A2 Media Studies by Aneka Ahmed

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    In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions

    of real media product?

    During the process of creating our documentary we

    researched a range of professional documentaries in order

    to understand the different types of codes and conventions

    that are used. At first we looked at different kinds ofdocumentary such as Supersize me A good Smack and

    Teen Spices to get an insight on the different types of

    documentary features. For example the use of hand heldcamera, the worms eye and birds eye view shots and

    many more. The picture to the right shows some basicnotes that I jotted down on two of the Documentaries.

    Once deciding on the topic of the Documentary we decided

    to research other Documentaries with a similar Genre inorder to get a true focus on the different types forms and conventions we would be

    following. Most importantly to find what montage similar documentaries follow. The

    documentary that I looked at was called Mixed Britanna which also focuses on theintegration of Multiculturalism in the UK. This link will take you to BBC iPlayer where you

    can view all the episodes of Mixed Britanna. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015skx4).

    Both factual based documentaries carried similar codes and conventions.

    One simularity was adapted was the Worms eye

    view shot. Here you can see a print screen of a shot

    were a black women and asain man are getting

    married. This shows that mix of cultures and races is

    possible. The use of the worms eye view can imply

    that Multicultarlism is superior and truly valued

    over failed multicultarism. This common code of TVdocumentary is

    highly used toshow current dominance. Simulally, the use of the worms

    eye view in our documentary was used to show thediffrence types of cultures entering The 6th form College

    Solihul. The shot to the left also shows thatMulticultralism according to the college is finally

    accepted and exists. I was very pleased with the look of

    this shot as it is an important form of real media product.

    Furthermore, during the introduction of our

    Documentary we filmed an asain man playing hisinstrument in the town of Solihul. The aim and

    purpose of our Documentary was to inform, educate

    and explain to our target audience about the

    integration of Society. This original piece of filming

    adds to the sence of realism showing and informing

    that Multicultralism is highly valued and does exist

    in a typically white middle class area. The fact that

    he has freedom of playing his music represents

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    freedom of speech and freedom of rights.

    Another simular media form that we used was Cross-Dissolve. This effect was used so thatit would allow a rhythmetic flow to the documentary and also allow the documentary to

    come across as cohenrant.

    As you can see from the above still images, the Cross-Dissolve effect was used successfully.

    I believe we successfully used this effect in our Documentary.

    As our Documentary was based on a

    real, present issue in the UK, it wasimportant that there was a real sense

    of actuality. One of the ways in

    which we tackled the actuality was

    the use of Mise En Scene. Here, the

    fact that there is a Media Student

    from a College being interviewed,

    the class room set up (i.e: she is sat in

    front of an interactive white board)

    and the use of the sign on the bottom-

    left of the screen adds to the sense of

    realism. In our research of

    documentaries it was found that

    being informative and showing

    realistic footage was essential in-

    order to give our documentary a true

    touch of reality.

    The use of slight headspace at the top

    of the screen and the fact that the

    interviewee eyes are in the top third

    of the screen are typical media

    conventions.

    Occupation of just over half of the

    frame is a common media convention.

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    The Integration of Society Documentary carries a

    range of different types of Documentary modes. Bill

    Nichols (2001) distinguished particular traits and

    conventions of various documentary film styles. One

    mode that was used was the Poetic Mode. This also

    can be originally interpreted as a Soviet MontageTheory which looks at a contrast of photos and the

    principles ofphotogenie. Our Documentary has a

    small element of the poetic mode. For example, the

    use of the Manuel Focus shots was used to give our footage a bit more of an interesting

    and nice look. The use of this poetic aspect could be seen as aesthetically pleasing.

    Furthermore, another type of Documentary mode that was in our documentary was the

    Expositional mode. John Grietson explains that this sharply moves away from the poetic

    mode in the context ofvisual practise and storytelling however using rhetoric language.

