A2 Media
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Friday, 11 March 2011
Evaluation-How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?(YouTube, Photoshop, Premiere Elements)
The first piece of media technology thatwe used was the video hosting website YouTube. We mainly used this at the start of the project when we had to research existing videos in the genre that we had chosen. This helped us gain knowledge of what was already out there, and what people liked and didnt like. When we found these videos we analysed them in detail, which can be found at the start of the blog. Here are the links to the following videos that i analysed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLJf9qJHR3E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPuaIJrhdss
We also used the internet fot he website Blogger. We used this to document all the work that we produced so that it was easy to view and it was all kept in one safe place. This was a great help as it meant we could create, edit and manage the posts that we created. Aother reason we used blogger to document our work was that we could access our work from home, instead of just using lesson time to complete it. This was a big factor as we had issues with accessing blogger inside school as the network wouldnt allow it.
Evaluation - What have you learned from your audience feedback?
The first question we asked about our video was ‘Did you understand the narrative?’. All people who were part of the focus group said that they could understand the narrative that we had created in our music video. This showed us that we had put the narrative across in both a solid and clear way. Members of the focus group said that it was very clear and easy to understand. Others said that it could be made clearer if a title of some sort was included. This let us know that, although our narrative was clear, it can be made clearer using very simple methods.
The next question asked was ‘Do you think it is effective to have a narrative as well as a performance in the video?’. We made sure that the group knew the different forms a video can take and the differences between. This ensured the group had maximum knowledge before answering this question. One member of the focus group felt that the two different forms gave the video a more professional look and made it ‘more emotional’. This gave us the understanding that the use of different forms in the video can be very effective but only if they are used appropriately.
Another question that we asked was ‘Do you think our video looks like a real life product?’. The majority of our focus group thought that it did and it had a professional finish. Conversely, some of the members of the focus group thought that ‘some amendments could be made’ and that there was a little too much ‘bouncing up and down’ on the filming. This let us know that the product we created was of an adequate standard, but also that some improvements could be made.
The final question we asked, which we felt was the most important, was ‘Did you enjoy watching the video?’ Everyone that was involved in the focus group said that they did enjoy the video we had created, and think that other people would enjoy watching it too. Even though our focus group liked our video it does not mean everyone else will enjoy it, as it may not be their favourite genre of music/video.
Evaluation - How effective is the combination of your main product (video) and ancillary texts (tour poster & CD)?
It was important to ensure a clear link is visible between the CD cover and Tour poster when viewed together. This was because the CD would be released alongside the tour so both had to have the same theme so that they could be directly related. It also creates continuity and gives both the CD cover and Tour poster a professional finish.
A main similarity between the main product and ancillary texts is the how we used the artist’s name. Each time you see it, it is written in the same font and colour. This gives each of the products a link and when combined makes sure they look like they belong together. Another reason for using the same text to link all of our products is to help our artist get more recognition. Using the same font/theme throughout all of our products will create an image in the audience’s head, and when they see it again it should help them to remember both the artist herself and her music.
Another link between our main product and ancillary texts is the use of our artist. Our artist is the lead character in the narrative form of the video, and the performance form. She has the stereotypical looks for an acoustic performer with blonde hair and has natural beauty. As well as this she is the main focus on the CD cover which gives an obvious and direct link between the two. However, our artist is not present on the tour poster but the link is still present through the use of similar fonts, themes, styles, colours etc.
To conclude, when all three of our products are viewed together, a link is clearly visible and each one of them relate to one another. This link between them helps create a professional edge and can be seen as a brand for both ‘MOR music’ and the artist
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Evaluation - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Our media product includes a tour poster for advertising which could be used in magazines, clubs, billboards and more and it uses many different forms and conventions of real media products. The tour poster shows the artists name and the name of the tour so that people know who is featured in the tour and what tour it is. The tour poster and CD cover were created to run alongside each other as they are both a first for our artist. For this reason we used the same colours, font styles etc. to show continuity throughout. As well as this the tour poster shows the different dates and locations of where the tour will be and when, which is the most common thing on a tour poster. The tour poster has a picture on it, but unlike traditional tour posters it does not show a picture of the artist. The picture is of an empty chair with a microphone, with a spotlight shining on them both from head on. This develops and challenges most common codes and conventions of real tour posters by making the audience think about the meaning of the tour poster. We did this because creates a sense of mystery, which engages the audience.
