1. How did you use media
technologies in the
construction and
research, planning and
evaluation stages?
By Joe Stevens

2. Introduction
Media technologies such as editing software, filming and creation
software and devices, are a pivotal part of creating media texts.
Without them music videos and cover art would not be possible, at
least not to the standard of today. Media technologies change the
way media texts are planned, researched, produced and
distributed. For example, search engines such as Google Chrome
and Mozilla Firefox, allow people to research other bands cover
art, as well as allowing people to watch music videos, on sites such
as YouTube or Vimeo. The use of social networking sites such as
Facebook and Twitter, can be used to further distribute your
album, by setting up pages giving information as well as posting
music videos, to share with friends and family. These technologies
allow the creator to reach a wider audience, to get
recognised, whilst receiving feedback about their creation. New
media technologies have become a part of the
construction, research, planning and distribution of media texts, it’s
hard to see the texts without them.

3. Construction

4. Music Video
There were various different pieces of equipment I used in the creation of my
music video. For example, I used a Canon Legria HD camcorder to record
the raw footage. This allowed me to playback the footage in order to review
it on my computer or on the device itself. Because of this I was able to go out
and take footage during another shoot, that I felt I needed or was
missing, thus allowing me to progress my music video, to make it the best I
can. I also used a stills camera – Samsung PL81 - to take shots, which I posted
on my blog, which I later reviewed as potential shots for my music video. For
example, I took a picture of ‘Lust’ graffiti, which I ended up using in my music
video.
The footage I took had to be imported into the
editing software Adobe Premiere Pro CS3. This
allowed me to review different effects such ‘dip to
black’ and ‘cross dissolve’. Both effects were used
throughout the music video. For example, the shot of
the protagonist walking beside the train, to the shot
of the protagonist walking down the road, is an
example of cross dissolve.

5. Music Video
As well as allowing me to use effects in the creation
of my music video, I also used it help me along with
the basis on my idea, which was to use colour
filters, to signify emotions. For example, I planned on
using the red filter to show anger and a green filter to
show envy. Premiere Pro allowed me to do this, but
after I had created this effect, I realised it didn’t really
work. This meant I could better my music video and
progress.
The use of these technologies have allowed me to
improve my music video, as well as allowing me to
use trial and error to pick out the good and bad
points in my edits. Thus aiding me to test out my
ideas, and use them in my final cut, of my music
video. I also had to use an SDHC
card to store footage, which
could be transferred to my
computer

6. Print Productions
For the creation of my print productions I used Adobe Photoshop
CS3, software used by professionals in the media.. To create both my digipak
and magazine advert, I took stills from my music video on Premiere Pro. I then
imported these images into Photoshop, thus allowing me to manipulate
them. In Photoshop I could add effects such as stroke, drop shadow and
poster edges, all effects of which I used in the creation of my print
productions (example below).
This program has allowed me to create and test out my ideas, so that I could
decide which ideas worked and which didn’t. Not only has it allowed me to
make my print productions, but it also allows me to improve, so that I can use
it for other work I create in the future. By using Photoshop, i’ve turned a
decent shot into a piece of art, that is capable of featuring on my digipak or
magazine advert.

7. Technologies create
opportunities for creativity
Due to it’s wide variety of options, I used Photoshop to improve my media
texts. The user has a wide variety of effects and tools to choose from and
use. Thus offering new opportunities to be creative and test out ideas that
couldn’t have been done with other art software. For example, Photoshop
has a wide variety of fonts, but it also has the ability to import fonts from
websites, such as DaFont. Therefore you can choose the right font to go with
and correspond to the shot. It also allows you to insert symbols such as stars,
which I used in planning my magazine advert (idea below).
Photoshop also allows you to manipulate text, by using
the warp, skew, distort and perspective tools. On the
idea to the left, I used the skew tool, to make the text
look like it was written on the path.
These technologies change the audiences relationship
with producer, as they get a feel of the producers likes
and dislikes and can recognise certain patterns within
both the digipak and magazine advert. For example, I
use the font ‘Monotype Corsiva’ throughout the digipak
and on the magazine advert. If I were to create another
design, audiences could recognise the font and relate to
the producer using it. It gives the audience a sense of
empowerment, which they can try out themselves.

