What have you learnt about technologies

from the process of constructing this

product ?

Evaluation Question 6

What did I learn ? Throughout the duration of AS Media I have discovered and

learnt a wide range of skills and programme’s. During the process of planning filming and editing the opening film sequence I have learnt how to use many things such as different computer programmes when editing, why equipment should be used when filming, how to use equipment when filming and how to use sites such as blogger when planning and researching for the opening sequence. Without this wide range of technologies it would not have been possible to create a successful opening film sequence.

HD Video Camera

When filming the opening sequence of our film Inhumane it was was the second time I had used the video camera. This first time was when I filmed the preliminary task. As I had no previous knowledge and no member in my group did either so it was quite tricky to figure out. This meant that I had to learn how to use all elements of the camera and its functions like were the record button was and how to put the grids on the camera so I could see what frames things were in. However because the HD camera’s are small and compact all the buttons are quite close together so it can be quite fiddly to use.

Now I have more of an understanding why in the film industry film makers

tend to use larger professional cameras as the buttons are not as close together therefore they can use each function easily. However in this case the HD camera was benefital to our group as it was small and light so we could carry it to various locations. Another thing I learnt was that the white balance on these cameras are better than on the other digital video camera as the lens can focus on the scene easier and this is due to the high definition element. Lastly I learnt how to use a memory card to save work on so when one scene was finished we were able to edit them instead of trying to complete the whole thing at one time then edit. In order to upload things onto the Macs I had to insert the memory card into a usb the plug the usb into the apple Mac.

A picture of the camera we used to film our opening sequence

A image displaying the camera they are liking to use in the film industry when they are making a film

Tripod Even though a tripod is not actually a form of technology it

assisted me with the HD camera. In order for the film to look good the camera needs to be steady at all times in order for this to be carried out a tripod is needed, a tripod is another form of technology that I used for the first time. One thing I learnt to do with the tripod was to look at the built in spirit level monitor to ensure that the HD camera was steady and not at an angle this was important for the opening sequence as it added quality to all of the shots.

Between 21 seconds and 28 seconds in the preliminary task when I was filming the camera was quite shaky this made the film look un processional and ammetur like also it took away from the storyline as the audience will be wondering why the camera is all over the place.

At the beginning of first scene inhumane to the end of the first scene of inhumane (around 29 seconds) it displays different angles and shots of the young boy. When I filmed this I used a tripod and had a lot more experience of how to adjust it and tilt in order to achieve numerous angles. This made the shots look more professional as they were all steady and not shaky like in the preliminary task.

Apple Mac At home I have a dell laptop which is completely different from the imacs that are in

the media suite. It was my first time using the imac for film purposes as I had only used it to browse the internet and for social networking use. I learnt that an imac has many extra features that enables a film maker to produce an imaginative project/piece. An example of this would be imovie; imovie enables footage to be edited and any of the footage to be cut (removed) if we didn’t feel it was up to standard. I also learnt how to record sound clips straight to our film and how to add pre created music. When adding music I learnt how to cut the music, make it louder or quieter, and when it should start, fade in or fade out in certain scenes. With imovie titles can also be added and there are various types to choose from depending on the style, size and colour you want. Another feature of imovie is transitions, transitions can be put in place at any part of the opening sequence even if it is such a black or white fade in this can help create an overall great film experience. This is one of the most important tasks as it would help the group to achieve the final product and to create our desired look. Whereas with a “normal” computer this cannot be carried out.

imovie symbol that is displayed at the bottom of an imac

A picture of an imac; this is what I used throughout the making of our opening sequence inhumane, and to do all research planning and blogging.

Apple Mac continued However these software's have to be downloaded onto the computer in

order to carry out these tasks but it helps it look more professional. An imac also has features on the software that come with it one of these is a screen grab. A screen grab is a little bit like a print screen on your average computer however instead of displaying the whole page you can select what you want to copy/take a picture of. This automatically saves to the desktop. I found this extremely useful as a could analyze elements of films in order to carry out effective research and planning for my own opening film sequence.

This picture shows all the screen grabs I have saved on to the desk top on my account.

Digital Camera & Web Camera Digital Camera

Although I have used a digital camera before to take pictures for special occasions/events I usually upload them using a usb however with the schools digital camera I learnt how to take pictures and save them on a memory card and upload them onto the computer using a memory card reader. Knowing this meant that I had an alternative way of storing pictures if anything happened to them.

Web Camera At home I do not have access to a web camera so I had never used one

before. The first time I used one was for the preliminary evaluation. At first all members of our group were quite confused and did not know how to record ourselves, once we got the hang of it we then found it hard to edit the footage. However after experimenting with the software on the imac I got the hang of it. From this I learnt how you record footage of myself and others, how to edit the footage and how to save it so it can be uploaded.

The web cam I used to record evaluations and video responses

A picture of the digital camera I used

Online Software From using YouTube I learnt how to upload

videos on to YouTube in order to embed them on to my blog and also so comments could be made if needed. However I learnt that you can never guarantee that the people commenting are within the age range of your target audience in this case 15 – 21 year oldsThe first time I used blogger was for as media coursework from this I have learnt how to create a blog and upload and embed different files and formats in order to make my blog as interesting as possible .Prezi was one of the software's I found quite challenging as it was a new experience to me I made simple/basic PowerPoint's on Microsoft PowerPoint, changed it to a jpeg file then uploaded it. I learnt how to add special effect to presentations and it made my presentations a lot more engaging for audience members . I also learnt how to embed these onto my blog

Scribd was another software were I could convert Microsoft word documents onto a PowerPoint style presentation. I learnt how to upload my files for other to see and comment on if they wished to do so.

On the website dafont.com I learnt how to research a particular style of font in order to assist the group with the title designs, the website helped our group generate possible ideas and possible design’s for the titles of our film. From this website I learnt how to download and install fonts on to a computer.

After creating PowerPoint presentations and word documents on Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft word. Slideshare enabled me to upload the presentations and word documents and embed them onto my blog.

With sound cloud I learnt how to upload recordings of my self onto the software, this was a complete different form of media and something I got use to using

Issuu is another software I used to give my PowerPoint presentations an original format. I learnt how to upload my PowerPoint's and embed them onto my blog