Blog 20 - Evaluation and feedback

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages of all your products?

During the production of my media products I used various types of digital equipment and software. I conducted much of my research online learning about different music genres and recording artists. The internet provided a wealth of information in relation to music reviews, video clips, target audiences and press articles. Exploration of social networking sites including Myspace, Facebook and Youtube provided details about the fan base. Ideas are exchanged and points of view are discussed in these areas. They act as hubs for sharing music, video and digital images and many conversations can take place at the same time. It is truly a viral form of media. I learnt that the Arctic Monkeys were the first band to come to the fore online. Other useful websites I visited during the research and planning phase of my coursework included NRS offering statistical information about magazine demographics and allcovers for studying CD sleeve designs.

An important step in the assignment involved drawing up flat plans for the digipak cover and advert before scanning them into my computer so that they could be manipulated and modified using adobe photoshop. I used this software to cut and paste my images allowing them to be easily moved from file to file and shared with others for feedback purposes. I used the cut and crop tool to improve the composition by removing unwanted areas. The software allowed me to zoom in on particular areas of interest and touch up to enhance the image eliminating small blemishes (spots on faces) or imperfections. I layered text onto my advert and digipack images having a wide range of fonts and colours at my disposal. I was able to change the brightness and add special effects including animation, colour, blurring to customize my images. The software provided the facility to rotate the images too.

During filming my music video I used a variety of camera angles and movements to shoot my video before editing the footage using adobe Final Cut Pro. It was easy to upload and manipulate the digital images and music files using this software. I made use of the facility to alter the sequence of the shots, delete unwanted material, change the lighting / colours and suppress unwanted background sounds such as road traffic. The software made it possible to fuse the sound track and cinematography. The preview facility allowed the impact of my design changes to be seen immediately. I had the freedom to save work and go back to it later to look at it with fresh of eyes until I was happy with final product. In a bid to create interest I superimposed a shot of the band playing in the studio onto of the scenes involving actors.

My video is a fusion between the sound track and the cinematography. I selected, organized and focused on particular parts of my footage in order to create my version or representation of the song.

I evaluated my product on Facebook canvassing the opinions of my friends and theirs in order to gauge my success. Social networking is a very powerful media technology which is viral in nature insofar that information spreads very quickly. Often there is an instant response .The process is very creative and unfettered.

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

My video is a representation of teenage romance. It portrayed the teenagers as vulnerable and experiencing their rites of passage to adulthood seeking a partner. My video dealt with a white heterosexual relationship so the perspective was narrow. It did not consider race or religion, which are much more complicated areas. The video opened with a shot of red roses against a white background. The connation of the flowers was love. The narrative of the video contained many binary opposites which are present in real media products including; Rich/Poor, Happy/Sad, Strong/Weak, Love/Lust & Winner/Loser. The players in the video were dressed in typical teenage clothing; jeans, hoodies, t shirts & trainers which added to the realism of the narrative. Arguably the video explores the ideological power struggle between male and female. The male is physically stronger but it is the female who is the prize in this video and possess the ultimate power choosing her partner. The older male with has greater material wealth such as a car wins the day leaving the younger boy to lick his wounds. These issue are relevant to the teenage target audience struggling to make their way in society. The teenagers in my video are stereotypes lacking in depth of character. The representation nonetheless is credible incorporating some forms and conventions of real products though doesn’t challenge the norms as I felt this would have been at odds with the lyrics of the song.

What have you learnt from you audience feedback?

I obtained feedback from friends and students on my course via social networking sites. Their comments were valuable as they were teenagers forming part of the target audience for the Arctic Monkeys music. The lighting in parts of the video was too dark which was distraction. In other parts of the video a camera shake caused by strong wind on the cliff top spoiled a scene. I accept these remarks learning that it difficult to control the natural environment while filming outside, The filming process took much longer than I had originally appreciated with more material being rejected than used in the final cut. My reviewers found the video amusing and felt that the action kept pace with the lyrics of the song. This was pleasing as I worked hard on animatic and editing to achieve a good level of synchronization between cinematography ands the sound track. Cutting back to the studio was a successful technique which made the representation more interesting. This helped to personalize the experience.

