QUESTION 4: HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND

RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES? 

In the research and planning stages of the coursework, much of it required recording, so as I did last year, I kept up to date on a blog where I could keep all my research, my findings and my planning for my products. I found that Slideshare was particularly good for displaying pictures I had taken [of actors, locations etc.] as well as for writing down analysis and presenting it so that it would be easy to look at. I also used a similar format called Powtoon which allowed me to make the presentation slightly more interactive. However, I found it quite complicated and difficult to use. It was difficult to work out how to extend slide times so that they were up for longer and placing pictures of the interactive figures proved difficult. This is why I reverted to Slideshare for many of my presentations.

I also used Youtube to present some of my work. Mostly, it was used for presenting the actors auditions and the drafts for the trailer I made. However, I also placed videos onto wordpress and was able to write detailed analysis underneath and this was helpful because I didn’t have to keep referring to Youtube everytime the video was needed.

The construction part of the coursework required me to use different types of format, which included: Photoshop, IMovie, LiveType and Final Cut. I found it easy to use Photoshop, because I had spent so much time using this software last year and everything was very familiar. I used Photoshop to create my magazine front cover and film poster. It was easy to use the text and modify it how I wanted with my magazine front cover because of what I had done last year. Likewise, I found editing the photos for the front cover equally as easy. It was the same for creating my film poster, I was comfortable using the different formats like I had the previous year.

IMovie was the first software I encountered when editing filming footage. It was fairly easy to use. It allowed me to import the files that had been filmed and arrange them into the trailer that I wanted, as well as letting my edit the footage, both audio and visually. It also let me add transitions in between clips, I often used a fade to black transition because it fits the horror genre. Slides could also be inserted where text could be written on them, which was handy for writing the film company logo, the name of the film or taglines that would go in between the clips of film. Another thing IMovie was helpful for was inputting music or sound effects into the trailer. This could be done via Itunes and the IMovie provided sounds.

LiveType allowed me to create a text and use special effects to create things like a film company logo. The text could be edited to change the size, colour, font and different effects could be added to it to make it look more professional. It was quite a complicated piece of software and it was slightly temperamental. Once an effect was added to the text, it removed the text from the timeline until it was played giving the idea that the text had been deleted. I found the software quite confusing, but managed to produce one or two drafts film company logos, however after comparing mine with the others in my group, we decided to use the one that she had created instead, which over all looked better in the trailer.

Final Cut is a slightly more advanced version of IMovie. Again, I found this software quite complicated because I was used to editing the film trailer with IMovie. Once again all the film clips could be imported and edited, however I think I preferred using IMovie because I am confident with it. I knew how to edited the different films clips and it seemed less complicated than Final Cut. This is why I used it to edit my groups trailer instead of using Final Cut.