This is my evaluation question 4. How new media technologies have advanced over the years and therefore has been important to us throughout all stages of creating our teaser trailer, poster and magazine. Media technologies have allowed us to create more advanced and realistic products throughout our A2 year while also allowing us to experiment with conventions. It has allowed us to promote our teaser trailer over different social media apps throughout the stages of construction, making it more visible for the target audience. Digital media now plays a larger role in creating products then ever before, creating a teaser trailer has allowed us experience the effects it has on the product stage first hand. Due to the new media technologies being created, it has allowed people to view media products on a wider range of media platforms.
Research & Planning
Using Weebly we were able to:
- Upload anything to the blog at anytime from any device
- Upload images, text, videos, GIFS, thinglinks to better get our points across clearly and visually
- We can easily go in and easily make any alterations to our work
Google:
Google was used as a way of collect real life media texts for us to use as inspiration when making the poster, magazine and teaser trailer, as well as being able to find content to annotate when comparing our products to the real life media texts.As a search engine Google allowed us to access all the necessary sites for making our products likes Weebly and YouTube. We used google lots throughout the research and planning stage to research many different types of posters, magazines and teaser trailers to find a style that best fit with the theme we were going for.
Using Google we could:
Google was used as a way of collect real life media texts for us to use as inspiration when making the poster, magazine and teaser trailer, as well as being able to find content to annotate when comparing our products to the real life media texts.As a search engine Google allowed us to access all the necessary sites for making our products likes Weebly and YouTube. We used google lots throughout the research and planning stage to research many different types of posters, magazines and teaser trailers to find a style that best fit with the theme we were going for.
Using Google we could:
- Search all relevant information related to the project
- find real media texts to compare our products too
- Easily finding previous work to compare and use as inspiration
Prezi:
Using prezi we were able to create presentations during the genre research stage, this was useful as it meant we were able to present the information in an interesting and creative way when identifying the different sub-genres of horror. It uses stop motion and zooming in order to bring the presentation alive.
Using prezi we were able to create presentations during the genre research stage, this was useful as it meant we were able to present the information in an interesting and creative way when identifying the different sub-genres of horror. It uses stop motion and zooming in order to bring the presentation alive.
Thinglink:
By using thinglink during the genre research stage we were able to order the specific conventions of each sub-genre of horror in relation to their colour schemes, themes, character types and antagonist . The website allowed us to edit the important information on top of photos. The images can easily be saved and embedded in the blog.
By using thinglink during the genre research stage we were able to order the specific conventions of each sub-genre of horror in relation to their colour schemes, themes, character types and antagonist . The website allowed us to edit the important information on top of photos. The images can easily be saved and embedded in the blog.
Using Prezi & Thinglink we was able to:
- Annotate pictures with text to describe conventions
- Different methods of presenting information
- Add in pictures, text and videos to vissualy aid the description
(The Internet Movie Database) we used this throughout the research and planning stage to get information about the key conventions of the specific sub-genre of our movie i.e. supernatural by watching the trailers of the top rated movies so we knew what did and didn't work.We were also able access information on the production and distribution companies, actors, genre, release date and also a synopsis on the movie, which helped us to condense the ideas of our teaser trailer into a short description that we would be able to follow.
Using ImDB we were able to:
Using ImDB we were able to:
- Search up any movie
- Read all the information relating to a movie
- Look at the reviews and audience feedback about the movie
Canon 500D – We used this camera throughout the planning stage, after researching the typical horror shots and standard shots we should use to make the trailer if we were to follow conventions, we put together a video with examples of these shots. We used influence from a wide range of sub-genres; for example in the monster genre we used a shot of a full moon which would be associated with werewolf's. For a slasher, a bloody hand wipe or a close up of a weapon would be appropriate. We then edited the footage together using Final Cut Pro X.
Final Cut Pro X – This was useful during the planning stage in order to create the sound design, animatic and horror shots videos. We were easily able to add videos, pictures and sound to create professional videos throughout the research and planning stage, by useing the tools on Final Cut such as text, filters and transitions. We then put all our work together into one video which we uploaded to Youtube and embedded into our Weebly blog.
Using Final Cut Pro and a Canon 500D we were able to:
Final Cut Pro X – This was useful during the planning stage in order to create the sound design, animatic and horror shots videos. We were easily able to add videos, pictures and sound to create professional videos throughout the research and planning stage, by useing the tools on Final Cut such as text, filters and transitions. We then put all our work together into one video which we uploaded to Youtube and embedded into our Weebly blog.
Using Final Cut Pro and a Canon 500D we were able to:
- Capture and edit the footage
- Add title slates, filters and transitions
- Add pictures, video and sound to make the video
When we had compiled a questionnaire for our audience research, we created the surveys on the actual weebly page and then sent the link to the target audience on whatsapp and Imessage to get the results from the target audience about what they preferred when looking at horror posters, magazines and teaser trailers, this allowed us to compile the results easily as all the data had been sent to us.
Using Whatsapp and Imessage we were able to:
Using Whatsapp and Imessage we were able to:
- Easily communicate with our target audience
- Screenshot and share pictures of their answers
- share the questionnaire with the target audience
Quicktime:
Using this programme we were able to record the screen, when creating our draft/final magazine and poster, in order to show the progression and development of our projects as we developed each of the conventions changing ideas and filters to make multiple ideas in the drafting stage that best fit the feeling for the finale product.
