Holly Jones Media 13

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

Hardware

One of the main pieces of media technology I used was the HD Sony Handycam. This video camera allowed me to film my preliminary tasks, research tasks, main product and evaluation questions. My music video had to be bright and vibrant - the high definition of the video camera allowed this. This is an improvement from the standard definition cameras I used for my AS Level product. The picturesque scenery within my music video was amplified greatly due to the increased quality. The HD Sony Handycam is a lot smaller than industry standard cameras are and so they can easily be positioned in tight spots. For example, when I filmed the high angle shot within the female character's bedroom, I needed to fit into a very small space. The camera was small enough that I could fit it in and still get the angle I required. The Handycam is also very light weight, meaning it is easily portable. This helped when I was transporting all the equipment and props up onto the hill.

High Angle Shot

Another piece of hardware I used to add multi-media to my blog and help with my ancillary tasks was a Fuji-Film digital camera. The digital camera allowed me to take my own original images for my blog such as the actor, costume and props board. This was important as I needed to anotate these images as part of my planning for my main product. As well as this, I also took a variety of photos of the sky for my ancillary tasks. These were then modified and evaluated so I could choose the best image. The Fuji-Film digital camera I used is quite a recent model and so the megapixel quality was more than decent. This helped in that it gave me the best quality images for my ancillary tasks to make them look professional.

Keeping my shots steady during the filming of my main product was important as it helped give the music video a neat, professional finish. Shakey shots would look unprofessional and put the audience off watching it. To keep my shots steady, I use a standard tripod. The tripod I used was very light weight and therefore easily portable.

The computer and laptops I used during the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages of my project were probably the most important aspect. The laptop held all the software I needed to edit, connect with people, and write up every section of this project. I used a computer during school hours because they were easily accessible in the classroom and study room. When I got home, I used the laptop to touch up or finish up any work I was doing. This meant that no matter where I was, I had the opportunity to contribute to this project in some form.

For my hand-drawn animation in the first minute of my music video, I used a webcam to take frequent photos of the picture I was drawing. So when I merged all the photos together (using software), it became animated. This webcam allowed me to add an interesting aspect to my main product.

Software

Blogger and Vimeo are two of the most frequently used websites within this project. Blogger is the host for my blog and has helped in that I can unpload unlimited posts. It also allows me to add images, videos and sound bites. Blogger's acceptance of multi-media has allowed me to create a varied, interesting blog. Vimeo is my chosen video hosting service. Vimeo allows me to upload videos whenever I choose and is quick to render and upload them to the site. This efficient upload means I can easily add new videos in a very short amount of time.

It is important when you create a media text that it has the desired effect upon the audience. To test this, getting feedback from a selection of people before publishing it means that any sections that they think didn't work so well can be improved before the final edit.

Whilst my music video was still in production (in the process of editing), I got a few older, more experienced Media Studies students to give me feedback on my work so far. Both of these students immediately picked out the hand-drawn animation. They said it stood out to them as different from what a normal music video would include. They said it showed a good use of various media formats and made the music video more interesting. They also liked the way the artist shots were positioned so that the artist could be seen from flattering angles. The strong lighting helped this. The one thing they did have an issue with was that the artist's lip movements were slightly out of sync with the music and that disrupted the flow of the music video overall.

Facebook Feedback

Once I had finished editing my music video, I uploaded it to Vimeo. To gain some feedback on my final cut, I posted the video on Facebook for peer evaluation. The first peer commented on the build up to the sky lanterns showing that he appreciated the narrative and sentiments behind the sky lantern launch. The second peer thought the music video on the whole worked well and impressed him. The third peer commented on how well the video worked with the choice of song. He also commented on the use of the hand-drawn animation, showing that it was a success in making the music video more interesting. The one improvement that all of these peers suggested was the artist shots. They felt that the artist's lack of emotion when singing did not fit the upbeat mood of the song and the narrative. When filming the artist shots, I could have told my actor to put more feeling into his singing. I felt his singing was emotionless because he did not know the song or artist as well as I did. His enthusiasm was not as great.