Evaluation - Question 4

Question 4:

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

Research:

During the individual research that was carried out before our planning essential website and forms of technology were used to compare, contrast and evaluate other music videos, cd digipacks and websites to make sure the right ideas and inspirations and were collected and researched so that our final product would hopefully sell in the industry. I used YouTube for my analysis of two music videos (Diana Vickers - "The Boy Who Murdered Love" and Natalie Imbruglia "Shiver") and this enabled me to embed the videos on to my blog. This would help me and people reading my blog, because they can then have the video to play and "engage" with which would then increase the understanding of my analysis. Also giving an audience a visual representation to go along side the text will hopefully increase their interest and make them want to be engaged and involved (play button - interactive) with the product and the hypothetical "analysis".

Also for the analysis of the digipack, I used google to get images of CD artwork for "Ellie Goulding" and "Madonna". "Google" has helped me analyse these CD digipacks by providing me with images, which inspired me during my planning process. When using "Google" i filtered my searches quite specifically so that I found what I was looking for. This was quite an easy process and very efficient, however because there are thousands of results, and all different quality, I had to be certain that the specific image was suitable for my analysis.

For the website research I researched "Florence + the Machine"'s site, this was again using "Google" as the search engine. Due to what I searched this site was very easy to find and open, therefore again enabled me to analyse it well. To get the aspects of the site on my blog I had to print screen the website and then crop in Microsoft PowerPoint. I would have made sense to do it in Microsoft Word, however from this programme you could not then right click and save as image. This tool was similar in my music analysis. To enhance audience understanding I print screened the shots I was analysing, this was a time consuming activity, however it was easier for me to discuss knowing images were available to refer to (and remember). Whilst doing this "blogger" allowed me to import pictures, however the format and positions of these pictures were not easy to control. This was a major disadvantage to this blogger site because it increased the time it would take to make a post if you were including pictures. This was very hard and "fiddly", causing the layout of some posts to be "unattractive". This was very frustrating and took up a lot of unproductive time trying to correct.

Planning:

During the planning stage I firstly used a scanner to upload our mind maps and storyboards and uploaded them using blogger. I had the same problem with the importing of photos. However it is easier to prove that these were done and is an easier way to show the work, rather than there being loads of text on a post. I did then analysis and discuss in more depth our ideas in the mind maps, but at least it meant that the audience have other mediums to focus on rather than just "bulks" of text. This also makes the post more attractive and appealing to read. It is easier to type up work on to an electronic blog because you know that it it safe, and at one point we had lost the storyboards/mind maps because they were on paper, luckily we found them, but this problem wasn't evident during our blog posts because it saved automatically and can be transferred on emails if a member of the group was absent. This helps group efficiency and especially in our group, because being absent was quite regular from some people, it helped them to keep connected with the group and "up to speed" with improvements, adjustments and new ideas. Because we had a group of 4, this tool was vital.

Blogger Overall Evaluation

This site, despite it being very difficult and time consuming to upload photos is also very frustrating, in terms of the "hyperlink" section. In terms of "spaces" the compose box doesn't always look exactly how it will appear on your blog, similarly with the "preview" - which you would've thought would be exact version. Now, although it has more "interactive" sections and it is a save way of publishing text, you can also include pictures (more easily) on Microsoft word and print it off with your choice of layout (as long as you back up). Also, in terms of "mistakes" done on "blogger" - there is no "undo" button, for example if you delete something by pressing the "backspace" button to decrease the "line space" and hold it too much it deletes text. This happened last year and I had to re-do whole post. Now "blogger" did allow us to upload YouTube videos/ videos - which was a big help during our research section and also reinforcing our new direction half way through our piece. These filming videos helped show that we had evaluated our progress so far and to be efficient we deleted certain shots from our final library of videos so that when we were editing we didn't have to go through folder of clips.

