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

Alice Sophie Turrell

Media technologies have been vital in the whole process of my trailer and ancillary products, and I could not have achieved the results I did without them. Such technologies I used included hardware and software and online tools including Sony digital video cameras, Adobe Premier Pro, and YouTube. Often, these different technologies worked together to help me achieve a goal. For example, I used all of the technologies just listed to film, edit and post my trailer.

Hardware

Sony Digital Film Camera

The Sony Digital Film Cameras I used were one of the most important pieces of hardware I used during my construction, as without them I would not have been able to film my video in such good quality. What I really like about using this video camera was how compact it was, meaning it was not bulky to carry around locations but I still got a really high quality results. Another aspect of this camera that I really liked was how the viewer could be adjusted so I could film from different angles – for example when I filmed the antagonist walking towards the camera, I placed the camera on the floor, and tilted the view finder so I could see what was being recorded easily.

Nikon DX2

I used a Nikon DX2 camera whilst shooting images for my ancillary products – magazine cover and poster. This camera was a vital piece of hardware as it allowed me to get professional quality images in the studio. What I really liked with this camera is that it enabled me to get high quality images that I could not achieve with other cameras in the studio. As I have previously used this camera I could use it to its full potential. This included the studio soft box lights. For example, I positioned on below the model angled up to get a typical, classic horror lighting effect.

Zoom H1 Digital Sound Recorder

I used a Zoom H1to record all the sound for my trailer. I recorded the sound to the filming as through using the Zoom I got a much clearer, louder sound with no added background noise which I got on the video clips. It was also portable enough for me to take out when filming on location so I could record some sound there, as well as back in the studio. I could also attach a mic to it which allowed me to get closer sound while standing further back. This was particularly helpful when recording the chain saw sound.

Mac

I used a Mac throughout the entire process, from research through to the evaluation. This is because Macs have all the software I needed, including things such as Live Type which is only available on a Mac. It is also easier and better to use programs such as Photoshop and Premier Pro on Macs.

iPhone

I relied on the use of my iPhone throughout the whole process of research, planning, construction and evaluation as it allowed me to work on the go, and access information when I was away from a computer. Apps such as IMDB allowed me to research existing films while shooting my trailer and ancillary tasks to get inspiration on the go. Other apps that helped me while on the go was Facebook and Twitter as I could easily contact my target audience and quickly gain their response. Having a phone with internet access really helped during the filming of my trailer and the preparation, as it meant I could easily access my emails and get in touch with the actresses/actor easily to clarify information as well as get in touch with the owner of the location on the day if I needed to.

Software

Adobe Premier Pro

I decided to use Adobe Premier Pro to edit my trailer as I liked how easy it is to navigate and edit clips, whilst also having a range of different editing techniques which I found extremely helpful. For example, one of my clips was quite dark due to it being filmed at night, and the editing effects allowed me to lighten the clip add a bit more contrast. The editing tools made is so easy to cut the clip and change things such as speed and transition duration, therefore allowing me to be creative and have freedom with what I wanted to do and how I wanted my trailer to look.

Premier Pro also helped me to present one of my evaluation questions in an exciting, visual way with a combination of text, commentary and clips from my trailer.

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop was a crucial piece of Software during my construction stage, as it allowed me to edit my images to a high and professional standard for my poster and magazine cover. The levels and curves options allowed me to adjust colours and contrast to give different, dramatic effects to make the images stand out. The Spot Healing tool let me to smooth out any imperfections on the models face, and the drop shadow tool allowed me to add shadow and create a more 3D effect on my magazine cover.

Live Type

Live Type really helped me in making my trailer seem more professional, by allowing me to add intertitles which are commonly seen in horror films to increase suspense. Using Live Type I also created my logo for my production company, and through using Live Type I could mimic existing conventions and create a realistic and professional logo.

Microsoft PowerPoint

I have used PowerPoint throughout the planning, research and evaluation stages as it has been a good way of presenting information as it allows me to separate and spread out information rather than have it appear like an essay. It also allows me to include some creativity through different colours, themes and images to give visual aid to what I am presenting and the ideas I am putting forward. One area where I found PowerPoint particularly useful was presenting results from research, as I could use a slide or two per question, and add visuals such as graphs.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word allowed me to present large pieces of written work and create tables throughout the evaluation, planning and research stages. It also allowed me to create important legal forms and disclaimers for the actresses/actors and property owners to sign. I found that the option to make tables really helped me present information in a strong professional manner in the planning process – especially when making call sheets as I could organise the information efficiently.

Online Tools

YouTube

YouTube has been a very useful and important online tool throughout all stages, allowing me to research existing movies and trailers, include trailers in my work – for example posting on my blog and embedding into PowerPoints via Slide Share. YouTube was most important however during the construction stage, as it allowed me to upload my trailer easily, and share it via Twitter and Facebook in order to gain responses from the audience on how to improve. As YouTube is such popular and easy to access website, my trailer could be viewed by a wide audience, therefore not limited to just who I shared it with or my Facebook friends.

Blogger

I have used Blogger extensively throughout G324, as it has allowed me to post all my work – no matter what format they are in, word document, image, or video – on an easy to use and navigate blog. The labels help me to organise my work according to different stages, making it easier for me to find, look at and refer back to what I have done as well as making it easier for others to look at.

The fact that the entire blog is customizable gives me the opportunity to make it more personal, and tailor the blog around my project, fitting the work that I have posted.

IMDB

IMDB really helped me with research, as it gave me easy access to various pieces of information relating to films including release dates, budgets and audience response. Another handy feature on IMDB is how they list the top films in the genre, this showed me trends in the horror genre as well as showing me how horror films have developed over the years, therefore giving me ideas on what to include in my film in order to appeal to the target audience.

Slide Share

Slide Share has allowed me to upload and share PowerPoints and Word Documents throughout my G324 project and embed them into my blog making them easy to view without being redirected to another site. This has really helped with the organisation of blog, and given me more ways of presenting my information.

One feature on Slide Share that I particularly like and have used a lot is the opportunity to embed YouTube videos in between different PowerPoint slides. This has been helpful when talking about existing trailers giving me inspiration, and can then add them to show people exactly what I am talking about.

Prezi

Prezi has allowed me to present information in a fun, interactive way, spreading out information so it does not look daunting and hard to look at. I found Prezi particularly useful when making timelines on the horror industry in my research stage due to the way you can create the path to move in a timeline style.

Facebook and Twitter

Facebook really helped me with gaining valuable audience research throughout the research and construction stages of creating my trailer.

While in the research stage, I could share surveys and blog posts on Facebook and get responses from a wide audience on what appeals to them and what they look for in a horror trailer. This then allowed me to tailor my trailer and ancillary tasks to meet their expectations.

Also during the construction stage it allowed me to share my results and get feedback on how to improve. For example, I could not decide on a font for my poster, and I shared the poster with different fonts, and the target audience told me which one they preferred, therefore allowing me to create a product that the audience will respond positively to.

Twitter has allowed me to reach an even greater worldwide audience, with using hashtags as a way to popularise and spread my trailer, surveys and ancillary products further – helping me gain wider and more varied audience feedback.

Survey Monkey

Survey Monkey has allowed me to create easy to use surveys that contain all the information I need to gain a detailed response from my target audience. I could also embed a link into my blog as well, which looks a lot neater than posting a web link on a blog post.

The results collected are also shown in a neat graph, clearly and easily showing what people think giving me clear and understandable evidence for me to work from.