Task Four: A Director's Commentary on How I Used New Media Technologies in the Construction, Research, Planning and Evaluation Stages

New Media Technology is digital technology based around digital storage and communication of data, using binary code to compress the data into tiny packets, which give greater speed, quality and huge amounts more of storage space for data. This is far better than the analogue system of communication and data storage that preceded digital. Digital technology underpins computers, mobile phones, modern video and still cameras, editing, the Internet, MP3 and iPhones, modern radios, modern movie projectors most technological equipment ranging from in hospitals to schools and transport. Digital technology means that media productions are of higher quality, with proliferation, interactivity and convergence as advantages for the viewer. For the producer of media products the advantages are speed, lower costs, higher quality and ease of productions. These are especially crucial in producing, distributing and creating films for television and my pop video.

We used digital technology extensively during all stages of production. We used the Internet to research our song and videos that influenced our video, we used mobile phones to plan and communicate, and we used digital HD cameras that recorded directly onto SD Card. We used Final Cut Pro to edit the shot product, and our group used Pro Tools LE to edit and shorten our song. We also used the Internet in the distribution and evaluation stage through screening the music video on sites such as Vimeo and YouTube, and we evaluated the product through the online service Blogger.

In the research and development stage, we used the internet to a great extent to research the song and artist, The Bloody Beetroots, and the kind of record label artists like them were signed to, also we changed the song twice, it was originally a remix of Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine, then we changed it Black Gloves by Goose, then we changed it finally to We Are From Venice by the Bloody Beetroots. We also used new camera technology to screen test our eventual actors. We took digital stills of the location and the actors in order to procure a sense of preparation for the digipak we will eventual construct. The Internet was an invaluable resource at the end of the day, because the trouble we went through to find a location was all on the internet. We needed a place that we could basically destroy without people caring at all, but both of the locations we found on the internet were owned, and we needed forms filling out and an ambulance on call and the list goes on.

On the shoot day itself, we used two JVC HD Cameras, and lighting that was all digitally wired into one desk, and imparticular the movers which shifted and changed colour.The camera itself allowed us to change shutter speeds, ratio, lighting and ISO with real ease. In post-production we used Final Cut Pro to edit the song and cut together the video. We didn’t need to use After Effects at all, which was a planned decision because we thought as a whole After Effects at our level looked particularly tacky. We also got the idea that the gangs needed authenticity, so we decided to make gang signs, and we used the internet for this to come up with a two hybrids of already known gang signs.

The post production element of production was the most technologically dependant. We needed the aforementioned Final Cut Pro editing package, and the Pro Tools LE package which other groups didn't need, because their songs were an already appropriate length. But we had to finely cut ours down, so that there was no noticeable cut in the song. We did this by using a collection of waveform information and we chose where the song had lost its peak. Final Cut Pro was the tipping point of our production, had it not been for Final Cut, we would not have had the professional, glossy music video that we now have.

In terms of Distribution and Evaluation, we distributed the video through YouTube and Vimeo, and I have also posted the video on Facebook to try and draw attention from the social network. All the sites have had nothing but positive feedback. If we were marketing the song as a whole, we might go about purchasing adspace on popular websites such as Google, Facebook, YouTube and Amazon. The Internet is the key to our distribution.

The links to two of the relevant sites are below.

http://www.vimeo.com/17954809

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpnR1uOxC-M

The strength of the internet for distribution is clear, you can reach potentially millions of people, as they have to be persuaded to visit.

In terms of evaluation, the comments on YouTube are very valuble, we thought about putting a questionnaire online, but we decided that a focus group had more strengths as we were able to see that people took it seriously, and ask them supplementary questions. Where as a questionnaire can be filled in without people being serious about it.