The document discusses the author's use of various media technologies during their project. They learned to use Slideshare to upload documents like word files and powerpoints to their blog. They also learned how to use Serif Draw Plus X5 and Serif Photoplus X5 graphic design software to create images and learn key tools. Specifically, they used these programs to create a film poster and magazine cover for their project. They also screened portions of their video trailer and imported them into other programs. Sound Jay was a useful site for downloading copyright-free music, particularly thriller sound effects, for their video trailer.

1. How did you use media technologies in the
construction and research, planning and
evaluation stages?
Slideshare – the main piece of media technology I
learnt to use during this process was slide share. I learnt
how to upload documents.
This meant that I could upload word documents and
powerpoints onto my blog through embedding the file
into the HTML part of my blog (as you can’t add them
in their original format).
I used slideshare to upload most of the research I conducted throughout the
process as it allowed me to present my work in a neat way instead of having a
blog that was simply full of photo uploads.

2. I learnt how to use Serif Draw Plus X5. This program has lots of different tools
which take a while to get use to. I took some time to get used to the different
tools, I tried to make basic edits to an image to see how it would look. In this
image I have used the colour wheel to change the colour to purple. I have also
used the transparency to make the image fade out in particular areas (such as at
the top). I have also used a ‘quick rectangle’ which is behind the main image
and I used the colour wheel to fill it in black.
Getting used to this software meant that when I came to making my film poster
and magazine cover I was comfortable with the tools that I knew I was going to
use and therefore the process wasn’t as long as it would have been if I didn’t
take that time out at the beginning of the process to explore the software.
Serif Draw Plus X5 also came in handy when constructing question 2 of my
evaluation. This required me to include examples of my trailer which was in
video form. I took print screens of the areas I needed and then put it into word,
copied and pasted it then put it onto serif draw plus x5 and then exported the

3. print screen as an image which allowed me
to import it onto Movie plus x6 as an image.
I learnt how to use Serif Photoplus X5 this was the first time that I used this
software and it took a while for me to get my head around it. I learnt how to use
certain tools such as: the crop tool, the position tool which allowed me to put a
shape with a block colour fill behind the main image which acted as the
background colour.
Being able to fill the background in a different colour meant that my overall
finish product was more effective as it the colour usage linked to the genre in
the same way that I am legend’s colour usage does on the magazine cover:

4. I also learnt how to export the image as a jpeg on serif photo plus x5 which
meant that I could open the image in serif draw plus x5 to add text etc. Knowing
this information also allowed me to add the image to my blog so that it could be
viewed by my teacher for feedback but most importantly, the examiner.
Both magazine covers stick
to using the main colours:
white, red and black which
automatically gives the
reader an insight to the
genre.

5. I used the following sites to download copyright free music to use on my trailer. I had to
explore different sites to try and find the best sound effects for a thriller as many sites offered
sounds that were more for horror films (ghost type films).
Out of the three, I would say that Sound Jay offered the biggest range of thriller sound
effects.
The sounds that I have got from sound jay will be found on both evaluation question 2 and
most of the tracks in my trailer.