Evil Pig Productions Evil Pig Productions

New Media Technology New Media Technology

Media technology has advanced rapidly over the past couple of decades. For example, there is a general agreement that new media formats are replacing older formats such as print

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New Media DefinitionsNew Media Definitions• New media is in a digital format so it can easily be

manipulated and edited as it is interactive. • It is also gives us the ability to share information and

products faster defeating time and space. • Content is global.• The content is user generated so we can represent

ourselves via online sites like YouTube and Facebook. • It is controversial; everyone will have their own views

and opinions. Related to Neuman’s theory (1991) discussing the push and pull factors from technical capabilities and economic and social forces.

• Not everyone agrees it is fully-fledged.

Our Use of New Media forResearch and Planning

Our Use of New Media forResearch and Planning

Advantages of Search Engines• Using the internet was an easy way of looking up magazines, posters and

trailers from our specific genre.• They give large amounts of information.• We never really struggled to find good examples so that we could see the

codes and conventions we were aiming for. The most basic of Google searches can give surprisingly good results.

New media is defined by the internet – this has opened up the idea and possibility of access to a vast online library and therefore a kind of shared information / storage area that is global and collaborative.

Advantages of Search Engines

Film review websites like Rotten Tomatoes gave us information about the film

List of films and ratings

These sites gave us specific information about any film you search for and also their rating of it.

Advantages of Search Engines

• We were able to find examples of our genre on YouTube which helped give us ideas of what elements our trailer needed.

• Once you clicked on a trailer examples from the same genre came up making it easier to find different trailers we hadn’t thought of.

• The comments helped us see what audiences wanted from the products.

Disadvantages of Search Engines

• Many images that came up when we searched on Google images were not what we wanted so we had to sift through to find the right examples.

While new media opens up a vast worldwide library, this also has disadvantages – finding what you want can be a lottery, however many refined searches and filters you use. There are no appointed curators for this new media ‘library’.

Disadvantages of Search Engines

Content can be user generated this means you have to choose carefully as some trailer can be fan made and not represent the actual film’s trailer.

This is the official trailer for Skyfall

New media raises questions around reliability and ownership. For many, it is a cause for celebration that institutions have had to cede some ownership to audiences; but equally, there are times when this lack of clear lines can be difficult to navigate.

Finding Music

To find music to use in our trailer we used sites such as freeplaymusic.comIt offered a large volume of sound effects, drum loops and other sounds we may want to use.It gave us the option to search copy right free music. It would then allow us to download in a format Final Cut Express would accept. A good example of the sharing

culture of new media – and also the way much of what is shared is free.

Disadvantages of freeplaymusic.com

1. There is such a large number of songs and sounds available it is hard to narrow your search down

2. As a result, this can be very time consuming 3. You may also not find what you are looking for

as there is such a number of choices4. You do not know if what you chose is the best

choice as you have not sampled everything

Due to the large amount of songs and effects available we decided to mix our own music so that we could ultimately create exactly what we wanted. A good example showing that new media can be seen to limit your creativity by giving solutions, but could equally be seen to enhance creativity as no solution offered is perfect.

Animated Storyboard:Animated Storyboard:

We began our planning with a storyboard. This suggests that more traditional media is still valuable and useful. Not everything can be done using new media.

We first drew our pictures on post-its, then took photos of these to manipulate and make an animated version.

We imported our drawn storyboard into Final Cut Express

Shortened or extended shots to the approximate length on the timeline

Animated Storyboard Animated Storyboard Advantages:

It helped us imagine how our trailer would look and how long each shot should approximately last

We were easily able to manipulate images, reorder them or even delete them if we changed our minds New media technology promotes reversibility and therefore creativity.

It is good for experimentation

Able to incorporate music tracks and suggested dialogue to check what would work best

We were able to export the animation onto iphone versions so we could refer back to our work easily when filmingNew media is linked to technological convergence

Disadvantages:

It could be time consuming arranging, ordering and cutting down each shot as there were many of them

People may be unfamiliar with Final Cut Express and how to use it effectively so we may not have created the best storyboard we could have

New media is frequently perceived as a more efficient and quicker – however this is not always the caseSchumm states, “Technology can only benefit the competent”.

Successful use of new media relies on technological competence and confidence

Use of New Media forPlanning on Blogger

Use of New Media forPlanning on Blogger

Our work is accessible to allOur work is accessible to allBlogger allows for anyone to view our work and make valuable comments

Also our work is accessible to other individuals using the internet – anonymous

This is also a negative as we may receive negative feedback

Blogging is a relatively new media tool – It is collaborative and easily shared

In reality we received few unsolicited comments – new media is not as big a part of people’s lives as imagined.

