How Did You Use Media Technologies in the Construction and Research, Planning and Evaluation Stages?
I used many different types of technology throughout the construction of my media product. I used a Sony VX2000 to shoot my film. In using this video camera I learnt how to use the advance setting such as manual white balance and manual sound setting. The VX2000 has a onboard microphone, it is omni directional so tends to pick up more background noise. Using a external directional microphone allowed me to pick up the sound I wanted and needed without picking up distracting background noise. Using an external microphone also allowed me to use the manual sound setting. My short was based in a classroom environment so the manual setting allowed me to increase the sensitivity so it clear picked up individually spoken lines as well as some classroom noise too. The VX2000 itself has many interesting features, one of which is zebra. Setting the zebra allowed me to ensure that faces and other objects were not over exposed. Manually setting the reference white for the white balance also helps to keep the exposure at the correct level. Over or under exposure can be a huge problem. I found in some of my shots even setting the white balance still allowed for under exposure. I rectified this fault by using the colour correction tool on the editing software, Avid Express Pro. This tool allowed me to select a reference colour from a good shot and force the under exposed shot to match this colour. It took me many attempts as sometimes under exposure can lead to strange tints appearing when colour matched. The best matches are often taken from the previous or proceeding shot. In my AS coursework unit I did not use the title tool to its full potential. Using the marquee option within title tool allowed me amend titles and also allowed me to add more effects. The marquee setting allows for more changes. I used the trim tool in my A2 project. In AS I simple cut my shot together and slowly cut back and forward to make a good match, this meant that some transitions were not very smooth and fluid. More fluidity was achieved using the trimming tool. The trimming tool allowed me to take more from one shot and shorten another, this means that a more precise cut can be made and is especially helpful for shots where the action is mirrored and continues, i.e. walking past the camera and following shot sequence.
My research was much more thorough this year and allowed me to use better technologies. I used a piece of software called Prezi to collate my questionnaire findings in an innovative presentation. Paper based questionnaires were still used but in a more effective way by actively analysing them in a way that could involve my audience more. Involving audiences in the research and planning is essential, technologies like Prezi has allowed me to do that. I used the Internet heavily when researching the themes and issues of my short. The nature of the issue present, peadophilia lead me to read many different articles online. The majority of information was found on newspaper websites. Researching using the technology of the Internet has allowed me to gather large amount of information and also given me an insight into how these issues are tackled within the wider media context. Knowing the wider media context allowed me to understand what the conventions were and how to challenge them.
During the planning stages some more standard technologies were used. A vital piece of technology was a scanner. The scanner allowed me to easy upload pictures of my actor release forms, reece forms and location release forms. Using a blog as a hub for my work was beneficial but without a scanner scripts and breakdown sheets would not be well presented as the technology on the blog only allows for standard formatting, that of word. The script in particular needed to be shown in the film standard format. I used Script Smart to create my script. The software ensured that the script was laid out in the same format expected by the professional industry.
The evaluation section of the coursework has allowed me to use many different technologies. I have use Prezi much like in my research and planning to allow me to explain how I have used, developed or challenge forms and conventions in a more interactive way. This allows the reader to understand complex concepts in a way that seems more simplistic and user friendly. I have also used GarageBand software on an Apple MacBook Pro to record a podcast, which was then uploaded to a website, Yourlisten.com. This allowed me to place a player on my blog, which answered the audience feedback question of the evaluation. I have also used PowerPoint to explain how effective my combination of main product and ancillary tasks was. This is an easier more standard piece of software but only with the use of an innovative slide sharing website such as Slideboom.com could I embed this onto my blog. The last piece of techonolgy I have used is word to format this section of my evaluation, as simple as word is to use, only with the help of blogger.com’s was I able to present the text in my chosen font, courier, which links directly to the font used in the film industry in scripts.
