Evaluation-How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?(YouTube, Photoshop, Premiere Elements)

Throughout the majority of our project we used many different media technologies, but mostly during the research, planning and evaluation. We used different types of software for different stages of the roject, as they had specific functions that we needed to use

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.

One of the main media technologies that we used was Adobe Premire elements, we used this when it came to creating our music video. The software allowed us to cut, trim, add effects, edit and apply audio to the clips we had filmed while being able to carry out a lot more functions. When we first started using the program we didtn really know what we were doing and how to use the functions that the softwarre provided. We didnt really encounter any real problems when editing our music video, apart from video clips not downlaoding properly or being ispalced within the school network.

We also used Adobe Photoshop, we used this to create our tour poster and CD cover. Most of the functions it contained were pretty much self explanitory , and we experimented with each one to see which had the best outcome, before decidng on what we'd have on our final product. We did not use every single function available as we wanted to keep all the ancillary texts simple and not clutter them with every function the software has. One of the main editing tools we used was lighting effects. This was to help focus the audiences attention on certain things on the CD cover, both front and back, and the tour poster.

The final piece of media technology that we used was the video camera we used for filming, a Panasonic SDR S26. The camera that we used was of decent quality, and recorded with sufficient quality. However the tripods that we used worked well for the stationary shots as it made them very still and made them look professional. But when it came to panning, zomming etc. the shots became a little jerky and lost some of the quality.

Evaluation - What have you learned from your audience feedback?

To get feedback on our video we did two screenings for a focus group, which would watch our video and then answer a questionnaire that we created prior to this. We got responses for 5 males and five females between the ages of 13 – 57, but most of them being in our key demographic age group of 13 – 20. The first questions were just general questions asking what their name was and how old they were.
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.

We asked the question ‘What age group and gender do you think the video is suitable for?’ to see whether the video we created did fall into the age group we intended it too. Around 80% of the focus group put the intended target audience between the ages of 13-20, which is the age range we were aiming for. After reviewing this question we found that we had in fact created a video that would appeal to the target audience we set out at the start of the project.
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.

One of the last questions we asked was ‘What do you think could be improved?’. This was done to give us an idea on what could be done differently or the same if we were to do this project again. Improvements that were suggested ranged from ‘facial expressions and acting’ to ‘including opening titles’. But the main improvement suggested was to increase the variety of camera angles. We learnt that the overuse of camera angles can be spotted when watching the video and can have an effect on the end result.
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)?

When creating all components of our final product we had to keep the same ideas in our minds. This would help to make sure they all had the same style and them throughout. It is easy to see that all of our products are linked as they do have similar styles and themes which helps when it comes to promotion of each product.

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

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

Our media product, CD cover, uses many different forms and conventions of real media products. For example, it has a picture of the artist on the front so that the audience will be able to see who the CD and music is by. As well as this it has the name of the artist and album on the front cover so that people know who the album is by and what it is called. It also allows audiences to memorise the artists face, so that in the future they will recognise her and hopefully recognise her music establishing her as a brand. We used a close up of our artist on the CD cover as it draws the attention of the audience and makes her the main focus of the CD cover. We edited the image using photo editing software to change the colour of her eyes from black and white to blue. We changed the colour of her eyes so that it attracts the audience. We also distorted the image in the background so that the image of her stands out more and is clearer. I feel that our CD cover hasn't really developed or challenged the forms and conventions of existing media products. We felt that we should just use existing conventions as they are working well in the real world at the moment, with products that relate to ours.

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.