The student used various online tools like Canva, Powtoon, Emaze, Prezi, and Survey Monkey to plan and evaluate their project. These tools helped make their work more organized, creative, and engaging for audiences. They also used resources like books, magazines, tutorials on YouTube and their school website. Overall, these different technologies helped the group communicate their information in fun and interesting ways, while developing skills in areas like organization, creativity, and using online resources. However, some tools like Canva had limitations like occasional crashes or needing a paid subscription.

1. WHAT TECHNOLOGY DID YOU USE DURING THE PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES; HOW DID IT HELP YOU?
QUESTION 4

2. Canva
• In the stages during the planning and evaluation. We used online platforms such as ‘canva’. Canva is a product where it
enables you to release your own creativity by making poster like products. It lets you access features such as ; funky
backgrounds, bright colours, images and different fonts that you can use. Moreover canva lets you make posters which will
portray our research and planning stages in a fun and interesting way. It is creative rather than functional. Canva has helped
our planning and evaluation stages by helping us to be more organised by breaking our information down into sections, it
helped to refine certain details and improve our work overall. Not only was it fun to use but it is aesthetically pleasing to
viewers which will create interest in what we have written. Moreover by communicating our products through canva it has
helped show each members creativity and each members personality. ‘Making the world your own’ which is stated by David
Gauntlett, where he believes that web 2.0 allows us to create our own unique identity, which we are seen by doing this by
using canva by letting us be creative with how we portray our research and evaluation stages.
• From using Canva, it is has helped develop our skills. Firstly it it has increased our focus because of portraying information in
a fun and bright way, instead of portraying our work in a boring dull essay based product. It makes us focus as well because
we are making a product that we can edit and work on with our own creativity making it look interesting. Furthermore, it has
also helped develop our organisation skills, because of the website being easy to use and follow, you know exactly what your
doing throughout making it. Furthermore it has also helped us become more practical with our work, it has also help develop
our keyboard skills and internet skills. Consequently it has also helped our group increasing our communicating skills by
addressing the audience our information.
• However with using Canva it can have some set backs. Firstly the website has crashed a couple time making it harder to use
and improve on existing work. The website having troubles has made our group have troubles with getting work done and
improving on work because of not being accessible to get to. Moreover Canva has also been a problem by not being to save
and embed straight onto the blog because you have to pay to be a premium member, which can therefore sometimes mean
you have to screenshot and then post the screenshot onto the blog which can sometimes appear blurry and unprofessional.

3. https://www.canva.com

4. Powtoon
• Powtoon is another online technology our group used to portray information on. Powtoon is a practical way of
showing our ideas to viewers, it is an animated video like product which lets you access fun colours and animated
images that will overall look more interesting to the viewer enticing them to watch more. We used Powtoon because
it is not boring. It directly communicates with the viewer, by using a fun way of acknowledging the viewer, it will make
the the viewer pay more attention and receive what is being said, which therefore comprises with the theory of uses
and gratifications where the audience is satisfied with what the product is telling them, from the audience being
conceived as active. Moreover by using Powtoon to convey research and evaluation tasks, it enabled my sense of
communicating to the audience in a more fun and different way during the production stages which meant that we
were building an audience.
• The skills that i have developed with using Powtoon would be that i became more aware of how to find and utilise
different sources, to ensure the product isn't all the same on our A2 blog. Therefore made our blog more personal
from each member in the group using different sources in different ways. It also helped developing the ability to use
online sources including selecting and editing which is most appropriate for our stages of planning and evaluation.
• However when using this platform, it did have some criticisms. Powtoon was a brilliant way of portraying information
for our group, but it was very time consuming because of the great detail that it maintains. This meant that it took a lot
longer than other technologies because of how long it took to finish which meant we couldn't get other tasks done
quicker.

5. https://www.powtoon.com/home/

6. Emaze
• In our production through the stages of evaluation and planning, we used a product called emaze. Emaze is an
online presentation platform. It enabled us to create, manage, and share presentations onto our blog for viewers.
Emaze offers a variety of presentation templates including formats using 3D animations and video backgrounds to
make online presentations stand out. These features helped us to create individuality to our work and will create a
fun and bouncy outlook not just on our blog but our production. This product is easy to use and follow with titles
and sub headings helping when producing emazes making our planning and evaluation products ‘emazing’.
• Moreover from using Emaze, it enabled our work to have a more enthusiastic outlook of our planning and
evaluation stages, by having new platforms to produce our work. By using amaze it overall again helped build our
skills in organisation, creativity by using new features, and helping us try new things such as emaze itself.
Furthermore by using emaze it helped us become more familiar with the internet and what to search up including
images, and cool fonts to interest the viewer, and because of how much you can write on emaze without it not
looking heavily written, we could include more depth of knowledge making sure that we are also addressing the
audience with information and terminology throughout.
• However emaze, did have some set backs when using it on the school internet. Sometimes it would unexpectedly
stop working and would not work on the school website when we were trying to look at it which set back us for
time when we needed to look at what we wrote and finish off any details and improvements.

