Evaluation:

Question Four

How did you use new media

technologies in the construction,

research and planning and

evaluation stages?

Technologies used in the

research and planning...

The objectives for my research and

planning...

The objectives for the research and planning of my

product were to gain as much research on the forms and

conventions of documentaries, double page spreads in

tv listings magazines and on radio adverts as possible to

have a better understanding of the making of those

products in the real media business.

Using Blogger in my research and

planning...

Blogger is ultimately the base technology for the whole project.

Blogger allows me to post text, image, videos, links etc onto one

website page which you can scroll through. Having all of my work on

one blog has helped me to keep a steady flow of work and helped

me to spread out the workload so there is something new on the

blog at least once a week (even if it is just an update on progress).

Blogger is a programme which I'm familiar with through the use of it

in last years AS media project; last year I had to learn how to use

the blog to its full potential and I feel that through a years experience

(and through my own personal blogging in the past year) I now have

a full understanding of Blogger and I am completely comfortable in

using this programme.

Using Google in my research and

planning...

I feel that Google was another technology which provided as a

base for my project. Google is a very popular search engine; I

used it mostly to gain all of my research on forms and

conventions and the history of media products. Google is

useful because it filters through a vast amount of information

on the internet and then comes out with a selection of

information which is specific to your search. However, I feel

that I could have used other research materials such as my

local library or emailing experts on the specified products that

work or have worked within the media business to gain a fuller

understanding.

Using my Apple Ipod Touch in my

research and planning...

Another technology that I used regularly in the research and planning

stages of my project was my 4th generation Apple Ipod Touch. I

used my Ipod Touch to take pictures of my research and planning

mind maps which can be seen on my blog. I found this useful

because it was very simple to take a couple of pictures, use a USB

cord to connect my Ipod to the computer and upload the pictures

straight onto the blog. However, I feel that I could have used a better

quality camera to gain a clearer picture. I'm familiar with this product

as I've owned and used it for over a year now; I'm also familiar with

the generation before the 4th. The apple Ipod touch is easy and

simple to use so I had no troubles working this technology.

Using Microsoft Publisher in my

research and planning...

Another technology I used in the research of my project was Microsoft

Publisher. I used this programme to create a deconstruction on a double

page spread of a TV listings magazine about Doctor Who. I found this

programme useful because I could easily draw lines and circles to indicate

what I'm deconstructing. However, I could have used another programme

such as Fireworks because it's more professional and requires more

advanced IT skills. I have also had a lot of experience using Fireworks

before but I will go into a lot more detail about that particular programme

later. I have used Microsoft for most of my schooling and so I'm familiar with

how their programmes work. However, I have never used Publisher to a

major extent, so this was the most I had ever used this particular

programme. Fortunately, I found it very self explanatory and easy to work

with.

Using YouTube in my research and

planning...

Another heavily featured technology that I used throughout this project was YouTube.

YouTube allows me to see an array of videos that people across the world have

published. I used YouTube to view professional documentaries such as ‘Man on Wire’

and a couple of Louis Theroux's most popular documentaries such as ‘African

Hunting Holiday’ or ‘Louis and the Brothel’. I also used YouTube to watch other

students work (such as SIX which is mentioned in question two), it was easy

accessible and I was even able to comment on their videos asking questions about

their projects to gain advice on my project ahead. I also used YouTube for the

production of my documentary and evaluation questions. Youtube has been available

for the public to use since 2005 and I'm positive I've used it for a least 6 years of the

10 years it's been an internet sensation. YouTube is easy to use as well as catering

for many different types of people across the world. I first started using YouTube to

gain access to my favourite artists new singles, but now I use YouTube to watch my

favourite YouTubers and the odd funny animal video. I can safely say that YouTube

is a programme I am in full understanding of.

Using Survey Monkey in my research

and planning...

I also used Survey Monkey as a way to gather a form of primary research. Survey Monkey allowed

me to create my own questionnaire; I chose the amount of questions I needed, chose whether

they were a 'tick box' question or whether they required a written opinion from the person taking

the questionnaire. Survey Monkey also gave me a link on which my questionnaire would be

available for people to take; I then shared this on my school email to a variety of people (students,

teachers and parents). Survey Monkey also processed all of the feedback for me in the form of

numbers, percentages etc. This made it very easy for me to view the results of my questionnaire.

