Task 6. What have you learnt about technologies?

We used the annotation tool as you can see in YouTube version of the Monroe film.
Regarding the technologies we used three software applications to create our opening: Final Cut Pro, SoundTrack Pro and Adobe After Effects.
Back to October 2009 and our preliminary task we started to use much more tools in Final Cut Pro with a purpose to control the sound, cut different pieces of video to match them to the whole sequence and then paste of the titles. So in comparison with our first preliminary task the work on ‘Monroe’ opening become more complex and spectacular as well. Furthermore, the SoundTrack Pro application carried on with a sound part of the film and thanks to it we managed to fix a bit our sound effects as a bell and a crowd noise to create a perception of busy film studio with a chaotic move of the filming crew members.
Finally, After Effects was a final tool to create a 50’s scene looked more like an old-fashioned to suit its time and make a contrast between filming in modern days and during Marilyn Monroe live performance.

Regarding the techniques which we used with a camera itself, there was a pan technique which was used as a narrative part in Office scene, so we told all Marilyn stories up to her death without any words of characters, just posters and photos of her as an idol of American pop-music and with a following sound background filled by her songs and very American broadcaster’ voice. We can refer this technique to classic of high-concept movie. ‘Back to the Future’ where with help of pan technique the beginning story was told for few minutes without any words.

Finally, the pan technique was used again in 1950’s scene from the shadow of an old-fashioned camera to Director’s face and providing a ‘time-travel’ from the modern days to the twentieth century immediately.

In conclusion, I can say that our group learnt much more tools and methods in terms of filming and using a pan technique in practice. In addition to this it was not just a pan but because of the fact the camera was attached to dolly, we managed to create an effect of the smooth move throughout all Monroe’s life and her career. And regarding the post production part our work required more complex and sophisticated attitude which we did, and now you can see it on YouTube.