Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Evaluation



A2 Media Studies reflective analysis

Question one: In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

When I was given the brief to ‘I need to create a promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video…’ my initial idea was not to follow convention and make sure that the music video, along with the ancillary texts, was alternative and different from the mainstream genre which I wanted to avoid.

My music video was adapted from brainstorming many possibilities and alternate routes I could take, I knew that just because I knew I didn’t want to follow the mainstream genre that this did not mean that my possibilities were restricted. I came to the main conclusion that my most preferable outcome would be to produce a video which was similar to an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme, with abstract settings, a female protagonist and things not being all that they seem at first glance. After finding a song which seemed suitable for the alternative and abstract video I had in mind ‘Moonlight Sonata Remix’ produced on the video sharing website ‘Youtube.com’ by an artist called ‘Solarfist’. This is a remix of a classic orchestral piece composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven, ‘Moonlight Sonata’, and has given the piece an abstract tone with the use of a drum beat and altering the pitch and altogether sound of the song.


The video was now starting to piece together, through the use of the song coupled with the imagery of an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and abstract theme, and I knew that the style of music video I was searching for was a post-modern approach with no lyrics, and through that no lip-syncing, and now that I knew what I wanted to do I began to research some similar styled music videos. I began to research videos such as ‘The Smiths’ music video for their song ‘Panic’, an ex-students, Euan Baker, music video for the song ‘Friend (Lover)’ by ‘Evenings’, and also ‘You Wish You Were Red’ by ‘Trailer Trash Tracys’. These videos were used to gain audience feedback on the genre of music videos so I knew how my own project would be received and how I should approach it. These also gave me inspiration for my video and I used them to influence my use of lighting and colour tones.













This is a screenshot from Euan Baker’s music video (LEFT) to show how he gave my music video (RIGHT) inspiration through the use of black and white, which defies conventional music videos us of colour, and also the use of the lone single protagonist. Also, the narrative is shown to be simple, the use of walking through an unusual forest like terrain.


My music video highlights post-modern features through its use challenging conventional music video techniques, such as the lack of performer interacting with the music, the lack of information given to the audience, which is aided with the lack of lyrics in the song, and the use of black and white contrasted with a high saturation of colours as the narrative progresses. The use of intertexuality is also used within my music video as it is also a convention of post-modernity. the use of black and white illustrates not only a disengagement with conventional music video techniques but also it relates to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ film (1939, directed by Victor Fleming) as when Dorothy is in her home town Kansas the film is shown to be in sepia tones (relates to the lack of colour/ such as my video with the use of black and white), but then when she enters the land of ‘Oz’ the colour seems unnaturally bright and highly saturated, just as my music video does as soon as the character enters the forest. This use of intertexuality is also shown through the narrative type as the female protagonist could be seen as similar to the protagonist of the classic ‘Alice in Wonderland’ novel, Alice. These two very similar and famous pieces of fiction both show abstract and alternative narratives and they are what I was aiming on showing with my music video to portray intertexuality and also the disengagement with conventional music videos.



This is a screenshot from the 1959 Disney adaptation of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (LEFT) and a screenshot of my music video (RIGHT) at the point where both female characters crawl through a passage to get into an abstract forest full of wonders, showing how the two relate and how my music video uses post-modern techniques to follow the abstract or alternative genre.

My media product, a promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video rejects the conventional forms of the real media products as the music video has an abstract use of colour and an unusual narrative which does not reveal much until the latter third of the music video and also uses post-modern techniques such as intertexuality to allow the spectator to relate my music video other pieces of media such as the movie adaptations of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (as well as the novel itself) and also ‘The Wizard of Oz’ as both of these texts, as well as my music video, feature a main female protagonist who leaves one world which seems mundane and ordinary and then enters an extremely surreal and abstract world full of unusual colours and evil antagonists, also female.

Question two: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?


My media text; the music video, and the ancillary texts; the magazine advertisement for the album and the CD Digipak, are all effective in achieving their purpose, which is to create a media product that would appeal to a niche audience who favour alternative music rather than mainstream pop. Separately they achieve this aim but the combination of all three together works even better to produce a realistic piece of work which can cater to the needs of a niche audience, whilst simultaneously fitting together convincingly. The purpose of catering to a niche audience is that this audience would favour the sound and the feel of the music rather than what is popular in the charts for a short time, by doing this I can make the album seem more successful as it wouldn’t just be a ‘flavour of the month’ and only sell for a short while before an audience loses interest. The addition of a vinyl gatefold in the same style as the Cd Digipak (with the loss of the DVD and the addition of the album advertisement in a poster format) was designed to create a more unique consumer experience, by giving the consumer an option to purchase a vinyl version of the album it allows ‘Die-hard fans’ to feel more connected to the artist and have a more unique version of an album they love compared to other fans who have only purchased the CD Digipak. I have included a PowerPoint presentation I have made on my Blogger which includes information of the rise of Vinyl and how although it disappeared strongly off of the music scene for a short time it is being re-vamped by more independent and alternative artists as a way of separating themselves from mainstream artists who are more concerned with download figures and statistics rather than distributing their music and artwork simultaneously.