However, if I had done the questionnaire on a word document, given it out to people and collected

it in, I would have had to process the information myself and maybe that would have given me

more of an opportunity to look at all of the results separately in detail. This was the first time I used

Survey Monkey; I had seen surveys from school shared on our email accounts via Survey

Monkey, so I knew what the programme was and what its use was. However, I had no idea how to

go about creating a questionnaire. This was one of the many new skills that I have gained through

this project.

Using Google Drive in my research and

planning...

I also used the document application in Google Drive to create all of my time

schedules. This was useful because I can access Google Drive anywhere

with an internet connection and so I could look at it whenever I wanted to

check if I was on task and on time. However, this has it's pros and cons; I

obviously couldn't access this without the internet. Google Drive was a

programme that I was introduced to only a while ago, I have since been

using it for all of my A level work and I now have a good understanding of

how to use it.

Using Urban Fonts in my research and

planning...

Urban Fonts is another technology form that I used to plan my products. I

used Urban Fonts to search for an array of different fonts that I could use

throughout the creation of all of my products. I also used it to get an idea of

what kind of elements that a certain font could connote or denote. Urban

Fonts was useful because I could search through a large variety of fonts

based on the look I had in mind, I was also able to see how the name of my

product (THE GENERATION) would look in that particular font. However, I

was unable to download the fonts I wanted and so had to print screen and

create a single image of the title on Fireworks. I first came across Urban

Fonts whilst in GCSE media and have used it for a variety of projects ever

since (not just in my media classes either). Therefore, I am confident in the

use of this program.

Using Adobe Fireworks in my research

and planning...

Fireworks is always a large part of my media projects. I use Fireworks in my

research and planning to crop things such as fonts, images, questionnaire

results, schedules etc and export them as images I can use on my blog. I

find Fireworks easy to use; I used it for my GCSE productions and for my

AS project last year so my skills on Fireworks are quite developed. I have,

however, developed my skills on Fireworks over the 4/5 years of using the

programme and I now feel that I can use it in a confident and professional

way.

Using Prezi in my research and

planning...

I also used an online program called Prezi to plan out my documentary in a

storyboard presentation format. I have previously used Prezi before for

school work and so I was comfortable in how to use it effectively. However, I

still had to learn how to add and edit paths as I needed more slides than

what my template had provided me with. Prezi allowed me to make a

presentation in a non-traditional 'Microsoft Power Point' way; it has a variety

of templates and transitions that make presentations more interesting. I

liked using Prezi as it provides a fun and creative way of presenting

information.

Technologies used in the

creation of my Double Page

Spread...

The objectives for the creation of my

double page spread...

The creation of my double page spread was the first piece

of production work I had done since my last media

project and so I was pleased to be creatively putting

together all of the research and planning I had done to

create something I was proud to call my own

professional creation.

Using my Nikon Coolpix S3000 in the

creation of my double page spread...

I used my Nikon Coolpix S3300 to take the pictures that I needed for my

double page spread. I wanted to take as many different pictures of different

students as possible so I had lots to work with and trial around with the

planned layout. This was my own camera and I have been using it for the

past three years, so I'm very familiar with how it works. It's easy to use and

automatically focuses on the subject being photographed. It also has

different 'smart' settings depending on what you want to use it for; for these

particular photos I used a setting called 'smart portrait' which is designed to

help you take professional looking photos of people (portraits). Most

importantly, I learnt more about the 'smart' settings on my camera through

this project.

Using Ipiccy in the creation of my

double page spread...

Ipiccy is another internet based programme which I used a lot during the

production of my project. Ipiccy is an online photo editor which is easy and

simple to use. I came across a lot of problems with professional

programmes such as Photoshop as I had no idea how to use them; I

attempted to edit a couple of images on Photoshop but I felt that they

looked better when I had edited them on Ipiccy. I also found Photoshop very

hard to use as I did not feel I had enough time to learn how to use it;

however, I would very much like to learn how to use Photoshop in the near

future. Ipiccy has an array of options and effects that you can apply to your

photos and the outcome always looks very professional. Usually, I would

edit the colour, brightness and contrast of the image to make it look like a

better quality of camera had taken it (the type of camera used in the

production of real magazines). I had learnt this technique in the creation of

my music magazine last year.

