1. Question4 – How did you use media technologies inthe construction
and research, planning and evaluationstages?
Mediatechnologieshave playedasignificantpartwithinthe constructionof all the phasesof
my production.Technologyhasbeenadopted forarange of reasonsandenhancedthe
overall qualityof the finalisedentity,fromthe researchphase wherebymyideaswereinlist
formor roughdrawings,tothe constructionof a fullypledgedcommercial package formy
artist,withouttechnology,this processwouldhave beendrasticallydifferent,possessless
qualityandbecome more arduous.The conceptual designwouldbe lesssuccinctandreliant
on a piece of artworkwhichcouldtake a lotmore time to produce anddistribute asoppose
to itsdigital andmore contemporarycounterpart.Twentyyearsprevious,thiscoursework
wouldhave beenmore physical asoppose todigital andreliantuponartworkandunique
designelementsproducedbyhandandwouldhave hada higheremphasisonartistic
strengthsas oppose to the individual’sabilitytomanipulatetechnology. The qualityof the
videoandprintproductionswouldhave beensignificantlydecreasedasDSLR weren’t
inventedandtechnologywasn’tasadvancedandthusthe intricaciesof the video(typeface,
overlayof the chesspieces) wouldhave beensignificantlymore challengingwhereasthe
printproductionwouldhave beendone byhand.
A keyaspectof technologywhichaidedthe constructionof ourmediaproductwasthat
whichwasusedto shootthe musicvideoaspectof the courseworkwasa DSLR. Thiswas
pivotal tocreatinga piece of the highestqualityanddefinition
whilstcapturingthe facetsof the shot.As locationissuchan
instrumental partof myproduction,maintainingaconsistent
aestheticandto aidthe symbolismwithinmypiece.HadIof
optedto use a portable cameraor my phone,thenthe
outcome wouldhave beendrasticallydifferent.The brandof
the camera of Canon,as theyrenownedfortheirreliabilityand
highqualityof camerawhichhelpedme depictthe desired
themesanddevelopmyconstructedimage acrossthe piece.In
regardsto alterationsImade to the camera duringfilming,ISO,levelswhichaltered
throughoutthe shoot,oftendependentonthe location.Iwasfairlyexperimental withISO
levels.Forexample,Iexperimentedwithincreasingthe levelstoallow more diegeticlighting
intothe shot to create a silhouettedfeel tomycharactersbut alsocreate an almost‘dream
like’representationof them. Onthe contrary,forothershots I loweredISOlevelstomake
the camera more sensitive tolightand the finerthe grain.HigherISOsettingsare generally
usedindarkersituationstogetfastershutterspeeds.Inregardstobrands,it was pivotal am
continuedthisbalance betweenhighqualitywithareasonable cost,notonlydue tothe
limitationsandlackof financeswe uncoveredinourproduction,butourconstructedartist
will expectalowbudgetandnaturalisticproduction(similartothatof Ed Sheeran- A Team).
Withthisin mind,itappearedlogical touse Canon,a highstreetbrandwhichdoesn't
compromise onqualityandallowsme toachieve the aestheticIneededtoimplementinto
my productionstoachieve mydesiredmyintentionsandthemeswhilstattainingacinematic
feel.Thisbrandandcamera presentedagoodopportunitytocreate balance the aesthetic
withensuringmythemesare pertinentthroughoutmyvideo.Furthermore,the 34mmlens
allowedme toputthe theoretical compositionpractices,like shallowfocusanda high
qualityshotwhichwouldlookattractive onanyscreenregardlessof size toensure the
attentivenessof the audience.Iwasalsokeentoadapt and change the aperture onthe
camera.Aperture referstothe openingof a lens'sdiaphragmthroughwhich lightpasses.
