How did you use Media Technologies in the Construction, Research, Planning and Evaluation stages?

Throughout the production of my A2 media portfolio I have used a wide variety of different media technologies. All work produced for my coursework can be seen on my blogger site which is the first example of media technology that I have used. Using blogger.com has allowed me to display my work in a variety of different forms which otherwise would not have been available. It also enables me to make any changes I deem necessary to make sure my work is to the highest standard.

Media technologies were vital in research for this project. YouTube has been heavily involved throughout the project including researching existing energy drink advertisements. By analysing current, professional, advertisements it allowed me to notice various conventions that appear in adverts of this type. The comment feature on YouTube was also helpful in determining whether that particular advert was successful or not.
The Internet in general was vital for the research process. Most of the research we conducted was on how to make successful advertisements. We also thought it would be important to find out the cost for advertising to assess which ancillary projects to make with regards to value for money. We also thought it was vital to research the ASA to make sure our advertisements meet the required codes so our advert did not mislead, offend or harm anyone who may witness it.
As well as research into advertisements we also researched audience. The audience are the most important aspect of any advert as they are the ones who deem whether an advert is successful or not. We researched multiple audience theories using the Internet and various media resources we received in lessons and applied them to our product.

Media Technology was also involved in the planning process for our advert. Once we had decided that we wanted slow motion footage in our advert we thought it would be best if we could test the camera fully so that we were prepared when we were ready to film. The Casio High Speed Exilim EX-FH20 was our camera of choice and we tested it thoroughly before filming at a number of different frame rates. Media technologies were pivotal in deciding our soundtrack. We wanted a popular song and also a song that people could imagine themselves exercising to. After listening to tracks on YouTube as well as looking through the charts at the time we eventually decided on a song, which we then used as our soundtrack throughout our campaign.
Adobe Photoshop was also used in planning our advert. We needed a label to use on our bottle in the music video. We decided to use photoshop as it could give us the professional feel we craved despite our little knowledge in the software before we started. We eventually created a label with the brand name large enough to be seen clearly throughout the video.

Construction of our project was heavily reliant on media technologies. Firstly filming was done using two cameras, the slow motion Casio High Speed Exilim EX-FH20 and for the other shots a Creative Vado HD. Filming in HD was important as the majority of TVs support HD and by filming in HD we would appeal to the largest audience as the advert can be viewed in Standard and High Definition. The use of the slow motion camera also gave a contrast to the other camera which emphasises the struggle to perform of the runner.
The editing was done on a Macbook using iMovie 9. The editing allowed us to fit the clips together as well as change the colour in the initial clips. This allowed us to implement our main idea of Regenerate bringing the colour back into the workout. It also allowed us to insert our soundtrack to make the advert memorable as well as text at the bottom of the screen to meet ASA regulations.
Photoshop was used once again in the construction. The Internet pop up was made using photoshop as well as the magazine poster and the end of advert picture used in our full and short advert.

The image used in the sponsorship sequence was taken using the camera on an iPhone 4. It was then edited using an app called 'ColourSplash.' This allowed us to continue the theme of Regenerate bringing colour into the workout by making the picture black and white and the bottle in colour.

The website was made using weebly, a free online website making service due to our limited budget. We also used Facebook and Twitter to support our advertisement with respective pages for our product.

The Evaluation is presented on my blog with all the other posts allowing for a fast change between all stages of the project. It also allows me to use photos, and links to other areas breaking up the text. YouTube was also vital in terms of my evaluation as it allowed me to post my video and receive the necessary feedback in order to learn for my next product. Social networking sites also allowed us to widen our feedback range to an audience similar to our target audience.
Overall media technologies were vital in the production of my A2 media portfolio. Without them our product would not have been up to the same standard.