Our music video follows many codes and conventions that are set out in real media products similar to ours. Firstly, our video uses a simple story line to get the message of the song across to the audience. Our storyline is about a girl who falls in love with a boy but does not feel able to tell him, and when she starts to feel she can, she finds out that he has already found someone else. This gives our video a strong theme of love which is commonly found in real music videos of the acoustic genre. As well as a narrative, we also included a performance element in our video. This lets the audience know who the song is by and gives the artist more recognition. Another way that we made sure our artist got as much recognition as possible is by having her as the main character in the narrative part of the video as well as the performance part. This means the audience will start to recognise her and her music and will start to link the two together. This is important as she is new to the music industry and so needs as much recognition as possible to help create a wide fan base/audience. Throughout the whole of the video we used fades to go from shot to shot and slow editing so that it would fit in with the genre of music we chose, acoustic.
To conclude, I fell that our products fall within the codes and conventions set out by real life products. We aimed to keep within the common codes and conventions so that they worked well in the real world and were as successful as possible. Conversely, we did go outside these common codes and conventions on a few cases, but this helps to make our products different to those that are already out there.
Monday, 28 February 2011
Friday, 4 February 2011
Tour Poster
Monday, 31 January 2011
CD Inners
Friday, 28 January 2011
CD
The songs on the album are called:
1. Rainy Day
2. Use Somebody
3. Today is Just the Start
4. Home
5. Crying to Forget
6. Unfinished
7. Holding on
8. All I Have
9. Cold Hearted
10. Love is Free
11. Crazy Day
12. Night To Remember
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Our project so far (cont.)
Our deadline has been set as the 31st January. If we continue to work at the pace we are working at, at the moment then we should complete our music video, tour poster and CD cover all at the same time.
We still have a couple of shots left to film before our music video is complete. Also we are hoping that we will have our song recorded by the end of this week as we have now found someone who will play the guitar part of the song for us. The last thing that we have to do is take some photos for our tour poster. We have already created a template to use for it but just need to lay the picture over the top.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
CD cover ideas
These are some existing CD covers by female acoustic artists that i have found on the Internet. We can use these images to help use decide what sort of image we want on the front of our cover, and what other acoustic albums look like. After looking at these pictures we have decided that the most that we should use a close up of our artist. This will follow the common codes and conventions of the CD covers we have looked at. As well as the photo, we needed to look at where the name of the album and artist were positioned on the cover. As well as the font, size and colour of it. After looking at these album covers, we have realised that most of the font on the cover i sin white which makes it easy to see and read.
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Our project so far
As well as doing our filming and editing, we have started to collate ideas that we have had for the CD cover and tour poster. We will soon start taking these pictures and editing them when we are near to finishing our music video. If we carry on working at the rate we are we should finish all, music video, CD cover and tour poster around about the same time.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Mood Board
Monday, 15 November 2010
Shot list
Audience theory
Geographic
Demographic
Psychographic
Geographic
· Region – Our video is going to be available to watch all over the world, so our audience is based over a big region. This will benefit the video, artist and genre of music as it will promote all three over a large scale. After watching the video people may want to find out more about the artist, and may wish to look for them in the future. This could also be the same case for the genre of music because if they like it they will want to find out more about it and maybe research some other artists in the same genre
Demographic
· Age – Our video is going to be aimed towards a target audience of teenagers, more specifically people between the ages of thirteen and twenty. This is because it relates to teenagers issues that are going on in today’s society
· Ethnicity – Our video is going to be aimed towards white British teenagers but it can be viewed by anyone who wants to view it. This is because stereotypically other ethnicities don’t really listen to acoustic music
· Gender – Our video is mainly aimed towards the female gender as they can relate more to the meaning of the song, but it can be watched by males if they wish too
· Generation – Our video is going to be aimed towards the younger generation, teenagers, as they would prefer it and it relates to their lives. However, I’m sure the older generation would like to watch our video too
· Social class – Our video is going to be aimed towards people who are middle class. This is because it is more appealing to them, and does not really appeal to people who are in lower classes
Psychographic (based on inner qualities of a person)
· Personality – Our video is going to be aimed towards people who are calm and laid back. This is because this directly represents the genre of our music video, acoustic. Another personality trait that our audience may have would be romantic. The song we have chosen has got a romantic edge to and so, our audience will be able to relate and follow what is going on in the video.