    (i.e: the use of persuasive language, the use of factual information and opinions given by

    interviewees.) Here, you can see that the expositional mode was thoroughly used in our

    Documentary. Many interviews discussed the positive effects and actions of

    Multiculturalism in Britain and further stating how we can overcome racism in the UK. In

    addition the use of an omnipresent voiceover is another aspect of expositional mode which

    was also used in our documentary.

    Alternatively, anotherkey media concept that was used in our documentary was the

    observational mode. Here, no narrative was necessary however this concept is based on

    what the audience actually sees. This mode helps

    increase the actuality and realism in the Documentary.

    We used this throughout the documentary. For

    example, when Asian Youth Worker Jag Jagdev was

    integrating and talking to a group of white college

    students. This footage evidently shows that socialising

    with people from different backgrounds is not an issue

    in this particular environment is without having to use

    narrative. This mode is very strong in showing the true existence of the topic being discussed

    in the Documentary.

    The image to the left shows a Manuel focus shot.

    Here, you can see that in the foreground you have your

    white man and in the background a group of Asianpeople. The use of the Manuel focus shot shows an

    element of the poetic mode. Combined with this, the

    observational mode is also present at the same time.

    The footage is typically showing white people at a

    division from Asian people, negatively portraying

    Multiculturalism again without the need of a narrative. Although overall our Documentary

    portrays Multiculturalism positively it is important to show the counter argument and that

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    not all people agree with Integration of Multiculturalism in Britain. The use of this footage

    adds to the sense of realism and further the use of the combination of modes interprets the

    documentary style.

    In contrast to this, one Documentary style which has not been used was the Participatory

    mode. We simply used a voiceover rather than an actual author of the Documentary

    unlike the likes of Supersize me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2diPZOtty0) or the

    opinion based Documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.

    (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chj5R0Izt9s).

    The Final element of Documentary style that can be used is the

    Reflexive Mode. This helps the audience to view the text of the

    documentary in a more objective way, almost helping the audience to

    understand what exactly the documentary is about. This mode was

    briefly used during the introduction of the documentary where the

    narrator explains when immigration roughly started and most

    importantly why it happened. Here, we had demystified something quite vague and complexinto something simple.

    One of the majorobstacles that we had to undergo was

    the opening of our Documentary. We knew that the

    introductory scene would create an important first

    impression. We got together and had a group

    discussion, further writing down notes and

    storyboarding ideas. We finally concluded that we

    would open with a mini clip of Mike Hattons (Media

    Teacher) interview. Here, we would straight away

    inform the audience what the documentary is about

    which significantly relates to the concept of the

    reflexive mode.

    Combining our documentary, we also created a radio trailer. Here, we used typical codes and

    conventions of a radio trailer in-order to advertise our documentary. For example, simply

    stating why the documentary is a must watch and the date and time the documentary will be

    showing. Furthermore, the use ofdiegetic sound in the background of the voiceover shows a

    real, typical media convention. However, one flaw to using the same sound throughout the

    radio trailer was that there would be a risk ofaudience boredom. On the other hand, the

    same background music used in the radio trailer is the same backing tune used in theDocumentary. This adds to the coherence and stability of keeping all our media products

    similar and noticeable for our target audience.

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    Furthermore, we combined the backing tune with the voice over in our

    Documentary. When dealing with these various levels of sounds and volumes we would

    ensure that all sound levels were consistent and balanced. Although, this skill is not a

    major code and convention it indeed nevertheless is used in the documentary culture.

    Alternatively, we created a double spread magazine article to also promote our Documentary.

    Initially we drafted our article based on the research and planning we carried out. Here, our

    intentions were that we followed as many media codes and conventions as possible.

    Basic

    Title

    Grab

    Quote

    Stand First

    and Drop

    Cap

    Structured

    interview

    General text

    General images

    and caption

    By-line

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    The final double spread article turned out to be layered out in a similar format as our draft.

    Our plan for the article had worked out well and as a group was very happy with the final

    piece.

