Evaluation Q4

Q4. How did you use new media technologies in the construction

and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Research - band websites

I researched my chosen bands and other similar to them by looking at their official websites. I used this research to learnt about the conventions of a rock band’s website and publicity material. I later used this research in the production of my band’s

website.

Research - YouTubeI used the video sharing website

YouTube to research the band’s music videos, as well as that of similar bands.

It was a very useful platform in giving me a clear picture of the conventions of a

rock music video and how I should aim to make my music video look.

Research - Last.FMLast.FM is a

website often used to discover new artists similar to

your current favourites. I used it to generate bands that are similar to The Heavy to use

for my research into rock bands and the conventions of their

media products.

This website also offered an extensive biography of The Heavy for me to use in my

research of the band. Last.FM is also a community of listeners and so was also a

useful source for audience research.

Research - Social Networking

The Heavy’s social networking sites were all linked on their website and

demonstrated how they interacted with their audience and the sorts of extra

content they offered there.

Production - Canon 550D cameraTo film my music video, I used a Canon

550D camera. It is very high quality equipment and so it allowed me to film in HD producing a more professional look. It also allowed me to utilise its

range of settings, zoom and ability to sit on a tripod. I used the exposure settings

to change the amount of light in my footage, which was especially helpful

when filming at night. Using the camera on a tripod gave perfectly still shots, allowing me to produce the jump cut

scene in my final video.

Production - Final Cut Pro

I edited my animatic, rough cuts and final music video in Final Cut

Pro. This is rather advanced software and allows me to utilise a

range of features such as transitions and easy footage

cutting tools. I had not used this software much before this project

and found it quite easy to get used to, allowing me to produce a music

video of good quality.

Production - PhotoshopPhotoshop was used to create my

digipak in. I have a lot of experience with this software and so I was able to utilise it very easily to create a digipak

design in. I created some hand-drawn illustrations which I scanned and edited in Photoshop to be used on my digipak and later my website

design. To turn my design into a digipak ready for printing, I used a 4-page digipak template from the web

and placed my ensign onto it in Photoshop. I was then able to print it

and create a mock-up of my final digipak.

Production - Wix website builderI created my band website using the online website builder Wix. It is a free and easy to use service that allowed me to create a simple yet customised

website for The Heavy.

The customisation allowed me to interpret the band in my own way and

demonstrate it in a fully functioning website. I was able to include videos,

images and links all relevant to the band.

Production - FlickrFlickr was used a lot in my project to store and present any relevant photographs. I used to to document research, planning

and filming throughout my project.

I chose Flickr to present my photographs with because of its high quality uploads and because I am able to then embed Flickr slideshows in Blogger which is

where I presented all of my work.

Evaluation - SoundCloud + YouTubeWhen it came to evaluating my

work, I got feedback on my media products from others and recorded

them in a number of ways. One was to use voice recordings. To present these in my evaluation, I uploaded them to SoundCloud.

This website allowed me to easily upload my sound files and embed

them in to Blogger posts. I also filmed some feedback and

uploaded the videos to YouTube, again allowing me to then embed

them in a Blogger post.

Evaluation - BloggerI used Blogger to present all of my work, including a range of media in

my posts as evidence of my process. These

included videos on YouTube, images, screenshots, Flickr

slideshows, SoundCloud files and hyperlinks.