Describe how you developed your skills in the use of digital technology for media production and evaluate how these skills contributed to your creative decision making. Refer to a range of examples in your answer to show how these skills developed over time.
Digital technologies have a had a massive influence on media production over the last few years, and since I started in Year 12, I have learned a massive amount about how to use them and what the benefits of using them are. They in turn have had a massive impact on the quality of my finished products.
The technologies I have used during my journey from AS to A2 are theings such as; Blogger, Photoshop, YouTube, Tubechop, Prezi, Scribd, Slideshare, Cameras/Camcorders, Movie maker and Final Cut pro. The benefit of having access to these technologies is that it allowed me to present my work in mediums that were easily accessible and interesting, such as with posting Blogs on Blogger. It also allowed me to compare other products for research and planning, such as viewing current music videos on Youtube, and establish conventions. And technologies equipped me with tools, such as Photoshop, that allowed me to manipulate and develop my work in a detailed and professional manner.
One of the key areas I developed my skills in was Photoshop. As at the beginning of AS I had never used it before and so found it very challenging when it came to creating my pre-liminary school magazine. Looking back this magazine appears very amateurish, however this was due to my inability to apply the software to create my vision. However now my abilities in Photoshop are far more advanced and the creation of my A2 ancilliary products appear drastically more more professional. This is due to my improved skills at using the software and being aware of the software's capabilities. For example; in AS all I was really able to do was move images around and roughly cut out pictures and text. However by A2, I was aware of the various filters and effects I could add to my product, adjusting lighting and exposure of all my elements to change my Digipak and poster in multiple ways. I was able to cut and manipulate images to a standard that didn't ruin their quality and was unnoticeable. Overall the products appeared far more professional.
A further technological challenge that arose in A2 was my attempts at using Final cut pro. Seeing as myself and my partner had never used the software before, everything we did was learning from new and I required great help to grasp simple elements such as zooming. However with practice multiple re-drafts we eventually established ability in the programme and could effectively trim shots, remove audio, change speed, add effects and transitions and add zoom and movement to shots. From developing these skills and knowledge of the product we are now far more competent and knowledgeable about the possibilities of editing we could achieve.
These examples of developed skills in technologies, can be related to Tim O'reily's DIKY triangle. As I began with the making of all my products relying on the internet and the expertise of others to extract information to form ideas and knowledge of what to do. Through practice with these programmes and trial and error I eventually gained wisdom in the workings of such mediums and now consider myself capable to pursue future tasks.
These acquired skills in digital technology have greatly contributed to my creative decisions, as initially with my limited knowledge I was ignorant to the possibilities my work could achieve. However with the exploration of software and current examples of products presented through the media, I gain inspiration and established what I could and wanted to achieve in my own work. For example when in AS I may have accepted that my images had turned out a little poor and maybe not what I'd hoped, but been ignorant as to how I could have corrected or adapted my idea. By A2 I had increased skills in photography and framing a shot meaning I could afford to be more adventurous and attempt things out of the ordinary. Such as with the use of extreme close-ups on my album cover, in black and white, and changing the angles in my music video.
With increased skills comes increased confidence, and less fear of getting things wrong. This is why the biggest benefit to creativity I have achieved from building on my abilities in digital technologies, is the increased freedom I feel in the formulation of new ideas, and a belief I can make something work and always make it better. In AS where I may have settled for the first draft of my pre-limiminary magazine, simply because I didn't know how to create my vision, by A2 I was not satisfied until I knew my work was at the standard I wanted and I had fully exhausted my creativity. My first drafts were also more varied and original by A2, as I could think ahead at the filters and effects I could add to my products such as on Photoshop, so I could broaden my ideas and remove the limitations I originally had within my abilities.
There were however still restraints in the possibilities of my creations. Restraints within the brief I had to adhere to e.g. making only a music video and the restraints in the available materials I had. Although the technologies I did have access to allowed me to increase the complexity and professional finish of my products. The absence of certain materials, such as that of a green screen and unlimited locations or actors, meant I had to refine the magnitude of my creations to make them plausible to make.
In conclusion, technological skills contribute greatly to the extent and variation in creative ideas, as they broaden your mind to the possibilities. However skills themselves do not instantly make you a creative person, but can be applied to allow creative vision. The gathering of knowledge, such as within the research and planning, analysis other products, equip you with a base of conventions that channel creative thoughts. And the presence of a creative mind encourages exploration and gained ability in the complex elements of digital technology.
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