How did you present your primary and secondary research on your blog?
For both AS and A2 I set the primary research out on my blog as a write up about what I had learnt from the feedback and what I could now change. For the secondary research I made posts including a lot of images that influenced me and that I could use as inspiration.
Did your presentation of audience feedback for example become more creative through your increased use of digital technology available for embedding on the blogs?
I mainly used blog posts but when I did the evaluation questions I used a lot of different formats for my answers. My audience feedback evaluation question was done on Scribd.
How your research and planning has informed your practical production:
For the music video I remember that we looked at other videos and counted the number of shots used so that we knew what to aim for. This meant that our video wasn't too slow or too fast. Looking at the conventions of the genre helped to guide us in terms of costume, make up and location. Without the initial research filming would have taken a lot longer and the outcome wouldn't have been as good.
Also, for the ancillary products how the different details of the products such as the record company logo and barcode may have been forgotten if we didn't have something to base the product upon. The layout of the digipak and advert were heavily based on existing products too.
How did your research into genre contribute to your production work?
A lot of the pop/rock genre music videos we looked at used both narrative and performance in their music video which is what we did. The costume and make up was always a big part of the video so we spent a lot of time working out what was going to be worn.
For the ancillary products a lot of the rock genre CD covers and adverts that I looked at were quite simple, usually using dark colours and bold fonts. The adverts usually used the front cover image of the CD with text added.
How did your research into audience contribute to your production work?
The feedback I got made me re-evaluate my initial ideas such as font choice. After talking to Mr Ford I changed the font on my ancillary products. He also suggested some ideas for layout because initially my images and text were too spread out, leaving too many gaps.
For the music video we were told that the running shot should be taken out, which it was. We also had issues with the lighting in the draft stage which was picked up on in audience feedback.
What pre-production planning techniques did you employ (scripting, storyboarding, shot listing) and how effective was your planning? How did it help in the production phase?
Storyboarding was a vital part of the pre-production phase and was very helpful as planning. We were able to use the storyboard in many ways too; we used it to build the narrative in the planning stage, then for filming shots and finally for editing. We did also create a shot list which we did use for filming but not as much as the storyboard.
How did you use audience feedback to influence your production work while it was in progress?
After filing the draft video Mr Ford told us that the close up shots worked really well to add emotion and that we should use more. So when we filmed for the second time we made sure to add more close ups in.
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Organisation of Planning Materials
How did you organise your planning materials?
On my blog I made sure to label all of my research and planning posts so that they would be easy to find. Apart from that I kept all my written work in folders, seperated according to teacher and part of the course. My organisation definitely developed from AS to A2.
Did you utilise the blog more at A2 than AS?
I think I used it about the same amount but at A2 I used it in the right way.
How did you follow your flat plans and storyboards?
The storyboard was very useful, we used it through the whole production of music video. It was first used to put our ideas into motion and start to order everything. Then once we had completed it we took it with us to the filming sessions, because we didn't film everything in order we could put to one side the shots we had filmed so we knew what we had left. We then used it again after all the filming had been done to help edit the video. All the shots were numbered so it made it a lot easier to put the video together.
Did all members have copies of the production schedule and storyboard?
Because we did our storybaord on post it notes (so it was easy to move anything around) it would have been difficult to duplicate it. However, we did take pictures of each part for reference. We did both have a production schedule though, and even if it wasn't formally written we had talked about our plans.
Did you complete diaries or progression blog posts? Why was this important in terms of planning both pieces of coursework?
I did create progression posts on my blog, mainly for me than for the teachers. It was always good to write down what had been done and what needed to be done so that I could work out what time we had left. It helped keep me organised and kept stress levels down.
On my blog I made sure to label all of my research and planning posts so that they would be easy to find. Apart from that I kept all my written work in folders, seperated according to teacher and part of the course. My organisation definitely developed from AS to A2.
Did you utilise the blog more at A2 than AS?
I think I used it about the same amount but at A2 I used it in the right way.
How did you follow your flat plans and storyboards?
The storyboard was very useful, we used it through the whole production of music video. It was first used to put our ideas into motion and start to order everything. Then once we had completed it we took it with us to the filming sessions, because we didn't film everything in order we could put to one side the shots we had filmed so we knew what we had left. We then used it again after all the filming had been done to help edit the video. All the shots were numbered so it made it a lot easier to put the video together.
Did all members have copies of the production schedule and storyboard?
