Closing Statement

I have now come to the end of my media production work and I must say it has not been easy. I have enjoyed the time I have spent making my products and learning how to use different softwares and equipment. I feel that my skills have really been pushed to the limit and my communication and teamwork skills have also been pushed too. I feel that I have gained some confindence in the softwares that I have had to use and also in the techniques and information I have learnt too. I hope to be able to continue media studies and use my knowledge in further pieces in the future.

Evaluation Question 7

Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?


I feel that my preliminary task went well and for the first time using the equipment, it was quite an accomplishment. I worked well within my group and we all worked together well to get the editing completed. Our filming was successful and we didn’t need to make any re takes which was beneficial. Our match on action shot worked effectively but was slightly difficult to edit as I did not want it to be misaligned. We frequently used over the should shots as this was the task for the preliminary (a conversation). The shots were over the shoulder however, the positioning seemed to change every time. By this I mean the focus point of the other person was not always at the centre as the camera would be pointing in a slightly off situation. I think this was due to the fact that we had never used the cameras before and we were simply experimenting and trying to get used to using them.

 

In my final piece, I feel that we used camera shots and angles much better. There is a shot in which the camera is placed in front of the character looking behind at two other characters. This over the shoulder shot looked very effective and also had the two characters in the background in the centre of the shot. This shows the level of improvement that was made between the constructions of the two pieces.

 

I have also learnt how to use final cut in more depth. In my preliminary task, final cut was completely new software and my skills were still developing. My strongest point on the software was the editing itself. The commands made it easier to cut the clips and then put them together into one long film. I was also able to import music and this is where I learnt how to make it fade in and out at specific points in the film. I thought that this was really successful and I was proud of my efforts and how it sounded in the end.

 

In my final piece I learnt how to change the speed and duration of clips. The beginning part of my piece didn’t look right as the blurred effect could not be noticed very well. With the slowing of the clip, I was able to make it look more like a person was recovering consciousness which overall made the clip look more effective and realistic.

 

Another technique that I was able to use was the use of special effects. My final piece includes a lot of fades and dissolves which weren’t used in my preliminary. The use of slugs in the final piece also meant that I could use time and separate footage so it doesn’t become one long, boring film. I learnt how to insert fades at the beginning and end of clips in order to make them flow better and not look jumpy.

 

My preliminary task did not need to use credits and this was something that I picked up in the progression of my final piece. I learnt how to incorporate them and then change the appearance of them (i.e. colour, size, and font). I was also able to change the positioning of the credits over the video itself, not just over a blank screen. I also learnt about the idea of leading lines and how they usually lead to what the audience needs to be looking at or where text can be placed to follow the scenery. I did this on a few titles; one in particular followed the direction of a wall.

 

Overall, I think that my progress has improved drastically since the production of my preliminary task. There was a lot more planning and thought that went in to the making of my final piece and I think this can be seen when comparing the two. I think my skills on final cut have improved since my preliminary and my editing looks sharper then what it did on my preliminary.

 

I think that the most important thing that I learnt in the entire process is that film production and editing is difficult and can take a long time to perfect. It can be a stressful process but in the end, the hassle is worth it.

Evaluation Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?

Evaluation Question 5

I asked two students in my school to review my final piece. Each of these students both study in year 12 and go to Harris Academy South Norwood. The person on the left does not study media in any way and is a complete outside party to the subject. The person on the right is currently studying Btec media and so has more of an idea of what should be included in the final piece.

I also asked a student that does not study at Harris. This person is in year 11 and also does not study media at all. She is a complete outside party to the entire process so I know that her response will be genuine and accurate.

The videos were set up in a question and answer format. The participants did not know what questions I was going to ask them so this made it easier for them to evaluate. Because they did not know what to expect, their response would clearly be their genuine opinion.

From my feedback, I could tell that the participants liked my final piece. One of the main features that were popular amongst my participants was the music. I was told that my music was effective as it helped to indicate what the genre of the film would be. Another positive for my video was the way in which the camera was used. The lighting of a lot of the scenes were also said to be effective as it gave a sense of tension which further helped to indicate the genre to the audience.

One area of improvement is the duration of the clip. The clip itself was less than 2 minutes long which may not be reflective of actual media products. If I was to re do this task, I would definitely ensure that I acquire enough footage to make the piece long enough. During the production process, duration was a problem for this piece and it is definitely one of my targets for future pieces. Another area of improvement is the special effects. In future pieces I would like to use more effects to make the piece look more professional. Instead of using similar effects, I would like to try and use a range to make the piece more interesting and attractive.

 

 

 

 

 

I also asked a third person to watch my video. The above video was their response to what they saw.

 

 

 

Evaluation Question 4

What would be the audience for your media product?

Evaluation Question 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

 

Evaluation Question 2