    Grab quotes

    to inform the

    audience the

    about topic of

    the article,

    grabbing the

    readers

    attention.

    Headline with a Rhetorical question simply displaying what thearticle is about and making the readers reflect By-line stating the composers of the article.Typical media convention.

    Captions to interpret and give information about theimages shown.

    Structured

    question and

    interview.

    Typical way of

    tackling a

    common media

    convention

    Stand first

    and Drop

    cap to

    introduce

    the article.

    Range of pictures to show a

    high level of sophistication.

    Drop cap and

    bright red

    colour in

    capital letters

    to exaggerate

    the must

    watch

    documentary

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    How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

    On an overall basis, I feel that the combination of our main product and ancillary textscomplement each other very well. Both the radio trailer and documentary compromise

    perfectly in the context that the same music is being played. Furthermore, the introductoryextract from the documentary has been imported into the trailer which a viewer would

    instantly recognise had they listened and viewed both the Radio trailer and Documentary.

    Contrasting to this, a problem with the radio trailer couldbe the lack of artistic variety choice as we only stuck to one backing song throughout.

    However, we felt that as Multiculturalism is such a major, present issue in the Britain we feltthat going for a straight-forward background track would enhance the seriousness and

    importance of our Documentary.

    Furthermore, the snap-shot image of an interviewee in

    the Article which has been taken from the documentary

    makes our brand recognisable. Instantly the audience

    will recognise the interviewee therefore promoting our

    documentary. The fact that there is an image of a Asianwomen and White man together as a couple represents

    unity. This is promoting Multiculturalism positively.

    This image would seem pleasing to the audience therefore

    making the audience want to watch and adhere the great

    outcomes of immigration.

    On the other hand, a problem we considered inthe design of the article is the use of the

    simplistic colours of black and white. Thesecolours can seem very dull and may not catch the

    readers attention very well. However, aftercareful consideration we decided to stick to the

    basic colours. We felt that more colourful, eye-catching colours would eliminate the seriousness

    of the topic being discussed in the article.

    The use ofstructured interview type of text

    from The Editor of the Documentary seems to make the documentary very interesting and

    informative. It also allows the Editor to un-ravel the core meaning and message they are

    trying to send to the viewers.

    The target audience for our media product is generally an upper-market, affluent,

    educational, sophisticatedaudience. Nevertheless to say that the younger audience age

    ranging to 19-35 also would benefit in watching this educational, informative documentary.

    Therefore, it was essentialthat our BrandIdentity would meet the majority of the wide-

    range target audiences needs. We chose to show our documentary onBBC 2 as it is a mix

    genre channel appealing to a broad adult audience with programmes of depth and

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    substance. Furthermore, many educational, informative documentaries are shown on this

    channel. Many people would question whether the BBC 2 channel would be viewed by a

    younger audience. Generally as mentioned above the upper-market older

    age would view the channel. However, BBC 2 is a Public Service

    Broadcaster (PSB) which means that the programmes are by far suitable

    for a slightly younger audience of ages 19-35.

    Combining with this, to play our radio trailer, we nominated BBC 2 Radio. Again, this radio

    station appeals to the upper-market, affluent audience nevertheless to say that the slightly

    younger audience who are interested about the life of Britain would be just as well intrigued

    to tune into this Radio Station. Also, it would only seem logical to play the Radio Trailer on

    BBC 2 Radio as it some ways would allow the audience to easily remember what channel the

    Documentary would be on.

    Finally, we chose to display our Article in the Radio Times

    Magazine. Research has shown that

    Radio Times is one of the most currentleading magazines in the UK.

    Furthermore, it is known for advertising

    and displaying different types of

    programmes including educational,

    informative documentaries. Also, they

    channels including BBC 2. We thought

    that this would combine perfectly

    undoubtedly creating a brand identity.