8. Planning
and
Research

9. Music Video
In order to find a band / artist me and my group member Will, had to search
around on the internet to find unsigned bands / artists. We looked at several
websites such as unsignedbandsreview.com and mp3unsigned.com. But we
both found that unsigned.com had the better variety of musicians, as well as
easy navigation, to search different genres of music. There were a couple of
artists we were going to use such as Maks Markov. Unfortunately we couldn’t
as he wasn’t British. So we ended up stumbling across The Colours, which we
eventually used. These websites help promote the bands, so that students like
me and Will can use their music for our A2 production.
One of the main and most helpful technologies
was the use of YouTube for researching similar
artists music videos and film clips. For example, in
my analysis of LeftFields ‘Afrika Shox’ and The
Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, I used YouTube
to take screenshots, to back up my points. Thus
improving my analysis. It also allowed me to use
the ideas from similar music and incorporate and
manipulate the shots into my own music video.

10. Music Video
During my planning and research stages of my music video, I created shot
lists, planning out each stage of my planned music video. It was important
that I put these on my blog. The easiest way to do this was to use a scanner.
After I created my plan for the music video, I used a scanner on my printer
(Epson SW to scan the shot list. I then had to transfer this scans over to my
computer, via a memory stick. By using Blogger’s upload image button, I
simply search my documents for the shot list and inserted it into a post, I
posted on my blog.

11. Print Productions
The use of websites such as Scribd allowed me to upload word documents
and PowerPoint's such as this one, onto my blog, which creates a more
interesting design, rather than just writing on a piece of paper. For example, I
used Scribd to upload a PowerPoint I created, analysing cover art of similar
bands such as The Hoosiers and Coldplay, as well as their magazine adverts.
The use of my memory stick was a vital
part of my planning and researching
stages of my print productions. For
example, after taking pictures of my
drawn designs, I could import them onto
my memory stick, and transfer them over
to my computer or the computer I used
at school, which I then uploaded onto
Blogger. Without my memory stick, I may
not have been able to upload my drawn
ideas onto my blog.

12. Evaluation

13. For all four of my evaluation questions I have used both Prezi (a presentation
software) and Slideshare. Prezi allows me to write analysis, import photos and
videos as well as presenting this in a user friendly way. For example, I used
Prezi to create my analysis on The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’. Not only
did it make the analysis enjoyable, but I could import stills from the music
video, to act as examples backing up my points.
The main technology used in all stages of
construction, research and planning and
evaluation, is Blogger. Like software such as
Prezi, Blogger allowed me to insert stills, video
clips and write analysis’. It also lets me
organise my work, by using labels, to insert
posts related to the label name. For example,
the label ‘Planning Music Video’, contains all
my posts to do with planning my music video,
such as shot lists, mood boards and my media
shoots. To insert photos I simply created a new
post, and clicked the ‘insert image’ button,
and then the ‘choose files’ button, which
allowed me to search my documents for the
image I needed, quick and simple. Blogger
also allows tutors to comment on posts, giving
advice and feedback, to improve the post.

14. For question 3 of my evaluation I had to get feedback from my target
audience. To gain this feedback I had to use Survey Monkey, to gather
results. Survey Monkey allows respondents to give feedback anonymously, to
reduce bias. Survey Monkey allows me to analyse results, during and after
I’ve gained responses.
I also had to use the social
networking site, Facebook to gain
responses. I simply had to post my
music video and print productions
onto Facebook and wait for
responses.

15. Conclusion
Media technologies have enhanced the way I
constructed, researched, planned and evaluated my music video
and print productions. Without them I wouldn’t have found the
creation of my music video, digipak and magazine advert, as
exciting and interesting. The technologies meant I could trial my
ideas, and focus on the negatives, recreating them into
positives, which made my media texts better. The use of programs
like Prezi, allowed me to enjoy analysing music videos, rather than
just writing them down on a piece paper. I also learnt how to use
a wide range of equipment and software, which I could use in the
future. Overall media technologies helped me create my media
texts to the best of my ability, so that I could focus on getting the
right shots for both my music video and print productions.