How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
The main resources I used were my video camera, iPhone, iMovie, Prezi, Blogger, Word, and Youtube. All of these technologies worked for different sections of my media product.
When it came to filming I used a simple hand held video camera, along with a tripod. As I took AS media I was familiar with how to use the equipment to the best of its ability. All video footage was filmed using this. When making the photos for my digipak and magazine, I used my iPhone as a camera. The quality of the camera was better than that of the video recorder in terms of taking photos so decided this was a better piece of equipment to use.
When it came to editing I used iMovie to create my final media product. Once again, I was familiar with how to use the software so knew how to use it and create a realistic media product. iMovie had tonnes of different effects and adjustments for me to use when making the music video and really worked to my advantage. I was able to change the exposure of shots and adjust the audio levels etc. In terms of my digipak and magazine, I decided to use the editing software on my iPhone. I knew how to use it and it made it quick and easy for me to access whenever I wanted to. The editing software on my iPhone worked similar to that of iMovie, allowing me to add different effects and change the exposure and so on.
Word really came in handy when creating the layout for my digipak and magazine advertisement. I inserted templates from the internet to ensure I was getting the correct layout, and then simply inserted my chosen images. Word allowed me to write over the top of these images, changing the font, color and size, meaning i could create a realistic looking digipak and magazine. As I'd only ever used Word for written documents previously, it took me a bit of time to learn everything that Word had to offer me, however once I got the hang of it I found it very easy and useful in the process of creating my media product.
Prezi was a great tool to use when displaying information on my Blogger. Prezi allowed me to create an interesting powerpoint which displayed my chosen information. I found using Prezi really challenging at first as I'd never used it before so wasn't sure how to work all of its tools, however my peers helped me to understand it, and once i'd gotten the hang of it i felt like it was a key factor in creating a fun and interesting blog.
Overall I used a selection of different media technologies which in my opinion worked really well together and allowed me to create a believable product that conformed to the codes and conventions of the indie pop genre that i had set out to do.
Thursday, 12 May 2016
Evaluation Question 3
What have you learnt from your audience feedback?
From my audience feedback I have learnt a lot about my product and helped me improve my work.
With my rough cut feedback there were many suggestions made for improvements. My peers gave me feedback after each stage of the process. By creating my rough cut I was able to have my peers tell me what they liked and disliked about my initial idea for my music video. The main feedback I was given was to do with the editing effects on my product. They'd mentioned that the effects didn't have a continuous flow and made the product seem unprofessional. From this they suggested I find a theme to stick with and keep all shots in the cellar as one effect and all shots in the woods the same, creating a more professional media product. This later helped when it came to creating my final piece as I took in their information and put it into action, so that when it came to the feedback for my final cut they were impressed with the changes I'd made to the editing.
Another main piece of feedback I was given was that my video felt very long-winded and needed to be chopped up in terms of time spent on each shot and the locations of shots in order to match the pace of the song and genre. From I understood where they were coming from, and knew how to change it. In my final cut I included different locations to extend the mis-en-scene, and I also shortened the length of clips and spent much more time post production try and edit to the beat of the music and so that my music and visuals linked together.
When getting feedback for my digipak my peers mentioned that both of my trial designs worked well, however I should merge the two together as they both were effective. Once I'd finished my final cut they mentioned that it mirrored that of the indie genre.
Overall the feedback I was given really helped me to create a professional looking media product, that conforms the codes and conventions of the indie pop genre. Initailly I didn't realise the importance the feedback would play in making all 3 of my products. Getting regular feedback allowed me to distance myself from my project and look at it with fresh eyes which was invaluable in creating my video, digipak and advert as I could look at it from the point of view of the target audience, rather than me the creator. I realised that feedback is essentially at all stages of proudction and if I were to do this again I think that I would post my product on social media to gather a wider variety of feedback, as the people giving feedback would probably be my target audience.
From my audience feedback I have learnt a lot about my product and helped me improve my work.
