1A Post Production (3)

POST PRODUCTION ESSAY

In terms of my foundation portfolio (AS) I had to create an opening title sequence for a thriller movie which I named vindicate. It focused on 2 male protagonists who were on a look out for an assassin in an abandoned house, in order to prepare for the opening title sequence I was also required to complete a preliminary tasks which taught me the basics about maintaining continuity and familiarising myself with the editing software.  My advanced portfolio (A2) production focused on a music video for the indie band 'Bastille' and their song 'Pompeii', the video is about a couple who are on the verge of a relationship breakdown, we decided to hybridise the type of the video and created a performance based music video with a narrative based twist, the advanced portfolio was also accompanied by a magazine poster and a digipak (CD cover) which was part of the ancillary tasks. 

One particular skill that I believe I have progressed from AS to A2 is the use of editing software and it's features. During AS media I used Pinnacle Studio (for Windows) to edit both my preliminary task and my final opening title sequence; this software was very simplistic and only allowed you to use basic effects which didn't really help reflect the thriller genre for example a lot of the cuts used were soft and transitions like cross dissolves were used which didn't seem to reflect the thriller genre; for example thrillers tend to have fast hard cuts in order to create a sense of tension. However, when it came to edit my A2 music video I used Final Cut Pro X (for Mac) which is a tremendous editing software which is used by industry professionals with hundreds of exclusive features. This meant that in my A2 music video I used a lot more 'advanced' editing effects and transitions such as 'Luma Keyer', flashes and letterbox all which helped contribute it to make it seem like a pop music video, for example the flashes were added to the beat and the letter was added (16:9 aspect ratio) which is a key conventions of movies and music videos; adding this made my project feel more like a music video.

At A2 I believe that i have become more competent in my post production skills, I only had previous knowledge of Pinnacle Studio during my preliminary task and opening title sequence during AS media to test basic tools such as straight cut and clipping. However, during A2 with Final Cut Pro I used straight cut more confidently, implemented jump cuts and used to slow motion tool/replay as well as expanding the time line gap in order to ensure that my lip syncing was accurate as possible because if it wasn't it would instantly make the video seem artificial. Being more confident in my editing skills made me use it as a further advantage for example in post production I cropped my video to an extreme close up instead of relying on production on the day which was evident in my opening title sequence. By using the cropping tool in post production I could apply Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory and use close up shots of the actress in order to appeal to my male target market.

In also used PhotoShop in order to help produce my final product in both years, photoshop was used in my opening title sequence at the very end of my video where the title of the film was displayed. When creating the title of my opening title sequence, very simplistic tools were used such as the text tool and the bucket tool (to colour the background). However, during my A2 music video an extensive amount of photoshop was used in order have an impact on the final outcome, for example during the music video the boyfriend receives a text message from his girlfriend. I decided to replicate the bubble design from an iPhone which required me to use the eyedropper tool to get the exact same colour of the tool, the magic eraser tool to get rid of the white background and the gradient tool to give a two colour tone on the text bubble. I also used photoshop in other sections of the music video such as the text overlay at the start of the video and the band logo at the very end.

Photoshop was also widely used in my ancillary task whilst creating the magazine poster and digipak, having had previous experience in Photoshop it meant that I could creative a product that was aesthetically pleasing but also implement further new tools such as the use of the gradient tool, the slice tool and the spot healing brush tool. Using photoshop frequently meant that I could also learn keyboard shortcuts that I wasn't familiar with during AS media. for example CTRL + C meant that I could copy images from my photoshoot and CTRL + V meant that I could paste these images onto my Photoshop document; this ultimately saved me significant amount of time which had also developed my time maintenance and organisation skills.

During my AS opening title sequence I used very basic fonts that were preinstalled within the Pinnacle Studio software, I also picked a font which looked good in my eyes so not a lot of thought or consideration was taken into account when selecting the typography for my opening title sequence;. However, during A2 media in the post production process I spent hours searching for an appropriate font which was suitable for a music video. I used DaFont.com in order to assist me into finding the correct font, DaFont allows you to download any font you need, I decided to use Bebas Neue which is big, bold font which was capitalised and embossed in order to match the conventions of typography within music videos. This is a significant progression because it makes my media product stand out as users can use the unique typography that I used to familiarise it with my band.

