Music Video.

Website.

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Digipack.

How did you use New Media Technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

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

Technologies I have used across the two years:

I decided to create this diagram to show all the different types of technologies that I have used across the two years of my A Level media studies course. The technologies have advanced hugely from AS to A2. The first thing I did was to use the internet and YouTube to research other opening sequence thrillers to help identiy conventions within these, The next technology used was the Sony NX5, which was the camera I filmed my AS Thriller opening sequence. Then to edit this sequence, I used Adobe Premier Pro. To help me track the progress, I also used technologies such as Prezi, Blogger, YouTube and Slideshare. 
In A2, the technologies advanced. I filmed my music video using A Sony FS100 camera and also edited it on Premier Pro, However, this time there was another layer added as my group and I had to colour grade the video to make sure the shots all matched and make it fit the message we were trying to portray, we done this by using pink tones. I also created a website using wordpress, which is a technology I had never used before. We edited the digipack using Photoshop, lightroom and after effects, all of which helped to create a product that was to a professional standard and part of a successful campaign.
Throughout this task, I have used both online and offline editing, using software, hardware and digital technologies. 









Script:

The Script:
 

GH:                 During the shoot, we used various technologies to film our video.  Before each shot we used an ipad that was linked to the surround sound system in the studio.

We held up the screen with the song time to the lens of the camera, until a beep came that signalled the beginning of the song. This therefore told us and the artist lip syncing that he had 4 seconds until the song began, and also made it easier for us in the edit to know where to place the visuals so that they matched the track.

We did the majority of the filming using a Sony FS100 camera and prior to each shot we took, we had to focus the lens and white balance the shot by zooming in on a white area, adjusting the colour and then zooming out and arranging our shot.   As we were filming, each member of our group would take a turn operating the camera, while the other three watched and directed from a TV that was placed out of the way of the set.

CH:                 Having the TV made our filming process much easier, as there would not have been enough time on the shoot day to re-watch our footage so it allowed us to see whether what we were filming worked and if the shots were going to be efficient enough to be used in the edit.

We used a second camera on our video shoot – a Canon 5D camera to film the set where Sasha was upside down.  This was a much better suited camera for this artistic cinematography that we wanted to achieve.   

As we had to be up-close and on the floor, using the FS100 would have been too bulky, and the lens was too close to the ground. By using a lighter camera, physically filming the shots became much easier and we were able to move the camera much more easily because it is so light.  This digital technology also enabled the quick transfer and uploading of footage to a mac computer.

GB:                 Finally, this was our most artistic shot and using a lens that easily focuses on the artists face our shots came out in a very high definition. The only con with using this camera was that we did not have time to link it up to the TV, and so we could not judge whether our shots were usable as we went along.   We then realised when we got to the edit that a lot of our footage was out of focus.

When filming our music video, we used an iPad for playback at the start of each shot. We did this so that when it came to editing, it would be much easier for us to be able to sync the clips to the audio that was already on the timeline, to make it look like our artist was actually singing the words.

We did this by using the arrow keys to slowly move along our footage,  and then we found the point at which the frequency was highest on the playback clip, then we knew to cut the video, using the blade tool at the point and then drag the clip back along the timeline in order for it to be correctly synced.

When we edited our video we used colour grading to help bring out our music video. We used a slight hint of pink to show that our artist is girly as this would relate to our target audience. This made the video look more edgy and appealing to the audience. As our song is very fast paced we decided to make our cuts fast. For example, in the UV set the cuts are rapid, this helps as it goes to the beat of the song and is interesting for the audience to watch.

LM:                  By having four different sets this allowed our artist to be seen in different perspectives. Which makes our artist relevant and can appeal to different types of people, which means our artist can branch out and not just stay with one group of people. We had to export our video into a MOV file, which means it can be seen in high quality, after exporting it we then uploaded it onto YouTube.

By having it on YouTube we can see who, when, where and why people are watching our music video. We can also see the age of our viewers which will enabled us to see if we successfully grabbed our target audience.

By using Adobe Premier Pro as the software to edit our music video we were able to complete the offline and online process of editing in a quick manner. In the offline process of editing we watched through all our clips to see which ones were effective and could be used in our final product. After sleeting these clips we put into a folder known as the ‘rushes’ folder. We then named each clip to help us identify the clip without having to watch each one over and over again, making the editing process faster and more manageable.  We used was the ‘razor’ tool to allow us to cut and shape our clips so that they could match with the pace and the tempo our chosen song.

After organising the clips we placed them onto the timeline by looking at the playback times and syncing the lip-sync of our artist up with the lyrics in the song, this made our video look more realistic and adhere to all of the ‘pop’ conventions in a music video.

To conclude, I have used technological convergence to help create a professional and successful media campaign. By using the Sony NX5, Sony FS100, Adobe Premier Pro and uploading my final products to YouTube, I have become a prosumer. This also enabled my video to become accessible to people in far eastern markets, such as Brazil, which I never knew existed. Throughout this course, I have been able to widen my skills which has helped me how to organise and create a video using semi professional equipment. Digital technologies have allowed me to upload, share and distribute my products using YouTube as a free broadcast platform. Audiences have been able to give feedback by liking, sharing and commenting on the video and also completing surveys on sites such as Survey Monkey. I have really enjoyed this experience and it has enabled me to gain experience not only as a user of digital technology, but also as a producer, which is essential in understanding the media in the online age.