4. Wikipedia - Advantages
One website we used for specific research was
Wikipedia. For example when we were
searching for film distribution companies,
Wikipedia was useful for a starting point for
facts.
There is an entry on almost anything you look up
and links to further information.
As it collects information from a variety of
contributors, and is read and amended by
thousands, it is more reliable than it used to
be because it is quite self-regulating.
5. Wikipedia - Disadvantages
However, Wikipedia does have its negatives. One
major problem with Wikipedia is that anyone
is able to edit any article. Therefore, the
content which is shown may not be totally
reliable.
Furthermore, Wikipedia did not offer specific
answers to the way various things worked.
For example, it did not describe the way in
which various distribution companies
operated. Therefore, we would have to do
further research on another platform.
6. Google - Advantages
We used Google to find more specific research. Google is a search engine which finds websites according to
keywords entered in the search bar.
With Google we were able to find thousands of different websites where we could find small bits of information on
various different topics.
Google was useful because we could search specific words to find information on it to help with our research. The
related searches links at the bottom of each page also helped us to widen our research.
We could also use advanced functions to narrow down time periods and so on.
7. Google - Disadvantages
Although almost anything
you want to know can be
found out through a search
engine like Google, it can be
difficult and time-consuming
to look through all the results
and find the most useful
sites.
It was also the case that not
all our searches yielded
useful results.
8. YouTube - AdvantagesYouTube is a site we made great use of to research opening sequences and find their codes and
conventions.
An example of what we used were examples of opening scenes such as Batman which is pictured in
the screenshot.
We were also able to find tutorials and advice on e.g. lighting, using a dolly and so on.
easy to search in anything you want
to watch
option to view small screen or
big screen
Can interact with other users
via comments/liking
- Advantages
9. YouTube - Disadvantages
Only works well if you already know
what you are looking for.
It was easy to look up films such as
“Green Street” which we had watched
and knew might help.
It was less successful to type a general
search such as in the screenshot
‘opening sequences for social realism
films’. Results tend to be student work,
complete short films, lectures on social
realism etc. YouTube does not have
advanced search functions.
10. IMDBIMDB was a great website for finding out various statistics and figures about
certain films we were researching. IMDB is an online database about tv
and films.
We used this website for finding out information for our target audience. We
could find out, how much the film grossed in BOX Office; furthermore we
could see which gender went to see a certain genre of film.
Engaging visual media
Main image of subject
of research
Detailed
Information
Links to related subjects
Other Images of
subject of research
11. British Film Institute (BFI)This website helped us out a lot when we wanted
to know who our films would be aimed at, our
target audience.
It also was used to find how well our film genre(s)
had done in previous years and if there was
point in making a film in this genre essentially.
It is very useful because the website has all of the
data you would need to know all in one place
and in a simple downloadable form so research
is easy to find and learn. The way in which it is
presented is very simple and bold also which
helps.
13. Presenting Planning on
BloggerBlogger not only gives us the opportunity to record our work
to see the progress we have made to our media knowledge
and our final AS product, but it allows other people from all
over the world to see our work too.
On this map, the
countries
highlighted in green
are the ones that
have seen our blog.
This graph
shows the
amount of
views we have
got over 8
days. Calculates our
page views.
14. Viewing Other Work
On the blog we were able to
view other people’s work.
There were various other
media production groups in our
school.
This allowed us to give
feedback on their work as an
external person who doesn’t
know the storyline or its
concept and to receive
feedback ourselves.
15. Accessibility
• The blog is open to
everyone to view and
comment just by
entering the blog web
address
• We are able to view the
blog at home, school and
on smartphones
16. Using Different Media -
Images
We used a combination
of text and images so
that when we are
talking about a shot
from the trailer, it will be
more user friendly, as
our ideas are illustrated
to the audience.
17. Using Different Media
- Videos and Presentations
We also had videos and
slideshow presentations
(hosted on slideshare) to share
our research in a format we
felt was better suited to that
task.
18. Final Cut Express
Final Cut was a useful editing software. Practising
how to use it was an important part of our
planning because until we knew how it worked
and its potential, we would not have known
how to film our actual coursework.
Another reason planning activities on Final Cut
19. Cameras
• We used two kinds of digital cameras in our planning work.
• We used Nikon 3100 DSLRs to take the stills needed for our
storyboard.
• Canon HF G25 Camcorders to take the video footage for
our practice tasks.
