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

By Joe Stevens

Introduction

Media technologies such as editing software, filming and creation software and devices, are a pivotal part of creating media texts. Without them music videos and cover art would not be possible, at least not to the standard of today. Media technologies change the way media texts are planned, researched, produced and distributed. For example, search engines such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, allow people to research other bands cover art, as well as allowing people to watch music videos, on sites such as YouTube or Vimeo. The use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, can be used to further distribute your album, by setting up pages giving information as well as posting music videos, to share with friends and family. These technologies allow the creator to reach a wider audience, to get recognised, whilst receiving feedback about their creation. New media technologies have become a part of the construction, research, planning and distribution of media texts, it’s hard to see the texts without them.

Construction

Music VideoThere were various different pieces of equipment I used in the creation of my music video. For example, I used a Canon Legria HD camcorder to record the raw footage. This allowed me to playback the footage in order to review it on my computer or on the device itself. Because of this I was able to go out and take footage during another shoot, that I felt I needed or was missing, thus allowing me to progress my music video, to make it the best I can. I also used a stills camera – Samsung PL81 - to take shots, which I posted on my blog, which I later reviewed as potential shots for my music video. For example, I took a picture of ‘Lust’ graffiti, which I ended up using in my music video.

The footage I took had to be imported into the editing software Adobe Premiere Pro CS3. This allowed me to review different effects such ‘dip to black’ and ‘cross dissolve’. Both effects were used throughout the music video. For example, the shot of the protagonist walking beside the train, to the shot of the protagonist walking down the road, is an example of cross dissolve.

Music VideoAs well as allowing me to use effects in the creation of my music video, I also used it help me along with the basis on my idea, which was to use colour filters, to signify emotions. For example, I planned on using the red filter to show anger and a green filter to show envy. Premiere Pro allowed me to do this, but after I had created this effect, I realised it didn’t really work. This meant I could better my music video and progress.The use of these technologies have allowed me to improve my music video, as well as allowing me to use trial and error to pick out the good and bad points in my edits. Thus aiding me to test out my ideas, and use them in my final cut, of my music video. I also had to use an SDHC card to store footage, which could be transferred to my computer

Print ProductionsFor the creation of my print productions I used Adobe Photoshop CS3, software used by professionals in the media.. To create both my digipak and magazine advert, I took stills from my music video on Premiere Pro. I then imported these images into Photoshop, thus allowing me to manipulate them. In Photoshop I could add effects such as stroke, drop shadow and poster edges, all effects of which I used in the creation of my print productions (example below).

This program has allowed me to create and test out my ideas, so that I could decide which ideas worked and which didn’t. Not only has it allowed me to make my print productions, but it also allows me to improve, so that I can use it for other work I create in the future. By using Photoshop, i’ve turned a decent shot into a piece of art, that is capable of featuring on my digipak or magazine advert.

Technologies create opportunities for creativity

Due to it’s wide variety of options, I used Photoshop to improve my media texts. The user has a wide variety of effects and tools to choose from and use. Thus offering new opportunities to be creative and test out ideas that couldn’t have been done with other art software. For example, Photoshop has a wide variety of fonts, but it also has the ability to import fonts from websites, such as DaFont. Therefore you can choose the right font to go with and correspond to the shot. It also allows you to insert symbols such as stars, which I used in planning my magazine advert (idea below).

Photoshop also allows you to manipulate text, by using the warp, skew, distort and perspective tools. On the idea to the left, I used the skew tool, to make the text look like it was written on the path.These technologies change the audiences relationship with producer, as they get a feel of the producers likes and dislikes and can recognise certain patterns within both the digipak and magazine advert. For example, I use the font ‘Monotype Corsiva’ throughout the digipak and on the magazine advert. If I were to create another design, audiences could recognise the font and relate to the producer using it. It gives the audience a sense of empowerment, which they can try out themselves.

Planning and

Research

Music VideoIn order to find a band / artist me and my group member Will, had to search around on the internet to find unsigned bands / artists. We looked at several websites such as unsignedbandsreview.com and mp3unsigned.com. But we both found that unsigned.com had the better variety of musicians, as well as easy navigation, to search different genres of music. There were a couple of artists we were going to use such as Maks Markov. Unfortunately we couldn’t as he wasn’t British. So we ended up stumbling across The Colours, which we eventually used. These websites help promote the bands, so that students like me and Will can use their music for our A2 production.

One of the main and most helpful technologies was the use of YouTube for researching similar artists music videos and film clips. For example, in my analysis of LeftFields ‘Afrika Shox’ and The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, I used YouTube to take screenshots, to back up my points. Thus improving my analysis. It also allowed me to use the ideas from similar music and incorporate and manipulate the shots into my own music video.

During my planning and research stages of my music video, I created shot lists, planning out each stage of my planned music video. It was important that I put these on my blog. The easiest way to do this was to use a scanner. After I created my plan for the music video, I used a scanner on my printer (Epson SW to scan the shot list. I then had to transfer this scans over to my computer, via a memory stick. By using Blogger’s upload image button, I simply search my documents for the shot list and inserted it into a post, I posted on my blog.

Music Video

Print ProductionsThe use of websites such as Scribd allowed me to upload word documents and PowerPoint's such as this one, onto my blog, which creates a more interesting design, rather than just writing on a piece of paper. For example, I used Scribd to upload a PowerPoint I created, analysing cover art of similar bands such as The Hoosiers and Coldplay, as well as their magazine adverts.

The use of my memory stick was a vital part of my planning and researching stages of my print productions. For example, after taking pictures of my drawn designs, I could import them onto my memory stick, and transfer them over to my computer or the computer I used at school, which I then uploaded onto Blogger. Without my memory stick, I may not have been able to upload my drawn ideas onto my blog.

Evaluation

For all four of my evaluation questions I have used both Prezi (a presentation software) and Slideshare. Prezi allows me to write analysis, import photos and videos as well as presenting this in a user friendly way. For example, I used Prezi to create my analysis on The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’. Not only did it make the analysis enjoyable, but I could import stills from the music video, to act as examples backing up my points.

The main technology used in all stages of construction, research and planning and evaluation, is Blogger. Like software such as Prezi, Blogger allowed me to insert stills, video clips and write analysis’. It also lets me organise my work, by using labels, to insert posts related to the label name. For example, the label ‘Planning Music Video’, contains all my posts to do with planning my music video, such as shot lists, mood boards and my media shoots. To insert photos I simply created a new post, and clicked the ‘insert image’ button, and then the ‘choose files’ button, which allowed me to search my documents for the image I needed, quick and simple. Blogger also allows tutors to comment on posts, giving advice and feedback, to improve the post.

For question 3 of my evaluation I had to get feedback from my target audience. To gain this feedback I had to use Survey Monkey, to gather results. Survey Monkey allows respondents to give feedback anonymously, to reduce bias. Survey Monkey allows me to analyse results, during and after I’ve gained responses.

I also had to use the social networking site, Facebook to gain responses. I simply had to post my music video and print productions onto Facebook and wait for responses.

ConclusionMedia technologies have enhanced the way I constructed, researched, planned and evaluated my music video and print productions. Without them I wouldn’t have found the creation of my music video, digipak and magazine advert, as exciting and interesting. The technologies meant I could trial my ideas, and focus on the negatives, recreating them into positives, which made my media texts better. The use of programs like Prezi, allowed me to enjoy analysing music videos, rather than just writing them down on a piece paper. I also learnt how to use a wide range of equipment and software, which I could use in the future. Overall media technologies helped me create my media texts to the best of my ability, so that I could focus on getting the right shots for both my music video and print productions.