The student used various online tools, software, and hardware to complete research, planning, construction, and evaluation stages of a coursework project. For research, online platforms like SlideShare and Timetoast were used to analyze source materials and understand genre conventions. Planning involved tools like Emaze and Pinterest for storyboarding and inspiration. Construction integrated software like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Final Cut Pro. Evaluation saw presentations on Popplet, PowToon and Prezi, alongside movies on iMovie. Strengths included clear organization and ability to embed images, though some platforms had limitations on formatting or file types.

2. Research Summary

3. 1) Online- Slide Share
I used Slide Share to construct a detailed
analysis of four different psychological
thrillers from different eras. This helped
me to understand how the genre has
evolved over time.
Strengths Weaknesses
• The information
could be clearly
arranged around
the page
• I could insert
images to
compliment my
writing and make
my point clearer
• There wasn’t
animation which
could have made
my points clearer
• If you wanted to
edit the slide
share you would
have to upload
the PowerPoint
from the
computer again

4. 2) Online- Piktochart
We used Piktochart to research into
the production process and idents
from our subgenre.
Strengths Weaknesses
• The chart-like
layout assists in
separating
information into
key points
• The charts are
aesthetically
pleasing which
encourages the
viewer to read the
information
• You can’t insert
too much
information
because the chart
pages are quite
small
• The viewer is
given the
information all in
one go

5. 3) Online- Timetoast
We used timetoast in order to display our
genre research which helped us to understand
the plot conventions of psychological thrillers
over the ages
Strengths Weaknesses
• The chronological ordering of the
information reinforces the release date
of the film
• I inserted pictures of the films which
assisted the film title
• Some information is hidden
encouraging the viewer to be
interactive with the research and helps
them to not be overwhelmed with the
amount of information
• The writing space was very small and I
couldn’t fit all of the information into the
boxes (therefore I made an assisting
slideshare)

6. 4) Online- Pearl and Dean/Box Office
Mojo/ Mediaknowall.com
These website were extremely useful in
finding the demographics for our target
audience, the target audience of similar
genre films and the audience terminology
Strengths Weaknesses
• The information is put into
different categories (eg- age
group, social class), making
the websites more
understandable
• The sources are very reliable
therefore we were confident
in the statistics we received
• However, for
Pearl and Dean
there was only
discussion on age,
class and gender.
It would also be
useful to know
more information,
such as their
interests and
origin

7. 5) Software- Mahara
We used Mahara greatly throughout the
our coursework in order to document
process thoroughly.
Strengths Weaknesses
• You can embed clips of information
presentations, therefore making your
writing clearer and more focused
• You can make new journal entries to
record separate pieces of information
• You cannot insert entries in-between
two published blog posts

8. 6) Software- Presentation
I used PowerPoint presentation, mainly so
that I could upload it onto Slideshare. For
example, I did this for my Warm Bodies
Analysis, where by analysing another teaser
trailer I gained a more thorough
understanding of the teaser conventions.
Strengths Weaknesses
• PowerPoint Presentation is clear and
simple to use
• You can select from several themes
which further help to make the
presentation aesthetically pleasing and
the writing more attractive
• You cannot embed the presentation
directly, you have to go through sites
such as slideshare in order to make the
information public

9. 7) Hardware- Macs
We used Macs throughout the
coursework in all sections of the
production process
Strengths Weaknesses
• The Mac allowed us access to the
internet for when we carried out
research
• The internet is very fast at loading
due to the modern aspects of the
Mac. This helped us to get work
completed efficiently
• The layout of a Mac is very different
to other computers therefore you
could struggle at getting to grips
with different formats

10. Planning

11. 1) Online- collage.com
I used collage.com when planning for our Graphics. This
is because we had already decided that we wanted an
illustration within the title, however we were struggling
with ideas. Due to this we created this moodboard to
explore the different shapes dancers could make.
Strengths Weaknesses
• This website was very easy to use and
automatically arranged the photos in
a neat format after you had imported
the images
• The website focused mainly on
images and not so much on
annotation or assisting wording
• There was a maximum amount of
photos you could import