Psychographic variables - Psychographic variables often relate to the aspirations of consumers
The psychographic variables that we have chosen for our video are:
· Puritans – These are people who wish to feel virtuous.
· Utopians – These are people who want the world to be a better place
We have chosen these variables as we feel that the mood of our video would appeal to people who are laid back. The artist in our video does not go out of her way to get what she wants and doesnt do anything nasty to get it.
Friday, 15 October 2010
Final song choice
Our final song choice is Use somebody - kings of leon (pixie lott cover). The picture shows the lyrics to the songs and different ideas that we had for our video. We decided that our video would be both narrative and performance based. The annotation around the edge shows different images or shots that we could use in the video to show a link between the song and the video that we will create.
Choosing our artist
- Kate Nash – Foundations
- Katy Perry – Thinking of you
- The script – Breakeven
- Kings of Leon – Use somebody (But in the style of the Pixie Lott version)
She sent us a CD back with some songs on it, but only one of the songs that we asked her to do. Also she took our advice of recording the singing and guitar separately, and we could hear her voice a lot more clearly. After a lot of listening, we came to the decision that we liked the song use somebody but felt that her voice didn’t match the song and what we wanted.
We already had someone in mind to play the singer in the video, who already had some singing experience. We then gave her the option of singing this song for us instead of miming over the other girl’s voice in the video. We thought that this would look more natural for her, as the voice of our first artist didn’t suit the actresses look. She said that would be fine, so now the actress in our video is also going to be covering the song.
As our new singer does not play a guitar, but our previous one did, we had to find someone who would play the guitar and cover this song for us. We found one quite easily and now have both a guitarist and a singer for our final video.
Change in groups
The decision that was made, I feel, was the right decision as arguments this early on in the project could cause greater difficulty the further we got into to project. If we couldn’t agree on choosing an artist’s then when it came to bigger decisions it could have caused even more friction which could have had an impact on our final video.
Monday, 4 October 2010
Music Video Analysis 2
Caspa & Mr Hudson – Love never dies
At the start of the video we see a man, Mr Hudson, standing in the middle of a park. The camera pans from left to right around him while he is looking up at the sky. It then cuts to a close up of him but still panning, it cuts to the close up when he starts singing. It then fades out to a long shot but from behind, and again it is panning. This could be used to show the he is reminiscing on old times, also the fact that he is alone could represent that it is a personal memory. Also the lyrics ‘I still hear you, I still see you, When I close my eyes, I could still feel you’ could show he is remembering one particular person he used to know, or maybe love. It then fades to a shot of a group of teenagers walking through the same park he is standing in. He could be part of this group and remembering what it was like when he was younger. The boy at the front has a bandage on so he could be thinking about a certain incident. During the next 10 seconds it fades to different shots and angles of the group to help the audience realise that it is a memory. After a short while the camera starts to look up towards the sky and another image starts to fade in. It is a close up of kids playing football. The movement towards the sky could show a difference in time, or again another memory. At this point the music starts to build up from a serene piano to more a up beat synthesiser. This could signify a change in the story line and also the progression through the song. After a few seconds the singing starts again and the first lines are ‘we must have sat upon an old bench’ and the video shows a boy sitting on a bench drink a bottle of coke. This shows a direct link between the lyrics and the video. In the next line it makes a reference to ‘football’ and it cuts to the kids playing football, again showing a direct link between the lyrics and video. After a while a boy pulls up on a push bike and all the kids stop what they are doing and run over to him. This could show that they all look up to him or that he is part of there group. He then rides off and all the kids are cheering, but then they stop and looked shocked. It cuts to a shot of the boy and the bike on the floor and all of the other kids helping him up. All of them walk of into the distance as a big group. It then cuts to a shot of a teenage boy sitting on the bench drinking out of a can. Also it shows a group of teenagers playing football. This leads us to believe that it is the same group of people just a couple of years on. It also shows the two girls who are platting each other s hair, but now one of them is pregnant. It also shows the two kids who were playing tig around the tree, but they are now kissing. It then cuts to a shot of a man on a motorbike, the same boy that was on the push bike. The same thing happens to him as it did on the push bike. This shows that no matter how old you are people will still look out for you and help whatever happens. This refers to the title of the song ‘love never dies’ as the kids did exactly the same thing now as they did when they were younger. All the way through the video it cuts between this storyline and the artists riding push bike through a village. This could represent the movement from being young to becoming a teenager but how your instincts are still the same.