Using Fireworks in the creation of my

double page spread...

Fireworks (as mentioned earlier) is a programme which I have been using for

several years. I decided to start off by making draft layouts on Fireworks

and went from there. Fireworks is essentially a bitmap and vector graphics

editor and it allows you to create and publish images and documents.

Through development of different looks for my double page spread I ended

up with three possible aesthetics. I find Fireworks useful because it's more

advanced than publisher and it gives my work (I feel) a professional overall

look. I learn a great deal more about how to use Fireworks in this years

creation of my products; I learnt about applying effects to solid colours and

images in a lot more detail than I did before. I hope to continue my

development of these skills.

Technologies used in the

creation of my radio advert...

Objectives for the creation of my radio

advert..

Through the production of my radio advert I wanted to gather all of the

information I had researched and create something professional and slick. I

had never made a radio advert before (where as I had had experience in

creating magazine products) and this was something I had to overcome.

However, I have had work experience in a radio station and so I know how

radio needs to grab the listener’s attention just by sound as radio is not

visual.

Using my Ipod Touch in the creation of

my radio advert...

First, I had to write a script for my radio advert, I did this on blogger and then

published it as a blog post. I then had to figure out a way of recording what

I'd written. I have no professional recording equipment myself and so I

decided to use the next best thing: my 4th Generation Ipod Touch. The Ipod

Touch has many applications available and a voice recording application is

never difficult to access. I also felt that the recordings made by my Ipod

were that of a better quality which I'd made on my HP Pavilion g series

laptop (which had a lot of background noise from the laptop) where as the

Ipod recordings were clear and had no unnecessary background noise

involved. Using my Ipod was easy to use and uploading the sound

recordings were equally as simple. However, I feel that if I were in

possession of better/professional recording equipment then my radio advert

would have an overall more professional sound.

Using Audacity in the creation of my

radio advert...

Audacity was a programme that I was in fact very familiar with; Dance A level

and GCSE required/requires me to cut and edit my own music and sound

clips so I knew exactly how to use the programme. It was clear to me that I

would piece together and edit my radio advert on Audacity as it was a

programme I already had access to and that confidently knew how to use. I

learnt a great deal about layering sound clips and layering music together (I

had never done that before) to create one sound for my radio advert. I found

Audacity simple to use and I feel that it helped me finish off my radio advert

in a professional way.

Using YouTube and Itunes in the

creation of my radio advert...

Youtube was again another technology I used. I used Youtube to gain access

to tracks that could accompany my sound clips in the background of my

radio advert. It was easy to search for instrumental versions of tracks that I

wanted to use (as I did not want to have lyrics to distract my listeners away

from the content of the advert) and easy to find that said version on Itunes

to purchase it legally. I learnt that it is easy to find any kind of music you

want on both Youtube and Itunes.

Technologies used in the

creation of my documentary...

Objectives for the creation of my

documentary...

Through the production of my documentary, I wanted to take all of the

research I had done on forms and conventions and the observation of other

products to make an individual and exciting product.

Using my Nikon Coolpix S3000 in the

creation of my documentary...

I first had to gather some footage to edit, so naturally I used my own camera

(as mentioned before) my Nikon Coolpix S3000. Although I am familiar with

using the photography side of this camera I was not as familiar with filming;

however this was not a problem as one of the 'smart' settings is in fact for

filming. I am now confident in using my own camera for filming and I even

used it in three out of four of my evaluation questions.

Using Movie Maker and Vimeo in the

creation of my documentary...

After gathering some footage I decided that the most experience I'd had on a

video editing programme was Vimeo and Movie Maker. I started off by

trying to piece together my footage on Vimeo, however I had had limited

experience on that programme and so I decided to trial Movie Maker. I

found Movie Maker a lot easier to use. But that doesn't mean I haven't

learnt anything. It's been a couple of years since I've had to use Movie

Maker, and although most updated versions are similar to their

predecessor, I had to learn how to use the program again. I have found that

now I can confidently edit video clips, sound, music and pictures together.

