1. Social networking/Youtube
1.1. I made use of Social Networking and Youtube in order to upload my final piece to the internet, as well as to promote it and the research methods used in my pre-production, such as my questionnaire,which I made using Google Forms.
1.2. I have found these are the most effective platforms for distributing products, as they allow for the product to reach a much more substantial, wider audience.
1.3. Social networking has been extremely useful in acquiring information, such as that from my questionnaire. I distributed the survey on Facebook and Twitter, which helped me gather around 25-35 responses within 24 hours, speeding up my research process substantially.
1.4. However, a weakness of this is that 35 responses may not be representative of my entire target audience, making my results less valid. I also published my final piece on Facebook, which led to me receiving positive feedback from a number of viewers, including a working professional within the industry, helping me to understand the capabilities of online distribution.
1.5. However, a weakness of using Facebook is that it is limited by the number of friends/followers that the distributor has, which could hinder the overall distribution of the product.
2. Equipment
2.1. Camera
2.1.1. I used a DSLR Nikon D3200 camera throughout the project in order to capture my required footage. This includes the footage for my final piece, as well the footage for my research projects, such as my Mise-en-Scene video and my Narrative video.
2.1.2. These research projects helped me to develop my skills in cinematography when using the camera, by performing sophisticated techniques, such as a focus pull.
2.1.3. An advantage of using a DSLR was that it allowed for high-quality, professional footage to be captured on a small device, without the need for large, chunky video camera.
2.1.4. However, a disadvantage of the camera was that the lense could only operate to a certain degree of of magnification, and thus needed to be changed occasionally, which hindered the filming process in terms of time efficiency.
2.2. GOPRO
2.2.1. I also used a GoPro Hero 3+ to capture footage through my project, such as the POV shots in my final piece.
2.2.2. I practiced using the GoPro during the production of my title sequence research video, which helped to me to learn about Protune settings on the camera; this allowed me to create a cold blue tint that conveyed a suspenseful atmosphere, enforcing the thriller genre to the audience.
2.2.3. An advantage of using a GoPro was that it was easy to mount in difficult locations, such as on an actor's head, which allowed for unique and interesting shots to be captured that were not possible using a D3200
2.2.4. However, a disadvantage of the GoPro was that is was difficult to frame shots or play back footage for review on set, as it does not have a built in screen. Reviewing footage required connecting the camera to a Wi-Fi device, which wasted time.
2.3. Apple Laptop
2.3.1. I have made use of a Laptop/Computer during the entirety of my project, in order to digitalise all of my documentation, as well as to conduct research and construct my final piece using various pieces of software.
2.3.2. I made particular use of the Apple Mac during the construction of my piece; an advantage of this was the editing abilities of the machine, as it allowed for me to organize and edit footage in a concise manner, which resulting in a more professional final product that one that may have been constructed on a Windows computer.
2.3.3. A disadvantage of the Mac computer was that it was not compatible to certain mass storage devices I tried using, such as my first external Hard Drive; this made transferring files more difficult.
2.3.4. During my my pre-production, my use of the Mac was proficient, as I had worked with them before, but during the process of creating my final product, my use of the Mac improved substantially, as I was able to operate a greater amount of software, such as FinalCut and LiveType, as well as coordinate myself around the computer's software more effectively.
2.4. Hitachi External Hard Drive
2.4.1. I used a 500GB Hitachi External Hard Drive in order to store all of the digital documentation from my research and pre-production, as well as to store the captured footage once I had transferred it from the SD card.
2.4.2. An advantage of using a hard drive is that it allowed for mass storage on a relatively small device, allowing me to store large quantities of documentation on one source.
2.4.3. However, a disadvantage of some hard drives is that they are not compatible with certain computer, such as Macs, which makes transferring and saving documents difficult and time consuming; however, I experienced no problem with this, as my hard drive was dual-formatted.
2.4.4. I will continue to use a Hard Drive to store all of my footage in the future.
3. Software
3.1. PowerPoint
3.1.1. I used Power Point in order to present certain parts of my research, such as my Title Sequence analysis. I had used Powerpoint before the start of the project, and felt very competent using the software.
