How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
For each task I used a variety of different technologies. During the planning stages I mainly used Microsoft Word to create templates for each task and annotate them. For my research I used the internet briefly to look up the clip I wanted to use from Back to the Future, however I mainly used the DVD. In researching for the DVD cover I used my own DVD of Foo Fighters ‘Everywhere but Home’. I was then able to publish all of this onto my blog which is online.
On my first ancillary task which was the DVD cover I used Adobe Indesign which allowed me to place text and images onto a double page spread and edit text to my liking. The images I used for this were images I had taken from a concert earlier in the year; I used Paint Shop Pro to manipulate them using various different tools. I also used the internet and google to get the different logos I needed such as the age certificate.
For the website I used Macromedia Dreamweaver to create two pages using a template I created. On the website I added images I took whilst filming the major task, I only chose the name for the band as ‘archway’ because I knew the exact location of where I wanted to take the images for this task. I also manipulated these photos in Paint Shop Pro, cropping them and grouping them together. Within the website I used flash buttons that contained hyperlinks to the homepages and the first page. Also on the first page I embedded a short clip to act as an advert by writing the code in the pages HTML.
On creating the video I used a Sony video camera and Serif Movie Maker which allowed me to edit the film appropriately. Within this application I was able to cut shots down and used effects such as fading and adjusting the speed of any shots. Using this software I was also able to create a DVD menu after exporting the video onto disc.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Evaluation Question 3
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
By showing a draft of each of my products to a small audience I realised I had a few details to change to make my products more effective. By first showing my audience my video it became obvious that I needed to make some tweaks to certain cuts and shots. This included moving some shots to make them more in time with the music which overall made it more affective. With the ancillary texts I needed to adjust things slightly to make them more conventional and realistic. On the website it was suggested that I make some of the images larger and add more text onto the home page. With the DVD cover I needed to add another quotation from a reviewer and add a selection of logos to make it more realistic. By making these changes based on the audience feedback, I think that my products have become more accurate to the task brief and are at a good standard of realism.
By showing a draft of each of my products to a small audience I realised I had a few details to change to make my products more effective. By first showing my audience my video it became obvious that I needed to make some tweaks to certain cuts and shots. This included moving some shots to make them more in time with the music which overall made it more affective. With the ancillary texts I needed to adjust things slightly to make them more conventional and realistic. On the website it was suggested that I make some of the images larger and add more text onto the home page. With the DVD cover I needed to add another quotation from a reviewer and add a selection of logos to make it more realistic. By making these changes based on the audience feedback, I think that my products have become more accurate to the task brief and are at a good standard of realism.
Evaluation Question 2
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
When approaching these tasks as a promotional package for the release of an album I felt it was important for each of my products to have obvious links to each other. Both of my ancillary texts contain small things such as the record label of a shamrock and shared images to link them together subtly. The website contains a small advert which I created using clips from the music video. This clip advertises ‘Archway: Live from Chicago’ CD and DVD. The website also contains images of the band linking to the video and indicating to the audience what the band look like. I chose these three tasks because of the variety of skills needed to use the applications involved with them, and also to add variety to my project. I also think that these three parts complement each other nicely and also run on from each other through the links that they contain.
When approaching these tasks as a promotional package for the release of an album I felt it was important for each of my products to have obvious links to each other. Both of my ancillary texts contain small things such as the record label of a shamrock and shared images to link them together subtly. The website contains a small advert which I created using clips from the music video. This clip advertises ‘Archway: Live from Chicago’ CD and DVD. The website also contains images of the band linking to the video and indicating to the audience what the band look like. I chose these three tasks because of the variety of skills needed to use the applications involved with them, and also to add variety to my project. I also think that these three parts complement each other nicely and also run on from each other through the links that they contain.
Evaluation Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Before starting the creation and planning of two of my products I researched and analysed similar real products that could inspire and develop my ideas. Before starting my video, I watched a scene from Back to the Future which contains a chase between Marty and Biff through the town square; this scene involves a lot of fast paced running action, which was very similar to my ideas at the time. By watching this clip I was able to grasp on to some of the basic camera angles and shots that I needed to use in my video. In developing these various shots and ideas that I had gotten from the scenes I drew up a storyboard to the song I had chosen (Shoot the Runner- Kasabian) containing approximate timings, camera angles and sketches making it easier to visualise. In order to make my video more conventional I tried to make cuts and shots precise to the beat and rhythm of the music. I also ensured that I had credits at the beginning and the end of the video. At the beginning of the video I had titles showing the name of the song and the name of the band, the ending of the video contained credits showing the actors who starred in the video and the names of the director and editor.
