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

Thomas Rivet

Candidate Number: 6159

The use of various media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation are always as crucial as the final outcome. Many types of mediums were utilised in the relative process stages, for both the advert and album cover (ancillary texts) and main product (music video), these mediums were devised in 3 categories; construction and research, planning and evaluation:

[CONSTRUCTION&RESEARCH]

Camera-  My camera was used to capture the location and stop-motion photographs for our main product [music video]. Furthermore, my camera was made and designed by 'Casio' with an astonishing 14.1mp (megapixel), enabling it to capture photographs with quality and greater resolution. In addition to this, it had a High Definition (HD) feature.  We used this feature wisely so that our photographs were always of the highest standard, opposed to the default Standard Definition (SD) feature. With this greater photograph resolution, I was reassured that we would not confront any pixelation issues when it came to transferring them onto the computers. And finally, this device was used to take photographs of our apparatus for our evaluation stage.

Camcorder- This instrument was used to gather the footage of myself singing to the lyrics and rhythm of the song for our music video. Morever, as I have already had some experience with this 'portable electronic recording device capable of recording live-motion video and audio for later playback', I could focus more upon other aspects of mise-en-scene, such as costumes, setting and location. 

Tripod- Is a three-legged rack, in which we used for camcorder support. This instrument was used in the construction stage of our main product [filming of our music video]; it was used to gather still footage for our music video. 

YouTube.com-This website was used for music video research and analysis. The research enabled us to identify what the common aspects of soft rock/alternative rock band music videos resembled. From the results, we could construct a set of forms and conventions that we could either decide to follow or challenge.

Blogger.com- 
Also a website that was used in the construction of our research, planning and evaluation for the promotion of our main product and ancillary products. Our photographs and texts would be added to our blog located on this worldwide website, consequently making it easier for you as a viewer to see.  
[On the right- 'Blogger.com' layout homepage - Click on Image to enlarge.]

The use of visuals like images/illustrations/photographs would enable us to demonstrate our better understanding of the various use of mediums that could be included in this blog. For instance, Powerpoint presentations and YouTube [music] videos can be shown through the use of embedding coding. 

'Embedding coding' is a process that permits a viewer to see part of another website without actually accessing it, ultimately converging a considerable number of medium types into one, on one website. Blogger.com does this very effectively. Media convergence is an effective way of presenting your knowledge and understanding of a subject that revolves around medium usage and the blog is an excellent example of where these technology traits can be shown.
[Right - Click on image for a greater insight (and image resolution) into how you can embed a video onto your blog, other examples can be found in research&planning related posts].
Below you can find an appropriate example of embedding coding.

Throughout this stage, numerous new media technologies were used, but some were used for diverse purposes to especially ease the conversion of pictures from another program. 

In some cases, 'Print Screen' was used. This basic case is located on the top right-hand side of your keyboard. Then, these 'Full Screen Captures' would be transferred onto any software that enabled you to 'Paste' it. Here are the functional softwares/programs that were used in both the contrusction&research and planning stage:

• Paint (see below)
• Microsoft Word 2007 - This Windows XP program was used, similarly to Paint, for the rescaling of pictures. This program is much more effective as it enables you to rescale them with much less hassle.
• Microsoft Powerpoint 2007 - Powerpoint was mainly used for the evaluation. As you may have seen above, the colourful set of words in the 'What have you learnt from your audience feedback?' post, was created using the text fonts and styles from this program.
• Microsoft Publisher 2007 - Another Microsoft program. However, this one was much more beneficial to the creation of one of our ancillary products - the advert. Although I did not take much part in the making of this product, I know that this program was used as I was the one who managed to reformat this file (due to minor complications in the conversion of the file) to a format that could be saved as a jpeg file.
  

Windows XP&iMACs-

For the construction&research stage to function adequately, we had a choice of two seperate types of computers. 

First, the Windows XP. And second, the iMACs. We used them in order of their function and on-screen benefits, looking at both their strengths and weaknesses/limitations.

For instance, the Windows XP computer/laptop was only employed when: 

1. The blog needed altering (in all 3 stages), 
2. Certain softwares that were needed were not apparent on the iMacs - such as Photoshop, Serif PhotoPlus, Picasa 3, GIMP v2.6 and Paint.

