1. 4. How did you use media
technologies in the construction and
research, planning and evaluation
stages?
By Naomi Wilkins

2. Throughout the course, I have found it quite challenging to
understand and learn how use the different types of media
technology. This is especially relevant when it comes to
discussing using Premiere Pro, however I have been able to
build my knowledge to a level which as enabled me to
create my film trailer. Whilst creating my media products, I
have used Internet Explorer for all processes, especially
during my research stage. This includes using
Wordpress.com and Youtube to research and display my
three media products. In order to create my three media
products, (Film Magazine, Film Poster and Film Trailer), I
have used many different media software's, such as
Publisher, Photoshop, Fireworks, InDesign and Premier Pro.

3. Wordpress.com
I have used this blogsite throughout the course and have found it easy to use most of the
time. At times, I was unable to load my media products and it did not show them as an
image or video. At times, the YouTube video would embed properly and would just come
up on the blog as a link, which is unattractive and makes my blog look dull. I was able to
show effectively the different stages from research, planning, production and evaluation,
through creating different sections for each stage. On Wordpress, I was able to embed my
images and videos to display my products and their development. This made my work
and my blog look more visually appealing. Through my blog, I was able to communicate
and get frequent feedback from my teacher, who discussed with me what I could improve
and how I can improve it, which was helpful.

4. Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer has been mainly used throughout the research process of
my coursework. I have used Google images, Word press blogging, YouTube,
freeplaymusic.com etc.
I regularly used Google images as a source to find other media products,
such as the ones shown around the perimeter of this slide. Through using
the images, I was able to explore similar products to the one I wanted to
produce.
To find non-diegetic sound for my trailer, I used freeplaymusic.com, which
has a wide range of different music styles and genres. This help massively
when deciding what type of music I would include in my trailer, to create
effect and to make my trailer more diverse. However, even though it was a
good site to use, because there was such a range of music it was often
difficult to find music that I felt fitted perfectly with the type of tone and
atmosphere I wanted to create in my trailer.
I also used polldaddy.com as a way of surveying my target audience and
peer group. I have used this survey website in order to keep track of how
well I am doing in my coursework and to track my progress in my
coursework. I have also used polldaddy.com to ask people questions relating
to my chosen genre for the film, poster and magazine, to find out what they
like to see in a film and what they think is stereotypically relevant to that
particular genre. I found this useful as it made me more aware of the genre I
was targeting, and it also highlighted to me what certain aspects of a film
people like to see.

5. Youtube
Youtube has been used to achieve
research analysis, through looking at
different trailers of films that are similar
to my product and are of the same
genre. I have also used Youtube to
upload my own trailer in order to
display it on my Word press blog.

6. Publisher
I have used Publisher, to show how I have analysed,
researched and evaluated both my media products
and other media products in circuit. By using
Publisher, I am able to analyse different media
products, and also compare and contrast them as
well with my own media products.

7. Photography
Through photography I was able to take images for my poster
and magazine cover.
During planning it helped me to visualise my filming as I was
able to show my location shots, which was useful in
understanding how and where I was going to film my trailer.
I also took pictures of the person playing the protagonist as I
needed to have a cover image for my film magazine and my
film poster.

8. Photoshop
I have used Photoshop to edit both my poster and magazine covers as I
wanted to just cover up blemishes or skin faults on the images. I regularly use
Photoshop, so I didn’t find this task difficult.
In order to show how I would advertise my product, I chose to place my film
poster at a bus stop, as this would be an effective way of advertising the film,
as often film posters are placed in these places. I was just able to upload an
image of a bus stop from Google images into Photoshop, and then place my
poster over the top of the one that was already there. I also tried to do the
same on the side of a bus, however I had difficulty placing the image into the
picture, as I was unable to properly fit the image proportionally.

9. Adobe Fireworks
Creating a title for my Film
Magazine
I used Adobe Fireworks to create my title for my film magazine. I uploaded the image of a
current “Total Film” magazine cover and placed it into Photoshop. First, I tried to copy the
title into InDesign, however this proved difficult and I was unable to do it. This was because
it wouldn’t let me just copy the letters it wanted to place the background of it in the image
as well, so I decided to use Adobe fireworks instead. I used the magic wand in Photoshop
and copied each letter and place them into Adobe firework, where I was then able to delete
different layers, like the background, therefore allowing my to just use the letters.

10. InDesign
I have used InDesign for both my Film Poster
and Film Magazine. After, using InDesign last
year for my AS coursework, I found it very
easy to use this year, and understood the
software a lot more. I used this software to
design the layout of the magazine and
poster, as well as using the software to
create the overall final product. I found it
useful to look at similar products to mine, as
this helped me to choose the colour and
layout of the magazine and poster, as well as
producing the overall media product.

