Exam Practice on Digital Technology

“Digital technology turns media consumers into producers”. In your experience, how has your creativity developed through using digital technology to complete your coursework productions? [25 marks]

Throughout my two years of my media studies A level I have used a wide variety of digital technologies. These digital technologies have helped me create an opening to a thriller film, a music video and a CD and Magazine cover. They have enhanced my production work and they have enabled me to use my creativity to its best. The statement says that it turns people into media producers, and it most certainly has with me. This is because I have used digital technologies that I would normally use to produce a piece of production work.

During my AS work (making a thriller opening sequence) I used a variety of digital technologies. I used imovie which was on the apple macs at my school. We also used the internet to source a piece of background music. We got our music on the website called ‘freeplay music’ it enabled us to gain copyright free music that we were also able to stream online without any issues. We also used cannon digital cameras to shoot our footage. These digital technologies enabled me to make an opening sequence that fitted the genre conventions of a thriller and they helped me to create my ideas. They were effective as the music and the effects on the apple macs created tension. We used a black and white effect that was pre loaded onto the macs. The digital cameras made us able to film our footage. But they were not the best type of camera that we could have of used.

This brings me onto the limitations that I occurred when using the digital technology. The digital cameras were not very good quality therefore our lighting had to be perfect. We filmed one location and because it was too dark we couldn’t see what we had filmed, when it was played back on the mac. Therefore we had to find a new location with better lighting. If we did this project again I would most definitely try and find a high definition camera, that would allow me to shoot locations with dimmer lighting. Therefore it may have of fitted the conventions of a thriller more.  

This year during my A2 course I have had to use digital technology for a variety of productions. The main task included me making a music video, and then I had to make two ancillary tasks. This included making a CD and Magazine cover. For these productions I used a number of digital technologies.

For my music video I used imovie, itunes and a social networking site called MySpace. I used this website to find and contact an artist to use her music, to make a music video. MySpace allowed me to stream music for free and legally, it also helped me be creative in the way that I chose my music as it made me aware of many different types of artist and music. It also therefore made me creative in my thoughts for the music video itself. Imovie helped me to again fit the conventions of a music video. I managed to cut the music to fit the visuals, this therefore enabled me to lip sync the music to visuals. I was also able to cut the music to the beat. It also enabled me to be very creative, as I used colourisation to make the visuals more appealing and again fit the genre characteristics. Itunes is something that I use on a day to day basis and therefore the quote in the question relates to me enormously. I used itunes in this production to gain the music of my artist. The music that I purchased was then able to be used in the video.

I had a few limitations when using digital technology in this project. In my planning stages I wanted to use Polaroid pictures within my video, but I couldn’t get hold of a camera. This was because they are highly expensive and valuable nowadays. Therefore I compromised and found a scrapbook effect on the apple macs, and this actually worked better than I thought it would. Also I wanted to create an effect where I could have a split screen in my music video. But the Apple macs could not do this effect, it could only do picture in picture, this did not work. Therefore if I did this project again I would find a different programme that enabled me to do this effect.

To make my CD and Magazine cover I used again a variety of digital technologies. I used serif photo and page plus, I also used a still camera to take photos to use on my CD and Magazine cover. These programmes made my ancillary tasks look professional. They helped put my drawn ideas that were on paper, to life. I managed to make the Polaroid pictures using the different tools on the serif page plus programme. Serif Photo Plus enabled me to use colourisation in my still photos; it also helped me crop my pictures. This therefore matched my music video as I used it in my music video. But the quality was not very good when using the different colour effects; therefore I needed a different programme.

This was a slight limitation as if I had the Photoshop digital programme then maybe my photos would look a bit better.

All the digital technologies that I have used throughout the last two years have enabled me to become a media producer, as I have used the technologies on a day to day basis as a media consumer and therefore when doing my coursework productions I have become a media producer.  

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Research and Planning

PLANNING

(A) The organisation of time and equipment

In the Foundation Portfolio I made a shooting schedule, this showed me when I needed to have camera and what other equipment and props that I may need. It was very effective as it made sure that I was organised and it also helped me plan ahead, for example I could start to think about how to edit. This was because I did not have to worry about when I needed equipment, as I had already planned when everything was needed. I encountered many problems, as I went to film I realised that it was far too dark to film. Therefore I had to reschedule to another day that would have better lighting, but then I had the issue of finding a day that my actors could do. I could have improved these issues by planning my filming time more, this could have of ruled out the issues of lighting. Again for my Advanced Portfolio I made a shooting schedule, this time I made sure that I factored in the time of day that I would be filming and whether it would suit the mood for my music video. Therefore my filming was successful this year.

(B) The Efficient choice and organisation of Actors, Settings and Props

In my Foundation Portfolio I organised my actors and actresses into their different roles by choosing what characteristics they already had and therefore choosing character they suited best. It was effective as I managed to get correct actors/actresses to match the character that I had already planned. I encountered some problems and this was due to the filming problems. It therefore meant that I had to find some different actors/actresses as they could do most of the suitable rescheduled days. It could have of obviously been improved my planning my filming process better. My setting was also carefully planned to suit the thriller genre. In my Advanced Portfolio Task I again planned my actresses to suit the character that I had already thought of to match the music video. She had the same characteristics as the character I had already thought of; therefore emotions throughout the video were shown extremely well. My setting was also planned thoroughly, to ensure that it fitted the genre and style of music. I didn’t encounter as many problems as I did last years, therefore my planning must have of progressed.   

