By Mitchell Turner

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

Planning and research

During the planning and research stages of the project I used lots of different websites and software.

Research

The group needed to research the codes and conventions of music videos so that we knew what we would need to put into our video. This was achieved by searching for existing videos on YouTube as well as using Google to search for information regarding our chosen genre. This was very helpful as I was able to get a clear understanding of the folk genre and what code and conventions needed to be added in our video.

We could also watch television channels and view the music videos that way as well. As I have Sky it meant that there was a variety of television channels which I watch.

I could also view music videos through my mobile phone. This was very helpful when we went out filming because we could view the videos and show our actors what we wanted them to do.

Blogging our planning and research

We used Kite to blog our progress throughout the course so that we see our development and how the group was able to progress.

However Kite caused the group problems when trying to blog our progress because it wouldn’t allow us to upload Prezi’s at first and then it wouldn’t allow us to embed YouTube videos either. Eventually both of these problems were resolved.

I was able to use Kite like a diary by constantly uploading various pieces of work which I had completed.

Prezi & YouTube – Research & Planning

I used Prezi during the research & planning stages as it was a good platform to present my findings. I could also share my Prezi’s with other members of the group which helped them with their research as well.

I was also able to use YouTube by uploading the vlogs which we did when we went to the farm for the first time to find out the possible filming locations.

These two formats were very useful as it meant that we could access them from anywhere which was particularly good when we was filming because I was able to view the information via my phone which was a real bonus.

Social Media – Facebook group

We also created a Facebook group which included the members of our group so that we could arrange times to meet up and film. It also meant that we could share ideas and post our ideas to get instant feedback so that we didn’t waste time during our filming sessions.

Mobile phone & Laptop – Research & Planning

My mobile phone meant that I could text members of our group so that we could meet up and start making the plans for the music video. It also meant that we were able to contact each other outside of school. It also enabled me to access the Facebook group via the Facebook app which was installed on my phone.

I used my laptop throughout the project to research various aspects which we needed to research. It enabled me to watch YouTube videos, visit websites which contained important information. I was also able to start making prototypes of effects which we were planning to use as I had the Adobe Creative Cloud installed on my laptop.

Construction

In the construction stages of the project we used three different camera to record our music video which included Canon EOS 1100D, Nikon D3200 & Sony DCR-PJ6. Along with these cameras we also used a tripod, handheld jib & dolly for the tracking shot.

We uploaded our footage to the VEM (video editing machine) which has a duel screen and is much more powerful at processing the video clips than a normal computer. The VEM has the Adobe Master Collection installed which allowed us to edit the footage on Premiere Pro and add special effects to the clips using After Effects.

I used InDesign to create my poster and Dreamweaver to create my Website. Dreamweaver allowed me to create a website from scratch without the need for templates which are restrictive in terms of creativity.

Editing – Premiere Pro

To edit our video we used Adobe Premiere Pro CS6. The software enabled us to put the video clips in an order which would mean that the audience would be able to follow the story, as well as shorten the length of some clips so that the audience would remain engaged throughout the video.

As Premiere Pro is part of the Adobe Master Collection it means that the other Adobe products which we used could be easily incorporated into the work. This included work from After Effect, Photoshop & Illustrator. This made the editing process much easier as we create files on other computers using Photoshop and After Effects and import them onto VEM which saved lots of time for the group.

Screenshot of the timeline

Editing – Premiere Pro

The effects panel The

timeline

Our footage

Editing – After Effects

Screenshot of the timeline

We used After Effects to create the title screen of the video as well as the ending of the video. Using After Effects meant that we could add the film scratches video over the top of the Photoshop files which we created. This enabled us to make the title screen look old and therefore fit the genre.

We also used After Effects to add the film scratches effect to the ending of the video as well. This was done using the same video file which was used for the title screen along with the same soundtrack which plays over the music of the song.

Editing – After effects

The

timeline The files used

Feedback – Creative Arts Evening

Our school hosted a creative arts evening which was the perfect way to show off our products and receive feedback. We were able to get the reaction from our audience and ask them questions about various elements of the product.

The event enabled the group to obtain some strong feedback which was both positive and negative. This variation of feedback was good because it meant there were some clear elements of the product which we needed to improve on if we were to complete the task again, but some other elements which were executed very well.

Evaluation – Kite learning platform

We used Kite to blog the whole production process from the planning stages, editing, all the way to the evaluation. Kite enabled me to embed my Slideshare’s and Prezi’s for me and other members of my group to see.

Kite also meant that I could embed the YouTube videos which both myself and the group had produced during the project. Kite allowed me present my work in a clear way with its simple layout.

However Kite did not offer a way of hosting my website so I needed to find an alternative to this.

Website Hosting

To host my website I used x10hosting which is a free web hosting service for small websites. x10hosting has tools which leaves the user in complete control as well 99.9% up time.

It also offers its own website builder if you don’t have the software to create your own website, however I already created my website using Adobe Dreamweaver which was by far the better option to choose.

The platform also offers its users free support as well as its own forum where other users can ask questions and receive instant support from other users.

Evaluation - YouTube

We uploaded our music video to YouTube so that we could share it amongst ourselves and also so we could receive feedback from our audience. YouTube is a great platform to share the video between ourselves, giving us access when we are at home.

By uploading the video to YouTube it also meant that it could be embedded onto our blogs and into my website.

Evaluation – PowerPoint/Slideshare

I used PowerPoint to display some of my evaluation as its an easy piece of software to use and it allows the information to be displayed clearly.

PowerPoint also enabled me to insert images as well as videos into my presentations which was a really useful feature when making some points about my work.

I then uploaded my PowerPoint to Slideshare which allows users to view their PowerPoint's online as well as embed them on websites and blogs. Slideshare is free to use which was great and it was fully compatible with Kite.

Evaluation - Prezi

I finally used Prezi to display the final pieces of my evaluation, Prezi was a great website to use for this. Its also free to use which was another reason why I used it.

It allowed me to upload images, sound and embed YouTube

videos which resulted in me being able to produce multimedia presentations.

I could also embed the Prezi into my Kite blog which was a useful feature as it meant when looking at the blog it wasn’t littered with hyperlinks, but instead with embedded Prezi’s which looked much better.