How did you use new media technologies in construction & research, planning & evaluation

stages?

Research Stage

In the researching stages (during the summer) a group and myself created a music video. During the project we used the green screen, creating an animation to coincide with the actors within the video.

Internet -> Youtube.com

However, for my music video project, I started with searching Youtube.com for music videos that incorporated animation. I found Flyleaf ‘Chasm’ that used the technique of animation.

Youtube Continued...Like Flyleaf’s video, I used layers of images to animate, creating a disjointed effect. I also looked up videos that incorporated Andrew Goodwin’s conventions of a music video and still had animation within it. I found ‘Beautiful Bride’ by Flyleaf, taking in consideration their use of the band within the video, as well as using animation.

BloggerI also researched aspects of Tim Burton’s films, as I intended to use his ‘artistic style’ in my music video. I looked at films such as: ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ and ‘Corpse Bride’ to get the ‘quirky’ style of images and find a way of incorporating some of his style into my video. I created moodboards, using Photoshop to show my artistic influences. From there, I uploaded the images onto Blogger, where I place all of my course work.

 

I also used Wikipedia.com. Through the site, I researched Directors, their style of music videos and the what aspects of Andrew Goodwin’s conventions of a music video they used.

Photoshop/Powerpoint

During the research stage, I also utilised Powerpoint and Photoshop in order to create my Moodboards and evaluations/present my notes on the Director I researched about. For the Moodboard, I centred around Tim Burton’s sketches and any relevant images that coincided with his style of art.

 

Having finshed the research stage of my project, I went on to start the construction of the video.

Construction/Planning

  For the planning & construction, the very first thing I started with was deciding on what track to use. I settled on a Jazz/Alternative track titled: Skeletons & Spirits, by Allison Crowe. From there I started with my Digipack CD & Advertisement. I searched online about my chosen artist, looking at the style of her music.

 

From here I started to develop the Digipack, using a CD template. I searched on Dafont.com for suitable fonts that would coincide with both my ‘style’ I wanted to use and the style Allison Crowe has.

Digipack. & Advert Construction cont...

Through the stages of developing the Digipack & Advert, I incorporated the bright and ‘funky’ colour schemes that I intended to use in the music video, developing an ‘elegant’ and ‘alternative’ Digipack & Advert that would coincide with the colour/style scheme I had for the music video.

Construction Ideas....After the Digipack & Advert, I started on the music video. The first parts of construction for the music video were scanning my images into the computer and/or finding images from Google to reference to in regards of what style of drawing I should do. (e.g. Jack Skellington & clipart ghosts/skeletons).

Music Video Construction

I then went on to use Photoshop to create my images and prepare them to be used in Premier Pro. Throughout this stage, I altered the images to coincide with the ‘mood’ of the music video I intended to give it, taking artistic inspiration from Tim Burton in order to help me. I would alter the hue/saturation of images, manipulating the colours until they appear ‘quirky’ and eye-catching. There were times when the images were manipulated in shape/form in order to follow the ideas I created during my animatic-storyboard.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buNSlE8Tndw

 

However, during the construction of my video the original idea I had sketched out for my animatic-storyboard changed, due to time-frame and the complexity of my original idea was. However, I compromised and managed to alter certain sequences in order to coincide with both my chosen track and my style of the video.

Construction - Key Framing

As such, in the construction I used 'key frames' in Premier Pro. to animate my music video. In doing so, I was able to create a ‘disjointed’ animation which coincided with my original idea. However, instead of keeping the images as a ‘whole’ (i.e - the ‘bodies’ of the narrative’s characters, were separated during scanning & edited in Photoshop).

Evaluation Stage

Additionally, through the evaluation stage, I used multiple technologies, such as: Youtube, Surveymonkey, Slideshare, Blogger, & Microsoft Programmes (Word & Powerpoint).

Youtube.Com

The main use of Youtube.com is to upload my video, so that other students and the public may view it. It has also become a place where reviews/criticisms have been made, enabling me to see what the public think of my work. (http://www.youtube.com/user/citycollegevideos#p/u/13/JqAvjhcdbNc.)

Surveymonkey

Surveymonkey enabled me to create a survey for my fellow students/friends after they have seen my finishing products (the music video & the ancillary products). As such I have two places where I am able to gather feedback on my music video, providing me with more views on what went well and what didn’t in regards of my work. The survey was distributed over Facebook & Hotmail Messenger, 2 other media technologies that have helped me develop my feedback.

Blogger

Blogger is used for a place to view my coursework, as well as a place to upload my evaluation, once I have finished my project and gathered feedback on it.

Slideshare

Slideshare is where I upload my powerpoint presentations (which will have my evaluation within) then to use the embedded code to place onto blogger.

Microsoft Powerpoint/Word

Powerpoint/Word: I use the Microsoft software to present my findings/evaluation in a professional manner. Then to be uploaded onto Slideshare where I would use the embedded link to place it onto my Blog account.

 

By incorporating all of these technologies, I have been able to develop my research, construction, planning and evaluation in a professional and quick manner.