The document discusses how various media technologies were used at different stages of planning and producing a short film. Microsoft Excel was used to create questionnaires for primary research. Storyboards were drawn by hand and scanned for planning shots. Windows Movie Maker and iMovie were used to storyboard scenes and add text overlays for character profiles. Social media, websites, and DVD extras provided ideas for secondary research. GarageBand was used to compose original music scores.

1. How did you use media technology in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

2. Primary Research For our Primary research, we used a few methods to gather, record and analyse our results. By using Microsoft Excel we were able to draw up a questionnaire to give to participants in order to collect information which may aid our final production. Once questionnaires were completed, we had to store our information so we could easy analyse it. This was done by compiling our findings into graphs and charts 

3. Secondary Research By looking at other short films on websites and on DVD extras etc, we were able to get a general idea on what to expect and get out of short films. This enhanced our performance and know how towards our own short film production. From this, we learned a decent time for a short- Regardless of the 5 minute limit. We learned that scenes and dialogue are kept short & sweet unless required otherwise. Detail is picked carefully as it is essential.

4. Planning For the scripts and storyboard, we abandoned technology slightly and hand wrote and drew them. We found this easier to do, especially within the first steps of planning dialogue as ideas could be quickly scribbled down and jotted down all together on a single sheet of paper. This way it was easier see our options and try them out. It also began a productive and evidential trail of how we have got to our final decisions. As for the story boards, drawing the images seemed easiest as we had an exact image of how shots wanted to look- And taking photos may cause some conflict with our plans and intentions. At least with drawing the shots and angles, during filming we were able to quickly relate back to our thoughts.

5. Planning #2 Seeing as all work needs to be in a digital format, we scanned in all of our story boards and put them into Windows Movie maker. We made a very basic movie from the drawn images of how we more or less wanted our film to turn out. The storyboard movie is 5:09 minutes long. So time wise it is quite accurate. We have illustrated each of the shots we hoped to include in our actual short film. On each image, we featured all of the information of the shot that was originally written on the storyboard sheets. Information such as what shot type it is, any dialogue or sound effects and any additional notes. We then uploaded our planning video to Youtube so we could post it online to our blogs.

6. Music & gaining permission The use of the website Myspace.com gave us the ability to get in touch with a band called Lillix. After messaging the band and receiving a satisfying reply, we managed to obtain permission to use the song in our video. By using iMovie 09 we mixed and edited the song in length and order to fit and match the ‘montage’ that is featured within our film. By editing the order of the song, we were able to set the song to play along side certain parts of the film which would match the shot and action being performed .

7. Ancillary task #1 – Magazine Review Using Microsoft Publisher, we were able to create a reasonably realistic magazine page which positively reviewed our film. To make it look more authentic we included small side pieces which averted readers attention to other subjects which would appeal to our target audience such as Twitter and Music Awards. To give it a casual and doodle, office feel, we used a tool within Publisher to circle certain words of the article, to try and draw attention to certain words. Words or phrases that would usually in other magazine articles be enlarged in speech marks. We tried to select words or phrases that may sum up a certain sentence etc.

8. Ancillary Task #2 - Poster We decided to go a different way with our poster. Instead of using photographs, we decided to illustrate our poster in hope to give it a more youthful and brighter look. Then we scanned the poster into the computer and added text titles and a grid. Just like all movie posters- we put credits in a small font underneath the main features in the poster. Credits such as the Studio that produced it and who stars in the film. We arranged each character in their own box. We wanted it to represent the Identification photo’s taken of them in ‘Registration’, those of which we also picked carefully so the characters are summed up nicely towards the end, regarding their reaction to the camera etc. We based the drawings on those pictures because we wanted the poster to give the audience a vague idea on the main characters and how they are portrayed.

9. Filming – Room effect During our planning, we had a few dilemmas finding accommodation to film in. After many attempts, we decided on a room of one of the group members. Because the general film setting was in an in institute, we needed to give the effect of each patient having an individual room. This meant we had to customise the single room accordingly depending on which character was using it, this was to make it look as if all the rooms were originally identical- like hotels and hostels, however had been customised by their inhabitants due to their lengthy stay. To try and achieve this effect we had to equip each characters room set with different features. For instance we used photos of friends plastered on parts of the walls, aswell as different posters for each character. As well as re arrange things on the shelves in the background and housing different objects for each person such as hair products. This was to capture the illusion that all of the characters were getting ready at the same time during one of the montages, in different rooms.