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

I think my combination of my main product, (music video) and my ancillary texts (advert and digipak) were successful. I used a shot from my video as the basis of my advert and digipack thereby creating a sense of consistency. I used the same typography on the advert and digipak denoting the name of the CD/DVD and the band creating another strong link between the media texts. The typography involved the same colours and font styles incorporating the use of red in all of the texts in order to symbolize romance (or possibly anger). The inclusion of a (broken) heart and roses in opening shot of the video reinforce this connection with love. I worked hard to produce a common thread which linked the texts together. I was happy with the synchronization between the cinematography and the sound track. It was much harder than I had realized to achieve this result. The feedback from the questionnaires posted on ‘Facebook’ suggests that the target audience made the connections between the main product and ancilliary texts.

Overall Questionnaire



I filmed an interview with friends to obtain further feedback:



Youtube link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9LDUX7NEp0

Blog 19 - Finished video

Completed music video:



Youtube link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMVftN2rhQQ

Blog 18 - Creative camera use

I practiced creative camera techniques to improve the quality of my music video. I used the following equipment:

• Camera
• Tripod
• Clapperboard - Used to mark takes allowing organised editing.
• Lighting
• Cassette

Revising class handouts taught me to use different camera angles and movement to produce subtle effects:

Camera angles

• Establishing shot - sets location and welcomes the viewer
• Close up - used to express emotion
• Point of View (PoV) and Over the Shoulder (OtS) - shows what the subjects looking at furthermore it creates a connection between the viewer and the subject.
• Low angle vs. High angle - Displays power or superiority

Camera movement

• Panning and tilting - follows a character across a scene
• Zoom in / out
• Handheld - creates amateur video camera effect

Carefully measuring the right distance will compose a more balanced shot.

Advanced techniques

I then went to revise more advanced camera techniques such as depth of field (DoF) which creates focus and emphasizes important subjects.

There are two variations; wide DoF, which targets the background, and narrow DoF engages in creating a close subject as the main theme. Moving between a wide and narrow DoF will switch focus.

The procedure I will follow to adjust my DoF:

• The camera must be set to manual [P] on a XM2 camera.
• The manual/focus should be on, and this will appear on the screen.
• White Balance: this needs to be set to either natural or artificial light
• Depending on where I am filming.
• Exposure: Shutter Speed: slow right down 1/50.
• Aperture: open up as far as it can go.
• Gain: adjusted to brighten and contrast the footage.

We applied different shot types. By adjusting the distance and angle of the shot, we were able to ‘pull’ between a wide DoF and narrow DoF. Using this information we experimented using trial and error, our results are below:

Successful:



Failed:

Blog 17 - Rejected footage

I carefully reviewed my footage rejecting parts which were deemed to be unsuitable for inclusion in my music video. Outlined below are screenshots showing examples of rejected footage together with an explanation behind my decision.

• Insufficient lighting dims the shot resulting in poor quality thus making it hard to view.





• Excessive clutter in the background may distract the viewer from the main subject and focus.





• The shadows shown in this shot are too strong.






• Poor weather conditions - In this shot the sea reflects sun beams causing too much contrast.





• Some footage was rejected, despite being of adequate quality, because it failed to follow the narrative.

Blog 16 - Advert

An advert is part of the promo pak used to raise the profile of an artist / band and increase music sales. The advert needs to reflect the same style and content as the digipak in order to optimize the impact and avoid confusing the consumer. The style is defined by colour scheme, typography and mise en scene (setting, clothing, props & facial expressions). Mise en scene concerns everything put into a scene to create a mediated representation - a piece of music in this case. Mediation involves the organization, selection and focus of information to create a version of an event.

Analysis OF Existing Adverts

1. Arctic Monkeys - ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare'



The same font is used on the advert as was used on the digipak. The bands name occupies 25% of the advert to draw attention and hook the reader’s attention.

There is a picture of a raven in the advert symbolizing darkness which relates to the nightmare theme. Perhaps the checkered belt round the bird is an associated with the police. This might symbolize trouble. The raven is shown on the inside cover of the digipak so the advert has picked up on this feature creating a common thread. The advert communicates that the music is ‘new’ and available to buy ‘now’. The digipak and advert incorporate the same colours thus creating another important link.


2. The Kooks -‘Inside in Inside Out’



The Kooks advert is almost identical to the front cover of their digipack incorporating a black and white image of the quartet playing their musical instruments. The same shot is used for the advert and digipak thereby establishing continuity. The major difference is that the band’s name is given greater prominence on the advert taking up about 25% of the poster. The same colour scheme is used in both cases though the title of the CD is positioned differently shown directly underneath the name of the band on the advert as opposed to framing the name of the band on the digipack. The advert informs the readers when the CD is due for release and feature tracks.

