The document discusses the use of various new media technologies in the production of a video project. Technologies used included iMac and MacBook for soundtrack production and video editing using Soundtrack Pro and Final Cut Pro. Photoshop was used for ancillary tasks, though it was challenging as a new program. Research was conducted online using YouTube, Google, and social media sites. Presentations were created using Prezi, SlideShare, and Xtranormal and uploaded to blogs and social media for feedback. Camera equipment, smartphones, MP3 players, and scanners were also used at various stages of planning, production, and evaluation.

1. How did you use new media technologies in the
construction and research, planning and
evaluation stages?
Over the last 10 years technology has developed in a great deal and is now vast
and advance playing a vital role in our lives. During the course of making my
main product and ancillary task, I used a variety of new technology to achieve
this.
Apples iMac and Mac Book, was used in the production of making a soundtrack
also uploading and editing footage to make the video. I used Soundtrack Pro
on an iMac to construct a soundtrack. Using this programme was challenging
at first because I didn’t really understand it, it was difficult to get some
functions to work, also to find what we was looking for. With help from the
media technician that gave my group a basic tutorial, functions started to make
sense to us so we was able to get on better and come up with the sound we
wanted. Nevertheless this took us some time as there were so many sounds to
choose from and not all of them went together well. We was able to chose a
certain sound but put it in a guitar form then again in a flute which was really
good. Overall it was very fun and entertaining mixing sounds to make a
soundtrack because we weren’t restricted to one type of sound or genre of
music. Next came recording artist vocals for the song, this was easy as all we
had to do was record and place it on the timeline where we wanted it. Here we
were able to add effects to the voices which were humorous at times but it just
helped make it a good experience.
The Mac Book was used for the production of the video, we used Finalcut Pro
to upload our footage, edit it and put the video together. As this was not my
first time using the programme I had to familiarise myself with the functions so
after that I felt comfortable using it. I find this programme really good as it
don’t minimise your creativity it allows you to do many things. I experienced
technical difficulties with this when my video was lost but luckily it was
retrieved by the media technician but it took long to find it. It also has many
effects for you to explore and use which is always good. I also used the Mac
Book for my ancillary task I done this using Photoshop. Photoshop was

2. extremely challenging for me as it was my first time using it, I was a novice to
the programme and its functions so it took me a while to start my making. As
there is no right lick on Mac’s it made it very difficult to use also the shortcuts
you are permitted to use was confusing at times. When I got onto making it
was an amazing programme to use, being able to transform pictures and add
effects was really good. It is a magnificent programme to use when you get the
hang of it and you feel comfortable using it because it allows you to come up
with amazing designs. Unfortunately with all the planning I done it still wasn’t
good enough for photoshop I feel like you cannot plan when using the
programme I worked better just doing things. There is some form of green
screen effect to this; I personally don’t know how it works as I did not use it
due to my lack of experience with the programme and my tight schedule to
make my tasks in.
The internet was a main source of production. This is where I carried out the
majority of my research on the different sections. I used youtube to watch
videos and analyse them to get inspiration for my video, this is also where my
main task was uploaded to. Youtube is one of the quickest easy sites to use as
you search for the video at the top and press search and you have the video
there. An inconvenience to this site is you have to search through many pages
sometimes to get the video you want but this rarely happens. Uploading to
youtube is very simple to do so there were no problems here. I used search
engine Google many times to get pictures also find out a bit of background
information on a few topics and how to use some programmes. Website
Blogger was used for me to show the making of my research planning and
making of my video. I didn’t like using it at first as you cannot paste screen
shots etc nevertheless the more I the more I got used to it and now I have no
problem using it. It is very simple to upload pictures on but it does not
cooperate with you with the placing on the pictures or sometimes with the
text you place beside it. I like the fact that it has a link that takes you straight
to youtube where you can upload your video; this was a very useful tool. It is
also good because you can place the HTML link and compose it and the video
you want to show gets uploaded so again this is good.
Blurb an online book maker, Prezi an online zooming editor, Slideshare a place
to upload word presentation etc documents, Xtranormal telling your story

3. through animation. These are all sites I went on to construct my evaluation.
There all very simple and easy to use and they all make your work seem so
much better and you can present it however you want I really enjoyed using
these sites. I found it difficult to upload my work from these sites onto my blog
but then I was told I had to do it from the embedded link; but now I have no
trouble at all and they are useful tools to use. Facebook and Twitter are social
networking sites that were used to carry out research on what people like
about video’s, also to get audience feedback on their thoughts about our
video. They are also very easy sites to use and it allows people worldwide to
see your work and answer questions. A few years ago you could not do online
presentations so to know I am able to use these sites and make these things
are a privileged. Social networking has been on a rise the last decade and it is
expanding and getting better as the years go by. Being able to connect to
people worldwide and ask them for feedback is good because they won’t be
used to our cultural elements so will feel differently to someone from London
will when watching the video.
I used my MP3 player to record the soundtrack we made so I could listen to it
in my house and write some lyrics to go with it. This is a function that has also
come around over the few years that we now take for granted. I used a
Blackberry Smartphone to take pictures and video record some of the making
of the video. As this is my personal phone it was easy to use and I had no
difficulties using it. This is also how my group communicated through instant
messaging and to inform artist on plans of what was going to happen. College
provided us with HD video cameras and camera that we used to take pictures
of locations, props and artist. The video camera was used to record the footage
we wanted. The video camera was easy to use; I had no problem using it and
because it is small and light it weight it weight it was easy to hide in bags when
having to go to locations. As it is light it was useful with portability. I used a
scanner to scan some of my work in. There are times you draw or write things
by hand because it is more convenient or easier to do so I used a scanner to
upload these documents onto my computer. I also used print screen to show
set by step making of my main task and ancillary text.