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

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

Evaluation: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I found my audience feedback to be particular helpful when evaluating my music video, giving me a clear idea of whether i portrayed what i wanted to and the meanings that were grasped from the video. I also found evidence for the Reception theory when looking at the audience being active and the meanings taken from media being due to their personal values and beliefs, as many people took different approaches here, which is to some extent, what i wished to achieve. I gathered a lot of feedback from this video, chosing to approach a number of different age groups and asking their permission to film their opinions on the video. In doing this i was also able to see whether the target audience i had aimed at are the ones in which made the most out of this video, knowing i was focusing on ages between 20-30. Showing evidence in a previous post, i did find that their was a significant decrease in the understanding of the video from the ages of 14 and below, with most being unable to adapt a clear relationship between the girl and boy. This did help prove to me the importance of establishing a target audience and that i had achieved this successfully.
The older generation of twenty and above all reported to understand that their is a broken relationship within the video and that the girl is missing the boy. I also found that it was often suggested to include more scenes in the video where i had a blue face. I did agree with this, believing that this may have been beneficial in increasing the understanding of the video further. However, my aim was only to portray the meanings that the audience were able to grasp, leaving the rest for them to put a meaning too themselves. I found that this did work well, for example, in the video of a lady shown in a previous post, she explains how she likes the bit where the girl is seen walking away, knowing that that was the end of the relationship which touched her emotionally, however, this was not what we had aimed to achieve, with us - being the producers of the video - feeling that the relationship was already finished at the start of the video. However, I felt that this portrayed a good element to our video, allowing people to interpret what they wished which this lady proved to be successful in allowing them to enjoy the video.
As well as learning here that the magority of people wished to see more of the blue face, i also concluded that they liked that there was no performance such as dancing shown, being particular worried about how this would be percieved. As well as this, they seemed to notice the relationship between the video and the music effectively in which i was particularly pleased about, along with prases on my editting itself being made. For example, one lady, aged 31 said that i had 'shown a good rhythm', whereas a male, aged 47 believed that i had used 'shots of a good length'. I found that the older the people were that i collected audience feedback from, the more of a detailed answer i got about my video in which included some helpful tips of improvement. I also felt that most of my feedback was possitive, being particularly pleased with this when asking for an honest response. Although the younger age group were unable to grasp the concept and structure of the video, i did not see this as an issue, due to my target audience being much older than this. The particular praises i got from my audience were of the editing and effect of the close ups used. When my face turned blue on the scene where i was riding the bike was also referenced to a number of times, explaining how i had effectively changed my face colour without altering the shot at all. If i were to complete this video again, i would include more of the 'blue face' as a lot of the audience had wished, and although i wanted some element of the storyline to be kept open, i may have also made it a little more obvious, allowing me to attract a wider target audience, therefore achieving higher sales.

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

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

I believe that I have provided a good relationship between my video and digipak design, in which I feel both also have a good link with the Band’s previous media creations and videos. For example, the approach I took when creating my video was one which would not portray a straight forward storyline, leaving the audience with some confusion, much like I found on Delphic’s previous videos. I also included an unusual element which added something unique to the video, referring to the blue/masked face here. This again, can relate well to one of Delphic’s videos in particular, where we witness pieces of magnets walking over their bodies. Providing links with the band itself, rather than just the ancillary tasks alone I felt was important. This furthered the likeliness of increasing sales due to the ability to attract already gained audiences, along with creating new ones using these products, who may then purchase or download the bands previous songs/albums; knowing that the purpose of these ancillary tasks is to promote the Band and make money.

The digipak design provides a link to the Band’s previous album covers, along with my music video. It shares the washed out colors that the band are seen to wear in my music video, in terms of what clothes they are wearing and also adds some mystery to the cover. I have purposely stayed away from any bright colors during these creations, knowing that the band is already known to do this initially. Although the album cover I have created does not provide an obvious link to the music video, I feel that the overall style, consistency and layout of the two fit nicely and share a good consistency.

However, when looking at my website design, I feel that this does fall away from the first ancillary task I completed. I went against these dull colors, creating a bright and interesting website in aim of contracting a wider audience, adding some extra appeal to the website to keep the audience entertained and listening. However, although I may have wished for a more obvious link between the two, i do feel that they both work well and are good and efficient designs. I can also suggest a link between the website and music video here, as the close ups of the boy are done against a green background, similarly to the flashes of the girl when she has a blue face. Although this green background is less bright on the video, it does add an attachment between the two.

