Main task- Evaluation Question 6

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

Before my beginning this Course, but more specifically our main task, being a short 2 minute film opening, my knowledge of the different technologies available was not at all as broad as it is now. Even throughout the making of our preliminary task, learning the ins and outs of film making involved the use of many different technologies such as advanced digital cameras, Apple Mac’s, and even various programmes such as you tube, Final Cut pro and blogger. The making of our final product involved all of these technologies if not more, and becoming thoroughly well-equipped in this way made a huge difference in not only the quality of our film, but also the planning and research, as well as the evaluation.

Before this task, I had only ever worked a standard digital camera, so when coming to create a high quality film using a HD camera, I really understood the differences varying technologies can make on the outcome of a product. For example the HD cameras resulted in an extremely clearer picture, avoiding all fuzzy/blurry images. Although seeming insignificant, it made our product look much more professional, and significantly less of a low budget film. Throughout this process, I have also learnt about the wide range of camera equipment/technologies that we had available to us, without ever knowing it. For example, even a simple tripod and microphone excelled our film in many ways, being the steadiness of our shots, and the clear dialogue.

Without the help of an Apple Mac, our film would have been very different to how it is now. I say this due to the various different programmes available on it such as ‘final cut pro’ and ‘Jing’. Using final cut pro meant we could effectively cut our film, and add various different effects such as our use of black and white and also the faded edges. This gave our film the feeling of our flashback being in the past, due to this being a common theme in many horrors and more specifically, psychological thrillers. Final cut pro is also essential in the entire creation of our film, considering it would have not been possible to make it without this software.

Having you tube available to us whenever we needed it made research significantly easier in researching other film openings such as ‘Girl, Interrupted’ and ‘psycho’. Without the help of this particular technology, we would not have had the knowledge we did in helping us create our film to be as successful as other psychological thrillers have been in the past.  In terms of using blogger and you tube together, it made our planning and research much more effective, mostly in the way it meant we could create direct links between the two through the use of hyperlinks directly from that particular website. This very much helped in making the research easier and quicker, as well as it being very effective. Considering I had never had a blog before, the use of this technology was new to me, and admittedly, I did not fully know how to use it, or how it would excel my work as much as it has.

I consider to have learnt vast amounts throughout the process of creating this film opening considering the different technologies I have become familiar with, and now am confident in using independently. Through final cut pro, blogger and also the use of HD digital cameras I have effectively channelled all new skills I have learnt into creating a media piece I am thoroughly proud of.