When conducting research, and during the editing stages, we used Microsoft Vista operated hardware, these being found in our schools media room, where most of the production and research took place. When producing and conducting research at home, I used a Windows 7 operated laptop, which doesn't differ too much therefore compatibility wise it wasn't an issue.The final cut of our film was produced using Adobe elements 9. We had time to develop our schools for elements, as we had used it before during a preliminary starter task to introduce us into short films. Below I will go step by step in the different types of technology that I had used throughout the process of creating my short film.
The computer hardware that I used to create my short film was a Toshiba satellite pro Laptop with the use of a windows vista operating system. I decided to use the laptop when creating my short film because it was more convenient in terms of travelling back and forth to school, not to mention its consistent high speed which allowed the editing process easier. I also used a dell computer within sixth form but the majority of the work was created with the use of the laptop. Another reason for why I had decided to create the short film production on my laptop was because I would have more time overall if I were to continuously work from home. An image of the laptop and the dell hardware can be seen as follows:
Along with the use of computer hardware, another major piece of equipment which helped me throughout the process of creating my short film, was the USB memory stick that was used to transfer and store any data from my production from school to my home laptop. The convenient size and amount of memory that I had within the memory stick allowed me to save a sufficient amount of data, and thus operating from home allowed me to improve and optimize my short film and ancillary tasks further. When using camcorders and digital cameras the memory card provided was a Sandisk GB. The memory card was large enough to allow us to film our entire film on it and also include a range of photography that we had taken during the course of our ancillary task creation.We used tripods to secure the cameras and alter their height position, and angle. The Video Cameras were used to record all of our visual footage and Still Camera's were used to take picture of the filming process. Microphones were also used to enhance the sound quality complete with microphone stands to keep them steady and we then edited the audio clips and sound files using audacity.
I used a Fuji 8MP camera when taking all of my photos for the Ancillary tasks and stills for our film. The camera was of a high quality therefore the images would be also. The images that were produced from the camera were sharp and the brightness/contrast was accurate. An image of a similar camera can be seen below also. We used a HD camcorder to record our short film, we decided to use the HD feature as it keeps up with current technologies and the quality would look greater if the film was being played back onto a High Definition tv. At the end of filming we decided to opt to use the new iPhone camera as it was also HD and there wasn't a difference between the camcorder. We decided to use it due to technology problems with the camcorder, the memory card had corrupted and we had no more space left on the camcorder.
For Planning & Research
I had used this site, http://www.blogger.com/ to record all of my A2 Media work on. Blogger has enabled me to learn the key blogging skills and foundations, which are key fundamental media skills in the vast improrving society of media.
Along with using blogger, I had also used and developed skills in word processing programs such as Microsoft Word and Powerpoint. I used the Microsoft office suite when writing, keeping a track of of my research and findings, and for providing evidence and printscreens for work that I had created in other programs and used the print screen feature. On blogger I have used a variety of interactive elements in order to make it look more appealing for the audience.
I had created a blog last year for my AS portfolio therefore I have some key knowledge already and the experience this time round, I'd say im more confident with learning and knowing a more wider range of technology elements.
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| Blogger Logo |
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| The dashboard on my Blogger Profile, Shows both blogs I have created. |
The internet has been a substantial tool in the planning and researching stages of my A2 portfolio. By using a variety of websites I have been able to see the latest and conventional trailers and film posters, film art that had inspired me throughout the production stages. I have looked at these in order to help me determain which style I should follow. I used YouTube once my film was finished. I uploaded it to youtube and with uploading it onto YouTube this allowed me to link it to my blog through the use of signing in to my youtube account and sharing it. YouTube was also helpful for when I was researching on short films and teaser trailers as I had looked at a variety of them. With the use of internet explorer it allowed me to gain further knowledge and learn key facts regarding the film industry and typical media conventions found.