Splitting videos and sound/music was something I wasn't too familiar with in

the beginning of this process, but now my finished product (I feel) is

professionally edited together. What I like about Movie Maker is that it

allows me to easily create a piece of film that is both simple and

professional looking.

Using YouTube and Itunes in the

creation of my documentary...

I have previously gone into detail about the use of Youtube and Itunes, but

this paragraph is just to serve as a recognition that I used these programs in

the creation of my documentary. I was able to search for the desired track

on Youtube (as before in the creation of my radio advert) and then purchase

it legally on Itunes.

Technologies used in the

creation of my evaluation...

Objectives for the creation of my

evaluation...

In the creation of my evaluation I knew I had to be creative; so I decided that

using a mix of visual and audio formats would be the best way to present

my answers. I also wanted to be as informative as possible.

Using Movie Maker in the creation of

my evaluation... For question one I decided to make a vlog addressing all the ways my media product used,

challenged and developed forms and conventions of real media products. I made this vlog on

Movie Maker which (as mentioned previously) I have used before. Additionally, I have had all the

experience of making my actual documentary so I now have all the skills I need to make a sharp

and professionally edited video log. Movie Maker is easy for me to use now, however, there is one

problem that I have with Movie Maker where if I edit the length of one video clip then all of the

sound or music clips will be pushed along and not remain with the original video clip that they are

put with. I also know that by using a more professional program such as Adobe Premiere Pro

then I would not have as much trouble with this editing element. However, I have had no

experience with Premiere Pro before and had not been taught how to use it either. I personally

didn't think I had enough time to self teach although I would like to to learn how to use the

program in the future.

I also used the speed changer tool in Movie Maker which I had only used a couple of times before

(once in the title sequence of my documentary) and so I had to experiment with different effects to

see what would create the aesthetic I desired. I enjoyed using the speed changer tool as it can

create a humourous or impactful moment in the footage. I did not have any problems with this tool

and through this process I learnt how make a more professional looking vlog.

Using YouTube and

YouTubeinMP4.com in the creation of

my evaluation... As well as the use of my own videos that I filmed using my Nikon Coolpix

S3300, I also ripped videos from Youtube to use in my vlog such as the clip

from Psycho, Titanic and a short montage of Zoella clips. I ripped these

from YouTube by using the website YouTube in MP4 which converts

YouTube videos into MP4 video files which I was able to then put in my

vlog. I had never used this website before and so this was a learning curve

which I had to overcome; however I was not difficult to learn how to use and

I am now fully confident in practising the use of YouTube in MP4.

Using print screens and narration in the

creation of my evaluation...

I also used print screens for all of Zoe Sugg’s different internet sites and

social networking sites to show the size of her fandom and success; I did

this by print screening the pages I wanted, pasting it onto a word document

and saving each print screen as an image. I then placed the image into

Movie Maker and layered it with narration. Using print screens is something

I’m very familiar with as it’s a basic computer skill that I learnt in my ICT

lessons at the start of high school. It is useful because the audience can

see exactly what I’m narrating about. That brings me onto narration; I used

the narration tool on Movie Maker during the production of my documentary

but even more so in the production of my evaluation. The narration tool was

new to me and I had to learn how to fit it to the footage being shown exactly

and how to split and cut out sections that I didn’t want. I had no problems

using either of these technologies.

Using Slideshare in the creation of my

evaluation.

I was completely new to the use of Slideshare before the decision to answer

my last evaluation question using a PowerPoint as all of the rest of my

questions were made in a video format. I knew about SlideShare because

some of my peers had used it in previous years of media projects. It’s an

easy way of sharing PowerPoints. I found that using this program was

simple and effective, with minimal effort required. I was able to write this

PowerPoint on my Google Drive and then upload it to my laptop, I then

uploaded it onto SlideShare and then embedded it onto a blog post to put

onto my blog.

To conclude...

I have used a variety of technologies during the creation of my media

product, through research and planning, the creation of my main products

and the creation of my evaluation questions. I have learnt a great deal about

the technologies I have used through this project; it is amazing to think of

how many technologies are available to anyone and everyone and it's

incredible to think of the small amount of technologies that we as individuals

actually use on a day to day basis. We, as society, really do take

technologies for granted.