Wednesday 26 December 2012

Evaluation


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

My media product uses all different types of media conventions and forms throughout my coursework. Within my music video I have used conventions which I picked up throughout my research. I made sure that I had both a story line and performance in my music video which tends to be a convention of most music videos. I then made sure within the performance it was all lip synced and in time with the song. When I looked at CD digipaks they all tended to show one thing, simplicity. Due to this I thought that within my mine I would follow conventions and keep mine quite simple too. When I also looked inside CD digipaks they tended to include lyrics so once again once I had asked a group of people on their opinion, I chose to follow conventions and do the same. When I started to look at magazine advertisements they all seemed to look too packed and busy to I decided to keep with the simplicity which I used throughout and kept it simple.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 




























These are my two ancillary tasks and my main product. I have tried to show continuity throughout by using the same actress/model throughout, I also have her dressed quite casual but also trendy in all photos. I think because I have done this it means they are more effective and the audience relates the products more and in their heads links the three together. I have used similar locations in all here tasks so that they will all link together continuously. I think that how I have composed the magazine advertisement it makes you want to see what the CD digipak looks like, which then makes you want to hear the song and see the video to go with it. They all link together even by the make up used in each product as it is all the same quite natural make u with defines her already beautiful features. I have also used the same font in each ancillary task, in the same colours to show continuity and to show that it is for the same album and artist.



 


What have you learned from your audience feedback?

From the feedback that I have been given I have learnt that what I perceive to be good/conventional is not what others always think. I have been given feedback from different groups of people on their opinions on what my work should include and then on what they thought I change in the work that I did. I managed to get feedback on each of my ancillary tasks and my filmed video. From the feedback I was given I changed my opinions on what I put into my filming and what to put onto my ancillary tasks.

For my ancillary tasks I created a questionnaire for each to get people’s opinions on what they think my magazine advertisement and CD Digipak should consist of. From the results I gathered, I tried to design my products that would please my audience. I also created a questionnaire to help me with ideas when creating my music video which also told me what they expected and wanted to see.

This was the first idea on what picture I wanted for my CD cover. I decided to show a group of students and asked them for their feedback on whether they thought that it was a good picture for my front cover (picture one). Their feedback said that they would prefer a different picture which linked to the name of the album. I then chose a different photo (picture two) which got good feedback from everyone. they said with the right editing it would be a very good and suitable picture for my CD cover. So from showing people what I thought would be good, I got feedback which made me re-think what I wanted as my photo and what would appeal to a wider audience.
 
Photo 1
 
 
 
 
 
 



 
Photo 2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I then edited my photo and cut it down to be more suitable for the CD cover by doing this it changed the shadowing on the face and made the picture brighter and more eye catching I also illuminated her face and darkened her hair to have an even better contrast. It also makes her look angelic as such which draws people in and keep them interested.


 
I then thought that the shot should be more of her face so I cropped it down even more so it draws you in and makes you notice the small details. I then added text to it which was the name of my album and then the name of my artist which I put in white and pink which goes in with my theme thoughout.
 
 
 
I also did this sort of process for my magazine advertisement and my music video. I think that what I have learnt is that its best to get feedback along the way because otherwise I would not have produced the work as well and my video wouldn't have linked together as well. I have learnt that audience feedback is essential when making a media product.
 
 
 
 
 
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
 
When constructing, researching, planning and in my evaluation I used lots of different media technologies. When researching all of my tasks I used websites such as Youtube to watch other types of music videos to get an idea of the conventions throughout and what I could use for my own music videos. I also used websites such as Google to research into different magazine advertisements and CD digipaks. This enabled me to plan out what sort of things needed to be in my CD digipak and what needed to be on my magazine advertisement. From this it made it easier to decide what conventions I was going to include in my own version of each one. When constructing my pieces I used a digital camera to film all of my music video and take the pictures for my ancillary tasks. I also used a website call clip converter which enabled me to edit my song and cut it down slightly. I then used a program called Windows movie maker which enabled me to put all of my filmed clips together and then add the music to it to make it a complete video. When I was constructing my magazine advertisement and CD digipak I used a website called PicMonkey this meant that I could edit my photos and add the relevant text that I needed to, to make it into either of my ancillary tasks. I also used Youtube to post my video as I was making it and the finished piece so that people can see my progress and what I have changed throughout. When making all of this I have been recording everything on a website called Blogger which then shows my progress throughout.  
 
 
 

Thursday 20 December 2012

My Final Music Video

This is my final music video in which I have changed along the way from the advice and feedback I have had from lots of different types of people.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0yt7QdzmUA&feature=youtu.be

As this was my last version I made sure that I cut clips down and added extra clips in so that it would appeal to my target audience more. I also added extra clips in to keep the audiences attention and so that there was always something happening. I also fixed my lip syncing so now it is completely in time, and I added a slight blurring on some clips to it so it links it to being a dream. When I got feedback everyone was very happy with it and enjoyed it.


If I was to do this task again I would think about changing my actors as I think that I needed to so that everyone understood the storyline. That would have been my first choice but as the people I was going to use were not able to do it, I had to improvise and change my storyline. I think I would also do performance outside as well as in so that you got a feel for both.

Music video

I have made my music video and throughout the way got feedback from different sets of people on what they think I should add, change, shorten etc. I have got three stages with the comments I have been given and have written the nescessary changes I will make and changes I have made.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkfTMeVD6nA

This was the first draft of my music video that i started to make I had not added music at this point but just started putting shots together. I showed this to group of students who gave me their feedback on it. The feedback mainly said that i needed to make the clips shorted and obviously the the music and vary the clips more often.