12. 2) Online- emaze
I used emaze
repeatedly, for
example, when
planning for the mise
en scene for our
filming day
Strengths Weaknesses
• Emaze is set in a PowerPoint-like
layout, therefore, I was familiar
with the format, making it more
simple to construct
• Also it allowed you to insert images
and choose from several transitions
and title colour options. This added
to the aesthetic value, making the
presentation a more enjoyable
experience for the reader
• However, it could be argued that
emaze is a less advanced
presentation method

13. 3) Online- Pinterest
Strengths Weaknesses
• Pinterest clearly showed a defined,
clear copy of each image
• You can upload a very large
quantity of images
• You can follow other users and gain
inspiration from their posts
• I struggled to find a way of
embedding these images, therefore, I
screenshot the page instead
I used pinterest to create a
board of inspiration in
preparation for the Little White
Lies magazine cover

14. 4) Software- Microsoft Word
We used Microsoft to layout
the plan for our Poster.
Strengths Weaknesses
• The software is very simple to use
• There are numerous tools to help
create aesthetically pleasing charts
and diagrams. For the poster layout
I mainly used the curved line tool so
that I could draw both figures more
realistically
• However, the document is a blank page,
therefore, it is mainly up to you to create
an imaginative, engaging layout
• You can’t upload the information directly
to Mahara so you have to take a
screenshot and then insert it into a blog
entry

15. 5) Hardware- Mac camera
In order to prepare for our
shot list and filming day we
created a story board using
the build-in Mac camera
Strengths Weaknesses
• The camera is very easy-to-use and
self-explanatory
• The camera is very convenient as it
is built into the mac
• The camera reverses the wording
making it difficult to get the writing
readable and coherent
• The image is not that clear perhaps
because we had to hold it up to the
camera

16. Construction

17. 1) freesound.org
We used freesound.org
to gain access to free
sound clips to use as
sound effects in our
teaser
Strengths Weaknesses
• The sound is free and very
accessible
• The site is easy to download and
reliable
• There is quite a limited selection of
sounds to choose from if you are
looking for something specific

18. 2) Dafont.com
We used Dafont.com to gain
access to interesting font styles
to use for our titles
Strengths Weaknesses
• The fonts are very unique and
interesting
• There is quite a large range of fonts
that appeal to most genres
• Our chosen font was called
“Assassins” and we found it
created a strong brand identity and
suited our subgenre well
• We found it quite difficult to install
some of the fonts we chose to try our
title with
• When writing the title into our teaser
in Final Cut Pro our chosen font type
was not an option. Therefore we had
to use Adobe Flash as a means of
getting the font into Final Cut Pro

19. 3) Photoshop
We used Photoshop
for certain aspects of
our poster and
magazine cover.
Strengths Weaknesses
• Photoshop is packed with advanced
tools to enhance images
• We were able to achieve all the
techniques and effects we desired,
for example the merging of the
separate images on the poster and
the red eye effect on the magazine
• I did find it quite complicated to use
at first due to the advanced layout
and devices
• We couldn’t open the two separate
images we used in our poster at the
same time, therefore, we had to
import them through Adobe Bridge

20. 4) Adobe Bridge
We used this mainly for the poster
so that we could import the two
separate images on to same page
and keep the landscape page sizing
at the same time
Strengths Weaknesses
• It was very effective in creating our
desired effect. This was especially
for the poster when we needed to
merge both the images together on
a landscape page
• The process was quite difficult to
carry out

21. 6) Illustrator
We used illustrator for
certain aspects of our
poster, for example
inserting stars at the top
Strengths Weaknesses
• The techniques and devices on offer
were very advanced and helped to
achieve the desired effect
• I found the software quite hard to
use

