Q4. HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE

CONSTRUCTION, RESEARCH AND PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?

Research and planning.

In order to create an informative and interesting documentary it was important for us to find out as much information regarding our topic of social stereotypes. To conduct our research we used the internet a lot as it gave us quick access to useful statistics and newspapers with relating articles. To keep the research as reliable as possible we decided to stick to reliable sources such as the BBC and the telegraph.

Research and planning.

In order to find appropriate archive footage we decided to use Youtube as it gave us the opportunity to highlight specific scenes which related to our topic, for example the St. Trinians make over scene and the Mean Girls cafeteria scene.

Research and planning.

Another source we used in order to conduct our research was 4OD as we used it to watch existing documentary, 'Sexting teacher' in order to find conventions in which we could either challenge or conform to. It also helped us to understand how to write up a script for our voiceover as we could see how the existing documentaries are set out.

Research and planning.

Although we did use some technologies during the research and planning stages it was best for our group to use non- technological methods in order to plan our documentary. For example we drew up story boards in order to plan out our initial thoughts for the documentary.

Research and planning.

In order to keep on top of our research we used programmes such as Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp as it meant we could contact each other outside of college and arrange times in which we could all work together. Using these simple technologies meant that we could all work together in a group and make important technical decisions regarding the production of the documentary together.

Construction.

One of the main technologies used during the construction stages was the Canon HD camera as it gave us the professional clear footage that we needed to create an authentic documentary. Also, we used a tripod throughout to enable us to create clear and steady shots however for faster paced shots we felt that a handheld camera was more effective. We also used a clip on mic during our voxpop and expert interviews as it gave us the best sound quality however occasionally it caused for a rustling sound which we generally could easily edit out with ease.

Construction.

In order to edit we used Adobe Premier Pro on an iMac. Firstly we logged each and every clip onto the computer and then watched them to find the clips with the highest quality. When we had finished this Premier Pro helped us to edit each clip by precisely cutting them, adding transitions and editing sound levels which was crucial for our different voxpop interviews due to the background noise in the background.

Construction. In order to create specific scenes it was important to use the clip and the cut tool to create an effective image. One example of this is the makeup transformation of Beth in which we placed two images side to side to clearly highlight the different stereotypes and the simple steps you take in order to change what stereotypical group you belong to. Also we had to use the 'video effects' tool as the background of the two images were different and we edited them in order to make the two images look as though it is one.

Construction.

During our documentary we wanted to follow the conventions of real existing media texts by including captions in our expert interviews. To do this we created an overlay for the interview and added in the name of our expert over a white background so that it would clearly stand out to the audience.

Construction.Due to the fact each of our scenes were shot at different times and in different places each of our sound levels were different and it was vital that we edited each of our clips in order to even out the sound levels to keep our documentary as professional as possible. Sound levels were the longest and hardest thing to perfect as even a slight difference between the clips could easily be heard and so it made it even more important that we got the levels completely correct.

Construction.

As an ancillary media product we created a double page spread to advertise our documentary. To create this we used Photoshop and Indesign, programmes which we had used last year during our AS foundation portfolio. In order to

promote the documentary we used screenshots from the documentary as the main and secondary images within the article and edited them using photoshop. Again, due to using this programme during our foundation portfolio it was simple

to edit these photographs effectively.

Construction.

Text wrapping was important for us as part of the double page spread as the secondary images needed to fit within the article, however the article still needed to flow as professionally as possible. We also needed to make use of this tool when we placed a pull quote within the article so that the text within the columns still read correctly.

Construction.

Although the article was written on Microsoft word the actual article was put together on Indesign as we split the pages up into the conventional 3 column layout and then used the column tool to create the space for the article to fit into. We also featured a drop cap and colour accents using the different tools on Indesign to create the most realistic double page spread possible. Using this programme was simple as we had experience with it from last year, however the end result from our advanced portfolio was much more professional than that of the AS portfolio.

Construction.

To create our radio trailer we had to use garage band and Premier Pro and although we had experience with Premier it was hard at first to get used to Garage Band due to the different technologies that we were not used to. However, throughout the production of the radio trailer Garage Band was useful because it helped us to conform to the convention of having SFX at the start and finish of our trailer and also to keep with the same backing track as the documentary. Premier Pro helped us in gaining archive footage to use as clips for the radio trailer such as the voiceover and some voxpop clips.

Throughout the entire process technologies such as Blogger, Infogram, Prezi, Powerpoint and word have been extremely useful as they have helped us to record our progress in an organised and professional way as everything is recorded onto our blog. Other sources such as Powtoon have been beneficial in keeping our blog fun and entertaining to read, which was important to us as we felt as though our documentary and our ancillary texts are all fun and upbeat and we wanted to convey a similar message within our blog.