The main product of this project was the Music video; this in itself is extremely abstract as and caters strongly to a niche audience. The use of the strong contrast of black and white and high saturation throughout the video is not commonly used in conventional music videos. This coupled with the narrative of the music video creates an abstract video as well as using many other stylistic methods which have already been explained in question 1. The music video works well with the two ancillary texts as it relates using the artistic theme through all three texts as well as avoiding mainstream music conventions and catering strongly towards a niche audience instead.

The first ancillary text, the CD Digipak, was designed to hold a CD for the album and a DVD that included the music video on it, I originally designed my art work to be put onto a vinyl LP but because it would have been hard to fit a DVD package on an LP without it looking sloppy I decided to create a CD Digipak and use the same artwork as the vinyl gatefold I was designing and just save that for an added feature. The two images where taken by me of a female model (to relate to the female model in the music video), although it is a little hard to tell seeing as it just her lower legs, standing in one photograph wearing a posh dress and muddy walking shoes which is juxtaposed against the second image of worn down jogging bottoms with posh high heels. These two images are used to signify the coalition of the old style of classical orchestral music, which is now stereotyped as being associated with a posh/ higher class society, and the more urban remixed style of music, commonly stereotyped as being associated with a lower class and poorer part of society. The main two images used on the front and back cover of the CD Digipak was edited to be put into black and white, I did this to signify the on-going theme of back to basics and Originality as by stripping away all the colour, which would be found in a conventional mainstream CD Digipak, and only leaving the foundations of the image (which signifies the music) all that is left is pure talent and music. These images are inverted and used on the interior of the CD Digipak because I wanted to use these as a metaphor that even when inverted there is still practically the same image, as a reminder to the fans that even when the image/ music is altered in an abstract way (as the music was originally classic pieces of orchestral music that has been remixed) it is still the same, in the sense that it is still good. The image that has been used twice, reversed the second time, for the backgrounds of the CD and DVD holders was designed to create an abstract yet artistic feel to the CD Digipak which the images also tried to portray.

The other ancillary text, the imaginary album advertisement, designed to be featured in a music magazine, goes against the usual convention of music album advertisements as; firstly it is a double page image which is rare and very alternative compared to the mainstream single page advertisements, secondly the advertisement has little information on the page and only includes the artists name (SteamPunk) and the album name (Originality), this goes against convention as usually an album advertisement would include information such as release date and star ratings or comments from music critics or magazines, I chose to ignore these conventions as this advertisement was designed to tease an audience who would already know of SteamPunk and excite them to find out more information of the album elsewhere, and also to intrigue potential consumers who might not of heard of the artist and want to find out more. The enigmatic theme of the advertisement is one of the most valuable assets to the artist and independent record label as it would not have enough money to create advertisements on billboards or other places which might be very expensive to create and produce, whilst paying for two pages in a magazine may be expensive it would be worth paying for it if it meant that the advertisement would attract attention and audiences without having to pay more for other mediums of the media to advertise it.



Question three: What have you learned from your audience feedback?


The audience feedback I originally received was from three separate individuals with different psychographic and demographic  qualities, they all watched the same three videos of other alternative music videos and told me how they felt about them and why the either liked or disliked them, as well as what they liked and disliked. The verdict of these responses is that they all liked the artistic qualities held by the videos and the favourite out of the three was a student-made abstract video which inspired my work this year, each response stated that they liked the use of editing and black and white in the video and thought that although it lacked a strong and obvious narrative it was still a great piece of work. This unanimous response is what inspired me to take a leap in the direction of the music video I have finally created, it uses themes from all three music videos such as; the use of black and white, the use of high saturated colour, non-lip synced performance, abstract music video, and alternative music. After I followed these responses and made my music video, with the alternative genre in mind, I then conducted a similar survey – by asking a class full of people and then asking five of them for their response, through a questionnaire – this allowed me to know if I have completed what I set out, in creating an alternative music video aimed at a niche audience. The response I got confirmed what I set out to do and some of the responses brought some un-expected results; out of the five people asked if they liked the music video, four of which confirmed that they did, one person did not. The one person who did not enjoy the music video confirmed that she is a fan of mainstream rock music, whose preferred music video format is narrative. My video has narrative elements but is mainly alternative and abstract; this response was not a negative as it confirmed that my music video is not for a mainstream audience but instead a niche one. The surprising results from the survey is that – aside from the one person who did not like it – three out of the remaining four members of the audience also aligned themselves with a mainstream audience, showing how because of factors like the elements of narrative, the video reached out to a wider audience. None of the members of the audience asked to fill in the questionnaire declared that their favourite genre of music was alternative – although one answered with indie – or even classical or orchestral music, but four of them still admitted to liking my music video, this shows how it branches out to a wider audience outside of the genre and music video style.
Overall I have learnt that the music video I have created got an 80% positive response rating among an audience of 5, with varied musical tastes and styles. I have achieved what I set out to do, by appealing to a niche audience rather than mainstream, but I have also attracted some members of the mainstream audience to the video, achieving more than what I set out to accomplish, as this would not diminish the overall style or sales of the music video but gain more followers to the artist and the genre.