In terms of sound, during AS media I uploaded a song to my project that was initially copyrighted which meant that i had to remove the soundtrack as YouTube didn't allow this, this is because I assumed you didn't need to contact an artist to use their song in a media production. Consequently it meant that i had to replace the soundtrack with another song which was very time consuming as I had to re-render the whole project. However, upon realisation and in order to prevent this happening again, in A2 media I contacted the owner (Bastille - Virgin Records) to use their song in my media product, which then meant that i had the lawful rights this meant that I was well organised but also being critical when producing my final outcome.

In conclusion, the progression from AS media to A2 media in terms of post production has been significant, it has enable me to become a competent student and a stronger candidate, for example using advanced transitions and effects in A2 media in comparison to AS media where I used a basic editing software which meant that the final outcome was rather limited.

• During AS we made a thriller OTS which meant that we had to stick to a specific genre (as Steve Neale would say), however in A2 I created a music video which meant that I could be more flexible because my video was 'amplification' under Goodwins theory which meant that I could add new layers to the meaning of the song. 

1A Digital Technology essay (2)

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
In terms of my foundation portfolio (AS) I had to create an opening title sequence for a thriller movie which I named vindicate. It focused on 2 male protagonists who were on a look out for an assassin in an abandoned house, in order to prepare for the opening title sequence I was also required to complete a preliminary tasks which taught me the basics about maintaining continuity and familiarising myself with the editing software.  My advanced portfolio (A2) production focused on a music video for the indie band 'Bastille' and their song 'Pompeii', we decided to hybridise the type of the video and created a performance based music video with a narrative based twist, the advanced portfolio was also accompanied by a magazine poster and a digipak (CD cover) which was part of the ancillary tasks.

One piece of technology that was used throughout my coursework was blogger, this platform has made me more confident in my progression from AS media to A2 media. Having spent almost 2 years on it, it made me work more quickly and efficiently. Blogger allowed me to embed insightful YouTube videos, write up my own essays and also embed soundcloud audio files by using a HTML code.

The use of camera equipment had also progressed from my foundation portfolio to my advanced portfolio. For example, to film the opening title sequence (OTS) I used a Canon Legria HD camcorder, this piece of tool was satisfactory because although it had remarkable quality and battery life some of the functions were rather limited for example you couldn’t change lens meaning that you could only zoom in 32x with optical zoom. However, for my advanced portfolio I used a Canon 700D DSLR camera which has additional features which the camcorder lacked such as AF Focus, high speed shooting and a ISO feature to shoot in dark conditions.

I also used digital technology to help inform and construct my project, during AS media had a skype interview with Mike Harrowes; an industry professional editor who gave me key hints and tips on how to edit a media product. In A2 media I progressed in the sense that I had two separate industry professional to help inform me, for example Ryan Mackfall (music director) helped me with my pre-production roles such as tips on a treatment, whereas Ian Haughton (branding designer) helped me on my ancillary tasks (post production). Having a skype interview with these industry professionals helped me think about pertinent questions to ask in order to get valuable feedback for the products that I was making.

The use of digital technology was also beneficial in my evaluation. In order to portray my information in a more amusing way I used web tools such as Piktochart and Issuu (advanced portfolio), this made my more aesthetically pleasing but also easy to interpret for my teacher. During AS media I used tools such as PowerPoint and Slideshare, whereas In A2 media I used more advanced web tools such as PowToon and Piktochart (these were great alternatives to PowerPoint). In A2 I was more selective of using web tools in the sense that in A2 media I used tools that were most appropriate according to the task that was set for example I used Issuu for my ‘digital technology pre-production’ post because it is a digital magazine web tool which links into the theme of modern technology.

Photoshop was also significantly used in my throughout my foundation and advanced portfolios. I used Photoshop to created 3D text for my opening title sequence, the reason why I used another software for the text is because Final Cut Pro has very basic text which doesn’t allow you to have 3D text, however using Photoshop meant that I could import 3D texts. In terms of my music promo I used PhotoShop in multiple ways such as my bands logo, the digipak and the text bubble from the iPhone. This meant that I became more confident in PhotoShop but also helped me construct a more competent piece of work.