The fonts used throughout the website and digipak are also very similar, meaning the audience may have the ability to connect the two. Although the overall layout of the website design may not seem to match consciously with my other tasks, the content it includes I believe overrides this flaw, making it very obvious that it is for the band Delphic, including a link to the album design by showing it on the photography pages with a number of other pictures of the band. Their previous videos have also been included, which again portray a relationship to the one I have created. In deviating away from what is typical of the band in this way, I felt that this will also be beneficial in attracting a wider audience, appealing to a larger generation who may find they like the music once on the website, when they have not been given the opportunity, or had wanted, to hear it before; Therefore believing that the combination of my products was successful.

Knowing how relatable my album design is with the bands previous ones makes me sure that there can be a connection made between these from all audiences, therefore ensuring that the Band are known to be the producers of this album and that there is a connection between this and the rest of them, helping to increase sales from both directions. The website takes a different approach to being effective in promoting the band, aiming to grasp new audiences in such a way by deviating away from the bands typical styles and colour. The main product here is thought to be the main influence, making use of these ancillary tasks further. Minor representations of these ancillary tasks can be seen throughout the video in what I believe to be in an effective way.

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

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

I gave myself a good understanding of what is thought to be usual within a music video before beginning my piece, particularly focusing on Goodwin’s Theory. However, although elements of these codes and conventions have been included, I did choose to deviate away from a few, feeling that this would be more beneficial in making my video unique in itself. For example, this theory argues that the female performer is frequently objectified principally for display purposes, often through a combination of camerawork and editing with body shots emphasising a sexualized treatment of the star. This was not included in my video, aiming to prove that this is not necessary in increasing sales of music. I felt that in doing this, it would also mask the true feelings of the character, wanting the audience to connect with her emotion much more than her appearance, ensuring a relationship between the lyrics and music here, which is also considered typical of a music video.

I also chose to challenge the idea of lots close ups in relation to the band members themselves. Although minor examples of this can be seen, using a lot as record companies are thought to demand, I felt would interrupt the story shown through the other characters. Knowing that the band seem to present themselves as being laid back and having a slightly cocky approach, therefore feeling no need to attempt to be noticed by the audience, this may also ruin their appearance and representation of themselves that they have already given. The reason i have chosen to include this slightly is to ensure they are given some publicity in the video, acknowledging the audience that it is them who created the music, knowing that the purpose of this video is one of a promotional device. However, although many close ups of the band members are not evident, I did use this idea of close ups in much the same way but with helping with the plot of the video’s story. Knowing that they bring attention to exactly what you want the audience to see, I chose to make us of them throughout my piece, particularly in aim of showing the appearance of the boy within the film.

Goodwin explains that there will almost always be a relationship between the lyrics and visuals. I aimed to ensure that this was true to some extent, but did not want this to be too obvious as this would not allow for the audience to question or attempt to work out what is going on, which I felt was important in keeping them intrigued. The most obvious link in which I made to the lyrics I felt was the red room, as the lyrics suggest that the persons ‘counterpoint’ is ‘behind a red room, locked behind a door’ which I felt was efficiently portrayed with the use of close ups on the girl, showing sadness in her emotion. Using these extreme close ups in such away, allowing for me to make the background colour obvious and to almost merge the character and this into one, showing them to be close together. This extreme close up used only showed the bottom part of the face, along with the girls hand, although this seems an unusual shot, it was purposely done in aim of showing only certain information. The lips of the girl and nails were also seen to be covered in red, helping to exaggerate the colour and relationship to the lyrics. I felt that this was an important line to the song to link to as this was the most influential line in the music, helping to cleverly show the emptiness that the character feels, also using the colour red to help represent sadness and death in this way. Another example of this would be to relate near to the end of the video, where a door is seen to close as the lyrics sound ‘locked behind a door’. This is shown twice in the video, once in slow motion and the other sped up. This could be said to help show the imbalance of emotions that the girl is feeling, along with distorting the audience in such a way, creating a somewhat giddy and nervous approach, relating well to the feelings of the girls stomach. The main character is also seen running outside in some places, creating a link between these visuals and the words ‘run through streets and empty corridors’.