With my rough cut feedback there were many suggestions made for improvements. My peers gave me feedback after each stage of the process. By creating my rough cut I was able to have my peers tell me what they liked and disliked about my initial idea for my music video. The main feedback I was given was to do with the editing effects on my product. They'd mentioned that the effects didn't have a continuous flow and made the product seem unprofessional. From this they suggested I find a theme to stick with and keep all shots in the cellar as one effect and all shots in the woods the same, creating a more professional media product. This later helped when it came to creating my final piece as I took in their information and put it into action, so that when it came to the feedback for my final cut they were impressed with the changes I'd made to the editing.
Another main piece of feedback I was given was that my video felt very long-winded and needed to be chopped up in terms of time spent on each shot and the locations of shots in order to match the pace of the song and genre. From I understood where they were coming from, and knew how to change it. In my final cut I included different locations to extend the mis-en-scene, and I also shortened the length of clips and spent much more time post production try and edit to the beat of the music and so that my music and visuals linked together.
When getting feedback for my digipak my peers mentioned that both of my trial designs worked well, however I should merge the two together as they both were effective. Once I'd finished my final cut they mentioned that it mirrored that of the indie genre.
Overall the feedback I was given really helped me to create a professional looking media product, that conforms the codes and conventions of the indie pop genre. Initailly I didn't realise the importance the feedback would play in making all 3 of my products. Getting regular feedback allowed me to distance myself from my project and look at it with fresh eyes which was invaluable in creating my video, digipak and advert as I could look at it from the point of view of the target audience, rather than me the creator. I realised that feedback is essentially at all stages of proudction and if I were to do this again I think that I would post my product on social media to gather a wider variety of feedback, as the people giving feedback would probably be my target audience.
Evaluation question 2
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
The main reason for having a digipak is to promote the up-coming album and also the band or artist. Both of these features are important when being created as they are selling the band's name and starting their image off, so you have to be sure that you're appealing to your target audience. I wanted my album cover to portray the band as being edgy and mysterious hence I used this black and white picture of Charlie.
The black and white mid shot creates a harsh and edgy look, and creates a direct mode of address, drawing the audience in. However, my band aren't just an edgy indie band but also has a fun quirky side which I wanted to be shown.
For the insert of the CD I decided to have four repetitive images of the band messing around. I decided to have an image of the whole band as I wanted the audience to be aware that it wasn't just a solo act and there was in fact more members.
My idea was that if another music video for the band were to come out later down the line, the band could be involved in it, this is similar to bands such as the Arctic Monkeys. They never featured in their music videos when starting their career, as the focus was purely on the music, it wasn't until the band became bigger that the industry demanded them to be in it as they were a selling point for the records they sold.
The name 'Kids Love Lies' is an odd name for an indie band, adding to their quirkiness. I decided to use this in all features of the digipak and magazine and actually chose to have it as the albums name. On the magazine I also featured their website as this increases the promotion of the band and gets them more publicity. With the target audience for the band being teenagers I felt that the website was ideal as most teenagers use social networking as their many platform of communication, so they're able to follow the progress of the band and promote it.
I think the combination of the three products is effective in creating the image for the band that I wnated and also generate interest for the new release. Using the lots of images of Charlie who starred as my lead is effective as it links the video, the digipak and the advert for it, making the band instantly recognisable for the target audience; whilst it fulfils the demands of the records label of closeups of the female singer, it presents her in an attractive fun, girl next door way which will create likeability for her and therefore create sales. By using the same font and minimalist layout also creates a brand identity and therefore recognisablity for the audience.
The main reason for having a digipak is to promote the up-coming album and also the band or artist. Both of these features are important when being created as they are selling the band's name and starting their image off, so you have to be sure that you're appealing to your target audience. I wanted my album cover to portray the band as being edgy and mysterious hence I used this black and white picture of Charlie.
The black and white mid shot creates a harsh and edgy look, and creates a direct mode of address, drawing the audience in. However, my band aren't just an edgy indie band but also has a fun quirky side which I wanted to be shown.
For the insert of the CD I decided to have four repetitive images of the band messing around. I decided to have an image of the whole band as I wanted the audience to be aware that it wasn't just a solo act and there was in fact more members.
