Music Video

Ancillary Final Piece.

I have developed my media ancillary texts by changing the colours to suit both the cd cover and the magazine advert creating a house style for my media products. I have changed the font and placed it on both products. I have also added screenshots from my music video so that all my media products link together and can be identified with each other. 

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

iMovie

When working on all aspects of my media studies coursework i used the mac computers to use different products to produce my media products (ancillary text and music video) To create my music video i used the imovie programme on the mac computers to create my music video. Using imovie allowed me to take the clips i filmed on camera and edit them to create a music video, using imovie let me edit, add transitions and add the audio clip to the video to create a conventional music video, it also allowed me to cut clips and place them at suitable times of the songs with ease. imovie helped me construct my music video. by using imovie it allowed me to cut some of my clips that i had filmed into different sections of the video so that the narrative could be spread out inbetween the performance videos, it also allowed me to add completely black 'images' which made my music video look like it was "clapping" to the beat which made the different clips appear in time with the beat. It also allowed me to add effects to my clips for example it allowed me to enhance the brightness and colours on my clips as well as speeding the clips up and down. I also found that the 'flip' tool on imovie was a useful featured as it allowed me to rewind my clips so that they played backwards in my music video so that it looks like my music video is rewinding back in time which is the effect i wanted to do with my music video as i wanted to give the impression of the night "lasting forever and ever and ever" which is the lyric at the point where the flip reverse tool has been used. This programme was well suited for creating a music video as i was able to take the sound from the clips i had shot on my camera and mute it so that it could not be heard, and i did this and added the audio from "blink 182 - first date" on to the videos so that my video is a conventional video and fits the forms.When i had finished my full music video and putting it together it allowed me to finalize the video so that it was able to convert into a file which allows me to upload it straight on to Youtube. I found imovie a very simple and easy way to edit and create my music video and it suited me well.

Photoshop

When creating my ancillary text i used the media technology 'Adobe Photoshop CS5' which allowed me to place images and texts as well as editing images for me magazine poster and my digi pack (Cd pack) with adobe i could create layers on top of layers to create the whole look i want for my ancillary texts, it also offered a variety of fonts which allowed me to use a unique font for my bands name which i continued in both of my ancillary texts to create continuity and a house style. Photoshop allowed me to pick from a range of fonts and i picked 2 fonts from all the options which i included onto my digipak. A big feature on photoshop which i used was the shape tool which allowed me to create block shapes of red onto my ancillary texts which is a tool and colour i used on both my digi pack and my magazine advertisment. I downloaded the digi pack template from the internet (web 2.0) and placed it onto the photoshop programme so that i had a template and base to work with and i set this as a background layer so that i could place of images on layers above this, making it easier for me to create my digi pack. For both my digi pack and magazine advert i found the duplicating layers tool a big help and very useful as it allowed me to copy layers and place it onto another photo product, for example the text layer on my digipack i could then duplicate this layer on to my magazine advert so that the colour, text, and angle was the same on both products meaning that i could have continuity on both of my texts. When i had finished my photoshop products, photoshop allows you to convert the images into a JPEG file so that it can then be uploaded on the my blog.

Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is massive and allowed me to search almost anything and everything for my planning and research as well as uploading my final products. 

Google: 

Google.com is a search engine which i used to search for everything (planning and research ect) google and google chrome is also the website which allowed me to create my blogger account. When doing planning and research google allowed me to search and look at existing products for example it allowed me to look at the typical stereotype of a pop punk band so that i could feature it on my own products. I searched for existing products on google to help me with my ancillary texts as well as looking at hard copies myself. 

Youtube:

When planning my music video i used the website Youtube.com which allows audiences to watch all types of videos, and by using you tube i watched a variety of pop punk genre music videos which allowed me to recognise the conventions of the genre pop punk so that i could include these conventions in my own music video so that my genre is recognisable to my target audience. I also used this media technology you tube to upload my own music video so that it can be uploaded on to my blog and seen by my audience so that i could recieve feedback from my peers as well as uploading my complete music video so that it could also be featured on my blog via you tube.

Blogger:

All my media coursework is uploaded on to the media platform blogger, by using this it allowed me to upload all my coursework and to also do my audience research as i was able to create a poll / questionare on to my blog which allowed me to recieve feedback of audiences and this can be seen on my blog. 

When planning and researching the conventions of genres i used the media technology prezzi.com and created a prezzi presentation to present my research findings and by using prezzi it allowed me to present my research in a creative simple way.

