Research And Planning
Technology played a vital part within our research and planning stages. These were mainly down to the element of communication. In addition to our regular group meeting that took place in school, we took on numerous technologies to share information to and fro. Our smart phones aided us to phone text email all on one device. Specifically, ‘whatssapp’ an app common on I phones and blackberry’s aided us to connect to one another. As a group message we all could witness each members messages. Sending pictures, video, ideas and questions, enabled us to finalize any vital information. Whataspp particularly came to our needs the days before filming.
Another way of communication was simply by text. Fortunately, to our benefit each member had an I-phone. This gave us access to I-message, a free way of communicating from I-phones. It also allowed us to create a group message in which we all could all work as a unit. Both whatsapp and i message were used at the same time to back up any vital information.
Weather was an issue we had to keep an eye one. Luckily, every day we filmed was ideal weather. This was with the help of the weather app on our I phones. A detailed frequent update of weather enabled us to plan ahead and make the most out of our filming days. When the forecast was predicting rain or other restricting weather we rescheduled. To make sure we had accurate results an additional forecast we check was online. The BBC weather forecast we believed was a reliable source of information and therefore took predictions from both datas.
In order to brainstorm our ideas for costumes and styling we researched into popular websites such as ‘Tumblr’. Tumblr offers public access globally to those who desire to post images quotes and opinions. Known as an increasingly trendy way of keeping up with fashion as well as appealing to a wide target audience. Taking images to create mood boards and to inspire us further, Tumblr helped us to understand different styles that we used within our final products. To create a natural looking mood board we used Adobe Photoshop CS5 to merge our chosen images that we were influenced by.
To broaden our knowledge on the music industry and specific artists we were influence by, we simply browsed their websites. This allowed us to understand how different artists marketed their products in different ways. Understanding the layout of an artists website also gave us ideas of how to lay out our blog. This included colour scheme, labeled links, and also the set pattern followed throughout the site. Predominantly featured on the websites were the artists names. Displayed in different fonts inspired us ideas for logos, titles, and other font used throughout our project.
Checking train times and prices on the website helped us to plan ahead by budgeting our travel costs. It also kept us updated with the train activity and delays. This way we could work around any problems on the tubes and over grounds. Purchasing day travel cards online allowed us to travel all around London to our locations. As a group online booking supplied us with student discounts. Once again this aided our budget. A map of train routes was also supplied to us on the national rail website to guide us.Construction (Music video)
I believe as a group, constructing the video is where we excelled in, by using new media technologies. I feel we were all able to flaunt our technical skills in a variety of aspects. We used professional software and equipment to create a high quality final piece that is evident by the skills that have shown. Editing has built our knowledge and allowed us to develop with the current technology use in today’s industry. Using I Tunes we purchased the song Beat Down legally. The original song was 4.04, however with the use of final cut pro we cut the song to shorten the final instrumental.
With the use of sound cloud we are able to upload the song itself to the blog. Uploading the song to sound-cloud enables other people to see what we are listening to. It is a new form of social networking that enables people to share music and discuss it quickly and efficiently amongst their friends, receiving feedback regarding their choice in music.
Camera
To film our video we used a Nikon J1, a highly compact and portable camera, with responsive autofocus and super fast shooting speed in HD. We particularly wanted to use this model as it allowed us to switch the focus whilst retaining a high quality shot. As a group we all filmed different shots with help from others. Majority of the shots were taken upon a tripod in order to sustain a steady shot. However some steady handheld camera shots were used in awkward high or low angle shots.
For our digit pack and magazine advert we also used the same camera to take shots along side another back up camera (cannon). This was used on set to capture different angles/shots from our main camera to create a variety of footage.
Whilst filming, a certain scene required lighting. To our benefit an area surrounded by floodlights enabled us to film during dark conditions. It created a profession and athletically ora which could be mistaken for a studio. We carried out trial footage to make sure the combination of the lighting outside and the pitch-blackness worked.
Once all footage was complete using an apple laptop we uploaded our footage. I-photo stored all our images and videos in a specific folder that was easily found. A safety lock was placed on all footage to make sure nothing was deleted by accident. Some editing of the digi pack and magazine was done on I photo. Basic effects like the enhancing of saturation or black and white were user friendly.Final Cut
We began postproduction by capturing the footage into final cut pro. This was the first time we had used this software but allowed for greater possibilities when it came to editing. Final cut pro was an extreme change from the basic editing software supplied at school which we used at AS. However this year we wanted to step up and challenge our capabilities and put them to the test. Some of the basic tools such as cuts and dissolves were previously learnt but effects such a slow mo and fast motion had to be perfected. Concerned with the overall look of the video we wanted to create some aesthetically pleasing colour grade. After experimenting around with the magnitude of effects and the corrector tool, we were able to change the contrasts, brightness, saturation ect. We managed to find a tool that matched the setting off all the same clips and were able to sustain a set effects scheme to look professional.
Photoshop
For our magazine advert and digi pack we decided to use Photoshop. As a group we were familiar with the software and therefore had basic knowledge. However effects such as blending, over laying and cloning. For our digi pack images we wanted each page of images to blend and allow space for the images to bleed together. Blurring the edges to overlap the other images surrounding it did this. This created a professional feel and was visually
appealing. Photo shop also allowed us to incorporate text over our images. This was important for the front cover and magazine advert as it stated the titles, album cover and other vital information for the public. One striking feature that we were all impressed with was with the retouch tool. This enabled us to remove any unwanted blemishes to make the artists look flawless. All of our images were shot on the Nikon j1 to sustain high quality. Some photos were taken in many different locations to create variety to keep the audience interested. We had to make sure the lighting was to our standards before shooting.Evaluation/Feedback
All group members had easy access to face book, twitter and the frequent use of Youtube. This was specifically useful during the evaluation stages of the project as we were able to promote out videos across multiple platforms. We wanted to receive a diverse range of feedback. This was achieved by receiving comments from friends across social networking sites. However we wanted to ask that feedback globally. Therefore we uploaded our video to Youtube. This allowed a magnitude of views across the world to comment and share their thoughts. We were able to keep an eye on our viewings and ratings to understand what the public opinions were. All feedback was taken into consideration for any future projects. Youtube was also accessed when in need for inspiration. Watching other artists videos help us to produce our analysis and look further into the making of a music video.
A facebook page was created to reel in viewers. Facebook is also a global networking site and therefore allowed people to share our video to others around the world. We were constantly able to update our followers on facebook as whatever we posted would be automatically visible on their timelines whenever they logged onto Facebook. We were all experienced users of facebook and due to the fact that over a billion people in the world have a facebook account it gave us unlimited possibilities to how many people our video could encounter. Facebook is quick and easy to check and update which allows us to interact with our followers constantly bringing them the latest updates regarding the progress of our music video.
Also a twitter page was up and running to allow retweets to encourage the public to recognise our video. The twitter page was consistently updated to keep fans and viewers interested and up to date with the latest news. Twitter is growing in popularity and due to the real time constant update of twitter feeds it is extremely useful for people who want to keep in the know at all times and very useful for us to keep our fans up to date. Retweets allow our posts to be quickly spread across the Twitter community increasing popularity for our music video. A large amount of celebrities also use Twitter which allows the artists themselves to interact with their fans.
Also a family member recommended our video to a friend who worked within a production company. He supplied us with feedback regarding the quality of our music video and our choice of music. His record label, 'Far Out Recordings' was not necessarily the same genre of music that our music video focused around however he was able to give us tips on how to target our audience and different ways in promoting our video to mass markets. 
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