22. 7) Final Cut Pro
We used Final cut Pro
hugely during the
construction of our
teaser.
Strengths Weaknesses
• The software’s ability to put 2 separate
images together on one slide were
essential to the key concept of a
mismatching reflection in our teaser
• There was a selection of transitions to
choose from for both our clips and titles
• We were able to layer different sounds on
top of each other in order to create a
sense of climax and excitement towards
the end
• Due to the advanced
technology, the software was
quite difficult to operate at
times
• We couldn’t write our desired
font directly onto the slides,
therefore we had to import it in
through Adobe Flash

23. 8) Scanner
In order to place the Little White
Lies badge on our magazine
cover we scanned in a hard copy
of an issue and combined it with
our image on Photoshop.
Strengths Weaknesses
• The scanner created a high
resolution image which made the
final magazine cover look of higher
quality
• It was quite a complicated process to
scan in the image, put it on a
memory stick and then combine the
scanned in copy with the
Misconception cover

24. Evaluation

25. 1) Online- Popplet
I used Popplet in my response to question 4
where I screenshot mindmaps and pasted
them into slideshare presentation
Strengths Weaknesses
• The mindmap layout helped me to
pick key points to discuss
• The information was more precise
and focused
• You could import images and videos
to compliment your writing
• If you wanted to write longer
paragraphs it may not work as
effectively
• There is no step-by-step guide
through the information as the
reader is given it all at once

26. 2) Online- PowToon
I used PowToon to present the
my answer for question 2
Strengths Weaknesses
• The animations assist in breaking the
information down and making it clearer
and easier to read
• Also the cartoon-like image holders and
characters help in making it attractive
to read
• You have to upload the video to
youtube, therefore, if you want to edit
the contents you have to change it
from PowToon and reload the video
• There are timed settings, therefore, the
reader may not get to read the whole
slide in time
• There are a maximum amount of slides
you can have

27. 3) Online- Prezi
I used Prezi in my discussion
towards question 3
Strengths Weaknesses
• There is animation and movement in the
presentation helping to break down the
information
• You can insert photos and videos to
compliment your writing
• There are many themes and background
choices to make each one original and
individual
• Sometimes I found it very hard
to fit the information I wanted
into the space provided,
causing some writing to
overspill at the sides

28. 4) Software- Imovie
I used an Imovie in response
to evaluation question one
Strengths Weaknesses
• I was able to insert a voiceover over the
top of the movie which was very effective
in creating clarity in my points
• Imovie was full of intereting transitions
and title styles which helped to make the
movie more exciting and engaging
• I was able to import images which was
very important when comparing our
products to real media texts
• I struggled to import youtube
clips directly from youtube
therefore I had to use
QuickTime Player and screen
record. However this produced
clips of a less clear quality.

29. 5) Software- Presentation
I used PowerPoint presentation, mainly so
that I could upload it onto Slideshare. For
example, I did this for my Warm Bodies
Analysis, where by analysing another teaser
trailer I gained a more thorough
understanding of the teaser conventions.
Strengths Weaknesses
• PowerPoint Presentation is clear and
simple to use
• You can select from several themes
which further help to make the
presentation aesthetically pleasing and
the writing more attractive
• You cannot embed the presentation
directly, you have to go through sites
such as slideshare in order to make the
information public

30. 6) QuickTime Player
I used this to record clips
which I used in my Imovie
for evaluation question 1
Strengths Weaknesses
• QuickTime Player helped me
achieve what was required, which
was screen record clips from films
for me to insert into my Imovie
response
• The image and sound quality was not
that advanced

31. 7) Hardware- Microphone
I used the built-in
microphone on the
Mac when doing
my voiceover to the
Imovie in question 1
Strengths Weaknesses
• The voiceover was of reasonably good
quality
• I was able to see what clips came up
whilst I was recording, helping me to time
the voiceover better with the movie
• I had to lean very close to the
microphone for it to pick up my
voice effectively