Video

For this section of production we used a digital video recorder, which at times had its problems. Certain video recorders automatically change the format of the uploaded videos depending on the model. We had a problem with this when we used a different camera, the files which were uploaded from this had a different format when imported to Adobe Premier Pro. I think that Adobe Premier Pro is a very useful and professional piece of software when creating videos, however it put me off initially because it seemed very "difficult to use". I think it could be placed and organised differently on the page. This made me not want to be in charge of editing, due to the fact that it looked "difficult", however towards the middle of the editing process, due to lack of time i decided to try it out, and surprisingly understood what I had to do. The rendering process is very time consuming and uploading to YouTube and took up a lot of our time although we did try our hardest to make good use of this time.

Digipack

For this I used Microsoft PowerPoint to design the several designs of the CD digipack. Because I had used PowerPoint before I felt confident with the layout of the programme and the things that could be done including effects, colours and shapes. This gave us a huge advantage on time management whilst designing this because we didn't have to figure out how to use a programme before we got designing. I think PowerPoint, although can produce unprofessional work, can also transform an image to make it more appealing and "striking". For example the black and white effect on the image made the fairly "normal" picture of Sophie become something that would attract attention in a store.

Website

For this section of production we wasted quite a lot of time because of the "initial thought" of difficulty, this similarly to "Adobe Premier Pro", scared us all because we had to use a programme which we weren't all familiar with. This caused this section of the production to be placed last on our timetable. However this was a bad mistake because this piece of software required us to get help and advice from our teachers and IT specialists so that we could set up the basic website. During the time were cd drafting was in progress I also designed certain website drafts and mock ups on Microsoft PowerPoint so I then made all the shapes, texts and effects in to one picture by grouping them. This was a hassle when inserted into Dreamweaver because it was just an image which no text could be layered over. However we sorted it by importing the picture in to Fireworks and creating different hyperlink sections, then it was easier to scroll over in Dreamweaver. This was initially very confusing, however towards the end I realised that our idea worked and was achievable with the software given.

Tuesday 21st December - Evaluation Question 3

Evaluation - Question 3:

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

Our feedback was mostly positive, we have had two ranges of feedback, one via the YouTube channel and a range of teenage feedback during our showcase. I think this feedback linked to our target audience and therefore was treated like the correct feedback which would then hopefully result in more effective and interesting video.

Positives:

“Lip-syncing was well executed” - This piece of feedback was positive and this was a conscious effort throughout our filming sessions to make sure this was achieved. I agree with this feedback point because we worked very hard with Sophie to ensure that she sang the song, and then was muted in post-production.

“The confidence in Sophie, as an actor, was shown, therefore making the performance effective” and “Performance was very believable” – This positive piece of feedback was again due to our casting. We cast Sophie due to her past experience with GCSE/AS Drama and Theatre Studies and role in the school production “We Will Rock You”. Sophie is a very confident performer, which worked very well during the production of our music video because of her ability to become a character and resulting in the audience obviously believing the character and being engaged within the video and narrative.

“Variety of shots/angles worked well” – This editing piece of feedback was again an effort throughout the editing process, and filming to make sure there were different angles, portraying Sophie in a different way to increase certain audience impression/emotion. Every time we filmed a shot we would always do it at least twice to ensure that different angles were used and also there would be enough material if any “blanks” occurred during the editing process. I think our music video has a various shots which increases the flow between shots and hopefully increase audience interest.

“The lighting in the music video was appropriate and showed the shot clearly” – This piece of feedback was a reliving point to get back because we had problems with our lighting, due to Josh’s accidently not checking white balance on 50% of the original footage. However we re-filmed this and these problems were soon sorted out. I agree with this feedback because of our effort during this issue and I hope that in our final product the lighting is perfect.

“The narrative was easy to follow” – This was an aim during our planning process was to make the narrative interesting, but easy to follow throughout the production. This clearly was achieved and although I was involved with the narrative planning I think it is fairly obvious when certain climaxes of the storyline occur and the symbolism stays evident throughout.

