Evaluation question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Throughout the process of making our opening sequence we used different types of technology to make it at a high standard, where I have learnt lots of techniques and lessons to take on board for the future to do with the technology we have used to make our opening sequence possible.

Apple Mac's/Mac Book-

We used theses Macs to make our opening on. This is because the high quality and speed of this model which was important when using certain programmes and software to make the process quicker. This model of computer helped with the speed of rendering files and importing/exporting to blog, allowing us to save time focus on the elements of our opening rather than the problems with the device it’s on. I have learnt about the machine itself but also gaining knowledge in a range of new programmes to improve the quality of my opening. I have also discovered the battery charge for the Mac books it short therefore I had to ensure I had a charger at hand when needed to save the hassle of losing work and wasting time. From the Macs I have also learnt to remember to have a card reader (USB format) to plug in as the Macs don't have a SD Card slot available. This manage to delay us a couple of time due to the fact our footage was save on the SD Card we had to work on other elements instead of editing our opening a couple of sessions. One other element I've learnt is to ensure I saved my footage on the Desktop before opening it up on an editing software such as Final Cut Pro as it doesn't locate the files if the footage is straight off the memory card. Overall I feel this model has helped with making our opening professional and at a high standard.

Programmes/Software-

Final Cut Pro

This was one of the main editing programmes we used to edit our opening on. I felt it was a quick and easy programme to work and had an easy layout to follow. I feel I'm more confident with the process of cutting shots and deleting footage we didn't need, making our opening flow more to shot to shot. The rendering process took a long time as we had a lot of files and footage to change. I've learnt next time to ensure to convert it into Apple Intermediate Codec format so it doesn't need rendering. This will save time where I can spend it on more editing to improve my work further.

LiveType

We used this programme to titles for our opening film. I felt it was an effective and easy way to produce good quality titles. I learnt that once the title was made the title will automatically connect to the final cut pro programme, making it quick to edit in and less time to look for the file, import and rendering. This programme allowed us to edit titles with realistic font and sizing to match the conventions of our opening film. I manage to learn how to add special effects on the titles to match the conventions and make our opening look more realistic. We used a fade in/out effect which showed a ghost present to the audience. Learning this technique of added effects will help me in the future when making a movie as it flows more easily with effects.

Websites

YouTube

My group used YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/, frequently throughout our project, to upload any new footage or feedback we had produced. We found it easy and efficient to use, and as By the end of the editing stage I was confidant at using this site, being able to add annotations and titles onto the videos/footage independently.

Blogger

My group used Blogger, https://www.blogger.com, throughout our project to record and document all stages of our film opening. It also helped us to become more organised and aware of the deadline dates. Blogger was a key piece of technology used in our project. I was taught how to operate and navigate myself around the site at the beginning of the project. I later learnt how to change the template and layout of my blog, making it appear more professional and easy to use. I also learnt how to embed videos and photos into my posts into the HTML tab, which was a very useful skill to learn, as almost every post contained a video or image. By having these skills it made it very easy and quick to create posts at a detailed/high standard.

Tripod

Standing tripod

I was aware of how to use this equipment from taking photography so I took very little time connecting the camera and ensuring it was stable which allowed us to spend more time on the production and ensuring the camera was safely on the tripod to risk breakages. I feel I was very confident at knowing what to do in this area.

SD Card and Card Reader

I realised that I needed to be more organised with bringing in the memory sticks due to the fact our footage was saved on the Cards so it delayed our progress for editing when we didn't have them for a certain lesson. We had a problem with one of our hard drives; unfortunately the device broke where we saved our footage. Eventually we managed to backup the files and get the footage back we needed however we were lucky. We have definitely learnt a lesson to backup our files onto other devices to ensure we have saved copies in case we lost work. This saves time doing the work again and having to re-film. We found the rendering process took a long time due to the amount of footage we had on our opening, also putting the Card in to the Macs and opening our film on Final Cut Pro was a challenge at times due to the reconnecting process. We have learnt for the future to save the footage on the desktop in the Mac so the program can locate and connect the footage when the Card is removed. 

Conclusion

Overall, I felt I have learnt a lot from the different technology that helped make our Opening film possible. I feel I will learn from my mistakes for the future to save more time on other key elements but I know I have also created a successful final film as I used all the above technology to improve our opening further. I have picked up some key and useful skills to help me in life such as: Card readers, new programs I've discovered and working on new unfamiliar computers. Comparing digital, modern technology to analogue puts the element in a whole new perspective, as digital technology is a lot more advantaged and gives the ability for producers to create for possibilities in film making. From using the above technology to help produce an opening film I can now see why film companies rely on digital technology to keep them in the media industry and on top. From the production to the final editing of a film, technology takes a huge role in making the processes possible to come out with a final product worth distributing for audiences to consume.