In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge form and conventions of real media products?
I believe that sections of our final production are very good. I believe that uses a number of music video conventions which we saw when doing the research and planning stage. This helped us set a good base for all three key areas.
Our product is based on a local ‘rap’ artist whom we all knew, “HB”. We wanted to do one of his songs, so we wrote for his permission and he accepted. We then choose to make a music video for the song ‘Never Let the party stop’. We quickly realised that with making a ‘rap’ music video we also had to keep the initial conventions going through the CD cover and magazine add. As a group we stereotyped the group which listen to rap/hip hop by researching in the music videos and watching the videos.
One convention we got for the CD cover was the colour. Looking into another ‘rapper’ Jay z and looking at his music albums we soon found out that most of his covers where black and white. This was done in the research and planning stage for the CD cover. Another artist we looked at his CD covers was Eminem. On his CD covers he has simple picture witch may reflect the album made. For example Recovery just has a picture of his back walking up a road. This may symbolise to the audience ‘the road to recovery’.
Through out our music video we wanted to show a story to the audience. When looking at Eminem’s “Love the way you lie” we saw there was a story being shown to the audience and you got to see the artist singing the songs as well. We wanted to do this by the uses of costume and camera work. They do this by having the story shot in a dark place and when you see the artist you see him in a light place, the field with the sun shinning. This contradiction shows the audience that the story is set in hell but is sung in heaven. However we did it through the uses of mise en scene (costume). When the story was being told, “HB” was seen to be wearing another bands t-shirt (Architects) and a black varsity jacket (White She Sleep). However, when he was not in the story “HB” was seen wearing a gray jacket. This showed the audience that during this section this has no relevance to the story.
Through the music video we wanted to show the audience a story about class. With the video starting of him leaving school and you see him go through a bad looking area. The audience has feeling for the boy because they see him leave school and he wants to be a music singer. We then see a transformation where he has left the environment he was in to go to a new one. The audience see this transformation through the uses of a jump cut. By the end of the song the artist has become successful. The audience can tell this because he is seen on stage and the curtains open onto a white light. By this time the audience is absorbed in watching it. (Carry on hyperdermic theory)
A way in which we wanted to challenge media conventions was by putting in the lips. This was an extreme close which was taken by 3 different angles. This was a recurring shot which was seen thought the product. I first found this idea in the research and planning stage where I was looking into a variety of music videos and was sat watching Cheryl Cole’s ‘Fight for this love’ during the first verse there was a fade over of the mirrored close up of lips. I liked this because it had elements of sexiness and could make are music video better. When trying to find a rap music video with this in we could not. So we decided that this as something we liked and we wanted to put it in and it went well with the chorus.
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
I believe the combination of our main product (Music video) and the ancillary texts (CD Cover and magazine advert) interlock with each other in a number of different ways. From the start we wanted to show a representation of class a wealth. We knew we had to show this in all three products.
Firstly, the music video (Main product) in this video we wanted to show a number of different places which represents class. To start the music video with him getting dressed shows the audience what type of person he is. We then see him in his natural surrounding and then goes on to walk through a higher class area which could be interpreted 1) this is where he lives now, 2) this is where he wanted to be. By then end of the music video we see him preparing to put on a show. This then shows the audience he has got to where he wanted to be had this would of changed his class and wealth.
In our CD cover we also showed this with have the picture taken from a bird’s eye view of a city. This represents the wealth side of where he wants to go. However on the reverse of the CD cover we have a picture of a block of flats this show the audience the other side of being wealthy but also shows uses where he has come from.
In are magazine advert we wanted to interlock both of these (CD cover and music video) we did this by having a picture of the music cover on the magazine advert. We also kept the black a white theme going with the backing picture. The backing picture is also important because it is a picture of a crowd this may tell the audience that he is liked by ‘fans’ but it also may show the audience which we there towards the end of the music video (Which the audience does not get to see).
Over all, I believe our 3 products have an effective combination towards the audience.
