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

Annotation of adverts

I chose three artists, Jay z, Rihanna and Jessie J, I then found magazine adverts for each of their new releases which are 'Blueprint 2', 'Talk That Talk' and 'Who You Are'. Once I had gathered these images I began to annotate them with the typical conventions of what a music magazine advert would include. I was able to do this by using the research into magazine advert conventions I previously carried out and through each of my three different examples am able to see the most important aspects of a magazine advert which must be included. e.g. Album Title, Artist Name, Release Date etc. 

Conventions of magazine advert for a new album

The next stage is to create a magaine advert to promote the new release of my artists album. To get a good idea of what should and shouldn't be included in my advert I did some research in to the typical conventions of a magazine advert promoting a new alum release. I found out that the aim of the advert is to promote the artist and the artists new album in an eye catcing way for the targeted audience.

Typical things that straight away stand out on an advert for a new album release are:
- Artists name
- Image of arist
- Abum title
- Record label
- Digipak image
- Where you can get it
- Featured songs
- Extras
- Release date
- Web addresses
- Tour dates

My research showed me that there are several different focus points when looking at an advert which promotes an album. Key text within the advert would be the artists name, the album name, featured tracks, a release date etc. The second main area is the visuals within the page eg. the image of the digipak, the main image (usually of the artist), the record label logo. The final key area would be the types of images used, an image of the artist is usually found somewhere within the advet to draw attention to that fact that its theirs and publicise them as an artist, a motif could be used or even a logo for the artist if they have one. 

Final Digipak

Through my peer feedback and artist branding I was able to establish that a naturalistic approach was key, through further research and brainstorming I was also able to decide that I could incorporate light colours and the use of the artists guitar to create this type of theme I was looking for.

The key image I decided on was the idea of the artist being in a natural setting which is why in all four panels I incorporated the sky, fields/grass or trees. I decided the best font to use on the front and back cover was similar to that of Taylor Swift (a similar artist to my own). The swirly, soft and flowy idea adds to the brand image I was trying to create of a creatively original and free spirited individual. The guitar was an extremly important image which I felt needed to be used to emphasise the idea that the artist is versatile and can play instruments, the other key aspect to the use of the guitar on both the front cover and lyric book was that it allows the audience to understand the type of music which my artist makes, by looking at this digipak I would assume that this artist takes an acoustic/country/folk type of approach, which attracts the intended target audience.

The music label I decided to use for my artist was Universal Music, I made this decison through previous knowledge of the label and by also looking through the various artists signed to this label. Universal is a well known label with many very different genres of music attached to its name, this I why I decided it would be a great label to use.

On three of the four panels, I used an image of my artist, this is becaus it is her debut album and therefore want the audience to be able to a name to a face and recognise who my artist is.

In my group feedback, people suggested I use light, soft colours to help create the natural theme I was aiming for. I followed through with this, using blues, greens and yellowy orange colours aswell as adding some darker colours like grey black to create a calm, soft feel to the images.

On the back cover I added a slight glow to my artist to bring the focus directly upon herself, I also think it adds an angelic feel to the image. Once I had nearly completed my digipak, I felt like the lyric book and the front cover could be improved by a small addition or effect, I tried various effects before I decided to add music notes  which appear as if they are coming from the guitar, I did this to add a bit more of a musical effect

Artist Brand Image Mind Map

In class we all watched each other's music video's and from this we were able to give each other feedback of ideas and words of how we would imagine the brand image of our artists to be. From this I was able to create a mind map which includes some of the ideas which we brainstormed for my own music video. I have gathered that from everyone's feedback they feel that a naturalistic approach is key, along with the use of light colours and incorporating her folk/pop genre by possible use of the guitar.

Artist Research - Taylor Swift

 Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift would typically fit in to the country pop genre within music which is also very similar to my artist. Taylor Swift's first album 'Sounds of the Season', was released in October 2007. The album cover used uses a very soft, flowy font, which suggests her younger, fun and more creative side, which is visually appealing to her teenage target audience. The lighting and colour which she uses
in both her first album and her EP, titled 'Beautiful Eyes' which was released in July 2008 are both related in the aesthetics of the album covers. The natural yellowy colours are clearly intended to make her stand out. The first album cover uses a particular close up shot which helps to establish her as an artist and to appeal to her target audience for the very first time. The red flower and the flowery design compliment each other whilst also relating to the idea of beauty, in the title.

