The group used various technologies to research and plan their documentary on hair, including Microsoft Word to create questionnaires, Microsoft Excel to analyze results, and the internet to research topics. Adobe Premiere Pro allowed them to edit interviews and footage, such as removing questions and adding backgrounds. For their print ad, Photoshop let them enhance photos and add graphics to make it look professional. Overall, the new technologies transformed their satisfactory products into polished, professional media pieces.

2. For the research and planning stage of creating our media products, we used as
a group a variety of different technologies to research important information
which was key for our documentary. For our research into our target audience,
we used Microsoft Office Word to create questionnaires which we handed out to
the public so we could get a good idea on what their thoughts and opinions
were on our topic hair. We then gathered the information and uploaded it into
Microsoft Office Excel as this was a good programme to upload our information
as it was easy to change the information into graphs which can easily show our
results. We also used the internet for many things such as researching into
topics of hair people wouldn’t think of such as phobias of hair. This was key
point in our documentary and without the help of the internet were would of
not been able to find the name of the fear which was Chaetophobia.

3. When we first began to think of ideas for our
documentary, we had to plan and collect our ideas
together in a mind map which would help us as a
group to get a vague idea of what we wanted our
documentary to be. Our initial plan was to create a
documentary on the topic drugs, but things quickly
changed as resources and interviews would be easier
with different topics. We finally settled on the idea
hair as this was the most ideal topic as we could
interview hairdressers, barbers, psychologists etc. we
used a variety of new technologies which helped us
gain our target of making a professional
documentary by using Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe
Photoshop and also by using a HD camera kit.

4. When filming our interviews with the interviewees, we used a range of
kit so that we could get the best possible recordings as we could. This
meant that we had clip on microphones, tripods, camera kit and at one
point for a cut away, we used a track and dolly to get a real good shot
of a variety of hair. This allowed us to get good quality footage for our
documentary without us having to re-film it if the footage wasn’t good
enough. Once we had got all of the interviews and cut away footage,
we collected them and uploaded them up to the A-drive of the
computer so we could easily identify which folder was which, making it
easier for ourselves when we came to upload it onto Adobe Premier
Pro. The technology allowed us to focus more on the getting the right
filming and the right edits correct in the documentary.

5. Before we uploaded any footage, we started the documentary off with
the title sequence. This was a process that took us a whole day as we
were doing a media technique called stock motion which is when a
larger number of photos are taken, then put into a video then speeded
up to make it look the photo is moving. The item we were using was
hair as this fitted well with the topic about the documentary which was
hair and we created the title ‘All Things hair’ by grabbing different
parts of the hair and making each letter out of the hair. We created the
name then began to remove each strand of hair. Once all the hair had
gone we then uploaded the SD card into the computer and on premiere
pro, we changed the speed so that all the photos could be played in
under 15 seconds and that the shots would be reversed as this would
then be the right way when the video is played.

6. Once this was complete we could then add the interview footage. We had to
then edit the interviews because at the start of the interview, we ask the
question to the interview and we cannot feature in the documentary because it
wouldn’t make our documentary look professional. We also had to edit them
because some of the information said in them may not be needed or the
interview may be too long. We knew how to place which interview where
because of the running order we had created previous to the creation of the
documentary when we were researching into our documentary. This allowed us
to instantly upload the footage into right place making it a quick process
having the footage in order. There was footage we didn't use and whole
interviews which went to waste as the footage was good enough to feature in
the documentary. This is because either the lighting was good enough, the
microphone wasn’t on show or even the interviewee didn't say enough.

7. Once all of the footage was included in the documentary file on
premier, the footage came to 5 minutes and 30 seconds. This meant
that we had to edit and cut certain bits of footage so we can get the
documentary down closer to the five minute mark. Once we had done
this, we then had to edit the sound levels because they weren't the
same levels on all of the videos. This took some time as this is a
delicate job to do be cause you have to take to voice recordings and
get the levels right so that the sound is producing a sound at the right
levels. Once this was complete we could then add the graphics onto
the interviews with the name and occupation of the interviewee. This
would complete our documentary.

8. When we came up with the idea for our print ad, we came up with the
idea of having someone shocked/frightened but getting their hair
chopped off by collecting a number of ideas together, just like we did
with the documentary idea. This allowed us to research different print
ads like this to give us the right idea on how to approach doing this.
We agreed with a fellow student that she would be involved in the
photo and she would have to looked scared as though her hair was
actually going to be cut there and then.

9. Once we had taken a number of photos taken, we uploaded
them into adobe Photoshop to add the final touches to the print
ad. We created the graphics and typed up the information that’s
needed for the audience to know such as the date and time. We
then imported the channel 4 logo and placed it in the right
position. These were all things that make it look like a
professional media product as we have gone and identified
these professional elements that make up a good print advert.

10. For our radio trailer, we had to take edits from the documentary
interviews and insert them in the right places in the script so
they identify the topics included in the documentary can be
heard in the trailer. But first we have to create a script and
using Microsoft word, we came together, putting ideas forward
to try and get the script right. Once we had got the script
written and checked by the media teachers, we got Connor
Robson to do the voice over for the radio trailer. This is because
he is the voice over for our documentary which means that his
voice will also have to be used for the radio trailer.

11. We went into the recording studio and recorded Connor’s voice
then uploaded it onto Adobe Premier Pro. We then had to edit
the recording then insert the cutaways of the interviews in with
the recording so that we could then have a full radio trailer.
Once we had got these in place, we then added the backing
track for the radio trailer. This is the soundtrack of the musical
‘Hair’ which also features on our documentary in the title
sequence.

12. When answering the evaluation questions, I used a number of different
technologies that would help me show variation in my work. I used
many different presentational programmes such as Microsoft Office
PowerPoint and many presentational websites such as Slideshare,
Prezi, Powtoon and Emaze. These new technologies allowed me to
show variation because they all work in different ways. Powtoon works
like a video whereas Slideshare and Emaze work just like PowerPoint
showing different slides every time you click. To show the evaluation
we had to use blogger where all of our previous work had been
uploaded. Without the use of the internet, I wouldn’t of been able to
upload my work to Blogger.

13.  The different new media technology used in our documentary helped us an awful lot
when creating, planning and evaluating our documentary. This is because the
technology we were using allowed us to take it further than originally thought. This
means that as a group, we thought that the original footage we took for interviews and
cutaway’s couldn’t be edited and we could only merge all the footage together with
archive and the title sequence. But with technology such as Adobe Premiere Pro, we were
able to actually edit the video. We removed the question we asked the interviewee and
also for some interviews we had to edit things into the screen. An example of this is an
interview with the person who has a phobia of hair. We used a green screen background
and then edited a background into the back of the screen. This allowed us to choose a
different back than the original which was just a class room. For the print advert, Adobe
Photoshop allowed us to enhance the picture by adding brightness to the picture and
bring out a more striking image. It also allowed us to add graphics such as the
documentary name and channel logo. The final result made it look like a very
professional print advert with the channel logo on the bottom right for channel 4.
Overall, the new technologies enhanced our media products massively and took our
products from satisfactory products to professional products.