Q.4 How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation?

Planning and research I have used Google for my research and planning as this search engine enables me to gather useful date when recording our footage. I have used Google to: •research for nearby cafes in which we could visit and ask permission to conduct an interview.•Facts about breakfast – healthy eating•Facts about the history of breakfast•Information on how many people don’t eat breakfast•Different types of breakfast. •Research Channel 4 print advert.We believe that this technology enables us to gather the best possible information that we need to produce our documentary.

I have used YouTube as part of my research. I used this software to watch other documentaries that has been made by other media students in the past; this enables me and my group to have an indication of what it is expected from us. Here we was informed and been reminded of some code and conventions that we needed to apply for our production work. We have also used YouTube for the same reason for researching radio adverts.

I have used both Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint as part of my research. I used this software for annotating and analysing codes and conventions of documentaries. Analysing different documentary gave us the ability to understand why certain elements are identified as a code and contention; it deepened our knowledge and understanding to what we have to produce. This technology also enables us to add images in which enhances the importance of the texts.

Recording footage

For filming our documentary, we used Sony HXR-MC2000. This allowed us to capture great quality footage. This camera enables us to experiment with many camera angles and compositions such as establishing shot, medium shot, high and low angle shot and many more. It was relatively easy for us to use this camera as we were familiar with it from using this piece of technology from our prelim task. This was a beneficial factor as this saved us from spending time getting familiarized with this technology. We used this technology for all of our footage, including montage, vox pops, interviews, cutaways etc. This then enhances its continuity as the quality levels of each footage were all the same as they were recorded by the same technology. The camera includes 12x optical zoom and 160x digital zoom which gave us good quality footage even if the footage is zoomed. This camera also involves a larger microphone, which we used at one point of recording footage as the microphone battery levels were extremely low.

We also used a clip on microphone as this is a code and convention technology when recording footage such interviews. We learned from research that clip on microphones are used heavily on other documentaries. This is because it records clear audio and doesn’t take too much focus out from the interviewee, compare to using bigger microphones. This also creates a professional impression towards the documentary as we are using modern technology piece. This microphone also enables us to not pick up so much of the background noise, compare to using bigger microphones. We also used a tripod in order for us to capture footage that looks professional. We learnt from research that it is fundamental to use tripod when capturing footage such as interviews as tripod enables to captures proper rule of thirds, which is a main code and convention.

Using a tripod also enabled us to experiment with camera angles such as panning shot and high and low angle show without doing any damage to the camera.

Capturing images for print advert

For capturing our image for our print advert, we have used Nikon D90 camera. Because I am also a photography student, we decided as a group that we would use my camera rather than college’s camera as we wanted to capture an high definition quality of images. We decided as a group that it would also be appropriate if I take the images as I am more familiarized with this specific technology. My other co group members helped me photographing our images by suggesting interesting angles and compositions in which I can photograph our subject.

Overall we have taken more than 50 images, which we thought is a beneficial factor as we have variety of choices. After the shoot we felt that the overall outcome were successful and we were satisfied with the images we had taken. Having said that one of the draw back from this shoot was that we didn’t use a tripod. This didn’t made a huge impact, however we felt that we would of gained more interesting images if we were to use a tripod.

Recording radio trailer and voice over

We have used the college radio station and used the technology “audacity” when recording our audio for the radio advert and voice over of our documentary. This was our first time using this piece of software, therefore we had a little guidance from our co students to teach us how to use this technology. After learning the basic of using this technology, we then called on Kath Hope (Priestley College staff) to do our voice over and radio trailer. We made sure that the audio levels were on 6, as this was the setting that our teacher recommended to us in order to gain good quality sound. We then advised Kath Hop to speak near to the microphone as we wanted to capture clear audio. After we pressed the red button for record, me and my group members kept quiet throughout the recording as we didn’t want any background noise to be picked up by the microphone as this would be unprofessional. Recording our voice over and radio trailer occurred many times as we wanted the best possible audio; we didn’t want mistakes such as miss pronounced words and quiet audio. After a couple of tries, we then were satisfied with the audio. We then saved our audio to our pen drive and transferred it to the computer we were working on for our documentary.

Editing – Documentary

When constructing the documentary, we used Adobe Premier. This technology allowed us to:

Import footages, sound, images and archive footage.

Enables us to crop the footage either using the razor tool or simply by reducing the footage length.

We were able to move each footage to the order that we want to. The opening sequence would be the best example for this.

We were also able to unlink the sound when importing cutaways. The interviews was still then easily heard when cutaway is present.

The different layers of feed enabled us to move footages around easily. It also enabled us to import or replace other footages.

This technology enabled us to alter sound controls to make sure that not tracks was to loud or too quiet.

We were also able to add separate tracks to each part of audio if it needed altering or special effects due to sound condition.

Enabled us to add faded transition to enhance the creativity within the documentary.

Editing – Print addWhen editing our print advert images, we have decided to edit this in Adobe Photoshop CS5. We have chosen to use this technology as we were already familiar with this software; we felt that using Photoshop would give us the best possible edit for our print add image. We decided to use tools such as:

• Crop tool – to change the images composition from landscape to panoramic. We also used crop tool so that the subject is zoomed as we wanted the image to be appealing and eye catching.

• Colour levels – to gain a much contrasted colour levels. We felt that the image colour were a bit dull, therefore adjusting its colour levels enabled us to gather a much abstract and photo which includes appealing colours.

• Layers- for the texts, boarders and logo. • Layer effects – we chose the layer effect ‘Over

lay’as we felt that this was the best layer effect within the set. • Text tool – to add the title, slogan, date and time.

We have chosen the font Verdana as we felt that this was the font that looked a lot like Channel 4 font. • Shape tool - we used shape tool when creating

our the boarder for the texts.

We used these tools to gain a better edited image. We strived to mimic other channel 4 adverts by including it’s codes and conventions.

Editing – Radio trailer

We also used Adobe Premier to produce our radio trailer. This involves picking out clips from our documentary such as vox pops and removing the visual image, so that the basic audio will be the only thing on show. We have used two tabs / layers for our documentary, one tab being the opening music and the background music and the other tab being the footage clip.

We also then used fading when introducing the vox pops and voice over. We used fading to improve the flow of the radio trailer as we didn’t want the information to over load. We then added the scripted voice over that we have recorder from audacity. We went through the different versions of the scripted voice over and picked the best possible out.

EvaluationBlogger was used for research , planning and evaluation of my documentary. On blogger, there are many different blogs such as logging sheet, diary and evaluation posts we made towards for our documentary. We used blogger to present blogs individually which allowed our group to transfer different research and work we had found. Blogger also provides proof that we have done our documentary, research and planning by ourselves. It also proves proof that we have done individual work (diary), as well as group work. Blogger also enables us to upload different type of technologies such as Prezi, Slideshare, Tagul and Youtube videos.

I have used Prezi to present some of my evaluation questions. Prezi enabled me to present information that is displayed in a professional, interesting and eye catching way. With this technology, I was able to present mind maps . I found that this technology was easy to used and also entertaining. This technology also enables to import images to back up the information that I have written.

I have used Slideshare to present research, planning and evaluation. I have decided to use Slideshare to present PowerPoint and information rather than just pasting it on the blog. Slideshare enabled my written work to look interesting and informative. Slideshare also enables us to import images that backs up the written information. Slideshare also enables to improve movie clips. For example I have used clips to present examples of radio adverts . After uploading the Slideshare, I then pasted the URL on to my blog.