Research & Planning: Use of digital technology and

ICTFilm Trailer - Katie Wootton

In order to create an effective horror/psychological thriller film trailer, promotional poster and magazine cover, I must plan what digital technology and methods of ICT I will be needing to create this. This ensures

that I have enough time to obtain each piece of equipment or software before filming and creating the poster/cover and to make sure that I know how to use each piece of equipment or software. This presentation

will include all of the items which are required along with their appropriate photograph and purpose. I will also include advantages and disadvantages of the item.

1. Video Camera

I will be using the video camera supplied by my school’s Media course for the majority of the creation of this trailer. This is one of the most

essential pieces of technology as the trailer could not be made without one and the creation lies solely upon it. This video camera will be used both inside and outside of school and I may also use a second

camera which is owned by a friend. The video camera will be of a good quality to ensure that the quality of the trailer itself is good and professional.

I will experiment with different effects and techniques when using the video camera to make

sure that the trailer is at it’s highest standard. The benefits of using a video camera is that they’re

relatively simple and straightforward to use and they’re quite small and compact meaning they can be used and taken virtually anywhere with ease.

The disadvantages are that because it’s quite small and compact, it can be easily lost or stolen. Video camera’s are also quite fragile meaning that if it were dropped, it would most likely break. The

quality of the video camera will be good but they can’t always effectively convey all of what is going on – this could prove to be difficult to overcome.

Before I start filming officially for my trailer, I will attempt to experiment with other video camera’s to see what I am able to do and to prepare me – this will develop my video camera skills and hopefully

benefit my final product.

2. Camera

3. School/home computers/laptops (keyboard & mouse)

The camera will be used more for the magazine cover and promotional poster rather than the trailer itself. A camera is just as essential as using a video camera as without it, I would be unable to take photographs for my poster and magazine cover. I will be experimenting with the settings available on the camera as well as editing the photographs afterwards on a computer. The cameras that I have access to are of good quality – for example, my camera is 10 mega pixels which means the image will be

clear and detailed. I will attempt to take some practice shots in order to find out which angles work well and which don’t. I will be using either the camera supplied by the school or my home camera – using both will be an advantage as I can then take photographs at any time and anywhere. As cameras are quite small and compact, they can be taken anywhere – but this might raise the issue of them getting lost or broken as they’re also

quite fragile. My camera also allows a video camera setting which may be handy. Another issue however, is whether my actors/actresses will be willing to give up their time to take photos outside of school hours – if they are not willing to do this, the time period in which we can take

photographs is limited. The quality of the photograph is also limited to a certain extent.

Its crucial that I have a lot of access to computers and laptops at both home and school throughout the process of designing my trailer, promotional poster and magazine cover. Throughout the research & planning

phase of my coursework I have consistently used computers to find research into similar products and get inspiration for all of my final products. I will also need a computer to find things which I can incorporate into my trailer – for example, finding appropriate horror sound clips – this would be virtually impossible without a computer. Another major aspect of using a computer is the editing process which I will need to carry out on my trailer, magazine cover and promotional poster. Computers are just as important as video cameras and

cameras. A major advantage here is that I have a computer and laptop at home as well as computer access at school – this means I will get the project completed in a much shorter amount of time than I would if I only had access to one computer. If I get random inspiration to do work when I’m at home, I am able to do so.

Storing and displaying all of my work on the computer is helpful too as it means it’s all in one place and can be organised clearly. The internet connection is beneficial too as it means that I can quickly send my work to

my blog. There really aren’t any disadvantages to having this computer access as it helps me in numerous ways.

4. Memory Stick

5. WordPress

A memory stick will be necessary at some points as I will need to transfer work I have at school or at home to

different computers. Without this device, it would take me much longer to complete my coursework as I

wouldn’t be able to access my work as easily. This device will also work as a back up so that I don’t lose any of my coursework – for example, if my computer breaks and I lose my work, it will be available on my

memory stick. My school network has been quite unreliable in the past and so I feel that this is necessary.

I will be using more than one memory stick to ensure that there's no possible way for me to lose any work. The disadvantage of using such a small device is that it can

easily be lost – it is important that this doesn’t happen. I have a bright orange memory stick which will make it more eye-catching meaning I’m less likely to lose it.

WordPress is a free and open source blogging tool and content management system. It is where I am displaying all of my Media coursework ready for marking – this means it is

an essential in order to display my work and keep all the pieces together in an organised format. I have been

presenting my work in chronological order and will continue to do so for the duration of the coursework. This website has

also allowed me to gain inspiration from other users for trailer, poster and magazine cover ideas. An advantage of

this website is that it’s easy and straightforward to use – no technical background is required to work it. It’s also very

efficient and responsive as I’ve had no problems whilst using it – I couldn’t suggest any improvements for it. A

disadvantage of this website is that because my work is displayed openly and freely, it would be quite easy for

somebody else to copy my work – this would reduce the originality of my work.

