Evaluation Question 4

Research Stage

During the research phase at the beginning of the course and at later points, I have used media technologies in order to collect information about other ‘rock’ genre media products e.g. cd covers and music videos.

Technologies I used • Internet Explorer and Google Crome• Blogger• Google• Youtube• Word questionnaire • Excel, to create graphs • Mobile, to upload pictures of work, blue tooth • Imac • Blogger

Google Chrome and Internet Explorer

I used Google Chrome and Internet explorer as portal to connecting to the internet, which I used to access a variety of websites in order to research different CD covers and other media products. This allowed me to get ideas and an insight into traditional media products and conventions of rock. Google Chrome was partially useful as it had spell check reducing grammar and spelling mistakes in when writing and posting blog entries.

Google and Bing

I used Google and Bing search engines in order to search for different media products and research. They allowed me to access sites that I otherwise wouldn’t of known about.

An Apple IMac

• I used an IMac to access the internet and utilise other software in order to research, help plan and design different ideas for my own media piece.

YouTube

• I used Youtube in order to access different medias in mp4 format.

• By searching for real media music videos I was able to analyse rock genre videos and pick out conventions of rock

• I was also able to use different aspects of different music videos in order to help create my own media piece

Mobile Phone

• The use of mobile phones was useful in the research stage as I was able to use the camera function to take pictures of ideas and sketches and upload them onto my blog using Bluetooth technology

Blogger• I used Blogger during the research stage in order to show some analysis of music videos

• Blogger allowed me to ‘embed’ music videos onto the analysis to show which music video I was analysing.

• Blogger is useful as it allowed me to access, edit and add new posts from an computer with an internet connection so I was able to analyse and research some videos at home

Microsoft Word• I used Microsoft word in order to create a questionnaire

to gauge my target audiences’ likes and dislikes

Microsoft Excel

• I used Microsoft Excel in order to create graphs and to help quantify, analyse data and present data in a way that is easy to interpret

Planning Stage

As my media project is an animated music video the planning stage was

different to those that used a camera.

Windows Live messenger

• Windows Live Messenger, often referred to as MSN was used by my partner Zak and I during the planning stage in order to communicate and organise such things as, who will draw what, discussion of shots and dates and times where it was possible for us to do so.

email

• The use of email was also another way to communicate and also show each other I progress when drawing. By print screening and saving the shot in a paint document. We were able to send files to on another.

• As Zak has a much older version of computer and Windows live messenger this appeared to be the only way of sharing files and to help critic and analyse work of one another.

Graphics Tablet

• The use of Graphics Tablets, as well as more traditional means of producing art; was crucial drawing the planning stage.

• I was able to practice using my tablet in order to improve my artwork, and overall quality of the animation produced.

Internet Tablet Archos

• I used my internet tablet, an Archos 7 internet tablet to research by connecting to the internet and watching music videos and researching images

• It allowed me to view media such as Youtube without access to a computer

Construction

The making of my media ancillary tasks and music video

I used the following media technologies During the construction of my media piece

• Macs • Own laptop• Photoshop • Sai• Tablets• Barcode generator• Adobe • Premiere pro • Flash • Sound booth• Archos, internet tablet – usb • Scanner – mixed media

An Apple IMac and Netbook

• With regards to construction I used the apple IMac in order to access certain programmes, e.g. Adobe Photoshop in order to create my media music video, CD cover and magazine advert. I also used my own netbook to draw, design and create these.

• I also used these to connect my graphics tablet in order to draw on the computers

Graphics Tablet

• I used my graphics tablet in order to draw using the computer.

• After scanning the images I did on paper I used my tablet along with artist computer programmes Sai and Photoshop to trace and colour the image

Design on paper After image was scanned, traced and coloured

•I used the graphics tablet in the construction of my ancillary tasks and music vide

•I used it to draw the digipak and magazine advert

Scanner

• I used a scanner in order to scan in images that I have drawn or designed on paper.

• This allowed me to use both new and traditional methods of art. And made it easier to draw images on the computer with a guide

Sai

• Sai is a artist computer software that allows the use of mouse or graphics tablet in order to create artwork.

