Task 13 - Audience Feedback on First Preview

When I first showed my first preview of my initial ideas for the video in assembly I made a short presentation, which you can see below. The presentation was a little competition between the media class for who can get the biggest audience vote and I won. This shows my audience were pleasantly pleased with what was on offer and I had very positive audience feedback.

Evaluation Question 4 - How Did I Use New Media Technologies?

during this project i used lots of differently media platforms, some of which i have never used before.
the software i used is :

• Final Cut Pro - edidting and exporting the video
• Adobe after effects - generating effects and animation
• Adobe Photoshop -editing the flower (beginning of the video) and creating the Digipak and Full Page Add
• Flash - animating the stars to make a smiley face
• iPhoto - importing and sorting my footage
• MPEG Streamclip - changing the format of my footage into an easily editable format
• microsoft word -writing notes, shotlist and shooting schedule etc. and spell checking my blog posts.
• microsoft powerpoint - presentations to class
• iPad apps - certain bits were filmed on the iPad. The cover image of the digipak and the image on the inner squares were created using a panorama app that i bought.
• Safari/Google Chrome - these were the two internet browsers i used any time i needed internet access (uploading for youtube, emailing work, tutorials etc)
• Blogger - i used blogger to keep my coursework in one place for my teacher and examiner to mark.
• YouTube - this is where i uploaded my videos to put on the blog or show people for feedback. i also used this to find tutorial videos for anything i didn't know how to do.
• iTunes - to download the song

hardware:

• PC mac - what i used at school to transfer footage from the camera.
• macbook (borrowed) - i used this to edit
• laptop - this is my personal laptop that i used for my original research and planning.
• canon 550D - this is the camera i used for almost all of my filming.
• iPad - I used my iPad for several things. initial research and planning, storing notes and plans, filming and youtube tutorials.
• phone - filming, taking photos, tfl.gov.uk (how to get to filming locations) and playing the song so my artist can be in time to the music.

Evaluation Question 3 - What Have I Learned From My Audience Feedback?

Evaluation Question 2 - How Effective is Your Media Product?

I feel my products are all effective when combined together because the Full Page Ad promotes the album and music video whilst being the same design of the Digipak, which includes similar themes and connotations in the music video. This means all of my products work together to create a marketing campaign to promote the artist.

The Full Page Ad is effective as it is fully coloured and so is very eye-catching and get reader’s attention. There is a large off-centre image of the artist which connotes he is a little unusual (not conventional) and possibly quirky which is a desirable attribute in most young people.

My digipak is effective because it has all the usual conventions of a digipak such as a cover image, track listing, copyright information and images of the artist as well as keeping the same theme as the Full Page Ad. Also, I have used very similar imagery to Owl City (the original artist of the song), which shows I have an understanding of the music genre and artist style. Owl City tends to have a blend of natural imagery and surrealism in his products to reflect the lyrics of his songs.  Examples of his cover art:

 

Evaluation Question 1 - Using, Challenging and Developing Forms and Conventions

Task 5 - Lyric analysis

Finished Video and Feedback

Getting to the Finished Video

This is my first rough cut so there are a lot of gaps and bad transitions.

After my rough cut I 

After my Second rough cut it became apparent that I needed to adjust the saturation of the video clips because the backgrounds looked far too dull and cold compared to the artist who appeared to be glowing.

Full Page Ad

Panning ideas and notes

Conventions of a Full Page Magazine Advert

1. There will almost always be a central image, usually something to catch the reader's eye.
2. the background of the ad usually has a link with the theme or colour scheme of the promoted album. for example, the advert for an album with a main colour scheme of beige will also use beige as the background
3. the title will conventionally use the same font as the Digipak and possible include the artists logo.
4. somewhere on the advert, there is normally the album's artwork. it doesn't need to be the full image, it may only be a section of the artwork so the audience only get  a taster.
5. to encourage a successful awareness of the artist and their product there should be a link to either the artist's or producers website and/or information of where you can buy the album (a little logo for hmv or itunes for example). this i generally written in small at the bottom of the page.

Task 7 - Marketing Context

DRAFT my music video will be partly promoted by the digipak

Digipak - blue and green world setting, circles, natural image with a bit of surreal quality through the character of the artist (repeated images) - want to add a 'space' shot - purpose is to create an image for the album, and be a collectable item, of fan memorabilia, give info and intrigue about the artist

Music Video - setting, green colour, surrealism - transitions, effects (flashing), images of the world/globe - direct ad for one track.  doesn't have to be the same message as the song on its own - can add to/distort the original music.  can tap into this to build the sense of surrealism.