Thisis measuredinf/stopsandthe higherthe aperture;the lesslightisletthroughthe hole
of the camera.Due to myinexperience withfilmmakingandcamerasettings,Iexploredhow
Setupof my
CanonDSLR
2. differingaperturelevelsaffectedthe outputtedimage seenbutalsohow itcoulddrastically
alterthe themesIam seekingtocreate.The highestaperture level Iexperimentedwithwas
8f/stopsas I feltitdarkenedthe image toomuchand anyfurtherwouldsimplydecrease
this.Lightingwasa keyelementof myproductionasitisusedin a mannerwhichhelps
decipherthe themesexplored,sodiegeticlightingandgettingthe balance rightrequireda
consistentaperture.Inthe end,italteredslightlydue todifferinglightlevels,soat
SheringhamPark,the aperture was5.6f/stops,whereasatthe beach,itwas8f/stops,so the
difference inlightingcreatedthe type of shotIwas seekingandthatwasdue to the quality
of the camera.Takingthe cameraoff automaticmode ontomanual mode was something
whichchallengedme asIwas forcedto constructthe
shotmanuallyandso the inputtingonsettingswas
more reliantonmyself asoppose tothe camera
automaticallysettingitself.Thiscreatednotonly
betterconstructedshots,butimproved myskillsbehindthe camera, somethingI lackedat
the beginningof the course.Althoughmythrillerlackedthese settingsandwasthusweaker
due to the lightingnotbeingmanipulatedin the mannerI wanted,itmeantthistime outI
couldexperimentwiththe settingsuntil Idiscoveredasetwhichworkedforme and
tweakedaroundthatlevel.The portabilityof thiscamerawasanothermajorbenefitwhich
helpedthe constructionof thismusicvideoand printproductions.The developmentof
technologyovertime hasmade thissignificantlyeasier.Furthermore,anotherimportant
factor of my productionwasthe shutterspeedwhichIusedtocreate a cinematicfeel tomy
productionsbutalsoone whichwassmoothand cohesive asanaesthetictoview.These
qualitiescame fromthe shutterspeed.Itisthe onlyfactor of the DSLR whichremainedthe
same as it allowedme tobuildasubstructure forthe otherfactors of the camera to be
alteredtomanipulate the lightforexample. Toaccomplishthiswithoutghostinginthe
footage the rule isthe shutterspeedhasto be double thatof the frame rate.At 60fps you
needtobe shootingat1/125th
of a second.Thistechnique wasadoptedwithinpartsof my
performance shotsandallowedme tocreate a smoothpiece of slow motion.Thispiece of
filmingrequiredthe songtobe mimedandplayedatdouble speedwhichwasataskfor my
performertomasterat the firstattempt.Overall,tomaintainthe themeswithinmypiece,it
was importantIuseda camera whichhelpedme butdidn’tspoonfeedme soIcould
developthe piece of myownaccordand the Canon DSLR possessedthe toolsrequiredto
make an excellentandprofessionalmusicvideo.Ifeel thesetoolshave beenmanipulatedto
create a musicvideowhichcompilestothe conventionsof the genre,actsas a successful
commercial package andisaestheticallypleasing.Thisbalance wasaidedsignificantly bythe
use of technology.Alongside shootingona highqualitycamerawhichhelpsreinforce the
themesIwishedtoaccentuate withinmyproduction,Iwaskeentoemulate the professional
industrybyusingeditingsoftwarewhichwouldenhancedthe overall qualityof my
productions.Thissoftware wouldbe usedtoeditthe musicvideoandalsothe print
productions.Premiere Prowasthe software Iusedforthe editingprocessof mymusicvideo
due to it beingof an industrystandardandthushavinga track record of producingquality
filmsandvideopackagesif usedproperly.Itrequiredsome educationonmypartas
althoughIhad usedit withinmythrillerthatwasa verybasicunderstandingof the
applicationwhereasthisvideorequiredagreateremphasison elementssuchascolour
gradingand applyingfilterstocreate certainfilters.Thispiece of software isatimeline based
editingprogramme,whichIfoundincrediblyuseful forconjoiningthe rusheswithmysong
and wascrucial intermsof the editingprocessasitmade thislinkingbetweenthe two
componentseasierandsmoother.Whenthe videoneededtobe cut inon a particularbeat,
thistimelinewashelpful andthe zoomtool allowedthistobe done ina waywhichwas
exactto enhance the professionalismandimprovethe qualityof the outputtedvideo.In
regardsto cuttingraw material,the cliptool wasa simple waytodo thiswithinthe
3. programme,withone clickthe videoandaudiocouldbe condensedintoauseable piece and
thenif the audiowasn’trequired,thenthe unlinktool made themtwodifferent,movable
