Evaluation Question 4 (Daniel)

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

CONSTRUCTION

1.For the production of our music video we used DSLR Canon EOS 650D for the filming. Utilising the use of white balance and over exposure, it was quite easy to use as the functions needed to produce our music video was limited.This was mainly due to the fact that most of the raw footage would be edited in post production.  We also used the DSLR cameras to obtain stills and images to use for our magazine advert and digipak cover. This was usually done before filming on a new day or location in order to get the right amount of sunlight due to the unpredictable weather of London. 





2.When it came to post production of our raw footage, to turn it into an R&B music video we used the program Final Cut Pro on the schools iMac Computers. Being an upgrade from iMovie it was easy to use whilst offering more variety in terms of technical features in order to make our music videos look more professional. An example of these new features is more precise clean cut tools, an essential key needed in the production of music videos. As well as access to Multi-cam support which allowed us to sync multiple shots simultaneously from different cameras, a feature that came in handy given that we were using not one but two DSLR camera in order to get different shots at the same time in order to add to the image of a real music video whilst also allowing us to cut down time. 

3.Once connected to the computer all we simply had to do is import it into Final Cut Pro and we were off as we edited whilst it imported files in the background.Being a music video, the first thing we utilised was the programmes overlaying and cutting tools in order to get our work to look remotely like a music video. After that was done, we used filters to increase the brightness of colours in scenes that we wanted to be highly exposed in order to keep a distribution between the past and present of the narrative. 

4.Whilst editing, we also had to make sure the footage was edited to match both the lyrics and music to the visuals on screen. We had to make sure this was precise if we wanted our product to look professional. Luckily Final Cut Pro made it a bit easier by allowing us to precisely place markers at the points we wanted to cut. Once the use of magnification was used on the clips timings, we were able to place markers at key points to get precise cuts that blended and fit with the beat helping us create the product we invisioned both in our minds and storyboard. 

5.When it came to creating our digipak, we used Photoshop provided to us on the Mac computers. Given a variety of features and tools to use we manipulated our stills and images through the use of contrast and saturation and added text until we felt happy with the end product. One of the main effects that we incorporated was the use of over exposed grain in order to gain the reflective aspect portrayed through out the scenes of flashbacks that the still image was extracted from. This was to give the digipak a more calm yet bold image that would cause it to stand out from a distance and be seen by audiences as they walk past if showcased in an actual store.

6.We used this same type of process to create our magazine advert, the only difference was the use of the add picture function in order to place our completed digipak cover on the magazine cover next to the enlarged image of the female protagonist. This use of layering came in handy as it gave us the ability to not only take the best pictures from stills, precisely cropped but to also place the image over a new background that emphasises on the image and causes it to stand out. The use of layering also allowed for the implementation of other images such as the the digipak as well as written text that not only stood out in front of the image but did so without creating any obstruction.

RESEARCH

1.When it came to research the internet was my main tool and weapon of choice. This was due to the access to Google which opened a bridge to a world of websites with the info, I needed and required. By using a mixture of Wikipedia and artist sites, I was able to come to understand the conventions associated with the R&B genre. Using these websites, I was able to get a better idea of how the R&B genre works and how to appeal to its target audience through our music video, digipak and Magazine Advert. Once I learned the conventions of the genre, I went onto Soundcloud and looked for a song by an unsigned artist that challenges these conventions. This lead us to find the song 'If You Wanna Leave' by Tyler Noel an up and coming unsigned R&B artist.

2.When it came to presenting the information gathered, I mostly used power point and only slight traces of Prezi. This was due to the fact that not a lot of research required the use of youtube videos meaning the power point option was a preferred choice as it allowed for easy layout planning and creation. When research did require videos, such as research into music videos themselves then prezis were used as I was able to embed them into blogger and shape the size of the video thumbnail and link.

 

3.Whilst doing research having access to both twitter and Facebook, we used these social media websites to see what Tyler Noel our unsigned artist fan base was like and how we could use these social websites to promote our final products and give Tyler some exposure whilst at it.

4. All research gathered was then recorded and placed into our blogs. Having used Blogger for two years it was easy to use and provide each piece of work a neat and clear layout that made it easier for readers to go to sections they wished to visit with no hassle. However, the downside to this use of blogger is that when it comes to writing on the blogger website itself and incorporating pictures, it becomes very difficult to create and make the layout you were hoping for. Hence why most of the research gathered and recorded is actually embedded from other websites like Prezi and Slidershare. 

PLANNING  

1)In terms of planning, before anything was done we discussed what we wanted in our music video and the aim of the narrative as a group. This was then presented to the class in the form of a power point that was recorded using a DSLR Camera for reference during filming. It simply stated the song’s lyrics as well as analysis, our ideas of how the music video should play out, location, character profile and props. 

2.Once that was done we created a story board denoting the sequence we wanted our product to follow. This was then converted into animatic. Through the use of importing images of our storyboard into Adobe Premier we edited each shot in order to match how long we wanted it to last in our final piece. In turn it gave us an idea of our final piece and a template to work off during filming.

 

3.When it came to developing our digipak, we first looked at examples of digipaks in the genre through the use of Google. We then chose a net we felt would suit our digipak and edited it using Photoshop in order to incorporate a still or image from our photo-shoot to fill each individual field of the net as well as the disc.

Just like our digipaks we used Photoshop when it came to the planning of our magazine cover including colour of the background, font and placement of the digipak cover on the advert.

EVALUATION

When presenting my evaluation questions, I used  a variety of media technologies and electronic formats:

1. Evaluation 1: I used a prezi format, this was due to the fact that I felt that I needed a layout that provided YouTube videos concisely whilst not distorting the presentation. This use of importation allowed me to show a clear link between the points that I aimed to convey.

2. Evaluation 2:For this I chose to simply record my voice going through the question showing visual cues as I felt that the structure of power point did it no just.

 3. Evaluation 3: For this question, I used power-point for its simple layout which fit the more heavy written evaluation question.

 4. Evaluation 4: For this I simply used the Bloggers format and included images. This is due to the fact that going through our presentation every thing can be see as we go through the journey from beginning to start. This means the use of images alone will help readers understand the links and decisions we have made