7. https://app.emaze.com/mypresentations#/home

8. Prezi
• Prezi is a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional slide making programs such as PowerPoint.
Instead of slides, Prezi makes use of one large canvas that allows you to pan and zoom to various parts of the canvas and
emphasise the ideas presented there making the information more valid to the viewer by remembering it. This is a
creative way of sourcing information and making it fun to read and watch the animation of whats being said.
• Prezi has helped our skills by communicating with our audience, making our audience really understand our production
and the techniques to make a lasting impact, and the tools to use the prezi canvas to deliver truly stunning presentations.
Moreover Prezi has helped develop our skills to compact information down and not to go overboard with writing a lot that
could potentially bore the viewer at therefore not taking in the information that has been said because of the small boxes
and small amount of text. Therefore developing our skills of writing that gets straight to the point instead of baffling on. It
has also helped our skills in developing creativity, by using different platforms and by using different ways of addressing
information to the viewers.
• Using Prezi did have some problems such as it doesn't integrate effectively with the blog that we were using. It is every
different to other platforms we have used and all of them combined could appear misfitted to our blog. However this can
be argued that this gives more depth of detail to the blog with using different sources.

9. https://prezi.com

10. Books and magazines
• However an alternative technology that we used in the process of planning and evaluation stages, we looked at
books such as ‘The shut up and shoot’ which is a documentary guide by Anthony Q. Artis, where he gives information
which is extremely helpful for new documentary film makers like ourselves. We had the chance to read and learn
about information that would be very helpful such as how to use a camera and how to prevent things from
happening that would set us back in production stages and to maximise your resources and do more with less. We
chose to use books as a helpful platform in the stages of planning and evaluation because we believe that we
needed all sorts of platforms from the internet to books to help us gather all information and help that we needed to
fulfil our best interests in our production. We also used magazines such as the media magazine sept 2014 ‘love your
viewfinder: framing your story’, the media magazine sept 2010 ‘ Creative Film- Making for the creatively challenged’,
the media magazine feb 2011 ‘Where Everyman Knows Your Name: the 21st century of Culture of Independent
Cinemas’ (independence exhibition). We also used magazines such as Media Magazine Dec 2009 ‘Reality Bites;
Documentary in the 21st century, Media magazine Dec 2009 ‘Score! Football on film.’ Moreover we also used the
Media Magazine Feb 2017’ mirror, mirror on the Wall’… We used magazines as well as a platform because we felt as
if it would give different information from media professionals to our planning and evaluation stages.
• By using books and magazines it has helped our skills by deepening our understanding of our planning and
evaluation stages and knowing more information about our production overall from using different books and
magazines. Furthermore books have helped develop our skills in using different sources.

12. vle school sources
• Throughout our planning and evaluation stages we used sources from our school website called the
VLE. The VLE is a site of sources which enables you to gather information to help us when working on
these stages. We used sources such as ; Marketing short film, How to make a Short Documentary,
Teaching Film and Documentary, Postmodernism and documentary, Theoretical Research, Radio
Glossary, FM Station Profiles, Keys to Effective Radio Advertising and 4 keys to Radio Advertising.
These were all documents that helped us to give proper information that will make sure we know the
sophistication of knowledge of film. And to make sure that we are doing everything right to produce
our three media products to a stage that will interest our audience and will make sure they are being
acknowledged correctly of what is being said.
• Using sources such as the VLE was easy and simple to where there was relevant online content, so
saved time by not having to research on the internet and reading through different sources which
would've meant we would have lost time in working in different areas of our planning and evaluation
stages. It has also developed our skills within our reading skills because once we have read the text we
use the following techniques of scanning and skimming to help us identify areas that are detailed and
important to use in our work.

13. Survey Monkey
• Throughout our planning and evaluation stages we used a platform to portray our questionnaires and to
apply our audience with questions by asking them questions about our overall three products . We
Researched into what they liked and didn't like. Survey monkey has made our research into evaluating a
lot easier to find out information without having to take a lot of time out of the audiences life. It is easy
and simple to follow, answering yes or no. Survey Monkey has helped our groups skills by
communicating through a different way. Not face to face, but directly addressing the audience by
questions which again aren't hard to follow at all. However, with using Survey Monkey it did have
problems. For example we couldn't embed it straight onto the school blog and send straight to our
audience via text message and email, and can be argued that it wasn't very easy to follow and we did
have some problems with having to send them to our audience, which didn't give the best first
impressions of our production. Moreover this was overcome by sending the questionnaires in our
evaluation stages through facebook messenger which therefore limits our audience, to who is on
Facebook and who is active on Facebook to respond.
• Using Survey Monkey has helped to develop our skills such as overcoming problems and acting under
pressure to where we relish under pressure, which will help to improve future tasks such as these by
working under pressure and to always think of the audience and their experience to.

14. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/welcome/sem/?
&opt=brand&iv_=__iv_p_1_a_1006471654_g_51196105178_c_237034457408_k_survey%20monkey_m_e_w_kwd-2960
72060070_n_g_d_c_v__l__t__r_1t1_x__y__f__o__z__i__j__s__e__h_1006525_ii__vi__&utm_source=adwords&utm_mediu
m=ppc&utm_term=survey%20monkey&utm_network=g&utm_campaign=UK_Search_Alpha_Brand&cmpid=brand&cvos
rc=ppc.google.survey%20monkey&keyword=survey%20monkey&matchtype=e&network=g&mobile=0&searchntwk=1&
creative=237034457408&adposition=1t1&campaign=UK_Search_Alpha_Brand&cvo_campaign=UK_Search_Alpha_Bra
nd&cvo_adgroup=survey+monkey&dkilp=&cvo_creative=237034457408&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_djbv8ny1wIVwrztCh15
wwMXEAAYASAAEgI6_PD_BwE

15. Youtube
• Youtube has helped our group massively through our planning and evaluation stages. Youtube is a
huge platform where you can access music, entertainment, information, upload of videos etc. Which all
these features has helped us massively when we were working through planning and evaluation stages.
For example we used youtube the most frequently for tutorials on how to adjust the lighting on
photoshop and editing on final cut pro. Youtube is very helpful and very simple to use. Moreover this
source has helped us to upload videos too so that we could embed onto the blog with no problems.
• Youtube has helped to develop skills such as internet skills by searching different videos, it has
especially helped me on developing how to post videos on youtube in an efficient way because before
particularly in AS I found it difficult on how to work on youtube by posting and uploading videos.
Furthermore youtube has helped develop skills such as communicating with the audience because of
the fact that so many people go onto youtube which can broaden our audience and interest.
• However with using youtube, there are many problems that can be associated with this source. For
example by posting onto youtube, anyone can see our production and may create an interest which
may not benefit our production. Furthermore by using youtube to upload videos, copying and
embedding onto the blog, it can be seen as being hard to follow by having to follow all these steps for
the videos to be seen on the school blog which can be seen as a criticism.

16. https://www.youtube.com/

17. Final cut pro
• Within planning and evaluation stages we used Final cut pro, this is a source that my group used immensely.
Final cut pro helped edit and put together videos that we made throughout our planning and evaluation for
example I made a video for technical research which explained what to use when recording sound outside to
give more depth of understanding. Final cut pro is a visual source which lets the viewer see what you are talking
about for example our group made a video of equipment and resources where we showed the objects which
gives more of a understanding to the viewer. Moreover Final cut pro helped edit and cut videos, adding music,
adding text etc to videos for planning and evaluation and for our final production. Final cut pro also helped
when putting together our radio advert where it allowed for us to mess around with the features such as fading
in sound and overlaying with dialogue. This source has allowed for us to work as a group and has developed
our skills of creativity. Because on final cut pro you get to try new things as well knowing what you know.
• Consequently Final cut pro has been a good source of platform because it has allowed for our group to be
individual and unique, putting together videos. It has also helped with our organisation skills because final cut
pro has many folders that you can create to keep up to date with everything knowing where each file is placed.
• However, Final cut pro has had some criticisms because it can be hard to follow and get everything accurate
and exact to how you want it, making it difficult for new people trying to use it. Moreover last year I found Final
cut pro very inconvenient when trying to use the features, but i have overcome this differences and have
practised and now know how to use final cut pro very well.

18. https://www.apple.com/uk/final-cut-pro/

19. How did these help us?
• All these sources of platforms have helped us throughout our planning and evaluation stages because we as a group have
used different sources to portray information in different ways, creating interest and creativity to our work. The use of
different platforms have allowed each member of our group to illustrate each’s individuality and personality to the blog.
This therefore creates a fun and quirky atmosphere that we want to portray which can integrate within our production of
making it our own. We want it to be fun so when reading you are exhibited all the information but taking in what is being
written but in a fun way because of what is beef again interlinking with our production, by being shown information but
responding with what is being said to the viewer, this can suggest the effects theory of the hypodermic syringe theory from
where the audience has been injected with information and are responding to what is being said.
• The most effective source I believe that has been the most effective and impacted the most would be Youtube. This is
because I believe Youtube has been the source that has helped develop the most beneficial skills such as using youtube
and communicating. Youtube offers features such as watching tutorial videos which can affiliate with learning how to do
features on youtube. Furthermore the use of imagery footage that is seen on youtube can help build interest to the
production because it is easily captivated by the audience such as the two step theory,The two-step flow of communication
model says that most people form their opinions under the influence of opinion leaders, who in turn are influenced by the
mass media. This again cooperates with our production because we have many professionals talking about their opinion.
• Moreover I believe that Youtube has been a good source of technology to use because it has helped within our planning
and evaluation stages and made our work more organised and has helped with communicating directly to the audience
which may be understood more by the audience too of what information we are for presenting.