entitiesasoppose toone conjoinedproduct.Thissimplicityaroundthe basicsmade this
programme onlyenhancedmyreasonsforadoptingitas itallowedforaquickerand
smootheredit.Anotherstrengthof the programme isthe allowance toimportvideofrom
the computeror externally,sothisprocesswaspainlessandsimple.Premiere Prohasbeen
usedinthe productionprocessof Hollywoodfilmsandmultiple televisionprogrammesand
thispedigree made itanecessitytocombine goodaudioqualitywithhighqualitytoproduce
qualitycontent.The aforementionedabilitytocolourgrade through
the range of powerful editingtoolswasalsoauseful factor.Iusedthe
colourbalance tool to enhance the greenswithinthe externalshots
to create a sense of life withinthe protagonist’srelationshipand
withoutthiscapability;the shotwouldhave beenlessemphaticand
wouldn’thave reinforcedthe themesinawaywhichhelpedtranslate
themto my audience.Thiscolourbalance wasadoptedagainwhenI
wantedtomake the bluesmore prominentinthe close upsof my
male protagonisttocreate a saddersense of losswhichreflectedthe
atmosphere of the momentina waywhichwasdigestible,this
programme andits qualityallowedme tothat.My settingswasto
enhance the blue shadowby+35.00 and make absorb some redfrom
the shot by -4.00 and thiscreateda realisticcolouringwhich
enhancedandrefinementof mypiece.Thiscolourgradingneededtobe consistent
throughoutthe entiretyof mypiece inordertocreate a consistentaestheticacrossthe
piece toensure the aestheticremainedconsistentthroughout andthe screenshotdisplays
the consistencywhichIappliedacrossthe piece tocreate an aestheticwhichwascinematic,
thishelpswiththe continuityalongside reaffirmingthe themestothe audience,so
consistencyiskeyfora successful video.PremiereProalsohasa succinct range of filterslike
a monochrome filtertocreate a more downbeatapproach andthishelpedme depictthe
negative facetsseeninrelationshipswhilsthelpingintertextual referenceswithahattipto
ThirteenReasonsWhy.Overall,the use of PremiereProenhancedthe qualityof mypiece
and althoughitisnot compatible withApple products,itofferedahigherqualityand
simplicitywhichothereditingsoftwarelikeApple’sFinal CutorMicrosoftExpression
Software doesn’tofferthe same value.Furthermore,compatibilitywithAdobe’sother
programmeswascrucial as it allowedme tointertwinethe projectstogetherif needed.
Photoshopwasa programme thatenabledme tocombine simplicitywithhighqualityandis
alsoan industryleadingprogramme usedbybothamateursandprofessionalsinorderto
create a qualityof productwhichiscommercial andprofitable forwhateverreason.My
immediate concernwiththe programme wasitwasn’tbeginnerfriendlyandhasa highly
complex interfacewhichrequirededucation,luckily,YouTube tutorialsandtaughttheory
lessonsmade thisproblem goawayonce I tackledthe initial confusionbeingacomplete
strangerto the programme.Onthe contrary,the professional style of image itcreateswasa
necessityandrequiredmyfurthereducationasitcreateda succinctimagerywhichwas
crucial to the processof creationformy printproductionsand
thisenabledareoccurringconsistencywithinmyproductsas
theyhad beendevelopedusingthe same software.The features
it containedenhancedthe overall outcomeof the production
and allowedmyideastransitionfromthe developmentphase,
i.e.beingona single sheetof paper,tothe constructionphase
wherebytheywere beingimplementedand adaptedonthe
programme itself.A keyfeature Iadoptedwascolour
enhancementformyinitial imageof myartist,andto do this,I
4. usedthe selectivecolourtool onthe programme.The settingsmade myartistappearshinier
and glossier.Thiscreatedamore upbeatrepresentationof himandpresentedhimina
warmerand more approachable mannerincontrastwithmyinitial image.These weremy
selectivecoloursettingswhichdramaticallyenhancedthe colouringof mysubjectandmade
himappearwarmerby enhancingthe redand decreasingthe greyanddesaturationwithin
the image.These enhancementswereonlymade availabledue toPhotoshopandthe vast
range of editingtoolsandfiltersitcontains,towhichIhave attemptedtomaximiseduring
the editingphase of myprintproductionsconstruction.Thisprocesshelpedme developa
more texturedimage andreducedthe intensityof the white tocreate asmoother,more
refinedimage.Thisprocessreallyalteredthe dynamicalongsidethe
aestheticof myimage inthe sense itcreateda more professional image
whichhad beenlitusingaplethoraof lightingfromamultitude of angles.