    To conclude, I think that our ancillary tasks and documentary combine successfully well

    together. The use of similar images and sounds creates a fantastic match. The article is well

    structured, easy to read and well-focused on the promotion of our documentary. The use of

    different opinions on the radio traileroriginates un-biased views. Having said this, one

    thing that could be improved to help promote our Documentary further would be using a

    range of background music in-order to avoid a risk of boredom. However, the combination

    of these three products I believe, do truly create a significant and important Brand Identity.

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    What have you learned from your audience feedback?

    To collect our audience feedback we created three simple questionnaires based on our

    Documentary, Radio Trailer and Magazine article. The first question that was asked on all

    three questionnaires was based on if the all three Brands fulfilled its aim and purpose. The

    following graph illustrates what our classroom of 9 students thought.

    In all cases, you can see that the

    everyone considard our products to

    successfully fulfil its aim on

    purpose which was to discuss,

    inform and edcuate the importance

    and change of Multicultralism in

    Britian.

    Article Questions:

    Here, you can see that all 9 of our

    classmates felt that the first minute

    of our documentary held their focus.

    Furthermore, it interested them

    enough to want to watch the

    remaining minutes of the

    Documentary.

    Did the first minute of t he documentary hold your focus and

    interest you enough to want to watch the rest of the remaining

    minutes of the documentary?

    0

    1

    2

    3

    4

    5

    6

    7

    8

    9

    10

    Yes No

    Response

    Numberofpeopleasked

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    On a whole you can see that the

    majority of the people rated the

    edit of our documentary good

    and also excellent. No one had

    rated the edit poor. This implies

    that the edit of our documentary

    was successful.

    Majority of people rated the effects

    and transitions in the documentaryas Good. No one had rated it as

    Poor again implying that our

    Documentary according to the

    transitions and effects was

    successful.

    Again, you can see that no one had

    rated our Documentary

    comparison with real TV

    Documentaries as Poor.

    Majority of people had said it was

    good suggesting that our

    Documentary was successful in

    carrying similar media codes and

    conventions.

    How pleased were you w ith the edit of our documentary?

    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

    Excellent

    Good

    Satisfactory

    Poor

    Respons

    e

    Number of people asked

    How do you feel about the effects and transitions used in the

    documentary?

    0

    1

    2

    3

    4

    5

    6

    7

    8

    Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor

    Response

    Numberofpeopleasked

    How well does the documentary compare with the real television

    documentries?

    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

    Excellent

    Good

    Satisfactory

    Poor

    Response

    Number of people asked

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    Here, you can see that most people

    said that the voice-over and

    background music levels had

    levelled correctly. However, a

    minority percentage said they had

    not. This shows that our

    documentary could have been

    improved so it could sound more

    professional and coherent.

    Many people answered this

    question differently. The mostpopular answer was that our

    documentary was mostly liked

    because it was informative. We

    were very proud of this feedback as

    our formal proposal had stated that

    the aim of our documentary was to

    inform. The results also show

    that much of our audience was

    intrigued by the interviews.

    The feedback suggested to

    improve our documentary was that

    the opening should have had sound

    rather than just showing the title.

    This was a fair point to make. If

    we added music from the very start

    it would have made our

    documentary sound more

    appealing and exciting. One majorproblem that occurred in the

    process of our documentary was

    the fact that our titles appeared to

    slow. We found that this was a major flaw to our documentary due to the software that was

    used (Final Cut Express). Unfortunately, as a group we were unable to change this. In

    future, we would know not to use the Typewriting effect on Final Cut Express for our titles.

    Do you think the voice over and background music levelled

    correctly?

    0 1 2 3 4 5 6

    Yes

    No

    Response

    Number of people asked

    What do you like most about the documentary?

    0

    1

    2

    3

    4

    5

    6

    Variety of shots Informative Images used Interviews

    Response

    Numberofpeopleasked

    What changes would you suggest in order to improve this

    documentary?

    0

    0.5

    1

    1.5

    2

    2.5

    3

    3.5

    4

    4.5

    Tit les too s low Opening sound levels Too many interviews More interv iews

    Response

    Numberofpoepleasked

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    Radio Trailer Questions:

    The majority of our classmatesfelt that they would want to

    watch our documentary later.

