question 4

1. Question 4
How did you use new media
technologies in the construction of
Research, Planning and Evaluation?

2. What is New Media Technology?
The many different forms of electronic
communication that are made possible through
computer technology.
For example, digital media technology such as
digital editing software, audio and video
recording devices (digital cameras) and the
internet.

3. The Technologies I used
I used Final Cut Pro the most throughout my whole
task. Putting bits of footage together to create my
visual element.
I also used PhotoShop, I used this while I was making
the Digipak for the artist. Not only was it for putting
the Digipak together but also for editing parts of the
artist that may not have been shot right during the
photoshoot.

4. Final Cut Pro X
Final Cut Pro X was a massive help throughout the duration of putting together this
music video. All the tools which are available are very useful and allow you to create a
clean and precise product. Final Cut Pro X would be most appropriate as it contains all
the features we needed to produce what we wanted. Final Cut Pro X looks very
professional when carried out correctly. It allowed me to very easily sync the music with
the artist who was lip singing, I don’t think it would be anywhere near as precise on
iMovie due to many of the advanced tools on Final Cut Pro. Final Cut Pro X is the latest
version of the programme, making it a newer Media technology, opposing to iMovie
which is slightly more dated. Final Cut Pro X, has the post production tool which let us
alter the exposure, shadows, saturation and image tinting. We altered this according to
the representation we wanted to achieve.

5. Original Image

6. Edited Image

7. How we edited the image
By adjusting the saturation, exposure, shadows
and image tinting, we were able to access the
image we were looking for. By allowing us to do
this, the image was a lot more defined, her
make up looked a lot sharper and it captivates
the audience quicker as it is bold and
significantly brighter.

8. Zoom Tool
The zoom tool
allowed us to make
sure our video was
precise and cleanly
cut. By zooming
out and making the
images larger we
were able to make
sure the music was
sunk at directly the
right moment.
We were able to zoom in and out of the layers meaning the clips were positioned
correctly. This allowed us to structure our project precisely. iMovie has a linear editing
structure which doesn’t allow you to layer your clips and change them at a later date.
This meant Final Cut Pro X would be more precise as it made the editing process much
easier.

9. Crop Tool
Final Cut Pro X contains many tools that would help us. We were
struggling as you could see a line on the white background behind and it
didn’t look very professional. We used the ‘crop’ toll which allowed us to
get rid of this line which was bothering us.

10. Scale Tool
Once we had cropped the video it wasn’t in the right scaling and you could clearly
see it had been cropped as there was a black strip on the left hand side of the
video. By using the ‘Scale’ tool we were able get the image to the size we wanted,
it zoomed the clip in and now the line in the background is gone.

11. Transitions
By including transitions into our music video, it allowed it to run a lot more smoothly
graduating to each moving image one at a time. Using the transition ‘Cross Dissolve’,
meant that there was a small dissolve between each moving image. It wasn’t very
noticeable but it is very effective. This made Final Cut Pro X a very useful tool to use to
be able to do this to our music video. By double clicking on the transition itself you are
able to change the look you want by making the clip dark, bright, subtractive, cold,
warm, increasing the highlights or shadows.

12. Lip Syncing
We were able to add markers
onto the track to tell us when the
song was going to be changing.
This made it a lot easier for us as
then we were able to know when
the artist should change verses
and it becomes a different shot.
Final Cut Pro X allows you to use the
‘Blade’ tool, precisely being able to cut
clips.

13. Research
For the research section of this project I used a range of internet services, that were readily
available for me to use. The internet provided me with the best way to research as it gave me
many sources which were good for researching, and documenting my findings along the way.
For the research section of our project I used websites such as Google, Ranker.com/indie-pop
artists, and in particular I found that YouTube was very effective. As I am slightly newer to the
genre of Indie pop, I found YouTube useful because not only did it allow me to save my history,
so I was able to go back and look at my searches on a later date, it also gave me suggested
options of artists, similar to the one I had originally searched.
By using the internet it allowed me to conduct, collect and document, my research a lot faster
then any other way. If I hadn’t been able to use the internet then I would’ve had to use a
different method, and this would’ve been a lot more time consuming. I also used it because it
gave me such a broad selection of artists, so, not only did it give me artists in the UK but
anywhere in the world.
Using the internet is extremely quick, cheap and effective but you have to be very careful that all
your findings are reliable. Whilst researching, you never know what is as accurate as it makes
out to be, for example, some of the information on Wikipedia is put up by individuals like you
and I, therefore, not all of it is as precise as it seems. So the internet is very effective, as long as
you have the right sources.

