In the last 25 years, the proliferation of technology that can be used to access media has allowed the TV, film and music industries to expand greatly. For example, the introduction of video tapes and then DVDs allowed films to make money beyond the box office. Films such as Shawshank Redemption, which was only mildly successful on initial release, but through video sales it became a cult classic. In addition to this, the internet has allowed anyone and everyone the chance to promote, analyse or criticise their anything. Specific websites, such as YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter have also allowed people to post and share what they have discovered like never before. The "KONY 2012" viral video that was released in March 2012 is a prime example of how something can become incredibly popular through the use of social media.
Many of these tools were also used in the creation of my own video and print productions. For example, YouTube provided with the resources to research music videos, as well as post my own upon its completion. I was also able to use Facebook to promote my productions and recieve feedback on them, in order to improve. In addition to websites that provide a stage to showcase my video production, I was also able to complement my understanding of various theories by researching them specifically, most importantly the use of Goodwin's Theory and conventions of genre. Much of the research on into media theory was conducted on blogs, which have also been vital in my creation of a music video and my print productions. My blog, which is home to all of my completed work, has allowed me to recieve feedback from teachers in a much quicker fashion than I would otherwise be able to. As a result, I have been able to edit any work should I be required. It also acts as an easy-to-access hub for all of my work in case I have a need to look at, edit, or add some work whenever I need to. Perhaps the most important part played by the internet was the provision of my track. Through the variety of websites that are used by unsigned bands to promote themselves, I was able to listen to several tracks which allowed me to pick one I believed I could work on. I was then able to email that band for their permission to use their work.
While the internet has provided many different forms of technology that have aided me in my work, it was also required of me to use other technology, specifically computer software, to create my final productions. The first step in creating my music video and print productions was a camera. Many contemporary cameras feature both a video and stills option, meaning that I was able to use the same camera for both. Also, due to the digital nature of the camera, it enabled me to view my work as it was progressing. Anything that didn't reach the standard of quality I was after could be deleted and the shot could be taken again. The next step in the process was to edit the raw footage or image to create a suitable final production. In the case of my music video, Adobe Premiere Elements was used. This software allowed me to cut up the raw footage and swap it around into the desired places. It also allows for special effects, such as changing the speed of the image and changing the colour scheme of the shot. In order to cover any obvious cuts to a new shot, several options of fading in and out were also available. In on instance, I chose to impose two images on top of each other, which helped change the connotations of the video, as well as showcase my ability to use the software.
The second software that I used to finish my production, this time my print production, was Photoshop Elements. With Photoshop, an image can be manipulated in much the same way as I previously detailed. However, due to the single frame state of a still image, the edit can be more advanced. For example, it was possible for me to highlight a section that I did not want to be affected by my manipulation, then inverse the selection, which allowed by to lighten the background of the image, while keeping the foreground, in this case the character, the same. This allows more emphasis to be placed in a certain part of the image. Another feature of Photoshop that I used was the insertionof text. With a variety of fonts available to choose from it is simply a matter of finding a font that enhances the image. As such, it is very easy to tkae a raw image and alter or enhance the original connotations in order to promote the production.
The steps I have taken in creating my own productions imitates those taken by amateur prducers that choose to release their content exclusively on the internet. The sheer amount of content that is available on the internet essentially provides a proving ground for some to become the next top people in those fields. However, for those who do not have to capability, effort or patience to reach that level, it is simply used as an outlet for creativity.
Although technology has made things a lot easier for me, it has also provided some hindrances. For example, the website used for our blogs was often inaccessible due to website server errors or an incompatibility with school computers. There was also an instance of a change in the way things were uploaded to the blog, which initially created a problem with posting, and later caused formatting trouble, as can be seen in the images shown in my first evaluation question. However, the most problematic piece of technology was the image editing software, Photoshop Elements, that I used in the creation of my print productions. During my initial editing, I used a font that was later unavailable, for unknown reasons. When I attempted to continue using this font I found that I was no longer able to. This forced me to choose a new font and to replace the previous uses of the original font in all of my other productions.