Flatplans

I have drawn up three possible ideas which I might to use for my advert to promote the 'Arctic Monkey's single 'Bigger boys and Stolen Sweethearts'.

Poster one



This option depicts a picture of beach huts shot at an unusual angle. The beach huts are linked with the seafront scene. I discounted this option because the link with song was not strong enough.

Poster two



My second idea was to concentrate on the a band member playing in the studio replicating the Kooks approach. I discarded this though as I wanted the image to connect with the mood and sentiment of the song. I wanted to convey the loneliness and hurt of being rejected.

Poster 3



My third idea was similar to the second relating to the band playing their instruments. I used the colour red in the flat plan design to covey the notion of love, romance and danger. The danger stems from the fact that bigger boy mocks and possibly bully’s the younger boy into giving up his girlfriend. The girl enjoys being the centre of attention and delights in the anguish of the younger boys situation. She shows little compassion for him demonstrating her shallow nature. The song lyrics state that she is "pretty fu+++++ far from nice"

Completed Advert

Ultimately I chose another design for my completed advert. I decided to base my advert on an image from my digipak in order to achieve the strongest connection between the two texts. I noticed The Kooks adopted this style. I wanted the image to evoke a feeling of smallness against an open landscape. I also wanted to portray the idea of solitude and reflection, as these are the sorts of emotions the young boy will be dealing with after losing his girlfriend to the bigger boy. The background is also reminds the younger boy of the good times he shared with his girlfriend. Essentially, he is coming to terms with lost love, which is a normal part of growing up. It is a passage of rites - a tough life experience. The colour scheme is grey depicting his melancholy mood and the sea choppy highlighting his inner turmoil. I learnt from my research the importance of showing the bands name in bold, so it is eye catching and grabs the attention of the viewer. I printed the name of the track in red to make the link with romance and danger. I added the website address so the viewer can go online and find out more about the band and their influences. Finally the purpose of the advert is to raise awareness of the band and their music together with communicating the release date of the CD to the public.



Evaluation

I asked friends for feedback through Facebook:

Blog 15 - Digipak

A promo pack comprises of a magazine advert, cover for the DVD/CD & video of a music artist /band. This is designed to promote the music raising the profile of the music artist / band with a view to increasing sales. In order to maximize the impact of the promo pack each individual element needs to be linked to create a common theme. By joining the elements of the promo pack in clever ways entices the fans to buy the magazine and CD/ DVD. It is possible to use fashion, colour schemes, typography and semiotics (the study of signs) to create a coherent promo pack. The purpose of the promo pack is to encourage the target audience to purchase the whole album and attend live gigs.

A digipak (or digital package) comprises the artwork for CD/DVD plastic case. The digipack is used to appeal the target audience enticing them to purchase the music.

I visted www.allcdcovers.com and analysed two digipak covers in order to help me plan and design the cover for my chosen Acrtic Monkey’s song ‘Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts’ released off the album ‘I bet you look good on the Dance floor’

Kooks

Front:



Back:




CD:


Analysis
The front and rear cover feature a black and white image of the band rehearsing in a room with white walls. The connotation of the black and white colour scheme is simplicity and starkness, which is feature of the bands sound. The fourth member of the band featured in both images has reflection in the mirror on the wall making the shot interesting. The image on the front cover is in sharp focus while the shot of the rear side is slightly blurred. The band are concentrating on playing their instruments apparently oblivious to the camera. They are wearing casual clothing; T-shirts, jeans, hoodies (typical of their target audience). The title of the album is coloured red. Using a bright colour like red highlights the CD when stacked amongst others on a self. Track listings are in the top left hand corner of the rear cover and the bar code shown on the other side. To create consistency the same three colours decorate the CD.


Arctic Monkeys

Front:


The cover features a house at night. The lights are on illuminating funky psychedelic decoration. The title is coated in an off gold colour and it uses an Artic Monkeys trademark funky font. The house is ordinary connecting with the target audience. The Arctic Monkeys use gritty, witty and very graphic language in their songs, the type was language used by teenagers on council estates. The CD /DVD is printed in black and gold.



Back:



The rear image contains black and gold. There is a strong link between the CD/DVD digipack artwork and the title of the album ‘favourite worst nightmare’. The connotations of a black border round around the face on the CD is dripping blood with ties up with the nightmare theme.

Inside image:


The inside image is similar to the front cover however the decoration is more prominent. The connotation behind night time and psychedelic images is mind manifesting nightmares.

