Evaluation Q4 - How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

In order to evaluate how I used various media technologies throughout my research, planning and my evaluation stages I created I briefly explained what each particular technology does followed a description of how useful it was and how it helped me.

Google is a worldwide search engine which enables users access to everything online e.g.. Images/videos/text/websites etc. Google was most useful to me in the planning and research stages as it helped me establish conventions of a music video, Digipak and magazine advert. It was also useful to me as I was able to look for inspiration to sketch ideas for my digipak and advert. This was through the use of Google images.

YouTube is a video sharing website and therefore home to thousands of music videos of all different types of genres, this meant it was a fantastic tool which let me watch music videos of my chosen genre to pick up not only the forms and conventions for my research but also inspiration which assisted my own ideas for planning my own music video.

Hotmail is a free email service. This particular technology was very important in terms of constructing the planning for my music video. Through hotmail I was able to directly email the artist to gain permission to use her song, I received a reply in a short space of time which meant I was then able to continue on to plan my music video.

Using the video camera was a useful tool to me as it was the only piece of technology which I used to actually film my music video. Using the video camera meant I was able to capture shots which I had planned to use within my music video, it was also useful as it allowed me to record sound of a good quality, this helped enormously when it came to lip syncing in the editing process.

The digital still camera also came to good use as I was able to capture my recce shots, pictures of the locations which I did film at, images for my magazine advert and also images for and of my digipak.

Blogger is an online web-service which allows users to publish text, videos, images and other sources. With advancing technology, blogger is accessible through new ways such as smart phones which allowed me to keep up with my blog on the go. Blogger has allowed me to regularly update my blog to show how I have been learning and progressing through both the AS and A2 years. Personally I found blogger the most useful piece of technology out of everything I have used due to its simplicity. Blogger has enabled me to publish all evidence of research and planning and also publish my evaluation of my media coursework.

Final cut express is a video editing software which allows you to edit easily through the use of timelines. This process means it was easy for me to edit clips over my soundtrack and cut clips accurately to the correct size to then be placed in order for my storyline. Final Cut express allowed me to produce a music video of similarity to a real media product as I was able to incorporate transitions and effects such as the fade-in and out of the image in the sky, dissolve which assisted in creating the effect of the girl going from one place to another and a fade out at the end of the music video. It also helped me in constructing my evaluation as I was able to create a directors commentary to assist towards question 2. Final cut was a really useful technology piece for me although the part I found hardest to pick up was the lip syncing. This was however easily resolved as I practised on unwanted clips which gave me the ability to lip sync my own music video comfortably.

Photoshop is a software device which enables users to design /upload images and edit them through the use of certain tools and effects. I used this technology to produce my digipak and magazine advert. It allowed me to develop each panel to my digipak and I was able to add effects such as the glow on the back cover which helped me in representing my artists brand identity. Although requiring a large amount of patience, Photoshop was a useful tool to me in constructing my ancillary texts.

Evaluation Q3 - What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

For part 3 of my evaluation I created a powerpoint through slideshare including charts/images/posters and a breakdown of the methods of which I used in order to evaluate what I have been able to learn from my audience feedback. Through my questionnaire in particular I was able to gain a variety of information from people of varied ages and genders.

Evaluation: Q2 - How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

I created a directors commentary which as a starting point to answering question 2. This discusses how the combination of my main product and ancillary texts are effective towards my artists brand image and the combination of them all together.

I continued the theme of nature through to my Digipak and magazine advert by using my previous ideas and inspiration drawn from research into similar artists, which I had used to brainstorm and create my other ancillary texts. My Digipak front cover included a mid shot of the artist, accompanied by her guitar and this talented theme was something I felt passionately about conveying and provides a contrast to the pre-packaged/formulaic pop artists often in the charts. The font I decided to use was free-flowing which links back to the idea of being free and original. In both the front cover and inlay, I used the symbol of music notes emerging from the guitar each time. This was used to convey her inner connection and instinct to create music- it flows freely- like the font- from her. The fact that I also present her as a single figure surrounded by only rural space and her guitar links perfectly with my music video as she is separate from the narrative and we only see her singing in amongst nature. In addition, the colour theme is also reinforced in the digipak as the same browns, greens and blues are used- once again linking with the natural world. Furthermore, the idea that Jessica has something unique and special is shown through my use of the glow effect around her on the back cover- this makes her seem like she is leaving an imprint on the world with her music.

