HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?

Technologies I used.

Whilst producing our product I used a range of technologies throughout my research, planning , construction and Evaluation. Using these technologies made it easier to document my work online and also enabled me to find new ways of documenting and uploading my work using multimedia technologies.

Research

For the research section of this project I used a range of internet services. The internet proved the best way to get research as it gave me many sources which is good for research, compassion and documenting my findings. The first way I used the internet was to look up music videos for the chosen genre of RnB/Pop. I used the website Google at first to research songs of this genre which showed me a list of multiple websites that listed popular RnB songs from various years. Google provides the public with a search selection in which you can search from a variety of things from anywhere in the world and this online feature allowed me to search up songs from any part of the world. It also gave me a wide variety of artists for example, bands/ duo’s/ trios/quartets and solo artists. Although I was able to see the songs I could use they were from artists my group could not get hold of so then we used a second website called Unsigned.Com which showed a range of artists who were unsigned and would most likely be able to allow us to use their song. Unsigned.com was a helpful website as it had a selection of genre’s which was on a list and once I clicked on the hyperlink it took me to another webpage with artists from my chosen genre only. This made it easier for me to search instead of searching from a wide variety of genre’s. This differs from Google because Google will gives a list of websites from the search choice, however, it will also show advertisements and websites which are links from other sources and so it proves less reliable than Unsigned.com.

Research continued

Unsigned.Com Provided us with multiple bands from the RnB genre which we cut down (based on the formation of the band) to one band named Thicke. We used the bands information from that website to reach them via the social networking website, Twitter which allowed us to search their names and took us too their personal twitter page where we are able to direct message them or tweet them a public message. This is where we asked for their music. Unfortunately they were unable to provide their music however this allowed us to turn to YouTube where we searched for artists and came across the Band ‘Ruff Diamondz’ .We then used the information posted on their YouTube account to reach the Hotmail of their record label where we asked for their music and was approved.

Research continued

Once we had found our band we needed to research other bands of the same genre and same format so we could compare, so I used YouTube to search up bands for example, I typed ‘Destiny’s child’ into the search bar and looked at the range of videos I could use for my research videos. Once finding a video I used the blogging website Blogger.com to upload my findings and share it with others. I was able to do this by the service the internet provides which is the ‘Embed code’ on every video on YouTube. By copying this code into the blogger website I was able to upload the video and my comments my research findings on a blog page. I was also able to use Google to research Advertisements and digipak for my research for our product digipak and advertisement.

Images from online Research

PLANNING

Planning

For planning I used a mixture of internet and presentation technologies to show the planning of our product. For example I used PowerPoint, word, Facebook and Slideshare. As well as using all of these I also used YouTube to post videos onto facebook.

Powerpoint

This computer programme proved most useful. This is because I can use PowerPoint to create my own individual presentation on my product. PowerPoint provides me with a range of slide layouts and designs and also allows me to upload images which I can grab with my windows7 snipping tool. For example, I used PowerPoint to create the plan for our Digipak and Advertisement by cropping photographs from the internet (Google) and copying them into PowerPoint. I was then able to comment and post other images and designs around the photograph. I also have the option to make my PowerPoint change its slide without he mouse click using one of its special features of ‘Custom animation’. This made the process of collecting and commenting on my different findings easier.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft word is the feature on computers which allows me to document my findings. On word you have the option of creating tables and bar charts as well as just written documents. For example, whilst writing up the script for ‘Alrite Still’ I was able to type it up onto word and then print it in a readable format for our girl band to follow. This made it easier to create multiple copies of documents to share out to our group so we could have our own copy. Word also proved useful when we planned our filming. We used word to create a table to show our free time and when we would be able to film which can now be easily accessed from Blogger and we can see this whenever we need to film. We were also able to print copies so if we were not near a computer, we could have to schedule on us at all times.

