+




    How did you use digital
      technology in your
       production work?
+




    FINAL CUT PRO
Final Cut Pro was the program used to edit all of our film. The program was
+   completely new to me when we started editing, so I learnt along the way, and by
    the end I even knew shortcuts along will all the aspects of Final Cut. We faced
    many problems whilst working with this program. The biggest problem was the
    issue of our files ‘going offline,’ and not being able to reconnect them. Meaning
    we had to upload the lost files off the camera, and repeat the process. This
    meant wasting precious time that we could have used for editing or making our
    soundtrack. Some of the clips had a problem with the sound volume of certain
    actor’s voices, which couldn’t be resolved by heightening the noise bar. This
    could have been resolved if we’d used a microphone whilst filming, but one was
    not available to us. Final Cut Pro has a large amount of effects and transitions
    that can deeply improve your film if choosing the correct one, this meant we had
    a lot of choice as to which one suited a certain part of the film better. As we
    chose to have a black and white film, Final Cut Pro made it very easy in which to
    create this, the effect was called ‘desaturate.’ For the one flashback scene we
    have used the effect ‘sepia,’ to represent a change in time period, so it’s obvious
    it is indeed a flashback. The transitions we used for the clips were called the
    ‘fade in and fade out dissolve’ and the ‘cross dissolve.’ These were subtle
    transitions that worked well as we didn’t want really obvious ones. For our
    flashback scene we made the duration of that transition much longer as we
    wanted it to be perfectly clear the scene was changing to a flash back. We used a
    ‘cross fade’ for the music, so there was a subtle ending to the music to start the
    next scene. As we re-filmed certain scenes, the lighting differed from the rest of
    the filming we’d done in that scene. This was adjusted by toning down the clips
    that appeared too bright next to the new clip.
+




    GARAGEBAND
+   We used GarageBand to create all of our sound effects and music in the film.
    It was simple and easy to use as I was already familiar with the program,
    from using it previously in college and at home, mostly as a recording device.
    It offers a wide range of different effects and sounds, from screams to a
    creaking door noise effect. The music and sounds were not difficult to find,
    as we knew the type of sound we wanted, and looked for that directly. We
    repeated a soundtrack that we made in GarageBand for several different
    scenes, which is something done in professional film production. We also
    used it to record the two soliloquies in our film. To make a GarageBand
    recording or track into an mp3 file was a quick and easy task, done by just
    exporting the file into an mp3 file, then it can be crossed over and used in
    Final Cut Pro. The version of GarageBand used to edit our film is the latest
    version. I used an older version of the program to produce my radio trailer
    for the film. I thought this was going to be an issue, but it wasn’t as it still
    offered enough sounds and effects that were required. I recorded my voice
    using a voice project, then saved it as an mp3 file, which was then added to
    the soundtrack of my radio trailer. I added the ‘radio effect’ to my voice,
    which was a huge help with wanting it to sound as realistic as possible.
+




    PHOTOSHOP
+
This was how the
image looked before I
edited it using
Photoshop. I began
by adjusting the
contrast of the
picture, but that
wasn’t quite the
effect I wanted. I then
started to adjust the
colour altogether, I
began with black and
white, and then sepia.
I preferred the black
and white effect. As
the film is about
murder and betrayal, I
wanted the film
poster to represent
this by the choice of
colour.
I looked at many film
posters, and I decided      It was difficult deciding
 +
I definitely wanted to      what colour I should
                            choose for my captions
include captions from
well known media            text, as I didn’t want it
producers, such as          to clash or be too tonally
‘The Gazette’ and           similar to the background.
‘Empire’ magazine.
Including ratings on
your poster makes it        I used a simple square
seem more realistic, as     shape over the centre
most film posters do        of my poster, this was
include this aspect.        so the writing was clear
The title of the film        as the background
‘Stake Out’ needed to       I’ve used is a busy
be the biggest aspect       image. I made the image
of the poster, so I         transparent, so you
centered it, and used       could still see the
the signature font,         background image.
‘cracked,’ so it was
recognisable to our               I didn’t have
film. The tagline                 to edit any of
represents the                    these using
character who is the              Photoshop, as they
killer in the film. Which         were already the
immediately makes it              correct size and
obvious of the genre              colour etc.
and theme of the film.
+


    PowerPoint has been a crucial part of my blog work, as it offers a
      simple and effective way to present a lot of information, in the
     form of images or text. Slideshare is the website where you can
    share your PowerPoint presentations, and embed them onto your
        blog. Soundcloud was the website used to upload my radio
                  trailer, and then embed onto my blog.

