Finalising the Website

After the website was complete we were still not actually finished, we were then required to validate the various aspects of the website. This included firstly validating the HTML this involved uploading each of our .htm pages and checking them for different coding errors. Then we had to validate our CCS pages and check whether there were any errors through them. This was an area which was quite difficult to understand as there were various errors which showed up however did not know how to correct them. Where even in some instances if you corrected one error and then checked your .htm page other errors would occur as they stemmed from the correction you made. Lastly we needed to check the colour contrast so that we could ensure the foreground/font colours had adequate brightness and colour contrast with the background colours. 

After these stages were complete it was then time to finally submit the website to be marked. After finally handing up the website there was a big sigh of relief, i had finally completed the website and was done for the year for this course. 

Website

After the video was complete it was then time to move on to the last stages of the course which included creating a website that revolved around our promotional video. We were asked to use a program called smultron which i was quite unsure about, as it was my first time using the program. It was quite tricky in getting a sound grasping on the various codes which needed to be used to create the website with. However after a few tries i slowly started to understand where to use the various codes, how to close them off, start new paragraphs, underline and italicise words and so on. 

The website i created included information on depression about the various symptoms, causes and treatments involved. I included various direct links where people were able to go to if they were searching for help. Using adequate and informed information that will benefit those that are in a place of denial or a place where they are unable to distinguish where they are in their life. 

A picture gallery was used for viewers to be able to have a more emotional heartfelt response to the website, where the visuals will allow viewers to contain a mental image in their heads. A video was also incorporated which was the promotional video i created on depression for assignment 2.

When it came to the styling and decorating of the page making it look more appealing i found this quite difficult. As i am used to having different styles on the actual website to work with, not having to change these layouts from different codes. The colours i used was quite dull and sad, trying to portray to viewers how serious this issue is and how sad the topic is. The banner included made it easy to identify what the website was about as i incorporated large writing clearly stating it was about depression. The colours used again was dull and boring. 

Constructing the Promotional Video

After deciding what angles were best to implement in order to project the right emotions or obtain the right reactions from the viewers, it was then time to piece the pictures together and construct the video. First came importing all the images into the program, then choosing the right sequence for the photos to be placed to portray the message. The sequence which was chosen was all the positive images been placed at the start showing how good the person's life was and how everything was fine. Then it was rewound back showing a quick flash back again of all the images of the actor in their stage of happiness, followed by the images of sadness shown to display how different the actor's life was six months ago and how depression can affect a persons life. Description was used in order to engage the audience and have them reading and processing what was happening, providing them with more detail about the events occuring. A statistics page on the numbers and facts of depression was also included to further evaluate how serious this problem of depression really is and the further consequences which can arise. The description of the images and various facts being included, allow the audience to become more involved and also more passionate and emotional of what is to be conveyed. After this was completed it was then time to include some sort of music, i incorporated an upbeat and mellow sort of tone through the happy stages and then changed it to a somber tone for the period where the images portrayed the depressing stages. The different tones is what brings the audience up and down which allows them to feel those certain emotions which the images are trying to display.

After it was complete i played it back a few times to make sure the music, images and description all matched together and flowed. This allowed me to notice the few minor adjustments i needed to make in order to have all aspects flow together effectively. After these adjustments were made it was then uploaded and sent in to be marked. Although one major implication which i had only noticed a few days after i had submitted the video for marking, was that the different tones i had included, did not appear and was not existent. I was still unsure how this had occured but i am led to believe it had occured through the stages of exporting the video and changing it to the different video type for it to be viewed.

Initial stages of the Promotion Video

I begun taking photo's which i was planning on using for the upcoming assessment item which was the promotional video on depression. Before taking the photos i planned out how the video was going to be presented, the sequences and various shots that were going to be used. The shots consisted of long shots to give the audience the full benefit of being able to observe all the items involved in the picture as well as being able to portray the actor's depression by making them feel lonely in such a big space. Close up's was used in order to show the actors emotions and really portray to the audience the real emotions being displayed and felt. Low Shot's were taken to emphasize the actor as feeling large and positive which was used through the photos after the depression was over. 

I decided to use the sequence of showing the actor all happy, positive and feeling extremely enthused about life being in such a good place. Where it then cuts back to how they were six months before this very day, showing them in their darkest and most depressed moments. That can be signified by the various captions to further captive the viewers and allow them to feel slightly more engaged. 

Sound

Soundtracks that are incorporated in a video clip are vital in displaying particular emotions the audience should feel and how they should react to a particular scene. Providing still or moving images is highly important in displaying the point to be proved however sound is what captivates the audience and allows them to feel passionate about the image displayed. It allows the message to sink into the audience and makes the message more easily comprehensive. 

In order to effectively use soundtracks to incorporate throughout the video we had to familiarise ourselves with the program GarageBand. This program allowed us to import our video and then include different sounds throughout the clips in whatever sections we wanted. By learning to use this program i felt a lot more comfortable in being able to portray my message across to the audience as i was able to allow them to feel more passionate about the scene. 

The only implications i had with the program was the amount of different sounds that was accessible and knowing which ones to use and how to incorporate them into each scene. 

Learning how to effectively capture photos

Last week involved getting outside to capture a few pictures, the storyline which we were required to tell by the photos we capture was revolved around uni. The story involved a students first day at uni where they were quite lost, spending time walking around uni looking for the lecture room. When they finally reached the lecture room only to discover it was empty as they had got the wrong day.

This involved taking various photos in different places to effectively portray that idea of being lost and after having ventured all throughout the campus was still lost. Various angles was used to show the image with a different meaning, where shots that were taken from behind was in order to show the view from the students eyes. Low angles used to determine a moments when the student was feeling confident as if they were confident as to where they were going. Low angles was also used in order to capture a larger view point and show more of a corridor or room. 

Next time however i would take much more photos as when it comes to editing the more photos can be used to play around with where as not enough does not allow to experiment when it comes to editing, involving the different transitions where many can be shown within that small time period. Different angles would be used to capture various expressions facially or even physically which will convey more emotion to an audience. 

Remix Culture

Digital Remix culture is related to something created by the reference to build something new, which is highly dependent upon media literacy and sense of the community. It has contained a new sense of urgency or presence in culture through digital production and distribution. 

Remix culture does allow for new forms of expressivity and creativity where using a particular idea or starting point allows further progression of an idea. Having a staple starting point allows for room to be more productive and new ideas to be created. Personally to a certain extent we should be able to remix other peoples work within our promotional video as it is just building on their idea or re-stating their main concept. However we should only be allowed certain little snippets and not a large portion of their work to be remixed within our video, as we will be taking credit for someone else's work then.