Question 4 (Research and Planning)

How did you use media technologies in the research and planning?

Wordpress

• Wordpress is a free blogging site that allows anyone to create a blog and present the work. I was able to present all the evidence for my three media products easily and quickly.

• For my research and planning I found that Wordpress was great for embedding Youtube videos that I used to analyse to create my own products.

• Pros: Wordpress was easy to use and allowed my teachers to comment on my work, helping me improve

• Cons: The images that I tried to insert didn’t always stay in the places they were positioned and moved around with the text, making it confusing to know what evidence went with what text.

Google

• Google is one of the most popular search engines on the internet.

• Google was most useful for the research into current posters and magazines. Also looking up information on the cancer that Holly had, finding out the symptoms of it, therefore allowing me to present a more realistic version of the illness.

• Google was used to find an empty storyboard for the planning of my trailer, which I printed out and scanned in with the detailed drawings included.

• I also used Google when deciding location shots, I was able to go onto Google maps and pick and show the specific locations, even though these did change once I began shooting for convenience.

• Pros: It is quick and efficient for my research and planning, that needed to be done under a time limit

• Cons: Using the school network wasn’t always the easiest when it came to Google because various websites and searches were filtered for various reasons. Therefore I would have to remember to research specific things at home.

Youtube

• Youtube is a popular website that allows people to upload and share videos of their choice

• Youtube was used throughout the research and planning for my trailer. It allowed me to view as many different trailers I wanted, as many times as I wanted.

• Pros: It is easy to use and allows me to embed the videos in wordpress.

• Cons: Youtube sometimes takes a while to load, and I found sometimes the videos I wanted to upload wouldn’t. Also it is sometimes hard to establish which of the videos were the official trailers, compared the fake ones.

Microsoft Word

• I found this programme helpful in research and planning because it was used specifically for my script. I found it easier to type it out in word than into my blog. I was able to change the colours and text easily so that the different characters knew who was saying what. I used my script as a basis, but as the actors were professional and able to create realistic situations I allowed a lot of freedom on the conversation in the scenes, referencing back to the script every so often.

• Word was really handy as I already found it easy to use and it was also used for the printing out of my storyboard, which was needed to visually help the planning of my trailer.

Adobe Premier Pro CS5

• For research and planning I found that using the software I would use for construction of the trailer was helpful. It allowed me to become confident using the software and also allowed me to understand how to use effects and video transitions.

• I uploaded the official trailer of Fish Tank into the software and cut this trailer up, placing it in a different order with effects. I was able to establish what looked good and bad, which really helped with the overall planning of my trailer, including my storyboard.

• Pros: It is a professional programme that allowed me to do alot of different things when planning my trailer

• Cons: It was quite a confusing programme at times, and sometimes I had to Google or Youtube for help, which was time consuming