10. Filming #2 - Montages As time was a factor within our production, we had to use it wisely. Due to this, we decided on featuring 2 montages to speed everything up in a creative way that would still allow us to include fairly important parts of our film while surrounding it with an upbeat and youthful atmosphere. Montage: - a motion-picture sequence consisting of a series of dissolves, superimpositions, or cuts used to condense time or to suggest memories or hallucinations. So while focusing on one characters actions, the audience were well in the knowledge of knowing that the other characters were still involved and continuing with the last actions as the shot left them with. This way we could evenly spread out the process of both; Getting ready in the morning Going through the registration session Within the first montage, we wanted to give the impression of the progress of being woken up, slowly increasing to being ready throughout all of the characters. For instance Nate is seen putting on his glasses, still in bed. Then we move on to Dylan who is sitting up in his bed rubbing his eyes, and then onto Pepper who is stood stretching.

11. Filming #3 – Dog to human One of our characters, Nate Edwards, has the power to morph from a human into a dog. We achieved this by filming the needed bits with one form of the character and then in the next shot, the character will be in the other form. For example in the montage during the registration session, Nate is seen as a dog in the waiting room, and is walked into the office by his ‘Police Handler’ on a lead by a dog. On the next shot, as his photo is about to be taken, he is shown in human form, with the dog lead around his neck, putting on his glasses. When Nate transforms back into a human from a dog, we try to show him loosely re-dressing himself (open shirt, loose jeans and glasses in hand). We tried to keep things as realistic and logic as possible, if he was to transform into a dog, his clothes would not transform with him.

12. Editing – Quick intro’s Combining a super powered themed story line with a 5 minute short film can have its difficulties. By looking at Sci-Fi and other Super hero movies such as X-Men, character’s abilities are introduced gradually and creatively as the film goes on. However being that we only had 5 minutes to play with, we decided to put a quicker spin on things and have the camera freeze on a the character as their ‘power’ snaps onto the screen using a text template. We also applied a ‘Glow’ effect to each screen shot just to enhance that the camera has been frozen. By doing this, the audiences can easily establish what abilities the characters possessed and so the actions that they perform within the film make sense.

13. Editing #2 – Fact files Characters usually take a good while to be introduced to viewers properly, however within short films, characters must be introduced fairly brief or fairly quick. In order to make sure our audiences fully understand our characters, we made a second attempt at analysing the characters in the ‘Registration Session’. We wanted the information featured to sound/look as if it had been written by the doctors / staff that deal with the characters. To help pull this off we added ‘Additional Notes’ on the bottom of the ‘Fact File’ information. These include “ Keep all electricity conducting objects to minimum” “ Essential medication is taken. Do not anger.” “ Must be accompanied by Police Dog Handler at all times” “ Be aware of sudden mood swings within staff members” We did this by using iMovie 09 and adding text templates over the selected clips. As the picture is taken with Registration and the information pops up, the shot of the character is frozen, as if the shot shown is the photo that’s been taken. We did this by taking a screen shot of the video and uploading it into our movie.

14. Editing #3 – Portraying powers One of our characters we have made capable of teleportation. We achieved this by featuring the character Lace, in one shot, then allowing her to move out of the camera shot. We then cut the part of Lace walking out of the shot to just when she disappears.

15. Editing #4 – Speed alteration In order to keep our film within the 5 minute time limit, within the montages, some of the long yet essential parts are speeded up. We did this by using iMovie 09, this newer version gives us the ability to alter the speed of clips, up to 800% faster or slower. We sped these clips up to 400% as so audiences can still see clearly what the characters are doing. For instance when the girls are doing their hair and make up in the mirror. And the shots of the patients shoes as they all walk into the office for the Registration Session.

16. Music With the exception of Lillix, which we cut up and edited using iMovie 09 to fit the time limit of our montage within our film, we made the rest of our music on Garage band. We kept the most of the music quite calm so it didn’t pull focus from what was happening in the scenes. One of the main instruments were ‘Shakers’. This was a gentle but a noticeable sound to accompany the dialogue and actions. By using loops and instruments provided by garage band, we put together multiple songs by using this method. For longer pieces of music, we tried to slightly layer the songs by adding guitars with different melodies to create a climax of the song and fade back.