Evaluation Question: 6

What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?


To help put our final product together we used many different software's and many different pieces of equipment to finish it. Throughout our time of creating our opening sequence we used FinalCut Express, LiveType, YouTube, Blogger, Photoshop, Wordle, Prezi, Digital Video Camera, Camera Stand and a Voice Recorder.


If we didn't have these piece's of equipment (and we used the computer software's on an iMac) we wouldn't of been able to complete the opening sequence.


Firstly, 'FinalCut Express' was the main software we used on completing our final product. We used this to edit our whole opening sequence to how we wanted it and we used this to create our focus groups. It was fairly simple using it because I had used it before so I was able to help my group immensely when it came to editing. As time grew on and we used it nearly everyday the rest of my group were able to pick it up and could use it just like me, they were able to think of an idea and put it in there without even asking which is helpful for me because if I was doing something else, they wouldn't have to bother me. Whilst using this software, we were able to use video transitions which is putting the scenes together in a professional way and making it look like an actual film opening sequence. After we found our sound we imported it onto this software which again was fairly simple as i had previous experience on it. 


To create our title credits we used a software called 'LiveType', and this wasn't a software I was familiar with. We had a lesson to become familiar with it and we was able to use it understand how it works helping us gain experience for creating our final product and for future reference. We each played around with the software and we created a title credit each and we showed each other to see what they looked like and to see if we could use any in our actual film opening sequence. We didn't end up using any however we each took idea's from them and made a group one together so we each had input and we was all happy and contributed towards it. We then began to create a credit for each group member and for any people who starred in our product. We imported the final credits onto FinalCut and we then added them to any part of it we thought looked best and kept them.

For our research and planning we mainly used Blogger, of course, and Prezi which helped our blog not be dull and have a variety of formats so it wasn't the same and we could show that we used each of the software's and are experienced in using them. Prezi was fairly simple to use, we had experience on it from our previous media coursework so we knew how to use it. It is a straight forward website however it was a bit confusing at first, I needed help at the start but when I got it I quickly grew to become quick and smart at it so I could use it in future on my own without a problem. I used this specific website for when I did research, for example, we I researched into film genres I was able to put all the information on one document and all the pictures together so it was easy to use and be easily understandable. 


Blogger was straightforward also. It is easily layed out so you can tell what to click on and doesn't become confusing when writing a post as it is a similar layout to Microsoft Word. It is better to use for all my coursework as it doesn't become lost and I know where everything is, also it is all organised and I know nothing has been touched or played around with. Also, we was able to embed Prezi presentations and YouTube videos so we could show everything we mean't when describing it. For example, in one of my posts 'Test Shots' I described each test shot we wanted to do then showed a visual so they knew what I was on about.


Again, YouTube was handy because it is such a big site so it literally has anything you want on there. It helped me give a clearer understanding for when I was explaining specific things and also, it helped me do my analysis for my film opening sequences and I could say 'at 1:43 they used the close-up because...' and it would be easier for me and you!


I wouldn't of been able to make our opening sequence if we didn't have any digital video cameras. These were fairly simple to use and also they helped me gain experience on using them and helping me get good shots, such as close-ups, a trombone shot and others and I was lucky to be able to gain this experience for the future.




Lastly, I was able to use the video camera for creating the director's commentary and to also add sound effects to our final product to give it that little bit of realism for the audience and to also give the shot that little bit more detail to make the opening sequence perfect.






Overall I feel I have gained a lot of experience and feel privileged to be able to use these and they will help me in the future and our skills and abilities of using these types of technologies have increased and improved since the start of our opening sequence task.