Construction of our short film
In the beginning process of creating our film, once the idea for filming had been decided and once we had our actors, props and scenes established, we needed to decide which program we were to use and more importantly if we had the ICT knowledge and experience to use this program. We decided to use Adobe Premier Elements as it had received positive reviews from other media students creating their media films, also in comparison to other programs we could of used, we felt that Elements had more features, this allowing us to create a better and produce a higher quality short film, with the use of effects, transitions and video conversion. Below are some screen shots to demonstrate how our film looked in the editing stages. As you can see the screenshot to the left shows our video footage in action, whereas the screenshot to the right shows how we edited our video footage with the inclusion of text and fade in effects.
After we finished the editing process, we then had to convert the video into a suitable video format so that it would run and would be compatible with YouTube. Elements allowed us to change the format into a flash video file, this being ideal as it would be supported by YouTube. Below is a screenshot to show the uploading process to YouTube, we simply signed into our account, click upload and find the video location and simply click OK. The process would then start and when finished YouTube would ask for a title and description for the uploaded video.
Another great use for YouTube was for finding uncopyrighted sound clips that we could then use in our short film. Below is a sound clip that we used within our final film, Sourced through YouTube.
The sound clip above was then used for our accident scene. We had to edit the sound clip so that we could only hear the sound of the thumping, making it appear to be realistic. We then introduced a black screen to the scene, this I believe made it more effective as it would appear the character was struck, the black screen hiding the details to show a sense of mystery. Obviously due to the fact that we didn't have any budget when creating our short film, we felt this was the best route in terms of representation and overall quality. If we were to show the student getting killed without the black screen being present within the film, the acting wouldn't have been good enough to portray this, therefore it would have suffered significantly when shown to the audience, as it would have been labelled unrealistic. During this scene in particular we had layered the sound from the opening titles so that it would continue and fade into the car accident scene. The soundtrack stopping at this scene would be significant as the tension and suspense would increase and overall it would look more professional.
The other sound files that we had used were found on a website called incompetech. The website had a large range of royalty free audio and sound clips, that we were able to save download and then manipulate and edit these files. We also used a Google search to see if there were any more websites that we could of used when finding particular sound files. Below are the hyper links to the different audio we considered using and then the final sound clips that made it into the final cut.
http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/free_music_loops.shtml
However I felt that this site was the the best as the standard of music was better:
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/
Here are some sound clips we considered:
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=final+count
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=exciting+trailer
This is the sound file we used for the opening scenes of our final film:
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=spider+eyes
After we finished the editing process, we then had to convert the video into a suitable video format so that it would run and would be compatible with YouTube. Elements allowed us to change the format into a flash video file, this being ideal as it would be supported by YouTube. Below is a screenshot to show the uploading process to YouTube, we simply signed into our account, click upload and find the video location and simply click OK. The process would then start and when finished YouTube would ask for a title and description for the uploaded video.
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| YouTube Uploading Screen/Process |
The sound clip above was then used for our accident scene. We had to edit the sound clip so that we could only hear the sound of the thumping, making it appear to be realistic. We then introduced a black screen to the scene, this I believe made it more effective as it would appear the character was struck, the black screen hiding the details to show a sense of mystery. Obviously due to the fact that we didn't have any budget when creating our short film, we felt this was the best route in terms of representation and overall quality. If we were to show the student getting killed without the black screen being present within the film, the acting wouldn't have been good enough to portray this, therefore it would have suffered significantly when shown to the audience, as it would have been labelled unrealistic. During this scene in particular we had layered the sound from the opening titles so that it would continue and fade into the car accident scene. The soundtrack stopping at this scene would be significant as the tension and suspense would increase and overall it would look more professional.
