1. EVALUATION QUESTION 4
How did you use new media technologies in the
construction and research and planning and evaluation
stages?
Philip Costin
2. RESEARCH AND PLANNING
I used many new technologies in my research and planning
stages. These included:
Blogger
Scribd
Slide share
Powtoon
Prezi
YouTube
3. SCRIBD , SLIDE SHARE &
BLOGGER
I used scribd and slide share to present my research throughout the
course. These are used to present work that I have put on basic
Microsoft software such as word and slideshare, these tools were
useful to have to keep the same structure of presentation as on word
and PowerPoint but be able to upload it to blogger. I learnt a lot of skills
from using scribd and slideshare on Blogger where I learned how to use
HTML code. This helped further my IT skills later in the research and
planning. I used scribd for analysis of documentaries and storyboards
as it was only a simple software and did not allow me to be creative.
4. POWTOON AND PREZI
Further into my A2 course, I gained confidence in my IT skills and
found new softwares such as prezi and powtoon. I had used prezi
before but only felt confident using text tools, however with more
confidence I learned skills such as creating new paths using the
path tool and embedding images.
Powtoon was a software I had never used before. I found it useful to
be creative in recording research and planning ahead. I found it to
be a user friendly software where there were many easy templates
to follow, and an easy to use timeline. I think it was important to use
these softwares to be creative in my work and looking back I think I
used it effectively in my research and planning although I did not
enjoy using software like PowToon as it was hard to get a lot of
information across with only limited time frames to do so.
5. YOUTUBE
At the start I already knew the basics of YouTube and had ideas of
how to present information creatively through it. I found it to be
useful when filming diaries/ updates, using video diaries allowed us
to demonstrate our progress better. I found it to be an easy to use
software as you only need to click upload on a video; the only
difficulty was having to export the videos to a format that was
suitable such as an mpeg4 video. This was because I had to learn
which files to export to. Reflecting back, I'm glad I used it and I think
it was important to use for the creativity of the research and planning
of the documentary.
6. CONSTRUCTION STAGES
Technologies I used in the construction stages include:
Adobe Premiere
Garage Band
Photoshop
InDesign
HD camera
Apple Mac
Microphone and tripod
7. HARDWARES
I was unfamiliar with any of the hardwares I had to use such as the Camera, tripod
and microphone. I learned it from the college technician and trial and error. Once
learned it made it easier to get good shots and control the feel of documentary.
Shotgun microphone- I learned it was important to test the mic and trial and error
allowed me to know where to put the mic in relation to what I was recording. I used it
to record the voice over and record all the interviews.
Cannon HG20 HD – I had not very often used a video recorder and was unaware of
how it works. I found that I was fast to learn the basics of setting up a shot and
recording, I felt it was important to learn quickly with this so that I could encode what I
wanted in shots. I also learnt important features such as playback to see a shot back
and how to upload the footage to the computer. I found it was easy to use after a
while and became quite a natural habit, therefore I think I used it effectively and
wouldn’t change how I used it.
Tripod – The tripod was an element of filming that I did have problems with, especially
with making sure the shot was at a straight angle and not canted. So reflecting back
on this element of filming and using hardware, I think it was a weak point.
Reflecting back I think I was less efficient with new hardwares and slower at learning
how to use them compared to softwares.
8. ADOBE PREMIERE
It was a different new software which I had learnt some tools in class
and those were aided by working in the groups when editing on the
software. I quickly got used to independently using tools such as
slice and effects tab. This was useful for editing but I had little
knowledge of other tools such as the Title tool and sound levels; my
group helped me with this and in learning other editing tools such as
auto-adjust which reflecting back would’ve been useful for myself to
figure out earlier so I could edit to levels of better consistency. It was
also important for me to understand how to edit because I need to
consider Gatekeeping as a director in order to think about what
scenes to edit to make a meaning of. I think that I was able to do this
through the use of shot emphasis and including more shots of
mobile phones being a distraction.
9. ADOBE PREMIERE
Title feature for
adding captions for
expert interviews
The effects menu that
was used to add
transitions and change
light levels of shots to
improve overall
quality.
This is the timeline of shots where we can
order shots and cut them using the splice
tool. It is also where the audio levels can be
changed.
10. GARAGE BAND
Garage band is a software that we had to use to create the radio
trailer. I was unsure of the software initially and made mistakes in
the creation process such as overlapping audios and not knowing
how to splice audio. However after trial and error as well as
research, I became much more proficient in the use of garage band
and learnt how to better edit audio together and change the sound
levels of clips. The tools I could access were very useful in the
creation process and made it easier. Reflecting on the use of garage
band I think it took me a while to get to grips with but I’m happy with
my new found skills in the end and happy that it was effective
enough to allow a professional look.
11. GARAGE BAND
This is what the timeline looks like
on garage band and how the
sounds can be adjusted at the
bottom, as well as the splice tool.
After importing
audio I found it was
important to have
every piece of audio
on a separate layer,
so the sounds can
be adjusted
independently.
12. PHOTOSHOP AND INDESIGN
These were softwares that I had to use for the creation of the magazine
spread. Photoshop was an important software that I was already
proficient with and that made it easy when using tools such as the
magic wand tool and polygon lasso tool to cut out the background of
images such as the expert interviewee Julie(below).
InDesign was used mainly to edit and compose the TV Listings. I had
already drawn up initial drafts with pencil on paper so I was already
sure of the layout and could draw boxes using shapes tool to place hold
pictures and text when planning. I used tools such as the place tool to
insert images and the text tool to make drop caps which helped improve
the look of the magazine and this is something I would not have been
able to do on other softwares, so I found that this was effective in the
creation of the TV listings. Reflecting back these softwares were an
essential to use and I’m glad that I was proficient in them.
13. PHOTOSHOP AND INDESIGN
On the right is how I cut the background from an
image using the polygon lasso tool whilst at the
bottom is showing the place tool which is how I
placed the images onto the TV listing after editing
them. I also used the paragraph styles tool to give
the three column layout and drop caps.
15. MOVIE MAKER
I used movie maker as it was a software easy to edit with and
upload videos with, as well as the fact that I had used it before so I
knew the tools to use. I used it when creating my evaluation
questions and found that it was useful because I had experience in it
and this meant I edited the videos quicker and more effectively.
Another useful tool was the ‘record voiceover’ tool where I could
easily add a track directly onto video whilst watching the video play
so I could perfectly time my words, this was very useful for analysing
the documentary footage. It was also effective when trying to vary
my creativity in software usage.
16. CONCLUSION
Reflecting back over all my IT skills, I would say that I have improved
massively over the course and it has been hugely helpful when filming
shots and editing them together using software. I was definitely weaker
using new hardwares than with new software and I learnt slower, but I
feel that I still managed to use them effectively when creating my
products as well as when planning and performing research tasks.
I also feel that gaining new knowledge of software such as PowToon
and the html code of blogger has helped me be more creative in my
approach to work. I wouldn’t have thought to use moviemaker or
YouTube to present research or evaluation but through trial and error as
well as research I can look back feeling content at my work.
On the other hand I feel that I maybe could have used even more
software and allow myself to be more creative.
