Evaluation
Q1: In what ways does
your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
Andrew Goodwin did work on music videos and his set of
‘points’ are useful for understanding how to construct a product that follows
codes and conventions. He states that at least one of his points will be
included in a music video.
Our media product uses some of the codes and conventions of
music videos in relation to Goodwin’s points. This is because we have provided
a relationship between the lyrics and the
visuals. We managed to achieve this by having the lyrics included in the
slender notes which are a key part to the sub plot of involving the
"Slenderman". We were able to produce our own slender notes which we
used within our filming of the sub plot to then include within the video where
it matched the lyrics to provide this relationship between the lyrics and the
visuals. This uses the codes and conventions of music videos because Goodwin
states that there will be a relationship between the music and the visuals. He
said that the visuals should illustrate the lyrics and that is what we have
achieved by producing the slender notes within the music video.
These two shots were included in the music video where the lyrics are 'Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na' and 'Who Do You Think You Are'
We also followed the codes and
conventions of music videos because we provided a relationship between the
music and the visuals. We increased the pace of the editing throughout the
music video and it becomes faster by the end. This was essential because the
tempo of the song increases throughout. It provided a good relationship between
the music and the visuals. This was so we would be able to keep the interest of
the viewer and provides good emphasis on the music and the cutting on the beat.
This also follows Goodwin’s points for the codes and conventions of music
videos because he states that there should be a relationship between the music
and the visuals. We achieved this convention of music videos by ensuring we had
enough coverage and were able to out in a variety of different shot types to
make the pace of the editing increase.
We have gone against the codes and
conventions of music videos. Goodwin stated that record companies will demand a
lot of close ups of the main artist or vocalist. In our music video we have not
included as many close ups of the vocalist. We have two different shot types
where the vocalist is shown up close but the main areas were the vocalist is
shown is through the master shot of the whole band. We decided to do this
because we wanted to include a variety of different shots of all the other band
members and not just the vocalist. This could be said to follow the codes and
conventions of music videos but the background band members are not the main
artists or vocalist. This does not follow the codes and conventions of music
videos because we have not included a lot of close ups of the vocalist.
We also followed the codes and
conventions of music videos because we decided to provide and intertextual
reference within our music video. The internextual reference that we decided to
use was the reference to the game “Slender: The Eight Pages” which is where we
came up with the idea to film as if we were in the game and include the
“Slender notes” and the “Slenderman” in a sub plot to the performance in our
music video. This idea came up because we looked at the lyrics to the song and
found that they related to the game in a certain way because the lyrics are
about looking for love. We decided to make this reference to the game, because
the “Slenderman” and the game player are both looking, but take a twist on it
and make it so that the “Slenderman” was looking for love. Once we had this
idea we then decided that it would make an effective sub plot to keep the
interest and provide pleasure for the viewer. This is following the codes and
conventions of music videos because it has a reference to an outside product
within the music video which was used to keep the interest of the audience
which we managed to achieve through audience feedback.
Our music video was also conventional
of the genre that we were trying to represent. The genre of the song that we
had chosen was pop punk and we decided to try and re-create this genre within
our music video. To do this, we decided to get the band members to wear clothes
that would be classed as fitting into the pop punk genre. Two members of the
group wore check shirts, skinny jeans and vests which is conventional of the
genre that we were trying to follow. This was effective because it meant that
the product looked more realistic and looked more like the genre that we were trying
to represent.
This image shows that the band who's song we used, You Me At Six, also wear check shirts coventional of the genre.
Our music video was also conventional
of the genre that we were trying to represent because we managed to get a whole
band to be included within the music video. It was conventional of our genre to
have a whole band included within the music video to show a performance by the
band. We managed to get together enough people to create a four piece band to
do the performance of our music video. We also managed to get hold of a drum
kit and also get this to the location for us to be able to create this
performance that is conventional of our genre. This was effective because it
meant that we could represent the genre more clearly and also make sure that we
were sticking to the genre that we were representing.
We produced two ancillary tasks which
were to create a Digipak and Magazine Advert for our music video. The Digipak
was to be an album design that had the song that we covered on it. The Magazine
Advert had to promote the Digipak including reference to the song.
Our Digipak was conventional of the
genre of the song that we chose. The genre of the song that we chose was pop
punk which we felt would be good for the song and also it would be effective
for the Digipak because we could relate to the genre very well. Our Digipak was
conventional of the genre that we chose because we decided to use dark images
that show the band members which is conventional for the genre because with
most pop punk albums the band is generally shown. It was also conventional of
the genre because the front cover and back cover include dark backgrounds with
bright images which is conventional of the genre because pop punk is generally
‘dark’ but has a bright side to it.
Our Magazine Advert was also
conventional of our genre. This is because for our genre it is conventional for
magazine adverts to have generally dark backgrounds. We decided that it would
be effective to use a dark background because it was conventional to the genre
but it would also mean that the text on top would stand out and catch the eyes
of the audience. It is also conventional of our genre to have bright imagery
included within magazine adverts. With this in mind we decided to use the image
from our Digipak as the background to our magazine advert and then have text on
top of this. This was because it was a bright, contrasting image compared to
the dark background so it would grab the attention of the audience and it would
also stand out.