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIVH4z8SpIg

This is the second draft of my music video, I had taken on the feedback from the students and made the clips shorter, added more clips and added the music to it as it was what the audience wanted to see. I then showed this clip to another set of students who gave me feedback on my video. The feedback said that they wanted to see my actor performing the song not just the story line. They also said they wanted to see more clips within it and shorten certain clips.







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l76_Pl_ExwQ&feature=youtu.be


This is my final draft version of my music video. I took on the feedback from the last part of my music video and decided to add some performance into it to break it up rather than just a storyline. I also shortened clips and added more in to keep the attention of the viewers so its not the same clip all the time. I tried to make sure that my performance pieces were lip synced and in time with the music. When i got feedback it was all mainly good apart from a few comments on that they might have liked to see a male actor within my music video and maybe be some more shorter clips. I decided not to take their advice because My music video was from the males perspective watching my female actress, so changing this would ruin the concept of my music video.


Magazine advertisement

 
These are the stages of making my magazine advertisement. The first photo is the unedited photo in which I took, I thought that the angle and way she is looking in the opposite direction makes the photo edgy and interesting to look at. I also think her hair looks long and beautiful in this photo so it makes girls envious etc.
 
 
 
 This is my second version of this photo, i edited it to make it brighter so that it looks more vibrant and eye catching. i also darkened her lips to make them stand out more. I get very good feedback from this photo with people saying they really liked the contrast between her dark hair and the background/complexion, they also liked how the darkness of her jumper against her skin.
 
 
 
 

This is my final magazine advertisement, from my last one to this i have lightened the picture even more so that you see her face without as much shadowing on the left side. I then added the name of the album at the bottom of the poster in big bold writing which I put in white so it would stand out on the blue of her jumper. i then put her name and the release date of the album above the title of the ablum and put it in a pink to appeal to the female gender, to stand out by the white and to also match in with her lip colour. I also put 'Debut album' above that in white to show continuity. I then also put in pink at the top to the right of her head that includes her 'No.1 hit'




I think if I was to do this ancillary task again I would do some more research into magazine covers and maybe have havd a different background so it stands out more and appeals to different types of audiences.

Monday 17 December 2012

Cd Digipak

This is my finished CD Digipak, I have used the feedback I was given from the questionnaire I gave out to help me create this.
 
 


This is the front cover of my CD. I have chosen to keep it quite simple as all of the album covers I looked at kept their front covers to the minimum. I used the photo that i did as it looks like shes looking down and dreaming which is to do with the CD name. I liked how the lighting was on her face and how it created a shadow on the left side of her face. I kept the writing to the minimum and just wrote her name and the name of the album.









 
 
These are the insides of my CD cover, I have put the lyrics to my song in which I have done a music video to. I have used a scenic background which is used in the music video that I filmed to show continuity. This is so they link together and I also thought it made it look interesting. I kept the text colour the same as it has run throughout (light pink and white). I put the lyrics on the inside as it was the best reponse I got to what people wanted to see inside.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is my back cover, I put the name of each song title in a white text so it stands out on a black background. I put the text in an easily readable font so that it is easy for everyone to understand. I have also added a barcode which is a converntional feature on the back cover of a CD digipak.
 
 
 
 
 
I think if I could do this ancillary task again I would do more research into the inside and back covers of CD digipaks rather than mainly the front covers. I would also change the font colours and the background of the inside of my digipak .
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday 13 December 2012

Questionnaire for Magazine advertisement

I am a media student creating a music video, I need to also make a magazine advertisement and would like you to tell me what you would like to see on my one.

1) Would you expect to see the same picture on the advertisement as the one on the cd cover ?
  • Yes
  • No
2) What would you expect to see on a magazine advertisement ? (pick 3)
  • Picture
  • Quotes from critics about the album
  • Title of the album being advertised
  • Name of the artist
  • Release date
3) If you said no to question 1 what sort of picture would you like to see on the poster?
  • Different image of the artist
  • Scenery
  • Picture of their concert
  • A long shot of the artist with a scenic background
4) If you chose a different image of the artist for question 3 what sort of shot would you like to see ?
  • Close up (head and shoulder shot)
  • Mid shot (middle to full body shot)
  • Long shot (whole body but rest of the scene shown in the photo)
5) What sort of make up would you like to see on the artist ?
  • Natural
  • Natural but definition around the eyes
  • Natural but definition of lips
  • Bold eyes and lips
  • Lots of make up in all areas of the face
  • Other ...............................................................
6) What sort of background would you like to see ?
  • Plain
  • Brightly coloured
  • Scenic
  • Other ................................................................


Results

From these results I have a good idea on what my audience want to see on my magazine advertisement, so I am going to create my own magazine advertisement based on these.



















Tuesday 11 December 2012

Edited Pictures


I have edited my pictures on www.picmonkey.com.  I liked all of the pictures but I think I am going to use the 1st and the 2nd pictures for my  my CD digipak. I like the first and second pictures as I think they draw you in more and they aren't boring in black and white. I think that the second picture is the better out of the two as I think that its brighter, edgier and catches peoples attention more. I also think the angle of the picture gives a mysterious vibe and that makes you want to listen to her songs to find out why she has that expression on her face.