Easter Homework: Week 2:

4 Specific Examples (AS & A2): Digital Technology, Post-production, Creativity, Research & Planning, Real/existing Media:

Digital Technology:
Photoshop: I used Photoshop in the making of my A2 Coursework, mainly on my Digipak but also on some aspects of the website. I used photoshop to put effects over my photos to make it fit in with the genre of the band.
Blogger: This is where we documented all of our research, planning and also the construction of our products in both AS & A2. I developed by using more digital media examples instead of writing.
Adobe Premier Pro: In AS I used Adobe Premier Pro to edit my prelim task and my final product. I cut the shots down in order and also added effects.
Final Cut Pro: In A2 I used Final Cut Pro, with this we could put shots in order and cut to the beat. It was also very useful when it came to syncing the clips.
Youtube.
Post- Production:

Youtube: In both AS & A2, this is where we uploaded our finished products. This was useful as it enabled us to put our videos on our blogs easier, and was also good when we was recieving audience feedback.
Facebook: In A2, when our music video and ancillary products were finished, we used social networking to gain audience feedback, it was helpful as it specified our target audiences and it was easy for them to watch it and comment. Many of us made 'Bandpages' where we also uploaded finished Digipaks and website links. It gave our audience a direct path to our products.


5. Deconstruct (break apart) the 3x Exemplar essays:

'Audience' Exemplar Essay:

• They applied Audience Theory very well, maybe too many examples in some places.
• Included their target audience, and how they represented the culture of their audience in the production.
• It needs more examples of his/her production work.
• L3/4 borderline

'Narrative' Exemplar Essay:



'Genre' Exemplar Essay:

• They basically retell their music video production.
• Has hardly any reference to genre theorists
• Talks more about her skills (which is wrong section of exam) than they do about the theories it could apply to.
• E/D grade

The 'Audience' essay got the best result as they included the criteria for that topic. They did this by telling the examiner how they portrayed their characters to gain their target audience. Aswell as this, they applied it to theorists/theories that suited their production best and gave a number of examples. I could do this in preparation for my exam in June to hopefully gain this result. There was only one thing he/she could have been a bit stronger on, which was more reference to their production.


6. Prepare a 250 word essay plan responding to this question:

1(a) In your experience, how has your creativity developed through using digital technology to complete your productions?

Introduction:
Over my two year media course, I have made a variety of products, in AS, I produced a thriller trailer, and in A2, I made a music video, with ancillary products such as a Digipak and a website. In both AS and A2 I used a variety of different digital technologies, which all helped me in different ways.

Main Body: 
-The use of Blogger in both AS and A2, how effective it was to be able to provide updates either at home or at school.
- Youtube, In AS and A2 we used youtube to upload our videos, this as the easier for us to get it onto our blogs.
- The progress from using Premier Pro in AS, and then using Final Cut Pro in A2, how they both suited the different products (premier pro--effects and cutting tools; final cut-- cutting to the beat and lip syncing)
- the use of different shot types, use of more closeups and midrange shots in A2, than in AS, having to capture more emotion and the use of syncing.

Creativity:
- Was important in both productions.
- In my thriller, it was impirtant to convey the enigma in the storyline. Also used creativitiy when adding in a couple who were in love, to make the opening sequence more emotional and dramatic. Biggest creative thought was the unidentified epidemic that was following them.
-Editing, use of effects, highlighting emotions such as desperation, anger.
- In my music video, I had to step up the creativity to make the narrative work with the lyrics in the song. Picking out the most popular lyrics, (can't always keep my promises) then relating this to marriage.
- the engagement, the relevance of it to the location (castle=romantic)
- The 'Supernatural' powers of the ring, it appears and disappears, making the characters think they are hallucinating.
-Also in editing, the use of effects (red effect at the end, fits in with the distorted music.)
- The creative use of colours to represent moods and emotions (love--red, black--guilt, white--innocence)
- my ideas of creativity in both came from other influences, and some of my own.
influences; thriller; films such as Shaun of the Dead, 28 Weeks Later. Music Video; pre made pop/punk/rock videos, different aspects came from different videos, (love betrayal; you me at six's Underdog, alcohol, cheating + also the title effects; Asking Alexandria's To the Stage.)

Conclusion:
In both AS and A2, digital technologies helped me in many ways, for instance, in A2 when we was put into groups, technologies like Blogger and Facebook kept us in touch and we could both post our contributions to our product. Blogger helped me in AS and A2 when it came to sorting out what work needed to be done, by making action plans that I could view at home.
In A2, when we 'released' our music video, it is possible that it encouraged our audience to be consumers, as they posted it for everyone to see on social networking sites, where we got comments and likes. Both creativity from past products and digital technologies have helped greatly over both AS and A2.