Anotherkeytool Iadoptedforthe constructionof thisprocesswasthe
Shadows/Highlightfilter.Thisfilteriskeytoincreasing/decreasingboth
shadowsandhighlightswithinthe image andallowedme to manipulate the
image ina ways whichwasmore professional andmore reducedthe
apparentburningonthe face.Initially,Iwantedtouse myimage ona black
background,soI increasedthe shadowsonthe subjecttoblendhimwiththis
blackbackground.I wanteda wide shadow tocreate a deeperand darker
blackwhichcontrastedwiththe colouringusedtoenhance the artist’s
aestheticwiththe filter.The otheradjustmentsreducedthe burningwhichI
mentionedwhilstthe shadowscreatedanice effectwhichsymbolisedthe
regretof relationshipssoit allowedme tointertwinesome of mykeythemes
intothe image.To refine thisfurther,Iusedthe brushtoreduce the white
patcheswhichemergedtocreate a shinerimage whilstcoveringalmostall
the whitesfromherface.To reinforce thisfurther,Iwentoverthe image withaslightly
darkercolourusingthe programmesbrushtool to enhance the image andcreate a more
refinedimage.Thisprocesstookahuge amountof time as I
neededtobalance the coloursina realisticmannerand
overdoingthe darkercolourcreatedapoorer image which
ruinedthe image asa whole.Once thiswasachievedtoa
mannerinwhichI was pleasedwith,Ithenwantedtouse
the colourbalance tool to manipulate the shadows,mid
tonesandhighlightsevenfurther.Asthe screenshots
display,thistechnique wasusedasitisnecessarywhenmy
image hadsome bad shadows,lightsorisjustoverburned.
Essentially,itallowedme toironsome problemsIovercame
and whilstthiswasa lengthyprocess,itwasone which
improvedthe overall outcomeof the image asitcontributed
to a betteraestheticwithinmyartist,whichissucha huge
part of mybrand identity.Before extractingthe image fromitsbackground,Iusedthe
Hue/Saturationimage tomake the subjectappearbrighterwhichaidedthispositive,
approachable representationIwasseekingtocreate inthisimage.Italsoblendsthe colours
paintedinwiththe brushand justhelpsblendthemtogetherinaslightlybetterway.Like
anythingcreative,itwasall aboutbeingcreative andexperimental inawaywhichreinforced
the themesandenhancingthe brandidentity.Intermsof settingsforthe Hue/Saturationof
my image,the Hue wasaround 68 as thiscreateda warm yellow/orange andbyextracting
some of the lightby -78, thiscreatednice warmthwithinthe image thusenhancingthe
aforementionedqualities.Afterall these alterationswere made withinPhotoshop,itwas
time to extractthe image fromthe backgroundusingthe QuickSelecttool andselectingmy
subjectentirelybeforecopyingandpastingthe selectedareatocreate an altogethernew
5. layerfromwhichcouldaltered.Whencomparingthe raw image withthe improvedand
enhancedimage,the qualityistelling.Thatsaidhowever,whenIusedaback background,
the cuttingon the image was a bitraw and I had to applycolourto myartistshair usingthe
colourselectiontool before the brushjusttouchedupthe image ina waywhichstoppedthe
white backgroundinthe initial image beingvisible.Iwasn’ttoopleasedwiththe cut,asit my
artist’shairwas cut harshlyandwhenplacedontoa back filledbackground,itwashighly
visible andappearedamateurish.Before Imade adecisiononwhethertoretainthe black
background,Iwantedto applymyconceptual puzzle designontoitbefore makinga
judgement.The puzzlewasplacedontothe image,andbyalteringthe opacityto55%, it
allowedthe subjecttobe visible whilstputtingthe puzzle onhisface.The blackdominatedit
and so itdidn’trequire muchalterating.Itlookedshallowandlackedshine orglosswhich
made the image appearbland,andso I copiedthe image andremovedthe noise usingthe
feature inPhotoshoptocreate a transparentmodel tositon topat the same opacity.I then
touchedupcertainareas usingthe white brushtool onthe transparentlayerto give ita
shine and3D effectwhichresembledareal puzzle.The outcome is
displayedinthe screenshotabove whichenhancedthe puzzle effectand
by usingit;the shadowsinthe image are more realistic.Formyinside
covers,I simplyusedthe desaturatedimage tocreate a motif withinthis
work.It was at thispointI electedtouse abrighterbackgroundinorder
to make thispositivityseepoutof myartistand by adoptinga yellow
usingthe a filledlayerallowedforthe coloursymbolismmentionedin
previousevaluationquestionscome tothe forefrontof myproductionwhilstcreatinga
distinctive coloursooftenseeninthe indie genreandcreatinganaestheticIwaspleased
with.Finally,the gradientfillonthe image of myartistcreateda contrastand shinerfinish.I
had to extracta piece of puzzle usingthe quickselectiontool before addinginternal shadow
to the gap to reinforce this3D aestheticIwasaimingfor.It alsocreateda strongerimage
whichmarriedwiththe name of the song.To finalisethe production,Iaddedthe Strawberry