    This shows that our Radio

    Trailer successfully promoted

    our documentary. The one

    person that dis-agreed with this

    concept to us seemed quite

    surprising.

    Majority of people rated our

    radio trailer as excellent and

    good in the context that it

    compared well with real radio

    channels. No one had rated it as

    Poor implying that our

    Documentary had successfully

    followed media codes and

    conventions.

    Here, you can see that majority

    of people were pleased with the

    sound levels of the radio trailer.

    This shows that our radio advert

    had successfully tackled the

    volume control of sound.

    Did the radio trailer hold your focus and interest you enough to

    want to w atch the documentary later?

    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

    Yes

    No

    Response

    Number of people

    How well does the radio trail compare w ith real radio channels?

    0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

    Excellent

    Good

    Satisfactory

    Poor

    Response

    Number of people asked

    How pleased were you with the sound levels of the radio trailer?

    0

    0.5

    1

    1.5

    2

    2.5

    3

    3.5

    4

    4.5

    Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor

    Response

    Numnerofpeopleasked

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    As you can see many people

    answered differently in this

    question. Many people liked

    different things which made our

    group proud. The most popular

    answer was the use of good

    scripting.

    Magazine Article Questions:

    On a whole, majority of our

    classmates rated the layout of our

    article Good. This shows that the

    creative part to our double spread

    article was composed very well.

    Here, you can see that the majority

    of our classmates thought that our

    magazine article followed aspects

    of a real media magazine verywell. This shows that our group

    successfully followed the typical

    media codes and conventions

    successfully.

    0

    0.5

    1

    1.5

    2

    2.5

    3

    3.5

    Music Range of voicesGood scriptExcellent interviewsInformative

    Numberofpeople

    asked

    Response

    What do you like most about the radiotrailer?

    How well do you think the layout of the double page spread is?

    0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

    Excellent

    Good

    Satisfactory

    Poor

    Response

    Number of people asked

    How well does the double page spread compare with real double

    page articles?

    0

    1

    2

    3

    4

    5

    6

    Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor

    Response

    Numberofpeop

    leasked

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    Here, you can see that the audience

    liked a range of things on our

    double page spread including a

    good layout. This made our group

    feel proud of the work we

    composed.

    One flaw to our magazine article is

    that we forgot to add a major, key

    media concept of adding page

    numbers. If we could go back we

    would add this on.

    The suggestion of using different

    colours was taken into account.

    However, as a group we thought it

    was important to stick to a simple

    and sophisticated look to our article rather than a mix and range of different colours. This

    was done in-order to exaggerate and enhance the real importance and seriousness of our

    Documentary.

    To conclude, if I was to take on the same project again, I would take a lot of the advice

    suggested by my peers. I have found that it is very important to gain audience feedback as it

    critically analyses different aspects of your work both positively and with suggested

    improvements. From my audience feedback, I have learned that it is important to never to

    rush your work as it is always important to remember all the common media codes and

    conventions. Furthermore, it is important to consistently listen to your media product so thatyou can ensure that your sound volumes are correctly levelled.

    What do you like most about the double page spread?

    0

    1

    2

    3

    4

    5

    6

    Good use of images Good layout Nice colors

    Response

    Numberofpeopleasked

    0 1 2 3 4 5 6

    Different colours

    Add page numbers

    Number of people asked

    Response

    What changes would you suggest inorder to improve this double page article?

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    Scanner used to upload written documents onto the

    blogger.

    (HP Scanjet 5370c scanner)

    How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and

    evaluation stage?

    During the process of our documentary we integrated with a range of different types of media

    technologies, both Software and Hardware, familiar and unfamiliar products.

    Firstly, in-order to conduct our research we used standard college PCs, Macs, homeLaptops, TVs and DVDs to look at a range of different styled documentaries.