Question four: How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

New media technology has been absolutely essential in creating my media product, access to the internet was essential to researching media products similar to mine and finding the song which I finally used for the music video. The use of the program ‘Audacity’ allowed me to record the chosen song off of the video sharing website ‘Youtube.com’, with the owner’s permission, was essential in allowing me to have my own copy of the song which would later be uploaded onto ‘adobe premiere pro’ and then used to piece together with the video. ‘Youtube.com’ became the most essential part of the construction of this process as it allowed me to watch the videos which I have used as inspiration and then most importantly upload my raw footage and finished product of my music video which I then uploaded on to ‘Blogger’. ‘Blogger’ was an extremely useful website which allowed me to keep a recorded log of all my ideas and progress, this not only allowed me to review my work but also teachers who could view this at their own discretion and give me constructive feedback and track my progress. The combination of photo editing software such as ‘adobe Photoshop’ and video editing software such as ‘adobe premiere pro’ were used not only to piece together my raw footage into a linear chronology but also to enhance its colour and contrast. The use of ‘adobe Photoshop’ allowed me to create images which were used in the music video, the flashing negatives shown in sections of the music video.





This is an example of how media technology was used in my music video as ‘Photoshop’ was used to create this sequence of events. The image furthest left was the original image which then was turned black and white (MIDDLE) and then negative (RIGHT) and was shown for a bit less than a second each in the music video to give an abstract flashing effect.

‘Abobe Premiere Pro’ was used when I began to upload my raw footage and then to edit it. As I used a HD camera, vital in capturing good quality footage, that captured the footage onto tape, this was then uploaded onto a computer via ‘Adobe Premiere Pro’ and then the editing progress began. The first thing that I needed to do was to order the footage taken on the camera into the proper chronology, as some shots were recorded before others that may have come before them on the storyboard. After the shots were put into the correct chronology I then began to cut down the clips to a proper length so that the music video flowed smoothly from one shot to the next creating a realistic narrative without errors in continuity or unnecessarily long shots. After this I began to create the effects which make the video abstract, such as the reverse effect put on the shot were the leaves seem to appear to fly from the ground into the character’s hands(1) and, most importantly, the colour changes from black and white to highly saturated throughout the sequence.

Directory
1.   

























  

Friday, 29 March 2013

Audience Feedback

After showing my music video to a class of at least ten I then handed out an audience feedback form to five members of that audience. I scanned their answers and typed up what they said, just in case their hand writing was difficult to read once scanned.



Audience Feedback Information
Name:
Andrew Goodhand
Demographic Information:
Age:
18
Sex:
Male
Location:
Hull
Psychographic Information:
Favourite genre of music:
Rock
Favourite style of music video (Narrative/ alternative):
Alternative
What music audience would you associate yourself with (mainstream/ Niche):
Niche
Feedback
What genre of music would you associate with this music video?
                                                                                                                                               
How did you feel about the story-line of the music video, was it clear?
It was easy to follow and cleverly done.
Who do you think would be interested in this music video?
Anyone interested in slower calmer music
Did you like the music video?
Yes                         No

Audience Feedback Information
Name:
Lauren Murphey
Demographic Information:
Age:
17
Sex:
Female
Location:
Hull
Psychographic Information:
Favourite genre of music:
Pop
Favourite style of music video (Narrative/ alternative):
Narrative
What music audience would you associate yourself with (mainstream/ Niche):
Mainstream
Feedback
What genre of music would you associate with this music video?
Indie / alterntaive
How did you feel about the story-line of the music video, was it clear?
Yes narrative fit in well with the music genre + slow editing.
Who do you think would be interested in this music video?
Niche audience
Did you like the music video?
Yes                         No


Audience Feedback Information
Name:
Becky Foster
Demographic Information:
Age:
18
Sex:
Female
Location:
Hull
Psychographic Information:
Favourite genre of music:
Rock
Favourite style of music video (Narrative/ alternative):
Narrative
What music audience would you associate yourself with (mainstream/ Niche):
Mainstream
Feedback
What genre of music would you associate with this music video?
Classical pop
How did you feel about the story-line of the music video, was it clear?
Not really, wasn’t much narrative
Who do you think would be interested in this music video?
Probably a Niche audience
Did you like the music video?
Yes                         No