“Very sharp and great edits "to the beat" during fast sections + good variety of edits” – This was a decision during the editing process to standardise the editing when certain people did certain bits. In the end it was mostly one person, but at least this rule was put in to place to ensure continuity in the video. We used “fade to blacks” in certain sections of the video to represent the characters memory in the format of flashbacks. We did this hopefully to give the audience more information about the characters life therefore their understanding of the video was enhanced. I agree with this piece of feedback and due to our effort during those sections am happy that it was achieved correctly.

“Camera movement and placement was effective” – This piece of feedback proved our effort during the filming period. We would always check the camera screen to make sure Sophie was either centre of the screen or that none of Sophie, unless deliberate, was cut off the view, therefore I agree.

“Black and white worked "well" and suited the track and narrative” – This colour decision was made in the initial planning period of our music video, which we thought would be “unique” and “different”. Also this colour decision represents the characters “dull” and “neutral” life. I agree with this point because we tried it in colour and it didn’t have the same professional feel.

“Good use of symbolism "mannequin" – This piece of feedback made our decision of choosing the symbolic approach correct. I agree with this, because due to the relationship between the character and the acting of Sophie the connection was believable. Also due to the fact the mannequin was “breakable” Sophie could harm it, without the actor, if played by Tom, feeling any damage.

Constructive:

“Pre-song material - track wasn't appropriate” – This was a problem was an issue which we discussed beforehand , however we then decided that is created atmosphere and perhaps slight tension. But when we showcased it, our target audience thought that it sounded like “hoover” but couldn’t be silent, therefore needed to be sorted out. I disagree with this point, because if you listen really carefully you can hear a “faint” argument which reinforces the cohesion with the moving image. I think that we could have made slower, acoustic, instrumental version at the start to set the genre of the song, however this was impossible due to the track or piano music available.

"Sophie smiles at the end of the "window scene" - This piece of feedback we all realised as we watched it on YouTube before we showed other people. This was due to the fact we hadn’t thoroughly checked the final product in Adobe Premier Pro before exporting it. We cropped this shot in the commencing weeks so that the shot after was slightly longer. This was quite an easy mistake to rectify and I agree completely with what was said about it. For our final edit we learnt to check the version before exporting, which in the long run saved time in the exportation and uploading on YouTube.

"Fuzzy" bit at the start where the screen goes shaky - this problem happened during the capturing process” – This fault was due to the camera and not the editing. Whilst uploading our clips a “fuzzy line” was already on the clip before we inserted it in to Adobe Premier. We didn’t want to erase this shot from the music video because the zoom from the window, either side of the “fuzzy line”, was a perfect zoom. We tried editing effects over the top of the section in post-production however these effects just enhanced and highlighted it even more. Therefore we have tried all we can to try and hide it, but we have decided to keep it in for the final edit because unless you look for it, it isn’t too obvious. To overcome this problem we should have re-filmed this shot, if we would have had more time.

“Photo album - could be more specific and show who is in them. Ambiguity works well though” – this piece of feedback I didn’t agree with. The photo album was to give the impression that she was reminiscing on past memories, however people said that would it be clearer if there were a few shots of the pages in the album showing the people in the photos. I think that ambiguity is an important factor here because due to the blunt video, the audience know how the separate characters are feeling. But we wanted the photos to be like the argument, ambiguous. This is due to the fact that audience members could feel more engaged if they are involved in the plot line and the character’s past by thinking for themselves and wondering at certain points in the video about the narrative.

Overall these feedback points were mostly positive which we were really proud of. The majority of the constructive points were easily achieved and corrected which was helpful, however the “fuzzy line” wasn’t sorted out. This mistake isn’t enhanced by anything and a pure mistake of the camera upload.

