#main task

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

From when we started making our preliminary task to finishing our main task, I have learnt a lot about lots of different technologies including equipment like cameras, editing software and websites like Tumblr.

Equipment

For our preliminary task, we used a Panasonic Camcorder which was very basic and easy to use. It only had auto-focus which meant we didn’t have to learn how to focus it ourselves and there were very limited settings so we didn’t have to change anything. Because of this, we didn’t find it difficult to use or get the hang of and it was very similar to products I have used before so I didn’t learn anything new about using cameras from this experience. One feature I did really like about it was that we could charge the camera while we were using it which was very helpful because we didn’t have to worry about running out of battery when filming. We also used a very basic and small tripod but as I had never used one before it was helpful to get to know how they work and how to set it how we wanted it. I also got to practice panning and tilting with it which was a really interesting and new experience. I found it was quite difficult to make it look smooth because of the tripod not being the best quality however it was still good practice for our main task.

For our main task, we had access to better equipment because we wanted the quality to be even better. We used a much better and bigger tripod called a Velbon DF-51 and I found it much easier to use because it was better quality. We could adjust in loads of different ways meaning we could always get the height and position exactly how we wanted it and it was much easier to pan and tilt smoothly. It was also easy to transport and carry with us which was good because we had to walk quite a lot to get to our location. We also used a Nikon DSLR which gave us so many more options and was much better quality than the camcorder. We found that with the majority of our shots we only needed the auto-focus but we did experiment with different settings to get the best lighting. I really enjoyed learning how to use manual focus and even got to do a pull focus which is a shot I am really proud of especially because I taught myself how to do it. We didn’t face too many problems except on one of our shoots we forgot to bring a spare battery so we had to rush a bit more than we would have liked to before the camera ran out of battery. At first, I felt very nervous using expensive equipment that I didn’t really know how to use but the more I practised I got the hang of it and felt much more confident and better and using it. 

We also got to use a shoulder mount but we only used it for a couple of shots because I preferred the effect we got with just handheld camerawork and I also found it quite difficult and uncomfortable to use and position correctly.

A big problem that we came across during the production of our main task was the sound. We used a sound kit with a microphone, boom pole and a dead cat windshield but for some reason, we couldn’t get it to pick up any sound. We made sure it was definitely plugged in correctly and we changed lots of settings but it wouldn’t work and all you could hear was white noise. Because of this, we had to rethink our original plan and we actually decided that we preferred our opening sequence without any dialogue so the fact that we couldn’t record any didn’t matter in the end. We did use the built-in camera microphone to record diegetic sound such as the waterfall and footsteps. This worked well for what we wanted it for because at the very end of our opening sequence, during the chase scene, I think the use of only diegetic sounds and the occasional non-diegetic sound effect actually really helps to create suspense and tension.

Editing

I really enjoyed the editing process and I learnt a lot from it. In our preliminary task, we used Adobe Premiere Pro but only minimal editing was needed so although I learn the basics like cutting clips, fading music and changing audio levels it wasn’t very complex and it didn’t take too long. In our main task, we spent a lot more time using the software because there was so much more we needed to do. I got much more confident at using the software so cutting clips and adding transitions etc became easier. I also learnt a lot about more specific processes like horizontally flipping video clips and editing the colour of the flashback shots. I spent a really long time learning how to do this and making sure it was perfect.

I also got to use different video and audio transitions and learn a lot more about what looked the best and how to edit them. We spent a long time teaching ourselves how to do these different processes and getting them exactly how we wanted. I definitely learnt the most from this because we worked out how to do everything ourselves using YouTube tutorials and the skills we already had.

Social Media

Finally, I also had to learn how to use Tumblr and other websites. I had a Tumblr account before I created my Media Studies blog but I had never posted on it. Now I feel like I know how to use most of its functions like uploading photos and embedding videos and presentations. I am very happy with the way my blog looks because I spent a lot of time using the website and learning how to use it to make it look as best as it could. I also had to learn how to upload a video to YouTube which including exporting our video from Premiere Pro and even editing the thumbnail using Photoshop. I had never done this before so it was interesting to see how it is done and be a part of the uploading process. I also had to use other websites such as SlideShare as part of my research towards our main task. I used it to upload presentations and documents like our script so I could embed them in my blog. We faced a few problems with working out how to use it but I think it looks really effective on my blog so I’m glad we learnt how to.

Who would be the audience for your media product? How did you attract/address your audience? 

How does your media product represent particular social groups? 

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?