Our magazine advert was also conventional
of magazine adverts in general, not just typically our genre. Magazine adverts
will almost always have reference to the sites where the album or tour is
available to gain information or buy from. We decided to include the websites
of places that we felt that our album would be available to buy, and included
the logos and websites of these into the magazine advert. It is also
conventional for magazine adverts to include reference to the Digipak in some
kind of way, to make a link for the audience between the two different
products. We decided to include the image from our Digipak front cover on our
magazine advert because this would provide the link between the two for the
audience and it also made an effective background for the information to go on.
Q2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary
tasks?
I used powerpoint created software 'Prezi' to be able to create a presentation on the information below and answe the above question.
I used powerpoint created software 'Prezi' to be able to create a presentation on the information below and answe the above question.
After the filming, editing and final production
of our music video, we had to create two ancillary tasks to accompany our music
video. These were to create a Digipak and a Magazine Advert for our music
video. We have created our Digipak and Magazine advert, and within these we
have tried to reflect the genre that our music video was. Our song for our
music video was of the pop punk genre so in the video we tried to recreate
this.
We first created our Digipak which
was to be a CD cover for our music video. Within this we were able to include
images that would represent that band. We decided that during our filming we
would take photos which we could include in the Digipak. These images included a
variety of different shots of the band together as well as the equipment etc.
This links our music video and our Digipak well together because it provides a
link between the two products that would be recognisable by the audience. This also
then provides a link to the genre because it means that the style used within
the music video was reflected in the Digipak. This is through the costume that
the actors wore for the performance. The performers were asked to wear clothes
typical to the pop punk genre which includes skinny jeans, check shirts and
vests. Once we had managed to gain this link to the genre within the music video
then it was easy to recreate this in the Digipak because we took the images on
the day.
We also again provided a link between
the music video and the Digipak through the genre. This is because the genre
that we had chosen was conventional to include dark colours. Within the music
video we were able to use dark colours through the forest scene for the performance
and well as through the sub plot for the “Slenderman”. These dark colours came
from the background which is conventional of the genre. We managed to recreate
this through the colours used for the background for the Digipak front and back
covers as well as the images used within the Digipak. We chose to use black as
a background because it was the darkest colour possible to use and it would
reflect the genre. We also darkened the images used inside the Digipak using
Photoshop so that we could make the images a bit more original and conventional
of the genre. It is also conventional for bright colours to be used to
emphasise certain things such as instruments, guitar straps etc. We managed to incorporate
this into the music video through the use of a guitar and guitar strap. This
provided a bright stand out colour that provides and emphasis onto it. We
recreated this in the Digipak by using bright colours for the front and back
covers for the Digipak. After we used a band name generator for the name of the
band and the name of the album we then decided to recreate these in the covers
by using bright colours. An example of this is that we took the name of the
band, being “Neon Lizard Junkies”, and decided to take this opportunity to add
in the bright colours that are conventional of the genre. We managed to do this
through taking and image of a lizard and editing it so that the edges and
insides were of bright, neon colours. This was effective because it allowed us
to be able to include the bright colours whilst also linking to the band so
that it didn’t look out of place. Another example for us being able to include
bright colours within the Digipak was that we used the name of the album within
the front and back covers. The name of the album is “Hipster Nicotine” which we
managed to use for the front cover including a cigarette and the same for the
back cover. From the cigarette we decided to make the smoke bright colours to
continue the genre links from the music video. We again used Photoshop to be
able to change the colours of the smoke to make it different colours.
We also created a Magazine Advert
which could be used to promote the album in which the music video would be
included. We decided that to create an effective link between the Digipak and
the Magazine Advert we would use the same image that was on the front of the
Digipak. This would be an effective link for the audience because from the
magazine article they would then we able to recognise the Digipak because of
the repetition of the image. Through this link to the Digipak we were able to
make genre links for the Magazine article through the codes and conventions of
our genre. An example of this is that again our genre would typically use dark
colours as a background. We managed to repeat this in the Magazine Advert
because we used the same black background from the Digipak. This made an
effective genre link because it followed the convention of having dark background
whilst also emulating the Digipak. This also provided a link to the music video
because in the music video there were a lot of dark images used such as the
background for most of the sub plot shots of the “Slenderman”. Another genre
link we created through the use of the Digipak and the Magazine Advert was the
convention that our genre used bright colours to make certain information or
items stand out. We managed to create this link to the genre through the use of
a bright back image to make the poster stand out. This colour was then used for
the ‘Sticker’ that provides the information of the release date of the album
for the audience. This provides a genre link because it shows that we used
bright colours to be able to make certain parts stand out which we used within
the music video, through the use of bright instruments, as well as within the
Digipak, through the use of bright images.
Q3: What have you learned from your audience feedback?
We created a Directors Commentary which includes clips from our music video. We created a directors commentary by recording us talking about our audience feedback and how we used this feedback constructively to create a better final product.
Q4: How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
I used Xtranormal to create a presentation of the new media technologies we used in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages of our music video. This software allowed me to be abel to type in what I wanted the characters to say and then it would put it together to create a presentation of the information.
Adam Stronge Evaluation Question 4Q3: What have you learned from your audience feedback?
We created a Directors Commentary which includes clips from our music video. We created a directors commentary by recording us talking about our audience feedback and how we used this feedback constructively to create a better final product.
Q4: How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
I used Xtranormal to create a presentation of the new media technologies we used in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages of our music video. This software allowed me to be abel to type in what I wanted the characters to say and then it would put it together to create a presentation of the information.
by: longroadmusicvideo12