Music Video Analysis 1
Video Analysis
Mumford and Sons – Little lion man
The first thing we see at the start of the video is an empty stage with two light bulbs hanging down. The two light bulbs are flickering and then become bright, at the same time as this the music kicks in. This will grab the audience’s attention and let them know that it has started. They decided to have to light bulbs flickering at the start as old lights used to do that before they turned on. This could signify that the band have just arrived and are getting ready to play. When the lights are on we see the rest of their surroundings, which looks to be like and old western building dues to the wooden flooring and old style décor. This is used to help represent the bands genre, folk rock. It then cuts to an extreme close up of Marcus, guitarist, playing the guitar. It then show extreme close ups of all the other instruments, like the cello and banjo, and also other members of the band. We then see a long shot of the entire band together on the stage when Marcus starts singing. This lets the audience know who plays what instrument. After a few seconds it cuts back to extreme close ups of the band members and the instruments that they are playing. Then the chorus starts and we go back to the long shot of the band and all of them are singing. This shows that each of the whole of the band are involved in the chorus. During the chorus the tempo slows down and the camera slowly zooms in. This has been done to show that they are building up to something, it also create a little bit of tension and suspense. The tempo then speeds up quite a bit and the camera cuts become more sudden and more frequent than they were before. This adds to the fast tempo of the music as it doesn’t allow much time for the audience to focus on what is going on. This is repeated throughout most of the song.
This video is a performance video and shows the band standing on a stage. The difference between this video and other performance videos is that there is no audience. The building that they are in has been set up ready for a performance as it has lights shining on both the floor, where the audience would be and the band. This could connote that this is just a practice for when the audience actually get. The effect of having no audience makes it personal to the viewer who is watching, as though the band is playing for them. This engages the audience more than it would if there was an audience present.
Tour Poster Analysis 3
Kasabian
The first thing that stands out on this poster is the stencil of the man in bright yellow down the right hand side of the poster. This image has been taken from one of the bands albums. It may remind the audience of some of the music that the band has created. The next thing you notice is the name of the band in a big white font on a black background which makes it stand out even more. The font that has been used is a font that is commonly used by the band on albums and other posters. This creates consistency throughout everything they create and makes them more recognisable to the audience. The name of the venue is at the top of this poster ‘lemon factory’ and is easily visible. This is so passers by can easily see where it is being held. The most important information has been made bigger and more noticeable, like the venue band and date, so that it is easily visible from a further distance. The rest of the information has been made smaller so that if someone is interested they have to go closer to the poster to see it. The designers of this poster have used ‘yellow, black and white’ as their main colours. This may be because the venue logo is this colour anyway due to the name, lemon factory. So they decided to keep the same colour scheme throughout to make it look professional and all in keeping with the same tone. The colour scheme also makes it stand out compared to other posters as they are bold sharp colours that will grab the audience’s attention.
Tour Poster Analysis 2
Jason Mraz
The first thing that I noticed on the tour poster was the artists name in big bold white letters at the top of the page. This instantly grabs your attention as it is in white letters on a black background. Also as it is so big people will be able to read it from a distance ad instantly know who the poster is for. The designers have done this so people will first notice the poster and then if they want any information they will have to go closer. The other information is in a smaller font to make the audience read it, which is the purpose of the poster. In the bottom left had corner of the poster there is a picture of the artist mid-performance. This gives the audience an insight to what the poster is for; it also lets them know that the artist plays the guitar as he is holding one in the picture. The lights that are in the background are shining on the artist to highlight that he is the main focus of the poster so it draws people’s attention towards him. Also he is the performer that will be on the tour and the light shining on him is letting the audience know that. It could also be an insight as to what the audience can expect i.e. him under the spotlight on the stage playing the guitar and singing. The colour scheme of this poster is simple and plain but still grabs attention. Having the picture/background in greyscale makes everything on top if it stands out. The blue parts on the poster contain important information about the tour and as they are the only things in colour they will grab the audience’s attention. Also having a simplistic design can reflect on the performer’s genre of music, in this case acoustic.