6. Prezi

Prezi is a piece of presentation software based on the design of a cloud. It’s very interactive and allows users to navigate themselves around presentations in a creative way. This

website is extremely appropriate for my Media course as it includes various interactive elements and attractively displays

work. I have used Prezi to put together research into other trailers, magazine covers and promotional posters. I then

incorporated my Prezi presentations into my WordPress blog. I will most likely use Prezi again throughout the duration of the course. There are so many benefits to using Prezi – it’s simple, straightforward and clear which means that virtually anyone

can use it. It’s also very adaptable as you can choose your own designs and fonts meaning I can personalise my presentations. Prezi presentations can also be shared with friends. However, putting all of your work on the internet openly and freely can raise copyright issues as other people might take your work

without asking for your permission – this is the only disadvantage.

7. SlideShare

SlideShare is a slide hosting service which I am currently using to display this presentation on. Users can upload files publicly or privately. Mine will be uploaded publicly in the format of either PowerPoint or OpenOffice. The concept of the website is very clever in that it is similar to YouTube but is for presentations rather than videos. I will need this website to present lots of related information at one time and keep my work looking

organised and together. The advantages of using SlideShare is that it’s very simple to use and so virtually anyone can navigate themselves through presentations. If presentations are uploaded publicly, you can view other peoples work which allows you to

gain inspiration for your own work. Unfortunately, I used SlideShare for last year’s coursework and often came across

problems such as the website not allowing me to view what I had uploaded meaning I couldn’t embed it onto my WordPress – if this happens again, I may have to use another website such as

Scribd.

8. Adobe After Effects CS3/CS4

9. Adobe Photoshop 6.0/CS4

I will be using this in the final stages of the production of my trailer. This video editing software is essential to the creation of my film trailer.

Without this software, the quality of my trailer would be of a terrible standard and I wouldn’t be able to make my trailer appear how I want it to

look. Predominantly, the use of this software will be carried out on the school computers but I have the more recent version of the software on my home computer meaning I can work from both locations. I am hoping that

the software will help me add a range of effects to my final trailer, thus improving the overall quality and professionalism of my finished product. As this is sophisticated and advanced software, I hope that I can finish my

trailer with it looking appealing and eye-catching, making it generally effective as a trailer. The disadvantages to using this software is that it can be quite complex – it may take me a while to learn how to use it properly

and even then, I may not be able to make my trailer look as good as I’d like it. I hope that I have an appropriate amount of time to carry out all the editing that needs to take place as I imagine that it will be quite a time

consuming process.

In order to create an effective promotional poster and magazine cover, I will need the use of graphics/photograph editing software. This type of

software is essential for completing my coursework to a good standard. On the school computers, I have access to Adobe Photoshop CS4 and on my

home computer I have access to Adobe Photoshop 6.0 – both of which are good versions of the software meaning I can work at home and school –

this means I should have enough time to get all my editing done before my deadline. However, as I have to edit both a promotional poster and

magazine cover, I imagine this will be quite a time-consuming task. The editing aspects of the coursework are what I imagine to be the most

strenuous. Photoshop can be quite a complex and sophisticated program meaning that if I use it well, my finished products could look very

professional and attractive. However, in order to achieve this, it may take a while to learn how to use the software effectively as there are a lot of elements that need to be learnt. If I do have problems with using the

software, I can access YouTube tutorials which offer step-by-step guides as to how I can use the tools which Photoshop offers.

10. Audacity

Audacity is a digital audio editor. It will allow me to record, edit and mix. At first, this might not seem as

essential as video editing software and picture editing software but one of the characters in my film trailer

requires a much deeper voice than they typically have, so this is quite essential. Sound/audio plays a big role in

creating the scary effects that are typically seen in horror films and so an audio editor is very important to make my trailer look believable and professional. This won’t just be used to edit characters’ voices but I will

also use it for actual music. If I am able to edit my sound tracks well, my trailer could be very professional.

Learning how to use the software may prove to be quite difficult as it seems very complex so I will have to

experiment with the software’s features before I actually start to use it. Another disadvantage is that Audacity is said to be limited sometimes in its mixing capabilities. This process of the coursework is one which I envisage

to be quite time-consuming and frustrating but I will use tutorials in order to learn how to use it effectively.