Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this project?

Blogging:
A wide range of different technologies were used throughout the planning, researching, filming and editing stages in the making of my thriller. The first newly-introduced technology for me to become coherent with was the media blog; having no previous experience with blogs such as this, I had to learn the controls and gain an understanding of how to construct and publish posts. These posts could be done in a variety of different media that each required yet more technological programs I was inexperienced in using. These alternative posts come in the form of a presentation, using Microsoft Power Point Presentation, a Prezi document, using www.prezi.com, or even a video diary. I was also required to learn how to import and upload photos, upload video clips and include links to other websites and resources. This modern method of blogging coursework enabled me to access my work from any computer and meant that there was no need to carry large, heavy folders around; this method is more flexible and appropriate to the subject.

The internet:

During the planning and researching stages of production the internet was used regularly in gathering images and information relating to our thriller and similar productions. Websites such as IMDB and YouTube and search engines such as Google proved very helpful for these stages. Many of the photos and images gathered were printed off and annotated on sugar paper. These pages could then be scanned onto the computer and uploaded onto my blog using the scanner; I was unaware of the controls of this machine at first but it proved to be a simple process that I picked up promptly. The internet was a technology I relied on very heavily during the research process as much information can be found through websites such as Google or, more specifically for this project, IMDB. I also used the internet when attempting to find a suitable soundtrack for our film and was able to upload this onto the website Soundcloud in order to embed it onto my blog. This form of technology is very efficient, resourceful and is flexible in that you can access the information from any computer or portable device connected to the internet.

Shooting and cameras:

To shoot our footage for the project we used a digital camera Canon Legria. Having a basic knowledge of digital cameras, both video recording and stills cameras, the operation of this device was not too complicated or difficult to understand. During the first few shots we filmed, more specifically the tracking and panning shots, I found that it was more challenging to maintain a steady hand than first perceived. However, after a handful of initial practise shots, there was a noticeable improvement which was developed further throughout the project. Using a digital camera of this type benefitted us greatly as we were able to play back previous recordings to ensure the clip achieved the effect we required/wished and retake if necessary, also using the zoom application to create tension at 01:10. However, instead of using a stills camera to capture the images required for the possible locations page of my planning, I decided to use the digital camera on my Iphone as I regarded the picture quality to be sufficient and also enabled me to change the colour grade so that the images appeared more gritty and bleak.

Editing software:

In order to triumphantly edit and organise our footage we used the editing program Adobe Premiere Pro. Before involving myself in this project I had not experienced using any type of video editing software, apart from the preliminary task, but I had previously used various still-image editing programs so I was aware of the basic controls and directions. 
However, due to this lack of experience I was able to learn various new skills; I learnt to use the transition tools such as fade to black and dissolve between clips and also developed my knowledge of how to effectively insert a title slide and credits without causing too large a break in the narrative. 
An additional tool I learnt to use was the clip duration alternator; many of the clips within our production were lengthened and reduced to a slower speed to create tension and made the actions within the sequence appear more foreboding.

My education on using editing software is continually developing throughout the project as, even now our final productions have been submitted, I have been taught how to effectively alter the colour grade which will be useful in future productions.

Narrative sequence:

Regarding the narrative structure of my production, Premiere Pro allowed us to be creative in sequencing our shots; we were able to flawlessly switch between the shots of Katt and fellow protagonist, Jen, using shot reverse shot. This technique was aided by my new-found knowledge of using the dissolve transitions.

Sound editing:

Another aspect of Premiere Pro I was unaware of was the editing and altering of sound; both diagetic and non-diagetic sound could be altered using this program. After finding a suitable soundtrack I was required to upload the track onto Souncloud.com so that it could then be saved into my files and embedded to Premiere Pro in a compatible form. The diagetic sound heard at 00:39 (the siren) and the sound of the footsteps throughout had to be elevated in order to be eligible above the noise of the soundtrack which was, in turn, lessened. This proved to be a simple process that was rapidly understood. Apart from the soundtrack, no other non-diagetic sounds were embedded.

Connecting with the film industry:

Technologies such as these enable young people to experiment and interact with the film industry; cameras are easily obtainable and operated by most and basic editing software can be purchased and determined without excessive difficulty. Projects such as these can give students valuable knowledge and understanding of the film industry and the requirements needed to create an effective production.