Magazine Advert: Final

In what ways does your media proudct use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My music video uses, develops and challenges the conventions of real media products. Like most music vdieos we use a lot of lip syncing to ensure that the audience believes it is the actress singing the song. We have also used an instrument in the video, which is a guitar as there is a strong musical accompanyment to the song which gives off a country feel. I believe the use of the guitar in the song allows the audience to feel as if the singer is reflecting on her past relationship.

We also used editing:

We used a variety of different editing techniques such as fades, dissolves, layering, slow motion, black and white, brightening etc.
Different Costumes
Lighting

Variety of locations ranging from lakes, rivers, parks, fields, stage, dance studio
There is a performance concept as the artist directly sings emotionally into the camera
Female characters

However our video also challenges Laura Mulveys idea that females are seen as objects of sexual desire. Ou rvideo is a love story yet there is little intimacy just friendly gestures towards one and other to show the innocnece of young love. Also the actress is always fully clothed showing very little skin, whereas usually the actresses are dressed quite provocatively. The actress is emotional and at no point makes any sexual gestures or gives the illusion of lust.
Our video is very different to ones like Christina Aguileras video- Dirty

Genre
Our video deffinitely conforms to its genre which is quite soulful indie music. It relates to this genre as the editing is slow to match the pace of the song. The presence of the guitar also represents the indie culture very much as in most songs of teh genre there is an acoustic instrument present somewhere. I believe our video gives off a very chilled out relaxed vibe and also runs quite smoothly.
Incorporating ideas from past videos
During our planning stages we looked at artists which were similar to Amanda Lucas who had the same type of voice with similar songs. These artists included; Adele, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson etc. We then examined their videos and took some inspiration from them as they are all world famous and highly proffessional.
Firstly we looked aat Adeles video- Someone like you as it similarly discusses break ups
We thought the close up black and white shots were really effective as they emphasised the sadness the artist is suffering. Therefore we tried to incorporate this into our video and i believe it worked really well.

We also used the very succesful Beyonce to inspire us in our video. We used "If I were a boy"[s] idea of showing the past in black and white and also the use of rewinding it back to the past. This is seen in our leaf scene and many others to show the difference between the sorrow in the present and the happiness of the past ( when the couple were together.)

Other scenes we were inspired from was Kelly Clarksons "since youve been gone"

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

Music Video, Digipak, Magazine Advert on Prezi

How effective is your combination of texts?

The three texts work really well as a package, as seen in our audience feedback. In a questionnaire we filmed we asked how well does our Music Video, Magazine Advert and Digipak work together and every person answered very well. The texts all use the same type of colours which gives a very autumnal feel which creates a distinct house style. A lot of leaves are also featured in all three texts and there is a strong theme of nature running throughout.

We have used the same text on the Digipak and Magazine advert which looks very professional, but also fits the theme of the video as in the video Naima is writing and the style Santo Dumos looks like hand writing.

On my prezzi above i have placed the texts surrounded by competing album covers and magazine adverts and I think our product stands out. It also portrays the genre very well.

You can tell by the style of all three Media Texts that these three pieces work as a package, and i believe they will increase the sales of the music Video, as they have all of the necessary information but are also eye catching and vibrant.

Evaluation: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Above is a wordle of the most common words used when describing our music video.

After completing our music video we wanted to see if the public enjoyed it and what they thought of it, so i created a survey moneky in which i asked questions to see how people rated it and how they thought it could be improved. This would give us an idea if our video would be successful. We also held a focus group, and made a few students who the video was aimed at sit down and watch it we then filmed their responses.

Click here to take survey- I posted this link on facebook and twitter where i have many firends my age which could rate and watch the video.
Below is a list of the results we received from our survey monkey.

From the results from the survey you can tell our video has been quite successful. The lip synching, choice of locations, acting, editing were all rated either good or excellent, which means noone did not enjoy it. Also the majority of people that watched it said that they believed that the audience it reached out to was teenagers, which was what we had tried to do.
These are some of the improvements people that took the survey said we could do to make sure our video was better.









This is the focus group we held, asking students questions like " How do you think the magazine article, digipak and video work together" and "Do you think the music video goes with the song?"










I also published the video on facebook and asked my friends to watch it and give me their feedback.

Sam feedcack

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What i've learned from audience feedback?
Editing could have been more exciting- However it was a slow song and I believe it would not have suited the pace
People really like the locations- howver some more could have been used
It reaches out more to teenagers- mainly girls
People really like the magazine advert- howver a different background could have been used to make it stand out more

Evaluation 4: How did you use new media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?

Sams media pres

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Digipak: Full Digipak

This is the finished final version of our digipak for Amanda Lucas' album I'm Sorry. The album includes six different panels; one front cover, one back( including track list, barcode, copyright information), one disc holder, and three different plane panels which include images which are very relevant to the lbum and suit the house style and genre of the music to give a very chilled country theme.

