Question 4: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Cameras:Nikon SLR (cropped frame)Canon (full frame)

I have used a variation of different types of media technologies within the construction, research, planning and evaluation of my media product, where my skills have developed and improved in digital technology.

One example of how I have used digital technology in construction of my media product is by the different types of cameras.

The Nikon SLR has been used due to the cropped frame that the camera has. I used the Nikon SLR to film the bath shots for my music video, as well as shots in Manchester Town Centre. I focused on composition and angles within the camera shots, looking at different camera techniques such as depth of field.

However, with using the Canon camera, which has a full frame, helping to establish more in the camera shots, the outcome for the footage filmed on this camera seemed crisper and clearer, more improved, than with the Nikon as I was more limited to what I could capture on this camera. This led me to use the Canon more.

Nikon Canon

I developed my skills with the Canon camera as for example, with my AS media product, I had used this camera for taking portrait photographs for my magazine, where I used studio lighting. My skills have improved with how I have focused more on lighting, looking at natural lighting; as well as lighting in different locations of my music video, such as nightclubs or lights off buildings. I have also developed my skills in terms of camera techniques, focusing on creating bokeh effects and focus shifts.

Cameras:Nikon SLR (cropped frame)Canon (full frame)

AS Photography

A2 Photography

Photoshop:

I have used Photoshop for my media product to create two ancillary pieces to advertise the artist. My Photoshop skills have developed as rather than just focusing on simple things such as brightness and contrast, I have looked a lot more into lighting properties, as well as different styles and effects on my photography work.

Blogger:

Blogger has been used to post my work towards this video online, so that I could record my work, keeping track of my research, planning and construction stages of the media product.

Facebook: Social Networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have also been used in planning and getting feedback from my media product. Facebook has been used to create a focus group so I could show people my final product and get feedback from them about what the successes and improvements which could be made. This was an easy and quick way to gather information as people could watch and reply to my questions on their phone or a computer instantly, for free. Facebook was also used for my market research to share my survey so that people could give me more ideas when planning my music video, in terms of examples such as genre and styles of my video.

However, although I was successful in using Facebook for my research methods, I was still limited to how much I could research, in terms of trying to find Halsey’s manager contact details. I thought that Twitter would be a better source to research information on someone famous, rather than Facebook

Twitter:Twitter was used to gather information about Halsey’s managers, so that I could email them asking to use the song. I used Twitter as it is easy and free to use, but also it is the main social networking sites where you can keep up with what celebrities, in particular, are up to; and also where they would usually post their contact information. I found Halsey’s managers on her Twitter, as well as double checking on her official website, where fans can keep up with Halsey.

iPhone: My iPhone has been used in ways such as researching, by using websites such as Google, whether to find Halsey’s contact details; or to go online to Facebook or Twitter. I have also used my iPhone to Google search some of the techniques which I wanted to use when editing my music video on Adobe Premier.

Google and YouTube were helpful in showing me tutorials of different editing techniques that I could use on my media product. My iPhone has been a key source into my researching methods, as it was a quick and easy way to access the websites and information I would need to go on, in opposition to just using a computer.

As well as this, my iPhone camera has also been used, in locations such as certain nightclubs, and the Halsey concert which I had attended, as I found that the iPhone camera worked well in the narrative of my music video, due to some of the themes being about being intoxicated. The iPhone worked well in locations like this, as it was smaller and easier to film certain parts, without being too careful, like with the camera, as there is more of a chance you could break that.

The photography also isn’t as clear as the camera, creating an imperfect style to the footage, which relates well in the narrative. IPhones also link well with the idea of youth, as majority of teenagers would have either this phone or an android, however we found that the android camera would be too pixelated, so the iPhone was just right.

Adobe Premier:

Adobe Premier was the programme used to edit my music video together. My skills on this software has improved as I was not sure how to use this programme at all before starting this project, however, I have learnt many different techniques such as time lapsing footage, as well as using split screens and editing colours of different footage. I was successful in using Adobe Premier as I was not limited to what I could do with my music video, in terms of different styles and techniques of editing.

MP3: MP3 was used to upload the Halsey song onto the computer so that I could use in on Adobe Premier. This was more successful than getting it off YouTube. YouTube is limiting as the quality of the song isn’t as good when uploading it to the programme, therefore I learnt how to import a song via MP3, from my iPhone, to use for the music video.

Slideshare:

Programmes like Slideshare and Survey Monkey have been used to publish my work, as well as create a survey for my market research. Slideshare has been used to post my work of word documents and powerpoints so that I could upload them to my blog, via blogger, by copying the embedded URL code.

Survey Monkey was also used when creating a survey. I asked questions relating to the styles of music video which my audience will most probably prefer, along with genres and favourite artists/music. This was easy to use and helpful in gathering information as the survey was easy to complete, and I could share it onto social networking sites for people to complete, as well as email them to people. My knowledge had improved as with this survey, I gathered my results online and analysed them, rather than printing them off and creating charts and diagrams myself to analyse the results.

Survey Monkey: