Question 6:What have you learnt about technologies from the

process of constructing this product?

Digital cameras

In my preliminary task, we made the mistake to record over some of the footage on our tape, so I made sure not to repeat this very stupid but easily made mistake.

Although I already knew the basics of how to use a digital camera (record, zoom, replay, photo shot, etc), I had the opportunity to use and develop these skills while constructing this product.

Camera angles

To achieve a particular effect through a high angle/low angle/tilt//worm's eye/birds eye view shot, I had to stretch or lie on the floor and get into various awkward positions because we did not have the means to use more professional equipment.

I have learnt the impact camera angles have on the atmosphere, especially when the shots are put together at the end in the final product.

Movement and Footage

Looking back on our footage, I have learnt that it is very important to hold the camera still so as to not get a too wobbly shot when not using a tripod.

For our 2 minute thriller opening, we shot about 1 hour of footage. This happened through our idea evolving into new ideas and us changing the plot slightly while adapting to our possibilities, seeing as this is a extremely low-budget, independent amateur film.For example, we had originally planned to have a flashback, which happens in the night in a backstreet of Norwich. We shot this footage, but then realised it was too dark to see the action in it and so we had to cut the entire scene out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TQsHj78RqPw

Editing

I edited my thriller on my own laptop using iMovie 2011.

The most important lesson I learnt during the construction of this production is that it took more time to edit than I had planned in, so in future I will always give myself more time to edit a production.

I have learnt how to change the exposure/brightness/contrast and saturation of a shot, to make it fit in more with the atmosphere i'd like to reach.

I have gathered various skills around how to adjust the sound, make it fade in or fade out and add in non-diegetic sound. I have gained

knowledge around how to cut/trim a clip, play it back and change its speed (slow motion/ fast forward).

I now know how to add in titles to a shot and put effects onto the clip.

Though not used in the end cut, I learnt how to make a shot faded into the background of another shot.

Though I had already been taught about some elements of this in my Creative and Media course at City College Norwich last year, I had to use my understanding of how to finalise a project on iMovie to then put it up as a video on youtube.

Again, the most important thing I learn from this part of the editing is the time it takes to load it up. I was expecting the programme to finalise and upload the project to the internet within minutes, whereas in reality it took an hour.

Using a media blog

Due to owning a tumblr blog, I already knew many of the aspects of running a blog. It was easy enough for me to figure out how to post images, films and text onto my blog, as it wasn't too different from writing and posting in a word document.

One of the major things I learnt very recently on this blog, which I think will turn out quite useful to know, is how to embed a youtube clip and a powerpoint presentation (via slideshare) into a post on my blog using the HTML link.