Question 4 - Draft

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

During this course I used numerous software, programmes and websites but during different stages of the project. They all varied in terms of what they offered and the complexity in the tools.

While doing the research tasks I used the Internet quite a bit in order to search for the relevant information. I used sites such as Slideshare and Prezi to find out what kind of information previous students included and to get some ideas when I did mine. I also used those sites to present my work to put onto Blogger which is another website that I used as a research tool. Blogger helped me the most in terms of quality and quantity of each research task. I was told which previous students’ blog were exceptionally good and that I should use them as a guide which is what I did. Furthermore, YouTube was a key website that I used throughout the entire course. During the research task I used YouTube in order to complete the task of existing products and products that I admire. Other general websites I used was Google, Facebook and Twitter. Facebook and Twitter helped me to find out information about the artist.

During the planning stage, I used a few new programmes such as Celtx. I used this to write out of the script. The programme made it easier to layout the script properly. I also used Adobe Premiere Pro to create the mood board. I was quite happy that I used Adobe Premiere Pro to do this as it was extra practise before I started editing the music video.  Other than those programmes, I used similar software to the research tasks as well as Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Word.

In terms of what hardware was used during the research and planning stage, nothing extravagant was used except a computer or laptop as well as my phone to post on to Blogger. However the main hardware was utilised during the construction stage, whilst creating the actual music video. During this stage I used a Canon 550D Camera with a tripod for easy manoeuvre for the camera with balanced focus. Within the camera there was other hardware that was in use as well, such as an SD Card to hold the footage when filming. The SD card was 16GB so it allowed me to hold quite a bit of footage. I used an 18-55mm lens to film for my music video which is casted as another piece of hardware. When I was filming in the studio a lot more hardware was present. To make the filming more effective I used studio lights to have the correct lighting. Additionally I used the green screen so that is another hardware to add to the list.

During the editing stage, I was using more complex software which was Adobe Premier Pro and Adobe After Effects. Adobe Premier Pro I was a bit familiar with it, as I have used it previously during GCSE as well as putting videos such as the mood board together. Adobe Premier Pro allowed me to cut footage and put it in the right place along to the song. I was able to add different transitions with different layers. One of the main tools I used throughout was the Razor Tool. This allowed me to cut a single clip into several different clips. I also used the Chroma key effect to remove the green screen. However the Chroma key did not get rid of all the green and I was therefore advised to use another software called Adobe After Effects. This was a much more multifarious software with a lot more to do.

On Adobe After Effects I removed the green screen more effectively and I also added different effects on the backgrounds. As it was one big clip I had to break it apart into its original individual clips so I can add different effects to different parts. I could have left it as one big on however it would have been a very tedious job to get each effect in the frame.

To remove the green screen I used the tool KeyLight 1.2 under the menu Effects. I then picked up all the green using the colour picker tool. I fiddled around with the colour matte tool until the background was black and the main model was white. I would then turn off the colour matte and put it on final result. To get different background effects I rummaged through the effects menu and tried to find effective effects to put as my background. Some looked really effective however some looked tacky.

Some effects were too big and bold on the model so I created a duplicate layer and put the effects on the behind layer so you can still see them but just not as big.

I also created a magazine advert and digipak. I found this quite easy as I was using the same software as last year when I created the magazine. I used Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop is the programme I used to edit my images. I used a number of tools to get my images to the way I wanted them. The main tool I used was the colour range tool which removed the white background and anything else which I didn't want in the final image.

Another tool I used was the adjustment tool. This tool gave me a lot of options in order to improve image colour or brightness. I used this tool to change the colour of my model to 3 different colours; red, blue, green and its original black for the landscape magazine advert. Another way I used the adjustment tool was when I brightened the main image on the portrait magazine advert. I also used it to brighten up inside image of the digipak so it looks redder rather than a maroon.

Furthermore, a tool that was really effective in images was the refine edge tool. This allowed me to feather the edge and smoothen it so my editing didn't show at all or as much especially when it wasn't too neat.

Adobe InDesign is where I actually created the magazine adverts and digipak. Adobe InDesign CS6 had a feature where I could layout out all 3 creations within on document. I found this quite easy as it was all linked to one another. So if I was to change something on the portrait magazine advert it will change it on the landscape magazine advert as well. This allowed me to keep consistency between the 3 tasks.

Another thing I found useful and convenient is the Swatches. This made it easier to select the colours that I wanted to use throughout my magazine adverts and digipak. For example I wanted to use a particular shade of red so I added it to my Swatches to have an easier access to the colour rather than trying to find it in the colour picker.

Another tool is the FX Tool. This tool is also in Adobe Photoshop but as Adobe InDesign is the programme I used the most so therefore I used the FX Tool a lot more in Adobe InDesign. In the FX Tool I used bevel and emboss for the reviews in my magazine adverts. I used the bevel and emboss effect as it made text look really effective.

Overall technology has made a huge impact on all of my work. I had a variety of technology available for me to use and it allowed me produce the best quality.