage I filmed on the DSLR something special and make it look less flat. To do this I used the video filers. Specifically, I used the 3-way colour corrector tool allowing me top brighten the footage giving it that fine-tuned beauty. I also used tools to make the stop motion photographs the correct framing. This was a very long procedure though like the effects, helped to enhance and fine-tune the finished product.

How I used technologies for the evaluative process?

• In the evaluative process it is a way of showcasing what I have learnt through the whole process of this project. So, I thought that I should try and incorporate the most used four media technology types that I have used throughout the project: videos (two; different productions on Final Cut Pro), a Prezi, a Glogster and a PowerPoint. This allowed me to visually show what I had created throughout the project with audio, videos, visuals and analysis.

• I loved the fact that I got to endorse different platforms for the four questions as it meant that I wasn’t limited to one word document as a standard evaluation. Doing the evaluation this way let me specifically in the final cut pro videos add layers in the background of what I did and the finished product.

• Which I think is a really nice thing to incorporate because it means that the consumer of my evaluation can see the whole process and visuals of the final piece.

The difficulties that I had?

• I did though experience some difficulties though when using all of these technologies as when I made my music video on final cut Pro and was on about the 34th copy of my document I lost all of the work I had completed because I didn’t export all of the files correctly. This meant that when in conjunction with the MP3 format of the song the clips acted against the document and crashed. This at the time was very annoying and unpredictable; sadly, the footage could not be restored so I just had to re-do that section of work. This though, was an eye-opener for me for the rest of my project, as I relied less on auto saving and just manually saved every half an hour I spent on the project, to re-assure me that nothing would get lost.

• Other difficulties that I had throughout the duration of the project and using media technologies included using Photoshop elements 10 instead of CS6. The decision was really bad as elements was a far more basic platform to make changes to my digi-pak and print poster and the programme wouldn’t allow me to do as advance things as CS6 could. This included the creative effects, free transform, movements and the tools including: the stamping corrector. I had to resolve the problem quickly, once I realised the programme was potentially holding me back so, I moved the layers and the work onto a document in CS6 allowing me to make the essential and advanced changes I needed.

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