11. InDesign
In, InDesign I was able to create the text as well as choosing the
colour and designing the layouts of the magazine and poster.
On the titles of both products, I used a drop shadow, which causes
the titles to be highlighted so that this is the main thing the
audience looks at.
Throughout, the production process of creating the magazine
cover and film poster, I needed to consistently focus on the
spacing and lining of the sub-headings and make them the same
or similar. This causes the magazine to look professional and
visually appealing.
On the poster, I have used the
glow effect on the sub titles of
the poster, this was because of
the choice of colour as without
the writing just faded into the
background, whereas I wanted it
to be emphasised.

12. Media Player
I have used Media Player throughout the production process for
my film trailer. I have used it to listen to different sounds as a
way of being able to decide what types of music or diegetic
sounds I want in my trailer. This is also the same with watching
my film clips and my actual trailer.

13. Filming
At times, I found it challenging to film as it was visually different compared to
taking a photograph and is something you must plan, in order to make your
filming session productive. I found it easy to work with the camera, however I
found the camera was liable to run out of battery quite quickly, which became
frustrating.
Through filming for my trailer, I started to understand the importance of the
different shots needed to create an interesting trailer. This caused me to
experiment more in the different shots I was shooting, so even though I didn’t
have lots of shots, from what I had shot, the footage was good and I had a
range of shots to use which I was able to edit.
Also, using a tripod meant you could get a steady shot which didn’t shake as
much as if you handheld the camera.

14. Premiere Pro
I have used Premiere Pro, all throughout the production stage, as it enabled me to edit
my trailer into what it is now. By using the software, I was able to effectively create
montages and change various sections of my trailer to improve and develop it.
I have found it difficult using Premiere Pro, and it took me a while to learn the
different types of effects and edits you could do with it. However, I feel that both my
camera and editing skills have improved massively working on this trailer, as normally I
am used to just taking photographs, so producing a trailer was a challenge
By using Premiere Pro, I had to learn how
to use a new software, which I previously
hadn’t used. So through researching, peer
questioning and personal experimentation
I have been able to learn how to create
different effects and positioning's of shots.

15. Premiere Pro- Editing of Shots and footage
to create a film trailer.
The first edit of my trailer was not given any music, as I wanted to mainly concentrate on the shots and
the editing of them. Therefore, I was able to put a trailer together which just consisted of a range of long
shots, with a few mid to close-up shots. As the trailer developed, I began to learn how to use the software
more. I have also learnt that by pressing certain keys this makes the process quicker when carrying out
certain actions. For example, pressing the enter key causes your film to render, which improves the
quality and improves faults with the footage or software.
Using the technology, I was able to create montages, which suggested what state of mind the protagonist
is in and helps build the story of the trailer. I did this by putting a range of shots on top of each other and
then changing the opacity of them so they blended and merged together.
At first my trailer mainly consisted of jump cuts, but as it developed it now consists of a range of jump
cuts, fades in & fade outs. I was able to do this by creating two time frames and placing them at different
points in the shot and then moving one of the points to decrease the opacity of the shot so that it faded
in or out. Therefore, creating a smoother transitions between shots.

16. Premiere Pro
Also, I learnt how to create a still roll, which meant I
could make my credits and titles. This meant going
to title and then creating a still roll. Which then I
was able to add text and change font, colour,
shadowing etc. I was able to add effects to the still
rolls, to make it more attractive, I did this by
changing the opacity of the text in effects control.
Creating a still roll was important as it is a main
feature in all trailers that I have viewed.
When I saved my work, I had to export the video
and change the video to High Definition, to make
the video a high quality trailer. I also learned that
when you saved your trailer, you had to make sure
that the line was at the very beginning of your video
and you had to move another line to make sure that
the trailer began at the right section so you didn’t
miss any of your trailer out, or the other way round
and have a minutes worth of no footage before
your trailer actually began.

17. Premiere Pro-Sounds
The sound on my trailer was also placed together on premiere pro.
I found it difficult to at times find music and beats which worked well
together, so I had to think of ways of blending it together. I did this in a
similar way to how I had created the fading in my shots. This made blending
the fading of music easier as I had already previously faded my shots
together.
I also discovered that by moving the bar on the editing audio file meant that
you could alter the volume of the sound. This meant I was able to place
speech over the top and then have the music/beat as background music. To
delete music which was part of my footage, I had to unlink the video from
the audio, which meant I could either delete the audio or move it to a
separate part of the trailer.

18. PowerPoint and Word
I have used word in my evaluation as
well, because it enabled me to create an
audience feedback form which I printed
so people could give their opinions on
my final products. This was useful, as
word enabled me to create a form which
was purposeful and easy to present and
read.
I have used PowerPoint during my
evaluation stage as it is an effective way
of showing my information in a clear
and attractive way. By evaluating my
work onto a PowerPoint slide, it means
I am able to easily edit my evaluation
and present it onto my blog. Websites
like Scribd and Slideshare encourage
people to use powerpoint as it means a
person can present there slideshow on
their website.