CD:



Flatplans

I produced three flats plans outlining ideas using conventions I learnt from analysing digipaks. In each of the flat plans the front cover is located in the top left, rear cover top right, inside cover bottom left and finally the CD bottom right.



A striking yellow font is used to contrast the blue and pink background thus differentiating itself from other CD’s on the shelf. The character found at the bottom left is the lead singer of Arctic Monkeys associating the band visually with the promotional pack. There is a broken heart over half the CD, the connotation behind this is lost love as seen in the music video and written in the lyrics of the song. The heart is red symbolising danger and love.



I experimented using greyscale to create my second flat plan. Black and white symbolises simplicity creating the ‘back to basics’ theme. The front cover consists of the three band members for easy recognition. A shot from the music video will be used for the inside image. The rear is the final place I expect the customer to look, an abandoned instrument signify that the shows over.



My final flat plan attempts to connect with the bands psychedelic roots. I have used contrasting colours to grab attention. The same colours can be seen throughout. A profile shot has been used for the inside image. I rejected this version as there is little connection to the music video and song.


Completed Digipak





Evaluation

During the production of my digipak I learnt a host of valuable skills. It was key to draw up a flat plan for the digipak in order to achieve my representation of the song and the band, that being my portrayal. This involved designing four panes including, front, rear, inside and CD on one page. In doing this task I applied my knowledge of semiotics (study of sings) and colour schemes to evoke different connotations and meanings. The digipak needed to appeal to my target audience and had to stand out in the music shops. I adopted the same font for the name of the band as this is essentially their brand and easily recognizable to their fan base. The flat plans enable me to overview the whole design process ensuring that the fonts, and colour scheme were consistent and importantly that their was a connection between each part of the digipak artwork to create an integrated .product. The flat plans saved time and money cutting down on visits to various locations and rejected footage.

I refreshed my digital photography skills paying particular attention to lighting, the mise en scene such as clothing / location and different types of camera shorts.

Adobe photoshop was used to produce my final product. This software offers a wide array of design options making the task of production easier and faster. I was able to cut and paste my images so move them about without fuss, cut and crop to improve the composition by removing unwanted bits and focusing on key areas. The software offered the chance to touch up areas to enhance the image and also the opportunity to experiment with different levels of brightness. I was also able to add different layers and special effects to make the design more interesting.

Digipack Questionnaire

I asked friends for feedback through Facebook:

Blog 14 - Shooting diary

15th Oct 2009

We met at Sussex Downs college, Lewes campus and headed for the music studio. We had to wait for a free period. We did some filming but the quality of the footage was poor on playback. It was necessary to repeat the shoot using artificial lights to enhance the footage. We filmed for about thirty minutes trying out different camera angles and movements. I pointed out to my partner that it would be a good idea to keep the camera moving to create a dynamic view. I had observed this technique during my research deconstructing other music videos. I recalled seeing this used effectively on the popular television programme, ER. The studios scene Mike, our classmate, Steve Brown and me.

29th Oct 2009

We assembled on the seafront early in the morning. Unfortunately, the weather conditions and lighting was poor so we decided to reconvene later in the day. Our original plan was to use friends to play the character roles allowing us to film and direct.

Unfortunately, the actor we were using as 'the bigger boy' was unable to finish filming due to other commitments. We therefore had to alter our arrangements mid stream.

I took over the role of the 'smaller boy' and Mike (my filming partner) assumed the role of p the 'bigger boy'. This meant we had to share the camera / acting roles making the task much harder to carry out. We have to set the shot up and then get into the scene. If we had reliable helpers then we could have adjusted the shot during filming.

12th November 2009

This shoot went reasonably well though space was confined. We had to redo some scene as we got in the way of each other ruining the footage. We regrouped and carefully planned the scene working out the movement and position of the actors and the camera operator. Mike’s girlfriend, Rachael assumed the role of the love interest. We had briefed her beforehand about the role and she arrived in suitable attire.

19th November 2009

We had to get permission to film outside the school gates in advance. We met the head teacher and outlined our project. He said that we could go ahead but asked us to film while the lessons were taking place. His primary concern was the health and safety of his students and staff.

We borrowed Mikes mum’s car, we arrived at 9.30am, set the scene up and started filming. It was immediately apparent that the road was too busy. This presented two problems. There were too many passer by on the pavement which interrupted filming and too much traffic which posed a health and safety risk.

We waited for another hour and got to work again this time with success.