For the DVD cover that I made I looked at the ‘Foo Fighters’ DVD cover for their ‘Everywhere but home’ tour. I chose this because the band Foo Fighters is of a similar genre to the one that I had chosen for my band ‘Archway’. By looking and analysing this cover I was able to get an idea of how to create a realistic and conventional cover. By looking at this cover it became obvious what I needed to make a realistic cover: images, a short blurb and reviews. I also needed a credits banner where I would write the names of everyone involved in the production of the DVD. Looking at the DVD also gave me an plan of what logos and titles I needed to have on the cover. These included conventional logos such as age certificates and the logos of the Production Company and record label. Looking at this DVD gave me an insight into how to make my product conventional and realistic to the genre of the band and to the media form.
Before starting the creation and planning of two of my products I researched and analysed similar real products that could inspire and develop my ideas. Before starting my video, I watched a scene from Back to the Future which contains a chase between Marty and Biff through the town square; this scene involves a lot of fast paced running action, which was very similar to my ideas at the time. By watching this clip I was able to grasp on to some of the basic camera angles and shots that I needed to use in my video. In developing these various shots and ideas that I had gotten from the scenes I drew up a storyboard to the song I had chosen (Shoot the Runner- Kasabian) containing approximate timings, camera angles and sketches making it easier to visualise. In order to make my video more conventional I tried to make cuts and shots precise to the beat and rhythm of the music. I also ensured that I had credits at the beginning and the end of the video. At the beginning of the video I had titles showing the name of the song and the name of the band, the ending of the video contained credits showing the actors who starred in the video and the names of the director and editor.
For the DVD cover that I made I looked at the ‘Foo Fighters’ DVD cover for their ‘Everywhere but home’ tour. I chose this because the band Foo Fighters is of a similar genre to the one that I had chosen for my band ‘Archway’. By looking and analysing this cover I was able to get an idea of how to create a realistic and conventional cover. By looking at this cover it became obvious what I needed to make a realistic cover: images, a short blurb and reviews. I also needed a credits banner where I would write the names of everyone involved in the production of the DVD. Looking at the DVD also gave me an plan of what logos and titles I needed to have on the cover. These included conventional logos such as age certificates and the logos of the Production Company and record label. Looking at this DVD gave me an insight into how to make my product conventional and realistic to the genre of the band and to the media form.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Review
Before publishing my video and other media products, I showed them to a selection of people. These people consisted of my brother and his friend who actually starred in the video and photo shoots, and the others were some friends that had heard about my project.
I showed them all three of my products and after each they made some comments on what they thought could be changed and what they really liked about each product.
I first showed them the video to which they were most excited about. After seeing the video they all agreed that they quite liked the song and the ideas that were presented in the video. However they felt in some places the cuts or shots could be more precise to the beat of the music. They also thought that I could have used more effects such as slow motion or fading shots into each other.
I then showed them the DVD cover. They said that the colours and text all contrasted well and the cover matched their mental image of what a music DVD should look like. One of them suggested that the cover could use one or two more DVD logos such as an age certificate (PG, 12 etc) or something relating to the production of the DVD. They also suggested that there should be more than one review on the cover to show more variety and to persuade the average audience member further.
The last on my project that I showed the group was the bands website. They all really the video embedded into the homepage and liked the idea of this page being an entrance into the proper homepage. On the homepage they all thought it was fine however they recommended that I should make some of the images bigger and maybe add a little extra to the text on this page.
After taking the following comments in I tried to use all of them to improve each of my products. With the video I worked hard trying to cut shots precisely with the music to make it more hard hitting and effective. I also tried to add some effects such as slow motion. On the DVD cover I added logos, to emphasise the realism of the product. On the website I managed to make the images bigger, to make them more effective, I also added a manipulated image that I used on the DVD cover. I also added more contrast to the images that were already on the page to give them more mood and to contrast them against the black background and surroundings of the page.
I showed them all three of my products and after each they made some comments on what they thought could be changed and what they really liked about each product.
I first showed them the video to which they were most excited about. After seeing the video they all agreed that they quite liked the song and the ideas that were presented in the video. However they felt in some places the cuts or shots could be more precise to the beat of the music. They also thought that I could have used more effects such as slow motion or fading shots into each other.
I then showed them the DVD cover. They said that the colours and text all contrasted well and the cover matched their mental image of what a music DVD should look like. One of them suggested that the cover could use one or two more DVD logos such as an age certificate (PG, 12 etc) or something relating to the production of the DVD. They also suggested that there should be more than one review on the cover to show more variety and to persuade the average audience member further.
The last on my project that I showed the group was the bands website. They all really the video embedded into the homepage and liked the idea of this page being an entrance into the proper homepage. On the homepage they all thought it was fine however they recommended that I should make some of the images bigger and maybe add a little extra to the text on this page.
After taking the following comments in I tried to use all of them to improve each of my products. With the video I worked hard trying to cut shots precisely with the music to make it more hard hitting and effective. I also tried to add some effects such as slow motion. On the DVD cover I added logos, to emphasise the realism of the product. On the website I managed to make the images bigger, to make them more effective, I also added a manipulated image that I used on the DVD cover. I also added more contrast to the images that were already on the page to give them more mood and to contrast them against the black background and surroundings of the page.
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