1. Dan Watt
Evaluation for IG4 Final Major Project
1. Technical quality of final product (images, footage, use of sound, editing, layout,
composition)
For my final major project we were assigned with creating our own compositions, I chose to create
an advert based around the K2 Parkstar 2012 snowboard. I started by researching for ideas by
looking at adverts for similar products and by looking at snowboarding videos on YouTube. From my
research I decided that for my advert I would film the snowboard actually in use on the slopes at
the Chill factor. However after some planning I decided that instead of filming the advert in 3rd
person, I would film my advert in 1st
person instead using my KitVision Rush HD camera as it would
be more practical. At home I had to assemble a frame for the camera so I could attach it to my
helmet properly. When attaching the camera I had to angle it slightly downward so I would record
the footage as though it was the snowboarder’s point of view. So I would not just be filming the
same footage over and over while at the chill factor I decided to film my advert on a “Free style
night”. This allowed me to use the jumps while filming for some interesting action shots. I filmed
my advert over 2 hours; however I found that a few shots of my footage were unusable due my
camera being slightly off angle. This meant I had to slightly change my advert from the storyboard
and use a different sequence of shots. I started editing on Adobe Premier, by cutting down clips of
my footage then piecing them into a sequence that I thought flowed well. I made sure I placed all
of my more interesting shots throughout my advert so they would not all be concentrated in one
part, as this could have led to people losing interest while they were watching. I also had to make
sure I left a blank space In my sequence while using Premier so I could edit in text using the Adobe
After effects program. When I started editing my advert on After Effects I searched online using
websites such as YouTube to find tutorials that would show me how I could input overlays and other
effects. I tried to look specifically for tutorials that would make my advert look more visually
appealing and professional looking. I then followed a tutorial that showed me how I could
manipulate the colour grading of my footage. This was done by first making an adjustment layer,
then by applying tints and a curve effect. From that I could manipulate the colour and brightness
however I wanted; I chose yellow and red as the colours I would use on the adjustment layer as
they were bright and vibrant. The effect worked particularly well as the main colour in my footage
is white (From the snow) making the colour transition flow smoothly, I also felt that it improved my
advert visually. I then researched fonts that I thought would be appropriate for my advert, I looked
on the website “1001 Fonts” and then chose a few to pick from. I chose the font “Quick Argarni” as
it was bold, easy to read and suited my adverts look. Next I had to animate the text by using key
frames and by manipulating the position of the text. I made the key frames start off screen so it
looks as though the texts comes from the side, slows in the middle of the screen and then speeds
up going off screen on the opposite side it came from. I also played around with the text at the end
of my advert, I changed the opacity using key frames to make my advert fade onto the screen stay
for a few seconds at 100% opacity and then fade back to 0% opacity gradually. The final part of the
editing process was inputting my chosen music with my footage. I chose to use an upbeat remix by
“Alok & Icy Sasaki” called “Snoop Sings” as I felt it went well with the fast pace of my video, I also
chose this particular song as it fitted the length of my advert well. To put this in my advert I first
had to use an online YouTube converter to make the YouTube video a compatible file format I
could import into my advert using Premier. Next I imported the audio file and trimmed it down to
match the length of my advert. The last finishing touch I made to my advert before it was complete
was slightly raising the brightness to give it an overall better look, then my advert was complete
and ready to render/export.

2. Dan Watt
2. Production skills you have newly acquired and existing skills you have further developed
In the production of my final major project I developed my skills using editing software (Adobe
After effects and Adobe Premier), once I had filmed all my footage. I did this by following more in
depth and advanced tutorials in my own time, which gave me insight on how to use more intricate
effects and how to apply them to my commercial. One example was being able to add multiple
layers and then use them all to create an overall effect which I could not gain with just the one
singular layer creating a “Cross process”. I first used a “tint” effect to my footage; this effect
desaturated my footage by removing some of the colour but not completely. I next inputted a
“curve” effect, this is where the “cross process” was created as I used two curves literally crossing
them against each other to balance the colours how I wanted. I had to make sure each curve didn’t
match as it would just look as though I was adjusting the main RGB line, this wouldn’t give me the
abstract look I was trying to achieve. Finally I added another “post tint” effect, this sandwiched
the curve effect smoothing over any colour change that I felt was a little too extreme. Another
production I acquired was filming my footage hands free using the KitVision camera which I
attached to my Skiing helmet. This method of filming was much harder than using a typical camera
to film, as I couldn’t see the footage while I was filming. This meant I had to judge when to turn
my head to start filming a different area of the slope; however I made sure not to turn my head to
fast so it wouldn’t blur any of the footage. I also developed my skills in editing sound on premier,
by learning how to fade music in and out to a better ability than I had in the previous year at
college.
3. How closely your final product matches your original intentions (outlined in your Final
Major Project proposal)
Originally I planned on creating three separate parts of my final major project them being an
Advert, magazine cover and photography. Each one would have related to the overall theme of
snowboarding creating a synergy between the three parts. However once I had completed all my
pre-production work and started actual production on my project I realised that I would be unable
to create all three parts of this “synergy” to a good standard due to lack of time and other work in
my separate classes. From this I decided I would concentrate my focus on my advert as I felt it
would take the longest to complete but would have the better end product. So in that aspect my
starting intentions are very different to my end product, however my original idea of my advert was
very close to the final version. I used the Chill factor like I had intended as my location, but I
filmed my advert using the first person method which wasn’t part of my original idea. I changed
how I would film my advert as it would have been a massive health and safety risk, attempting to
film using a tripod on the slope (this would also have been problematic as the slope is on a slant
with little if any flat surfaces). I decided against using a normal camera free hand on the slope, as
it would have been impossible to hold the camera steady and there was always the high risk of
dropping and breaking the equipment. So to avoid my work looking unprofessional and poorly made
I decided to opt for the head camera as in my opinion it was a better choice. These was due to the
fact it would be much safer to film, with less risk to the equipment as it was securely fastened to
my helmet. I also felt first person shots would be more interesting to watch as it is an
unconventional way of filming, but this meant I had to film different shots than I had planned in my
story board. Like I originally planned I filmed tricks and jumps being performed and inserted them
into my advert to make it more interesting for the audience watching, as one of the main purposes
of my advert was to captivate people. I also as I planned I implemented an upbeat song as it went
with my footage well and gave the advert the right “mood” I was looking for. I changed the effects

