Evaluation question 4

Evaluation Question 4
How did you use media technologies in the construction
and research, planning and evaluation stages?
By Keren Colling

Research, planning and
presentation:
1. Microsoft Word
2. Microsoft PowerPoint
3. Emaze
4. Prezi
5. Visme
6. Powtoon
7. Slideshare
8. Soundcloud
9. Twitter
10. Blogger
11. Email
12. Rawshorts
13. YouTube
This is the overall list of the
technologies we have used:
Production/editing
1. Adobe Premiere Pro
2. Adobe InDesign
3. Photoshop
Hardware
1. Computer (Mac)
2. Bridge/DSLR cameras
3. Audio recorder

When it came to research and planning we had to find
multiple ways in how to present our findings without making
everything look the same. For this, we decided to place most
things on different software applications. For example we
presented a list of media terminology on an application
called VISME. I chose to present our findings on this as it had
a tool in which to allow words to roll onto the screen and
pop up with the definition afterwards before moving onto
the next one. I know most software can do this, but this
software looked more professional and was a lesser known
application so it expanded our use of technologies.
Research and planning: VISME

As Microsoft Word isn't the most visually
pleasing software, we decided to use
this to our advantage. We used Word in
order to write down what each student
was going to research as well as
collectively storing information for each
of us to use on a different application.
This is because it is an easily accessible
software for most people. This was an
extremely useful system as it was easy to
read and use for everyone, and easy to
pass around to everyone when we
needed to access the information.
Research and planning: WORD

I decided to group these technologies together as they all pretty much
did the same job for us during research and planning. We used this set
of software in particular because they were all internet based. Meaning,
we could access them anywhere and at any point if we were connected
to the internet (i.e both at college and at home). All of these
applications were visually aesthetic and allowed for creative decision
making. They were really easy to use and enable us to present
information clearing and pleasing to look at it. These were useful to use
for our research and planning as they were all different technologies
but all achieved the desire look we wanted.
Research and planning: PREZI,
POWTOON, RAWSHORTS and EMAZE

We decided to use Twitter and email (most
notably Gmail) in order to contact our
experts in order to ask them to take part in
our documentary. Even though we
received only one reply through Twitter
and none through email, it was arguably
the best way to reach out to people as
Twitter is one of the main popular social
media platforms and everyone has an
email for business reasons. So that is why
we decided to do all our contacting
through them. Twitter taught us how to be
concise with our questions due to the
character limit and email allowed for our
writing to become more formal, especially
when we are reaching out to people to
take part in a serious documentary.
Researching and planning: TWITTER
AND EMAIL

We used Blogger to keep all of our information
in place and in a chronological order. Blogger is
our software in which we place all of our work
throughout the whole of the coursework in
one place for the examiner to mark. It reads in
a blog style so the reader can pick and choose
what to read at any date published by the drop
down menu at the left of the screen. This again
is extremely useful as every student in the
group can access this at any point and see
when we have published certain elements to
the coursework, especially as we do a lot of the
research and planning independently.
Research and planning: BLOGGER

YouTube is definitely the most useful technology we used for
presenting final work as well as team discussion meetings.
YouTube allowed us to present our final documentary with HD
quality and allowed us to watch it on any device, as well as share
it easily around if anyone else wanted to watch it. We chose
YouTube over Vimeo as it is the worlds largest video sharing
platform so it would attract more viewers if we wished.
Presentation: YOUTUBE

We used Soundcloud to present our final radio trailer along with
the feedback we gained on it. This is a highly popular MP3 sharing
application as it generates the best sound quality and has a huge
following on it. This means it was easier for us to embed it onto
our Blogger whilst keeping the most optimum sound quality. As it
is such a well known software we decided not to stray away from
it.
Presentation: SOUNDCLOUD

I used PowerPoint in order to present a
lengthy set of information. I found this
extremely useful as it easy to use and
looks clean and professional. Hence the
reason I am using it to present this
question. Most companies use
PowerPoint for these exact reasons as
well, there is a reason why it is so
widely used, and that’s down to its
professional look and the clean and
easy layout means it is easier to read
both on computers and projectors.
Presentation: POWERPOINT