Blossomfonttocreate a distinctive fontformyartist.Overall,Photoshopprovedtobe a
useful resource forme tocreate my productionsdue tothe intricaciesandmultifaceted
nature of it.The standard of the featuresandfiltersallowedme tobringtogethermy
conceptual ideasintoaviable andsellable product.Itwasdifficulttoadjusttoand learnthe
interface butasI navigate andimplementedfilters,thisprocessbecame easierandmore
enjoyable.Presentationalaspectswere alsocritical inthe constructionof myproductions
and programmessuchas PowerPoint,BloggerandPrezi allowedme toillustrate workina
waywhichwas organisedandstructured.PowerPointisaprogramme whichallowsprojects
to be constructedina cohesive anddigestible wayforbothmyself andthe examiner.This
style helpsthe speakerdisplaykeyinformationandincorporatesothertypesof mediasuch
as imagesandsmart art (tables,mindmapsetc) whichpresentthe workinanaltogether
differentway.The presentationstyle isformal andeasytostructure whilstlooking
sophisticatedbut,onthe contrary,can become tediousandunimaginative if the slideshowis
too lengthyandthiscan create inattentivenessamongstthe audience.Forme,Ihave
integratedPowerPointsdue totheirversatilitybutalsoasdifferentiationtoessayformat
and the designelementsyoucanputontothemare more creative andaesethicallyeasierto
digest.Byusingscreenshots,itevidencedmyworkina waywhichessaysstruggle toand
providespracticallythe evidence of acertainstyle of workfor example.Also,the capability
to annotate workmade thisprogramme a necessitywithinthe processof constructionasit
allowedformore varietyandalsostylesof presentationasoppose tothe one dimensionality
of programslike Word.PowerPointisalsoeasytoembedintootherwebsiteslikeBloggerto
showcase themfurther.Overall,PowerPointofferedauseful andunique wayof presenting
informationinawaywhichwas easyto constructbut alsoto present.Negativelyhowever,
it’srestrictive intermsof whatitdoesand editinghastobe done elsewherepriorto
6. insertionintothe PowerPoint.The versatility andcompatibilityof PowerPointis
undoubtedlystrengthtothe producer.Thisprogramhelpedmyprojectduringthe planning,
researchand evaluativeelementsandwithoutit,thesetheoretical partsof the course would
have beensimilarandinessayform.Soit allowedme tobe creative withpresentational
elements.Similarcanbe saidof Prezi,whichisperhapsamore dynamicand complex version
of PowerPoint.The constructionusingPrezi is oftenlengthyasorderingthe slidescantake
time andit’shardlyfriendlytouse asa beginner.Furthermore,the inputandadaptationof
textisdifficulttoadjusttooand itsimple ismore difficulttonavigate andisperhapsbetter
suitedtostorytellingdrivenpresentationsasoppose toinformativeandorganisational ones.
AnydisruptioninInternetconnectionortinyglitchcanreduce designqualityand
functionality,whilstthe zoomfunctionisn’tof aqualitywhichmakesitgoodto use.It was
one aspectof technologyIstruggledtograspand enjoy,andI thinkmyworkwas better
presentedinthe more regimentedformatof aPowerPoint.The limitationof fontsand
coloursisalso a negative whichhindersproperusage of the program.Thatsaid,however,
the abilitytoincorporate YouTube videosandimagesiseasytouse anda positive of the
program,and the pre-made designscreate anice aesthetictocomplimentinformationand
annotationsare easyto use.Overall,Preziisaprogram whichneedsmajor improvement
before itcan be consideredasa rival to PowerPoint,butitdidhelpwithcertain
presentationswithinmyplanning,andisperhapsmore contemporaryanddynamicthan
PowerPointbutitsrestrictiveinthe aforementionedareasandthatisn’tgood touse as a
producerof content.I wouldlike tosee anew,easiertonavigate interface andmore variety
of fontsanddesignstoencourage me to use itmore often.Finally,Bloggerwasthe program
I usedto organise andpresentmyfinalisedwork.Bloggerisablogwhichcan be updatedand
presentscontentinchronological order.The tagsallow fordifferentaspectsof myprojectto
be categorisedina waywhichmakesitsimple totrack and navigate forthe consumerbut
alsohelpsthe producerfile their worktoensure ithasdefinition.The mannerinwhichthird
party programs(Slideshare) canbe embeddedintoablogposteasilyiscleartostructure and
use.It’sfunctionalityalongside itsversatilityof presentinganessaystyle blogpostanda
embedded file makesitbetterthanWordpresswhichismore complex andrequires
educationforbeginners.Bloggeryoucanmanipulate tohave differentstylesandappearina
certainwaywhichmakesit easyto use.Ithas beencrucial intoall aspectsof my production
and withoutit,myworkwouldhave beenunorganised.Thesetechnologiesmentionedhave
drasticallyenhancedmycourseworkandallowedme tomaximise the elementsof editing,
productionandtheoretical elementsinaproductive andpositivemanner.
