Evaluation: Question 4

4. How did you use new technologies?
We used various technologies in all stages of our coursework - the construction, planning, research and evaluation.
For capturing our filming and for editing we used Adobe Premier Pro. Premier Pro had tools that allowed us to add in extras to make our documentary adhere to conventions and look morep rofessional - thesei nclude transitions and fades between shots and allowing us to place graphics on the screen to inform the viewer. We were able to place the voiceover simulataneously over a song [by adjusting the volumes of each] so we could inform the viewer and anchor the shot. We were also able to use Premier Pro to create our radio trailer. For our print advert we used Photoshop. Photoshop allowed us to take a picture of a webcam and edit its colour, size etc, its a very useful software and can be used effectively to create professional looking adverts as we have done.

We used a video camera and tripod (pictured below) to film our product. The tripod made certain shots easier to accomplish and we found our camera skills improved.

Evaluation: Question 2

2. How effective is the combination of main product and ancillary tasks?

We created coherence across the package by making them easliy linked to each other visually and audibly. The title of the programme "Virtual Insanity" was placed across all three products as distinctly as we could make it to attract attention. We chose BBC 1 as our channel advertised this and the schedule time and in the radio trailer and the print advert featured the logo.

The programme content is relevent to BBC 1 as it is inoffensive, intelligent but accessible, universal and is the neither too formal or informal style the BBC provides. It could be watched by anyone but is scheduled at the watershed as the subject matter of child and internet safety is fairly heavy hence the schelduling time of 9pm. Its purpose is to inform and to entertain. The voiceover in the documentary and radio trailer are the same to connect them. The slogan in the radio trailer and the print advert "Who's watching You" are also the same to link them aand create a recoginition in the audience. The camera as the key image in the print advert is an extract from the programmes content (computers, internet and technology)

The style in our documentary is fairly informal though slightly neutral and unbiased (as is the BBC style), the tone in our radio trailer however is more of a frantic rushed pace with rhetorical questions and serious subjects raised (safety of children) thus is a more urgent and formal tone. The print advert with its dramatic red colour captures some of that urgency and importance.

An example of how we tried to appeal to the audience is how we used the titile track "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai, it is poppy and catchy enough to appeal to younger listeners of the radio trailer but is an older song most adults would recognise and stop to listen to.

The trailer would be played across all the BBC's radio stations as the programme is of a universal content. The print advert would be placed on busstops, in town centres where it is visible to the general public and families (people of ages) and in tv guide magazines. We would present the print advert in landscape and reduce it in size so it can be placed effectively in newspapers and magazines.

We used the same font for the programme title "Virtual Insanity?" as in our print advert (an example of how we linked them)

Evaluation: Question 1

1. In what ways did your product use forms and conventions of real media products?

In our documentary as our aim was to emulate and create a genuine documentary we followed every convention we could rather than challenging them. In our radio trailer and print advert we also adhered to conventions.

Framing & Interviews

It took us a few tries (as described) but we got the framing to match those used in real interviews. For our IT Expert interview we placed Jules on the right hand side of the screen while we placed the radio presenter John on the left side. Examples for comparisions are displayed below with links. The convention of interviewee placement allows for either side and we did it to add variety to our camera shots.

Jules:

http://www.videojug.com/interview/the-interview-questions#how-do-i-handle-the-question-what-are-your-greatest-strengths

John:










http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nokTjEdaUGg

Cutaways

We captured many cutaways, some were placed in interviews while others were used with the voiceover. Editing them in was a time consuming process but well worth it as they improved the documentary. Placing them in interviews prevented jump cuts and made the interview more interesting to watch. We edited all questions out of interviews to make it appear as one single speech rather than an interview/Q&A style as this is a convention of documentaries.

An example of a cutaway to illustrate how technology has changed communication , they are together but both are unspeaking - immersed in different technology.

Voxpops

We began filming voxpops early in our documetary filming but we had problems with framing. We did film some but we decided they wern't necessary in our first five minutes and did not include any in the final edit.

Graphics

We made use of graphics in our documentary to explain who the person we were interviewing was and their relevance to the subject. We placed a slow transition after each so they would slowly fade rather than abruptly vanish from the screen to make it look more like a professional documentary.

-- Graphics on screen

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/ededdneddythemisedventures/video/6130868/ed-edd-n-eddy-the-mis-edventures-developer-interview

Voiceover

For our voiceover we used a woman as we felt this would be more relevent with our tpoic of internet saftety- finding a suitable male voice would of been harder. The voice is of a woman in her twenties with no distinct regional accent but not in receieved pronunciation this makes the tone overall fairly informal but still serious.

Music & Archive Material

YouTube was a main source for our source material, we also filmed many short clips and pans of Facebook, Myspace, Bebo and other social networking site pages. We used Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" as our main title song and documentary title, this links them. Other music we used includes Lily Allen's "Smile" (her most recognisable song) with accompanying music video clip. We went to Youtube for news footage and some social networking sites clips. We have sent an email to the record companies to ask for permission to use the copyright protected music.

Lily Allen "Smile" Music Video

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xg06k_lily-allen-smile_music

Editing + Screenshots

We began editing before we got all our filming done. We started in we used Adobe Premier Pro to edit. It was difficult software to master, as a group we each took turns being the manual editor with each contributing ideas and advice. I edited a few times solo including the footage we captured of the general public in Liscard. Capturing footage could be timely as it was hard to time it right at first but we've all seen our editing skills improve over the last few weeks. Certain parts such as the Virtual Insanity? title sequence took a long time (eg. adding in sound effects). Cutaways took a while to insert as we endeavored to make them relevent and effective. We had a few differences about creative decisions but always compromised in the end. Editing has felt in many ways easier than the filming as its less of a start from scratch, once you upload footage you have something to build on and create with.