Q4. How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?Rachel SweatmanA2 Media Evaluation

Research Slide 1Using the internet proved a very useful and infinite source of information, especially for the initial planning of our project, considering the A2 course brief to create and produce a music video, creating a digipak with promotional products to link together.

When researching into what sort of music video we would like to create in relation to genres and themes, the internet was a very useful source of information and inspirations, significantly websites such as YouTube.

I used Google also to research into my preferred type of music artist, and from this found that my inspiration for my music video and digipak would be artists such as Taylor Swift, Adele, and John Legend. Google also helped me to figure out that I wanted to create a music video based on R&B and Pop genres, with a theme of heartbreak, love and romance, similar to the work of Taylor Swift, Adele and John Legend.

Research Slide 2The research stage is one of the most vital and significant stages of producing a media product for A2 media studies, because it should be evident and clear on the blog how one has found their inspiration and chosen the genre, theme, target audience age group and gender/s, also for gaining knowledge and inspiration for your own work.

Research was also imperative when creating a successful and effective music video, alongside a successful digipak and promotional package. I gained knowledge and inspiration for my own music video and the song choice using YouTube, listening to the latest chart songs as well as older R&B and Pop songs, and found that after a lot of research and thinking, I wanted to create a music video using a cover of John Legend’s ‘All Of Me’, which I had listened to on sites such as Spotify and iTunes.

I then found and watched the original music video by John Legend and the various cover videos on YouTube, until I found what I thought was a suitable cover song for my own music video, in order to use the audio for the lip syncing in my own video. In the end I found a cover video by YouTube artist Bri Heart, as I liked her voice and thought that her tone would fit perfectly with the planned narrative for the video. Watching the original video by John Legend also gave me inspiration for the love story of my narrative, the black and white also gave me inspiration for my own music video, to use the black and white effects.

Research Slide 3Using Google allowed me to expand on my research, both for the music video and for the digipak and promotional package. Using Google and searching for different pieces of information, I was able to learn a lot more about the sort of ‘unsigned’ music artist we would like to ‘create’ and this also allowed influences for the colours, themes as well as outfits for the characters and the digipak artist.

After deciding that my main influence would be Taylor Swift for the artist, I then researched into similar artists, such as Adele, John Legend, Ariana Grande and Beyoncé.

Planning Slide 1The planning stage is another significant factor in relation to the success of an effective media production in the second year of (A2) media studies, regarding both the digipak and promotional package and the music video. The planning is initially influenced by the majority of my internet research, and planning can be done immediately nowadays with newer technologies and faster internet connections, meaning that ideas may also be shared simply at the click of a button.

Throughout the planning stage, I was able to use different technologies and computer programs such as Blogger, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, SlideShare and Prezi in order to plan different presentations and planning pages for my ideas for our digipak promotional package and our music video.

Planning was in my opinion, one of the most simple stages throughout the entire project brief as a whole, because within the planning stage, I was able to change my ideas and share on the internet how I would plan to produce an effective media product. Using the technologies of Google and YouTube proved to be overall very useful technologies for our planning stage, as we were able to carry out all of our research and planning, using computer programs such as Word Document and PowerPoint to plan our overall ideas and inspirations for the music video and digipak.

Planning Slide 2Planning to create a music video based on R&B and Pop music has proven a fairly challenging task to undergo, because many different people now have mixed various opinions on music videos and chart/top hit music, therefore to bring out a music video based on Pop and R&B did prove a fairly challenging, but doable task.

Also because there are many subgenres of R&B and Pop, (such as grime, ballads, hip hop, etc.) it initially did seem like choosing what I thought was the most popular theme and genre for the music video and digipak was very difficult. Although after more planning and research, I found that basing my project on artists such as Taylor Swift and Adele would be a successful decision.

I thought that planning my music video and digipak promotional package around artists such as Taylor Swift and Adele would be the best plan, purely because these artists are seen as the top selling artists in the United Kingdom and USA, therefore I planned to aim my music video and digipak to a female audience of ages 16 to 24, as this is generally the target group where Adele and Taylor Swift’s music would be the most popular.