Audience Feedback Information
Name:
Charlotte Hemsworth
Demographic Information:
Age:
17
Sex:
Female
Location:
Hull
Psychographic Information:
Favourite genre of music:
Indie
Favourite style of music video (Narrative/ alternative):
A bit of both but more alternative
What music audience would you associate yourself with (mainstream/ Niche):
Mainstream
Feedback
What genre of music would you associate with this music video?
Indie (maybe?)
How did you feel about the story-line of the music video, was it clear?
Was clear and found it very interesting.
Who do you think would be interested in this music video?
probably people interested in the indie genre
Did you like the music video?
Yes                         No



Audience Feedback Information
Name:
Kiera Pollard
Demographic Information:
Age:
18
Sex:
Female
Location:
Hull
Psychographic Information:
Favourite genre of music:
Country / pop
Favourite style of music video (Narrative/ alternative):
Narrative
What music audience would you associate yourself with (mainstream/ Niche):
Mainstream
Feedback
What genre of music would you associate with this music video?
Indie / alternative
How did you feel about the story-line of the music video, was it clear?
It appeared to have quite a sad theme running through.
Who do you think would be interested in this music video?
probably people who are more into this genre
Did you like the music video?
Yes                         No




Thursday, 28 March 2013

Finals

My final main product (Music Video) -



My final first ancillary text (CD Digipak) -

My final second ancillary text (Magazine album advertisement) - 


fourth and final draft

This is the fourth and final draft of my CD Digipak for my ancillary text. The main difference between this and the last draft is the added record label logo at the top right of the back of the CD cover, and also the information usually found on the back of a CD Digipak such as; the formats, the record label, and the band websites so that the consumer can find more information about the artist as well as knowing the correct format which the CD Digipak can be played. This is the final draft so far until I find something needs to be changed, how I got up to this point can be found in the posts below.


Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Ancillary Text - CD Digipak

This is the first draft for my CD Digipak, the two spaces where the CD and the DVD which will feature my music video will be included into the two white spaces and will have a black background on the Left side and a plain white background on the right. The song list, including 10 songs which have been remixed to fit in with the one I have already done, will feature on the back cover and is yet to be done.

This is the second draft for my CD Digipak, this is more of a progression from the last draft than a new draft. This updated version includes text and the names of the song titles I want to include on my finished product. the text itself will change, concerning the font, size, colour and style. Also, the two spaces where the CD and DVD will be placed will not be left blank, soon it will have a black backdrop with spashes of bright white cast onto it to give it an artistic and graffiti style. The photographs |I have taken are used to illustrate the style of the music and appeal to the target audience, the reason I have chosen to get a formal looking dress with muddy walking boots is to show the coming together of two completely different styles which symbolises the music, as the music brings together the old style of music (orchestral etc) and remixes it to bring it into modern urban culture. this is then repeated through the second photograph, with joggers and high heels, and againb in the inverted photographs which symbolise that even when inverted (turned into it's opposite) the photograph still remains the same or at least still has an artistic quality. I also, need to design the colour and writing of the spine as well as the placement of the album name 'Obsession'.



This is the third draft for the CD Digipak which, again, is more of a progression from the last draft than a new one. The photographs have remained the same but I have made some big differences between the other drafts and the new one, for example the font on the text has changed dramatically making it easier to read and more appealing. Also, I have made a background for the CD and DVD holders of a pure black backdrop with wisps of white across it. To achieve this image I copied and image of ink in water from Google images and then edited it in Photoshop to create an inverted and pure black and white image. I have also created a simple black spine with the album name written in white letters 'Originality' to emphasize the point that the album does not need to use bright colours or massive letters to get itself know, originality and simplicity is best.


Close up of DVD/ CD background image



Close up of song list


Spine image













Ancillary text photographs

Here are the photographs I am going to use for my ancillary text and then underneath them are the photographs after they are going to be edited and are ready for the Digipak. I have also included two inverted photographs underneath the black and white edits so I have an option to include a slightly more alternative style, if there is room on the digipak.



 This is the photograph that will be used for the front cover of the digipak, once edited.


 This is the photograph that will be used for the back (reverse) of the digipak, once edited.

 This is the photograph that will be used for the front cover of the digipak, edited.

This is the photograph that will be used for the back (reverse) of the digipak, edited.


This is the photograph that is taken from the front cover of the digipak, inverted so that it can be put somewhere else on the digipak to give an alternative style.

 This is the photograph that that is taken from the back (reverse) of the digipak, inverted so that it can be put somewhere else on the digipak to give an alternative style.