    We also embedded ourselves with a range of websites relevant to gain essential,

    appropriate research. As part of our research, the link takes you to a prime example of a

    You tube clip that we looked at, in-order to jot down notes about the types of codes and

    conventions used in Documentaries.

    (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JELossiyi9o&feature=fvst)

    We scrutinised the Internet service by viewing and using a range of websites in-order to

    research and plan for our documentary project. Common, key websites used were:

    Through the process of research and planning it was important to

    Blog everything we did to inform the examiner of the hard effort we

    put in. We used the websiteBlogger.com to construct a range of

    Blogs to demonstrate the different types of methods and processes we

    dealt with. Blogger.com also allowed us to upload written planning

    material. We used a scanner to upload paper based documents. This allowed us to analyse

    other documentaries on paper conveniently knowing that we could convert them onto an

    online digital format. I feel that Blogger.com is a user friendly website allowing individuals

    like myself to really show off our broad knowledge and skills involving media technology.

    To convert these handwritten documents into a

    digital format we used a Scanner. This hardware

    was available to us in the collage environment.

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    Software:

    - Final Cut Express

    During the construction of our Documentary we used a range of

    different programmes and Software that served different purposes. To

    edit our product we used the programme Final Cut Express located on

    the Apple Mac. This programme was new to all of us although it did

    not take me long familiarise myself with this software. The link takes

    you to a slideshow that I created. It examples some of the key features

    that I used in the making of our Documentary.

    (http://www.slideshare.net/AnekaAhmed/final-cut-express-skills-development-powerpoint-

    11301037). My knowledge on how to use this software has expanded dramatically.

    Exemplar of the Final Cut Express workspace:

    The Canvas displays the video as it is

    on the timeline

    This allows the viewing of different

    clips and sequences before

    transferring it onto the timeline

    Menu Bar to locate different things

    Browser containing sound

    files, still image files and

    video files. These files had

    earlier been log andtransferred.'

    These bars allow you to

    visualise and control

    the sound levels

    The tool bar consists

    of different tools and

    options to

    manipulate clips.

    The black lines and dots allow

    manipulation of the appearanceof moving images

    The timeline shows the

    different types of clips

    being played and

    layered.

    Different layered of sound

    showing both diegetic and

    non-diegetic sound.

    This line allows you to view what,

    where and when is being

    dis la ed.

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    - Abode InDesign

    During the production of our magazine article we used Abode InDesign.Here, we further adapted our skills. We were already familiar with this

    programme as we used it in the production of our AS level project. Ourentire group felt comfortable to use this software.

    Exemplar of the Abode InDesign workspace:

    Abode InDesign also shares similar aspects with Abode Photoshop which

    my group have also dealt with in the past. The use of the Swatches bar

    (image to the left) demonstrates a prime example of the programmes fine

    features as user friendly. Furthermore, we used a range of tools including

    the Drop Cap tool which is a typical media code that we chose to import

    into our magazine article.

    To make our Article look more presentable and appealing we used a range of

    effects such as Drop Shadow. This was mainly used on the behind of our

    images we chose to enhance an electrifying look.

    When viewing our article you can see that all our text has been typed in upper-case

    letters. The image the left shows the button we used to activate our text to become

    capital letters.

    Toolbar

    containing the

    different tools

    and options used

    to edit the

    layout.

    The slide bar

    containing the

    users preferred

    tools. This shows

    that this software

    is user friendly

    The swatches

    tab, used to

    detect the

    different

    colours the user

    has chosen

    Menu bar to

    change

    options and

    modify the

    programme

    Location for essential codes and

    conventions such as Drop Cap.

    Button used for drop cap

    Button used for Drop Shadow

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    Aneka Ahmed A2 Course work Media evaluation

    When importing images into the layout of

    our article it was important that we drew the

    frame of our picture first. Thereafter,

    importing the image from our files. This

    would allow us to manipulate our image by

    changing the layout, positioning andviewing of the image. This also would

    allow you to edit images without

    jeoprodising the original file. Here, Abode

    InDesign demonstrate a high level of

    professionlism.