Construction Slide 1The construction stage in A2 media studies is one of the most imperative parts when it comes down to producing an effective and successful media product. This is because the brief specifically asks for a digipak promotional project and music video should be designed and created around an ‘unsigned’ music artist, using a popular record label, in preparation for the release of a song on iTunes and YouTube, and this project means using a lot of different medias and technologies.

The construction of myself and my group’s music video included the filming stages, and the editing process. For the digipak, the construction included taking images with a camera and using still shots from our video, using Photoshop CS3 for the editing process. In relation to the editing for our music video, we used iMovie to construct the pieces of filming together to create the video, simply because this iMac program is a successful and fairly simple technology to use, and has many different features that we could use in order to create an effective media product.

Although I do feel that we could have used another program such as Final Cut Express as we had originally planned, however we felt that we were all more comfortable to edit the video using iMovie, due to learning the basic skills in AS media studies.

Construction Slide 2When constructing and developing the music video, we used the school’s Panasonic video cameras, with a clear digital flip screen, and this made it easier for us to watch the footage as we recorded the different scenes, allowing us to film the shots we wanted to achieve; we all took turns to film using this camera, and I believe that we all as a group worked very well with this camera because we had used these video cameras in AS media studies to film our Thriller film opening.

For various other scenes of the music video, we used both an iPhone 6 and a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in order to film other scenes for the music video. I felt that owning these products throughout the group was an advantage for us because we all knew how to work these cameras effectively and hold the devices in certain angles and positions so that we captured the desired camera shots and angles for scenes that would be used throughout the music video.

With our current knowledge of all three forms of video camera we used to film raw filming scenes, and all three devices having high quality camera focus, we were able to change the focus of each scene and add depth into certain scenes of our film where we wanted it, and the high quality camera lenses allowed us all to film clear and effective scenes, although due to shaky hands a couple of scenes did come out slightly blurry and shaky, however this was not a major downfall to the construction of our music video.

Construction Slide 3Throughout the filming process of our music video, we all took it in turns to film; myself, Nicole and Georgia. We worked well as a group to piece together our music video this way by taking over the camera for different scenes of the music video, so that we all allowed one another to have some time filming, and listening to one another’s comments and ideas was an advantage, as this helped us to agree as to which scenes we would film again, or which scenes we thought were very effective. With our current experience with the Panasonic cameras and each owning either an iPhone 6 or Samsung Note 3, we all had the needed experience and skills with using all three devices.

After all scenes (lip syncing and narrative scenes) were filmed for the music video, we then went on to begin editing the video on iMovie as well as planning and constructing the digipak promotional package. We all shared this part of the project equally, taking it in turns to edit on iMovie and play around with Photoshop to begin piecing together the digipak. As we agreed that Georgia was the member of the group with the most experience on iMovie, we felt that it was best if she took on the majority of the editing process, however we all took it in turns to use our basic skills and develop these to edit and piece together our music video. This meant that myself and Nicole would take on the task of completing the digipak promotional package.

Construction Slide 4Using the technology of iMovie for the editing stage of the construction process for the music video proved an excellent plan, because we all used our past experience and skills, and developed them further whilst putting together the music video. One of the most difficult aspects for me would have been using my skills in order to ensure that the video was pieced together correctly in the right order, ensuring at the same time that the lip syncing matched up to the audio. Another fairly difficult aspect of using iMovie was ensuring that I cut the clips in the correct place where we wanted, so that we could add in another scene, because a few times the piece of filming was not cut effectively and this did take a few tries. This was difficult alongside the split screen, using the split screen tool, ensuring that both pieces of filming in this scene fitted together well and in-sync.

However the other fairly challenging but simple in the end aspects were using the speed tool, and applying filters and changing the brightness and contrast of each scene. A fairly challenging task was using the green screen and ensuring that we used the tools correctly in order to make the background of the green screen disappear; I did have a go at this, however with discussion and working as a group, Georgia managed to do this in the end, as I had watched a YouTube tutorial and explained the process; therefore after watching a tutorial and understanding the process better, using the green screen tool on iMovie became quite easy to do after trying it once, and we used this again for the other green screen still shots within the music video.

Construction Slide 5It proved to be a quite challenging task at first for myself and my group to use the media technology of Photoshop in order to edit and produce a successful and effective digipak, including the CD front and back cover with spine, promotional magazine poster and free image/poster with CD. The lyric page was created on PowerPoint, however I feel that it could have been made more effectively in relation to the text on the image if we had edited this on Photoshop.