My idea was that if another music video for the band were to come out later down the line, the band could be involved in it, this is similar to bands such as the Arctic Monkeys. They never featured in their music videos when starting their career, as the focus was purely on the music, it wasn't until the band became bigger that the industry demanded them to be in it as they were a selling point for the records they sold.
The name 'Kids Love Lies' is an odd name for an indie band, adding to their quirkiness. I decided to use this in all features of the digipak and magazine and actually chose to have it as the albums name. On the magazine I also featured their website as this increases the promotion of the band and gets them more publicity. With the target audience for the band being teenagers I felt that the website was ideal as most teenagers use social networking as their many platform of communication, so they're able to follow the progress of the band and promote it.
I think the combination of the three products is effective in creating the image for the band that I wnated and also generate interest for the new release. Using the lots of images of Charlie who starred as my lead is effective as it links the video, the digipak and the advert for it, making the band instantly recognisable for the target audience; whilst it fulfils the demands of the records label of closeups of the female singer, it presents her in an attractive fun, girl next door way which will create likeability for her and therefore create sales. By using the same font and minimalist layout also creates a brand identity and therefore recognisablity for the audience.
Evaluation question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I personally have found the A2 media task much more challenging than that of the AS task as it was a completely independent project, however saying that, I found the task much more enjoyable to create and enjoyed being able to show my creative side.
The task was to create a music video to the genre of your choice, along with a digipak and a magazine for an unsigned artist. With it being an unsigned artist it meant they were unlikely to have a music video already allowing me to create a completely unique music video. The digipak and magazine are used to promote the unsigned artist.
When creating my music video I knew I had to conform to real media products so had to be sure that when choosing my song and genre I was choosing something that would allow me to work with a low budget yet create an effective video. I decided to go with the indie genre as a lot of indie bands work on low budgets when crewing their music videos so decided this was best for my situation. I also chose the indie genre because it appeals to my age range and presents a similar lifestyle to teenagers. I thought it would a fun genre to work with as it connotes youth, rebellion and quirkiness.
The song I have chosen is a mixture of indie and pop, had I chosen a different genre I believe it would have been more difficult to create an effective media product. Take Tygas song 'Ayo' for example. This music video talks about money, fast cars and expensive jewelry. All of these things connote the hip-hop genre. Because they are big Stars they have the budget to work with, however i wouldn't be able to create a believable media product with the small budget i have.
When i came across the band 'Kids Love Lies' I knew that they were the band i wanted to work with. They're upbeat tempo and fun lyrics allowed me to create a quirky music video and still have it looking professional.
When doing my research bands such as 'The 1975'. the 'Arctic Monkeys' and 'The Kooks' all inspired me. I liked the fact that they didn't dress up in expensive fancy clothes, but instead kept a normality about them that not many other stars of different genres do. From this i kept my star Charlie, wearing typical trends of today, for example camp jackets, ripped jeans and converse. Although my band is made up of four men on instruments and a female lead singer my music video only featured the lead female. My reasoning for doing this is that my band also represent the pop genre which more often than not follows the lead star of the video.
Another convention of the pop genre that i have linked in my video is costume changes. Artists such as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Beyonce are seen in numerous outfits in their videos and I intended to do the same.
In this shot, Charlie is seen in a dark cellar wearing a camo jacket and a black and white stripy top. This connotes the theme of the indie genre as it creates a dark and dingy look, making her come across as edgy and rebellious. The location of the cellar allows the focus to be more so on the performer as oppose to whats going on in the background which can sometimes be the case with pop videos.
Later we see her in the woods, a much brighter setting, wearing a white lacy top and natural make-up, portraying her as an every-day 'girly-girl' contrasting with the previous shot of her in the cellar.
I used many different edits to create the mood of my media product. The lyrics in the verse of the song shows her being serious, so I used darker colours conforming to the typical indie music video, similar to the Arctic Monkeys 'When the Sun Goes Down'. However, during the instrumental and end repeats of 'count in my head' I had Charlie showing her quirkier side, dancing around and being silly. The edits for these shots were much lighter than those of her in the cellar in the previous verses as the music was more up-beat and bubbly, so I felt this would connote the pop side of the band. Overall, I believe my editing creates a dark and edgy side which connotes the genre.
