How did you use new media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?

We used several new media technologies to produce our newspaper, radio advert and poster.

• The internet ('internet explorer' and 'safari')- This was an invaluable aid in all aspects of our A2 coursework. This technology was primarily used for research of other local newspapers already available to buy, that we often took inspiration from e.g. 'The Evening Post' (see earlier post for more details). However, the internet also encompassed several resources that were important to the production of our main and subsidiary tasks e.g. sound effects for radio advert. It was also interesting using an internet explorer on an iMac computer, learning that more than one type of internet explorer is available to use for researching, planning, constructing and evaluating any project.
• 'Adobe Photoshop'- this technological software was used to manipulate photos. We also built upon the skills we learnt at AS level. Me and Alice, since our AS productions, had partially forgotten how to cut out images and place them onto another background. Fortunately, once we began using the software at the start of the year, memories on how to do the operation flooded back to us and we were able to manipulate photos in this way, for example, the photo of the dance teacher and student in the 'millionaire saves dance group' story was manipulated (the main image was placed onto the carpet background). Another manipulation technique we learnt was adjusting a photo's contrast/brightness, colours and so on. The dance group photo was initially very dark, so we had to adjust the brightness, contrast and colours, in order to make the subjects clearer and easier to see. Ultimately, this software package was mainly used in the production of our media studies coursework.
• 'Garage Band'- This software package was available on the iMac computer. We used this technological software package to produce our radio advert. In using the software, we learnt about mixing levels, panning and the layering different tracks. Additionally, we learnt how to download sounds from various different free sound bite websites and upload them to the software.
• The blog- the blog was mainly used for evaluations. Throughout the blog, me and Alice have written about the process of production and have continuously evaluated the success of any operation and have also gained an outsider's opinion/evaluation, for example, feedback on our newspaper pre, during and post application and similarly with the radio advert. The blog was also a great way of documenting the process of producing a newspaper, radio advert and poster and perhaps, in some ways, emulates the production of newspapers that we took inspiration from. Evaluations were essential to our A2 coursework, because often, one can be so enwrapped in one's work, that often an outsider's view is required.
• 'Microsoft publisher'- this type of technological software was mainly used to plan and construct our products. From previous posts, the reader may have noticed that when we planned the initial layout of our newspaper, we used 'Microsoft Publisher'. We used this type of technological software, because desktop publishing programmes are generally easy to use and amendments can be made easily and quickly.
• iMac computer- this technological piece of hardware encompassed many of the programmes we used above. Therefore, the iMac computer essentially constructed, evaluated, planned and researched our newspaper, radio advert and poster.
• A3 newspaper- to make the newspaper look as authentic as possible, we printed the final copy of it in an A3 size (the size of an average genuine local newspaper).

In conclusion, modern technology in general was essential in all aspects of our A2 media studies coursework. Had technology not have advanced and been available for home use, we doubt very much that we would have been able to have completed the coursework.