Music Magazine Avert presentation

Sam pres

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Survey Monkey audience feedback

Click here to take survey

Research into magazine advertisements

To promote our video we will have to look at different magazine adverts which advertise the release of certain angles. This maxmises sales as people who are interested in the type of music will see it and may be tempted to buy it by beign impressed or intrigued by the artwork/title/text/price.
I believe an album advert should have:

• Album name
• Artist
• release date
• quote from appropriate company
• rating
• where it is available
• image containing either artwork or artist
• artists website
• possibly production company

I aim to have all of these things on my magazine advert to ensure that the customers know exactly what they are getting and where they will be getting it from. However i will involve all of these while still creating a attractive and eyecatching advertisement

This is an example of a magazine advert from Tinchy Stryder. The advertisement has a large picture of the artist with his name and track name he is promoting. The image is good as it is obviously him and he is dressed to suit his genre of music. The text also works really well as it is sort of the same style and it is big and bold. I also like the use of colour. However the text does not tell when the album will be released or where it is available, whih might cause loss in sales. There is no quote or rating to tell the viewer whether it is a good song. However there is a number which you can text which i didn't think about ti give the audience a chance to prebuy the album. I may use this pre order idea as it will encourage fans to place orders which i did not think about initially. However i do not believe this is an extremely good example.

I believe this is a better example of a good music advertisement. It is of the same genre and has better graphics and is alot more eyecatching and exciting which will encourage customers to purchase the product.  There is a clear house style with the use of colours and fonts and the name of both the album and artists are clearly visable. This is a good example as it lists the different places where the item may be purchased, there is also a picture of the album which i did not think of initially using but i believe this works well and so will take it into account.

However i do not believe these advertisements are relate to the genre of our album. Ours should remain simple, quite country and have the artist on.

More along the lines of....

I would like our music advertisement to appear on bilboards, but also magazines such as Q. Q reaches out to our target audience as it is quite indie. It is also a very well recognised magazine so if our ad was to appear in it, it would receive alot more attention and increase sales.

Other possible magazines to advertise our album could be:
Spin
Clash
NME
Top of the pops
Blurt
Kerrang
Bilboard
Our believe our advert could be advertised on any of these, as it will be of a high quality, but the genre reaches out to all people.







Digipak: Constriction of Back of Album Cover

This is the image i have chosen to work on for the back of the digipak. I have chosen it as the album contains a lot of love songs and so it fits the mood and genre of the music.

I have edited the picture so that it looks more mystical and exciting than the previous. I edited the image on PicNik and think it looks really effective. I will add text and a barcode to the image, i will also need a track listing.

 

This is the text that is on the Digipak and will be used to carry on the house style, it will be used for the track listing and copyright information.

I then had to retrieve the track listing from her youtube profile.

Below is the final product of the digipak minus the barcode. It comes complete with real track listing, artist website, copyright information, and production label.

Reception Theory

This theory suggests that texts are coded with a meaning, and it is up to the audience to decode the text and understand it.
Stuart Hall identified three ways in which the audience would decode the text.
Dominant or preffered reading
This is where the audience decodes/ understand the text and the meaning the producer created. For example if a person was to create a documentary of the effects of dog fighting, the message would be to dissuade people of the sport.
Oppositional
This is where the message is decoded correctly, however the audience choses to reject it due to political, cultural or ethical reasoning.  For example, if an audience watches a documentary on dog fighting, the message that is trying to be portrayed is that it is wrong however the audiences is opposed to this as they have had experience with the sport and believe it is good fun.
Negotiated
This is where the message is decoded however the audience has no particular view on the subject and is disinterested.

An example of this theory is seen in the song Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen. The song is an upbeat ballad and could be interpreted to be an American anthem with the repetition on "born in the USA" and the upbeat tone. However the lyrics differ and tell the story of the struggle of Americans.

Feminist Theory- Laura Mulvey

The feminist theory is an idea created by theorist Laura Mulvey in 'Visual pleasure and narrative cinema' 1975

The theory says that cinema will reflect society at the time it was created. Cinema will therefore reflect a patriarchal, male dominated, society. This can be shown through The Male Gaze.

The gaze of camera will show the action from a male point of view, as the male is often the main character. This know as The Male Gaze. The media text is therefore constructed as though the audience is male, forcing woman to watch the text through a man's point of view, made possible through the process of suture.

There are 3 gazes:

1. Audience
2. Camera
3. Male character

The male character see the woman, the camera therefore shows his point of view, forcing the audience into the view point as well.

There is also the theory of Agency. This is often used in Hollywood cinema. The male protagonist has agency, he is active and powerful. He is whom the dramatic action unfolds, he is the centre. Female characters are therefore passive and powerless.

Woman have two roles in a film:

1. As an object of erotic desire for the male characters
2. As an object of erotic desire for the audience

Good examples of the gaze are seen in James Bond films and also the Transformer films

These are good examples of the gaze as the woman plays an object ratehr than a character.

Media Theory: Genre

What is genre?
Genre means kind or type
Types of Genre:

• Comedy
• Action
• Romance
• Rom Com
• Thriller
• Sci Fi
• Animation
• Adult
• Drama
• Horror

Genres have characteristic features that are known to and recognized by audiences

This "formula" is reproduced again and again

E.G. in a Western we see similar characters, situations and settings.

