Evaluation Q4

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

All the way from the beginning of this project, from the planning and researching to producing my music video and ancillary tasks, I have used a large variety of media technologies to complete my work. The first thing I did in regards to the coursework was to create a blog to display and showcase my work using blogger.com. I have used blogger previously in my AS coursework so am familiar with the way that it works. In my opinion blogger is a brilliant technological resource to display my coursework because you can show so many different types of media in one place.

Before I could begin to produce my music video, my digipak or my magazine advert, I had to research into the range of equipment and software’s that were available to me alongside looking at similar products to those that I would be creating. I used the internet for a lot of this research, and particularly websites such as Wikipedia.org for finding information, YouTube was a very useful one to use as well, not just for researching current music videos, but also for watching tutorials on how to use adobe premiere, which is the software that I used to create my final product, and as I had limited experience using it, the tutorials were very helpful and informative. I used the online presentation software Prezi a few times during my research and planning, it allowed me to present the information that I had found in more of an interactive, fun and interesting way that just text based posts.

The construction phase of my products was where I feel that I was most reliant on technology.  I used a Canon DSLR to film my entire music video. I used multiple cameras in order to get lots of different shots without having to film for hours and hours. Once I had shot my music video, I used a card reader to export the clips onto my home drive, where I could then import them to premier. The editing software that I used to edit my music video was Adobe Premier and this allowed me to cut down each clip to the length that I needed. I could also add effects and transitions to the shots such as fades which I used at the end of my video to fade to black.

My digipak and magazine advert were both created using Adobe Photoshop CS5. I changed the brightness and contrast of my images to make them look more interesting and a nicer colour, as well as this I used the effects such as drop shadow and emboss to make the text on the magazine advert and digipak stand out more to the audience.

I feel that I have developed most in my use of the video editing software Adobe premiere. I used the CS3 version to create my drafts, but went on to use the CS6 version to create my final video, this was very helpful because the footage that I filmed was of such a high quality, that the older version of premiere struggled with it and often had errors and closed, where as CS6 didn’t cause me any problems meaning my video was a lot easier to edit.

Evaluation Q3

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

I feel that it is essential to collect audience feedback. As I proceeded through the construction phases of my work, I was keen to turn to members of my target audience for constructive points on what I was doing successfully and what I could be improving on. Additionally, I found the process of gathering audience feedback to be very helpful as I was able to learn exactly what my audience wanted from the products that I was creating.

Initially I had a small questionnaire with my target audience, and found out what they liked about music videos, what they thought should be included in music videos, why they identify with them, and whether they were of the onion that music videos should be more heavily performance weighted or narrative weighted.

Throughout the construction phases of all of my products, I constantly asked for verbal feedback, and my peers opinions on my work to see what they thought as well as to give me additional ideas as well as objective criticisms to allow me to improve my work and make it better.

When I completed my final draft of my music video, I uploaded it o YouTube then posted the link to it on facebook, and asked all of my facebook friends to watch the video then provide me with some feedback by sending me inbox messages on facebook. This was so important and useful to me because it allowed me to get a large amount of people to watch my video, and I received some interesting feedback as well as helpful feedback about hat it improve or change in my final final draft.

Overall I think that I have learnt a lot from my audience feedback. I believe that audience feedback is essential in the production and construction of any media texts; this is because all products have a target audience, and you have to make sure that you are giving the audience what they want out of a product.

Evaluation Q2.

Here is the text for my second evaluation question, I will be uploading the multimedia version of this evaluation shortly.

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

Role and purpose of music video

Music videos represent a very important part of the music industry. Many artists owe their careers to their music videos. Music videos have become a venue where music artist is given a chance to impress the public not just with their vocal talent but also with their looks, costumes and dance routines. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings.

Role and purpose of Digipak

Digipak’s typically consist of a gatefold (book-style) paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside. Digipak-style packaging is often used for CD singles or special editions of CD albums. The Digipak helps to maintain the artist’s image as well as being a professional piece including important information such as track list, record labels etc. Digipak's are also useful for fans of bands/artists who want something important or memorable linking to the band, rather than just downloading the songs off iTunes or the internet. 