I took my brand image further from my main product through the magazine advert which I produced. I took the idea that Jessica is intrinsically in touch with nature further by including the use of the four different seasons- winter, spring, autumn, summer – which continues this idea of an organic character in organic settings. For the background I use a green colour which changes shade from top to bottom, this once again reinforces the idea of colours of the natural world. The fact that Jessica is looking down suggests a slightly reserved personality trait, which could refer to herself as a naturally free person but also not of a boastful over the top character. In the four background images of the four season which I used, I tried to carry through this natural sense by using images of natural locations/settings, such as flowers, snow flake, leaves around trees and the beach. The font I used needed to have a connection to my other ancillary texts whilst following a natural theme. To ensure this I used a free-flowing soft font which reinforces the idea of an organic nature, using a bold font would have gone against the brand image in which I have been creating, so through the font used in each ancillary text, one way in which I was able to connect them all was through not only the colours or images but also the font used.

Evaluation Q1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

CONVENTION	USE/DEVELOP/CHALLENGE	HOW/WHY
Playing an instrument	Use	Playing an instrument is a key convention when describing country/folk music videos as it represents their ability to be versatile as well as highlighting the idea of them being an organic artist and focusing in on a performance based video. My music video uses this convention as throughout my music video, my artist is seen in various shots playing the guitar.
Non-glamorous/sexy	Use	In a country/folk genre, it uses the opposite convention of RnB in terms of image. Country/folk is revealed through a simple, non-glamorous way, this means no provocative clothing or use of makeup and fake tan to excess. My music video definitely uses this convention in the sense that the clothing my artist wear are not only very simple colours but also do not follow the mainstream clothing range from topshop/river island/primark etc.
Slow cuts & smooth transitions	Use	This particular convention is used in country/folk music videos to compliment the tempo and lyrics of the music. Country/folk songs tend to be of a slow, soft tone so smooth transitions and slow cuts help to create the same ideas that the song puts across. In my music video I used this convention, the transitions I used flowed from one another smoothly, this also helped build the storyline.
Theme of relationships	Develop	Another convention of a country/folk music video would be the theme of relationships and the portrayal of young sweet innocent love, put across through the narrative. My music video draws in on this particular convention in these ways, for example in the video we see the couple holding hands, kissing, smiling etc. but I have also developed this convention through a sexual perspective. The male is sitting on the bed messaging the female ‘I love you’ this could be interpreted in the way that the male is not only missing the female in an emotional way, but also in an intimate, physical sense.
Set in open space	Use	This convention draws on the idea of where country/folk music originates. It focuses on its southern roots and how most of this music was created in the open outdoors in states such as Texas. I used this convention by locating my artist in a field-like setting accompanied by trees which represent the idea of being in the open space and therefore mentally free, enabling the artist to draw on personal emotions and past memories.

Through research I established the main conventions of a Digipak were:

Front Cover; artist image, album title, artist name

Inside Cover; lyric book

CD Tray; simple image

Back Cover; album tracks, barcode

I used all of these conventions on my Digipak and was able to follow through on the theme of an organic, free-spirited character. This reflects a real media product as there were similarities between my product and a real one, for example the colour theme, (blue, green, brown) the background images and the font all adhere to real country/folk artists products, I am able to understand this through the research on similar artists I carried out. The artists name is in bold to emphasise it especially as it is a debut album, I also used a flowy font to draw attention to the idea of a reflective emotion and a character who has no boundaries in terms of drawing on her emotions through music. On the back cover I used a glow around the image of Jessica to put emphasis on her being somehow ‘special’, through my Digipak I was also able to portray her, like most of the world’s leading artists, as being a character who works better alone, and her reflective personality and ability to draw on her emotional past only supports and strengthens this idea further. To further reinforce the concept of Jessica being on a journey as well as reflecting on a past journey, I was able to contribute to this thought through my inside cover. This is the lyric book and the image I used was of Jessica walking with her guitar along a path off into the sunset, this to me created the notion of leaving something behind with a lesson learnt but also willing to go forward with the belief that a new journey is about to begin. The music note was also a theme running through my Digipak and once again this reinforced the home grown musical ability of the artist and importance of music to her as an individual.