• These cameras were vital because they were compatible
with the editing software and transferred easily. Footage
was backed up onto SD cards, could be viewed and deleted
in camera and we were able to use auto functions when we
were not confident and shift to manual as we became
more confident.
21. Final Cut Express
• One of the main disadvantages of software like Final Cut Express, is that there is a
huge learning curve which requires a lot of time and experimentation to overcome.
Although there is this disadvantage, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.
• On the bright side Final Cut Express is quite well equipped and makes it easy to
organize your footage. Its features are more advanced than a lot of other software,
making our filming seem more professional.
22. Using Final Cut
Sophisticated digital editing software which meant we could edit in a non-linear
way, trimming and re-ordering footage, layering clips together with different
audio layers beneath. The package offers a lot of flexibility in editing.
23. Advantages of Final Cut
• Final Cut Express has:
• A clear layout
• Complete freedom to
alter almost everything.
• the ability to mix audio
and visual tracks together.
24. Disadvantages of Final Cut
• The problems we faced from using
Final Cut Express were:
• We could only use it on the Macs in
school therefore we could not do
any of the work at home.
• Also we could not all edit at the
same time so it caused some
problems.
• The software we used was hugely
costly, but vital to the completion of
our piece.
25. Live Type
• LiveType is another piece of software we used for our opening
sequence to create titles and credits and put them into our film
through Final Cut Express. It gave us quality looking text and some
unique effects in animation.
• However, like Final cut Express, it is hard to get used to and takes
experience.
26. Use of LiveType
Live Type was a useful piece of digital technology because it gave us a
lot of editing options for our titles and credits to get the exact effects
we wanted, as shown on the right hand side. We had the freedom to
choose colour, font, etc.
This made it easier for us to create a opening sequence to a high
standard.
27. Construction Summary
• Advantages
The equipment and packages
we used helped us to achieve
a high quality of results
Once we were familiar with
them we could use these
packages quite effectively.
• Disadvantages
Learning the packages was
difficult at times and could
slow us down as we were
novices.
There are a lot of e.g. effects
and transitions which you can
use but not always exactly
what you would like.
29. Blogger
• We used Blogger to post all
of our coursework on. This is
a brilliant website as it is so
accessible. It comes with an
app that enabled us to
complete our work wherever
we were on ipads and our
phones. We could also
evaluate constantly
throughout every stage
because we were constantly
looking back.
30. Comments and Feedback
We were able to use the blog to get feedback from another
school who did not know us and we found their impartial advice
useful. This is a good example of the sharing capacity of the blog
and of digital technology.
31. Filmed Presentations
• We edited our filmed
presentations using Final Cut
Express. This gave the best of
both worlds – the sense of
personal engagement of our
debate and some visuals and
headlines to add structure and
support for the audience.
32. Images and Text
• Thanks to the variety of
software and websites such as
Power Point and Blogger we
were able to present our work
in formats where pictures
were accompanied by text.
• This added to the variety of
our work using a multi-media
format and makes the blog
more engaging for an outside
reader.
33. Photoshop Mind Map
• When it came to evaluating
our target audience, our
thoughts were in short
bullet points. We thought a
mind map would be a good
way to present these.
• Using Photoshop allowed
us to pay a lot of attention
to presentation and make
the mind map attractive for
the reader.
34. Commentary
• We used Final Cut Express to
layer a commentary on our
opening sequence under the
actual coursework.
• We were able to layer in the
comments we received from
other student s in feedback in
both print and video formats,
again making this more
engaging for the viewer and
reinforcing the evaluation.
35. Photoshop Montage
• We were able to create
a montage of stills on
Photoshop that gave a
very good visual
representation of our
genre and allowed us to
see what we had done
visually to stay within it.
36. PowerPoint
The use of slideshare technology has helped this evaluation because we
are all able to contribute individually but create a single themed piece of
work as a group. It also makes you make short, simple points and
illustrate with visuals.
37. Evaluation Summary
• Advantages
All our evaluations are stored together
on the blog with a copy of the final
work and all the associated research
and planning.
We have been able to use a variety of
presentational formats appropriate to
the task.
We have therefore been able to work as
a group on these evaluations but at the
same time make our individual
contributions.
• Disadvantages
Has been time-consuming getting all
the information and visuals together.
Digital technology cannot do this work
for you.
A lot of our evaluation has been done
informally and in conversation and this
cannot be logged or tracked through
technology.