Ability to view other workAbility to view other workAble to make comparisons with our groups progress and the progress of others

Able to view work from other groups from central hub – and by Google search – Able to view work easily

Enables us to make give constructive criticism and feedback to other groups and receive feedback of our

Shows sharing capacity of new media technology as a bonus for creativity

Ordering and AccessibilityOrdering and Accessibility

Enables us to view our work at any time

Able to find work quickly and easily by the date, name of individual who completed the work, or title of work

Able to update our work in various locations – school and home, and on the move e.g. smartphones

New media is media on-the-go.

The Use of Text and ImageThe Use of Text and Image

Blogger gives us the ability to combine text and images this easily allows for more user friendly presentation of research We can

incorporate all work in a variety of formats into one location

New media combines different technologies and formats easily – convergence culture.

Planned use of social mediaPlanned use of social media

A lot of our planned promotional campaign needed the use of social networking sites which is a key aspect of new media technology.

We planned much more then we constructed when researching our overall promotional campaign.

New media raises issues of ownership and control – social media sites give a lot of power to the audience but can equally be ‘hijacked’ by the institution and used to their advantage.

Promotional CampaignFacebook

Promotional CampaignFacebook

The value of new media as a promotional tool is undoubtedly huge – it has a strong commercial element which will not appeal to all users / critics but will help gather interest from a variety of people

We wanted to make a Facebook page for our film

As it creates interest for our film, gives the audience more information about what to expect, makes them more excited

Promotional Campaigns on Facebook are now expected of major films

Using Facebook campaign is a free form of advertising and reaches a wide range of people

Promotional Campaign Twitter

Promotional Campaign Twitter

Twitter is probably the best way of promoting a film and therefore possibly represents the ultimate sharing capacity of new media technology

By using Twitter you can get instant feedback and reactions from audiences around the world

By tweeting a trailer or sneak peaks, it is available for millions of people to watch and comment on

Twitter is difficult to regulate – new media is raising issues around censorship and regulation – what to control, how, who by.

Use of slideshow presentationsUse of slideshow presentations

Some of our presentations are hosted on slideshare and linked to our blog.

New media raises issues of plagiarism and copyright – what happens to this work when it is downloaded from slideshare? We have no way of knowing.

Use of New Media toManipulate and Create Images

This is the main and original image on our magazine cover.. We extracted this image from the white background. We then altered the image colour mode to black and white. We also adjusted the levels of colour on the image to give it the correct shadowing. We then used a white brush tool to lighten up areas of Jack’s face so he could be identified.

To extract Jack from the background we used the magnetic lassoo tool

Manipulating ImagesManipulating Images

With the prepackaged tools available with new media, everyone is an artist / producer.

We then chose the background we were going to use.One of the images we took on a filming day in London was the best choice.We included a blue overlay on the image to make it match our poster and to help Jack blend away from the background. The back area of the lower image help draw attention to Jack’s face.

Manipulating ImagesManipulating Images

Using LayersUsing Layers

We used layers to order the images and to position them in front of other images.

Having layers meant we could we could edit each image separately. For example, we put a black colour overlay on the main image of Jack.

The reasons for this was so that his face could be darker than the rest of the cover.

In our poster, we used layers to put different effects on different images. For example, you can see that the Houses Of Parliament are a gold colour where the main image of Jack is in black and white.

We also used layers to place text over images. Especially for the film ratings.

Using LayersUsing Layers

Limitations of PhotoshopLimitations of Photoshop1)You can only undo to some extent. So if you have made a big error, like deleting a image, you may not be able to restore it to the way it was if you have done other work after it. 2)There is only a limited number of tools available and we had to use what Photoshop gave us.3)Due to the large number of fonts, we found it difficult to chose the best one. We ended up going to other sites that allowed us to preview fonts

New media tools can actually limit creativity

Accessibility Accessibility Due to the high price of Adobe Photoshop, it is not that accessible to everyone. Even though some computers come with it pre-installed, and the school computers have it, only one member of our group could work on our magazine or poster outside of school.

New media is not as widely available or as democratic as it seems initially.

Technological Convergence Using Photoshop with Other Programmes

Technological Convergence Using Photoshop with Other Programmes

We used Photoshop to create titles and objects for our actual trailer too. For example, the ‘Coming Soon’, ratings card, credits and title were all created on Photoshop. Once the document was created, it was simply imported into Final Cut Express without any trouble. This was very beneficial to us as it meant we could simply copy and paste the title from the magazine and poster into the trailer.