14. Research continued…
Before we had decided on a final concept, of whether it was going to be performance or
storyline based, we needed to brainstorm within the group and find out which one would be
best. We started to look at it being storyline based, and researched (using Google) various
locations that we could use. We really liked the idea of parts of the video being filmed in a
gallery, so using Gmail, we contacted the gallery, to ask them if they wouldn’t mind us using a bit
of their time and space to conduct this idea. However, they didn’t get back to us. So, we then
decided that a quicker and direct way to contact them may be through Twitter, so we tweeted
them, just to ask if they would allow this to take place, they then responded to our email.
With a few emails being passed from them to us, they came to a conclusion that this wouldn’t
be appropriate for their gallery as they were busy all the time, and this would therefore effect
the quality of our video.
After we had researched and emailed a few locations, and it beginning to prove much difficulty,
we decided that our music video was going to be performance based.
I then began to research various artists of this same genre, take screen shots and put them onto
my blog, where I was then able to continue with the storyboard and begin to think of the main
concept for this music video.
I found that a lot of music videos of this type, and these videos were mainly focusing on the film
technique, the lighting and the staging. They worried less about props, costumes and the
flamboyance. They were very interesting and unique because they took a minimal and simplistic
concept and turned it into something truly magnificent.

15. Planning
Whilst planning, we had to discuss and decide on ideas together, as a group. By using
Slideshare, we were able to embed codes, once we had made a presentation, we
would copy and paste these codes and email them to one another. We could then put
these straight onto our blogs.
We then used Facebook, to view pictures and videos of either; girls that we know, of
this target audience, and wouldn’t mind their photo being used. Or, videos that have
been published onto Facebook, that me or Michaela could then tag each other in, to
gain inspiration.
The useful thing about getting images of the girls of our target audience, was that
these images weren’t posed, as the girls were in their natural environment. I then took
screen grabs of these girls and created a mood board to then put onto my blog.
I then could create group chats and ask some of my friends what they thought of
various ideas that I had come up with. This was effective as a majority of girls I know
have Facebook, so this was a quicker and more efficient way of contacting them,
rather than through email.
A disadvantage with using Facebook, was that as it contains private information that
you wouldn’t want the whole population to see, my account is private. This meant that
not everyone would be able to give their input into my ideas and suggestions and I
may have missed out on some vital feedback.

16. Planning continued…
After a lot of research, we decided that we were going to make it a performance based
music video. We decided on various lighting, camera angles etc. because we wanted
our audience to get a feel of what our artist is like in her natural surroundings. We also
decided that because during AS we had created a opening sequence of thriller, we had
made the storyline too complicated and some of the audience, through feedback,
didn’t quite understand what was going on. So this time whilst planning, we wanted to
create the most simple but effective concept.
We started off by planning our production in detail by using a storyboard, this we were
then able to translate onto our blog using a camera. After a few times of rough copies,
we finally came up with our final storyboard.
After that, we then came up with a script, this was just an even more detailed plan of
the storyboard, we made sure that we put all the camera angles, lighting colours, style
of shots, timings, synchronization with the music etc.
This meant that when filming our music video, we were able to complete it as quickly
as possible because we had everything organized in detail, this saved our time and our
artist’s time, it took us all together about 3 hours to complete our product.
After we then used Gmail, to plan with the head teacher, when the best time would be
to use the hall, he gave us various times and dates, and then we were set to go.

17. Evaluation
For the evaluation of our media product, I used an Apple Mac laptop. By using a Mac, it
meant that I was able to take screen shots a lot easier then if I was to use a different laptop
or a PC.
I had been using an Apple Mac computer for the whole of the creation of the media
product, so I found it easy to complete the evaluation on a Mac.
As the Mac’s have a built in camera it meant that I was able to create a visual audio for one
of my questions. If I didn’t have a Mac, then I may have slightly struggled because I don’t
have a camera, so I would’ve faced some difficulty in doing so as I would’ve had to ask to
borrow a friends.
I also used my phone, IPhone 6, to complete one of the evaluation questions. I made a
voice recording and emailed it to myself, I then made a Sound cloud account and uploaded
it onto there. Using the share and then embed button I shared it onto my blog, completing
one of the questions.
Slideshare was also very useful as I was able to upload various PowerPoint's and then share
them, and post them on my blog and share them with my member in our group.
I also used Prezi, to complete a question, it allows you to do more than one PowerPoint.
This is because I can upload and watch videos from it and I used different paths on the
presentation to control what the screen shows. I am also signed up to an account where I
can upload all my presentations to one place. Having Prezi online allows me to have an
embed code on every presentation I create which makes it quicker and easier to upload.
This is different from PowerPoint as I would have to upload it to Slideshare first. Online
access also allows me to create my presentations quicker and select photo’s from other
websites, e.g. Google.