Question 4

HOW DID YOU USE NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES? 

A tripod

This helped me keep the camera still when I was filming the master shots in the music video. Furthermore, it helped me keep the camera still, but I could also adjust it very easily if it needed to be done.

Sony Hadycam

I used this for all my shots in the music video as well as the photo shoot for the ancillary tasks. This was a really good product that I used as the shots came out very clear and so did the pictures. It was very easy to use as it was my own video camera.  I also used this for my time lapse which was used in the music video.

Lighting equipment

I mainly used this for the photo shoot first. I tried to use 3 point lighting however I just managed to use a key light and a flow light. I also used the lighting equipment in the “getting ready” scene in the music video. Lighting was key to use throughout my music video otherwise it would have been very difficult to fix after I had recorded everything. I wanted to make sure most of my shots were well lit and the same for the images in my ancillary task.

Blogger 

This is what I used to show the changes throughout the year. This was really easy and simple to use as I used this for my AS media coursework and I became familiar with the blogging site. I was able to embed YouTube videos, pictures power points, prezi’s and more. This is used to blog all our coursework and updates on how our filming/editing is coming along. This is for the examiner to be able to view out A level media coursework which is organised and easily accessed. This is because of the use of labels. It has helped me keep my work more organised so teachers and examiners can look at my work easily and so everything is much clearer.

Final Cut Express

This year was the first time I used final cut, however it didn’t feel brand new to me as I still had some experience of editing things through other software’s. Final cut express allows me to cut, edit and produce all my work for the music video. I had to make sure that every shot was matching to the beat and the lyrics were matching the lip sync of the actress. This was harder than expected however from practise from my preliminary tasks I was able to identify whether they were matching or not. Also by using the wave forms on the time line in final cut helped me look at the snares and kicks in order for me to cut to the beat. Final cut also allowed me to colour correct my work which I loved as I was really worried about my shots looking very dull and boring. In the “getting ready” I over exposed the lighting in the scene to create a dreamy effect.  I also used some fade in and fade out effects in my music video to help it flow and be consistent. Additionally, I layered some of my shots near the end of the music video by easily changing the opacity on one of the clips. Lastly, it helped me use key frames to add some movement in the static shots I had in the music video. Final cut is an important aspect in my project as the features allowed me to produce my final music video

Photoshop

When using photoshop I was unfamiliar with many things, but with the help of my friends and teachers I learned how to use it. I learned how to create layer masks, how to use the clone stamp tool and how to add filters effectively. I also had to change the background and download some effects from safari to create the “sun” effect on my Digipak. It also helped me cover some of the background that was in the hair. This was very difficult to do. I also used rulers to align text accurately and neatly and this was very convenient. 

YouTube

YouTube is a video-sharing website which allows users to upload any sort of video and captioning it, advertised by Google which means YouTube has billions of active users viewing different videos and sharing it through their Social networking sites. This is one way of marketing your product. YouTube has helped me post all my videos which I had embedded onto blogger so people can easily view the video. YouTube also helped me research about other existing music videos and learn how to do certain things on photoshop. I also used Tube Chop which chops some of the music videos that I liked on YouTube to the specific clip that I wanted to show. YouTube has generally helped me a lot throughout this process.

Whatsapp

 This helped me share all my videos, pictures and final drafts to my friends and family which helped me get some feedback. I could easily contact anyone that I needed to and send multiple messages when asking for feedback of my final drafts. This was very convenient as I can ask people anything about my work and any time during the day. This is an app which was installed on my phone and this made communication easier for me.

After effects 

This was used for my time lapse in the video. This was very convenient as I could not download my clips onto Final cut express and the clips all added up to an hour and a half, which was way too long. I then downloaded it into after effects which helped me speed up the clips and look at how the time lapse looked before I used it in my music video. After effects is also used for effects that cannot be done through final cut express or are difficult to do.

Google Chrome  

This is the main search engine I used for my research and planning. This is something that I use in my everyday life; therefore I am familiar with this. I was able to download templates for my Digipak as well as the font that was used. I also downloaded my own filters and brushes from websites on Google Chrome which I used in photoshop for my Digipak.

Question 3

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK? 

Question 2

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TASK? 

When creating my music video and ancillary tasks I had to remember to make sure they are all similar in some sort of way, whether through visuals, themes or messages that are being portrayed in the music video. Promotional methods such as the ancillary tasks are very important when advertising the product as well as the artist. These methods will help audience members and fans know who the artist is and give a rough idea about the meanings of the songs in the album, hence why there is a track list at the back of the CD cover.

