Question 4

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

When I began the task I used the internet to do all my research about music videos, this involved me researching on the history of music videos, music labels, what digipack+ looks like and their importance, different music directors and channels and etc. this is important because it help me understand how music videos are created, distributed and how music videos reach an audience.

After I had done all my research I started planning my music video, I used simple Olympics camera to take pictures of the sketched and story bored that I had made to me me with a rough idea of what I wanted the final products to look like. I could them pass this onto my blog, peers and people in my audience bracket and receive feedback on.

When I began learning how to use the media equipment I went out and tried using the DSLR Canon EOS 500d, to help me keep the camera steady I also used a steadicam. I shot some short clips and learnt the purpose of all the buttons, how to zoom in, how to take images/videos and then I loaded this onto a computer which I had a look at. After this I used a different lens which was a manual 1.8 focus lens, I need to learn how to use this lens therefore I need some practice. I used this lens while I shooting my real music video along with a slandered lens as it gave my footage more depth, also I was able to blur out the background which allows me to get a dancer in complete focus therefore adding more depth to my music video.

Once I’d reviewed the footage I used Window Movie maker where I made put all like clips I had shot together and added effects such as black and white and the speed (slow-motion). Following this I felt more comfortable with using the camera and more prepared for shooting the main task.

For my first draft of my digipack I has taken pictures with the the DSLR Canon EOS 500d at the location of where I was filming. Once the images were taken I opened them onto photo shop and adjusted the preset sizes so it was suitable for a digipack used different layers with different effect I made the images look like a pop art image. However I felt that this look didn’t match my music video so I changed change the whole lay out.

I using images from my As coursework for my digipack, I used PhotoShop to add effects such as blacking out the images and using the stroke tool to add different colours to each image. With the main image in the insider of my CD cover I fel one image look a little boring so while I was experimenting I found that the shadow looked quite nice and look quite professional. I did this by using copies of the image the using the filter on each of the image so the image fades back, for example on the first image I kept the filter as 100% the when down to 75% then 50% and finally 25%.  I also used the effects tool to add a slight gradient on the background, I felt it would give the pages more depth and look more professional and high quality.

I had to add in text for the CD cover name and track list seen on the back cover and the title/information seen on the magazine advertisement using the text tool. Photoshop enabled me to change the colour, size and font style of this text according to its importance and purpose. I thought I would keep have continuity between all the CD cover and the magazine advertisement. I did this by using the same colour scheme even with my music video and the same text size and font.

Whilst creating the music video I placed the camera onto a steadicam in order to create a polished finish which looked professional, minus the hand-shaking which is often inevitable from hand-held camera work. I adjusted the focus switching back and forth to create a blurred effect when the image of the candles first appears, then I turned the lens so that the focus became clearer as the music began. I was shooting dancers I filmed while they were practicing and learning the dance, therefore while shooting the camera had picked on the surrounding sounds such as the music which the dancers where dancing to, conversation which happening while the dancers where in action etc. due to this is I hand used an unlink tool which separated the visual video and the sounds, then I deleted the sound off the clip and placed the video above the sound track I was using.

I used Abode Premier Pro CS6 to construct my real music video together, to import files such as the clips I had shot and my music I would use a simple drag and drop method. I had to use the slice tool to chop some bits of the music video out which didn’t need to be. I shot my music video from different angles and settings- for example when the actress is walking I used different angles such as a close up, long shot, low angles, eye length angles - I felt that this type of frame created a versatility which surprised the audience and kept them interested. When my model is walking I have shots of her from the back, front and the sides in the begin of my music video it shows the a range of different angles with each shot, for example there is long shot of a building which she will be going into, then cuts to a lawn angles shot of the actress from the side, this showed she’s looking up at the building however it also shows that the girl is aiming high hence the reason for the low angle.

I changed the colour of my dancers by clicking on the video effects, and draging the black and white tool over to each clip which I wanted to be in black and white, for example during my music video when the actress is in the film the visual is in full colours then cuts to the dancers, the dancers are in black and white, I did this because it created a new dimension to the video, the black and white dancers contrast to the actress walking. the reason for this is show at the end of the video and there video black out a spot light is shown and the girl comes in to the sport light in colour and gets in to her first position, this again is in colour, this shows the girl is aiming to dance on stage in a spotlight therefore having dancers is what she does and is her past and this point is made more clear as she is continuously like waling to somewhere, which is in a metaphor for her journey to her aim which she achieved at the end of the music video.

On some of the clips between the dancer and the actress I have change the duration and the speed. I did this by used the seep and duration tool, I was able to add emphasis in moves of certain area so it looks effective and make the audience feel more engaged with the music video. To enhance the emphasis I use the tool which allowed me to position the clip on the screen for example make in to bigger or smaller or moving it left or right. I used this many time to enhance what is being seen therefore entertaining the audience to make them keep watching. The main place I used this was at the end when the I shot the section of the text coming up on the phone, this was because I had to make sure that the text was seen as clear as possible for the audience to know where she was going.