How did you use new media technologies in the construction of your research, planning and evaluation stages?

New Media technologies: HDV CameraTripodiMacFinal Cut ExpressLiveTypeAdobe PhotoshopMicrosoft PowerpointSlidesharePreziMobile PhoneHD camera iPodUSB/Hard DriveBloggerYoutubeWordleDaFont

HDV Camera

For our A2 coursework, we had access to a HDV Camera’s, which increased the quality of the footage and also enabled us to be more creative. The HDV camera records on tape, which is a safe way of capturing footage and holds up to one hour of recordings. The fact that the quality of the video is increased, also means that our video can be viewed at a high wuality on Youtube.

Tripod

The tripod was a vital component of our project as it allowed us to achieve a steady shot ( most of the time), which is part of the criteria for our music video. Additionally, we were able to pan with relative ease and change the height and angle of our shots quickly and efficiently.

iMac

The iMac was another key component in our project as it enabled us to research past music videos and our artist, edit and upload out own video and record our progress throughout the duration of the process. iMacs can contain up to 2TB of memory, meaning that we did not have to worry about the amount of footage, images and documents that we were placing onto the machine. This was beneficial to us and we were able to be as creative as possible as we knew the iMac could hold all of the footage. The iMac also holds a number of different applications, including Safari, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut Express. Without it, we would not of been able to complete our project.

Final Cut Express

Final Cut Express was used frequently during our project, as we edited our preliminary exercise and our actual video on it. For the preliminary exercise, we learnt how to lip sync the actors lips with the actual music – something that was vital and necessary for our actual music video. We also edited vertically, making use of the layers and mountain tool which meants that we could easily switch between the different footage that we had.

LiveType

LiveType was only used in our video to produce the title for our music video. By using LiveType, we met the criteria of the coursework and consequently created a conventional music video.

Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop enabled us to create the titles for the music video, as well as the digipak and magazine advert. By getting to grips with the many features of Photoshop, we were able to create two products that we feel are of a professional standard. Moreover, our knowledge of the software meant that we had no limits or restrictions in terms of what we could or couldn’t do regarding our designs.

Microsoft Powerpoint and Slideshare

Microsoft powerpoint gave us another medium to display our work. By using powerpoint we were able to visually present our work, as well as being able to upload it onto slideshare and then place in on our blogs.

Prezi

Prezi is another way in which we can present our work. The presentations created are different from powerpoint as the presentation is animated and can hold pictures and videos.

The presentations can also be embedded into other websites, including our blogs.

Mobile Phone

Aside from the communication capabilities which were used to plan our filming sessions, the camera on our phones captured images as evidence of our work, which were then put on our blog. Our phones also had the song on, which we then played and lip synched too,

Ipod

Prior to many of our filming sessions, we used our iPods to check certain things. One of these was the weather, as we needed to know what to expect when filming and adjust our plans accordingly. We also used our iPods to check locations and routes when travelling. This allowed us to work quickly and efficiently.

USB/ Hard Drive

A USB or portable hard drive was vital in our project. By using a USB or hard drive, we were able to take our files from school to home or vice versa. This allowed us to make use of our time outside of the classroom.

Moreover, the portable hard drive had a capacity of 500GB, which meant that we could transfer all of our files with ease.

Blogger

In order for us to present our research, planning and construction work, we had to use Blogger. As Blogger could host SlideShare presentations, YouTube links, images and more, it was the ideal platform to present our work.

Youtube

YouTube was our main source of research, as it is host to thousands of music videos. We also used it for tutorials regarding Final Cut Express and its many functions. Without this website, we feel as though our music video would not maintain or develop any conventions, as we would not have been informed of them. Furthermore, we would have severely lacked in terms of inspiration, as most of it was gained from the site.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is evident that we used a wide range of new technologies throughout our project. We used them to - inspire us-aid us-quicken the process-challenge usand present our work in a viariety of ways.