Her second album 'Fearless' suggests a strong, independent woman, and although she is facing away from the camera which suggests a slightly timid character, her bright, bouncy curls add to the effect of the branding of her as an artist, and suggest the idea of growing as an artist as half of the font is in bold, which is the album title 'Fearless'. 'Speak Now' also suggests similar characteristics, the bright colours and soft, flowy font are conventions of previous album art work.

Taylor Swift's newest album 'RED' suggests a vivid change of character. The font used has gone from a previous soft, swirly, flowy nature to big bold lettering, and the use of colour is also used playing to its strengths as the album title is written in the colour of the word used, with the red colour also used as her lipstick. The shadowing used suggests a possible darker or more detailed aspect to her life and does not resemble what we have seen before. Her hair is straight, when we previously have only seen curly, although she is still looking away from the camera but not as a strong way like we previously saw on the 'Fearless' album cover.

Digipak Research: Form and Conventions

A Digipak is a design which is found in a plastic hard case, this also contains the CD which is attached inside. A Digipak differs to an album cover as a digipak allows the user to gain access to not only the music, but also added extras, such as music videos, pictures, outtakes etc.

A digipak usually consists of a 4 face net although it may also contain more if appropriate. It is a square shape which resembles that of an album cover.

On the front cover face of a digipak the visuals usually consists of an image of the artist, especially if it is their debut, this helps get the artist noticed more and helps to create the required attention that a debut artist would need to make good profit. It also has the title name and the artists name which also helps to give the artist's product maximised advertisement. The conventions of the back cover of a digipak typically have the the title name along with the track list of what the CD contains with an image behind it which compliments the image of the front cover whether it be through colours, text etc. Also on the back cover of the digipak you will find the barcode, this is so that it can be scanned when people go to buy the CD. On the inside cover of the digipak you will find another image which relates to the front and back covers but it usually has less happening in the image, the lyric book is also found in this section with the same text and similar colours used within the rest of the digipak. On the CD tray, you will find an image which also compliments the other three, although this will be a pretty empty image, it may be an image of a motif, this is because the CD will be covering the majority of the image and therefore it would be pointless to fill it with a big bold image of something that you want to stand out.

Editing - what went right and what needed changing

1. Describe how you have tackled the editing process?

The editing process has been pretty smooth as I have grasped the concept of using final cut express from last year well. To refresh my editing skills, before I began editing my own music video piece I tried lip syncing on a previous students work which meant that when it came to doing my own piece I understood how to do it correctly. Once I had completed all editing I realised I had another problem which was that I had begun editing my shots along with my track over 30 seconds through the timeline, this was simply fixed by highlighting all of my work and dragging it back to the beginning.

2. What are the three most important decisions you have made whilst editing?

Whilst editing I have made various important decisions, however the ones that stand out to me most would be the lip syncing, the narrative perspective and also the visual metaphors. I needed to make sure I had a good clear visual metaphor for the audience, so I decided to use shots such as the boy texting the girl whilst they were clearly separated from eachother, I also wanted to show that the girl was having fun on holiday but at the same time always thinking about her boyfriend so I edited an image of him so that he appears in the sky when the sun shines through which I was happy with.I think the narrative perspective worked quite well with my track, the song is called 'Im Yours' which suggests to me a couple in love, so my narrative was a couple who were separated due to a holiday, but who were constantly on eachothers minds.The lip syncing was extremely important for me as I felt it is a key concept of a music video, there were certan shots I had filmed which iI as unable to use due to inaccuracy or a object/person in the shot which broke the mise en scene which I was trying to create. I decided that I needed to shoot the shot I really wanted to use again but also because I filmed with various angles I was able to use these aswell.

3. What went well whilst editing?

The thing that went best whilst I was editing would have to be editing specifc shots to the exact length I wanted them to be, I was able to use the razor tool to achieve this and it meant that I was also easily able to move about and place different pieces in different places on my timeline to create my music video narrative.

4. What was your biggest hurdle whilst editing?

The biggest problem I had whilst editing was probably making sure the whole narrative flowed properly, my original storyboard was the base of my music video but throughout my filming I changed certain aspects of it because I had a better idea or was no longer able to use a certain location, which meant I was running on an adjusted narrative, although I knew which shots were being replaced with new ones.

Editing completed

I completed all of my editing and added in a few effects and transitions which I thought would complement my music video well. I added a fade to black at the end to represent the fact that it is a love song, I also used a fade out and fade in from the shot of the girl leaving with her suitcase to the shot of her being on holiday, these fades represented time passing. I also used a split screen at a certain point within my music video to show the couple separated and the distance between them. I also created the effect of an image of the boy fading in when the gir is looking into the distance and also when the sun shines through the sky.