E: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Within my research, planning production and evaluation of my short horror film I have been able to use a variety of media technology, computer software, and programs, including ones I have used previously and some that are new to me. From this I have been able to expand my knowledge and experience thus helping me improve and push myself within my coursework.

For editing my short horror film I used the software iMovie; this program was entirely new to me as I had no previous experience using it before. I was able to practice editing clips on this software; learning how to cut, use different transitions, upload clips, edit the sound, add in diegetic and non-diegetic music and sound effects, filters, and adjusting the speed of clips. From this practice I was able to apply this to the actual editing of my film, therefore I, along with my group, edited the film to the best of our ability.
Effectiveness:
iMovie was very useful in allowing me to edit my film, to make it appear on a professional level, as it was very good quality. It is also a very easy to use software and so the editing went well and I was able to work best with this program.
Opportunities:
By using iMovie I was able to expand my editing knowledge and skills, as I had previously only used Final Cut Pro. It was interesting to get to experiment with another program, to see what different techniques/effects it could provide for my film. With the help of my group, who had used the software previously, and YouTube tutorials, I was able to use the software effectively
Limitations:
The only limitations I faced while editing was the lack of my experience with iMovie; it was easy for me to make mistakes with the sound or cutting of the clips, but this improved over time and so was not a major limitation. Also, by working with a group, we were able to help and advise each other within the editing process as we shared the responsibility equally.
How did this technology differ from my prelim?
For my prelim I used Final Cut Pro; iMovie is a similar software, although I found it a lot easier to use. The software I used for my final short film was much more trustworthy in it's saving of my work.
When was I most dependent on this piece of technology?
I was very dependent on the software, iMovie, throughout the whole process of planning and production, as without the editing program the film would be a broken story line with harsh transitions. Also, the plot would lack the effective fear factor needed represented through the addition of non-diegetic music and sound affects.
What have I learned that can be applied in the future?
The method of editing, experimenting with different transitions, speeds of clips, the incorporation of sound, filters and other techniques, can be used if I use other programs or decide to use the same program to edit my future work. The experience has enlightened me to the complexity of editing a film and having it become the end product I intended it to be.

For documenting all of my coursework planning, production, research, construction and evaluations, I used Blogger. This way my posts are easily accessed and my film and ancillary tasks can be uploaded easily.






For creating my Double Page Spread I used the picture/document editor Canva; on this website/app there are a variety of templates you can use to create a wide range of media products. On here I found a template I liked and that matched the type of template I had seen in my research of film double page spreads.
Effectiveness:
The selection of templates available was very helpful in letting me expand in my creativity in what I could do with my DPS. The set up was simplistic and very easy to use; the image uploads, text and editing was very good quality and helped my DPS appear professional.

Opportunities:
I was able to expand in my creativity as there were so many templates to choose from and manipulate; I had used this editing program before and so there were no new opportunities in expanding my knowledge in use of Canva, although it was a chance to develop in these skills.

Limitations:
The limitations I faced whilst making my DPS with this editing software was the complexity of viewing an already made template and editing/changing the whole thing to make it how I want. This occasionally disrupted what I was trying to produce, although the simplicity of the software helped with this and I solved the issue after a couple practice runs creating my DPS.  

How did this technology differ from my prelim?
I did not use this type of technology for my prelim as it did not require any image editing. Therefore, this technology widely differed from the Final Cut Pro software I used to edit my preliminary short film. 

When was I most dependent on this piece of technology?
I was most dependent on this piece of technology during the production and editing of my film as I was able to capture images and write an article concerning the content of the plot. 

What have I learned that can be applied in the future?
The techniques of editing, following a template and conventions of a film DPS, as well as the structure and writing of the article can be applied to further projects.

I used the other editing software of Pixlr to create my movie's poster. On this software you can upload images, overlay them, add text, add filters, edit the brightness/contrast and a lot of other common editing techniques. It is a simplistic, easy to use software that produces high quality editing, thus making my work appear on more of a professional level. 

Effectiveness:

Pixlr was very useful in letting me create my movie poster, its simple set up and execution let me be creative with my work with ease.

Opportunities:

As the program is so easy to use I was able to change and improve my poster quickly and without struggle when there was something I was unhappy with. The vast amount of editing tools the program provides also allowed me to expand in my creativity as well as experiment with different forms of my poster.

Limitations:

I didn't face many limitations in using Pixlr as I had used it on multiple previous projects. 

How did this technology differ from my prelim?

I did not use this type of technology for my prelim as it did not require any image editing. Therefore, this technology widely differed from the Final Cut Pro software I used to edit my preliminary short film. 

When was I most dependent on this piece of technology?

I was most dependent on Pixlr during the production and editing of my film as similar to that of my DPS I was able to use my film's content and research as a basis of my ideas for my poster. Which altogether made the planning and production of my poster a lot easier.  

What have I learned that can be applied in the future?

My editing techniques have improved in experimenting in overlaying images and conveying genre and the fear factor through images, which could be applied to any future projects that I take on.

To film and take the images for my film I used the Nikon D5300; I use this camera regularly in other projects as well as in my spare time. It is an easy to use camera, with a good quality lens that created professional looking shots.

Effectiveness:

This camera was effective in my production as it provided me with the technology to create my film with ease. 

Opportunities:

Through the production of my film it provided me with the opportunity to gain more knowledge and advance in my skill of using the camera effectively and to it's full potential. 

Limitations:

There were no limitations as I had previously used this camera and the modes and adjustments were easy to use and change for what I aspired to film. 

How did this technology differ from my prelim?

For my prelim, I used a less advanced camera, which showed within the quality and execution of the film. Therefore, the use of the Nikon D5300 represents the advancement in technique and production.  

When was I most dependent on this piece of technology?

I was most dependent on this specific piece of technology within the production of my film as it was a valuable aspect in creating my short film. 

What have I learned that can be applied in the future?

My camera knowledge has expanded in how to use certain lighting modes as well as how to execute shots as to how I intended them to be.