Because we did our storybaord on post it notes (so it was easy to move anything around) it would have been difficult to duplicate it. However, we did take pictures of each part for reference. We did both have a production schedule though, and even if it wasn't formally written we had talked about our plans.
Did you complete diaries or progression blog posts? Why was this important in terms of planning both pieces of coursework?
I did create progression posts on my blog, mainly for me than for the teachers. It was always good to write down what had been done and what needed to be done so that I could work out what time we had left. It helped keep me organised and kept stress levels down.
Working Individually or as Part of a Group
What did you learn about individual and teamwork?
I was hesitant at first to work in a group because I am usually a very independent worker and I feel that I produce my best work alone. However, at A2 with the music video I am definitely glad that I had a partner to work with. This meant that we could get a lot more done in the time given and we could each use our strengths to help each other out. I liked being able to work on the ancillary texts alone but the music video was made much easier by having someone else there.
What are the pros and cons?
The good things about working independently are that you can get on with the task at hand without having to agree on something with someone else, giving you more time. Usually the idea in your head will be very similar to your final product, so you know that you are happy with it. This isn't always a good thing though, because if you do have someone else working alongside you their input can make you final product a lot better. It's always good to have someone ask you questions about what you are doing in order to create your best work.
What main things have you learnt about group work at AS and A2 in terms of planning your product?
Planning takes longer when you work in a pair but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. A lot of the time when working independently I will have to change or edit my planning or refer back to the plan a lot because I didn't perhaps think of everything. When working in a pair the planning stage is a lot more detailed because the other person can pick out things you didn't think of. This means that once the planning is done, it's pretty final and there will be no need to go back and change anything.
I was hesitant at first to work in a group because I am usually a very independent worker and I feel that I produce my best work alone. However, at A2 with the music video I am definitely glad that I had a partner to work with. This meant that we could get a lot more done in the time given and we could each use our strengths to help each other out. I liked being able to work on the ancillary texts alone but the music video was made much easier by having someone else there.
What are the pros and cons?
The good things about working independently are that you can get on with the task at hand without having to agree on something with someone else, giving you more time. Usually the idea in your head will be very similar to your final product, so you know that you are happy with it. This isn't always a good thing though, because if you do have someone else working alongside you their input can make you final product a lot better. It's always good to have someone ask you questions about what you are doing in order to create your best work.
What main things have you learnt about group work at AS and A2 in terms of planning your product?
Planning takes longer when you work in a pair but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. A lot of the time when working independently I will have to change or edit my planning or refer back to the plan a lot because I didn't perhaps think of everything. When working in a pair the planning stage is a lot more detailed because the other person can pick out things you didn't think of. This means that once the planning is done, it's pretty final and there will be no need to go back and change anything.
Planning - Pre-Production Requirements
Drafting - What drafts did you produce?
For AS I created a draft magazine cover, contents page and double page spread at the very start of the course. For A2 as a class we created a music video to Busted's 'That's What I Go To School For', then in our pairs we created a draft version of our own music video before our final. I also created a draft for each of the ancillary tasks.
Gaining audience feedback - How did you make sure you collated this - What was the development between AS and A2?
I made sure to take on board any feedback I got, I made a note of it all and made sure to consider it when producing. At AS I produced a questionnaire which I then used to decide the theme and look of my magazine. At A2 most of the feedback I got was just through class evaluation, comments and talking to people. This actually helped a lot more because the conversation could be more in depth and I could come away with several new ideas to think about rather than just one specific thing.
Organisation of time, personnel and equipment:
I always made sure to complete my work on time and meet the deadlines. I also created deadlines for myself within the course to keep up to date and organised. Having to organise other people was hard to do because of the other priorities that they had and finding time where we could all meet up. Thankfully, we minimised this issue by casting me to be in the video, meaning I was always available and willing to put the hours in. I learnt very quickly that within the production schedule there wasn't a lot of room for movement because it would cause a domino effect and everything would build up. I think I worked well, my strengths being communication and inputting ideas but I could have spent more time on the blog posts and put more detail into the evaluation process.
For AS I created a draft magazine cover, contents page and double page spread at the very start of the course. For A2 as a class we created a music video to Busted's 'That's What I Go To School For', then in our pairs we created a draft version of our own music video before our final. I also created a draft for each of the ancillary tasks.
Gaining audience feedback - How did you make sure you collated this - What was the development between AS and A2?
I made sure to take on board any feedback I got, I made a note of it all and made sure to consider it when producing. At AS I produced a questionnaire which I then used to decide the theme and look of my magazine. At A2 most of the feedback I got was just through class evaluation, comments and talking to people. This actually helped a lot more because the conversation could be more in depth and I could come away with several new ideas to think about rather than just one specific thing.