I wanted to keep the setting completely different from the music video for the ancillary tasks as I believe I could show more about my artist, more sides about her and different dimensions of her in the CD cover, magazine advert and music video. In the ancillary tasks I did not use direct mode of address as I wanted to make it look like my artist want to be “free” and is in her own world. This was shows somewhat in my music video, however I wanted to emphasise this even more for the ancillary tasks. All of the images show that she is in her own world and is enjoying herself through the smiles and no direct mode of address. This shows curiosity which will promote my artist further. The “dreamy” look relates to all the songs in the album such as “dazed” and “beautiful nightmare”.  

Themes

For the panels in my Digipak I edited the artist’s top colour to show the different sides of the artist in the music video. This is consistent through the Digipak and music video. I also wanted to create the “dreamy effect” in all media products to show consistency. The music video and Digipak show how the artist wants to be free from all restrictions in life and how she just wants to enjoy life, rather than being stuck at work (which was shown in the music video). From the title “summertime sadness” suggest two opposites which is exactly what I wanted to show in the music video as work versus freedom.

 

Costume and Makeup

I have kept the makeup very simple for the music production and ancillary tasks. The makeup was very similar from the “getting ready” scene at the start of the music video and the photo shoot for the images for the Digipak. I used a going out red dress for one scene in the music video and I chose a going out top for the ancillary tasks. I wanted to show my artist as looking very smart with nice outfits to attract the audience’s attention. The contrast between the work life and going out life shows that my artist be very real but also dress up to impress. 

          

 

Digipak and Magazine Advert

The information given is consistent for both the magazine advert and Digipak. The font, colours and themes are the same. This is so the audience members know exactly what to look for when looking for my artist Maya. Additionally the hit singles on the magazine advert come from the track list on the Digipak. This is very conventional for music promotion.

Conclusion

I believe that I have created a consistent promotional package for my artist Maya. This is because of the colours and filters used from the music video. Furthermore both the music production and ancillary tasks intertwine with each other due to the messages being portrayed. The messages that have not been clear in the music video are clearly shown in the Digipak and Magazine. The products follow basic conventions of the promotional method in the music industry but are still distinctive from other Digipaks and Magazines.

Question 1

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

These are 9 shots that follows music video conventions:

Shot 1

I have shown a link between the lyrics and the visuals as the artist is wearing a red dress, in reference to Goodwin's theory. "I got my red dress on tonight". Goodwin's theory is illustrated and amplified throughout the music video. I had also chosen the red dress due to the connotations that one can draw from it such as, passion, love, danger. The artist has a passion of getting ready and going out to enjoy her life, however this only stays as a dream. In this shot I wanted to create a dreamy effect by over exposing it to show what she wants to do.

Shot 2

The audience identify the artist with the song. The use of mid shots and close ups when she is singing to the camera shows her feeling and emotions through the lyrics. The use of eye contact shows that audience members can directly relate to her and the slow track shots draws audience members into what she is singing. This mid shot typifies the way a record company would sell their artist as they would want their artists to be revealed and paid the main attention to. The use of mid shots are usually demanded from the production company. 

Shot 3

This shot shows my artist walking, which she does throughout the night. As part of the narrative she is going out to make herself feel better, get a breath of fresh air and just to have fun in life, which almost feels like a journey. This is because I have used shots of her walking in the day and all the way through to night time. This illustrated a typical convention used by the pop genre, showing a journey in the narrative. Furthermore, the use of a time lapse showed that its the next day and she may experience this again. 

Shot 4

This shot shows my artist looking in the mirror while she is getting ready by putting lipstick, make up on and adjusting her hair. This was done to give a clear image to audience members of how she would get ready to go out (dream). This is also shown in Tove Lo's music video 'Stay High'. She also used close up and mid shots to show that the artist was preparing herself to go out (at 2.35). The fact that she is looking at the camera tells the audience that she is actually looking in a mirror by adjusting her hair. Having intertextual references adds something to think about for the audience and adds history. Another intertextual reference is the 'mirror mirror on the wall' saying/fairytale. My artist is looking in the mirror as if she is asking the mirror to tell her that she looks pretty and beautiful. This was shown most in the tilt shots I used when she was looking at her body in the mirror. 

Shot 5

This tilt shot in the red dress demonstrates my use of camera. The use of these slow track shots shows that the artist is looking at herself in the mirror, which most young adults do before they go out. The shot being slow shows her whole outfit and her body illustrating the her fans are also looking at her body and outfit to 'check her out'. This tilt shot occurs twice at the start of the video from to different angles. These shot of her looking at herself juxtaposes the shots of her at work as she is stressed at work but very calm when getting ready. "men look at women and women watch themselves being looked at", Berger the male gaze. This was shown in this shot as well which creates a sense of voyeurism.

Shot 6

This shot outside exemplifies my use of lighting as I wanted the artist to stand out but also to make the second person look darker and less exposed than the artist. I done this by using a key light and directing it quite close to the artist. This demonstrated that the artist is thinking of the person she wants there but he quickly disappears. "Kiss me hard before you go". However the person is already gone without kissing her which means she is further isolated. Even in her thoughts of wanting someone to be there, she cannot get due to no one being there for her. She cannot get what she wants through dreaming or her thoughts which creates more empathy. 

