The document discusses the various technologies the author learned about while completing their AS Media course. They learned how to properly use a Canon camera, understanding settings like shutter speed and how they impact footage. The author also learned about SD cards and how they provide additional storage and portability compared to built-in camera hard drives. Finally, the author discusses learning how to use editing software like Final Cut Pro, experimenting with editing footage, adding effects, transitions, sound, and text to create a thriller opening for their course.

1. What have you learnt about
technologies from the process
of constructing this product?

2. Prior to taking AS Media, I hade no experience whit many of
the forms of technology that I am now very familiar with.
One of them is using a professional camera.When I first
started filming, I just about knew how to turn it on.To film, I
used a CANON camera provided by the sixth form.
Throughout the duration of filming, I learnt what I can and
cannot do with the camera, along with the camera’s
strengths and weaknesses. I learnt about the camera’s
shutter speed and what effect it could have on the camera
while filming. Each element of the camera was useful for
different reasons. Eventually, I knew what settings to put
the camera on to get a particular look or feel of what I’m
filming, I’d know what and when to do it. I now feel much
more confident with using a camera to film pretty much
anything.
CAMERA USAGE

3. Before doing my AS Media course, I knew very little about SD
cards and what they really were. SD cards are used for
additional storage on the camera. Some cameras come with
built hardrives, allowing you to connect the camera straight to
the computer, converting files directly from the camera.
However, doing so with an SD card allows more freedom with
the files. I believe this because converting files onto the
computer is quicker, less of a hassle as the camera doesn’t have
to be bought everywhere, thus putting you at a smaller risk of
breaking the camera, as you don’t always need it on you. Also,
throughout this course, I have learnt that there are different
classes of an SD card (the higher the class, the quicker the
speed). As the class I used for the work was fairly high, larger
files of video footage could be uploaded peacefully at a higher
speed.
SD CARDS

4. To compose my opening on a whole, I used Final cut pro.This
was completely new software for me as I had no previous
knowledge or experience of any software like this. Due to this, I
done a lot of experimenting outside of the opening to come to
terms with the programme, what I could do with footage, what
effects I can use over them, how to add transitions, how to
add/remove sound, how to add text, how to cut down/overlay
footage etc. It was all quite a ‘learn as I go’ process. Eventually, I
became more fluent and confident with using the programme.
Originally, I never would have assumed that you can spend hours
trying to perfect just one aspect of the opening. Most of the
transitions I used was called ’fade to colour’, where the screen
fades to black, then back into the next clip.The colour in the
opening was altered quite a bit. This was to add more of a
dark, grim effect to the scene. At times, I used effects to make
the camera more shaky, to imply Lauren’s distortion.
EDITING FOOTAGE

5. In my opening, I used a variety of music, each for different
effects. I used a mixture of 6 songs/sound effects
(Beyoncé- Ghost/Haunted instrumental, Beyoncé- Drunk
in love instrumental, Adele- Hometown Glory, 30 seconds
of rain clip, thunder strikes sound effect, and epic and
dramatic trailer music). Each was used at different times
of the opening to create a different effect. I mixed all of
them on Final Cut Pro, simply fading each of them in and
out t the time that I need them. I learnt how to do this as
well as how to get the music/sounds fromYouTube onto
Final Cut Pro.This was done by pasting the URL of the
YouTube page that I want to use onto an online MP3
YouTube converter. On the next slide is some of the music
I used/mixed into my thriller opening.
EDITING SOUND