The other sound files that we had used were found on a website called incompetech. The website had a large range of royalty free audio and sound clips, that we were able to save download and then manipulate and edit these files. We also used a Google search to see if there were any more websites that we could of used when finding particular sound files. Below are the hyper links to the different audio we considered using and then the final sound clips that made it into the final cut.
http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/free_music_loops.shtml
However I felt that this site was the the best as the standard of music was better:
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/
Here are some sound clips we considered:
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=final+count
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=exciting+trailer
This is the sound file we used for the opening scenes of our final film:
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=spider+eyes
When editing the sound we decided to use audacity as I was familiar with this program when using it in my ICT lessons. After having used Audacity for two years, I knew where all the key tools were, therefore when editing the sound it wasn't a problem. When editing the sound clip used in our final credits, audacity came in handy in terms, of cropping and altering the amplification of the audio. I cropped the audio's length as we simply couldn't have the track running, once the credits had finished. I also used the fade in and fade out effect so that the track wouldn't jump in straight away or finish abruptly as this wouldn't look professionally and would ruin the editing conventions of a short film. After finishing the editing process I then exported the file into an MP3 format so that it would be compatible with Elements and other programs that would need to run our short film in future.
Other programs that helped in the creation process
Fireworks
I had a brief knowledge when working with Adobe Fireworks, however after using the progressing with my Ancillary and short film, I had learnt a variety of new skills enabling me to edit and improve the effects on my photography and Ancillary tasks. I used Fireworks when removing the green screen from my photography. This was vital when creating my Ancillary tasks, as in order to make it look professional and meet the conventions of professional media products, I would need to remove the green screen and be able to edit the photography.
Photoshop
As with fireworks, a similar program that I used was Photoshop. I used Photoshop to edit my images to an extent that Fireworks couldn’t. For example Photoshop allowed me change the background of my photos, also increasing and decreasing the brightness and contrast. I used Photoshop when deleting parts of the green screen in my photo, after Fireworks magic wand feature had failed to do so fully. Photoshop wasn't used for a majority of time; instead it was used when needed for a certain task that proved difficult for other programs. I used Photoshop when changing the effects of my chosen photo, I added a sketch effect to the image in order to make it represent the genre and feel that I wanted. I then manipulated the lighting in order to gain a spotlight so that it would look similar to film noire art and media.
Microsoft Office Suite
I had also used Microsoft Word and PowerPoint when editing images and saving word documents. I used these programs because they contain a variety of image editing options and they also allow me to create a backup for my written evaluation. Therefore if I can’t access my blog, I still have the reassurance of opening the documents in Word.
Skills Gained From Construction
Filming Skills
Over the years I hadn't really much experience when it came to filming. I had only recorded using a camcorder if I were on a holiday or if I was recording on my mobile phone at a music event. This was the difference in this aspect. Filming the short production gave me the experience of trying to film professionally, filming a variety of different shots, capturing scenes from a certain light perspective and not trying to use the zooming in and zooming out feature of the camcorder as this wouldn't look or meet the demands of a proffesional short production.
Editing Skills
The editing stages of the film were certainly the longest and required the most skill. Editing would require us to use our independence in terms of timing and decisions. Being able to make these decisions and using my independence, improved my management skills and overall improved my knowledge of the conventions and decisions in editing.There was also the fact that from construction I learnt how to use new editing software in the form of Adobe Elements and learning some new key functions of programs that I had already known how to use.
Computer Hardware Skills
I learnt how to convert videos into different formats and converting the sound so that it was compatible with the appropriate programs that I would be using. Over the course of production I improved my photography and improved my image editing. My skills within Photoshop improved vastly being able to change the effects, brightness and contrast within images. I learnt a variety of new technology elements which could be embedded into my blog, for example in comparison to last year I now have the ability to import video's sound clips and use third party templates to represent my blog and ideas.
Teamwork, Management
Teamwork management was an improvement, and with past experience in my other subjects, working in a group with colleagues that wanted the same overall product as myself, it turned out to be a success. Myself and jack had to decide on which camera angles/shots we would use or the plot narrative that we would pursue. We both contributed in the forms of how we thought the film should be presented, from which perspective it would be viewed, and how our soundtrack would link to and improve certain scenes. Another aspect of management that we learned and improved on was patience. Creating the short film was a long process, months of working and planning, and therefore we couldn't rush through the process as this could ruin the quality of the final product.
