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

The benefit of having constant access to technology has aided our project massively. From the beginning of the project we communicated through the use of social networks, using the platform was efficient in moving forward quickly. We could discuss our video during our own time to gain advantage when it came to the production process. It also helped in the sense that the crew were able to get comfortable with each other, and enable us to project our feelings with ease.

                                                                    Planning

The product we used to record every stage of the coursework task was blogger. In my AS year I had used Tumblr to create my blog, adjusting to the format of blogger was a new experience, however it took little time to grasp. The site was a definite improvement on Tumblr and utilized the information in an easy format. The customisation of the blog meant I could adapt it to suite the purpose of the blog and make it looked more polished and professional.

The internet was an obvious source of research; we gained information about the band and condensed them into the blog. We used websites such as www.kodaline.com to access the bands information directly. YouTube was useful in terms of observing band interviews and learning more about their influences and inspirations. We used these sites to gain a wider picture of the band and their image.

In terms of collecting audience feedback, we create a survey on www.surveymonkey.com and then shared it through social network sites such as Facebook and twitter. Creating a viral relationship with your target audience is a marketing technique used repeatedly in the industry. We also conducted video interviews using the Cannon 600D, however when we attempted to upload the videos there were issues. This is an example of how technology can occasionally be a hindrance rather than a benefit. I created the layout for our storyboards through Microsoft word, using the programme meant I could easily change the template if needed and that I could construct it to be specifically useful to us. To add variety to the blog I used online tools such as Prezi to present the information I had gathered, it created a more entertaining aesthetic. Another tool I used to upload documents was Google Docs, this was convenient and meant I could upload documents directly from Microsoft word; in comparison to the creating process of blogger, Microsoft word has much more functionality and gave me more creative freedom.

Production and Post-Production

Hardware - In the filming process we used a Canon 600D and a tripod to capture our shots. The camera is of high quality and created the best possible image of our vast scenery and nature shots. It had many functions that meant we could adapt the in case of changes in weather or loss of sunlight. The tripod came in handy to ensure that the shots were steady. We used the Mac laptops during the entire editing process, I was only briefly familiar with macs and getting use to using took more time than I expected. Smaller hardware tools such as the SD card and USB memory stick were essential in transferring data onto other mediums.

Software – We edited the music video in Adobe Premier Pro, the group were not accustomed to the format and adjusting to it was the most difficult part of the process; eventually our understanding of it grew through active work. We experimented with both visual and audio transitions to create a smoother video.

Developing the Digipak and magazine advert was done in Adobe Photoshop, from AS I was familiar with the layout however my ability was still somewhat restricted. Through the process I learnt how to use layering properly, and used the lasso tool frequently. I also experimented with filtering the images used and making them appear more subtle in the text. By practising I managed to create a more professional final product.