The document discusses how the author used various media technologies throughout their music video production project. This included using YouTube to research music videos, blogs to research visual styles, survey software to conduct audience research, a DSLR camera and slider for filming, Adobe Premier Pro for editing and color grading, Photoshop for print productions, and social media and YouTube for distribution. The author found these technologies helped improve the quality of their work and made the various stages of production, research, planning and evaluation much more efficient.

1. QUESTION FOUR Hannah Wicks

2. HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION
AND RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?
Media technology has played a hugely significant part in the stages of construction, research,
planning and evaluation. When it came to research, I used a multitude of technologies to inform
my work, for example when analyzing case studies that would later come to influence my own
work, I used sources such as YouTube in a conventional way to view music videos. This was a
useful technology because it made analyzing a music video much easier. Mainly because I am
able to access a music video whenever I please. 20 years ago this would have not been the case,
I would have to wait to watch the specific music video on a music channel on TV. Due to the
accessibility of YouTube, I am able to access a much higher standard of work. For example
because of YouTube I am also able to use screenshots in my work, this has enabled me to
provide screenshots that I annotated.
Another example of a technology that I have used in the stage of my research is art blogs, I
wrote a blogpost on visual styles that would inform my work. I chose to focus on minimalism.
When it came to researching such visual styles, I did not have much knowledge on the topic,
thus I needed to look at a blog written by someone who had an art background and was
knowledgeable about visual styles. I visited many blogs to gain the information I needed. This
was an extremely useful source of information to inform my own work, it was also very quick. As
previously mentioned, 20 years ago I would have had to source similar information from books,
newspapers and academic papers without the help of the internet, this would have taken a lot
longer and perhaps I would have not found a breadth of information from these sources as I
found on blogs.
Within the planning of my productions technology again played an important role in making sure
I could produce the best work possible, I fed the research I had completed into my planning to
ensure I had intertextual links within my work. When planning how I was going to use editing
software I created an editing testing piece. This was made up of some of my peers and myself

3. AUDIENCE RESEARCH
After finishing my productions I constructed a survey on website called
‘surveyplanet’, this was an online survey creator that allowed me to design my
own questions and send a link to willing participants via the internet. Using an
online survey creator was a convenient way of completing my survey as it was
valuable to be able to easily design the questions and all my data was stored all
in one page; therefore I wasn’t risking losing the data from my response. Also,
it meant I could look at them all at once and read over them easily, this was
because it compiled pie charts for me, meaning it was the data I had collected
was very easy to understand quickly. In addition to this, the pie charts also
meant I was able to compare answers with ease. Thus, this saved me an
immense amount of time because I was able to understand the data so much
quicker and compile my answers with greater ease when constructing mind
maps based on responses. As the survey software was online it meant I could
use a considerable amount of social media platforms to share my survey so
people could answer it conveniently; for example I could link it on Twitter,
Instagram or Facebook. Using social media as well as email was an incredible
time saver. Another way this technology gave me greater market research was
the fact that it was anonymous, the participants were only asked their gender
and age so I would not know who's answers were who's, due to this I was given
much more honest responses. This was very helpful because it made my

4. MUSIC VIDEO SHOOTING
When it came to filming the music video my group and I made
the decision to use a DLSR camera (Digital singles lens reflex
camera), this made sure all our filming was as high a
professional quality as we could achieve through using features
that perhaps a more basic camera would not have. This camera
allowed us access to a lot of features that we would have not
been able to use without using a DLSR, for example we filmed in
flat mode which made all the colours on screen their dullest
form, meaning that when we later came to colour grade them,
the footage was in the optimum state for me to do this. Another
feature that my group and I creatively experimented with was
the focus pull of the DLSR camera, by setting the camera to
manual focus gave us all control over the focus of the camera;
ensuring we could chose exactly what the camera was focusing
on and gave us creative control on pulling the focus in and out.
For example we did this when shooting all of the performance
shots, before the singer, Finn, walked onto the stage we blurred
the focus creating a more stylistic effect as the blue lights were
highlighted and once Finn came into shot we pulled the focus
onto him specifically. This was challenging as we were able to

5. MUSIC VIDEO FILMING CONTINUED
Another example of creative experimenting with technology in
the process of filming my music video was using different
equipment, instead of just using basic film makers equipment
my group and I decided to go further with this. We used a slider
that allowed us to create some incredibly professional looking
shots. We found we had to experiment with this effects we could
achieve through this equipment as we had not used something
like this in our previous thriller production. Once we finally got
to grips with it and felt confident with it, we were able to get
very smooth shots that have a certain cinematic tone to them.
We used this slider three times within shooting and all shots
proved successful. This slider enabled us to become even more
more creative within the production of my music video as we
were able to film a variety of different shots that perhaps would
set us apart from other students and look more proficient. I feel
as though we have been successful in this as the shots look
professional, I am confident in this through feedback from my
teachers and peers.