Using Quicktime we were able to:
Record any action done on the screen
It is easily to export the file to Final Cut Pro X or YouTube
Using this programme we were able to record the screen, when creating our draft/final magazine and poster, in order to show the progression and development of our projects as we developed each of the conventions changing ideas and filters to make multiple ideas in the drafting stage that best fit the feeling for the finale product.
Using Quicktime we were able to:
Record any action done on the screen
It is easily to export the file to Final Cut Pro X or YouTube
Construction
Final Cut Pro X was the programme we used to create our horror teaser trailer in the sub-genre of supernatural, we had not used this software before which meant there were some learning curbs when using the software as we were unsure of how to do certain effects and how to apply colour correction. the software was a useful asset as it allowed us to edit our clips cutting, the shots so they fit correctly into the layout we had for our trailer, for example from our research we found that jump scares typical appear in trailers at 20, 30 and 45 seconds this meant that if we just put the original footage unedited in the trailer it would not of followed this convention, so through the use of the blade tool we were able to match this convention. a skill that was very useful was inputting sound into the trailer, which was very easy to do as we simply had to import the audio clips into Finale Cut Pro X or if the audio was in a YouTube clip simply detach the audio from the clip, so we could place a cut on the exact beat of the sound making it a more professional product. A tool that was difficult to use was the colour correction, which allowed us to manipulate the footage in post-production, this enabled us to darken footage of shots that were to light when they were filmed in the production stage, this tool was difficult to use as every clip had to be individually edited to get just the right colour and tint to the clip, we applied a filter to all the clips to match the turquoise theme in the poster and magazine, however in some shots the effect made them to dark so they had to be altered in the settings to alter the exposer,colour and saturation.
Using Final Cut Pro X we could:
- Input the footage filmed
- cut footage taken to the correct length
- alter sound so it played at the correct times
- colour correct
- add transitions in.
The main piece of editing software used for the construction stage of the poster and magazine used was Adobe Photoshop, overall we found this software very easy to use as our experience from our AS work meant w already had an understanding as to how to use the software. this meant we could easily transfer certain skills across like cropping the image using the refine edge and then softening the edge so the image blended into the background instead of having a sharp outline making it look unprofessional.
Using Photoshop we could:
- Colour correct
- Add graphical elements
- Crop images
- Add effects such as tv filter.
- Correct mistakes by using the undo/ redo tool
- Select and hide unwanted areas
We used YouTube and YouTube converter in order to find sounds for the trailer for example in the paranormal activity teaser trailer there is a scene involving the screaming audience which we used as non-diegetic sound for the trailer, this was a very useful tool when creating the trailer, it was necessary to get the video clips and insert them into Finale Cut Pro X and detaching the audio from the clips.we also used this for the multiple non-diegetic and diegetic sound in the trailer, we used YouTube over such sites as soundclip as lots of the audio files were joke horror such as the screams, they felt to unrealistic so it meant we had to rethink how we did the sound design.
The camera was a vital tool for our project, we used this tool to film the footage for the trailer, the settings of the camera were the most important part of filming when the we were shooting clips as the ISO had to be altered to allow more or less light to enter the camera this was necessary we needed to make sure that the footage was not to bright or it would have been breaking the convention of using low-key lighting for our horror trailer, for example when filming the dragging into darkness seen we had to increase the ISO as the minimal light in the room meant the clip would of been to dark for the footage to be usable. The cameras were provided by the college as the footage needed to be captured in a high quality, or the footage would of failed to be realistic and wouldn't of been able to create a hyper reality, and without the camera it would have been impossible to complete the project.
Using this cannon 500D camera we could:
- Play back the footage we had shoot to see if it was of a high quality.
- Take it to any location as it was small and portable.
- However the battery life was limited so extra batteries were required but they were light and small so it didn’t take up much.
Throughout the production stage of our Media products we used Apple Mac computers provided by the college, it benefited us greatly as programmes such as Photoshop, adobe In-Design and Final Cut were already installed on the Macs. When it came to doing work outside of class this was not possible to do certain tasks for example all of the editing on the trailer could only be done in class this meant that certain tacks had to be prioritised when it came to making the products for example outside of class we sourced the sound clips we wanted from YouTube so we simply had to put the sound in when in lesson. The MAC’s are such high quality that it meant they came fully equipped with the necessary software.
EVALUATION
The stages of construction
YouTube was used to upload our teaser trailer, we could of uploaded the video to social media sites like Facebook but they do not get as much focus on these sites as they do on YouTube instead we simply linked the trailer to Facebook in order to get more views in our target audience to watch the teaser trailer for feedback. This made the evaluation process much easier as we didn't need to go out and physically collect response from our target audience and we could do it from anywhere.
Photoshop was a very useful tool as it allowed us to create products for the advertisement of our media products, this included; new logos, billboards, game cases etc. The software had a wide range of tools that made it easy to edit images on of which was the magnet lasso tool which allowed us to copy the facial feature of our antagonist and place them on such things as the Lego game case.
overall we found that we used many media technologies when making the media products as well as when we presented and evaluated our products, with the media products we were able to easily document all our work.the technologies used have taught us how to use multiple types of software such as Photoshop, finale cut pro x and thinglink which allowed us to present all of our information in a variety of creative way. using the computer technologies allowed us to play around with many different ideas to find what best suited the conventions of our media products and when creating the advertising products the skills learnt from the construction stage came in very useful.