Sunday 25 March 2012
Evaluation Question 3 - What have you learned from your feedback?
In order to recieve feedback for my music video and print productions, I chose to use a questionnaire. Of my thirteen respondees, eight were male, and all were between the ages 16 and 25. This allowed me to find out the opinions of my primary target audience. Although I was expecting different responses based on gender, I was surprised to find that it had no effect on the type of feedback. Instead I found that participants who frequently watched Rock music videos found it much easier to understand. In contrast to this, those who preferred other genres found the concept within the music video a little harder to understand. I believe that this is because they have been conditioned to expect something slightly different to what I delivered due to the themes and conventions of other genres having different effects.
A pattern I discovered in the questions answered was that questions which gave a set of answers to choose from achieved much more consistent answers. For uestions requiring a rating out of 5 I frequently recieved 3, 4 or 5, whereas open-ended questions often had very little substance to them. An example of this is the question "was there any part you found confusing or hard to understand?" I believe that this question is unfair on the participant as it asks them to explain something they may not necessarily want to take from the production. To counter this problem, it may be helpful to let participants look through the questions prior to the viewing, although this may lead to a very narrow interpretation of the video itself.
The feedback I recieved for my print productions was much more qualitative, asking indivuals if they would purchase my digipak based on the images and advertising they had seen. Feedback was generally positive, although some questionned the omnipresence of the character. Once I had explained to them the nature of his presence they understood it from a marketing perspective. Many of the participants in this stage of my feedback found that the magazine advert was their favourite. Reasons given for this include, "I like how he's looking out towards one side, it's like he want you to look at the album cover" and "it looks just like a real magazine advert." Of the two participants in this stage who had seen the original font I intended to use felt that the new font had a similar effect and may have actually been a better choice, although some of the other participants felt that the new font was too distracting.
The data I collected through my research and feedback sessions proved that my productions successfully targetted my target audience, although this may be due to myself also fitting into this target audience. As a member of the target audience, I was able to cater to my own requirements in hope of it also appealing to others. This is a direct reference to Kress' theory of the "ideal audience" and the notion of narcissism as, from a very narrow perspective, it can be said that I was the entire target audience.
A pattern I discovered in the questions answered was that questions which gave a set of answers to choose from achieved much more consistent answers. For uestions requiring a rating out of 5 I frequently recieved 3, 4 or 5, whereas open-ended questions often had very little substance to them. An example of this is the question "was there any part you found confusing or hard to understand?" I believe that this question is unfair on the participant as it asks them to explain something they may not necessarily want to take from the production. To counter this problem, it may be helpful to let participants look through the questions prior to the viewing, although this may lead to a very narrow interpretation of the video itself.
The feedback I recieved for my print productions was much more qualitative, asking indivuals if they would purchase my digipak based on the images and advertising they had seen. Feedback was generally positive, although some questionned the omnipresence of the character. Once I had explained to them the nature of his presence they understood it from a marketing perspective. Many of the participants in this stage of my feedback found that the magazine advert was their favourite. Reasons given for this include, "I like how he's looking out towards one side, it's like he want you to look at the album cover" and "it looks just like a real magazine advert." Of the two participants in this stage who had seen the original font I intended to use felt that the new font had a similar effect and may have actually been a better choice, although some of the other participants felt that the new font was too distracting.
The data I collected through my research and feedback sessions proved that my productions successfully targetted my target audience, although this may be due to myself also fitting into this target audience. As a member of the target audience, I was able to cater to my own requirements in hope of it also appealing to others. This is a direct reference to Kress' theory of the "ideal audience" and the notion of narcissism as, from a very narrow perspective, it can be said that I was the entire target audience.
Evaluation Question 2 - How effective is the combination of your main product ancillary texts?