It was definitely one of the most difficult stages of the construction process, using Photoshop to edit images and produce an effective digipak, especially for me as Photoshop was a completely new program to me at the beginning of this project. However after some practise and a few downfalls with starting again if I had made a mistake, I found that Photoshop can be a fairly simple program to use. I used advice from YouTube tutorials and help from my group in order to understand Photoshop better and after more practise, I was able to successfully and effectively create a digipak using the media technology of Photoshop on the iMacs at school.

Evaluation Slide 1The evaluation stage of this music video and digipak project was the final stage of this A2 media studies project.

Throughout the evaluation process of my A2 media studies project (media product), I used many different technologies in order to include my overall opinion on myself and my group’s project, as well as evaluating the project with strengths and weaknesses of all stages, commenting on the product as a whole.

I used new media technologies such as Blogger, PowerPoint, SlideShare, iMac, Prezi, as well as a Lenovo notebook laptop and a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 mobile device. I was fairly familiar with most of these media technologies, therefore it started as a fairly simplistic task to complete, during the evaluation stage of this project.

Being used to using the internet website Blogger for my AS and A2 media studies work, I was able to type out my evaluations of my A2 media piece, including images where needed. This website is a simple site to use as I am familiar with using this program, and I found it easy to type out my evaluation; I used this for evaluation question one on my blog.

I used PowerPoint presentation to create a set of presentation slides; this was used in evaluation question one and four. After creating the presentation, I uploaded this onto the SlideShare website, and this converted into a SlideShare presentation, that I embedded and uploaded as a html onto my A2 media blog.

Using the iMac was the main media technology that we used to research into, plan, construct and edit our music video, as well as evaluating the music video and digipak. Using this technology in AS media advantaged me greatly when it came to using the same computer for the whole of my A2 project, because I had past experience, however this was the machine that contained every feature I needed in order to research, plan, construct and evaluate my entire A2 project.

Evaluation Slide 2

Evaluation Slide 3I was introduced to Prezi, an online presentation creating website. I was unfamiliar with this program, therefore when creating my own Prezi for evaluation question two, I found this quite difficult to do at first. However once I had got the hang of it after watching a YouTube tutorial video, I was able to create an effective and unique presentation about the elements throughout my A2 project.

Finally, I used my personal Lenovo Notebook laptop, and due to this being my own media device I am familiar with all features within this piece of new media technology. Using this laptop I was able to access my media blog when I was unable to gain access to the iMacs in school, this enabled me to keep on track with my coursework and media blog.

Comparison: AS to A2

AS Media Studies ‘Revenge’ thriller film opening

A2 Media Studies ‘All Of Me’ cover music video

Comparison: AS to A2

AS: Thriller Film OpeningI think this project was the weaker project of the

two when comparing both put next to each other, because in my AS media studies project for

the opening scene to a made up thriller film ‘Revenge’ I did not use as many different camera

shots and angles as I have used within my A2 project.

A2: Music Video and Digipak (Promotional package)

I believe that looking at both projects comparing AS to A2, I believe that my A2 music video and digipak project as one media product is the most successful

and effective piece of work I have created throughout the two year media studies course.

My A2 music video project is more effective than my AS film opening project in my opinion because we have included

a wider variety of camera shots and angles such as; extreme close ups, close

ups, 360 degree panning shot, low angled shots, mid shots and long shots.

Comparison: AS to A2 continuedComparing my AS project to my A2 media

product, in my opinion I think it is evident that all of my filming, editing and constructional

skills have developed a great deal. If I were to put both projects next to one another and rate

each product out of ten for editing skills and creativeness, I would say that my AS project is a

6/10 and A2 would be 8/10.I would rate my AS project lower than

my A2 simply because my editing skills were more basic as I had just

been introduced to the course, and I did not have any basic knowledge on

using the iMacs or iMovie to edit pieces of filming.

In conclusion, I would overall compare my AS and A2 project by saying that I feel that the gap from AS to A2 has allowed myself as well as my group to develop our basic skills and knowledge, and

improve these further by using different features on the editing programs such as iMovie, and I

have also developed my fairly new basic skills on Photoshop.