Evaluation Question 4

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

Research and Planning

• the first thing I did in the planning stage, was search up music videos of all different genres, old and modern, on video sites such as vimeo and youtube. This meant I was able to start to find inspiration and gain an understanding of specific conventions of different genres, and even how conventions vary within different genres.

• as I found inspiration, I used blogger to record anything I found interesting, or any analysis of videos and print work, as I started to dig deeper with my investigating and planning.

• When analysing CD covers and magazine adverts, I would use google images to search for inspiration. Any I was interested in, I would put in my blog to analyse and use as inspiration.

• I used slideshare to find simple and broken down presentations on theories. I wanted to ensure that my video followed conventions of media, therefore, it was important to understand theories and how they applied to the music industry.

• I used soundcloud to choose my song which I used for the music video, which was linked on Polly Howes Soundcloud account.

Construction

• I used my Cannon 600D Camera set up on a tripod to film any of the still shots in the video and take photographs whilst filming for my print work.

• I used a camcorder, without a tripod to create the home footage, moving camera shots in my music video. 
• I liked that using two different types of camera added depth and diversity to the final video

• For the images I projected over my model, I used Photoshop to create a series of images and then used a video editor to edit them together to make a moving sequence, almost like an animation. 
• I also used photoshop to edit my magazine cover, CD cover and Digitpak. For the digipak, I found a template of 'google' and imported it into photoshop to work from.

• the video editor I used to edit the images made on Photoshop together to project over my model was iMovie. 
• I also used iMovie to edit the final video.
• iMovie is simple and easy to navigate, therefore was good for a beginner editor like myself, however, I found the entire saving and backing up process to be very inconvenient as you are limited to using it on only apple products.

• I used an overhead projector to project the images over my model, who was standing against a plain white backdrop. The projected images added fun colour to the video and extra movement, creating a postmodern effect. 

I used VLC media player to play my previously made video when projected over my model. This was because other video players would show a play sign when I played the layer video, which I did not want, and this video player did not create any distractions from the edited piece.


Evaluation

• During the evaluation stage Survey Monkey meant I had a quick and easy way to ask the audience their opinions on my work, survey monkey also means you can gain mass information and analyse it all in one place, which makes it much easier than having to print out sheets and analyse each individual answer.

• I used Facebook and Facebook messenger to ask people and friends to take my survey, I posted the link and asked them to be as truthful as they could be, due to it being an anonymous survey.

• I uploaded my video to Youtube, making it easy for people to access for when they were reviewing it. I put the link to the Youtube video at the top of the survey, making it as convenient for people as possible.

• I analysed and recorded any feedback and analysis on my blog.
• Personally, I found that Blogger was not the best tool to use to record my information as it was sometimes unreliable and the structures of the blogs and very specific, however I do enjoy how easy and simple it is to navigate. 

Web 2.0

• Web 2.0 is the idea that when the internet was first invented in 1990, it was a one way use of use being consumers and being given information from larger, influencial companies and people. However, now the internet is an interactive place in which anyone, anywhere can produce anything.
• Sometime, it can be difficult to differentiate the lies from the truth due to this.
• In some ways this is a huge positive as platforms like social medias such as twitter and facebook, give ordinary people a voice and is a quick and easy way of interacting. However, some may argue that its gone too far and that the internet and social medias are taking of from normal, traditional interactions.
• For the music industry, it has meant that artists have to produce content rather quickly, and keep up with the fast pace social trends, however, if they utilise it right, the can use social media account and the constant web 2.0 interaction to their advantage to gain audiences and create an intimacy between themselves and the consumer.