olivia media question four

Question 4- How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

By Olivia Houlton

Research Summary

1) Online- Slide Share

I used Slide Share to construct a detailed analysis of four different psychological thrillers from different eras. This helped me to understand how the genre has evolved over time.

Strengths Weaknesses

• The information could be clearly arranged around the page

• I could insert images to compliment my writing and make my point clearer

• There wasn’t animation which could have made my points clearer

• If you wanted to edit the slide share you would have to upload the PowerPoint from the computer again

2) Online- Piktochart

We used Piktochart to research into the production process and idents from our subgenre.


• The chart-like layout assists in separating information into key points

• The charts are aesthetically pleasing which encourages the viewer to read the information

• You can’t insert too much information because the chart pages are quite small

• The viewer is given the information all in one go

3) Online- TimetoastWe used timetoast in order to display our genre research which helped us to understand the plot conventions of psychological thrillers over the ages


• The chronological ordering of the information reinforces the release date of the film

• I inserted pictures of the films which assisted the film title

• Some information is hidden encouraging the viewer to be interactive with the research and helps them to not be overwhelmed with the amount of information

• The writing space was very small and I couldn’t fit all of the information into the boxes (therefore I made an assisting slideshare)

4) Online- Pearl and Dean/Box Office Mojo/

Mediaknowall.comThese website were extremely useful in finding the demographics for our target audience, the target audience of similar genre films and the audience terminology


• The information is put into different categories (eg- age group, social class), making the websites more understandable

• The sources are very reliable therefore we were confident in the statistics we received

• However, for Pearl and Dean there was only discussion on age, class and gender. It would also be useful to know more information, such as their interests and origin

5) Software- MaharaWe used Mahara greatly throughout the our coursework in order to document process thoroughly.


• You can embed clips of information presentations, therefore making your writing clearer and more focused

• You can make new journal entries to record separate pieces of information

• You cannot insert entries in-between two published blog posts

6) Software- Presentation

I used PowerPoint presentation, mainly so that I could upload it onto Slideshare. For example, I did this for my Warm Bodies Analysis, where by analysing another teaser trailer I gained a more thorough understanding of the teaser conventions.


• PowerPoint Presentation is clear and simple to use

• You can select from several themes which further help to make the presentation aesthetically pleasing and the writing more attractive

• You cannot embed the presentation directly, you have to go through sites such as slideshare in order to make the information public

7) Hardware- Macs

We used Macs throughout the coursework in all sections of the production process


• The Mac allowed us access to the internet for when we carried out research

• The internet is very fast at loading due to the modern aspects of the Mac. This helped us to get work completed efficiently

• The layout of a Mac is very different to other computers therefore you could struggle at getting to grips with different formats

Planning

1) Online- collage.com

I used collage.com when planning for our Graphics. This is because we had already decided that we wanted an illustration within the title, however we were struggling with ideas. Due to this we created this moodboard to explore the different shapes dancers could make.


• This website was very easy to use and automatically arranged the photos in a neat format after you had imported the images

• The website focused mainly on images and not so much on annotation or assisting wording

• There was a maximum amount of photos you could import

2) Online- emazeI used emaze repeatedly, for example, when planning for the mise en scene for our filming day


• Emaze is set in a PowerPoint-like layout, therefore, I was familiar with the format, making it more simple to construct

• Also it allowed you to insert images and choose from several transitions and title colour options. This added to the aesthetic value, making the presentation a more enjoyable experience for the reader

• However, it could be argued that emaze is a less advanced presentation method

3) Online- Pinterest


• Pinterest clearly showed a defined, clear copy of each image

• You can upload a very large quantity of images

• You can follow other users and gain inspiration from their posts

• I struggled to find a way of embedding these images, therefore, I screenshot the page instead

I used pinterest to create a board of inspiration in preparation for the Little White Lies magazine cover

4) Software- Microsoft Word

We used Microsoft to layout the plan for our Poster.


• The software is very simple to use

• There are numerous tools to help create aesthetically pleasing charts and diagrams. For the poster layout I mainly used the curved line tool so that I could draw both figures more realistically

• However, the document is a blank page, therefore, it is mainly up to you to create an imaginative, engaging layout

• You can’t upload the information directly to Mahara so you have to take a screenshot and then insert it into a blog entry

5) Hardware- Mac camera

In order to prepare for our shot list and filming day we created a story board using the build-in Mac camera


• The camera is very easy-to-use and self-explanatory

• The camera is very convenient as it is built into the mac

• The camera reverses the wording making it difficult to get the writing readable and coherent

• The image is not that clear perhaps because we had to hold it up to the camera

Construction

1) freesound.org

We used freesound.org to gain access to free sound clips to use as sound effects in our teaser


• The sound is free and very accessible

• The site is easy to download and reliable

• There is quite a limited selection of sounds to choose from if you are looking for something specific

2) Dafont.com

We used Dafont.com to gain access to interesting font styles to use for our titles


• The fonts are very unique and interesting

• There is quite a large range of fonts that appeal to most genres

• Our chosen font was called “Assassins” and we found it created a strong brand identity and suited our subgenre well

• We found it quite difficult to install some of the fonts we chose to try our title with

• When writing the title into our teaser in Final Cut Pro our chosen font type was not an option. Therefore we had to use Adobe Flash as a means of getting the font into Final Cut Pro

3) PhotoshopWe used Photoshop for certain aspects of our poster and magazine cover.