Panel 1 features a close-up of the character, albeit his face partially covered. This allows him to be sufficiently featured to continue the promotion of the band/character/mascot, while also connoting that part of his identity is missing, in line with the theme of the music video. A previous design that was to be used featured the same character standing next to an up-ended trolley, which is also featured in the second panel. The connotations of this image were to enhance the feeling of loneliness. However, the brand recognition of this image was not enough, instead being a better back cover, due to the large amount of space available for track listings. To increase the brand recognition, I chose an image that was much more clearly promoting something, in this case the individual associated with my music video. This also influenced my further choices.
The second panel takes influence from the scenes in my music video that are in black and white, to further reference earlier rock videos, as well as the film Control. The presence of a shopping trolley, which was my inital choice for the front panel, is present to connote a general feeling of uncertainty about the state of society. Initial ideas for my second panel included a medium shot of the character walking towards the camera. However, I felt that this would wekan the effects of my first and third panel. As a result, I chose to use a shot where the character was taking up less of the shot.
This is directly contrasted by the third panel, which serves to enhance the connotations of the first panel, as well as promote the character's image in its own right. The image is very similar to its first panel counterpart, with the only difference being that the character's face is fully visibile. Many of the originally planned images for this panel were shared with the second panel and magazine advert, but once I had decided upon the first panel, I wanted to pick a similar image that would create the desired effect of opening the digipak to reveal more about the character, something that ties in with the connotations of my music video.
I had a large choice in terms of my final panel. Some candidates continued the theme of character close-ups, others provided ample space to include track information. Ultimately, I decided to take the latter route, as I still felt that an over-saturation of emphasis on the main character would weaken its effect. I also felt that it was important to provide contrast to the front panel image, something which was only achievable by placing less emphasis on the character. However, I was able to choose an option that still featured the character in a well-lit shot that also continued the theme of walking, implying that he continued to walking even after the conclusion of the music video.
My final print production, the magazine advert, I decided to once again use the connotation of loneliness in reference to the character. However, I also added another convention which furthers the promotion of my digipak. By looking towards my digipak cover, as well as into the distance, the character introduces connotations that reference the future of the band. This aspect also draws the viewers' eyes towards the digipak artwork, a technique that will likely increase interest in the band. In addition to the connotations created by character and digipak, I also chose to feature reviews by established and relatively famous names to give it some authenticity. The font featured throughout my digipak is also used to provide release information to tie it in with my digipak. As I have referenced through the star ratings featured on my magazine advert, it would likely be found in alternative music magazines, such as Q and NME, as well as an additional piece in some national newspapers. I feel that this would be the best way to maximise brand recognition and access the largest potential audience available.
The second panel takes influence from the scenes in my music video that are in black and white, to further reference earlier rock videos, as well as the film Control. The presence of a shopping trolley, which was my inital choice for the front panel, is present to connote a general feeling of uncertainty about the state of society. Initial ideas for my second panel included a medium shot of the character walking towards the camera. However, I felt that this would wekan the effects of my first and third panel. As a result, I chose to use a shot where the character was taking up less of the shot.
This is directly contrasted by the third panel, which serves to enhance the connotations of the first panel, as well as promote the character's image in its own right. The image is very similar to its first panel counterpart, with the only difference being that the character's face is fully visibile. Many of the originally planned images for this panel were shared with the second panel and magazine advert, but once I had decided upon the first panel, I wanted to pick a similar image that would create the desired effect of opening the digipak to reveal more about the character, something that ties in with the connotations of my music video.
I had a large choice in terms of my final panel. Some candidates continued the theme of character close-ups, others provided ample space to include track information. Ultimately, I decided to take the latter route, as I still felt that an over-saturation of emphasis on the main character would weaken its effect. I also felt that it was important to provide contrast to the front panel image, something which was only achievable by placing less emphasis on the character. However, I was able to choose an option that still featured the character in a well-lit shot that also continued the theme of walking, implying that he continued to walking even after the conclusion of the music video.