Tuesday 21st December - Evaluation Question 2

Evaluation Question 2:

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

As a group we have tried to ensure that the artist has a specific theme throughout all the products designed. Initially, whilst planning we decided that we would film our music video in black and white, this was to highlight her “dull” life, before she had expressed herself. Therefore in the production of the website and CD cover, because I was in charge of the initial designed, I ensured that these designs had kept with the theme of the original intention of the music video. During the second draft process of the CD cover Tom had this idea of splitting the CD design in two, one side showing the character’s (in the debut single) vulnerable personality (below left) and one showing the character’s “confident”, “violent” persona (below right). These images were executed in the booklet in the CD case to reinforce the “split personality” theme shown in the music video. To reinforce this main theme we had acoustic and big instrument tracks to represent the two sides of the artist and if we were writing the songs for the able, we would ensure that the lyrics of the songs link to the theme of the overall artist. However when I designed the first few drafts of the website I kept very much to the “vulnerable” personality, with just little sections representing the characters “broken” personality. Whilst in this stage Tom found a certain font online which reinforced this “broken” idea, which I then pasted in to the design. This text design had broken looked very distorted and had a “brick” texture, this represented the “toughness” and “confident” side of the character, however it also illustrates that she has been metaphorically “broken” , representing her heartbroken emotions. This, therefore added a section of the “rocky” personality to the website and was then reinforced at a later stage by me inserting some photos of Sophie in the “corset” costume.

As Richard Dyer has noted: “a star is an image constructed from a range of materials”

For pop music these materials include:

• the songs (their lyrical themes and musical structures/genres)
• the record covers (singles and albums and the image of the star they present)

We have tried to follow Dyer’s conventions in our ancillary products. This has hopefully been achieved by the “lyrical themes” and “genres” of the music video which are also evident as themes on both the website and CD cover.

Advertising – CD Cover + Website

In terms of advertising, firstly the CD cover has a main image of the artist lying on a guitar. This immediately gives the impression that they potentially could play an instrument and has a passion for music. This will hopefully increase the positivity of this artist in the audience’s mind, therefore encouraging them to buy the artist’s album due to its genuine, authentic feel. Usually members of the public are affected in the decision about an artist due to their publicity and actual personality, which comes across in interviews. Due to the fact we are unable to do this; we have ensured that the personality of the artist has come across, not only in the front CD image with the guitar but also in the CD booklet with personal messages to her fans. This will hopefully increase audience engagement with her CD cover, adding a personal feel, therefore could result in purchase.

The website has a similar effect, by having photos of Sophie, almost giving the “Picture frame” effect, and arranged in a way like sideboard full of photo frames would. This “photo frame” idea, came initially from the shots in the music video where the vulnerable character reminisced the positive times of her life with her boyfriend. Therefore this effect has reinforced this theme, but changed the perception of viewing. Now, on the website, the audience are looking at the character, therefore hopefully feeling involved within the product and therefore encouraged to explore the site and find out more information about her.

Monday 20th December - Evaluation Question 1

Evaluation - Question 1

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

Camerawork:

Our media product has utilised, adapted and challenged ideas, concepts and shots from existing music videos and our own ideas, therefore incorporating the correct overall feel and image for a pop music video. We have filmed a range of shots, whilst filming, so that at the post production stage we would have enough material, in case there were “blanks” in the video. We executed various shot types and angles (like close up, long shot, mid shot, tracking shot, zoom shot) to portray the artist in different ways depending on the section of the narrative. We also used fast cuts to make sure the shots were transitioned, in sync with the different pace sections of the song. This hopefully makes the music video shots and narrative fit perfectly to the song in terms of lyrics, pace and shot composition, therefore hopefully increasing the audience interaction and engagement with the music video, thus increasing audience enjoyment. Rapid shot changes and unusual angels will appeal to a younger audience and keep them engaged.

Cheryl Cole - The Flood Music Video

(Above is Cheryl Cole's (Pop Artist) music video to her second single "The Flood". This music video has fast pace cuts and beats to the music like in our video. Also voyeurism is evident in this video through the use of camera and close ups of the pop star.)

