Thursday, 6 March 2014
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Evaluation Question 4
How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
New media refers to on-demand access to content anytime, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback. Throughout the different tasks I had to do before completing my music video, different forms of new media were used to show my research, planning and evaluation tasks.
iTunes
iTunes is used for downloading music to your computer. I used iTunes to save the track in which I used for my music video. From here, I uploaded the track into Premier Pro, ready to edit alongside my footage. iTunes is an example of new media, and it can be used to edit song quality too. iTunes impacted on my project because it was the way in which I obtained my audio in which to run alongside my footage for my music video.
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Digital Video Camera
I used a digital video camera to film my footage. Once filmed I was then able to insert the memory card into the SD card reader which was then fitted to the Apple Mac. I was then able to import all of the footage onto Premier Pro and begin my editing process. The camera impacted on my project the most, because without the camera no filming could be done, and I would therefore have to video to create and edit.
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Digital Camera
I had to use a digital camera to capture images for my 'Actors, Props, Digipak and Locations' blog posts. I had to take photos in which I then imported off the camera and onto the Apple Mac, which I then included in my blog posts. The digital camera was an important factor when completing my planning tasks, as I needed to use it to take photos for various blogs' such as: Props, Locations, Actors, Equipment.
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Apple Mac
For 90% of my blog posts, I used the Apple Mac. I used it because it already contained all of the software in which I needed to completely edit my music video and to create my digipack. I used photoshop in which I moulded together the pictures of my artists and then created them in a magazine advert form. The mac was the main component to my whole product. The digipack, music video and magazine advert were all edited and completed on the apple mac. This impacts my project greatly, as if I had no Mac to work with, I wouldn't have a video either.
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Photoshop
Using photoshop allowed me to create my digipak. I imported my images from my camera, (images of my artists) then I edited the contrast and exposure of each picture, ensuring I got the clearest, high quality picture possible. It was really easy for me to use because I have used it before on numerous occasions, but this particular time required me to use my highest knowledge of photoshop skills. Photoshop plays a vital role in my final products, as I used it to edit 2/3 of my campaign. It was effective in the way in which it allowed me to edit my artwork and create a professional looking Album cover, inside cover, back cover and magazine poster.
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Hotmail/Outlook
Hotmail/Outlook was used in the planning stages of my music video, where I had to send a message to my Artist's record label company that I was attempting a remake of one of their songs, and that no copyright is intended, and no profit would be made off the outcome of the video. Hotmail.com didnt have a massive impact on the project as a whole, but it was used in one of the blog posts, and was mainly used for me to send work to myself so it was accessible at home.
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Powerpoint
I had to use powerpoint for numerous blog posts leading up to the production of my music video. It is a programme that orders slides into a cluster, ready for presenting ideas. The perks of using Powerpoint is that it is a very simple programme to use. It allowed me to show my methodical thinking behind ideas and allowed me to present it in such a way that can be understood by reading it. Powerpoint had a big impact in on my final products because it was one of the most commonly used programmes throughout research, planning, production and even the evaluation.
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Premier Pro
Premier Pro was the software in which I edited my music video. There were many more effects and transitions to work with, as opposed to iMovie, and this allowed me to create a more sophisticated music video. It is an editing program for videos which will allow the user to change different features of their footage. I was able to use Premier Pro to add effects to my footage, such as when I changed the lighting and exposure of one of my scenes, in order to give the impression that my artist is in heaven. Premier Pro was a very useful programme to use once I mastered how to get the most out of it. It played a big role in the editing process of my products as it was the only one in which was available to use when editing.
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Blogger
Blogger 2.0 was the main focus of this year. I used it to show all my work from my year 12 and year 13 courses. It allows us as the users to post multiple posts in the form of a blog. This was the most commonly used new media throughout this year as it was used for my planning, research and evaluation. Blogger 2.0 plays the most important role when evaluating the product as a whole. Every blog post has used Blogger 2.0 and so that makes this the programme in which has had the most impact.
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Youtube
Youtube was used this year to help me explain what effects I want to accomplish within my own video. In one video, I wanted to try and almost replicate an effect I found, and so by using youtube and searching for tutorials for Premier Pro, it allowed me to work out how to use the correct effects in the best way. After my video had been exported, I uploaded it to youtube in which is now publicly available for viewing. Youtube was another site that had a major contribution to the exportation of my final product, as my music video was posted publicly on there for the public to see.
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Slideshare
Slideshare takes Powerpoint presentations and changes the format of it, so it is available to be viewed online. When completing a task on Powerpoint, I had to then log into my slideshare and upload my Powerpoint onto it, in order for the format to be altered to be available online, allowing me to submit it as one of my blog posts. Slideshare helped me when completing powerpoint based blog posts as it was a way of presenting and submitting work.
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Google Images
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Google Images is a search engine in which the user will search for a particular item, and the Google Images software will search for that item in under 1 second. I mainly used Google Images for tasks that required some visual information as well as written. Usually, tasks that were completed on Powerpoint and Prezi required Goole Images as I could search for the item I wanted, then embed it into my post accordingly. Google images came in handy when completing posts leading up to the final product as not everything was photographable, but more times I would ensure I capture a clear photograph of the main mise en scene.