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

My music video uses the forms and conventions of real pop punk genre music videos, and this is because i want my music video to be recognisable by genre, and to get this right i analysed real media products of the pop punk genre as research for my own music video. When doing research and analysing my chosen product i found that most pop punk music videos featured humour and a 'having a good time' kind of attitude and i used this convention in my own music video to match the genre making it recognisable with support from the song blink 182 - first date which is also a pop punk song. When researching existing pop punk music videos i looked at the type of people that are featured in the videos, and the majority were stereotypically 'alternative' so in my music video i followed this convention and used 'alternative' looking characters to starr in my own music video so that my music video followed the conventions of the pop punk genre. 

To challenge the forms of the pop punk genre music videos for my music video i created my own narrative to match the lyrics of my chosen song. Although this is a feature and form of most music videos it goes against my genre for music videos, as when carrying out my research most of the pop punk videos i analysed and researched did not include a typical narrative like mine does, as mine follows a narrative of the genre of romance as my narrative is about a real first date and includes conventions of romance narratives. I have conformed to the majority of the genres conventions as i wanted my music videos genre to be easily recognised by my target audience, so for my music video i have used a band and included performances clips of them playing guitar, drums and bass as this is a typical convention for pop punk music videos therefore i have conformed to this convention. Pop punk is usually related to skaters so i have also conformed to this stereotype and have included clips of two people skating in my music video so then my music video includes the stereotypes related to this genre.

When researching pop punk music videos i found that humour and comedy is included in the majority of pop punk music videos, and i have used this convention in my own music video by making my cast 'act daft' and pull quirky faces to make the video less serious which the majority of the pop punk music videos are meaning that i have developed this convention in my own music video.

I took inspiration from the original first dates song by blink 182 where they have used silly humour in the first dates music video and i developed this idea and convention in my own music video by adding subtle humour in my own music video.

When creating my ancillary product i researched existing products and instead of conforming to all the conventions i developed on them and made them my own giving them its own individuality. I kept my ancillary products simple rather then giving them a 'laid back' look which most of the pop punk genred magazine adverts and cd packs looked like. Although as well as going against the conventions of the magazine adverts and cd packs i researched i did stick to the most important conventions which is the typical layout of magazine adverts and cd packs, i used the conventions such as the text for example; "out now" the band names and the bands name. For the cd pack i stuck to the convention of pop punk cd cover by including an advisory label which i found that the majority of pop punk cd covers to include when doing my research. When doing my research i also found that cd covers and some magazine adverts include the record labels name and i have also used this convention in my own ancillary products to make my products look more professional. For the magazine cover of the ancillary text i have used the colours red. black and white which created a house style for my ancillary texts, also to add to the houses style i have used the same font of text on both my magazine advertisement and my digi pack.

Overall when doing my research and planning for my media products it clearly shows that i have used the majority of the conventions which are found with the pop punk genre as well as developing on these forms and conventions to my media products my own and a original.

 When i was doing my research on my ancillary texts i found that they was a convention of magazine adverts using a the album cover on the magazine advert also and therefore i used this convention on my own ancillary texts, so that the album cover is recognisable to my target audience through the magazine advert. I also found that on all magazine adverts advertising an album or single including these two (blink and issues) have a release date for when the album is coming out and i have also used this convention in my own work, so that my target audience know exactly when my single is going to be released to by.

 Magazine adverts also include the bands name and the name of the single and i have used this too. Although on my magazine advert i have included a different convention, which allows my target audience to go online and pre-order the single, therefore i have gone against all the conventions i have researched on the existing products i have found and created my own by allowing my audience to pre-order and giving them the website link to do so this could be challenging the conventions of the magazine adverts i have found.

When i researched existing CD covers i found that most pop punk cd covers and related covers of this genre feature a parental advisory label on the front so i have gone and also followed this convention on my own product, i also used the convention of which all cd covers have which is a scan label so that the cd can be bought in shops by the consumer, so i have followed this convention on my own products.

 Instead of conforming to a messy look like the blink 182 cd pack which is of the pop punk genre, i have gone against this convention and gave my cd pack a more simplistic look and i am happy with the look i have created for my cd cover. Although i have used the convention of including a picture of those who feature in the music video which the blink 182 cd pack also features on the back of the cover. As my digipak is a single, i have only featured three tracks as this is usually a common feature on singles as singles usually 1-3 songs where as albums feature a lot more. Although i have gone against the convention of having just one CD i have challenged this convention by creating two CDs in my digi pak and i have featured a 'bonus disc' which features the music video, so that the audience can purchase the Transways Cd and as well as getting the songs they also get a disc which features the music video, i have done this so that all my products link together and are connected so that they can be recognized and come as a packet. I have gone against the conventions of CD covers as the majority of the images featured on my digi pack are screen shots from the music video where as most cd covers feature images taken especially for the cd cover or illustrated art work, so by taking screenshots i have challenged and gone against the conventions of a pop punk genre cd cover, but i have still used the conventions of the pop punk genre such as the bright colours, alternative clothing and a drum cymbal which are all features of pop punk so that the genre of my cd is still recognizable to my target audience. I have also conformed to the feature of a house style for my products, which includes the same text fonts and the colours so that all the products are recognizable as a package and relate to one another.