In my video there is a relationship between the music and visuals as oppose to the lyrics and visuals. Rather than my shots representing the lyrics they instead work to the beat of the music. I used camera shots to match the pace of the song. For example, in this shot I used a slow panning shot as this matched the tempo of the song. Whilst filming I had the music playing in the background for Charlie to sing along to, so that she was keeping in time with the music, making it easier for me to edit when it came to putting the lip-syncing in time with the music.
I used a lot of close-ups when filing Charlie, as she's the main selling point of the band and this is what the industry and record label would require when trying to boost sales. This also follows the conventions of other female leads such as Beth Ditto in 'Standing in the Way of Control' being the main focus of the video.
Similar to the band 'The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' whose videos often feature the female lead singer in similar poses and outfits to mine; alongside similar use of camera and editing to create star status and appeal to the target audience.
I personally have found the A2 media task much more challenging than that of the AS task as it was a completely independent project, however saying that, I found the task much more enjoyable to create and enjoyed being able to show my creative side.
The task was to create a music video to the genre of your choice, along with a digipak and a magazine for an unsigned artist. With it being an unsigned artist it meant they were unlikely to have a music video already allowing me to create a completely unique music video. The digipak and magazine are used to promote the unsigned artist.
When creating my music video I knew I had to conform to real media products so had to be sure that when choosing my song and genre I was choosing something that would allow me to work with a low budget yet create an effective video. I decided to go with the indie genre as a lot of indie bands work on low budgets when crewing their music videos so decided this was best for my situation. I also chose the indie genre because it appeals to my age range and presents a similar lifestyle to teenagers. I thought it would a fun genre to work with as it connotes youth, rebellion and quirkiness.
The song I have chosen is a mixture of indie and pop, had I chosen a different genre I believe it would have been more difficult to create an effective media product. Take Tygas song 'Ayo' for example. This music video talks about money, fast cars and expensive jewelry. All of these things connote the hip-hop genre. Because they are big Stars they have the budget to work with, however i wouldn't be able to create a believable media product with the small budget i have.
When i came across the band 'Kids Love Lies' I knew that they were the band i wanted to work with. They're upbeat tempo and fun lyrics allowed me to create a quirky music video and still have it looking professional.
When doing my research bands such as 'The 1975'. the 'Arctic Monkeys' and 'The Kooks' all inspired me. I liked the fact that they didn't dress up in expensive fancy clothes, but instead kept a normality about them that not many other stars of different genres do. From this i kept my star Charlie, wearing typical trends of today, for example camp jackets, ripped jeans and converse. Although my band is made up of four men on instruments and a female lead singer my music video only featured the lead female. My reasoning for doing this is that my band also represent the pop genre which more often than not follows the lead star of the video.
Another convention of the pop genre that i have linked in my video is costume changes. Artists such as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Beyonce are seen in numerous outfits in their videos and I intended to do the same.
In this shot, Charlie is seen in a dark cellar wearing a camo jacket and a black and white stripy top. This connotes the theme of the indie genre as it creates a dark and dingy look, making her come across as edgy and rebellious. The location of the cellar allows the focus to be more so on the performer as oppose to whats going on in the background which can sometimes be the case with pop videos.
Later we see her in the woods, a much brighter setting, wearing a white lacy top and natural make-up, portraying her as an every-day 'girly-girl' contrasting with the previous shot of her in the cellar.
I used many different edits to create the mood of my media product. The lyrics in the verse of the song shows her being serious, so I used darker colours conforming to the typical indie music video, similar to the Arctic Monkeys 'When the Sun Goes Down'. However, during the instrumental and end repeats of 'count in my head' I had Charlie showing her quirkier side, dancing around and being silly. The edits for these shots were much lighter than those of her in the cellar in the previous verses as the music was more up-beat and bubbly, so I felt this would connote the pop side of the band. Overall, I believe my editing creates a dark and edgy side which connotes the genre.
In my video there is a relationship between the music and visuals as oppose to the lyrics and visuals. Rather than my shots representing the lyrics they instead work to the beat of the music. I used camera shots to match the pace of the song. For example, in this shot I used a slow panning shot as this matched the tempo of the song. Whilst filming I had the music playing in the background for Charlie to sing along to, so that she was keeping in time with the music, making it easier for me to edit when it came to putting the lip-syncing in time with the music.