We have tried to maintain consistent themes and “personality” throughout all our media products. This has hopefully been achieved by the similar graphology of the CD cover, pack and website. The track titles also link to the narrative of the video, which creates the relationship between the first single music video and the overall theme of her album, therefore reinforcing this maintained “star image”. Richard Dyer noted: a star is an image constructed from a range of materials”, we had followed this carefully to ensure that these elements completed whilst producing our products. The “songs” and “record covers” ideas of his theory have been followed in our production, however due to our media a2 production specification it wasn’t possible to do “live productions” and “media coverage”. Due to our artists certain image it would be planned to be followed and maintained throughout her album promotion and tours. We devised a definite image for our artist/star and this is carefully promoted throughout our work because of the reinforced cohesion.

(above are examples of Ellie Goulding’s pop artist image and how it’s maintained throughout her media products, reinforcing Dyer’s theory. (l-r) Tour photograph, Still shot of “Guns and Horses” music video and album artwork for her single “The Writer)

We tried to increase the voyeurism is our music video by the choice of costume, shot angle and Sophie’s acting. I think this was quite successful because the voyeurism was still evident in the vulnerable character sections, just because of what she was wearing and the setting of the bedroom and garden bench. The transition shots where the character changes metaphorically and physically from her innocent personality include close ups and mirror shots which include Sophie’s back and close ups of her face, applying makeup. This can relate due to the typical female teenager, but also will hopefully stereotypically appeal to a male audience due to the voyeuristic shot types, this is again reinforced later in the video with the mannequin scenes, where the character has a bare upper chest and shoulders and the wall shots where the corset is enhancing her chest. Also the naked mannequin reinforced some voyeurism in these shots due to its female sex appeal.

These images also appeal to a female audience due to the personal memories and perhaps past experience which this character could represent them, therefore they know and can feels similar emotions, therefore staying engaged with the video and performance.

(above are images and screen shots of our music video and are examples of the conventions adopted in our video)

Black and White - Inspiration and Justification

This decision, made quite early in our planning preparation, was (personally and individually) inspired by two videos. Both of these videos reinforce how important and effective black and white videos can be, especially when linked with a powerful narrative, which both of these videos include. Also in Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy" director Jake Nava has also filmed a section of "pre-song material". We also decided to have this in our music video, not only to reinforce the storyline but also it gives the audience an opportunity to get to know the character(s) involved in the narrative, therefore hopefully increasing their audience engagement, understanding and involvement.

Beyonce - "If I Were a Boy"



Pixe Lott - "Cry Me Out"

These two videos show very powerful and emotive storylines within the tracks, which was our main aim from the start of our planning. Therefore these two videos are similar to ours, in terms of the colour choice and narrative performance/direction.

Final Edit - "Not Made For This"

This final edit hasn't been drastically altered, however we thought, according to our audience feedback and personal opinion we would change little sections to make it more consistent. Below are the main points which we have changed.

• Window section where Sophie comes out of character - This shot has been shortened and the shot which follows it has been increased.
• During the spinning 360 degree shots, we have shortened the start due to it giving the impression that Sophie is "waiting" for the chorus to start
• During the slow bridge in the middle, there were inconsistent eye view errors, which we thought we could erase by longing the shots before. This still worked well because of the slow tempo section.
• We felt that the ambiguous photo shot worked well, because it leaves the emotion of the character in the decision of the audience, therefore increasing their engagement within the music video.

Thursday 16th December - Final CD Digipack

Final CD Digipack

A) CD Front

B) Digipack page 1

C) Digipack page 2

D) Digipack page 3

E) Digipack page 4

F) CD Digipack page 5

G) Digipack back

The opposite personalities on each page of the digipack represents the theme of the album (and the acoustic and rocky tracks) and reinforces cohesion between the Music Video and the artist's album artwork.

Video: Sophie opening our CD Digipack

(I filmed)

Thursday 16th December - Final Website

Above is our final website design.

Wednesday 15th December - YouTube Feedback

YouTube Feedback



Above are comments from the Draft Edit on YouTube. Anna Neale herself has commented.