My final print production, the magazine advert, I decided to once again use the connotation of loneliness in reference to the character. However, I also added another convention which furthers the promotion of my digipak. By looking towards my digipak cover, as well as into the distance, the character introduces connotations that reference the future of the band. This aspect also draws the viewers' eyes towards the digipak artwork, a technique that will likely increase interest in the band. In addition to the connotations created by character and digipak, I also chose to feature reviews by established and relatively famous names to give it some authenticity. The font featured throughout my digipak is also used to provide release information to tie it in with my digipak. As I have referenced through the star ratings featured on my magazine advert, it would likely be found in alternative music magazines, such as Q and NME, as well as an additional piece in some national newspapers. I feel that this would be the best way to maximise brand recognition and access the largest potential audience available.
Friday 23 March 2012
Panel 1Wednesday 21 March 2012
Evaluation Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media product uses several forms and conventions of real media products that also fall under the category of Rock as a music genre. A form that features prominently in a variety of music videos is the concept of the angry young man associated with protest artists such as Bob Dylan. This character appears in many Rock videos, including The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony, The Offspring's The Kids Aren't Alright and several Enter Shikari music videos, including No Sleep Tonight, Destabilise and Arguing With Thermometers. The convention of the rebellious artist (a feature of 1960’s music scene…) appeals to my target audience demographic (British males aged 18-25) because they are at an age when they challenge authority or institutions. A prime example of this being true is the protests against rising university fees that occurred in London in 2010. This character is also often combined with one of several other themes to create a new meaning. Such themes that have been utilised by Rock bands in music videos include political undertones, for example Rage Against The Machine are widely known for their politically opinionated songs, and, spirituality, a very evident theme in Here We Go Again, by Shelter, an American Krishnacore band. Depending on how this character is portrayed, different connotations of youth can be seen. In my video, I chose to show the angry young man as less extrovert than is shown in other productions, such as the British film Eden Lake. This is due to protagonist role shown within the music video, as opposed to the antagonist roles featured in the film.
Another common, yet less obvious convention found in Rock videos, and one that I have chosen to heavily incorporate into my own music videos, is walking. Its use is typified, in this case, as walking away from his past or, more specifically, his ex-girlfriend. When walking is considered as a metaphor for progress, its combination with previously mentioned themes creates a platform for artists to promote their ideas and opinions on a relatively large stage. An example of walking in combination with political ideology can be found in Enter Shikari's No Sleep Tonight, possibly promoting the idea that the Government, here represented by a rich businessmen, can't ignore the voice of the common people when they come together. However, it can also be used to show a personal progression, as seen in the video Not The Only One by The Rumble Strips, as well as being implemented as a conveyor of emotion within music videos, and this is what I have chosen to focus on. I discovered this specific combination of theme and convention when I noticed it in several Rock videos, including Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day and October and April by Finnish band, The Rasmus. These videos utilised walking/progress as a means of escaping negative feelings by ignoring them and moving on, again referencing progress, albeit ambiguously.
This generic feature of Rock videos allowed me to incorporate it into my own music videos to tap into the already established audience that was available. I used this aspect of the genre convention by frequently showing the main character walking along, interspersed with flashbacks to provide context. The main character can also be seen as representing the angry young man that is more frequently found within Rock videos. The familiarity that the audience may find within the main character, specifically young white males who feel like the whole world is against them, particularly when they are experiencing relationship trouble, as is also represented in the music video, as stated in Lacan's theory that the audience may seek, or enjoy seeing a mirror image of themselves within the music video, was helpful in creating a music video that would appeal to the fairly wide audience.
Although a large portion of Rock videos include a band performance, typically as the main way of promoting the band, a good example being The Pretender by American band Foo Fighters, it is not always a feature at all, such as Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve. It is this video that inspired me to break from one of the most prominent conventions of Rock in favour of a less obvious one, i.e. walking. Some close-ups were used to help promote the character within the video. As the character is also featured on the digipak cover, it will increase the awareness of any fans who want to buy the album. Genre convention is also challenged in my print productions, preferring to heavily promote the individual in the music video, rather than an entire band. This is due to the music video only featuring a single major character. By featuring alone on the entire digipak it emphasises the importance of his role within the band. However, a downside to this is that it would devalue the rest of the band. This can either imply that he is the singer, or that he is the mascot of the band, in a similar vein to Eddie and The Guy, used by Iron Maiden and Disturbed respectively. The black and white feature of the second panel is a reference to the black and white scenes within the music video, which are themselves a reference to Rock music videos from the 1960s, as well as Strauss' theory of binary opposites, and the film Control which partly influenced my decision to focus on the angry young man.