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Prezi
Prezi allows the user to create a presentation which is more interactive than any other software today, with transitions from frame to frame. This type of new media was used to present my blog posts on different occasions. Most of my planning posts were created on Prezi as it is in the form of a Brainstorm, allowing much planning detail and techniques. Also, with the most dull blog posts, I was able to lighten them up a bit with the different transitions and exciting pathways that Prezi allowed. From Prezi, I then embedded the embed code into the HTML section of my blogger, allowing me to submit my blog posts. Prezi was a very helpful programme when completing my blog posts as many of them could be presented using it. It was a much more exciting method of presenting work and so had a very positive effect on my products as a whole.
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Evaluation Question 1
In
the first screenshot of my music video, I chose to use a candle burning. This
is a generic convention for a music video in the r’n’b/rap genre, as everything
is made out to be mystical and spiritual. This is a good video opening, as
straight away the audience are attracted to this flickering flame that is
almost hard to take your eyes off. This is a symbolic sign that may denotate to
the audience that the artist’s emotions or love is like a flickering flame that
could go out at any time, but also the meaning is there for the audience
to interpret at their own accord.
The
second screenshot consists of a close up/panning shot, just of my artist’s
eyes. At this point my artist hasn’t been revealed yet, and so for the
audience, before they see the main artist, just his eyes are revealed, again
adding an element of mystery and suspense to the opening of my video. The eyes
of my artist have been shown in this scene to create a sense of innocence. The
eyes are looked into to show lust and desire, and that is how I wanted to begin
my music video. The audience would be feeling curious at the moment because the artist is yet to have been revealed fully.
In
the third scene, my artist is still not introduced fully. He maintains the
shape of a dark silhouette, in which the audience can make out the lyrics he is
lip-syncing to. To get this effect, I had to find somewhere in which the light
was behind my artist being filmed. I found a window in which the curtain
blocked some of the light, causing this dark shadow effect in which is very
generic to an r’n’b music video. My audience would immediately understand the genre of this video by this technique as they would realise that it is a typical convention to help establish the rap/r&b genre.
The
fourth scene of my 9-frame analysis shows my second artist wearing an
expensively branded polo shirt ‘Lyle & Scott’ which in sitting underneath a
diamond encrusted necklace, showing that the artists in the video are regarded
as rich and well off. When making a r’n’b video, money is a very dominant
factor as many successful artists like to use it as almost bragging rights to
the nation, flossing the amount of money they have. This is important for me to portray to my audience in order to make it a more realistic and believable r&b/rap video.
The
fifth scene consists of a close up of a cluster of money in note form. The
Queen’s face is featured on every bank note, and so when the lyrics in the song
go: ‘My eyes must be cloudy’ a close up of the Queen’s eyes on one of the bank
notes is shown. This gives the impression that the artist could be expressing
his love for money through the metaphor of the Queen’s face. For my target audience this should be portrayed quite clearly, but for an audience of 30+, they may struggle to understand the relevance of the money shots.
The
sixth scene from my 9-frame analysis shows my artist directly singing at the
camera. He is again wearing a branded polo in which is instantly recognisable
to most viewers. He is lip-syncing to the lyrics in a white background. The
white background came from a special effect I chose to use when editing, and I
had to change the exposure of colour on Premier Pro. This was supposed to give the
effect that may artist was in a far away different place (either mars or a
parallel equivalent e.g. heaven) where he is in paradise, in which the white
background helps portray. Hopefully, my audience will understand that I am trying to portray my artist as being in a different world/dimension.
The
seventh scene shows my artist in his bedroom. He is sitting on his bed and
looking up at the camera to show his normality. The idea of using a high camera
angle is to make the viewers believe that my artist can be vulnerable at times,
and can be needy. The high camera takes away any masculine characteristics my
artists has, and also the fact he is topless shows how insecure he can be. The audience should be feeling as though they could relate to my artist as he is performing typical teenage boy/young adult activities such as: lounging around in bed all day because you can't be with the love of your life, and the video is trying to portray that message.
The
eighth scene from my 9-frame analyses shows when my second artist is
introduced. He is standing in front of some motorbikes, and therefore
exaggerating the genre conventions. Motorcycles play a vital role when
establishing a genre of music video because so many famous artists use them to
demonstrate how they do things in the genre. For example, famous rapper Meek
Mill uses his motor bike when making his music videos because it adds an urban
effect to the footage. This is the
part of the song where the rap element is performed as ‘Rick Ross’ comes onto
the R’n’b track. I have tried to show this urban look by asking some of my
friends to act as the cavalry behind my main actor. This was made to look like
my actor had a gang behind him, thus matching the generic conventions of the
rap genre. All the other actors are wearing black, which fits in with the ‘space/Mars’
theme, and so to make my artist stand out, I chose to make him wear a
distinctive grey sweatshirt with the diamond chains hanging over the top of it. For the audience, this clears up any confusion as to whom in which is the main artist and who is his 'gang' behind him.
The
final screenshot of my music video is of both my artists together. I chose to
follow my theme of the blacks and red, as my main actors T-shirt is a black
round tee with red markings on it to represent Mars. My other artist is wearing
an all black polo shirt, and still stands out because they are the only two
actors in the shot. The camera is a medium shot from just about the waist
onwards as the main focus in this scene is the performance aspect. For my audience, they will see that this is one of the main scenes in which my artists come together and perform, making this the climax of the video. This gives the audience the impression that the artists are close with one-another, demonstrating brotherhood, in which is another convention to the rap/r&b genre.
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