Organisation of time, personnel and equipment:
I always made sure to complete my work on time and meet the deadlines. I also created deadlines for myself within the course to keep up to date and organised. Having to organise other people was hard to do because of the other priorities that they had and finding time where we could all meet up. Thankfully, we minimised this issue by casting me to be in the video, meaning I was always available and willing to put the hours in. I learnt very quickly that within the production schedule there wasn't a lot of room for movement because it would cause a domino effect and everything would build up. I think I worked well, my strengths being communication and inputting ideas but I could have spent more time on the blog posts and put more detail into the evaluation process.
Organisation of Research
What skills did you learn about organising and referencing materials?
It became clear that labelling the blog posts would be very important. It helped to keep track of all the work we did and keep everything organised. I tried to keep everything in order and made sure to date my work at AS.
How did your skills of organisation develop from AS to A2?
My blog became neater in general, with the help of the labels. I also used a better filing system for my folders for the written work so that I could keep track of it all and I didn't lose anything.
It became clear that labelling the blog posts would be very important. It helped to keep track of all the work we did and keep everything organised. I tried to keep everything in order and made sure to date my work at AS.
How did your skills of organisation develop from AS to A2?
My blog became neater in general, with the help of the labels. I also used a better filing system for my folders for the written work so that I could keep track of it all and I didn't lose anything.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Sources
Accessibility - Was the research easy to find?
For the most part, yes. For AS I already had a collection of magazines I could use for reseaching conventions and anything I didn't have could be found easily online. For A2 again the internet was very useful, I could find all the videos I needed on YouTube and anything else through a simple Google search.
Time - Was it time consuming?
For both AS and A2 once I knew what I needed to research it was pretty simple to find so it never took too long. Also, a lot of what I found I did so by accident. I would often see things that would influence or inspire my ideas and then add them to my blog, rather than spending hours searching for something.
Reliability - Was the research measured to be consistent - did you find a trustworthy source? Was it another student's work?
I remember that when researching for AS as well as finding genuine magazines there were also a lot of student made magazines online. To avoid looking at unhelpful sources I made sure to look for names I recognised such as Kerrang! and NME - this way I knew that it was a trustworthy source. At A2 it was similiar, I found student made videos too but I looked for artists that I recognised such as Evanescence and Christina Perri.
Accuracy - Were the facts and figures correct?
For the AS work I carried out a questionnaire which meant I could control the feedback that I was getting so I knew it was reliable. It also asked specific questions, making it all relevant to my work and I could clearly see in terms of numbers what was preferable for my audience.
Did your audience feedback results provide a fair sample of over all opinions? Was it bias?
I think that most of the feedback I got at AS and A2 was fair. A lot of it helped me to progress and think about things that i hadn't thought of before. Sometimes I'd find that because a someone didn't like or know a lot about the genre I was doing they would give slightly bias feedback but I tried to consider everything, even if I didn't use it in the end.
Validity - Was there a link between the particular research and the final product? Was there a strong indication that this research affected the outcome of your work?
For AS I knew what that I wanted to use the rock genre straight away so understandably my research was into the conventions of rock genre magazines. I set out to create that kind of magazine, so I wouldn't say my research completely influenced my work, just that I knew what I was setting out to make. However, it was very useful to have that research there and I did use a lot of the ideas. For A2 I again had a very clear initial idea but this time, for the music video, the reality actually moved away from the initial idea and the research and became something quite different.
For the most part, yes. For AS I already had a collection of magazines I could use for reseaching conventions and anything I didn't have could be found easily online. For A2 again the internet was very useful, I could find all the videos I needed on YouTube and anything else through a simple Google search.
Time - Was it time consuming?
For both AS and A2 once I knew what I needed to research it was pretty simple to find so it never took too long. Also, a lot of what I found I did so by accident. I would often see things that would influence or inspire my ideas and then add them to my blog, rather than spending hours searching for something.
Reliability - Was the research measured to be consistent - did you find a trustworthy source? Was it another student's work?
I remember that when researching for AS as well as finding genuine magazines there were also a lot of student made magazines online. To avoid looking at unhelpful sources I made sure to look for names I recognised such as Kerrang! and NME - this way I knew that it was a trustworthy source. At A2 it was similiar, I found student made videos too but I looked for artists that I recognised such as Evanescence and Christina Perri.
Accuracy - Were the facts and figures correct?
