Research and Planning
Before we started to plan and create our final music video, we had to go through various stages of planning. The first part of our planning was to research the conventions of real music videos. To do this we used the internet- we used YouTube to watch a variety of music videos belonging to different genres of music and picked out the similarities.
After gathering a list of conventions we each did an analysis of a music video of our choice. We used our blog (www.blogger.com) to write a detailed explanation of the music video and the conventions, including the use of images to help illustrate the conventions.
Before we started planning our final video, we first had to create a practice one. This was a quick process, and we didn't spend too long filming or editing this piece. We used Imovie to edit this together. This made us realize how hard it will be to create the our real video, as at first we underestimated the amount of shots we would actually need.
As a group we decided our song choice, we decided that we was going to use ‘Everybody's Changing’ by Keane. We had to find out some information about them to use in our presentation to the class. We used Wikipedia to find the majority of our information. 
We also used YouTube to watch some of Keane’s music videos and the current video for our song choice. This helped us to gather information about their usual style choice and how they incorporate performance and narrative into their videos. one of the tasks that the exam board required us to do was to find out record label of our band/ artist and email them asking them permission to use their song- as its copyright. We found out the record label during our previous research on Keane. Using this information i went onto their record labels website (www.fiercepanda.co.uk) and used the contact us page to send the an email. 
Once we had designed all of our storyboards on paper we filmed them using a camera. We uploaded this to the computer and edited it using Imovie. This then become an animatic storyboard, this was handy because it allowed us to set a time for each shot and change any is necessary. We also used this during our filming for our final music video, we were able to access this using the internet on our phones.As part of our coursework we also had to create 2 ancillary products to accommodate our music video. The first of the products was the Digipack, we again researched the conventions of these. To do this we looked at examples and picked out the similarities and differences and created a list. To find some examples we used google images.
we also did this for advert, we used the internet to research the conventions of a music advert and used google images to find an example each which we analyzed. This helped us when creating our final adverts.Construction
Once we had completed all the research and planning for our music video we could begin the construction. We used google maps to find what locations we should use, and what areas would be most suited.
We used digital technology throughout the entire construction stage, as we were using a digital camera to film our footage. This allowed use to be creative and film a variety of different shots, including extreme close up, long shot, and high angle. Using a digital camera and a tripod allowed us to film certain shots several times, and in different ways, meaning we could always achieve the shot we wanted. During the production stage, we regularly updated our blog to keep track of our filming process, which helped us to improve everytime we had a filming session. Using our blogs also enabled us to refer back to our research into music video conventions and our chosen artist, so we could ensure we were following the conventions and being creative.
Another form of digital technology we used was an iPhone. When we were filming the lip syncing parts of our music video, it was crucial that Daniel was miming in time with song and singing the correct lyrics. So by playing the song from an iPhone we were able to achieve this. Each time we had filmed some of the footage, we uploaded it to a Mac computer, and automatically to the iMovie software. We were then able to edit each clip to the exact duration and order that we wanted, in time to the song. This software helped us alot with our editing, as we had to be very precise with the timing, especially the lip syncing. This took quite a while to match the lip syncing up, but we managed to do it and were very pleased with the end result. The iMovie software also allowed us to add special effects and techniques, so we used this to are advantage. We changed the colouration of the clips to give them a more grey tone, and we used slow motion for 4 shows throughout our music video. It also allowed us flip shots so that they were the other way, which allowed us to achieve better continuity with our video. Another feature that we could do was to speed up or slow down clips, or even to reverse. This enabled our shots to be more fluid together, and also make the timing more precise.
How Did You Use New Media Technologies In The Evaluation?
To evaluate our product we did a combination of digital distribution (for easy access to audience) and interview/analysis of feedback. For digitally distributing our product, we used the apple iMovie software to export our music video into a file. We then uploaded this file to the video-sharing site 'YouTube', providing exposure and opportunity for feedback. We then interviewed several classmates after they had watched the video, asking them questions about how effective certain elements were. To achieve this we used an analogue video camera attached to a tripod, filming their responses onto digital tape. The footage was then manually uploaded onto the apple iMovie software, and cut down for the sake of brevity. Much like the music video, we then exported and uploaded this to youtube, providing us with the means to display the interviews on our blog. Finally, we sat down as a group and analysed the feedback, using the same techniques mentioned previously, and then also uploaded this to youtube and then embedded it to our blog. To create this evaluation of media technologies, we used a digital camera to take pictures of both the hardware and software aspects of our media project, transferring them to the computer via USB cable and then embedding them within this post.