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

I believe that my two products together are effective as they both hold a house style which keeps the continuity throughout the the two products, for example; the theme of the colour red is continued throughout my music video and ancillary text, which is a convention of most media products and campaigns. I analysed magazine adverts and music videos of the pop punk genre to help me come up with my media products as i took inspiration from the products i looked at, therefore i believe that my media products all together are effective as my inspiration came from other pop punk genred media txts and products. When looking at pop punk music videos i found that they incoparate humour in the majority of their music videos for example bands such as blink 182, fall out boy and sum 41 music videos are mostly comedic and connate "having a laugh" and "taking the mick"therefore i have made sure that my music video includes comedy within the narrative to match the conventions of the pop punk genre. When carrying out audience research i found that the stereotypical person who listens to the genre of my music video are stereotypically 'alternative' and have an 'alternative' look, therefore because of this i chose to have a cast with an alternative look which the audience may be able to relate to. The female in my music video (Ayisja) has an alternative looks as she has tattoos and piercings and a rockabilly look to her and the male in my music video (Simon) also has this look as he has an 'alternative' fashion sense and choice of clothing as he wears baggy tops and skinny jeans which again is stereotypical of the pop punk genre as it embraces individuality. My music has the effective convention that most music videos have which is shots or actions which match to certain words of the song at the correct time, and i have done this with my music video as it is an effective convention. When looking at magazine posters advertising pop punk albums and singles i found that they tend to keep their posters simple with a 'laid back look' as thats the image what my genre tend to go for in the majority of their media products.

I have placed my magazine advert thats advertising my cd cover in a 'kerrang!' magazine i have done this because this magazine will attract my target audience as the type of people that buy and read this magazine are the target audience i am aiming my media products towards.

Kerrang magazine is an alternative music magazine which features rock bands and bands of my genre therefore this is the ideal magazine to place my ancillary product. My magazine advert also fits well with the house style colours of kerrang magazine (red and black) which my magazine advert also features therefore it fits perfectly with the magazine. I also have placed my CD cover on the 'Transways - Date Night' track which shows what my CD cover will look like on Itunes.

My main product and ancillary texts support each other as they both include the same cast and for my ancillary products i have used screen shots froms clips that are included in my music video so that all my products fit together and can be identified together by my target audience. Both my ancillary texts (the cd pack and the magazine advert) have there own house styles as i have used the same font on both products as well as the same colours. I have used the main image of the two cast members holding hands on both my cd cover and my magazine advert so that when my audience look at the magazine advert they'll then go out to buy the cd and be able to recognise it straight away by the main image as it is included on both my ancillary products.

My ancillary texts are effective in combination with the music video because i have used screen shots from my music video and placed them on my digi pack and the magazine advertisement, i have made sure that all my products can be recognised together as a package and audiences will be able to see this when they look at my final products. When asking my peers to look at my products (music video and ancillary texts) they have all recognised that these products are all related and effective together. On my ancilary texts i have created my own housestyle for my products and continuity throughout. I have used the same font text on both my products and the same colours on the products too, red being the main colour which catches the audiences eye, i wanted red to be vibrant throughout my products because when looking at conventions of the pop punk genre i have found that they use lots of bright colours and red is a main one, so i have to included it into my products, i have also used the colour red in my music video by having the female character wear a red bandana and red lipstick so that my music video goes with my ancillary texts to create a similar package making my media products effective.

What have your learnt from your audience feedback?

My audience feedback on my music video is a mix of positives and things that i could have improved on but overall i have had a good review from my target audience, by asking my target audience questions about my music video it showed me that my music video has been successful. If i was to do my music video all over again they also gave me ideas which i can build and improve on.

When carrying out research into my music video and genre i set up a focus group (below) to allow me to get an audiences view on the pop punk genre and what they expect to see in a pop punk music video and how it is represented in media videos. By doing this it allowed me to get an outside opinion from two different people who enjoy two different genres (indie and hip-hop) From this feedback it allowed me to feature the expectations of a pop punk genre into my music video for example: Dom said he expects to see "piercings and tattoos" so i included a girl in my music video who has those and he also said he would "prefer to see a performance video" so i have included a band and performance clips into my music video. 

