Evaluation Question 4

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

The camera and the photoshop software were the most frequent forms of media technologies used during the stages in the advanced portfolio. In terms of constructing the newspaper and poster, I used Microsoft office publisher for designing and applying code and conventions and the standing elements of a newspaper such as the use of five columns on the front cover and the use of colour. On the front cover, I used a very high quality Panasonic digital camera with high mega-pixels to catch very snappy pictures of the three convicts in the court. A lens helped me to zoom into their faces and catch their facial expressions. Furthermore, uploading the images on photoshop and then manipulating them in terms of contrast, sharpness, brightness and cropping. This allowed more professional and glamorous images. The cropping into the heads and a bit of the neck gave a celebrity focus onto their facial expressions so that the audience feel shocked but yet amused.

I used a very similar camera to this

Similarly, all the photos on page two of the newspaper were cropped and then manipulated through sharpness, contrast and brightness. However the photos taken on page two were all simple still images for objects and for posing, still images of people which were much easier then the photos taken on page one. The woman of the hair and beauty advertisement had contrast mainly added to her to allow emphasise on her beauty and cropping allowed her figure from her waist and above to be shown.

In terms of research, the internet (being a very simple but effective media technology) was a guide into constructing the newspaper, poster and radio ad. It provided me to an insight of many real sample products. For example when I was researching for how posters were used to advertise and compliment the newspaper, just typing in “the independent poster ad” would provide the results. These results helped me in understanding I should apply similar standing elements, codes and conventions.

For planning, Microsoft office publisher was very good for trial and error for the newspaper and poster. I kept constantly changing the font size, the colour, the size of the text boxes, etcetera, until the codes and conventions would be organised in a professional way. For example, page two of the newspaper was very compact with space – just adding one word would change the whole layout of page two, so adjusting news stories in a perfect sized text box was only possible through trial and error. Similarly, during the radio ad I used trial and error for toning the voice of the speaker, formality and speed of the dialogue through a microphone (connected using USB cable). This was very quick and efficient in carrying out the radio ad, as it was easy to manipulate.

During the evaluation stages, I recorded video from the iphone 4 to record my focus group. Again the media technology of an iphone allowed providing me with on-demand consumption and therefore it was easy to carry out the focus group. In the presentation of my blog, a blogging service allowed my product to be reviewed by large audiences very quickly. The online forum as well as providing interactivity of posting comments meant that my product was viewed by large audiences, increasing sales (if published). A blog also presented my advanced portfolio in a professional and organised way into evidence of how I came about in constructing the newspaper, poster and radio ad. Additionally, Sony Vegas Pro Ten is radio software that allowed me to merge the background music of the radio ad and the dialogue together. Softwares and hardwares are increasingly increasing in their capacity and their speed, which that merging the two together was not time consuming at all.

Please note there is an audio presentation of evaluation question 1 on the CD