Shot 7

This shot demonstrates a clear use of mise en scene as you can see perfume bottles, an open jewellery box, make up, jewellery that she is wearing and her 'up-do' hairstyle. The way the mirror is places wit make up brushes on the dressing table shows audience members that the artist is getting ready to go out. I tried to make is as realistic as possible. Generally, when females are getting ready to go out their dressing tables would look like this and will be a bit messy. This is a convention used by Indie Pop music videos as they always show the environment and surroundings to allow audience members to understand what is happening in the narrative, hence why I tried to add a lot of mise en scene in this shot. 

Shot 8

After watching this video I also decided to have some walking shots of my artist. My artist is walking in the dark but Demi is walking in the snow which shows coldness. These mid shots show isolation. It feels like in both these shots the artists are looking for something or someone and try to be happy. This is what I wanted to show in my video however, she is not happy even though she wants to be and goes out for a 'search'. Both these shots show a journey of the artist. This video is called stone cold by Demi Lovato.

Shot 9

 I wanted to create a sense of voyeurism for the audience members which is conventional for many female artists. For example in Beyonce's Drunk in Love video many tilt shots, and mid shots have been used to show her body. I have also used high angled shots and tilt shots to show what my artist is wearing and what she looks like. In my music video I have showed different angles of my artist when getting ready and close ups in the video. The same is used in Beyonce's music video, however I did not want my artists clothing to be as revealing as this video. The fragmented shots (Goodwin) also create a sexual desire and objectification of the woman. This is conventional in both my video and Beyonce's music video.

Shot 1

This shot is from the video 'Man down' by Rihanna. It shows  relationship between the visuals and the lyrics as Rihanna is singing about how she shot a man. Throughout the whole song she is singing about the same thing. By doing this she is reminding the audience what was shown at the start of the video, which was the man being shot by her. These lyrics clearly related to the visuals of the song. ' I just shot a man down'.

Shot 2

This is a mid shot in Lana Del Rey's (Born To Die) music video, which is a typical convention tat is demanded from the record company. This helps audience members relate to the artist as well as establish what kind of artist she is. This shot uses eye contact to grab the audience's attentions and try and make them feel sympathetic towards Lana Del Rey, in this case. These shots are significant in this for the record company as it helps get the attention of audience members and the artist's fans. It creates a sense of having a relationship with the artist, through these shots.

Shot 3

This shot illustrates a sense of journey for the artist. This is conventionally used in the pop genre. In this case Lana is singing about being born to die. Just from the title, you can infer that there will be some sort of journey shown  in the music video. The music video shows the journey between her and her partner but at the end Lana is dead in her partners arms. There were some fun shots her with her boyfriend but there were also upsetting shots used. These were used to show a journey of the artist, which is used in the pop genre. 

Shot 4

This in Rihanna's music video (hate that I love you) shows intertextual references. This shot shows Rihanna looking in the mirror and is sorting her hair out. This could be because she is going on a date or almost knows that she might bump into her ex boyfriend. This shows the "mirror mirror on the wall" fairy tale as Rihanna wants to look in the mirror so the  mirror could almost tell her everything about her looks, This is a typical convention used in Pop music videos.

Shot 5

This shot in "The hills" music video by The Weeknd shows a good use of camera. This particular shot at 0.05 in the video is a slow track in shot to the car. This makes the video look visually pleasing for the audience members. Furthermore, with this shot and other track shots make the audience members question what has happened and why there is a car there? This make them want to watch the music video more to see what has happened so their answers could be answered. This is a good track shot used. 

Shot 6

This image shows a good use of lighting. This screenshot also shows how half of Beyoncé's body is in shadow but her face is well lit. This could be so audience members focus on her face when she is singing. For this shot one key light and a filter light could have been used. 

Shot 7

This screenshot of "Pretty Hurts" shows an amazing use of mise en scene. As you can see the dressing room is full of hair spray, make up, chairs, sashes, mirrors and more. The use of mise en scene in this shot tells audience members where Beyonce is. Also by having ladies everywhere in the room and everything being very messy shows that it must be a dressing room. Beyonce is right in the middle of the room trying to sort her outfit out. 

Shot 8 

This shot shows that I have watched other pop music videos. Even though, this is an R and B song, this mid shot is conventionally used in most music videos. This is to show direct mode of address and to establish who the artist is. I have used similar shots to this in my music video. 

Shot 9

This screen shot of the music video "Irreplaceable" shows how Beyonce is getting ready to go out. According to the songs lyrics it looks like she is getting ready to enjoy her freedom from her ex boyfriend. I have used a similar concept to this but made my artist look like she wants freedom from her work.