Slideshare

Without Slideshare I was unable to upload any of my PowerPoint or word documents. This is because without an embed code I am unable to post my presentations onto Blogger. Slideshare provides the service of converting my presentation into a format which supplies me with an embed code which I copy into Blogger.com. After creating my posts I uploaded my work to Slideshare by using the Upload selection and then took the embed code from the presentation and copied that into Blogger.com.

Facebook

Facebook was used to grab images of the girls in our girl band to upload onto PowerPoint so that we could create a presentation. Facebok is another social network website which allows posting photographs and videos/video links on a wall where it is accessible to the public. This is where I copied photo’s from to create a PowerPoint about our girband. This is also where information was retrieved for the band biography which we used in our digipak.

Additional computer services used whilst creating my planning blog

One additional feature I used was Paint. Paint allowed me to create the design for the digipak. Paint allows the creation of posters and Layouts by using different shapes and drawings. For example I created our Digipak using the ‘Shapes’ service where I could draw out the template for our digipak, after this I can fill the box with any colour for the background and then I took images from Facebook and copied them onto paint to create the image of the girl band on the front of the digipak. I also used paint to experiment with the colours I could used on the digipak.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction

The construction section of this project included capturing images which show the creation of our product. I used both a camera and mobile phone to do this so that I could capture video’s as well as images from the making of our video.

Camera

We first used the camera to capture videos of our girlband as the did screen-tests. We set them up in well lit location and used a tripod to rest the camera on . We then asked the girls questions whilst they spoke into the camera. After filming our screen tests we uploaded our videos to imovie, which we alos used to create our project. Imovie allows us to cut out any unwanted footage as well as add in effects for our footage. We also used a camera to film 20% of or product. This is because the camera’s HD quality and ability to zoom and use as a handicam as well as on a tri/bi pod allowed us to use it at different angles and for different shots of the filming.

Mobile phones

I used my mobile phone to capture images of the filming whilst it was happening. Theses still images could be uploaded Facebook, PowerPoint, Word and paint. They could also be used in Slideshare or a slideshow. The mobile phones we used were also used to capture footage. After experiences constraints with the HD camera we used an iPhone to capture footage. This is a Smartphone which allows up to record/film and snapshot the making of our video as well as uploading them via a cable which we plugged into the computers using a USB wire and then transferred the photo’s onto the Apple Mac computers and then either onto a PowerPoint/Word document or Straight onto Blogger.

EVALUATION

Evaluation

For the evaluation of the Media product I used Apple Mac computers and a Presentation website.

The Apple Mac computers Provided us with a built in camera and we used this to film our audience feedback for our evaluation and planning section of our video. We were able to sit big groups of people in a room and film them whilst we asked them questions. This was helpful as we didn’t need to find anyone to hold a camera and we could record straight onto YouTube where we could upload it and then share it to various other websites. This was one of our most helpful media technologies.

Prezi

Prezi is another Presentation creation website but it allows you to do more than PowerPoint. This is because I can upload and watch videos from it and I can also use different paths on the presentation to control what the screen shows. On example of my usage of Prezi is when I used it to document my groups usage/development and challenge of conventions of similar music videos. I also signed up to the website when I have my own account and I can upload all of my videos to one place. Having Prezi online allows me to have an embed code on every presentation I create which makes it quicker and easier to upload. This is different from PowerPoint as I would have to upload it to Slideshare first. Online access also allows me to create my presentations quicker and select photo’s from other websites e.g. Google.

Summary

By using all the different technologies to create and present my work. I have been able to document, upload and share all of my work as well as keep it online so I can create copies and access it easily. The technologies I have used have also taught me about how I can use different multimedia technologies to create a piece of work which I can then share with the public for feedback. Using the internet website ‘Google’ proved unreliable when I searched specific things as it gave me multiple search results with only 60% of the results relating to my search request, however, it was helpful when I needed to search up bands and music as it gave me results from different time periods and I was able to compare different products. Many of my presentations and images were uploaded and created using computer technology. This made it , quick and easy to produce and share work and allowed me to present my findings publically.