3. Dan Watt
I was going to use in my advert, as I improved my skills on after effects and premier. This allowed
me to use more advanced effects, however I felt this made my advert much more professional
looking than it would have been if I used more basic effects. So I believe my advert is very close to
what I had originally imagined, the only major difference being the method it was filmed in.
4. Time management and problem solving (scheduling, practical constraints and strategies
you used to overcome constraints)
Time management was not an issue for me while I was working on my commercial, as I followed a
schedule each week to ensure I completed all my work on time to a good grade standard. This also
prevented me from getting a build-up of work which would have delayed me from completing my
project before the final deadline. As a precaution I completed smaller tasks such as my story boards
outside of class time in case I had problems with production later on which would cause me to fall
behind in my schedule. This turned out to help me out later on in the year, as the filming of my
advert was delayed by two weeks. This was due to the fact the first head camera I bought was not
good enough quality to film on and it was having numerous technical problems. So as a better
replacement to ensure my advert would be filmed in good quality I had to order the KitVision Rush
HD camera online which took longer than expected to arrive. When creating my schedule I based
how much time I gave myself on each task by how long I believed it would take me to complete
them. This strategy worked well for me as I gave myself more time for the longer units making sure
I completed them to the best of my ability without rushing them. When filming my advert I gave
myself a few weeks to do this task as I thought it would take a few trips to the Chill factor to
gather all my necessary footage. However I underestimated how little time it would take to film
and despite the two week delay at the start of shooting, I managed to film everything in one trip to
the chill factor putting me ahead of my schedule by a couple of weeks. This allowed me to
concentrate on and improve my editing skills, which I am relieved I got the extra time for as it was
the longest and most crucial part in the production of my commercial.
5. Reaching your target audience (audience response, your reactions to positive and negative
criticism with reference to audience feedback you have gathered)
I received positive feedback for my commercial with some of the comments from my peers being
“Great, well edited”, “It's really good, the music goes well and it's different to anyone else's” and “Good
use of colour effect, also really like the song, fits well with the advert. Only thing I'd say is more camera
angles”. This shows that my commercial was well received and achieved the individuality I wanted. I
felt that the music fitted well with my footage, and this has been backed up by multiple comments.
However the feedback also shows that I could have implemented more camera angles into my advert,
to keep the audience’s attention more. I agree with that feedback, looking back on my filming I should
have shot my footage from a few more different angles and positions. Overall though I am happy that
the majority of my feedback was positive, this shows that I hit my brief as my advert was suitable for
my target audience and was created to a good enough standard that they were captivated by it.
6. Summary conclusion of how you would respond to your project brief if you were to do it
again
In my opinion, I would call my commercial a success from the feedback I had gathered however
there are a few slight things I would change. Firstly I would have attempted to film a few more
interesting angles while shooting my footage at the chill factor, possibly experimenting with my

4. Dan Watt
Rush camera to see if I could attach it to my shoulder or maybe even the snowboard itself. This
would possibly make for some interesting footage I could use to make the composition more
interesting to keep the audience captivated. Another way I could make it less repetitive is if not
every shot was in 1st
person, some shots could be actually of the snowboarder not just his line of
sight. This would mean if some of my 1st
person footage wasn’t good enough for my commercial I
could replace it with the other footage, something that I could not do when creating my
commercial this time. I would also invest more time in learning editing software properly, as even
though I believed while the editing in my commercial was to a good standard, there still is much
room for improvement. Learning more complex editing skills would mean if I was to do the project
again I could make it look even more professional. In conclusion I am happy with how my final
major project turned out, I completed my advert to a standard I was pleased with and I finished the
assignment in the allocated time given to me.
The image above is some of my feedback from the group I created on Facebook.