CD Analysis 2
This CD cover has got a very bright yellow background so that it grabs the audience’s attention and will make it stand out from other, more dull CD covers. The yellow background could also be used to make the silhouette stand out more.
The name of the artist and the name of the album are shown in the top right of the cover, they are not very noticeable. This is so the audience know who the CD is by. The reason it is quite small is that the cover itself is quite iconic so people will easily remember it.
The scene on the front cover of this CD, a tree by the sea, depicts a peaceful and tranquil scene, which can also connote the style of music that this artist produces. The simplicity of the layout can also connote what the genre of music will be like, which is acoustic.
I feel that the tree can have many different representations, but mainly for different dreams as the album is called ‘In Between Dreams’. Firstly we can see a person picking something from the tree which could suggest that he is metaphorically picking a dream off the tree form other dreams, which could either be his or everyone else’s dreams. The other thing could be that the tree itself is his dream, and it is quite big so he has got big dreams and ambitions. However the tree is on a cliff and quite close to the edge which could suggest a hint of danger towards his dreams.
Tour Poster Analysis 1
Arctic monkeys
The first thing that is noticed on this poster is the monkeys face in the middle, which relates directly to the bands name, arctic monkeys. Also the monkey being in white and blue can be connected to the bands name. White and blue can be related to ‘cold’ which again links directly to the bands name. The brown background contrasts with the monkey and writing, as they are in blue/white, which makes them stand out and makes them more noticeable to passers by. The colours that have been used are colours that are not commonly used as they are not bright bold colours which will immediately grab the audience’s attention. But the contrast between the colours is what makes it stand out and a good eye catching tour poster. The font that the artists name has been written in is quite a simple font but still very effective. It is in keeping with the style of the poster and is not an eye sore. Also it is simple enough to read from a distance so that a person automatically knows who the poster is for. The date of the tour is again easily visible so that people will be able to read easily from a distance. This tour poster is different to others that I have seen as it is like a cartoon. Being different from other tour posters will make this on stand out and more people will notice it.
CD Analysis 3
The title of the album ‘It won’t be soon before long’ has a small relation to the album cover itself. As some of the artists are floating up towards the sky which could signify that they are dying and that they are going up towards heaven. It can show that people should live their lives while they can.
The man at the front is standing directly in front of the camera and looking directly at it, where as the rest of the band are not. This connotes that he is the lead of the band and has a higher status and more power to the rest of them.
The clothes that this band are wearing are quite stylish, modern and formal. This could represent what the band themselves are like, or could represent the type of music that they play, modern indie.
The name of the artist is clearly shown at the top of the cover so that people, who don’t know the band, will be able to see who the album is by. The name of the album is at the bottom of the cover, and is also easy to read. In both the artist name and album name, the double O’s are linked together which helps create consistency through the cover.
This CD cover isn’t very brightly coloured, but the contrast of the black walls and the big white ‘M’ makes it stand out. Also the ‘M’ on the wall is the logo of the band itself so it is easy to see who the band are without having to read the title.
The cover of the album shows all the band members and what instruments they play. This can help the audience determine what sort of music this band plays if they don’t already know.
CD Analysis 1
Jimi Hendrix – The ultimate experience
The name of the album and artist are in white to make them stand out from the background. The name of the artist is done like a signature to give it a sense of personal contact with the artist. The name of the album is in a normal font which is a complete contrast to the cover and the name of the artist which could show that it isn't as important as the others as they themselves stand out on their own.
This album looks like it has been done using photo editing software to change the original picture, by altering the saturation, hue, etc., to make it more colourful and to make it stand out a lot more. Also it represents the genre of music more than the original picture would have.
The name of this album, The Ultimate Experience, has been used as it is a compilation of all of the artist best songs. ‘Ultimate Experience’ suggests that listeners will get the best out of this album.
This CD cover, Jimi Hendrix, is very colourful and eye catching which will make it noticeable when on a shelf. The colours are quite unusual colours, like an hallucination, which makes it different to all other albums and makes it one of a kind. Also the colours represents the genre of music he plays, blues rock/psychedelic rock.
The picture on the front of the album is of the artist, Jimi Hendrix, so that people know what he looks like and to let people know that the music on this album is by him. It is in the centre of the cover and is the main focus point of the album which grabs people’s attention the most. Also the faded background makes it stand out even more.