• Photoshop is packed with advanced tools to enhance images

• We were able to achieve all the techniques and effects we desired, for example the merging of the separate images on the poster and the red eye effect on the magazine

• I did find it quite complicated to use at first due to the advanced layout and devices

• We couldn’t open the two separate images we used in our poster at the same time, therefore, we had to import them through Adobe Bridge

4) Adobe Bridge

We used this mainly for the poster so that we could import the two separate images on to same page and keep the landscape page sizing at the same time


• It was very effective in creating our desired effect. This was especially for the poster when we needed to merge both the images together on a landscape page

• The process was quite difficult to carry out

5) Illustrator

We used illustrator for certain aspects of our poster, for example inserting stars at the top


• The techniques and devices on offer were very advanced and helped to achieve the desired effect

• I found the software quite hard to use

6) Final Cut ProWe used Final cut Pro hugely during the construction of our teaser.


• The software’s ability to put 2 separate images together on one slide were essential to the key concept of a mismatching reflection in our teaser

• There was a selection of transitions to choose from for both our clips and titles

• We were able to layer different sounds on top of each other in order to create a sense of climax and excitement towards the end

• Due to the advanced technology, the software was quite difficult to operate at times

• We couldn’t write our desired font directly onto the slides, therefore we had to import it in through Adobe Flash

7) Scanner

In order to place the Little White Lies badge on our magazine cover we scanned in a hard copy of an issue and combined it with our image on Photoshop.


• The scanner created a high resolution image which made the final magazine cover look of higher quality

• It was quite a complicated process to scan in the image, put it on a memory stick and then combine the scanned in copy with the Misconception cover

8) EOS DSLR 550D Camera

We used this camera to film our teaser trailer. We also used it to take images for our magazine cover and poster


• This camera produced a very high quality image making our footage look more professional

• We were able to change the focus in the image to create our desired effect. For example, we were able to use selective focus in our trailer which helped echo the themes of mystery and enigma

• The camera was quite advanced and sometimes I struggled to carry out a particular function

Evaluation

1) Online- PoppletI used Popplet in my response to question 4 where I screenshot mindmaps and pasted them into slideshare presentation


• The mindmap layout helped me to pick key points to discuss

• The information was more precise and focused

• You could import images and videos to compliment your writing

• If you wanted to write longer paragraphs it may not work as effectively

• There is no step-by-step guide through the information as the reader is given it all at once

2) Online- PowToonI used PowToon to present the my answer for question 2


• The animations assist in breaking the information down and making it clearer and easier to read

• Also the cartoon-like image holders and characters help in making it attractive to read

• You have to upload the video to youtube, therefore, if you want to edit the contents you have to change it from PowToon and reload the video

• There are timed settings, therefore, the reader may not get to read the whole slide in time

• There are a maximum amount of slides you can have

3) Online- PreziI used Prezi in my discussion towards question 3


• There is animation and movement in the presentation helping to break down the information

• You can insert photos and videos to compliment your writing

• There are many themes and background choices to make each one original and individual

• Sometimes I found it very hard to fit the information I wanted into the space provided, causing some writing to overspill at the sides

4) Software- ImovieI used an Imovie in response to evaluation question one


• I was able to insert a voiceover over the top of the movie which was very effective in creating clarity in my points

• Imovie was full of intereting transitions and title styles which helped to make the movie more exciting and engaging

• I was able to import images which was very important when comparing our products to real media texts

• I struggled to import youtube clips directly from youtube therefore I had to use QuickTime Player and screen record. However this produced clips of a less clear quality.

5) Software- Presentation

I used PowerPoint presentation, mainly so that I could upload it onto Slideshare. For example, I did this for my Warm Bodies Analysis, where by analysing another teaser trailer I gained a more thorough understanding of the teaser conventions.


• PowerPoint Presentation is clear and simple to use

• You can select from several themes which further help to make the presentation aesthetically pleasing and the writing more attractive

• You cannot embed the presentation directly, you have to go through sites such as slideshare in order to make the information public

6) QuickTime Player

I used this to record clips which I used in my Imovie for evaluation question 1


• QuickTime Player helped me achieve what was required, which was screen record clips from films for me to insert into my Imovie response

• The image and sound quality was not that advanced

7) Hardware- Microphone

I used the built-in microphone on the Mac when doing my voiceover to the Imovie in question 1


• The voiceover was of reasonably good quality

• I was able to see what clips came up whilst I was recording, helping me to time the voiceover better with the movie

• I had to lean very close to the microphone for it to pick up my voice effectively

olivia media question four

Education

separating information

information public

separate pieces of information

ages strengths weaknesses

genre research

software presentation

writing clearer

slide share