I was able to establish the conventions of a magazine advert are:

-          Image of Digipak

-          Star rating

-          Artist image

-          Extras; exclusives

-          Record label

-          Artist name

-          Album name

My poster adheres nearly all of these conventions. The main image is of the artist whilst the background image followed my continuing theme which I gradually developed through each media product. I used the idea of seasons, this represents not only nature and an eco-friendly, free character but also a changing and growing personality. As each season differs and changes also so do people. I wanted an image that would not only continue my theme but also have the subliminal idea of growth and the ability to grow through each experience through your life, each season represents the possibility of a new chapter to a new journey. In this instance I am referring to her ability to draw on her emotional past, and ironically as the album name says ‘Reminisce’ on past events, whilst also allow the opportunity to reflect on her present and future. The autumnal theme is present throughout, I used green to represent the fields and open space which was the convention of a country/folk music video. The font was of a flowy nature and bold so it was easily visible, although I used a different font for the ‘extras’ part as I really wanted to set emphasis on the album name and title. The record label and star rating were placed at the bottom, which is where they are conventionally found, along with the Digipak image in the top left corner, which slightly challenges this particular convention as it is usually found in the bottom left corner.

There are several different typical conventions of a folk/country advert and digipak, in order to be able to use/challenege or develop any of these I researched them in more detail. The artist is usualy represented in a non-glamourously way with a stronger focus on a 'natural' look. This includes minimal make-up and although focus is on clothes, the artist would not be styled in the same way as a typcial american teen pop artist; fake tan, lots of make-up, big hair, bright clothes. This is because the brand image being created is of a natural, organic, free-spirited character and therefore big and bold would not suit the intended brand image. I used this convention on my digipak and avert. On my digipak Jessica was styled in simple but effective way. She was wearing a dark coloured jumper with her hair up on the front cover whilst on the back she was wearinga simple blue jeans jacket with her hair down. On my advert I use this convention as the close up image shows minimal make-up used. Another convention of a country/folk artist is an instrument being in the shot, I used this convention by including a guitar, which she also uses in the music video. This appeared on both the front cover of my digipak and the inside, Although on my advert, I challenge this particular convention as I do not use an instrument. A further typcial convention I discovered would be the rural location and natural settings used, this would be locations such as fields, trees, leaves and sky. Soft colours and themes such as blues, greens, browns are eco-friendly natural locations which are typically related to folk/country digipaks and adverts. On my digipak I used natural settings such as the artist sitting on a tree log in a field, surrounded by trees and the sky. I also used the artist walking off into the sunset on one section of my digpak whilst the backcover consisted of the artist standing in a field location which had trees in the background. My advert developed this convention as I usedb seasons in my background to recreate the idea of a natural, organic setting in a different way in which I had previously done.

Original plan and Final advert

After research and planning this is my final magazine advert. Although there are a few changes from my orginal plan, mainly including the movement of certain objects, it still includes most of what I had planned to have on it eg. record label, extras, star rating. I came up with a whole new background idea as I felt the digipak would be too similar and although I wanted to continue my naturalistic, organic theme, I wanted to be able to do it in a fresh way, which is why I went with the idea of seasons and a block green background colour to represent nature, her eco-friendly personality and the outdoors.

Process of making my advert

 Step 1: First of all I needed to choose the exact image I wanted to use, after I chose the image I wanted I created a green background which is one of the key colours representing nature.

Step 2 : Next I created a four panel image with each of the seasons on the background, this was a new way of representing the organic, free spirited character which I wanted to portray.

 Step 3 : Thirdly, I uses dafont.com to help me decide on the type of font I wanted to use, I needed to use a similar font as on my digipak for continuity and I wanted to ensure it was a flowy font to show her as a versatile free character. I then inserted her name, the album title and the added extras on to my advert.

Step 4 : After step 3, I added a star rating with a quotation from a magazine.




Step 5 : The next step was to add the record label image and where it can be bought from, which I used ideas from.

Step 6 : The final thing I needed to do was add the image of my digipak, I added this in the top left hand corner because I felt it stood out most in this area whilst not making the top section over crowded.

Advert annotation - Ellie Goulding