1. +
Evaluation
Question 4

2. +
How did you use new media
technologies in the construction and
research, planning and evaluation
stages?
How did digital technology enable you to develop creatively
and are there examples of the technology obstructing or
preventing your creativity?

3. +
Filming Equipment
• Sony HDV Camera
• Digital Video Camera
• Digital Camera
• Zoom Recorder
Sony HDV Camera – I love using this camera, it has a good depth of
field and been able to switch function of certain parts enables you
to do many more things. Manual focus is also very useful for dim lit
scenes and close shots where characters are moving in and out of
the frame quickly. One downside I found though was it took a long
time to import footage because it had to be done real time. I think
this slowed down the process, but the quality of the footage is
mostly high and we didn’t waste time while waiting.
Zoom Recorder – Even though the zoom recorder was the best
thing to use when we recorded the voiceover in the film and the
radio trailer voice, I wasn’t overly happy with it. I found it too
sensitive, picking up every breath, movement and slight bump. I
would have much rather done it in a recording studio so the
acoustics were dry and we would have been able to manipulate it
more and make it sound a more professional.
Digital Video Camera – I used a
small digital camera to film my
video diaries because it didn’t
require a lot of setting up or space.
Because the footage was already
data, it was a lot quicker to import
the footage so I could edit it sooner.
Digital Camera – The digital camera
was very useful because it provided
us with good quality location
photos and we also used it for the
majority of the photo storyboard.
We also used one for the photo
shoot we did for our film poster.
We needed to use a high spec
camera otherwise when the photos
were blown up to huge sizes they
would be blurry and they wouldn’t
look very good.
.

4. +
Sony HDV Camera
This camera allowed us to create
a high quality film because it
produces a good quality of film.
The camera has a good depth of
field and the manual focus
allowed us to film shots where the
focus stayed on things in the back
of the shot, not the things nearest
to the camera.
We were also able to do a pull
focus, which worked really well
because it was a reflective shot
and that helped the audience
reflect back on what had
happened as well.

5. +
Research
• Internet
• Google Docs
• Google Images
• Facebook
• IMDB
• BBFC
Internet – Without the internet, we would have had next to no research
because our resources would have been so limited. We would not have
been able to create a high quality and accurate product if we weren’t able
to “surf” the internet for the information we needed. It also helped us find
details for locations such as Premier Inn and The Miller’s Inn. This service
also helped me research a possible distributor for our film.
IMDB – The Internet Movie Database helped me with my genre research
and helped me find films that were similar to ‘Letter For Tom’. Finding
films that we could relate to was essential because without them we would
have struggled to create a product that conveyed messages in the way we
wanted them to.
BBFC – This website really helped me with my research into certification
guidelines. This is an official website so I could trust the information and it
is also used in the professional industry so we made sure that our film
conformed to industry standards.
Google Docs – This strand of
Google’s extensive web allowed us
to reach our audience and asked
them questions about our product
as it developed so we could correct
any mistakes before it was too late.
Google Images – This provided me
with a good range of film posters
that I could use as inspiration for
the one for our film. It also helped
my research production company
logos.
Facebook – Social Networking sites
are very good at connecting people
and making them reachable.
Facebook also helped us reach our
audience and made it so we could
distribute our questionnaires to a
wide range of people.

6. +
Digital Software
• Final Cut Express
• GarageBand
• Photoshop
• Cubase
• iMovie
• Windows Moviemaker
Final Cut Express – This editing software package has been priceless
throughout. Without it we would not have a film, never mind one we’re
proud of. This software is still rarely used in industry, but it is a contender
because it allows you to layer footage, edit visual and audio events, as well
as add titles, music and effects to your film. I find this software straight
forward and easy to use, everything is where you would expect it to be.
Cubase – I used the sequencing software to create the piece of music called
‘The Letter’ which features in the last part of our film. I have previous
experience with Cubase so I knew my way round. and recording with MIDI
is less complex than audio because it is easier to manipulate. For example, I
used a keyboard to input all the notes, then if timing was out I could correct
it using quantize or if I wanted a different instrument on a particular track I
could just highlight the track and change the instrument on it.
iMovie – I used this software to create a the music tests and the photo
storyboard. It is simple and straight-forward, but it wouldn’t not have been
suitable to create our film on because you are fairly limited in what you can
do.
Windows Moviemaker – I used this software to edit my video diaries
because all I needed to do were jump cuts, however if I had needed to do
anything more technical and advanced this software would have been
inadequate.
Photoshop – We used this product
for creating our film poster because
it is very good at creating
professional looking images
However, without training or a
detailed manual, I would be very
confused, lost and wouldn’t know
where to begin because it is so
complicated and there are just
button and bars everywhere with
fancy names.
GarageBand – I used this software
to create some of the music that
showcases in our finished film. The
program comes with samples so I
found it easy to create a good but
simple yet effective tune in a short
space of time. It is a good substitute
for living recordings when you are
limited for time and need
something doing quickly.