The influence of the internetcannotbe discounted.Itwasinstrumental inall aspectsof this
courseworkasfrom the developmental phase butparticularlythe researchphase.Inthe
embryonicstagesof myproduction,Iwastaskedwithsourcingsongsfromunsignedartists
whichwouldprovide the substructureforthe constructionof myproductions.IusedGoogle
to searchfor artistsand thendiscoveredSoundCloud.Thisisaprogram wherebyaudiofiles
are sharedandis a popularsite forPodcasthostingand also forunsignedartiststodistribute
theirmusic.I uncoveredaplaylistputtogetherbyan organisationinLondonandlistenedto
songsbefore creatingashortlistof five totake for furtherevaluationfrommygroup.They
listenedandgave theiropinions before we decidedonThisLove.That songwas categorised
as a Indie Rocksong whichI hadlittle knowledgeof.Soundcloudwaspivotal tothe discovery
of the songwhichledthe whole processandwithoutthatsong,the restof the coursework
wouldbe nonexistentsoitsinfluencewassignificant.Afterdiscoveringthe genre of the
song,I conducteda periodof researchusingGoogle todistinguishpopularbandswithinthe
genre to concrete knowledge butalsotolearnconventionssoIcoulddecide whetherI
wantedtocomplyor contrast to create an audience.Thisprocessrequiredlookingatan
abundance of musicvideostoresearchhow theyare constructedandwhatstructure they
7. take.YouTube wasalsoresponsible forthe formationof myintertextual reference andalso
analysisof musicvideos.Itprovidesauseful placeforanalysingcontentalreadycreatedand
for the researchpart of the course,thiswasdrasticallyimportant.YouTube isaplace where
Artistspublishmusicvideosandthe commentssectionandlikessystemcreatesagauge as
to the successof that particularvideo.Forme,thisactedas a useful researchtool,by
analysingwhichelementsthe audience enjoyed,Icouldputof these elementswithinitto
create a videowhichthe audience enjoyed.It wasalsoimportanttoresearchdifferentways
of usingPhotoshopbecauseIwasperplexedasa beginnerandslightlylostbythe program,
so YouTube wasa majortool I exploitedtobenefitmyprojectinaway whichmade my
productionsabettercommercial entity.Googlewasanothertool whichIusedforresearch
as it tookme directlytoreviewsof musicvideosandalsofansiteswhichimpactedthemes
and conventionsIputintomyproductions.Also,the imagestaballowedme toresearch
printproductionsand designconceptsIcouldincorporate intomyproductiontoenhance it
further.Overall,thesewebsitesIusedtoresearchformy projectwere extremelyusefulfor
gettinga flavourof workwhichhas workedandbeensuccessfulandunderstandwhat
audiences enjoyconsumingwithinaparticulargenre.Withoutthesetools,the songwould
have gone uncoveredandmyproductionwouldbe nonexistentsotheyhave provedtobe
extremelyimportanttothe overall makeupof myproductions.