6. MUSIC VIDEO EDITING
I edited my music video using the Adobe Premier Pro cc 2018 on my own
MacBook pro, using such a high standard of software gave challenges and
advantages, one of the advantages that I believe made my music video better
was the opportunity to colour grade my music video. Previously when editing
my thriller video last year I did not colour grade so this was a new experience
for me. By filming in flat as previously discussed, allowed me to colour grade
most effectively; in the screenshot shown below you can see the difference
colour grading has made with the finished shot shown above and then before
below. I was able to successfully transform what was once a warm toned shot to
a cold blue/grey toned shot, this change raises the quality of my music video as
the colour symbolism is further emphasized by colour grading. The grey/blue
toned shots have been employed when featuring my female lead Catlin;
showing how alienated and saddened she has become by her having her
heartbroken.

7. EDITING CONTINUED
As I have featured flashbacks in my music video, I wanted a way to make this
obvious to my audience, to do this I used colour grading to juxtaposition the
shot I have previously discussed. For the present day shots I used grey/blue
tones to connote her sadness to the audience and to highlight her loneliness,
however in the flashbacks where I have featured her being shown as happy and
with her former partner, I have used warm orange like tones to illustrate this
happiness. By applying these sepia like tones, I have successfully transformed
the shots to illustrate to the audience that these are flashbacks from a
different and happier time. This juxtaposition of colours is a successful editing
technique to highlight different times to the audience.

8. EDITING CONTINUED
Alongside colour grading I also applied a
transitional effect on the performance
shots in my music video. This is called a
‘cross dissolve’ by which it means that
the previous shot would slowly dissolve
into the next, I did this because I wanted
the performance shots to have a smooth
transition from the narrative shots.
Without this effect I felt the performance
shots of my artist would appear to be
rather unsophisticated and blunt;
meaning they would conspicuously
‘stand out’ and not flow with the rest of
the video, therefore decreasing the
standard of my video. Here you can see
how the previous shot is gradually
fading out of view. I think this is a
successful technique within my editing
as it has made my narrative and
performance aspects become one,
ultimately I did not want Finn to be
obvious as the artist and almost wanted
him to see some what of narrator of the

9. PRINT PRODUCTIONS
To create my CD cover and magazine cover I used
Photoshop to edit the original photographs my group
and I took of Finn. I have never used Photoshop so
initially it was a bit of a challenge to get to grips with
the tools and how to use it, however I would have not
been able to create my print productions without it.
These were the tools I used to create and adjust my
print productions; firstly I transformed my original
photograph into black and white, I did this by adjusting
the mode into grayscale.
I then used the sharpen tool to make my photograph
look more professional by allowing me to do sharpen
certain features, for example the necklace Finn is
wearing, his jaw line and hair. I also used the stamp
tool to fade Finn’s acne scars.
Next, I used a feature called the polygonal lasso tool, I
applied this to my photograph to allow me to cut out
certain sections to reveal the layer beneath in which
featured my newspaper, this appeared to cover his eyes
and mouth but it was actually layer lying beneath the
main photograph of Finn. It also allowed me to add
accuracy when cutting out sections of the photograph
and added a geometric side to the print productions.
By combining all these tools I was successfully able to
create a high standard CD cover and magazine advert

10. BLOG
I wanted to ensure my blog was engaging
and interesting to read, to do this I have
used a range of presentational platforms
for my work. For example I have used
Prezi, PowerPoint and Word. By using an
essay format on most of these websites I
have used uploading websites such as
Scribd and Slideshare to embed my work
onto my own blog. Prezi and PowerPoint
both allowed me to breakdown long,
‘essay like work’ into sections, therefore
creating a more readable and interesting
piece of work. Similarly they also give you
the opportunity to use different
presentational styles which made my work
more of a reflection of me.
This enabled me to produce work that
uses a range of presentational technology
and thus showing my knowledge of such
tools and how I am able to use them.

11. DISTRIBUTION OF MY PRODUCTS
Social media has seen a vast proliferation in the last five years thus
making it a very valuable tool as a novice filmmaker and producer, for
example when market researching I was able to send links to my work
my following on my personal social media platforms, these included
Facebook and Twitter, for responses and feedback. Comapred to
twenty years ago my productions would have been sigificantly harder
to distribute, this could have involved putting my music video on a
video tape and showing to person by person indicvidually or a mass
showing, and copying out physical copies for my print productions of
which I would have had to hand draw for market research.
YouTube was the platform I used to distribute my music video, this has
allowed me to access a wide audience and allows me also to share it on
social media to be viewed my family and friends. YouTube is an
incredibly valuable distributing source as a student filmmaker that
does not have the means to pay a distributing company, therefore by
being able to upload my product for free and accessible to wide range
of people, it is very useful technology.

12. CONCLUSION
To conclude, without the advances in technology within the recent
decade have made a huge difference to how I produced my
productions. Without computer software, online platforms and
presentational devices such as social media like Twitter, Premier Pro,
Photoshop and Prezi I probably would have not been able to reach the
standard of work I have. Therefore, overall I would have not been able
to complete or maybe not even do the coursework I have completed
without this technology. Moreover, the ability to use these platforms
and software will enable me to employ these techniques in further
education and to move into creative careers.