By Saagar Shah

During the process of my media coursework, I have used a wide range of media technologies which has assisted me into completing the project. I have used both hardware and software media technology in order to undertake my research and planning, during the construction of my production and finally the evaluation stage.

Research and Planning

Hardware:

During my research and planning, I decided to analysis two real music videos from any genre. For this task, I needed a computer with access to the internet. This has allowed me to access to a video broadcasting website called YouTube to view the music videos and then eventually analysis them in detail. Secondly, by having a computer which can access to the internet, this has allowed me to go on websites which offer unsigned artists and therefore I could contact them through email if they were willing to be in our music video. Thirdly, the internet has allowed me to write up my analysis of current music videos and other research onto my blog.

The second hardware which was used during the researching and planning was an mobile phone. This device has allowed me to contact the artist and to my group members if they were available to practice filming for the real casting production.

The third hardware which was used during the researching and planning was an professional video camera which was used to film our preliminary task which was the chase sequence task. This was my first time using the camera and found it a challenge, eventually after practice, it became simple to use.

The fourth hardware used during the process was an MAC which enabled us to use the correct editing software.

The last hardware used during the process was a Scanner to scan copies of storyboards and import them into my computer and then onto my blog.

Software:

During my research and planning, I used Microsoft Word which is a word processing software to write up the treatment for the music video. The second software used was Final Cut Pro which is an video editing program. This again was a challenge for me as I have never used a MAC and therefore never used the software. However, after practice it became usable.

Construction

Hardware:

During the construction of my music video, I used the same professional video camera I used for the chase scene exercise. Due to the practice I did with the exercise and other outside practice, I was fully capable of using the camera.

The second hardware I used was a Digital SLR Camera to take photograph of locations and of the artist for my CD DigiPak and for our Music Advert. This was very easy to use as I have used SLR Digital Cameras prior to this (in AS).

The third hardware I used was an mobile phone. This device allowed me to contact my group members and the artist to plan a shooting on a day.

The fourth software during the construction process was an musical jukebox. We took this device during our shoots with the artist so he could listen to the lyrics and lip synch them.

The fifth hardware used during the process was an MAC which enabled us to use the correct editing software.

The last hardware used was a USB stick and an hard drive. These two storage devices were used to transfer and store data. The USB stick was used to transfer the image files of the text images of lyrics from my computer (as I created these images at home) and transfer them into the MAC computers at college. The hard drive was used to store all of our video clips, the text files and our actual music video edit file.

Construction

Software:

During the construction of my music video, the software I used to edit and export the music video was Final Cut Pro. This program became less difficult as I used this program in the research and planning process.

The second software used during this process was Adobe Photoshop. This program allowed me to edit and manipulate the photographs and make my CD DigiPak and my Advertisement for a music magazine. This program was very easy for me as I have used Photoshop for many years. This software was also used to make the images of the lyrics on the music video

The third software used during the construction of the CD Covers and Advertisement was Adobe Indesign. This program allowed me to placed the designs made on Photoshop into the right CD Album format. This software was also very easy to use as I used this program during making my Music Magazine in AS.

Evaluation

Hardware:

During the evaluation process, I had to use a computer with access to the internet to log into social networking websites like FaceBook, Twitter and MySpace to expose my video by sending it to my target audience. By using the internet, it has also allowed me to ask my target audience on their thoughts and opinions about the music video my group made. Thirdly, the internet has allowed me to go on YouTube and look at my own video so I could analysis it .

Software:

The first software I used was Microsoft PowerPoint, this software has allowed me to create a presentation of all the evaluation questions.

The second software I used was Microsoft Paint to crop the screenshots I took off my music video and other real media products.

The third software I used during the evaluation stage was Microsoft Excel. The software allowed me to create diagrams like pie charts during evaluating my work. This software was very easy to use as I’ve been using this program for a long time and am quite confident in using it.

The last software used was a website called ‘SlideShare’. This website allowed me to upload my PowerPoint presentations onto the website and then post it onto my blog.

Throughout all the stages of my coursework I have been using a media technology which has enabled me to post all my work via the internet. The website ‘Wordpress’ which is a blogging website, has allowed me to share my work. This website is very similar to the blogging website I used last year which was called blogger which had the same purpose.