Overall I believe that this unit of work has expanded both my knowledge and my skills within the media industry. I hope within this evaluation you will be able to see how my technology skills have played a large role within the construction and research of my short film and ancillary tasks. Throughout my blog there are also other posts demonstrating me using the technology to change and manipulate different aspects of my ancillary tasks. Please reader further on within my research and planning.
Other programs that helped in the creation process
Fireworks
I had a brief knowledge when working with Adobe Fireworks, however after using the progressing with my Ancillary and short film, I had learnt a variety of new skills enabling me to edit and improve the effects on my photography and Ancillary tasks. I used Fireworks when removing the green screen from my photography. This was vital when creating my Ancillary tasks, as in order to make it look professional and meet the conventions of professional media products, I would need to remove the green screen and be able to edit the photography.
Photoshop
As with fireworks, a similar program that I used was Photoshop. I used Photoshop to edit my images to an extent that Fireworks couldn’t. For example Photoshop allowed me change the background of my photos, also increasing and decreasing the brightness and contrast. I used Photoshop when deleting parts of the green screen in my photo, after Fireworks magic wand feature had failed to do so fully. Photoshop wasn't used for a majority of time; instead it was used when needed for a certain task that proved difficult for other programs. I used Photoshop when changing the effects of my chosen photo, I added a sketch effect to the image in order to make it represent the genre and feel that I wanted. I then manipulated the lighting in order to gain a spotlight so that it would look similar to film noire art and media.
Microsoft Office Suite
I had also used Microsoft Word and PowerPoint when editing images and saving word documents. I used these programs because they contain a variety of image editing options and they also allow me to create a backup for my written evaluation. Therefore if I can’t access my blog, I still have the reassurance of opening the documents in Word.
Skills Gained From Construction
Filming Skills
Over the years I hadn't really much experience when it came to filming. I had only recorded using a camcorder if I were on a holiday or if I was recording on my mobile phone at a music event. This was the difference in this aspect. Filming the short production gave me the experience of trying to film professionally, filming a variety of different shots, capturing scenes from a certain light perspective and not trying to use the zooming in and zooming out feature of the camcorder as this wouldn't look or meet the demands of a proffesional short production.
Editing Skills
The editing stages of the film were certainly the longest and required the most skill. Editing would require us to use our independence in terms of timing and decisions. Being able to make these decisions and using my independence, improved my management skills and overall improved my knowledge of the conventions and decisions in editing.There was also the fact that from construction I learnt how to use new editing software in the form of Adobe Elements and learning some new key functions of programs that I had already known how to use.
Computer Hardware Skills
I learnt how to convert videos into different formats and converting the sound so that it was compatible with the appropriate programs that I would be using. Over the course of production I improved my photography and improved my image editing. My skills within Photoshop improved vastly being able to change the effects, brightness and contrast within images. I learnt a variety of new technology elements which could be embedded into my blog, for example in comparison to last year I now have the ability to import video's sound clips and use third party templates to represent my blog and ideas.
Teamwork, Management
Teamwork management was an improvement, and with past experience in my other subjects, working in a group with colleagues that wanted the same overall product as myself, it turned out to be a success. Myself and jack had to decide on which camera angles/shots we would use or the plot narrative that we would pursue. We both contributed in the forms of how we thought the film should be presented, from which perspective it would be viewed, and how our soundtrack would link to and improve certain scenes. Another aspect of management that we learned and improved on was patience. Creating the short film was a long process, months of working and planning, and therefore we couldn't rush through the process as this could ruin the quality of the final product.
Overall I believe that this unit of work has expanded both my knowledge and my skills within the media industry. I hope within this evaluation you will be able to see how my technology skills have played a large role within the construction and research of my short film and ancillary tasks. Throughout my blog there are also other posts demonstrating me using the technology to change and manipulate different aspects of my ancillary tasks. Please reader further on within my research and planning.
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