What have you learnt from your audience feedback?
As Abercrombie (1996, 140) stated ‘Audiences are not blank sheets of paper on which media messages can be written; members of an audience will have prior attitudes and beliefs which will determine how effective media messages are’.
When looking at our audience feedback I feel we have reached are target audience. With it being posted on one of the main video sites, YouTube, we are able to see how many people view our video. This video can also be found on all are blogs which is also advertising are music video because anyone from the public and see them. This tells uses that over the last 5 months we have had over 220 views, and it is still increasing. The music video is also posted on facebook, a social networking site which we have had some feedback, Tomas muddle said “That’s dead good that!” and Jay Panesar “I like the end part of the vid. Good cam angle on the signing of the paper…” As a group we all knew we needed the reach are target audience because this is how money is made and missing the audience could cost uses all the planning and research we have do. From this feedback it shows uses that we have reached are target audience.
When showing are music video to our media class they also gave uses feedback. Alex side he liked the close up of the lips and Paige said she likes the bit being shot in the studio. However she also said that some of the shots where a bit shaky and Liam said he does not know whether he likes the lips going in and out of the frame. Also a collective group they all got are music video understand the key concepts and narrative. By doing this we could get some technical feedback as well as the general public.
Another way we have been getting audience feedback is using polls on are blogs. In lets anyone who visits my blog to become active and have their opinion. I kept the polls as closed questions so we could get a good understanding of what people thought. I asked the question ‘What do you think of our music video?’ on this poll I have had 3 votes and they all say are music video is ‘Very good’. Another poll I asked what they thought about one of our ancillary texts. ‘What do you think of the DVD cover?” on this poll I had three votes and they said overall it was ‘Good’. However for my last poll about the other ancillary text I wanted the audience to tell me which poster design was the favourite by giving examples and them picking. With 33% saying that example 1 was the favourite and 33% saying example 3 and 66% saying example 2. This shows there is mixed opinion about what was their favourite. By doing this it lets people who visit my blog to get active and had a say. It also shows me the opinion of what people think when they come and have a look on the blog.
How did you use media technologies in the construction, research & planning and evaluation stages?
Through the stages of researching, planning and evaluation I have had to uses a number of different technologies to construct these different areas. By using the internet we were able to start the process of research and planning with the help from ‘Google videos’ and ‘YouTube’ beginning able to research in a number of music artist and their genres. With YouTube.com I was able to watch a number of music videos get there embeddable codes and transfer them on to my blog. By being able to do this I was able to evaluate videos and up load them onto my blog. Another reason we used YouTube was because it let us upload our music video and make it public so everyone can see it.
Another key feather I could do was being able to up load pictures. A number of pictures were taken for all three stages. Being able to up load them onto the blog enabled to audience to see what I was talking about and make it more visual. I was also able to create my own picture through the uses of paint, creating my mood board, this let my put a number of picture together to create and big picture.
In the construction stage of the music video we used a digital camera which let us up load footage which we have just taken onto the computer. Then by the help of ‘Movie maker’ we began to construct our music video. This technology was very good to uses because it let us to create a music video easily. It was also good because we all already knew how to uses it. Another key feature was being able to edit out the sound (Background noise) from the filmed clip and then adding the track to give it a clean finish.
However ‘Move maker’ also had it disadvantages, when put then footage on with the track it was hard to edit into the time line so there was lip syncing. Another key disadvantage was if you created part off the music video ad it was out of sync and you changed it the rest of the video would move as well so it would be more out of sync.
When creating the CD cover and Magazine advert we used a programme ‘Adobe Photoshop’ this is one of the leading products to do computer aid design. This technology enabled uses to uses a colour picture and turn into a black a white picture. This also let us be able to layer different texts and picture. This let us move texts and pictures around without affecting the overall look.
The biggest digital technology we have used is the blog (Blogger.com) this is where we I am putting all my work, so you the mass audience can come and see it. This would not be able it web 2.0 was not found.
