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

It is very difficult to film in the wind! Clearly, sound distortion is an issue with my film and with more time and additional favours from friends, I could have re-filmed parts, but this in itself could have created continuity problems (it may not have been a sunny day or there may have been more people around etc.). The location was a fair distance away and the actors had already given a day of their time in the holidays. I could not say we will abort today and come again another time. I would have felt more comfortable doing more takes if paying the actors!

The wind really made some takes unusable, and some of those included are evidently of poor quality. I could have used microphone covers, had I had a boom microphone to put in a zeppelin, perhaps even employing several covers, if necessary. Even this may not have been adequate. I had a built in microphone and I tried to point the camera away from wind, but this proved impossible for some shots. The subjects could not be vastly repositioned. Had there been more crew, someone could perhaps have held up a blocking agent, but the actors and I were alone. A low pass filter may have helped in audio post-production.
I learnt that I couldn't face the microphone away from the wind, because then the camera would not be facing towards the actors, as the built in microphone is on the front of the camera.
I also learnt how to use depth of field. 

Pictures of zeppelin's care of Google images.

I am quite pleased with the filming, although if you really look closely there is some wobble when filming hand-held. Also the tripod may not have been on even ground when filming the memorial, because it is not quite horizontal.

I nearly broke the 180 degree rule at the end, but I just carry it off because the actors walk across the divide, which enables me to film them walking down the steps , heading in the other direction. 1,2 and 3 depict the camera angles. Taylor walks across the camera in shot 2, enabling shot three to see them from the other side.

 

The 180 degree rule

I used YouTube to upload my product during editing so I could assess what needed to be completed at home and so I could embed the videos to my blog. I was already fairly competent. I learnt that YouTube has its positives whereas it also has negatives, as sometimes you are able to find videos that you want but sometimes you have to filter through lots of pointless videos. YouTube has been very helpful because I didn't have to go out and buy the DVD of the films I was researching, I could just go on to YouTube and hopefully somebody will have uploaded the opening sequence of the film or the whole film itself. 





I used Facebook to post my final product online so all of my audience could see it and then receive feedback from my audience (nobody replied!). I then gave people paper questionnaires, or asked them to reply by email once they had watched my product via Facebook/YouTube. Facebook has taught me an easy way to share my product with my audience, which is convenient for them to access.

Facebook is very useful because when it comes to asking audience questions I can send the link to anybody that has an account and then they can answer my questions at anytime. 

I used Slideshare to embed files to my blog, I had never used it before but I found it quite user friendly.

Final Cut Pro

Definitely the most important and useful tool that I have used. I used Final Cut Pro to edit all of my product. I had never used Final Cut Pro before editing my Preliminary Task, so I have learnt lots of very valuable skills.

I used Blogger to create the blog in which I posted updates on the progress of my product. I learnt how presentation was important, and I have found that the blog was a very useful way of storing information and my ideas about my product. 

I used Soundcloud to find the non diegetic sound for my product. Soundcloud was very easy and convenient, because the user has the ability to search specific keywords to find the piece of music that they want to use. I have also used it to upload an audio recording of my results.

I used Prezi to make a short presentation, which I embedded to my blog. I really enjoyed using Prezi because I believe it makes really professional looking presentations, is very easy to use and is free.



iTunes

I learnt how to use iTunes after I had downloaded the music that I had chosen from Soundcloud to then transfer the track to Final Cut Pro

 

Voice Thread



I learnt how to narrate a slideshow of pictures while also illustrating the pictures at the same time. Voice Thread was a very useful tool because it allowed me to narrate chosen still images and allowed me to annotate at the same time.

 

Go Animate

I learnt that it is quite quick and easy to make fun animations that look quite professional. Although I only used Go Animate for a short amount of time I have learnt lots and now know that I have this program to use in the future if I need to make another animation.