 Bridge/DSLR Cameras
When we began our 3 week filming schedule for our documentary, we needed the best
possible camera in order to gain the highest quality footage. Hence why we used both Bridge and
DSLR cameras rather than a simple digital camera. These allow you to change the saturation,
contrast, white balance and focus, allowing us to gain professional looking footage. We found
these easy to use once we were given the basic rundown of how the camera worked. Even though
we could edit in effects if we needed it, having the best possible camera to start with allowed us
to have an overall great quality documentary.
 Computer (Mac)
The reason for a computer is fairly obvious as we needed to do the most of our editing
on the computer as well as conducting our research. We chose a Mac over a normal PC as they are
made specifically for creative use. A larger HD display monitor also meant we were able to see
everything clearly and were able to edit our footage with everyone looking over, rather than all
bunching around a square monitor of a PC.
 Audio Recorder
Instead of using our phones to record voice-overs for the documentary, we decided on
using a separate device in which its purpose is to record audio at the best possible quality. It
comes equipped with built in speakers and enables the consumer to pause recordings when
needed and resume still within the same file. This was of great use to us as we could section off
segments of a voice-over so it made it easier when editing, as well as generating the best audio
levels and quality so not much was needed to edit when it came to placing it over our
documentary and radio trailer.
Hardware

The main software we used within the editing section of our documentary was
Adobe Premiere Pro, besides Final Cut Pro this is one of the most used and
loved editing software due to how much stuff it can do and how easy it is to
navigate once you know the basic elements. I already use this editing software
in my everyday life so I have a firm knowledge of how to use it.
We used Premiere to link together background footage, expert interviews and
VOX-POPs, as well as editing sound levels, placing in voice overs and adding
text onto the screen to provide further information to the audience. Premiere
allowed us to create a flowing documentary with added transitions in between
clips and audio, as well as allowing us to decrease the music volume when
someone was talking over the top of it.
Although it was difficult to use to begin with, it was easier to work with over
time as we found all our media clips were kept in a library to the left hand side
of the sequence, allowing for easy importation. Overall, I believe that Premiere
Pro allowed us to have the best quality documentary produced rather than
chancing it on a free software such as iMovie.
Production: PREMIERE PRO

InDesign was the software we used in order to create our
listings magazine article for ‘What's On TV’. As we had
previously used this software in creating our double page
spread in AS media, it was easier using it the second time
around. We had basic knowledge and understanding of
how to create columns as well as inserting grab quotes
with the ability to change the colour of them as well as the
size. Creating the red banners at the top and bottom of
the page were simple enough as there was a rectangle
tool in which we could draw them free hand. Using the
free form tool we could map out where we wanted the
text in the columns to run around, e.g. we ran the text
around the edges of the makeup items along the bottom
of the picture.
The only real difficulty came when we wanted to bring
part of our models head in front of the pictures in the
background. We researched into how we needed to go
about it and what tools we needed to achieve this look.
Once we found we could add markers onto the outside
edges of the frames, we placed each marker around the
outline of our models head and proceeded to make it look
as if she was sitting in front of the images.
Overall, I believed that we worked well with InDesign ,
however I feel we spent the majority of the time playing
around with the tools without doing any before hand
research, so the overall product took a couple more hours
making than it ideally should have.
Production: INDESIGN

As you can see from the previous slide, a lot of thought and effort went into
editing the photo we had in Photoshop in order to make it look professional.
From the lighting we had available to us, it was deemed as natural so it had a
soft yellow glow to it. However, we wanted white lighting. So to combat this we
placed a cooling filter over the top of the image to cancel out the yellow tones
and create a more white lighted effect to it. We had to increase some saturation
in order for the yellow and green cast to be gone completely. With increasing the
saturation, it also allowed for the red makeup items to stand out more against
the dull table and allow for the red stripes on the overall magazine to correctly
coincide with the image, creating a sense of brand identity as well as making it
aesthetically pleasing to look at.
Not only this, but we used the blending tool to help diminish the appearance of
spots and blemishes on the models face as we had such a close photo of her.
This worked and left the face with a fresh glow and feel in order to look like
professionally edited photos.
Overall, as we all have used Photoshop heavily within AS media, we all had a
basic knowledge and understanding of this software which enabled us to
produce to best possible image for our magazine, deeming Photoshop to be
extremely useful to us.
Production: PHOTOSHOP

Evaluation question 4

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Evaluation question 4