In terms of a relationship between audio and visual, I was able to edit the video in time with the music, which makes the production more aesthetically pleasing. However, I decided not to directly use the relationship between the video and lyrics, instead implying that the “elegant war” is the relationship between a man and a woman. This furthers the implications of genre convention, as referring to the themes of the song. The magazine advert that advertises my digipak continues the theme of featuring the lone character. The continuation of this theme may increase the connection individuals feel with the character, as they can relate to his loneliness.
Another common, yet less obvious convention found in Rock videos, and one that I have chosen to heavily incorporate into my own music videos, is walking. Its use is typified, in this case, as walking away from his past or, more specifically, his ex-girlfriend. When walking is considered as a metaphor for progress, its combination with previously mentioned themes creates a platform for artists to promote their ideas and opinions on a relatively large stage. An example of walking in combination with political ideology can be found in Enter Shikari's No Sleep Tonight, possibly promoting the idea that the Government, here represented by a rich businessmen, can't ignore the voice of the common people when they come together. However, it can also be used to show a personal progression, as seen in the video Not The Only One by The Rumble Strips, as well as being implemented as a conveyor of emotion within music videos, and this is what I have chosen to focus on. I discovered this specific combination of theme and convention when I noticed it in several Rock videos, including Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day and October and April by Finnish band, The Rasmus. These videos utilised walking/progress as a means of escaping negative feelings by ignoring them and moving on, again referencing progress, albeit ambiguously.
This generic feature of Rock videos allowed me to incorporate it into my own music videos to tap into the already established audience that was available. I used this aspect of the genre convention by frequently showing the main character walking along, interspersed with flashbacks to provide context. The main character can also be seen as representing the angry young man that is more frequently found within Rock videos. The familiarity that the audience may find within the main character, specifically young white males who feel like the whole world is against them, particularly when they are experiencing relationship trouble, as is also represented in the music video, as stated in Lacan's theory that the audience may seek, or enjoy seeing a mirror image of themselves within the music video, was helpful in creating a music video that would appeal to the fairly wide audience.
Although a large portion of Rock videos include a band performance, typically as the main way of promoting the band, a good example being The Pretender by American band Foo Fighters, it is not always a feature at all, such as Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve. It is this video that inspired me to break from one of the most prominent conventions of Rock in favour of a less obvious one, i.e. walking. Some close-ups were used to help promote the character within the video. As the character is also featured on the digipak cover, it will increase the awareness of any fans who want to buy the album. Genre convention is also challenged in my print productions, preferring to heavily promote the individual in the music video, rather than an entire band. This is due to the music video only featuring a single major character. By featuring alone on the entire digipak it emphasises the importance of his role within the band. However, a downside to this is that it would devalue the rest of the band. This can either imply that he is the singer, or that he is the mascot of the band, in a similar vein to Eddie and The Guy, used by Iron Maiden and Disturbed respectively. The black and white feature of the second panel is a reference to the black and white scenes within the music video, which are themselves a reference to Rock music videos from the 1960s, as well as Strauss' theory of binary opposites, and the film Control which partly influenced my decision to focus on the angry young man.
In terms of a relationship between audio and visual, I was able to edit the video in time with the music, which makes the production more aesthetically pleasing. However, I decided not to directly use the relationship between the video and lyrics, instead implying that the “elegant war” is the relationship between a man and a woman. This furthers the implications of genre convention, as referring to the themes of the song. The magazine advert that advertises my digipak continues the theme of featuring the lone character. The continuation of this theme may increase the connection individuals feel with the character, as they can relate to his loneliness.
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