1. Evaluation Question 4:
How did you use media technologies
in the
construction, research, planning and
evaluation stages?
2. Introduction
• Through out the coursework I have used a wide
range of technologies, all of which have helped me in
different areas of my
planning, research, construction and evaluation. In
this presentation I am going to analyse how I used
these technologies to my advantage, weather I found
them effective or not, if they helped me to be more
creative and weather I enjoyed using them.
3. Celtix
• Able to format any sort of script ranging from film and television, to comic
books, to audio plays, Celtx enables you to work in any medium. The
formatting features include scene headings, scene descriptions, automatic
dialogue formatting, slug lines, transitions and more. Celtx enables the
user to have the ability to storyboard, keep track of characters and
scenes, manage production, organize props, vehicles, wardrobe, etc., and
keep production of a film on track.
• Every section of the software is tied together, allowing users to tie certain
props, costumes, and other items to the various characters and actors in
the film. Probably the most useful and unique feature of Celtx is the ability
to organize all of the characters, props, costumes, effects and more that
are listed in the script. As a user writes, he can create character files inside
of the software that store information such as the characters physical
characteristics, back story, traits, and personality.
4. If a certain prop is mentioned in the script, the user can create a prop file for
that item that lists its physical details, price, location, attributes, availability
and more. Celtx's powerful organizational tools can really streamline the
preproduction of any film.
5. Blogger
• Through out the campaign I have used blogger in order to post my
development through out the stages of the coursework. Blogger has acted
as an online interactive diary in which I can update from anywhere.
• Blogger has many features that make it suitable for an media technology
based course such as this, for example our can easily add a photo to your
blog post by clicking on the image icon in the post editor toolbar. Adding a
video to your post is just as easy; just click on the film-strip icon on the
post editor toolbar to get started. This to features enabled me to
document my work in a more interesting media based manor, rather than
just writing a summery or analysis of a lesson or piece of work for instance
I regular created video recordings in which I analysed trailers or posters
through narration, I found this method of blogging enjoyable and
interactive. Blogger is also another way of getting feedback for your
work, enabling you to see what you have done right or wrong and correct
your posts.
6. Slideshare
• Slideshare is an website that enables users to upload power point
presentations which then can be embedded to a member’s website or
personal blog.
• I used Slideshare frequently through out the course particularly in my
planning stages. As this course isn’t heavily text based and relies on a lot
of analysis of print medias or stills for trailers, slideshare is the perfect way
in order to present your in a professional manor enabling you to directly
analysis posters or still as well as giving you the option to have sections of
detailed contextual analysis that you would find in essay based work.
7. Prezi
Prezi is a new web based
form of presentation,
ditching the linear approach
of power point and enabling
the the user to use an infinite
area in which to display there
work. One prezis best functions
is creating a pathway, which allows
the creator of the presentation to
the map out a pathway for the
viewer to easily pass through, this
function allows
prezis many functions and media’s to be displayed in an simple way as if flicking
through a power point presentation. Another useful aspect is that unlike power point it
enables its users to present there work through a range of media technologies for
instance users can upload videos, podcasts and mp3’s, creating more interactive media
based way of presentation. I prodomately used Prezi within my planning and research
stages using its features to help me analyse character profiles and theory's in an more
dynamic way.
8. Photoshop
Photoshop is an programme that
enables you edited, manipulate
and create images as well as
design graphics such as logo’s. I
used Photoshop prodomately in
our production work creating
our poster, production company
logo aswell as still for the trailer
using it. Photoshop was hugely
useful when creating our poster as without it manipulating the main
image, combining the elements would have been almost impossible. Photoshop
allows anyone to create professional standard images (as it is the programme which
industry professionals use themselves) therefore we as media students are
extremely lucky to have access to such a high standard program. As I have been
using Photoshop for over two years now I feel confidant when editing and designing
using it which has allowed me to become more creative
9. Examples of How I used As you can see from these images
Photoshop: Photoshop enables the user to
manipulate images in order to fit
there idea of how they want it to
look. Photoshop allowed me to be
creative within my work giving me
the equipment in order to reach the
visual outcome I had planned for, as
you can see from the top two
images it allowed me to edit and
manipulate an image in such a way it
turned a normal photograph into an
image in that is fitting to the horror
genre. Photoshop can also be used a
method designing showed in the
bottom two images which is the
masthead that we designed for our
trailer and posters, slightly
manipulating them in order to make
them unique to the particular media
while keeping the constant image
through out the campaign.
10. iMovie
• iMovie is a sophisticated simplified editing program which
is easy to use through its basic methods of editing. iMovie
allows users to import there footage and from there the
user can edit the video clips, add titles, music, and
effects, including basic color correction and video
enhancement tools and transitions such as fades and
slides, it also has a library of Foley sounds which are very
useful when editing for horror trailers due to the need for
tension building sounds. One of iMovie's most practical
features is that it allows the user to store the footage
within program enabling enabling the user to select what
clips to use and what to leave out. Overall I believe iMovie
offers all the functions and features needed to create a
trailer.
11. Facebook & Twitter
• We used these two social networking sites during our Marketing campaign, the websites where extremely useful
enabling us to create a successful viral marketing campaign. Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook
have become possibly the most effective ways of reaching out to the mass audiences through the modern day
online 'Domino effect' such as Twitter's 'Re-tweet' system and Facebook's 'Sharing' tool. From my own experience
as a regular social networking using teenager, I knew from first hand experience the benefits of these tools
particularly Twitters 're-tweet' system where I had encountered on numerous occasions the infamous 'Twitter
Storms' in which a subject, person or event gains an enormous amount of attention and documentation that it
dominates all worldwide trends meaning it appears in nearly all of Twitters 175 billion registered users newsfeeds.
Twitter enabled us to create an interactive campaign through the use of the trending system, we created the Hash
tag #WhosWatchingYou encouraging our followers to get involved in our campaign. While our Facebook account
allowed use to post photographs, videos and news allowing our target audience to comment, like and share the
posts.
12. Cannon 550d DSLR
• This camera allowed us to film in 1080p providing a device
capable of filming footage to the highest quality possible. I
was familiar to this camera before we started filming due to
previous photography based subjects however I had never
used it to film, this is something that at first I found difficult
as there are a number of different components you need to
consider when filming for example lighting is far more
important during filming as it affects both the quality and
mise-en-scene of the shot, also there is a lot more
movement than photography during filming focusing the
camera is far more difficult (something that I had problems
with during filming). But overall once I gained some
experience in filming I found using the camera relatively
simple as it is a very good piece of equipment