Whereas the iMACs were only utilised when: 

1. Music video footage had to be added and edited using Final Cut Express Pro or iMovie HD [creating the music video DVD]. 
2. Also, the still images of our music video were also adopted from the use of the 'grab' feature on the Final Cut Express Pro software.

Overall, I would say that the iMAC was frequented more than the Windows XP computer, as the editing took up most of the time spent on our main product, opposed to the time spent on our ancillary products on the Windows XP computer. 
As previously mentioned above, our group decided to combine the use of several softwares to reach the final outcomes for our music video and digipak [album cover and advert]. 

These softwares range from simple Image Manipulation to complex Editing.

GIMP v2.6- Also known as GNU Image Manipulation Program was used in the making of the front cover and inside right-hand part of the album cover of our digipak. I decided that this program was best suited for the creation of some bits off the album cover as it includes a simple and thoroughly thought user-friendly interface. Moreover, some of the effects I had used included: Colourise, Cartoon, Posterise and Gaussian Blur.  This program was purely used in the construction stage of one of our ancillary texts [album cover].

Serif PhotoPlus X2-  As clearly said in the title, this is a photograph editing software. Unlike the use of GIMP, this programs use concentrated more upon altering some of the aspects of a chosen illustration/photograph. This program was mainly used in the editing stage of the advert. If used appropriately, a nicer finish can be achieved. 

Paint- Renowned for its basic and uncomplicated layout and interface, this Windows XP program was utilised in the construction&research stage of our ancillary texts (both the advert and album cover - digipak). Its primary use revolved around straightforward photograph scaling, as seen on the image on your right.

Picasa 3-
Was a frequently used Windows XP/Vista that was normally used after the image-making stage using GIMP v2.6.  For instance, I decided not to use the 'text' feature on GIMP as I knew from previous experience that it lacked complexity and depth. For this reason, I devised that I would use the Picasa 3 'text' feature instead. It had an amplitude of text fonts and sizes to choose from, in addition, I was able to establish what sort of outline I wanted for the chosen fonts to be included on all sides of the album cover.

Above is an image of some of the stages in which my GIMP-made compass went through after the editing stage. Text was added and the compass was tilted to hopefully increase the effectiveness of this illustration to the viewers/customers.

Final Cut Express Pro- Is the MAC editing software that we used for the editing stage of the music video making process. This software enabled us to insert effects and transitions into and between the footage to make sure that continuity was apparent and intact - as the genre of music video was a narrative.  Although Oliver Rossetti was our Chief Editor, I did manage to improve my knowledge and understanding of this software, therefore, as well as being useful in the construction stage of our main product, it was also beneficial to my learning of this specific MAC editing software.

iMovie HD- Another iMAC software. However, this one was not used as much as the previously mentioned one as it isnt as developed and complex as Final Cut Express Pro, we had only used it to upload and import the stop motion photographs on the MAC from the USB stick, where the photographs were taken from the Windows XP computer at home, subsequenty from the Casio Camera to a USB stick [above]. 

[PLANNING] 
Our planning stage was fundamentally shown on this team blog. Notes and comments on how we decided to use these can be shown above. See 'Blogger.com' for more information.

However, here is another brief outline of its usage. We agreed that we would be more inclined to add to the blog after we had generated a concrete set of ideas through spoken form, to then be noted on paper and then later be added onto this cyber-space [blog] where all the information and details about our band promotion thoughts and motives can be shown.


[EVALUATION]
To conclude, the evaluation stage. 

From the beginning of this project process, one must have noticed that all the construction&research and planning has been shown on this blog.  Moreover, to enable you to more easily correlate my understanding of medium use, my evaluation has also been displayed on this blog. 

A 'blog' - short for 'Web log' is generally used for the frequent sharing of thoughts and ideas. And although writting this evaluation was the task set, I believe that I have adequately used this blog for its primary purpose for the benefit of the project.

Additionally, even though blogs have only been on the net for the past 11 years (blog usage spread during 1999 and the years following), we could still speculate that 'blogging' is a relatively new aspect of internet-related technology. And if you have just read all of the above, then it just proves how effective this form of technology is, as you are able to read this from another computer.