EVALUATION: HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?

Throughout this process, technology has played a huge part in making our short film IN BLOOM, from the starting point, all the way to the end. We have used an array of media technologies, big and small, from scanners to complex equipment and editing software. Without all these technologies, our film would not have been able to work.

TECHNOLOGIES USED: THE INTERNET The internet search engine (Google) – we used this to gather information on previous short films and feature films. It allowed us to see the typical genres of short film, and what time lengths, storylines worked and didn’t work within this area of film. We used sites such as IMDB - which is a film site where you can get all the latest information about a film, see the cast, running time, production company, poster and premiere first looks etc. YouTube - is a site where you can watch videos of basically any kind, I used this to watch other short films, professional ones and student films, therefore I could see what was already out there. With YouTube’s added feature of letting you see the view count on the videos, it meant I was able to assess which films were most popular and why that is. I could also see other people’s film feedback in the comment section below their videos. I also used this website for watching tutorials on how to use Edius 7, so I could use it to the best of my ability. SlideShare - This is a website I used not only in research, but throughout the process, as it allowed me to post things on my blog in a slick and neat way, with it’s embedding feature on WordPress. It is a great source for gathering information on short films, as you type in your question, then a variety of different PowerPoints are displayed regarding what you want to know. Also, I used this to upload my own presentations, so they could go on my blog and also help others.

TECHNOLOGIES USED: Microsoft Word – We used Microsoft Word, a computer software that allows you to create word documents during the entire process, however mainly in research, this meant we could create our own personalised questionnaires, fitted to our film, and these were given to the audience at our premiere, so we could have written, evidential proof of feedback. Microsoft PowerPoint – This part of Microsoft allows you to translate qualitative data into quantitative, this was helpful as it meant we could clearly see what all our audience thought in one image, instead of looking through 15 individual questionnaires. Cameras – We used cameras to gather research, as I interviewed a variety of students to get their opinions on the script of IN BLOOM, and I then turned the footage into a YouTube video then uploaded it to my blog on WordPress. We also used cameras to film the auditions, this meant we could revisit them and it helped us make the right decision when casting.

TECHNOLOGIES USED: Interactive Whiteboard – The interactive whiteboard proved to be essential for our premiere and post production work, but also it was seemingly important for filming. We used this as a prop in the classroom scene. Because we were not able to use a maths classroom, this was the biggest feature in representing the maths room. We put some equations on the board and it is in the background for most of the classroom scene. Without this it would have been hard to portray a modern day classroom with realistic features. Spotify – Spotify is a place where you can listen to music and create playlists. For the music production, I wanted to make an audible mood board of sounds so we had the correct feeling and sound which I could then give to our music creator and he could make some pieces customised to our sound. Scanner – We used a scanner to make our word documents digital, therefore we could upload them onto our blogs. This also proved to be helpful with storyboarding, since we could edit the colour on them once we scanned them in.

TECHNOLOGIES USED: Social Media – I used social media to advertise things such as the premiere, I did this by tweeting my followers asking them to come followed by the date and time. This meant I could get more people to come and see the short film. Twitter was also the handle that allowed me to get in contact with Black Francis the musician and ask for permission to use his bands music in the film. Without this technological ability, we wouldn’t have been able to use it due to copyright. Edius7 – This editing software was used in the research process as I turned my footage into a reel of informative commentaries from my subjects. With this programme I was able to add music over the clips to make the footage more entertaining and to a professional standard. Phones – Telephone communication was a vital part of our process, it allowed me to keep in contact with my partner Talia, so we could discuss our media film when we were working separately. It also permitted us to contact people to ask them if they would audition for the film/ let us use their facilities to film in etc.

MAIN TECHNOLOGIES USED: Camera, Lighting, Vistitle and Edius Camera – We used the model – Sony HXRMX30E to shoot our short film, and camera is a top range filmmaking camera that has a variety of different modes that we used to create ominous and interesting shots. It has the ability to change focus so we could film a pull focus shot which would not have necessarily happened if we had other types of camera that were not to the standard of the Sony HXRMX30E Lighting – We used a very strong film light to shoot our short film, and it’s high wattage allowed us to dim and customise the brightness to our needs, so depending on the shot, we could create a mood even before editing. Edius 7 – Edius is a software that allowed us to edit our short film. We uploaded all the footage and we were then able to connect them in different orders to make a concise piece of film. Not only does it let you manipulate the order of film, but you can add sounds, change the colour, layer shots, take stills, change the speed etc. Edius provides the professional filmmaker with hundreds of ways to depict their film. This piece of software proved to be one of the biggest factors in creating a professional looking film, as it created an over-effect which we could control and alter. Vistitle 2 – This allowed us to create opening titles for our production company – RT PICTURES. We were able to add a jingle over the animation, just like you see in the big feature films, adding to the professional aesthetic.

WordPress – Wordpress is a blogging website, and I used this throughout the entire process, post, during and pre, to help me with my overall end product, IN BLOOM – short film. This proved to be one of the most beneficial sources, as it allowed me to return to all my work in one place, and let me look through it on one page with ease. I customised it to my own interests, making my own banner, and biography so people know just what kind of person I am. This online way of blogging work lets me share my work with an online community.