Photoshop was also widely used in my ancillary task whilst creating the magazine poster and digipak, having had previous experience in Photoshop it meant that I could creative a product that was aesthetically pleasing but also implement further new tools such as the use of the gradient tool, the slice tool and the spot healing brush tool. Using photoshop frequently meant that I could also learn keyboard shortcuts that I wasn't familiar with during AS media. for example CTRL + C meant that I could copy images from my photoshoot and CTRL + V meant that I could paste these images onto my Photoshop document; this ultimately saved me significant amount of time which had also developed my time maintenance and organisation skills. 

In order to edit my opening title sequence (foundation portfolio) I used Adobe Premiere Pro; this helped me enhance the visual imagery of my project as it has extensive features such as colour corrections, transitions and a wide range of fonts. However, there were some issues with Premiere Pro which slowed down the process of meeting the deadline. For example, we had issues with rendering out the project as the footage became green and the audio was missing. In order to eradicate this issue, for my advanced portfolio, I decided to edit using Final Cut Pro. This is a more sophisticated software which is used by industry professionals, this software made rendering a lot easier because it has rendering templates which you can set prior to editing; enabling the template meant that there was no issue with rendering my final pop promo.

In conclusion, when making my A2 music promo I pushed my boundaries in the sense that I combined different media platforms in order to produce the final outcome, an example of this using Photoshop, not only did integrate Photoshop I also incorporated Apple iPhones by displaying a text bubble using iOS8 (iPhone operating system). This was a lot more advanced than my OTS; because my AS project was all about a strong narrative and creating enigma whereas the music promo was more about editing skills in order to maintain audience interest and gain multiple viewings.

• I used an internal mic in AS which meant it was quite hard to hear dialogue but in my A2 project I used an external mic meaning that I didn’t have to create my own Foley which was time consuming. 

• In conclusion, I believe that digital technology was very helpful in producing to effective pieces of media over the 2 years. As my skills further improved it enabled me to be a more comptent student but also use digital technology effectively in order to produce a high quality product.

1A Progression on Creativity on all sections (5)

DIGITAL TECH

creative in the sense that we used foley in our music video such as when the main character recieves a text we hear a vibration noise which means that it adds a sense of familiarity using this piece of diegetic sounds. Diegetic sounds in a narrative music video isn't used so much therefore we took a risk and in that sense we were being creative. 

we used a go pro for a POV shot when the boyfriend is running

used photoshop to make own production logo/logo of our band 


RESEARCH AND PLANNING

In terms of research and planning, I was creative in the sense that we used Skype to help us in A2 media such as speaking to Director Ryan Mackfall, he analysed my treatment and gave me tips on how to make an effective music video this is creative in the sense that getting tips from an industry professional meant that our video could be very creative when it comes to production. 

By using other formats to make our work presentable for example, in AS i used slideshare however in A2 i used piktochart, vimeo, youtube, prezi and powtoon. 


POST PRODUCTION

In A2 the music video was more creative in the sense that final cut allowed me to use effects that were exclusive to the software; final cut is used by industry professionals; for example it let me use effects such as Luma Keyer which meant that I could overlay two pieces of clips. This couldnt be done during AS media because Pinnacle studio had limited effects such as fades and dissolves which meant that I couldn't explore more features. 

a unique style of filming such as a freehand shot where the camera moves with the performer (one take shot for 30 seconds) this isn't often done in music videos but this was done in order to break up the tempo of the song as it came off the chorus. 


CONVENTIONS FROM REAL MEDIA TEXTS

In the sense that we used unique shots and offered a sense of intertextuality in our A2 media product, intertextualised John Newman love me again but we played a different type of narrative which wasn't linear narrative.

1A Research and Planning Essay (1)

RESEACH AND PLANNING


In terms of my foundation portfolio (AS) I had to create an opening title sequence for a thriller movie which I named vindicate. It focused on 2 male protagonists who were on a look out for an assassin in an abandoned house, in order to prepare for the opening title sequence I was also required to complete a preliminary tasks which taught me the basics about maintaining continuity and familiarising myself with the editing software.  My advanced portfolio (A2) production focused on a music video for the indie band 'Bastille' and their song 'Pompeii', we decided to hybridise the type of the video and created a performance based music video with a narrative based twist, the advanced portfolio was also accompanied by a magazine poster and a digipak (CD cover) which was part of the ancillary tasks.