For the AS work I carried out a questionnaire which meant I could control the feedback that I was getting so I knew it was reliable. It also asked specific questions, making it all relevant to my work and I could clearly see in terms of numbers what was preferable for my audience.
Did your audience feedback results provide a fair sample of over all opinions? Was it bias?
I think that most of the feedback I got at AS and A2 was fair. A lot of it helped me to progress and think about things that i hadn't thought of before. Sometimes I'd find that because a someone didn't like or know a lot about the genre I was doing they would give slightly bias feedback but I tried to consider everything, even if I didn't use it in the end.
Validity - Was there a link between the particular research and the final product? Was there a strong indication that this research affected the outcome of your work?
For AS I knew what that I wanted to use the rock genre straight away so understandably my research was into the conventions of rock genre magazines. I set out to create that kind of magazine, so I wouldn't say my research completely influenced my work, just that I knew what I was setting out to make. However, it was very useful to have that research there and I did use a lot of the ideas. For A2 I again had a very clear initial idea but this time, for the music video, the reality actually moved away from the initial idea and the research and became something quite different.
Primary and Secondary Research for A2
Primary Research:
At A2 I went into a lot more detail with my research, such as what I would use it for and how it has influenced me. I also evaluated a lot more of the feedback that I got. I think I have improved my research skills because I looked in a lot more places for influence for the A2 work.
- Feedback from class: This was a good way of researching for my work because I could get the opinions from like minded people that were in the same boat. Therefore they knew what was expected but also what was realistic in terms of what we could achieve given the time and budget. It also gave me ideas that I hadn't thought of that I could use entirely or take influence from. on the downside sometimes, because it was purely opinion, the views given were bias, perhaps because someone didn't like or know a lot about that genre. Also, sometimes people would have a completely different thought track, meaning to include their idea I would have had to change a lot.
- Choosing the location: Being able to choose where filmed meant that we could see for ourselves what it would be like and the areas that we could film in. This made planning shots easier when in the classroom because we both knew what we were talking about and we could go back to the pictures and already imagine what it would look like. It did, however, slightly limit us creatively because it had to be somewhere near and somewhere we didn't have to pay for. If we weren't students then we would have a larger range of choice.
- Comments from teachers: - The feedback we got from teachers was useful because we knew it was from people who know what is expected from the examiners.It also gives a different viewpoint to that of students, meaning we have a wider circle for our feedback to come from. As with class feedback though, there could still be bias views and different thought track if they don't know a lot about genre.
- Self Evaluation - Looking back at your own work and giving yourself criticism is the easiest way to learn what needs improving and how to improve it. Though it is only part of the feedback you need it is a good initial step.
- Looking at conventions: - Conventions are a great way to get to know what is expected from you in your final product. It will also give you an idea of what details you can add and what will make it look professional. The only downside is that by just using the conventions you run the risk of being too safe and predictable.
- Looking at others work: You can be inspired by new ideas that you can use as an influence to your own work and you can also get an idea of what is a high standard piece of work and where you should be aiming. You could be at risk of copying someone else's work though if you aren't careful.
- Researching album artwork and images and music videos: It can be helpful because you know the source is reliable and it's useful to get influences from genre specific sources. However, these aren't always a realistic representation of what you can achieve.
- Fonts: http://laurabarsbycw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/fonts.html
- Pictures for Front Cover and Contents: http://laurabarsbycw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/blog-post.html
- Targets from Feedback: http://laurabarsbycw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/targets-from-feedback.html
- Self Assessment: http://laurabarsbycw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/self-assessment.html
- Drafts: http://laurabarsbycw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/contents-double-page-spread-and-front.html
- Test Shots Evaluation: http://laurabarsbycw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/test-shots-evaluation.html
- Mock Ups: http://laurabarsbycw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/mock-ups.html
- Questionnaire: http://laurabarsbycw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/30th-january-2012-questionnaire.html
- Feedback: http://barsbymedia1213.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/digipak-and-advert-draft-feedback.html
- Analysis of Advert: http://barsbymedia1213.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/magazine-advert-analysis.html
- Analysis of Website: http://barsbymedia1213.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/band-website-analysis.html
- Analysis of CD: http://barsbymedia1213.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/cd-cover-analysis-prezi.html
- Conventions: http://barsbymedia1213.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/magazine-advert-conventions.html
At A2 I went into a lot more detail with my research, such as what I would use it for and how it has influenced me. I also evaluated a lot more of the feedback that I got. I think I have improved my research skills because I looked in a lot more places for influence for the A2 work.
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