Role and Purpose of Magazine Advert

The role of advertising in magazines and other print media is to appeal to and attract a wider audience and therefore promote the bands/artists album further increasing the sales and popularity of it, enabling them to have greater success in the music industry.

When identifying the roles and purposes of my video, I wanted my video to assist in the audience’s ability to escape their own lives and become a part of my artists. I did this by creating the narrative in my video of the break up between the male and female characters, I believe that the visuals in my video show this but audiences have to watch the video more than once to understand what is happening between the two characters.

With regards to the ancillary texts, which are my CD digipak and my magazine advert, I decided that they both had to have a common theme between them, which were the images I used for them of sandcastles, a direct metaphor of the title of the album ‘every kingdom’ This again is in a way ‘a hidden message’ That the audience would have to think about and really consider in order to understand the significance of the sand castles.

I think that the role of my main product and ancillary texts is very effective, my music video promotes the song showcasing  artists voice whilst also drawing attention and interest both from current fans and new audiences who will become fans, this is because of the interesting narrative element of the vide as well as the performance as well. My digipak is very personal to the artist including a letter to the fans thanking them for their continued support, therefore attracting fans to purchase it as they feel as if the artist is speaking directly to them. The magazine advert is effective as it showcases Ben Howard and introduces his debut album and lets fans know when and where they can buy it.

Evaluation Q1

Here is the text for my first evaluation, I will be uploading th multemedia version of it shortly.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Camerawork

In music videos, the ways in which the camera is used and how different images are sequenced pay a significant part in the way that the videos message comes across to an audience. Camera movement may accompany the movement of performers, such was walking and dancing. A more dynamic feel to stage performance may be created with camera movement, for example: constantly circling a band as they perform on stage.

 In relation to camera work in my advanced portfolio music video, I feel that I used some imaginative and interesting shots to highlight different aspects of the video, for example in the shots of the male actor in the video, I showed the performance aspect of the video by panning up from his feet tapping on the stage floor to showing him playing the guitar.  Close ups often dominate music videos because of the size of the screen and the desire to create a sense of intimacy for the viewer. I think that I have used close up shots effectively in my music video, particularly with the footage of my female actress getting ready for a photo shoot, because you gain a real sense of intimacy with the character in the narrative when you see her putting on her make up and see close ups of her mouth, eyes, hands etc.

Editing

Fast cut montage is the most common form of editing associated with music videos? Making many of the images impossible to grasp on the first initial viewing of the video, thus ensuring multiple viewings.

 The music video that I have created somewhat subverts the typical fast cut montage that is common editing in most videos, this it for two reasons, the first being that the video is more strongly narrative based than performance base and I thought that it was essential to the audiences understanding of the narrative for the shots to last slightly longer than normal. As well as the narrative, the song Promise by Ben Howard is very slow paced, therefore, a fast pace montage would not be appropriate to accompany it.         

Voyeurism

Voyeurism refers to the idea of looking in order to gain sexual pleasure. In music videos, the female on display has been a staple element of the male viewer's gaze. A combination of camerawork and editing with fragmented body shots emphasizing a sexualised treatment of the star will often be used.

 My video definitely does have a somewhat voyeuristic nature to it, as an audience we get to see the female getting ready and applying her makeup, something that would usually be a private act done alone. During this we also see close ups of her lips, eyes, neck and chest area.

Intertextuality

If music videos are frequently drawing upon existing texts in order to spark recognition in the audience, although not all audience will necessarily spot the reference, a greater pleasure will be derived from those who know the reference, and feel somehow flattered by this.

My video definitely features intertextual references that some viewers may be able to pick up. I took inspiration for the idea of my video from Annie Lennox’s video ‘Why’ where she gets ready and does her make up in the mirror. And have recreated that in my own video.

FINAL VIDEO

Final Video from Jessica Cox on Vimeo.

Magazine Advert

Final Digipak