QUESTION - How did you use digital technology in your production work?

  • 1.
    + How did you use digital technology in your production work?
  • 2.
    + FINAL CUT PRO
  • 3.
    Final Cut Prowas the program used to edit all of our film. The program was + completely new to me when we started editing, so I learnt along the way, and by the end I even knew shortcuts along will all the aspects of Final Cut. We faced many problems whilst working with this program. The biggest problem was the issue of our files ‘going offline,’ and not being able to reconnect them. Meaning we had to upload the lost files off the camera, and repeat the process. This meant wasting precious time that we could have used for editing or making our soundtrack. Some of the clips had a problem with the sound volume of certain actor’s voices, which couldn’t be resolved by heightening the noise bar. This could have been resolved if we’d used a microphone whilst filming, but one was not available to us. Final Cut Pro has a large amount of effects and transitions that can deeply improve your film if choosing the correct one, this meant we had a lot of choice as to which one suited a certain part of the film better. As we chose to have a black and white film, Final Cut Pro made it very easy in which to create this, the effect was called ‘desaturate.’ For the one flashback scene we have used the effect ‘sepia,’ to represent a change in time period, so it’s obvious it is indeed a flashback. The transitions we used for the clips were called the ‘fade in and fade out dissolve’ and the ‘cross dissolve.’ These were subtle transitions that worked well as we didn’t want really obvious ones. For our flashback scene we made the duration of that transition much longer as we wanted it to be perfectly clear the scene was changing to a flash back. We used a ‘cross fade’ for the music, so there was a subtle ending to the music to start the next scene. As we re-filmed certain scenes, the lighting differed from the rest of the filming we’d done in that scene. This was adjusted by toning down the clips that appeared too bright next to the new clip.
  • 4.
    + GARAGEBAND
  • 5.
    + We used GarageBand to create all of our sound effects and music in the film. It was simple and easy to use as I was already familiar with the program, from using it previously in college and at home, mostly as a recording device. It offers a wide range of different effects and sounds, from screams to a creaking door noise effect. The music and sounds were not difficult to find, as we knew the type of sound we wanted, and looked for that directly. We repeated a soundtrack that we made in GarageBand for several different scenes, which is something done in professional film production. We also used it to record the two soliloquies in our film. To make a GarageBand recording or track into an mp3 file was a quick and easy task, done by just exporting the file into an mp3 file, then it can be crossed over and used in Final Cut Pro. The version of GarageBand used to edit our film is the latest version. I used an older version of the program to produce my radio trailer for the film. I thought this was going to be an issue, but it wasn’t as it still offered enough sounds and effects that were required. I recorded my voice using a voice project, then saved it as an mp3 file, which was then added to the soundtrack of my radio trailer. I added the ‘radio effect’ to my voice, which was a huge help with wanting it to sound as realistic as possible.
  • 6.
    + PHOTOSHOP
  • 7.
    + This was howthe image looked before I edited it using Photoshop. I began by adjusting the contrast of the picture, but that wasn’t quite the effect I wanted. I then started to adjust the colour altogether, I began with black and white, and then sepia. I preferred the black and white effect. As the film is about murder and betrayal, I wanted the film poster to represent this by the choice of colour.
  • 8.
    I looked atmany film posters, and I decided It was difficult deciding + I definitely wanted to what colour I should choose for my captions include captions from well known media text, as I didn’t want it producers, such as to clash or be too tonally ‘The Gazette’ and similar to the background. ‘Empire’ magazine. Including ratings on your poster makes it I used a simple square seem more realistic, as shape over the centre most film posters do of my poster, this was include this aspect. so the writing was clear The title of the film as the background ‘Stake Out’ needed to I’ve used is a busy be the biggest aspect image. I made the image of the poster, so I transparent, so you centered it, and used could still see the the signature font, background image. ‘cracked,’ so it was recognisable to our I didn’t have film. The tagline to edit any of represents the these using character who is the Photoshop, as they killer in the film. Which were already the immediately makes it correct size and obvious of the genre colour etc. and theme of the film.
  • 9.
    + PowerPoint has been a crucial part of my blog work, as it offers a simple and effective way to present a lot of information, in the form of images or text. Slideshare is the website where you can share your PowerPoint presentations, and embed them onto your blog. Soundcloud was the website used to upload my radio trailer, and then embed onto my blog.