3.1.2. An advantage of Powerpoint is the simplistic layout that allows for the efficient production of presentations, that are engaging for the audience.
3.1.3. However, there are some flaws of the software; For example, Powerpoint cannot be directly published to the internet, as it needs to be uploaded to another platform such as Slideshare, whereas software such as Prezi can be directly published to the web.
3.1.4. Another disadvantage of Powerpoint is that it does not allow for the direct embedding of digital material from the web, such as Youtube videos, which prohibits the interactive capabilities of the presentation to the audience.
3.1.5. I have learnt about the fallbacks of using this software and now look at using other presentation software, such as Prezi.
3.2. Live Type
3.2.1. I used Live Type in order to procure the titles within my final piece. I made use of Live Type during the pre-production of my Title Sequence research video, in which the titles were very rushed and did not seamlessly flow on screen.
3.2.2. After making the final product, my use of the Software vastly improved, as my titles became more professional due to the speed and pace they injected in the sequence, which helped enhance the audience's enjoyment of the film.
3.2.3. An advantage of using Live Type was that it was very simplistic and easy to understand, leading to efficient customization of titles during the production process.
3.2.4. However, the software did not allow for visualisation of the titles over the actual video footage, making it difficult to design the titles accordingly.
3.2.5. As well as this, the software featured a lack of professional designs and animations, making it difficult to produce authentic titles.
3.3. Final Cut
3.3.1. I used Final Cut in order to edit the footage for all of my research tasks and my final piece. I had never used the software before, and so during my pre-production, my use of Final Cut was poor, with poor editing apparent in my research projects
3.3.2. After constructing my final piece, my use of the software became a lot more sophisticated, as I was able to employ a lot more effective editing techniques such as the use of layering and filter, in order to enhance the interpellation of the audience into the film.
3.3.3. An advantage of Final Cut is that it set out all of the footage clearly within the sequencer, allowing for layering to be implemented effectively within the piece.
3.3.4. However, a disadvantage of the software is that it required for every clip to be rendered before it could be edited, hindering the construction process.
3.3.5. What's more, the software could be very slow at times, as it lacked the processing power to handle footage of High Frame rate, such as that filmed on a GoPro.
3.4. Audacity
3.4.1. I used Audacity in order to alter my final sound score for the final product; when creating my audio narrative research project, I had used Final Cut express, as I felt this helped to me to visualise the layers of the projects more clearly.
3.4.2. However, this inhibited the detail at which I could examine the audio in the piece, which influenced me to use Audacity to create my final score. This made it a lot easier to alter and enhance the sound within the score, as well as make use of certain SFX, such as an Equaliser, which helped reduce the background noise present in my sound track.
3.4.3. However, a disadvantage of Final Cut is that the software is very weak in terms of processing ability, making the process of creating my score quite slow and less efficient.
4. Websites
4.1. Prezi
4.1.1. I made use of Prezi for presenting a number of my research tasks, such as my research into Genre and Spectatorship, and learnt about the various advantages of using this software.
4.1.2. One such advantage is the ability to embed digital, internet content directly into the presentation, such as Youtube videos, which enhances the interactive experience offered to the viewer, helping increase the amount they can learn.
4.1.3. Another advantage is that the software is aesthetically unique and interactive, making the presentation more interesting for the viewer.
4.1.4. However, a disadvantage of using Prezi is that it very difficult to convey large amounts of information, due to the compact nature of the design.
4.1.5. As well as this, the majority of the designs for Prezi are fairly comical and lack simple, concise animations, making it difficult to present sensitive and detailed information professionally.
4.2. Tumblr
4.2.1. Tumblr was the website that I chose to create my blog on. I had some experience with using Tumblr before, which made the process of organising my blog easier.
4.2.2. An advantage of using Tumblr is that is allowed for my documentation to be presented in a professional way, which was well organised and presented logically.
4.2.3. However, I have also seen some flaws in using Tumblr, as it is difficult to customise to fit the specific presentation needs of the individual, which makes manipulating various elements on the blog very restricting, such as the size of the element.
4.2.4. The platform was also very slow and complicated in terms of embedding digital elements, and therefore I would consider using a different blogging platform for future projects, such as Jimdo.