Productionissimplyone processaproductionhasto undergobefore itcanbe consumedby
an audience andthe marketinganddistributingelementsof aproductionare crucial as they
establishanaudience.Theyare sopivotal inaworldwherebycompetitionisfierce andthe
needtostand outand make profitislarge in orderto be successful,particularlyforanartist
at the beginningof theircareerseekingtocreate an audience andestablishabrandto make
an impacton the musicindustry.Marketingisa keycomponentof makingthe product
accessible andconsideringmydemographicis17-21, a lotof thiswill be foundonline.A way
of marketingmyproductto thisaudience isthroughsocial media,somethingwhichis
proliferatingall the time andhasbecome a global entityinitself.Inordertomake my
productstand out,I coulduse the promotiontool onsocial mediasiteswherebyIpaymoney
to have it place onpeople’stimelineorTwitterfeed.Thiscanbe alteredtomanipulate who
see’sthe advert,sobyusingthisfeature,Ican alterthe settingssothe advertisonlyseenby
those betweenthe agesof 17-21. TwitterandFacebookare evidentlymajorsocial media
sights,butgrowingare Instragram storiesalongside Snapchat,sobymarketingmyproduct
on these social mediaplatforms woulddevelopawide audience of people withinmy
demographic.Furthermore,YouTube advertsandalsoTV advertswouldhelpmarketmy
productfurther.In regardsto distribution,the songwouldbe placedoniTunes,Apple music
and Spotifyasa lotof distributioniscentredondigitalplatformsasoppose tophysical
copiesastechnologyhasadaptedtoholdplentyof songsas oppose toneedingabookcase
full of albumcovers.Thiswouldhelpdistribute the songandalbumcoverbutinregardsto
the video,YouTube andVevoseemsagoodplatformtoplace the song as itis seenwidely
whilstitdoesn’tcosttoplace a videoonthe site.The videocouldalsomake itontoTrending
whichwouldhelpthe distributionandtake itto a global place.Technologycouldhave a
positive impactonthese twoelementsastheyhelpwiththe identificationof audience as
well asthe distributioninregardstoputtingthe videoonYouTube.Aseverythingmovesto
be more digital asoppose torequiringaCD Playertoplaya song,these elementsbecome
cruciallyimportant,asattentivenessisshortonline andsoitneedstobe grippinginorderto
make profit.Byexploitingthese elements,Iamable to create my brandfor my artistand
thusthe commercial elementsandbrandidentitywithinthe productionsare critical but
mustbe distributedandmarketedtothe constructedaudience inordertobe consumedby
the right demographicwhocanrelate tothe themes,technologyiskeyforthisprocessandI
intendtoexploitittoenhance these aforementionedelements.
8. The changeswithintechnologyhave alteredthe wayinwhichpeopleconsume media
productionsforever.Thisrelationshipbetweenthe audience andthe producthas
dramaticallychangedinthisage of digitalisationandinvention. The powerwasformerly
withthe prosumersandthose whocreatedthe content,butnow thathas beenflippedas
more contentisfreelyavailable andit’sthiswhichhasseencompanieslike HMV suffer
dramaticallydue tothe change.Prosumersuse tocreate contentdesignedforaspecific
audience,whereasnowtheyare createdcontentfora specificaudience inordertobe
consumed.The risingworldof democratizationhasseenanyone produce contentandplaces
such as YouTube have profitedfromthis,whichhas bothprogressedandhinderedthe
industry.Intermsof progression,contentisbecomingpersonalisedandnichesare becoming
widerandbeingunearthedandexploited.The multi-platformviewinggrowsandaudiences
are offeredmore opportunitiestoengage withcontentonweb,mobile,andsocial platforms
whichmeansaudienceshave awiderrange of contenttoconsume as oppose tohavingto
settle forwhichhappenstobe screeningwithinthe cinemasatthattime.Online platforms
have takena huge stepwithyoungeraudiencesoptingtoconsume YouTube contentas
oppose toTV, radioand writtencontent.Thisisarevolutionthe size of whichhasnever
beenseenbefore.The audienceare demandingcontrol of the contenttheyconsume and
thisissomethingwhichgives themthe power.Prosumersare beingforcedtodomore to
attract an audience,asif not,audienceswill simplygoelsewhere.The democratisation
whichisnowprominentwithinthe industrymeansamateurcontentcanrival professionally
productcontentif it engagesandpersonalisescontentinamore distinctivemanner.The
produceriscurrentlyresponsible forthe reactionof the audience,whethertheyturnoveror
keepwatching.Personalisingcontentiskeyasultimatelythe audiencewilldecidewhich
contentprovidesthe bestconsumingexperience andif theycannotconnectina emotive or
intellectual mannerissomethingtheywillseekastheylookforcontent.Future content
requiresthe producertogetpersonal withitsaudience orrisklosingouttosomeone who
does.The audience handpicksitscontentof choice andinmanyways,producershave tobe
creative andproactive tothe market as oppose tobeingreactive,the multi nature of
platformsmeansthe marketisincreased. Weare going to see a fight for customer
relationships in the premium video supply chain, those who createa link and end the proactive
role of the audience will prosper whilst those who fail to move with the times will lose out. The
market has changed forever and the audience now have a more important role as oppose to the
undermining they have previously endured. This alteration in position has led to producers
needing to adapt and createoriginal content. The struggle between television and internet will
continue as younger audiences consume video on demand content as oppose to conventional
TV, producers need to find a way to reinvent it.
