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

Reiss Langdon

Creating the filmI used a standard HD digital camcorder to record the short film. Due to the HD it caught crisp and clear footage and was very practical. The fact that we only had one camera to use meant we couldn't shoot from multiple angles at the same time. This meant we would film the entire script from one angle and then from another in order to cut and edit more effectively and has more continuity throughout the film.The zoom feature was also used to its full advantage during filming. This came in handy for focusing on objects and general experimentation with shots. However we never used the zoom feature to actually pan in on objects as we thought it didn't look professional and smooth enough.Luckily we also had a tri-pod to use which meant steady shots were easily captured and also allowed us to smoothly tilt and pan for more interesting angles and shots.

Editing the filmAdobe premiere elements 9 in order to edit the clips we had recorded. Although it was my first time using this software I found it very easy to use, so it didn't take me very long to start constructing the film.

Once the clips were imported onto the program it was easy to just click and drag them into the timeline and manipulate them . By using the cutting tool we were able to cut and delete segments of the footage in order cut and paste different clips together

The end result of this manipulation is the picture above. A variety of clips cut and pasted together in order to cohesively create a narrative.

One very interesting technique used in the film was stop motion. This was innovative way to use other mediums in the editing process and create a more interesting looking film to watch.This was executed by taking a series of pictures with something changing each time, similar to animation. We did this with empty pint glasses in order to enhance the illusion that a significant amount of time has passed and perhaps the main character has drank a bit too much.

Ident and creditsTo create text and credits there were built in programmes onto the editing package to use. There was a wide variety of font types and layouts available and also it was possible to move around the text on the screen as much as you wished. With the credits there was a conventional style available just for movie credits I choose this in order to give the film an authentic feel. The speed at which the text moved by was also in my control, so decided to have them fade and be generally slower in order to give the audience time to hear the song.

TransitionsWe only used one transition throughout the film, mostly because it wasn't necessary to include at any other point. There were multiple transitions to choose from, and so I dragged the desired effect into the transition panel on the time line were I wanted it.

SoundThe microphone on the camcorder tended to be very unreliable and dint give a convincing . So I decided instead to edit and create sound on the digital recording software logic pro 9. With this software I was able to create artificial diagetic sound for the film. The sound is of a higher quality sound than the one picked up from the cameras microphone and also realistic. To do this I used manly loops and samples that were effected and cut and pasted.

Logic pro comes with a variety of different soundscapes and effects to pick from. I choose things like wind and nature sound samples for the start of the film, traffic sounds for when the scene outside the pub, and a restaurant sound for the pub. For the scenes inside the pub I had to mix the jukebox music and the crowd sound in order to create a realistic sound, and fade tracks out ect.

The set up of logic pro 9 is much like the timeline of the film in the editing package meaning I just synced the video wit the sound in order to get it in time.

Much like the editing package its possible to cut and paste sounds into where you want them. Above is a example of me cutting up the footstep sound in order for it fit with the film.

One effect I used in the creation of the sound was using a filter in order to create a muffled sound for the scene in the toilet. This added with an echo reverb enhances the verisimilitude and makes a realistic sound. Above is the effects unit used to create the filter and how I effected it to get the desired effect.

Creating my film posterTo capture the image for my film poster I used a standard 8.1 mega pixel camera. This gave me a more than good enough quality picture and by using zoom and modifying the contrast settings ect on the camera I was able to capture a host of interesting pictures to choose from. I also used this camera for my image in the film review.

Here are a host of images I was able to capture with this camera. In order to enhance the quality I just used a simple Microsoft tool bar shown below. It allowed me to adjust the lighting and contrast of the pictures.

Creating my magazine film reviewI used Microsoft publisher in order to create my film review with exception of the photography. This programs role in the creation of the film review was essentially down to just layout, font , sizing and colour

Research and planning and evaluationI used blogger to post both my research and planning and evaluation, and to upload PowerPoint slides I used a website called slide share. Both were very easy to use and helped me in ordering and tracking my work. I used Google to research short films and camera techniques and also the BBC film network was a great resource too for finding short films to take inspiration from. Lastly I used YouTube for research into short films and also used it to upload m film in order to have a place were people can watch it for audience feedback and for use in my blog and evaluation.