I used a lot of close-ups when filing Charlie, as she's the main selling point of the band and this is what the industry and record label would require when trying to boost sales. This also follows the conventions of other female leads such as Beth Ditto in 'Standing in the Way of Control' being the main focus of the video.
Similar to the band 'The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' whose videos often feature the female lead singer in similar poses and outfits to mine; alongside similar use of camera and editing to create star status and appeal to the target audience.
Monday, 2 May 2016
Feedback for Final Cut
After showig my peers the final cut of my media product, their feedback was very positive. One peer mentioned that she enjoyed the comical aspects of the video because it shows a less serious side to the indie genre and it would appeal to the target audience.
Another peer liked the editing of colours to the beat when the camera pans across the star's body. This close-up also created star status, which is a typical of music videos. He said it displayed flare in the editing process and made it eye-catching for the target audience. They said that the speed of some shots helped set the rhythm of the product and made it flow nicely through each shot.Another peer said it was a good final cut as there was a consistent filter theme between filming locations so each filming location conveyed a different atmosphere. This made me happy as that is what I had intended to achieve when creating the product as I wanted to convey both the indie and the pop genre and make my lead singer the star of the video.
Final digipak and feedback
After listening to the feedback given to me by my peers, i created my final digipak. For my front cover i used a close-up of the lead singer as this promotes the identity of the band and allows the target audience to become familiar with her. I wanted my front cover to be eye-catching and edgy, hence why i used the harsh black and white effect, my inspiration for this coming from bands such as the 'Arctic Monkeys', 'The Kooks' and 'The 1975'.
I wanted my CD to be simple yet bold. To achieve this I had my CD being plain white with just the bands name Kids Love Lies' scribbled across the CD. The effect of the scribbled writing connotes the name 'Kids Love Lies' as it looks like childish handwriting.
My insert aims to show the fun side of the band, connoting the pop genre. I think that the silliness of the band holding up the lead singer not only shows the quirky side of the band but also shows the friendship and bond that the band have, which will come across to the audience. I also chose to have the whole band on the insert as i wanted the target audience to know that it was a band and not a solo act, which in my opinion may open up the appeal for the target audience, as often young teenage girls take an interest in boys in bands, this will then boost sales.
My back cover of my digipak is a simple shot of a green paneled fence. This shot was taken when filming the scenes of the music video. Like with the CD, i wanted my back cover to be bold and draw complete focus to the songs, hence why i used simple white writing against the dark green fence.
Once again I asked my peers to give me some feedback on my final digipak after making all the changes that they had suggested. They said that it connotes well, both the indie and the pop genre, and creates an intriguing album cover which will interest the target audience. They liked the boldness of the two outside covers and how that then contrasts with the insert in which they're messing around and the colours are brighter, giving off a friendly vibe to the band.
I wanted my CD to be simple yet bold. To achieve this I had my CD being plain white with just the bands name Kids Love Lies' scribbled across the CD. The effect of the scribbled writing connotes the name 'Kids Love Lies' as it looks like childish handwriting.
My insert aims to show the fun side of the band, connoting the pop genre. I think that the silliness of the band holding up the lead singer not only shows the quirky side of the band but also shows the friendship and bond that the band have, which will come across to the audience. I also chose to have the whole band on the insert as i wanted the target audience to know that it was a band and not a solo act, which in my opinion may open up the appeal for the target audience, as often young teenage girls take an interest in boys in bands, this will then boost sales.
My back cover of my digipak is a simple shot of a green paneled fence. This shot was taken when filming the scenes of the music video. Like with the CD, i wanted my back cover to be bold and draw complete focus to the songs, hence why i used simple white writing against the dark green fence.
Once again I asked my peers to give me some feedback on my final digipak after making all the changes that they had suggested. They said that it connotes well, both the indie and the pop genre, and creates an intriguing album cover which will interest the target audience. They liked the boldness of the two outside covers and how that then contrasts with the insert in which they're messing around and the colours are brighter, giving off a friendly vibe to the band.
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