The student used various media technologies throughout their coursework, including the internet for research, WordPress for blogging, and Adobe Premiere Elements and Photoshop for editing video and photos. Video cameras and photography equipment were used to film and take photos. Websites like Wikipedia, YouTube, and Makebeliefscomix helped explain concepts. Presentation software like Prezi and posters created with Glogster and SlideShare displayed work. The wide range of technologies allowed the student to demonstrate their work in multiple ways and create professional-looking media products that would appeal to audiences.
2. One
• The main media technology used in all aspects of my work was the internet. I used this to
research everything I wrote on my blog, I used google images to get photos to accompany my
text and help to explain or demonstrate any points made. Specific pages;
• Wikipedia for my genre research where I had to look at the definitions of certain genres along with
conventions of their music and videos and examples of this.
• Youtube to look up existing music video’s to research conventions. Also to go through certain
theory’s e.g Todorov’s theory of narrative. We also used youtube to look up Taylor Swift and then
pause and screenshot so we could record angles used in the video and what impact this had. I
also used this to upload my final version of my music video for audience feedback.
• For research in class we used Microsoft word to record information before uploading it to
wordpress. We used this also when looking at Taylor Swifts music video and inserting
screenshots of specific parts of the video to analyse.
• I used a website called “Makebeliefscomix” on order to create comic strips to explain theories
such as Levi Strauss Theory of Binary Opposition. This allowed me to insert small amounts of text
with a select image which the website provided. I then downloaded a few comic strips to insert
into my work. This helped me to break up the text and explain the theories better.
3. Two
• Wordpress was the blog site we used which I was familiar with from last years work. I used this
constantly throughout the year to update my progression on my coursework to help create the
sense of a journey.
• I used slideshare to help display power points on my blog such as “Representation in music
video’s” where I researched different representations and used current music video examples to
highlight them. It also allowed me to find another way of displaying my work and therefore helped
me to break up the text.
• “Zooburst” was a website in which you could create 3D pop-up books. I have never used this
before and therefore it was tricky to navigate at first. You could add clip art as well as your own
downloaded images to the book, which helped me to demonstrate and explain things better by
using examples. I used this a couple of times, however in my research I used it to display
“Audience theory”.
• Prezi was used a number of times throughout my work from planning to evaluation. It allows me
to mind map my work and explain it in heavy detail by use of movement and ability to insert
pictures and videos. This was useful for research e.g into both versions of Justin Biebers album -
acoustic and ordinary. I did this in order to understand the differences and therefore the different
conventions needed to target an acoustic audience but still with a pop artist.
4. Three
• Glogster was a website where I could make a poster displaying
certain things. I used it to organise my poster research. I inserted
text adding clip art and images and made the work more fun to read
and nicer to look at
• I used an app on my phone called “Keek”which allowed me to upload
small clips I had taken of editing a clip by adding an effect to it. This
allowed me to show the evidence of some editing and went
alongside text to explain what we had done. I had to go on the online
website and log in to upload it to my blog where the video can be
seen be embedding it into Wordpress.
• I used my phone to take photos of the editing process as well as
filming. This provided the blog with evidence and therefore backed
up my work.
5. Construction
• I used two video camera’s from school as well as two tripods to film the music video with. Me and Jess
operated the camera’s together, talking about angles, lighting and positioning of the camera which can be
seen on one of our evidence videos. The camera’s were easy to operate and we never really used many of the
features except “zoom” as we didn’t need it for the video we were filming
• I used one photography camera from school to take both my photos for the digipak and poster. I used the flash
once or twice but when I took the photo’s it was quite light outside and I knew I was going to turn the photos
black and white anyway so I wasn’t completely bothered by lighting issues.
• I used Adobe Premier Elements to edit the music video. We added in the MP3 file of the song before adding
all the clips we had at the time and using “set in” and “set out” buttons to crop the clips. Towards the end of the
editing session we used effects like “Dissolve” and “Fade to Black” to show changes in the day or setting. This
allowed us to make our video look more professional and made the storyline clearer to the audience.
• Photoshop was used to edit my photos. I turned them black and white as well as elongating one of my photos
so I would have more room and also so it would fit better into the Quark template. Photoshop is very technical
and difficult to use so I stuck to the few things I knew how to do like using the “blur” and “eraser” buttons to
merge two photos together.
• I used Quark to put together my digipak and poster. I downloaded the fonts off “DaFont.com” and inserted the
text onto my Quark template. I added the images, the black box at the bottom of the poster and the spine on
the digipak which all contributed to making my products look more professional.
6. How has this benefited your
products?
-I have used a wide range of technologies throughout the process of my coursework. This
has allowed me to create work to a high standard and make it look more realistic,
professional and something that would actually appeal to my target audience.
-The range of internet based software where I have created presentations, comic strips,
books, videos, e.t.c has allowed me to demonstrate my work in a variety of ways. This is
important as it helps me to explain things better, it makes my work look more organised and
overall just looks better which makes me happier with the work I have created and the
products that I have produced.
-Overall I think the technology has benefited my media products as its allowed me to make
them the best they can be and use the best of my abilities to produce something that fits the
criteria. All of the software has allowed my products to look better and to compete with
already existing products.