In orderto researchaudience responseandensure myproductwasreceivedwell wasreliant
on the use of technology.ByusingSurveyMonkey,Icreateda surveywhichtestedmy
audience andaskedthemquestionsaboutmyproductas a whole includinghow well it
compliedwiththe genre totheirunderstandingof the narrative.Thiswasimportantfor
audience feedbacktoallowfortweaksandchangesbefore release.Furthermore,itactsas
constructive feedbackinananonymousformwhichallowspeople tocritique inawaywhich
may be more difficultface toface.Sothisprocessis cruciallyimportanttounderstanding
howthe productionscouldbe receivedonawiderscale andhow this wouldimpactthe
successof the productions.Social mediawasalsoanotheruseful wayof gainingaudience
feedbackandunderstandingviewsonthem.The pollsoptionallowedforaninteractive and
live response tothe contentwhichwasdefinitelypositive inthe wayitisreceived.Social
mediaissuch a large platformandso feedbackiscrucial tounderstandhow the audience
responds/understandsthe contentproducedtargetedatthatdemographic.Withcontent
movingtobe more personal andrelatable,it’scrucial thatcontentticksthose boxeswhilst
9. attractingan audience toconsume it.If the demographicdislikeelements,their
attentivenessisgoingtobe lostandits more difficultforthemestobe conveyedtowards
them.YouTube commentsandlikes/dislikesoptionsmake thisanaltogethereasiertaskand
once whichiseasy totrack intermsof statisticsbutrequiresanaudience toparticipate fully
inthat researchor some data will be lost.Excel wasa useful storage device of information
and aidedthe collationof datato review patternsandinputdata.If a conclusive findingwas
discovered,itallowedme toreview andchange the productionstotailoritbettertoour
audience whichisimportant.The audience dictate whether productionsare successful and
profitable andthe nature of the industrymeansthisisa necessity,one whichisbecoming
increasinglymore important.Byrecordingthese ingraphsandcharts,it allowsfora visual
wayof reviewingdataanddiscoveringtrendswithinthe data.Analysisandreview isahuge
part of the processas itskeyto displayingwhatworksandwhatdoesn’t.Byconductinga
sampledresponse,itleavesopportunityforadaptationof myproductions.Overall,the
technologyusedtocollectthisdatawasimportantas it allowedme tocollectasample of
feedbackfrommydemographicovertheirthoughtsandthisprocesswouldhave been
longerwithoutthe aidof technology.
The challengesof technologyhave occurredthroughoutthe process,from alackof
understandingonPhotoshoptoPremiere Procrashing.The challengeshave been
reoccurringand the interface of Photoshopwasahuge problemwhichledtoconfusionand
thiswas one whichI struggledtoovercome inall honesty.Bywatchingvarious tutorialsand
undertakinginacrash course in the program to getto gripswithitsinterface andthe
individualtools.Overcomingthischallenge waspartof the processand one whichhas honed
my skills.Problemsmanifestthemselveswithineveryproductionand solutionswhich
resolve themcanenhance the piece.Forexample,Istruggledwithcuttingoutmysubject
fromthe initial backgroundandthe cutwas distinctiveandsoto overcome this,Ihadto
developthiswithacolouredbackgroundtomake this lessprominent.The solutiontothis
was discoveringabrightercolourfill whichrelieduponcoloursymbolismasoppose to
contrasting.Itholdsa higherintellectual value. Furthermore,Premiere Prohadreoccurring
problemsacrossthe constructionphase. Itcrashedcontinuously,meaningIoftenlostlarge
sectionsof work.Inthe end,Isavedmy workfollowinganylarge change tomy work.This
was oftenforgettablewhenIconcentratedbutIwasmore frequent.Overall,these
challengeswereoneswhichneededovercominginorderto create cohesive andsuccessful
productions.
Overthe last twoyears,my use of technologyhasradicallyimproved.Ihave learnttoedit
bothvideosandphotoswhichincreasesmyunderstandingof the industryIwantto delve
deeperwithinandthatmakesme more versatile inthatrespect.Ihave learnthow to
manipulate the settingsonacamera to produce a photograph/videoof industrystandard
and howto adoptpost productionstechniquestoimprove them.Furthermore,my
knowledge of presentationalandonline researchhasbroadenedasIknow how to uploada
videotoYouTube and exploitsocial mediatodevelopandestablishanaudience due tothe
knowledge Ihave gainedonaudiences.Overall,mytechnological knowledgehasenhanced
to make me a more complete mediastudiesstudentasIlookto go ontostudythe subjectat
University.