7. + Final Cut Express
Final Cut Express is a really easy program to use, yet you get all that you need to create an
industry standard product. We were able to do many different things:
Reverberation: This audio filter allowed us to add depth to Alice’s voiceover. I also made it
feel a little more spiritual and dream-like. Using a completely dry track made the voiceover
sound flat and it didn’t have the magic we wanted until we applied to reverb.
Earthquake: We used this effect on the production logo at the beginning of the film. It made
the logo move because when it was static it looked unimpressive and average.
Layering images: We layered images over each other in the last scene so the audience
could what was going on inside Tom’s head and we could recall his memories as well.
Fades: These softened the transitions between shots in Act 3 Scene 2 because cuts were
too harsh for the music and the overall mood of the film at that point.
Text: We added titles and credits to our film and it pulled everything together. We also
added added fades the titles so they were softer.
Gain control: This is on every single audio track and it allowed us to turn any audio up or
down. This was the most useful in the Miller’s Inn scene because Libby’s voice was quiet.
Colour Corrector: We used colour corrector on the Video questionnaire because everything
was really green and looked unnatural.

8. +
Cubase & Garageband
Cubase is a very useful sequencing program for
creating MIDI tracks. I used it to create ‘The Letter’
and I am very happy with the results. I was able to
automate the volume so different elements of the
pieces stood out at different points. MIDI is useful
because I was able to play the strings tracks on the
keyboard and then change the output sound. I
bounced the piece once it was finished into an mp3
format because it is a small file with good
quality, as well as being compatible with Final Cut.
Garageband is a simpler program and I feel a bit
more restricted as I’m not as experienced on it.
However, it is good for creating tracks using
samples and recording a quick voiceover for
various posts I have done on the blog.

9. +
Photoshop
This software really helped us to make a
professional looking film poster. It allowed us to add
filters to images so we could change how they felt.
We added warming filters because we wanted to
make our poster feel warm and happy. We also had
access to ‘Steel Tongs’, which a font very similar to
the one that is used on nearly every film poster for
the additional credits. I found this software the
easiest way to create a high quality poster because
can layer images, and cut round people so you can
place them on a different background. There are so
many different things you can do, the possibilities
are endless.

10. +
Extras
• YouTube
• Blogger
• Prezi
• Slideshare
• Celtx
Prezi – This site provided me with a different and interesting way
to present my work. I think it makes a presentation fun and
brings a bit more energy to it because of the movement. It also
allows you to embed videos, images and music, which has been
very useful in making my research entertaining and less
monotonous.
Slideshare - Slideshare was useful because it allowed my to put
my Powerpoint Presentations online. This presented another
way I could show my work on blogger.
Celtx – We used this website to create the script so it was clear
and understandable. One thing I like about Celtx is how it looks
professional and it is easy to tell the difference between things
like dialogue and actions.
Blogger – This website allowed us
to present what we have done and
how we did it. It helped us show
how our idea developed and grew
into a finished product. It helped
me keep track of what was going
on at different points in the project
as well as making sure all our
resources were accessible where
ever we were because they were
online.
Youtube – I used this website to
upload tester videos, updates on
shooting and the final film. It
reaches a wide audience so we
could received feedback from a
wide range of people. It also
allowed us embed our videos in
questionnaires we did as well as
our our blog. We could also find
useful clips from films and tutorials
on filming and editing techniques.

11. +
Celtx
This website allowed us to create a professional looking script. My favourite about
this website is that, because it is set up especially for script writing, it has presets
for the format. It saves a lot of time because it sorts out the presentation
automatically, so its easy read and has a good structure. The panel on the left
side is useful because it makes it easy to navigate through your script.

12. + Conclusion
The use of new technologies has been vital in every stage of our project.
Without the internet and various websites, our research would have been
a lot harder to do, less detailed and we would have been less informed on
how to create a film that fit or challenged genre conventions, correctly
appealed to our target audience, and how to use the equipment and
software we had access to.
Been able to access professional equipment and software has made it
possible to create, excluding a few novice errors, an industry standard
product.
We are very proud of our final product, considering how we had a rocky
start and didn’t have high hopes of success.