Website - keep the colour theme - got to be easy to navigate but this could be a kind of space/world journey to continue the theme and obviously this is a display board for the other two products - can sell the digipak and showcase the video including link to youtube channel

Task 3 - Synthpop music video examples - La Roux

The following images are from La Roux's video - 'I'm Not Your Toy'

For the majority of the song, the artist is performing to a somewhat estranged audience. The shots of her performing show her enthusiasm for what she does and give the audience a glimpse of her talent.

Task 3 - Synthopo Music Video Example - Lights

The following images are from Lights' music video 'Ice':

Close ups of her face with wind blowing in her hair is a very common convention of a pop video, usually used to show the artist's passion as they sing and adds a dramatic edge to the video.

Blue is the colour for babies and shows Lights to be sweet  innocent.

The 'dark side' of her personality, dressed all in black with a hoodie and her hair covers her face which connotes danger and mystery.  Her smile is a 'bad girl' smile, like she is planning mischief.

casually sitting on the sofa playing her electric keytar. the instrument shows she is quirky and possibly a bit of a hiptster. she is wearing grey and white to show she is pure, innocent an cool.

This shot shows Lights is a powerful, confident and energetic woman. Orange flame connotes enflamed passion, energy, and being generally amazing

The 'Evil' Lights is shown to be quite small in this shot which, along with the song says being bad doesnt make you a bigger person.

It is very common for a music video to have a message or moral. In this clip her "dark side' is reaching for the good side which suggests she is in control of her darker thoughts and is able to overrule it and make the right decisions. The moral in this case is 'you can be bad, but you can control yourself and be good.'

Similarly to La Roux's music video, there are plenty of special effects which you would expect in a synthpop video. 

Task 8 - Ideas About Representation

I want my artist to be represented as being very 'normal' and not the typical famous music artist with designer clothes and lots of money with his own chauffeur etc. Luc will also be represented as being a down to earth, good guy and because the song is about being creative and setting your mind free he will also have to be a little eccentric.

To convey my representations in the music video my artist will be dressed in dark jeans, a white jumper, a long jacket and a mustard coloured scarf. The dark jeans and the long, black coat make him look like an everyday person with nothing to make him stand out which helps the audience relate to him. The jumper is white to convey purity, calm, and goodness. Finally the yellow scarf is there to add a little colour and personality to his physical look and yellow is the colour of fun, humor, intellect, creativity and personal power, all of which are are part of the meaning of the song.

Luc will also have some props to add to his representation, such as sunglasses, a book and feathers. the sunglasses show he is cool, the book shows his intellect and want for escapism, and the feathers are linked with being free. The scarf is also a prop used as an accesory, representation of the song and an interesting transition between shots.

Other ways I will convey the artist's representation is my camerawork and settings. Almost every shot will have some form of nature in it whether its a greenery, water, fire or animals. Nature is seen as relaxing and calm and a place to escape reality. The city will also be used in contrast with Luc's dreams with nature and shows him as a normal, everyday person

my storyboard so far

this is the only bit of my storyboard that is set in stone:

Task 4 - Other Student's Work

I have had a look at some Media blogs by other students online and I have noticed that in all music videos, the students experimented on different cuts and edits to the beat whilst I, on the other hand, have been focusing on the editing of effects rather than how I'm going to shape the actual video to the song.

Task 1 - Music Video Conventions

First of all, all music all music videos have a purpose, to promote the artist(s) but also to visually express one of their songs.

There are many different conventions of electropop as it is such a large umbrella genre. Specifically synthpop music videos, these are the conventions:

• the artists are the main focus of the video. the whole video is centered around them as apposed to other people in different segments like a pop video.
• singing and playing instruments. in a synthpop video it is very common for the artist to be lip-syncing to the song and/or using a synthesizer. most likely to be an electric keyboard (look at Owl City or Lights)
• Every synthpop music video I have encountered so far is fairly eccentric and has very abstract narratives.
• there is a very common use of visual effects and green screen. I am yet to find a video without any visual effects.

Digipak

This is my Digipak:

Task 2 - Practice and Techniques

Previously, before A2 Media, I created a music video as part of my GCSE Media Studies coursework to the song 'Disturbia' by Rihanna. My current music video is very different from my previous as it is part of a different genre and isn't being used to raise drug awareness. However, from creating the video I have gained a far greater understanding of the visual effects in Final Cut Pro and how far I can go with them in my current video.


Also, I have just completed my first bit of experimental editing for my upcoming music video:

When in the final product, this shot will be about 30 seconds long and will be in 5 different locations. I will also attempt do this without using a green screen and film it on location to see if i can get the same effect without the need for excess editing.