Final version

Final Magazine Advert

Final Digi Pack

Here is my completed digi pack with two new pages ('If It Kills me' and 'A Beautiful Mess'). I have also changed the first page, as Miss commented on how the title wasn't readable. Also on the first page I decided to make it darker, as it looked too washed out.

Final Evaluation Question 1

Final Evaluation Q2

Final Evaluation Question 3

Final Evaluation Question 4

Q4) How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Computers played an important role towards the construction and research of my product. Without the computer, things would have been difficult. Such as accessing the Internet would have been pretty much impossible. And without the Internet I wouldn't have been able to access YouTube to watch all the music videos. YouTube was extremely useful for this area of my research towards producing my music video. With YouTube I was not only able to watch as many music video’s to my hearts content, or watch music videos both old and new, I was allowed to view music videos from other countries. I took on this opportunity and watched music videos from South Korea (other than Gangnam Style). This was useful, as I was able to compare the styles of English speaking music videos to foreign ones, and frankly I find the Korean ones more skilful and brilliant. 

Without YouTube, I would of had to watch music videos on music channels via TV. This would of meant that I would have had to cope analysing the music videos without pausing it and re-watching it loads till I had every element noted down on paper. YouTube had other uses as well, including uploading your own videos and watching tutorials when you get stuck with things.

 For documenting all of my research and analysis from watching music videos, I created a blog using Blogger. It helps keep all my work in an orderly fashion without having to look after a whole load of paper work, which in my case wouldn’t of worked out well, as I would of lost everything (also saving trees). I was able to keep everything in an order by using labels and changing the schedule (dates things were posted). With Blogger I was able to embed my YouTube videos, allowing the music videos to be next to my analysis and thoughts. I was also able to embed Prezis and presentations. I was even able to post links of websites that would lead to articles, and upload images from my home computer and the school Apple Macs.

 On the Apple Macs I helped create a screencast for showing how to do split screen. I also made a lot of screen gabs, which I found really useful when it came to showing my progress on something to put on my blog, or when I need to visually show a certain shot from a music video. I mostly used my iPod to take pictures of my work that I did on paper, and then uploaded them onto the computer by using an usb cable. Or sometimes I would use the Blogger app on my iPod to upload images straight onto Blogger. I would also create updates using the app, as I find it easy and quick (plus there is autocorrect). I also used my iPod to write notes of sudden ideas of what I could do for my music video. I found this useful, as I didn't need to find a piece of paper that I’d probably lose or forget about.

 I created many presentations by using PowerPoint and Prezi. By using PowerPoint I was able to keep research and planning formal. I created presentations on PowerPoint for my shot lists, research on Andrew Goodwin, and showing lyrics to songs. I usually use Slide Share, as they let you embed the presentation onto the blog, but I also used a different one called Author Stream. I wasn't too keen on Author Stream, because it wanted you to buy the premium before you could embed it. So I had to link the presentation onto my blog. I weren't too keen on doing that, as it’s not the clear on my blog; it just blends in with the other posts and can be easily missed. I used Prezi loads. I found it so easy and simple. I was able to include videos, photos off Google images, show text in small chunks, and embed it onto my blog.

 I used Google pretty much all the time when producing my product. I used it to do research on history of music videos, music institutions, finding lyrics and even signing into my gmails and Blogger. My most used websites were Wikipedia and Metrolyrics from using Google. They are not the world’s most trustful websites, but I found them ok as they had the information I wanted.

 

I found Wikipedia most useful when I was creating a time line on the history of music videos using Timetoast. Timetoast was simple enough to use and had a clear layout. I believe I only got stuck when it came to try putting it on my blog – embedding wasn’t a simple task for Timetoast.
 I used a HD camera and tripod to film both my preliminary task and actual music video. It’s just the basics of filming and was very useful, for instance being able to record the footage in high quality and keep the filming smooth. I also used a green screen whilst filming so I could add on new backgrounds that would have been difficult to film.

 To upload my footage I used iMovie, and then exported it to Final Cut Express. I then imported music: For my preliminary task I had to find the file in the Student Resources folder on the school Macs, and for the Coyotes music video I used iTunes. Finding the soundtrack in the Student Resources folder was very easy with no hassle as it was ready there for us. Using iTunes was also easy to follow and it supported the artist. Editing on Final Cut Express meant that I could use techniques that are used in real music videos, but I found it difficult to begin with.  When adding layers and layers of footage on top of each other, they would move each other making everything out of order. However when it came to making my music video, I got the hang of it and managed to avoid the problem. 

An issue with Final Cut Express though, is that it constantly wants to render every time you change something. I found this extremely annoying, as it wouldn’t even allow you to quickly watch what you’ve just changed to see if it’s right. I also felt very conscious about using the program in case I’d accidently close one of the many windows. Overall I did find this program useful when editing, as I can be precise when it came to matching the footage to the beat and lip-syncing.

 For my ancillary tasks I used Photoshop. I found it to be a very complex programme and when I first started using it I kept making mistakes. Eventually however, I got use to the tools I needed to use and found it easy and quick to produce high quality work. But I still wouldn’t say I have mastered Photoshop, as there is still so much I don’t know.

 For question three of my evaluation, I recorded students watching my music video for feedback. To record them, I used the inbuilt webcam on the school Macs. It was an ok quality in both picture and sound, and was very useful to get reactions straight away; the viewers were being recorded at the same time of watching the music video.

 Overall, I’m extremely grateful for the technology we have, as it would have been difficult to gather the amount of research that I have collected for this project. It would of also been challenging editing the footage: I don’t think I would of coped sitting for hours cutting and sticking bits of film together, also seeing the amount of cuts there were in my music video.