• I found the basic layout and tools easy to use• I have used this programme to draw previously and have gotten

used to the controls and functions• It allowed me to export art as a Photoshop document so allowed me

to work with the art at both home and school.

Adobe Photoshop CS3

• Photoshop is also an other computer drawing programme but is much more complex and offers a wider range of brush tool and effects.

• I used Photoshop during the final stages of construction in order to give a more professional look

Internet Tablet Archos

• I used my tablet during the construction phase to transfer data and files e.g. Photoshop documents. The Archos has a large storage memory so a normal USB may not be able to store the large amounts of data used in image documents

Barcode Generator

• I used a free bar code generator from http://www.barcodesinc.com/generator/index.php in order to create barcode for my CD digipak

• As barcodes are a convention of digipaks, both CD and DVD cover it was expected for my own work to include this convention

Adobe SoundBooth CS3

• Soundbooth was used in order to shorten the original song the pretender from 4:31 to 3:11

• We used in order to shorten the song down, and therefore our music video would be shorter. As we are doing an animated video this was necessary to help o meet the deadline as animation is a very time consuming process.

Adobe Flash CS3

• The use of flash CS3 was used to animate the static images we had drawn

ToolsThis is the time line, the numbers refer to the number of frames

As I imported the image from a Photoshop document I was able to animate each layer separately

Pixels refer to thesize of the image

This is the colour select tool that allows you to mix and create different shades of colours

This folder contains the different layers data

Tween’s refer to the motion of a layer

This is the image being animated

This is the select tool, I used it to select and highlight different layers

This is the Sub selection tool, this is useful to select layers

This is the free transform tool

This is the Sub selection tool, this is useful to select layers

This is the pen tool

This is the Text tool, I used this to add text to my magazine advert and CD cover

This is the line tool, It was useful in creating borders for my digipak

This is the Shape tool, this is useful to create different shapes like rectangle and circle tool

This is the pencil tool

This is the brush tool, this is useful to help draw and colour images

This is the ink bottle tool, I did not use this tool

This is the fill/bucket tool, this is useful in colouring in, and gives a good quality to the image

This is the colour select tool, this is useful to select colours that I was using previously to edit

This is the eraser/rubber tool, this is used to remove pixels/colour that I didn’t want to use

This is the Hand tool, this is useful when zoomed in to move the canvas and move to different areas

This is the magnifying glass/zoom tool, this is used to zoom in and out of the canvas

This is the stroke colour tool this was used in the planning or creation of my digipaks to select different tools

Adobe Premier Pro CS3

• Premier Pro was used to create our music video. Premier Pro is a professional video editor, that can be used to create different projects, I used it to create a music video but it can be used to create a variety of medias.

• Another function that was used was the video transitions, we used ‘Dip to Black’ transition.

Dip to black transition

• It functions allowed us to edit clips, zoom and Structure them to create our music video. Using the time line

Time lineDifferent structures and layers of video clips

Video clips

Audio

• We uploaded our animated clips onto Premier Pro and used Premier Pro’s time line to construct the music video.

Imported animated clipsHow it was imported

I clicked and dragging the effect on to the area I wanted the effect

Transition effect

This is the play selection tool

This is the transition

During the early stages of the transition

When the effect fully takes effect It dips completely to black, this is it a few frames before

This is next animation, I set the dip to black so that it continues slightly into the next clip.

Another function that I used was the ‘speed duration’ option that allowed us to slow or speed up the animated clips to match the pace of the singing and instruments.

By changing the speed to 50% it would half the speed of the clip and make it twice as long

• As Premier Pro was the programme that I previously used during AS coursework, I was able use the controls with relative ease. But did ask my media partner about functions if I was unsure as he had a longer experience using media technologies such as Premier Pro.

Conclusion – Research

I used media technologies in the research, stage by using these different media’s I was able to help find convention of media, research different music video and digipak’s to get ideas. I used Blogger to upload my findings and examples of real media products such as digipaks/CD covers.

Conclusion - Planning

I used media technologies in the planning stage by using these different media’s to help design and test different styles and improve skills.

Conclusion - Construction

I used media technologies in the construction stage by using these different media’s to help create, animate and edit video and audio clips in order to create my final music video, as well as draw and my ancillary tasks digitally.