(also featured on a previous post)

Again when carrying out my research i created a poll on my blog which a few participants have took part and filled out for me and this allowed me to gain my research about my audience. Also when looking for my target audience i conducted a survey on the research i had found on the conventions of pop punk music videos and asked local friends who are interested in the pop punk genre what they expect to see in a pop punk music video and the majority of them said they expect to see "instruments, fast edits, comedy and alternative stereotypes" and this allowed me to create a pie chart of my results from my audience feedback on what the majority expected and by doing this it allowed me to see my target audiences expectations of a pop punk music video so that i could incorporate these aspects into my music video.

Filming music video #2

(added)

Location -
In the street
Band practice room
Bedroom x2

Added Props -
Skateboard
Guitars
Drums

Ive added clips to my first draft as well as edits and transitions, ive added clips of two members playing drums and guitar so that it fits the conventions of a pop punk music videos as instruments are shown and appear in the majority of pop punk music videos so i added these clips so that my genre was more recognisable and so it fits the forms and conventions of my genre.

I have also added clips of two people skating down the street as the genre of pop punk is usually related and stereotyped to skaters.

I have also added my clips of my cast (the couple) to fit my narrative genre of romance and this makes my narrative/storyline more known by the audience.

First Date Music Video 1st Draft

This is my first draft of my music video i still have a one minute and a few seconds worth of footage to film and add to the draft to make it complete as well as adding transactions in between. In my first draft i have added some transactions towards the end to show that the actor Simon is day dreaming. I also need to take some of the audio of some of the clips I'm editing as I've left some out and I will do this on my 2nd draft.

Animatic of my still shots.

This is an animatic video of some of my main still shots which match my story board (which is posted on my blog and i also have an animatic of my storyboard with the song) I have placed my still shots in time with the music which also matches up with my music video.

Still shots of my main scenes.

(from storyboard)

Shot 2:

Shot 4:

Shot 5:

Shot 6: 

Shot 7: 

Shot 11:

Shot 12: 

Shot 21: 

Shot: 23

Shot 24: 

Make up and styling.

Pre-production to shooting my music video the key and main things i need was the colour red as i wanted this to be a feature that stands out in my music video. Do feature the colour red i made sure that my model Ayisja was wearing red lipstick and a red bandana and these are shown throughout the video.

 These are the make up equipment i used on my model for the music video and as you can see the red bandana and the red lipstick feature here and below is the result. I made sure my model kept her piercing in as this is a usual feature in pop punk genres and having a model who has piercings really worked well.

For my male model Simon i made him wear casual, laid back clothing as that is the look that it usually seen in pop punk genres, and seeing these conventions on my music video will attract and appeal to my audience as they may find a quality in my models which they appeal to or can relate with as well as recognizing the genre of my video. Below is a picture of Simon and what he was wearing for the music video.

Over all both my models fit the appearance of someone that would typically feature in a pop punk music video as they both have an alternative look to them and because of this they both work and look good together in the music video.

Draft One of Ancillary Texts

For my first draft of my advertisement i have taken inspirational from one of the posters i have analysed (the issues poster) as i thought it was simple but yet good layout and its an alternative idea which is the look i am going for. Although i may add an image of one of the people who are star in my music video and carry out the emphasis of the red when doing so (example show on my post of a drawn up draft of my digipack) From the issues poster i have analysed i have included the idea of having a place where the audience can pre order the cd as i thought this was a good feature to include, when doing this i have included a link to a website (another media platform and a form of web 2.0) and i have made up my own name for a record label 'lock down records' as this is a feature that is included in all music side of media as every source of music needs a record company when releasing as this is a conventional feature. The poster may need some tweaking as i want continuity throughout my ancillary texts as i have found this is conventional of a CD and magazine poster when i was looking at research products. I have also made sure to include a date of the singles release which again is crucial for a poster advertising the release of a single as this allows the audience to know when the cd / single is available to buy which again is a conventional feature of an advertisment advertising the release of a cd or single. 