    Garage Band:

    During the process of creating our Radio Trailer, we chose to use Apples Garage

    Band. This is because it is fairly straight forward to use. Also, I felt comfortable

    to use this software as I have composed my own piece of music on it in past school

    projects.

    Exemplar of the Garage Band work space:

    List of audio and tracks used

    in our radio trailer

    Bar to show what and when

    something is being played

    Allocation of different

    types of instruments

    Area to show close up of frequency

    volumes for each audio

    Controller to play, stop,

    pause, rewind, forward and

    record audio.

    Button to allocate

    different tracks

    Track volume

    controller

    Menu Bar

    allowing

    you to do a

    range of

    things such

    as loop a

    sequence.

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    Aneka Ahmed A2 Course work Media evaluation

    Garage Band can be seen as one of the most straight-forward,

    easy to use Softwares ever created. A product that is accessible

    at home with a high use of professional features anybody is able

    to create songs, remixs for any sort of genre and purpose.

    The picture to the right shows the different types of files and

    music we selected to compose our Radio trailer. Here you can

    see that we re-named files as well as controlled the sound track

    volumes. The Auroa Bell and Acoustic Guitar were one of the

    hundreds of instruments we chose to undergo in our

    advertisement.

    Garage band carries a range of instruments and sound

    tracks making it software suitable for any style of

    music. This versatile programme allowed us to

    easily compose a Radio Trailer in minutes.

    To conclude, the three main Softwares we dealt with in the production of our project was

    Final Cut Express, Abode InDesign and Garage Band. Other types of Software we used

    included:

    - Microsoft Word for the writing up of our evaluation

    - Microsoft PowerPoint to present presentations and then upload on to slideshare.com

    - Microsoft Excel to import information and then convert them into graphs

    - QuickTime Player to export our documentaries into a quick time movie

    Websites that I have also visited to construct and demonstrate my work includeSlideshare.com and Scribd.org.

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    Aneka Ahmed A2 Course work Media evaluation

    Hardware:

    During the construction of our Documentary, Article and Radio Trailer

    we used a range of Hardware products that my group were both familiar

    and not familiar with. The video cameras that we used were easy to

    hold allowing us to take hand held shots and footage in-order to in-

    corporate realistic, natural footage within our Documentary.

    Furthermore, the use of the Tripod would allow us

    to take still images and footage. This also included

    camera pans left to right and top to bottom (or visa-versa) and camera

    tilts which we as a group found very convenient. What we found very

    helpful was that the video camera we used had a hard diskallowing us

    to easily upload our footage on the computer. This made it less time

    consuming and less complicated. The camera allowed us to

    manipulate footage in many different ways. For example, the uses ofmanual focus shots.

    We also were able to control ourwhite balance which meant as a team one of us would

    always carry a plain piece of paper.

    To create our Radio trailer we used a voice recorder. This was the 'M-

    AUIDO microtrack ii'. (Picture to the right) As a group we were

    familiar with this recorder as we all had used it before. In-order to

    process the recording and audio we needed Headphones and Microphone.

    Not only did this process the recording and audio it

    nonetheless made the process much easier. The use of

    the directional Microphone would help the

    audience to stray focus on the interviews and

    voice overimported

    in the documentary rather

    than the background noise. The use of the

    Headphones would help monitor the assurance that no background

    noise was taking over the individuals voice.

    Overall, I feel that we used a variety of different media technologies in the construction,

    research, and planning and evaluation stage of the production. I have learnt and adapted my

    technical skills a lot further and on a whole very proud of our media products. In all honesty

    the most difficult part of this production was the evaluation stage and through my audience

    feedback if I was to do this project again I would change a lot of things to make my mediaproduct more appealing, effective and memorable. However, I believe that our group have

    successfully combined our media products together, familiarise ourselves with a range of

    hardware and software and successfully followed the typical media codes and conventions.