Research and planning is fundamental to any coursework production and it allows for a measured, well timed production that is fully informed by both primary and secondary research into audience, genre and representation but also ensures the filmmaker is fully aware of the extent he/she has to go to in terms of production values and construction.

One piece of technology that was used throughout research and planning was Blogger; this was a very helpful and informative all the way throughout my coursework; this is because it let me embed insightful YouTube videos, write up my own essays and also embed soundcloud audio files onto it which all helped contribute to my knowledge and further enhanced my knowledge. Although blogger was very helpful at times it did have some issues, for example sometimes blogger would not work in certain rooms such as the common room or the library this meant that the use of blogger was limited and I had to use it in the media room which wasn’t accessible at all times. However, to eradicate this issue I done a lot of my blogger work at home which meant that I could catch up.

I also used YouTube to help me analyse existing media products to help inform my one. For example in preparation for my AS opening title sequence I looked the opening title sequence for ‘Se7en’ this made me aware of what exactly opening title sequences were, what they consist of and how long they are. In progression to A2, as well as looking at existing music videos from established artists I also looked at exemplar work from previous A2 students; I looked at a range of music videos ranging from level 1-4 this meant that I could analyse what they have done good and what they have done bad. This ultimately meant that I could pick up the good things and incorporate it into my media product.

In order to help inform me about by treatment (in terms of research) I had a skype interview with music director Ryan Mackfall. Ryan Mackfall gave me insightful information on how to write a good treatment and what a music video should consist of. During AS media we also had a skype interview with Mike Harrowes; an industry professional editor who gave us key hints and tips on how to edit a media product. Having a skype interview with these two industry professionals meant that I gain feedback from people who have actually had professional experience with film-making. However, a key issue with Skype was that it was quite hard to have a good connection and we only had one hour time slots which meant that we couldn’t fit as many information as we could have.

In terms of planning there has been a clear progression in our group work and contribution from AS to A2. During AS media, my group had randomly assigned pre-production roles to each other meaning that we all got randomly allocated to tasks (non-bias). However, in A2 media we allocated roles accordingly to what a person felt more confident with for example I put myself forward with schedule list because I can effectively meet deadlines and I have had experience with creating schedule lists before, and Jeremy was collectively assigned as prop and costume list as he is a drama student and has had experience with costumes before. This had developed our group skills more because as I group I feel like we have co-ordinated well as opposed to last year where group working wasn’t considered as important.

Researching equipment was also vital to help me produce a better final piece in A2 as opposed to my AS product. For example in my AS opening title sequence I used an internal camera microphone which was poor and didn’t have much range; as a result of this I had to record my own foley which meant that the sound seemed quite artificial. However, in order to eradicate this issue in A2 media I decided to use an external microphone for the dialogue at the start of my A2 music video; this meant that the sound was crisp and clear and meant that foley was not required as the sound was easy to understand. This meant that mistakes were kept minimalistic which meant that my
technological knowledge had increase because during AS media I would have not even considered using an external microphone.

In conclusion, the importance of new media has been apparent in my research and planning. Audience members are now being fragmented more than ever meaning that it can be harder to reach out to an audience, but websites such as YouTube are also making it easier as we are our own consumers (a term David Gauntlett used meaning that we produce and consume our own content using web 2.0). I feel that I have made a significant improvement from the transition of AS to A2 media, which has made me a much more competent student. Websites like YouTube have also made it easier for me to research key ideas for my music video such as camera tutorials and exemplar work from previous AS and A2 students; as media theorists Michael Wesch says “YouTube is a cultural phenomenon” which I can totally relate to as it has helped me in so many ways in terms of research and planning.

1B REPRESENTATION ESSAY (3)

'Analyse one of your media productions in relation to representation'

Representation is a key feature to the development and creation of my product. Representation, as described by Stuart Hall, refers to the idea that all texts are encoded with specific ideas and expressed through careful mediation. Presenting reality is a twisted and specific way. My production is my A2 music video, 'Pompeii' by Bastille, which comes under the genre and sub-genre of indie rock/alternative rock. I will refer to a range of theories that reflect or challenge the concepts of representation in my music video, analysing and using examples to apply such theories to my product.

1B MEDIA LANGUAGE ESSAY (5)

1B AUDIENCE ESSAY (4)