Media Technologies

Use of Technologies for:

Research

Using the Internet – Search engines

When using the search engine, we can use other features such as putting a ‘-’ before a word if we do not want it to come up in our search results Suggestions given -

can speed up process and can

suggest other avenues to explore

Using Internet Search Engines

We can use search filters such as ‘Any

time’ to choose whether or not

we want the most recent

entry

Using search filters narrow results down,

and helps to find things quicker

Using Internet Search Engines

Clicking on an uploader’s name

can lead to seeing other films of the same genre

Related videos can also lead to

other info on films in the same

genre

Using Internet - YouTube

This is one of the most helpful websites as most pages display almost all of the important details of the film. It shows cast and crew credits, important dates,

companies involved and overall reception by audience.

Using Internet- IMDb

This website is useful as it can be a source of inspiration and can be used as a guide when it comes to making titles and credits.

Using Internet – Art of the Title (1)

After choosing a specific film, it provides screenshots, a clip of the titles and credits, a description of what is going on in the clip, an interview with the creator(s) of the titles

and credits and credits such as who animated it, who composed the music etc.

Using Internet – Art of the Title (2)

Wikipedia mostly

used for key terms

rather than for films.

However provided

useful links to more

productive sites.

This website is useful as each

key term can be broken down into sub-sections i.e.

‘In film’

Using Internet- Wikipedia

Advantages

Danger of plagiarism

Reliability of information

Reliability of source origin

Cannot be accessed most times

Copyright issues

Disadvantages

Mostly free information

Wide range of information

Search tools to help narrow down results

Forums, answer websites to help

Easy to use, convenient and time-saving

Using Internet - Summary

Use of Technologies for:

Planning

We needed to become familiar with the equipment as part of planning and preparation.

We used the Nikon cameras for stills e.g. for our first version of our ident and to take photos of post-its for storyboard.

Photos were easily transferred to MACs using the SD card slot by dropping and dragging – good compatibility between hardware types.

Camera and SD card

Again, key part of planning and preparation was familiarising ourselves with Canon video cameras through various filming tasks as presented on blog.

This ensured filming ran smoothly and we did not have issues with e,g, batteries, functions, focus etc.

Initial problems encountered using camera were:

Use of Video Camera

Final Cut Express for Animatic

Helped to plan what we wanted and where

Able to make it animated and give ideas on whether something would work

Allows us to experiment with different effects

Timeline of where things will go – gave us info about how close we were to 2 mins

Able to change the order of the different shots

Ability to add music/ sound effects to see if it went well with proposed image

Animatic

Key Advantage: Large storage capacity

Key Advantage: Can be seen anywhere e.g. computer, mobile, tablet etc

Presenting Research and Planning on Blogger

Advantage: Everyone can see and comment

Disadvantage: Because it is easy to access, ideas can be stolen and unwelcome comments can be added.

Able to see Other work

Advantage: Uploaded work is in chronological order so viewer can see progress made and can compare progress with other groups

Disadvantage: Shows if work has been added late / at less than optimum time!

Chronological Order

Advantage: Ability to combine different formats such as clips, documents, images etc. makes the blog more interesting to the reader

Also: Hyper link e.g. to articles, images, YouTube, websites etc.

Image Embedded Video

Text

Ability to mix media formats

Use of Technologies for:

Planning

Final Cut Express

The order of your sequence can be changed depending on how you want each shot to fit. Changes can be made easily as digital editing is not permanent.

We are able to layer shots and sound to create a complex image on screen using different tracks.

‘Final Cut Express’ allows us to cut / trim the shots that we have taken so that it fits with our sequence.

Cutting and Ordering

‘Final Cut Express’ allows us to keep all of the original files so we can go back to them if there is something that we have missed.

If we have deleted a particular part of our sequence or made changes that can’t be undone after saving, then there is always the original to go back to.

Storing and Un-doing

‘Final Cut Express’ allows us to work on more than one copy of our sequence at the same time. This is helpful as if people in your group have a different idea to you, you can compare them and see which one you prefer. Also maximises time / manpower.

Each copy has same quality – can be copied many times without reducing quality of footage.

Duplicate Copies

At the beginning and the end of our sequence we use dissolve transitions. These are provided by ‘Final Cut Express’ and give us the effect we wanted.

There are many other useful tools e.g. fades for both video and audio, effects such as colour reduction etc.

Use of Pre-Packaged Tools

‘Final Cut Express’ allows us to take sound that we have recorded and put it in our sequence where needed. This means that we are able to overlap sound to give a better effect.

Sound

• Time consuming to learn how to use it. • It does not always have the effects that we are

looking for. • When using it, it is best if you have experience so you

know how to use it properly. • Not accessible to most of us at home.

Problems with FCE

Live Type

We were able to take our titles from ‘Live Type’ and put them into out ‘Final Cut Express’ sequence.

Compatibility with FCE

‘Live Type’ comes with pre-packaged animations. We were able to pick what animation we want that will fit in with our sequence. There is quite a lot to choose from.

Pre-packaged Tools

‘Live Type’ comes with pre-packaged fonts. These allow us to pick the fonts that we thing will fit best in our sequence.

Pre-packaged Fonts

• It takes a long time to find the particular text you are looking for.

• You need to allow time to get used to

how the software works in order to use it properly.

• It works with carefully adjusted

timings – you need to be careful with this so they fit your piece.

Problems with Live Type

Use of Technologies for:

Evaluation

Use of Blogger

• Blogger is an easy way to share our ideas and the ability to comment on it too.

• It offers the ability to see others comments as well as respond back in the comments box as show.

• This helped us see what others thought on our progress.

Comments Function

• The ‘dashboard’ allowed everyone to view other groups blogs to compare the progress of each other

• Easy to view others work and view multiple blogs at once. Yet this means others could copy work.

• We could see others ideas in order to trigger ours

Constantly Available

• The blog can be reviewed from using the ‘Blog Archive’ which lists each post by the most recent first.

• Everything you upload can be viewed

• To view the earlier posts, you either have to scroll through each page or located it in the archive but relevant naming of the posts is essential

Archiving

• Blogger can be viewed and accessed on more than one format

• It can be viewed on a Smart Phone as the photo illustrates

• Layout is still as easy to follow as if being accessed on a PC

• Useful if needing to check content if not near a PC

• A Google account that is needed to sign in allows this access from at home, school or even out and about

Evaluation Anywhere

Variety of Presentation 1

Basic text / image combination is easy and works well for more detailed and thoughtful evaluation which is more ‘read’ than ‘visual’

Variety of Presentation 2

For more sense of debate / argument, group discussions filmed, captured to FCE then made easy to navigate using combination of imported images and text through Live Type.

Variety of Presentation 3

Slide show technology another useful tool for group work. Easily added to and maintained through evaluation process. Added to blog via link with slideshare (hosting site).

Variety of Presentation 4 • Mindmap round an

image showed a flow of ideas.

• Image represents our idea of a target audience.

• Text around this expands on the choice of image.

Variety of Presentation 5

Contact sheet to illustrate choices relating to genre. Gives ‘snapshot’ illustration of opening sequence and allows us to comment on how our decisions were based on genre and film opening conventions.

Variety of Presentation

We also used LiveType as an annotation tool on our finished product. This helped us identify how we were hoping to appeal to our audience and how we had used the feedback we got on the blog.