Technology

Skills 1a recap

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Fully Complete your Skills template in classroom. Many of the CCR4 skills stories can be used in the right hand column – you just need to add in starting points for the stories.

Always remember the skill needs a starting point and a finishing point. This can be anywhere in the course but each skill story needs to show progression.

The most important aspect is that you evidence how the skill impacted specifically on the product i.e. not just that it made it nicer, more professional. What do you mean by that? How did the colour filter directly impact on the anarchic, grungy star image? How did the transition develop the narrative disruption for the story?

Remember to use the name of the tools, techniques.

Write like a media student: use terms from across your media learning.

Read the exemplars and examiner’s reports below.

You will complete a Skills Essay in class in timed conditions.

This is the question:

“Explain how your skills in the use of creative digital technology developed over time. Refer to  a range of examples from your media productions in your answer. (25 marks)”

You can use your notes and a copy of the essay template will be on the board.

Skills – The story so far

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This was you before you started Media Studies….

This is you now…

How did you achieve such skills?

OK SO RECAP…FLASHBACK to S1E1…

A long time ago Mrs Cobb and Mr Gregson asked some students to keep a diary of reflections…

You know, those random reflection posts that your past selves wrote as you made your preliminary tasks, your music magazines, your music videos, your digipacks and your websites…

  • Also, just as important are your Creative Critical Reflection questions.

You have been reflecting, logging and recording your skills development from the beginning of the course and ALL THE ANSWERS TO THIS ARE IN YOUR BLOG!

So…you need to go back through time, back through your blog & maybe ours, to find the answers to these questions:

  • How did you get so creative?
  • To what extent did the development of your research and planning lead to more creative
    media products?
  • In what ways did you engage with the conventions of real media texts in your own productions?
  • Assess the importance of digital technology skills in your production work.

Spot the fake previous exam question above…however,

CREATIVITY really is at the heart of it all!

Media Studies is, after all, a creative art.

It fact, I would argue that Media is The Creative Art that is shaping the images, the sounds, the links, the narratives, the genres, the representations and ultimately the ideas that shape society’s values, attitudes and beliefs…

YEAH BABY! IDEOLOGY!

That word, ‘Ideology’ is key to understanding Media Studies as a subject!

So go on…explain…what I mean…if you can…

 

DSLR Menu Filming Settings

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If you are going to use a DSLR to shoot your music video you are going to have to tackle the video settings.

The settings you choose will depend on:

  • Lighting and shadows
  • Motion or lack of
  • Depth of field

These are the settings that should work if you were to film outside on a sunny day.

Make sure the camera is switched to filming mode and then press the menu button on the back of the camera.

Page 1
  • Exposure
    • Auto will set a compromise between shutter speed, ISO and exposure
    • Manual if you want a very specific effect (bokeh or movement).
      • Only use this if you are confident & had experience with a DSLR.
  • Focus
    • Auto Focus (FlexizoneAF).
    • AF w/shutter button during filming (enable).
      • This will allow you to change focal length by pressing the camera shutter button whilst you are filming)
      • Ensure the lens is switched to AF
    • Manual Focus (for shallow DoF & pulling focus). This will give you control over the manual focus.
      • Ensure the lens is switched to MF & use the focus ring at the end of the lens to change focus
        • Only use if you are confident.
        • It might look in focus in camera but be blurred on a larger screen!
  • Contrast
    • High Light Tone Priority enable for filming in bright (sun)light to avoid light colours being washed out.
    • This will mean you cannot change other settings – these are done automatically
Page 2
  • Video System – NTSC
  • If you want to use slow motion in the edit.
    • Movie Rec Size: 1280×720 (60 fps)
  • If you want to get better quality colour & image definition
    • Movie Rec Size:  1920×1080 (30fps)

 

Backgrounds – use your imagination

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Get out and look for textures, backgrounds that you can play with and use as possible backgrounds that help ‘raise’ the images on top of them.

This is a link to a collection of photos I took at home last night.

See what you can do in photoshop using the filters, liquify and adjustments to image.  You will be amazed. Click on the image to get multiple backgrounds.