New media packages are becoming increasingly compatible with each other. This benefits the consumer and does not tie them to one maker / producer as has been the case previously. In this way, new media is opening up markets and reducing near monopolies.

Using New Media to Create FilmFinal Cut Express

Using New Media to Create FilmFinal Cut Express

The AdvantagesThe Advantages

Final Cut Express is a digital editing package, this means that it is easy to save and transfer around and allows us to have different versions without having to sacrifice one for the other.

A key feature of new media is reproducibility – the ability to make multiple copies of identical quality.

We are able to trim and cut our footage without risk due to tools such as ‘undo’

The ability to layer shots allows us to create complex visual images as well as creating J-cuts and L-cuts

The non-permanent changes allowed us to experiment with structure more easily as we didn’t have to worry about risks

Ordering, Trimming and LayeringOrdering, Trimming and Layering

New media aids creativity – it allows everyone to be creative

Manipulating SoundManipulating Sound

Final Cut Express allows us to add many different types of files such as JPEG, PNG and Mp3

We are able to loop audio files as well as and effects such as ‘Cross Fade’

We are able to layer many different sound tracks together

We were able to re-voice some of our dialogue

Editing audio is kept fairly similar to editing footage so it is easier to do both

Balancing SoundBalancing SoundWe were able to change the volumes of are speech so it was louder than the non-diegetic music

We also had the ability to gradually increase and decrease the volume of sound so that it was less noticeable

New media makes previously high level editing available to all we are all prosumers (Shapiro)

Ability to return to original source footageAbility to return to original source footage

Final Cut Express gave us the ability to keep the raw footage so if any mistakes are made we are able to go back to these

This means that the software is very forgiving and if footage is deleted from the timeline we are able to retrieve it again

Pre-Packaged ToolsPre-Packaged ToolsWe made use of pre-packaged editing tools to enhance what was happening on screen

We used a luminance map transition to show a move into a flashback scene

There is a limited choice of what is available so this leads to a loss of

creativity

New media encourages a creativity of selection rather than a creativity of invention

EffectsEffects

Final Cut Express gave us the ability to add filters to our footage these ranged from blur, sepia and desaturation

We used desaturation so that the audience could tell that it is a flashback

Use of LiveTypeUse of LiveType

We used LiveType to create notes for ourselves

The use of LiveType with Final Cut Express is a good example of technological convergence and how two individual programs can be used together effectively

We were also able to add text over the footage, this helped with voiceover work

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

• Can be time consuming to learn • We were limited by the price of the software as we couldn’t

use it at home, this is a problem seen throughout new media• It has a limiting range of effects and transitions doesn't always

have the ones needed• Needs a lot of experience and competence to be used to its

full potential

New media is only useful and life-changing if you have access to it. The number of regular users are not as great as theory might imply.

Use of New Media Technology forEvaluation

Use of New Media Technology forEvaluation

Comment section on blogComment section on blogFeedback comes from comments on the blog and anyone is able to post them.

Anything posted on the blog can be accessed by anyone and people can post anonymously

These comments are useful as the outside feedback can help us evaluate our work.

This is a good example of why new media is often associated with an increased culture of collaboration and interactivity.

Blog post labels Blog post labels

You can filter which posts you want to view by using this tab and selecting your desired name

All work can be viewed by anyone

This shows the date blog posts were added.

New media is raising issues round privacy – whether because it has been invaded or because we no longer seem to want or value it.

Choice of format: SlideshowChoice of format: Slideshow

1. The format is easy to follow.

2. It is a very visual way of presenting the information.

3. Able to work as a team to create the presentation collaboratively.

4. When put on blog it is linked via Slideshare.

Choice of format: Video PresentationChoice of format: Video Presentation

Allowed for a longer, more depth discussion with room for differing opinions and ideas.

Was edited on Final Cut with some visual support and also a use of text to allow a ‘fast forward’ consumption of the discussion.

Was compressed and added to Blogger.

Choice of format: Contact Sheet and NotesChoice of format: Contact Sheet and Notes

Was made on Photoshop as a group.

Is a good way of giving an overview of our choices of eg colour palette, mise-en-scene etc.

Allowed us to work as a group selecting the images.

We were then able tow rite separate posts explaining the ideas.

Shows how you can mix between collaborative and individual work with new media.

Choice of format – YouTube Tutorial

We made use of audio and slideshow technology to create a tutorial suitable for online distribution.

This is a good example of the way new media helps establish communities of people all working in the same area and benefitting from each other’s experiences.

Shows how easy it is to establish professional communities via new media.