My Reflection.

REFLECTION

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?

My product used many conventions similar to other music videos in the R&B genre. I wanted to stick to what was commonly used in this genre so I continued with conventions like, ambient sounds, settings, and the use of props. My product had a variety of cams such as low angles, two shots, and wide shots to convey emotion similar to others in R&B. I also chose to incorporate close-ups to emphasize certain moments and subtle visual effects such as filters and transitions to create the desired look. All of this was done to stay true to what a true R&B music video would look like and what it would convey to its viewers. I wanted to make sure that everything worked together to create an immersive experience for the person watching, the same way I feel when watching an R&B music video. My product represents friendship and memories and how they are treasured. There are no social issues as this music video was created for a fun, loving experience. It was important to me that viewers were able to connect emotionally with the story and characters. I wanted to create something that would evoke nostalgia and evoke a feeling of warmth and joy so, I made the viewers travel through four girls' memories of each other and show how strong their bond is. 

2. How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text? 

As soon as the video starts, my product engages an audience and catches their attention. The start of a book lying around makes people curious to know what it is inside, leading an audience to be intrigued. I believe that this introduction makes my product engaging for many to watch. The storytelling throughout the whole video on friendship and memories also adds to the engagement factor. It conveys a deeper message and helps people connect with the product making it more memorable. When people watch my music video, they can reflect on their own friendships and favorite memories with others, which I believe is a fun experience. My product has a clear message that the audience can connect with, as everyone has memories that excite them and they wish they could go back to. I believe that my product will resonate with many people and help create a stronger emotional connection that will help make watching my video more exciting and help the product stand out from other similar products. Not only that, but the visuals in my music video help to portray this message, hooking the audience. If my music video would be distributed as a real media text, it would be posted on YouTube. This would help to reach a larger audience and potentially go viral. My music video is captivating and engaging, making it appealing to a wide range of viewers. 

3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project? 

I was able to develop my production skills in various ways throughout this project. One of the ways would be in brainstorming. This project not only showed me how to work with others but also showed me how to think outside the box. In the beginning, I was only thinking about what I wanted, not what the audience would gain from watching my videos. After this project, I learned that I also have to take my viewers into account and not just myself, especially if it's a product that's public for everyone. Besides this, I learned how to tackle challenges during the process of this project. I learned how to expect the unexpected and work around it, like how I did when the mall had construction and my group and I were unable to film. This exact moment helped me learn how to not be discouraged and find a way around challenges. However, my actual editing and filming skills have improved during this project. I learned a variety of different shots and angles, which I can now use to create more interesting visuals. This improved the overall quality of my filming ability and I also gained a better understanding of how to use camera equipment and how to edit videos. I am now more confident in my abilities and can use these skills to create better videos in the future. I’ve gained a better understanding of the importance of storytelling and this project has been an unforgettable learning experience.

4. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project? 

I used plenty of technologies during this project. For filming, my group used an iPhone 13. The reason why I preferred the iPhone over my Canon camera was because of the difficulties of transferring the shots from the camera to my laptop. While it was a struggle to even get the footage, it was even worse to get good quality. After I transferred the footage from my camera, the quality had reduced terribly. This is why my group and I decided to film on the iPhone 13 because it was more efficient for transferring and kept the good quality. For editing, the software I used was Capcut. It was quick and easy compared to other softwares as most of them confused me. It didn’t take me hours to understand how to use the Capcut software and start editing my music video. I was able to complete my project on time and with the best quality. I was impressed with how well Capcut had worked for me as it was so user-friendly compared to I-Movie and Videostar. Capcut was the easiest to understand and edit on. For my blogs, Blogger was the most efficient for me and my group. It wasn’t confusing at all and I was able to get right in action! I had no difficulties posting blogs or designing my blog itself. Overall, all these technologies helped shape my product in the best way possible and I definitely will continue to use them all.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s3xI2y-oIexSEljRcQa4ZlOf5o6v1KI4-fOMa95nEDw/edit