The first draft of my digi pack back cover and front cover i have continued to use the colours red and black throughout for the text which is also featured on the poster, i have done this to make sure there is continuity throughout my media platforms as again this is a conventional feature which when i did my research for the ancillary texts. I have made sure that i have included a parental advisory label on my cd cover as i have found when doing research that this is usually found on cds of the pop punk genre for example the 'blink 182 - take of your jacket and pants" cd includes a parental advisory sticker and this is of the same genre of my music video therefore i have used this feature as it is usually on most pop punk cd covers therefore my genre may also be recognised by this by the audience. I have made sure to include a price code as this is included on all cds of every genre so that it is available to buy. Referring back to my drawn digipack i am going to be influenced by that further in my complete digipack as it will make the genre more recognisable as a subgenre. 

Inspirations

Analysing Adverts and Posters.

 

The bands name is featured twice on this album advertisement, it is featured on the subtexts of the advertisement and it is also displayed on the illustration of the main image which is the album cover. This is bigger than the rest of the text on the page as it wants to grab the audiences attention and it also shows the audience the album cover so that when they go out to buy it they can easily recognize it from looking at the advertisement.

The release date for the album is a key feature for album advertisements as it is important that the audience know when the album is released and available to buy in order for the band a companies to make profit. the advertisement is published before the album is available so that the audience have something to look forward and count down if they may for the albums release.

The text "Neighborhoods" is the name of the album and it also relates well with the main image of the album cover as the album cover looks like a small neighborhood. Usually most album covers and album names relate with each other and this is a typical convention for the media products. All the text on this album advertisement is in capital letters which connotes that they are trying to grab the audiences attention by in a sense "shouting" at the audience with the text as usually capital letters in texts are to grab your attention and in this case they are doing the same by making the audience aware, also by using capital letters for the text it shows that this is very important to know that blink 182's new album is coming out. The advertisement poster includes the text "featuring "up all night"" which is the song blink released off this album first meaning that the audience could get to know and like it before the album came out and because the album features this song and the audience like it they will want to buy it because that song is included on it which they was introduced to and liked, giving them more of a reason to buy the album. At the bottom of the poster the official website for blink 182 is included so that bands can go onto the website using web 2.0 and this is included on an poster advertisement which may be featured on a magazine meaning that all media platforms are coming together and being used.

Throughout they is continuity and an established housestyle throughout for the album cover and the poster advertisement as the colours black and white have only been used throughout and the same font size has been used. The colours black and white used also relate back to the main image of the album cover which is also in black and white. These colours have broken a convention to the pop punk genre i have researched and gone against conventions which again is another convention of pop punk in its self as the genre likes to "break rules". Overall i like the layout and look this advertisement has gone for and it looks laid back which is what i expect of this genre.

Research in CD posters and advertising.

This CD advertisement is featured in an alternative music magazine. This magazine attracts stereotypes who would be interested in this genre of music. This CD advertisement is not typical and conventional of a magazine poster advertising a cd at all which connotes that they are being alternative to represent their type of genre which is being alternative.
This CD poster is a blown up version of the album cover. The colours black take up the majority of the poster which represents their genre of being a metalcore band as black is a stereotypical colour to be used on this genre of musics media platforms as it attracts the audience they are appealing to as they will recognise this a being a feature of metal core were as bright coloured cd covers are usually representative of pop musis
The poster includes a date release for the CD which is needed on a advertisement for a CD so that the audience knows when its available to buy. It also gives a site name where you can pre order the CD and this is also a good feature to include and i will use this feature on my poster.

This is the album cover (right) which the poster is advertising.

Research in CD packs

The CD cover for Funeral for a Friends - Memory and Humanity is very more artistic than the Blink 182 album which has a more "simple" look and layout. it features a "ladder" or "DNA" made of roots from the ground which could connote and represent a stairway to heaven. The cover is mostly made up of the colours purple and green and black and this is also carried out and continued through out the CD pack.
Funeral for a Friend are a melodic metal band therefore may use dark colors for their CD covers to fit the stereotypes which come with this genre of music therefore so it can be recognized by fans of the genre straightaway as it will catch their eye and cage their interest to buy the CD.

Inside the cd pack the features a close up shot of the boys eye who also features on the front of the cover. Inside it also features each band members name and what their part in the band is, this feature isn't usually found in CDs and this is an alternative feature which may also represent the band as trying to be a little different and breaking conventions. The Cd is fully black which again fits the stereotype and conventions of a melodic metal band. The text on the CD cover is also black meaning the CD is black on black which makes it a little hard to read.

The back cover of the CD also includes the same art work which is on the front of the CD although this one does not include the boy in the picture. but the colours and parts of the art work and continued through out the CD pack which again is conventional of most genres of cds. Just like the blink 182 cd the songs again are listed in a row rather than a list going downwards which is what we expect to see on cd covers which again may connote that these bands are alternative and are trying to break the stereotypical conventions to show that they are different.