In much the same way, Goodwin explains how the music and the visuals will illustrate, amplify or contradict the music in terms of the tempo and speed here. For instance, a fast paced song should have a fast cutting rate and a slower song should have the opposite. I felt this was important in creating a successful video, allowing a further exaggeration of the songs beat and rhythm, therefore allowing more enjoyment from this, leading to further sales. The song I chose to complete my music video has a very fast rhythm throughout, creating my decision to use a lot of fast cutting in terms of my editing. As well as this, I also felt it would be beneficial to use a lot of slow motion, contradicting the music’s tempo effectively. This also helped break down, and calm the video as a whole, making it look more efficient and easier to grasp. In using this convention of a music video, I was able to reflect the sound of the song and the effect is has on the listener.

Falling away from this theory here, another convention of a music video is thought to be in relation to performance. The belief here is that the characters or artists seen within the music videos will often dance or perform to the music, again helping to exaggerate and reflect the sound of the music as mentioned above, however, due to my video taking an indie and individual style, I chose to focus on a vague story line rather than to concentrate on this, much like the band have done in their previous videos.

Evaluation: How does your Media product represent particular social groups?

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Due to our music video taking an indie approach in terms of the genre used, we aimed to convey a girl/boy next door feel, wanting to deviate away from the typical performance and style of the media of music. The lyrics of the song chosen make it clear than the main performer is missing their partner or lover and that although he is acting as though he is fine, he is not. To show this, we made use of including a boy and girl, aged eighteen, both of which have a typical teenage feel about them, wearing stereotypical clothes of what this age group are thought to wear, but still ensuring that they look middle class and are relatable with most of the population, therefore allowing the audience to connect with the characters within the piece. These two teenagers are also seen sharing the same beliefs, making it clear that when they are in one another’s company they are happy, both wanting the same thing in terms of the relationship they have. This is portrayed through a series of close ups helping to show the emotions and expressions within the characters faces, showing a comparison between how happy the two are together and the girls sadness when she is alone and not pretending to be otherwise, particularly obvious when she is seen against a red cloth, again relating to the ‘red room’ mentioned in the lyrics of the piece.

An establishment about their social backgrounds could also have the ability to be made within this video, not only due to the similarity of smart clothes that they wear, and their appearances seeming to be equal in terms of wealth - making a link to class here - but can also be portrayed through the story line shown. The main character seen is shown having a blue face when she is in the company of others, but not when she is with the particular boy, using this to explain how it is only him she is comfortable and able to be herself with. In these scenarios where she is seen to be in the company of others, she is shown staring at either the camera or at a specific place in the shot, therefore showing that the boy perhaps was once there when they were together and now he is not. Because of this, the audience may make an opinion about the two characters having very similar backgrounds and social upbringings. However, knowing that the audience are very much a part of the meaning that is established from film, this may be dependent on the reader’s interpretations, which in turn is thought to be influenced by their beliefs, culture, ethnicity and upbringing.

Different gender types can be seen here, choosing to have the girl missing the boy, rather than how the lyrics to the song portray, using Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions to help establish a meaning. In doing this I feel I have taken a stereotypical view of young women as they are often described as being relationship driven , as supported by a number of researchers, particularly focusing on how women are represented through magazines when talking a psychological approach. This particular research also adds that males are stereotyped as being more interested in their career. However, in taking this approach, I feel it enabled me to connect with a wider audience, allowing them to use their schema’s to make sense of the video further. Looking at the codes and conventions of a music video, the males seen are often shown to be masculine, focusing on strength as a method of voyeurism rather than attractiveness as seen by the women within music, aimed to challenge this dominant ideology of the need to sexual women in music videos to sell the product. I felt it would be beneficial to deviate away from this, showing a softer side to the typical male. This was in aim of allowing the audience to see that the boy is a nice, decent one, therefore creating more of an emotional attachment to him and allowing a stronger acknowledgement of the girl’s feelings. As well as demonstrating a these social groups in such a way, the video also achieves a typical representation of relationships. Slow motion has also helped in allowing the audience to concentrate and see/feel in detail the emotions they should between the two people within the video - showing the emotion which is felt to be typical of a break up in a loving relationship, one of loss and sadness.

Although the actual band members of the song chosen are only seen briefly, I still felt I was able to establish an opinion of these to the audience, being a social group in themselves. Knowing that they self categorise themselves as an indie/rock style band, this can also be linked to. In terms of the mise-en-scene here, the band members are seen all to be wearing shirts, buttoned to the top in which I have found to be typical of indie style performers. This also represents a neat and well kept personality of the members themselves, giving them a more idolised look. They also wear slightly washed out colours, tending to avoid the bright, pop look. Knowing this, this also helped in designing the Digipak for the band.