(C) Scripting and/or Storyboarding

In my Foundation Portfolio I used both of the processes of Scripting and storyboarding. I used scripting to guide my actors and actresses in what to say, it also enabled me to use the conventions of a thriller as it built up tension. I also used storyboarding and I did many drafts, I found it quite effective as I managed to get all my ideas down. It also helped me to find the best ideas and therefore use them. In my Advanced Portfolio I used Storyboarding and I did many more drafts than what I had done for my Foundation Portfolio, this again helped me to find the best ideas and discard the worst ideas. This shows that I have progressed as I managed to create better scenes within my music video as I had planned it a lot better.

RESEARCH

(D) Initial target audience research

For my Foundation Portfolio I researched my target audience by carrying out many questionnaires. They highlighted what films they liked and therefore I found out that they liked films that were similar to my idea. It was effective as I managed to fit a specific target audience to my film. Therefore finding out what I needed to include in my film. I encountered some problems and this included many people having different opinions, but I overcame this by choosing the majority of the same views and opinions. In my Advanced Portfolio I also carried out audience questionnaires, but I did this differently this year. I organised and presented a pitch, this showcased my ideas and I got lots more feedback than what I did last year. Therefore I feel I have progressed over the two years, as my audience feedback this year has helped my video be specific to what my audience wanted.

(E) Existing media practice/products

In the Foundation Portfolio I researched many different thriller films, I analysed how they fitted the genre conventions and therefore studied the different conventions needed for a thriller film. I found this research extremely useful as it made me realise what I needed to include in my opening sequence. I encountered the problems of not knowing whether my thriller sequence would fit these conventions; I therefore had to change some of my ideas to fit the current conventions. In my Advanced Portfolio I also researched many different types of products related to my project, this ranged from music videos to CD and Magazine covers. This time I tried to relate them as much as I could to my original ideas to make sure that I had no problems over matching conventions. I researched conventions of all three products and this enabled me to come up with the common conventions of the products. I feel that I have progressed as I have been more practical and logical in linking my products with conventions.

Creativity Theories

How can I relate media theory to my Question 1(a) answer?


Theory 1 :  "A process needed for problem solving.. not a special gift enjoyed by a few but a common ability possessed by most people" (Jones, 1993)

• I interpret this theory as creativity is about overcoming difficulties and that it is not always a natural gift that few people have but many people have with or without this natural ability.

In my AS work, when filming my thriller film we came across many difficulties. They mainly included are locations, it took a long time to get to our first location and it was too dark. Therefore we had to find new places to film. We took a long time to find a new location but when we did finally find a new location we found that our problems had been overcome and that our new location was actually better than our original one.
In my A2 work, we had the idea of using Polaroid pictures in our music video. We found that this was going to be very hard to do as it involved a lot of editing on the computers. We decided that we would try it out, but we then found a scrapbook effect on the Apple Mac's. Therefore we solved our problem of wondering how to create our Polaroid pictures, and it again worked out better than we thought it would.
Also the theory suggests that creativity does not always come from a natural ability. Now I wouldn't say that I had natural ability for the arts. But making my CD cover and Magazine advert I realised that I could actually be quite creative and therefore I feel the theory is quite relevant and real.


Theory 2 : "The making of the new and the rearranging of the old" (Bentley, 1997)

• I interpret this theory of creativity as creativity is using the old to make the new.

In my thriller opening sequence for AS we studied many Alfred-Hitchcock films including Psycho. This film was in Black and White, due to the age of the film. But many films after this used black and white effects as they thought that it fitted the conventions of the thriller genre. Therefore we decided that we would also use black and white effects. Therefore we created a film, using conventions from the past that are very much the new.
In my A2 music video we have again used the old to make the new. I did this by using the idea of Polaroid pictures. I used this idea as the music had a definite vintage feel to it, therefore I wanted to incorporate some kind of vintage feel to both the music video and CD/Magazine covers. Polariod pictures are something now of the past, as we now have new digital technology that enables us to take digital pictures and store them on a computer. Therefore I have used this theory as I have made new products from rearanging the old.


Theory 3 : Rule Breaking/Boundary Testing


In my AS work I tested the boundary's of the genre. I used a controversial storyline - 2 girls and one getting hurt/abducted/followed by a stranger. Although Thriller storyline should be unexpected and scary. But I used a sensitive issue, that many people could object to.
In my A2 work I have broken the common conventions of a narrative music video. I did this by using many indirect looks from our actress. But we did this for a reason; we wanted to sell the music on its beauty and not on our artisits beauty. Therefore we made sure that the music was the main focus of the video rather than the narrative. Narrative music videos usually have mnay direct notions of looking, to promote the artist.

Exam Format

Section A: Theoretical Evaluation of Production


- Question 1(a)
This section of the exam will make me reflect over the past two years work. I will have to evaluate how my skills have developed. the question could relate to;

• Digital technology
• Creativity
• Research and Planning
• Post Production
• Using conventions from real media texts

- Question 1(b)
I will have to select one production and evaluate it in relate it to a media concept. They could be;

• Genre
• Narrative
• Representation
• Audience
• Media Language