Audiences and Genres

• Why do audiences find genres satisfying?
• Audiences develop an understanding that certain expectations may be fulfilled and they may find pleasure in predicting what will happen next
• Audiences recognise the key elements of the genre/ conventions and respond according
• These key elements are called paradigms

Two types of paradigms have been identified

1. Iconographic:  signs symbols (e.g when the costume, props, settings in a Western)
2. Structural: How structures in the text deal with issues such as ideology and gender (e.g how gender is represented in a RomCom)

Narrative Theory: Levi Strauss: Binary Oppositions

Levi Strauss and Binary Oppositions

• Levi Strauss argued that a structure of narratives was a dependence on Binary Oppositions
• A conflict between two qualities or terms
• These binary oppositions can form the basis of narratives
• E.g young-old male-female

Binary Oppositions can be based on Gender. Narratived can be organised through gender stereotypes.
Male- Strong, proffessional, Aggressive, Wise
Whereas
Women- Weak, Domestic, Emotional, Communal

Binary oppositions works through the use of stereotype and dominant and subordinate groups in society.

The Dominant

• Male
• White
• Middle Class
• Middle Aged
• Hetrosexual
• Able Bodied

The Subordinant

• Female
• Other ethnic groups
• working class
• The young, the old
• Hiomosexual
• Disabled

Narrative: Andrew Goodwin's Theory on how to Annalyse Music Videos

Andre Goodwin Goodwin identifies 5 Key aspects of music videos that we the audience should look out for. It is with these five aspects that make a good music video.

• Thought Beats- Seeing the sound
• Narrative and Performance
• The star Image

• Relation of Visuals to Song
• Technical Aspects of Musiv Video

Narrative Theory: Vladimir Propp

Propp identified 8 key character Roles in these stories:
He annalysed Folk Stories

1. The Hero
2. The Villain
3. The Doner
4. The Helper
5. The Father Figure
6. The Dispatcher
7. The Princess
8. The False Hero

Propp argued that characters could fulfill more than one of these roles and that these can be more than one of the characetr types.

Narrative: Roland Barthes

Barthes described all texts as complex bundles of meaning which can be unravelled to create a whole range of different meanings
According to Barthes texts can be:

• Open- With Numerous Threads to pull
• Closed- With only one thread to grasop

Texts that can be read in a number of ways are known as Polysemic texts

These threads Barthes referred to are known as "Narrative Codes".
The most significant of these codes is the enigma code.
This is constructed to attract and hold the attention of the audience normally by creating a mystery or puzzle that the audience want to see solved.

The Enigma Code is usually introduced in the disruption phase of Todorovs model
Enigma Codes are designed to attract audiences and hold their attention e.g in Reality Television like the X Factor

Theories of Narrative: Tvetan Todorov

Tvetan Todorov follows a simple structure.

• Equilibrium
• Disruption (creates enigmas- need to be solved)
• Resolution
• New Equilibrium (different they learned something)

What is Narrative

What is Narrative?

• story
• plot
• narrative is the way the story is organised

Elements of Narrative

• Time
• Closure
• Enigma

Classical Hollywood Narratives

• Linear (follows a certain order)
• Follows a chronological order
• few if any sub-plot
• tendency towards closure

Final Product: Music Video

This is our final product for the video "I'm sorry" by Amanda Lucas. I am extremely happy and proud of the finished product. We have worked well as a team and sued our different strengths to benefit the video. We have a variety of difefrent shots and the lip sync works extremely well. I specifically like the use of locations as i believe it suits the genre of the film very well.

Digipak: Adding titles

Editing the song

When analysing the finished music video we decided that the 5 minutes odd long song was too long, and that we would make a more successful video if it was shorter. This way we would have the audiences undivided attention for the entireity of the video and we could focus on editing the bits we already had and spend more time on those clips.

It was quite difficult to cut the song at a certain point as it did not sound right without the instrumental piece at the beginning. We experimented with many different cuts but in the end i had to cut the music after one minutes twelve seconds and fade it in. This works as there is a slight instrumental piece bvefore the bit we faded it into.

digipak: more editing on picnik

Once creating a song it is very important to sell the product therefore a interesting digipak which relates to it has to be made. I am trailing different ideas and layouts for the digipak, and today i am testing whether editing the images actually does look more professional then the original photo. I am also deciphering whether i want the same image to be spread over 3 panels.

Digipak: testing out different softwares

In order to create our digipak we had to try out different softwares to gain a good professional image. I have tried out photoshop and i admittedly found it difficult to use. I have now tested out an online editing website called "picnik". Below are a few images i took of the editing on the site.

digi pak: practicing on photoshop

To create our digipak we have to apply a number of pictures to our album cover. We want to continue with our theme and genre so our digipak relates directly to our song. We also want it to look professional and expensive and so i will edit a selection of images on photoshop. I will try different effects and filters and apply different layers to create the look i want. 

IDEAS

Digipak: ideas for digipak

I have started to look at still images from our music video to use in our digipak. This is so their is continuity and a house style for our product so that it works well as a unit. This also is very professional as people will recognise and identity the product, many album covers do this.
Here are a few still images i have captured from our music video "Im sorry by Amanda lucas".