1. Describe how you developed your skills in the use of digital technology for media
production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your creative decision-
making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills
developed over time.
My skills in the use of digital technology have advanced from my AS to my A2
production. At AS I created a 2-minute opening sequence to a horror film and at
A2 I created a music video, advert and digipak. I will begin by discussing my use
of these digital technologies within my AS production and then how these skills
have progressed at A2.
During the pre-production stage I uploaded all of my planning onto blogger.com.
Blogger is an example of web 2.0, which is a form of interactive media. It allows a
platform for collaboration as I was able to continue updating throughout the
project and others could view my progress. I also used other websites such as
Prezi and Slideshare to create powerpoints and upload documents, which I was
then able to place on my blog via an embed code. All of my planning was carried
out on an eMac, primarily using software such as Microsoft word and
powerpoint. The operating system on the eMac had quite a steep learning curve
when compared to the windows systems I was used to using. It therefore took
some time to familiarise myself with the way it worked. I also found that the
eMacs weren’t very powerful and therefore caused long periods of waiting time
when opening programs. Finally, during the pre-production stage I used iMovie
to create an animatic. I drew out a storyboard and used a Nikon D90 to take a
photograph of it. I then used Photoshop to cut out each frame and save them as
individual images. This allowed me to drag and align the images on the timeline
within iMovie and add a voiceover on the audio track, which was recorded using
a flashmic.
The production stage of my opening sequence required the use of a video
camera. I used a Song hard drive camera to capture all of the video for the
sequence. I had already had a chance to familiarise myself with the way the
camera worked during the prelim task and it also gave my ideas about the ways
in which my shots would be framed. I also used a Nikon D90 to take stills of the
location for use in post-production.
Finally, during the post-production stage I used Final Cut to edit together my
video. I imported my video from the camera onto the eMac using ausb cable and
converted the files to .DV format so they were compatible with Final Cut. I then
used basic editing techniques such as the razor tool and in/out markers to create
my video. I also included a reverse effect and altered the speed in some areas of
the video. I used Photoshop to create a company logo using stock images found
online. I utilised many different functionalities such as layering, opacity and
blending modes. I also used Livetype software to create the titles for my opening
sequence. Once I had adjusted the font, size and colour and altered the
animation, I then rendered it out for use in Final Cut.
At A2 my pre-production methods were much more advanced. I used
blogger.com to collate all of my research, the same as at AS, but this time I was

2. much more efficient as I was already very familiar with the way the website
functioned. I also created a lot more posts as was required for a more advanced
production. I also used iMovie again to create an animatic however, this time I
did not include a voiceover, instead syncing the images to the song I planned to
use for my music video. I felt this process was much more effective and it took
my very little time because I was very familiar with the program and was able to
utilise marker functions, which made the process very easy. I used much more
advanced equipment for my A2 production as all of my research was carried out
using an iMac. This was noticeably more powerful than then eMac but had a very
similar feel, one, which I had gotten used to. This allowed me to use it very
efficiently and effectively.
The production of my video went a lot smoother then at AS as I already had some
experience of organising timing and locations. At first I used the same camera as
at AS but I felt the quality was too low and it would affect the quality of my
production so I decided to re-shoot using a Nikon D3100. This allowed me to
shoot in much higher quality and I was also able to utilise a pull-focus and a
more effective zoom feature, which were very useful in creating a realistic music
video. I also used this camera to carry out a photo-shoot for my digipak and
advert. My experiences from AS helped me to organise the shoot with detailed
planning of each shot that I needed for my products. My knowledge of the
camera also helped me to produce quality images, which I transferred to the
iMac via a USB cable, ready to be edited in Photoshop. Finally, during the
production I used my phone to contact participants and ensure they were aware
of what they needed. I also used my phone to play the track, which enabled the
band to play along. This later aided the editing process, as I was able to sync the
audio track in Final Cut to the audio track that was recorded in the video.
The post-production of my music video was mainly carried on using Final Cut as
I edited the video together. I was very familiar with this software as I had used it
during my AS production. This enabled me to produce a much higher quality
product with more advanced edits. Final Cut is a non-linear software so I was
able to begin editing different parts of the video which allowed me to work
around any areas that I still needed to shoot. I was able to utilise different effects
such as reverse and black and white. I also used a fade to colour technique, which
was very successful. My post-production also consisted of Photoshop as I edited
the images I had taken for my digipak and advert. I used the software to create a
template and imported the images into this. I was able to use many of the
different advanced tools to create a sophisticated production.