During the research, planning, construction, and evaluation stages of their media project, the student used various technologies. In the research stage, they used cameras, computers, Google, YouTube, SurveyMonkey, and blogs to research existing media products, learn about their topic, and conduct audience research. In planning, they used PowerPoint, scanners, Word, and email to develop designs and plans. In construction, they used Photoshop, cameras, Premiere Pro, and external fonts to create the final media products. Finally, in evaluation they used Blogger, PowerPoint, SlideShare, YouTube, and Google Images to review and reflect on their work.

1. QUESTION 4:
How did you use media technologies in
the construction and research,
planning and evaluation stages?

2. Research Stage
• Technologies used:
• Camera (Canon 600D) and Tripod
• PowerPoint
• YouTube
• Google/ Google images
• SurveyMonkey
• SlideShare
• Blogger

3. • During the researching stage both hardware and software was used. For hardware
we used computers (to research information on Google) and cameras (videoing
interviews of our target audience). Software was the most important tool to us
during this stage. For this, we used Google and YouTube to research existing
digipaks, music videos and magazine advertisements. By doing this we gained a
wider insight into the typical genre conventions of real media products. This
therefore meant that we could make our media products (digipak, video and our
advert) as authentic as possible. As well as that we also used Google and Google
images to learn more about our chosen band ‘Portugal. The Man’ who is the artist of
the song ‘Feel It Still’ which we have used for our music video. We researched their
history as well as their album covers and dress sense. This helped us learn more
about the Indie Genre and the conventions that they have. Finally SurveyMonkey
was used to create a questionnaire for our audience research. Helping us learn
more about them so we know how to make our products suit their needs and
preferences.
• After we did that we then had to take all this information and produce it on our
blogs. To do this we used YouTube which for the existing music video analysis, let
us link in the music video to our blogs. I also used PowerPoint to analyse the
exisiting digipaks, I saved each slide separately and then added each slide onto my
blog. For the music advert analysis, I also presented this on a PowerPoint but this
time I pasted it onto SlideShare, which then gave me an embled link which I
transferred onto my blog. I also used the blog itself to write down some information
instead of just using PowerPoint/SlideShare.

4. Planning Stage
Technologies used:
• Gmail
• PowerPoint
• Scanner
• Microsoft Word

5. • During this stage we then had to go on to plan our designs for the music
video, digipak and magazine advertisement. We all had our own initial ideas
which we discussed together as a group. After doing this we combined all our
ideas onto a PowerPoint and went on to use print based text to draw out the
final idea. We drew out the storyboard for our first idea and then went on to
film the video. However, we decided that this idea was not one which we
would like to carry on with. So we went on to make another Storyboard. This
time we also planned our digipak design and our magazine advert. We then
had to use a Scanner to take this work from paper onto our blogs.
• For the Pitch, we used PowerPoint. This combined all of our ideas together.
By using the PowerPoint format this helped to make our ideas look
professional as well as making our ideas clear. Making it easier to
understand.
• Microsoft Word was then used to create the Shooting schedule, this enabled
us to plan out our day. This organised what each of our roles were within the
group and let us know what times we had to meet and what we had to film.
This made the shooting of the video run smoothly.
• Finally Gmail was used as we needed to email the company which had the
rights to the song. This made sure that we were able to use the song for our
music video.

6. Construction Stage
Technologies used:
• Adobe Photoshop
• Canon 600D
• Tripod
• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Dafont.com

7. • After Researching and Planning we then moved onto the Construction stage
where we created our final products. We filmed our video on the Canon 600D
as well as also taking photos for the digipak (we took these with a graffiti wall
behind us) and taking photos for the magazine advert (a sunset silhouette
photo). After we had taken all the shots we went on to create our products.
For the magazine advert and digipak we used Photoshop. By using this we
were able to edit the photos to the way which we envisioned them to look in
our heads. We did this especially for the advert as we changed the brightness
and contrast of the sunset image to get the preferred look. We also could use
whichever font we wanted from the website ‘Dafont’ as Photoshop allowed us
to download these fonts. This was useful as it helped our advert look a lot
more professional and realistic. The font we used also helped maintain our
‘hippie’ vibe, which we could not have done with the original fonts on
Photoshop. Photoshop was equally useful when creating our digipak as we
could place the original digipak template into the document as well as adding
extra layers (the different coloured background, images and text) on top. This
was useful as it allowed us to change whichever layer we wanted without it
effecting the rest of the product.
• For the music video, Premiere enabled us to create a video of high quality.
We were able to do non-linear editing, which lets us change parts of the video
whenever we wanted too.

8. • This was particularly useful as when we edited a section of the video (we did
this over a couple of days) and played that section back we could see parts
that we would like to change. Premiere allowed us to do this. When importing
the video recordings, Premiere placed them all on the left hand side of the
screen. We could then look through these easily and chose which videos we
wanted to use and which ones we did not want to use. The cut tool was used
consistently as it helped create a clear transition between each shot as well
as that we used it to make sure that our video was in time with the music.
• Premiere let us zoom closer to the music and video segment. This helped us
as we could make our video extremely accurate. We also used the effects
tool within Premiere to fade certain parts of our video. By changing the
effects, this helped to keep the audience engaged and it gave our video a
professional feel. Finally, we adjusted the brightness on the final section of
the video. The faded/bright look we used, gives the impression that those
shots are not within the present time. They are flashback shots to the start of
the day. By changing the brightness setting we were able to achieve this
‘travelling back in time’ look.

9. Evaluation Stage
Technologies used:
• Blogger
• PowerPoint
• SlideShare
• YouTube
• Google Images

10. • Throughout this project I have uploaded my own and my groups work onto
Blogger. This allowed me to look back at my previous work so I could then go
onto evaluate it all.
• I could also look back at our uploaded video which is on YouTube. I was able
to take screenshots from it to add to my evaluation which provided
photographic evidence backing up what I was talking about/analysing.
• To upload my answers to the 4 evaluation questions I used different
mediums, Using PowerPoint for some questions which I then put onto
SlideShare and linked to my blog. I also used Blogger which allowed me to
write up my answer. As well as being able to write up my answer Blogger
allowed me to add images as well. By using different formats this helped to
make my blog different, and interesting.
• For some of my PowerPoints I also took some images from Google, which
help draw people into looking at the PowerPoints. The images also helped
illustrate my points.