The document discusses the use of new media technologies in the production stages of a film. It describes using a Mac computer for research online and editing a blog. An Apple software called Final Cut Express was used for video editing, and it was challenging at first but became easier to use. A Sony HDV 1000 camera captured high quality footage, though its size limited filming in some spaces. Photoshop was utilized to design a film poster, adding effects and editing images. A sound recorder captured audio clearly for inclusion in the film and radio trailer. Throughout the process, familiar technologies from prior work proved adaptable for this new project.

1. Critical Evaluation Question 4 - How
did you use new media technologies
in the construction and
research, planning and evaluation
stages?

2. When creating our film we used an Apple Mac which is very different to a Windows computers
that most people use as the operating system differs in ways and the whole setup is different. We
used the Mac mainly for the internet to research posters, film genres and radio trailers but we
also used it to edit our blog which was done on the Google Blogger. The search engine
predominantly used was Google, as it is simple, quick and easy to record information that is
found. The image shown below is the interface we had to use on the Mac. You can see from this
picture that it is very different to the desktop that is used on Windows. It took while getting
used to it but became easy to use after a few days.

3. To actually record our film we used a Sony HDV 1000 and supported it by using a basic tri-pod.
We were able to develop our film creatively thanks to how diverse the tri-pod would go in terms
of positioning. One scene is shot very close to a hill but because of the adjustable legs on the tri-
pod we were able to make it look as if it was on flat ground. The camera itself was very easy to
use and was of a very high quality. It is the same as we used for our AS level in media so we had
no trouble in using it again fro our A2 year. With the camera being as big as it is, it would have
been difficult for us to film in constricted areas as the camera may not have fitted where we
wanted it to. The only time the digital technology prevented us from being creative was when
using the video camera, we had to use a few a small places as possible, because the camera is
quite large. The camera could fit in smaller areas but it would have to be handheld which would
then reduce the quality of our film, we which we didn’t want. The picture below is the exact same
camera we used throughout the course of filming.

4. When editing our film we used Final Cut Express, which like using the interface on the Mac, was
very difficult and hard to understand at first but eventually it got easier. Without this
software, the film wouldn’t have been a tenth as good as it turned out. Like with the Sony HDV
1000, we had used this editing software in the AS year and didn’t have trouble reusing it again in
A2. Final Cut Express was very helpful in the fact that it let us rearrange the film as some of it was
filmed as though it was in the past, and some of the other bits filmed in the present. Another
factor which wouldn’t have been included in our film without Final Cut Express was the split
screen which features constantly throughout the production and is a very big part of our film. We
included this as we felt it gave a more creative feel to the film. The screenshot below is the basic
look of Final Cut Express.

5. To create our A3 film poster we used Adobe Photoshop. We had to upload certain images on to
the application and then edit it and include a film title to it, add the logo of the production
company to it. Without Photoshop we wouldn’t have had a logo which was as effective as ours.
We used special effects like blurring our photo. We used this effect right in the middle of the
poster as we felt it symbolised that the middle of Ciaran and Claire’s relationship was blurry. The
photo that the main image was taken with was a high megapixel camera which meant it was
going to be a good quality photo. Without having the correct software like Photoshop it would
have been hard to create a very good poster and we would have probably had to use Paint which
would have given out a poor outcome. Below is our final poster after it had been edited with
Photoshop.

6. Finally, another piece of digital technology that we used to further better our production as a
whole was a sound recorder. We used this in our radio trailer to make the sound clear and of a
high standard. The recorder was extremely easy to use and it didn’t take us long at all to record
the radio trailer. We also used the recorder in parts of our film which we thought could have been
improved on when we watched the film through again. After we had recorded the sound on the
recorder, we edited it on GarageBand. Below is an image of a similar handheld sound recorder to
the one we used, but no the exact same one.