Evaluation of Final Project

  I felt that my presentation went well as I managed to get all my points across. I wasn’t nervous as I enjoy public speaking, mainly because I talk a lot anyway! I made sure that I only put brief bullet points on my prezi because I have learnt that it is best to have the audience focus on what you are saying rather than trying to read everything on the screen.
Here's the link to my prezi: http://prezi.com/dpahyzxn8vmq/creative-media-project-qr-calendar/

I am proud of the artefact that I have produced within the set time as I feel like it is an innovative spin on a traditional concept that has been around for centuries.

I Would focus more on making it look polished as there are certain videos which don’t look very professional. I also felt that some of the Rostrum camera effects were a bit fast and unsteady so I would improve these to make them smoother.

I would also get more own footage and sounds as had to use copyright free images and sounds and feel that if I made all the media then I could get the exact effect that I wanted to. However as I am not able to create music myself, this was unable to happen. If I were to develop it, I would have a selection of premade songs, made especially for the project designed to portray a range of emotions and themes, that people could pick from. Also I would hope to be able to use existing songs so people could realte their memories with songs that they recall fondly.

I would also create a website where people could create groups with their friends in which they could all upload their own content of memories from that month to form a collaboration of memories, and then these could be put on the calendar in QR codes.

One of the major issues I had was for February’s QR. My original plan was to have a short film of someone proposing to another person but my actors dropped out last minute meaning I had to find some copyright free images of love online and create a video with them. However I feel that the end product actually turned out well and delivered the impact I wanted.

A major improvement that I would make would be to create more mini films as I felt that I did too many Rostrum Camera videos. However if this prototype was to become a real thing, users who wanted to create it would most likely just have photos to work with and not films. To combat this problem I would create template films such as triptychs of the seasons that users would be able to freely include in their calendars to make it a more polished piece.

I would also make the calendar itself look more polished and professional, and it would be printed on glossy paper and spiral bound.

If I were to develop it further I would use more QRs, including video messages to the user of the calendar to give it a more personal touch, making it a priceless keepsake.

I would also create a QR reader App that would be linked to this calendar and would be specially created so that the media in the QR codes would play smoothly and to the highest standard within the app.

I was really proud of myself for not leaving it all to the last minute like I have done in the past. I ensured that I created a detailed schedule at the start of the project and looking back on it, I can say that I largely stuck to it! I did everything in steps so that I could stay organised and ticked things off a list after I had done them. It definitely taught me a productive way I can work in the future and proved to me that planning is vital in large production projects – I’m just happy that I’ve learnt this lesson now!

On a personal note I found the entire process of development and production highly beneficial for my confidence in creating my own media. I was glad to work on my own as it meant I could do it all myself on not rely on anyone else to do all the work. My skills in Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere Pro have improved greatly and I look forward to learning even more in the future! Using the skills I learnt here, I managed to gain an editing job for a housing company in which I had to edit various clips together to create a montage.

I would definitely choose to do QR codes again as I really enjoyed exploring how they can be used to create a traditional idea more innovative.

Development & Production of Idea

Before sourcing any media and creating my own content, I created a list of what theme each month was and what I would need to do. I felt that planning was a key part of this project so I could stay organised throughout and not get stressed.

I mostly used all of my own media such as photos and videos. February found images online that are all copyright free. And all music is from online.
For each month I came up with a theme or occasion that happened and then went about trying to create a way in which I could present that memory using media.
For a lot of the months I recreated moments that had happened, and took photos so that I could use the Rostrum Camera Effect and make short films and put them on Youtube.
I felt this was a better idea than making films because it allowed the user to interact with still images and allowed them to take a closer look at snapshots in time, plus giving them a chance to reflect on their own memories of that occasion
For November I created a soundscape of fireworks as I felt by creating a story with these sounds, the user could imagine themselves watching a display, and therefore making them feel more involved with the project.
I also included links to websites that would be useful for that month, like a school supplies company in September.
To get the most out of the possibilities QR codes present, I included events, social media links and Google maps so that my project would be more varied.