The relationship between family has also been briefly clapped on, showing the girl eating a meal with her family, aiming to use a senorio in which many other families will be familier with, therefore ensuring the audience can relate to the character. However, although this shows a bond between the family, the girl is still seen to have a blue face, therefore masking her emotions here untill they have gone away. This hasd been effectively shown by using an overlap of the scene, showing the girls face colour to change to normal when her parents disapear. This scene is repeated numerious times, not only to fit with the beat of the song, but also to exagurate this point further. Because of this, the approach given seems to be that having her family around is still not the same as being with her partner, in which i have found people to briefly believe this after a break up of the age which is represented, again including some narative in which feels typical of this event.

Audience Feedback from our Music Video

Due to the explosion of social media websites like Facebook, Bebo and Myspace bringing fantastic opportunities to identify and target groups most likely to buy our products, i chose to interact with these when asking for audience feedback. During my research i found that marketing my products this way may be much more effective compared to other forms of internet marketing. However, i did find that it attracted a slightly bias age group, hearing from a slightlly younger audience than i had wanted. Here is the feedback i gained through these sites;

'i thought this music video was really appealing, i had to keep watching it till the end. I particularly liked how you were able to change the colour of your face without altering the shot in places, also the close ups used against the red backgroud i felt were particularly effective'

'Really good del, i liked how it didnt have any dancing or anything in it because i think it would have ruined the song'

'Super! Great to watch. Would have liked to have seen more of the blue face though'

'Its clear that this girl is lost without her partner, which you have portrayed effectively, and stearing clear of the typical love scenes of a music video or film. very good. Well done Adele'

'i don't really understand?'

'The editing has been cleverly done here, but i would have liked to see more interaction between the two main characters seen in the video'

'It looks really good when your on the roof del! like, zooming out an stuff. I also like the little things, like, the fast cuts of trees, the one of the door shutting and of the bike chain too.'

I also made use of videoing audiences after showing them the music video, aiming to use a variety of ages and choosing people who would be viewing my video for the first time, therefore taking an unbiased approach.

OUR MUSIC VIDEO: COUNTERPOINT BY DELPHIC

Here is our final video. I have uploaded it to Youtube which would be the main distribution channel for the video. As well as appearing on music television channels for example MTV, it would first be promoted online. This would usually be done via Delphic's website, which is where most of their music is first released to mainstream audiences, knowing they rely heavily on word of mouth and the internet distributing their music to their core audience, being a particular new band.

Acting: Thomas McDonnell, Carly Price, Carolyn Jackon, Kevin Jackson and Myself

Camera: Carly Price and myself

Editing: Myself

2nd Ancillary task: Evaluation

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2nd Ancillary task: Research and planning a website

I researched into a number of different band websites before beginning my own, particularly focusing on ones in which bands are similar to Delphic themselves. These included, the Klaxons website, the Prodigy and the Courteeners, all of which made use of a black background with white writing. The majority of the sites i looked at kept it simple with little information, focusing on the tour dates of the band as being the most important and obvious information. Most sites also included a style of posts in which the members of the band post themselves, keeping the fans updated in this way, with whatever they wish to inform them with. Although i thought that this was a successful element to include on a website, the one i am creating will be from myself and not the band members themselves, which will prevent me from achieving this. However, i will ensure tour dates are made obvious and the style and success of the band is portrayed, along with including the songs and images of them to allow some interaction to some extent and advertise Delphic efficiently. A comment box will be included in aim of making up for there being no posts from the members of the band, allowing for conversations between fans to take place. Although i found the websites all used black and white colours, i wanted to deviate away from this, looking to make the website noticeable, appealing and unique. I chose to create my website using a piece of software named Moonfruit, after working with this programme and learning what it was able to do, i then went on to design my desired website. I aimed to create a website to educate and promote the Band Delphic to new audiences and fans, rather than those which already existed. Because of this, i chose not to go into to much depth about the band members themselves, as when attracting new audiences, it is important that they are constantly entertained and not overloaded with information. As well as included a page named 'about the band' i also wished to add one or two 'music' pages, depending on how much i was able to fit on to one page, knowing i was using a limited web designing software. I will also add a 'pictures' page, a 'tours' page and a 'contact information' page. There will be a home page used to introduce the sight, which will then take you to the following pages with the use of a link. Once on these pages there will be a menu allowing the audience to navigate between the pages easily. Here is a diagram below, showing the aim at which i wanted these pages to connect with one another and what i wish to be included. I chose the most interesting information to include on the sight, alone with some quotations spoken by the band members themselves. This will give viewers an in site into the band members personalities and exaggerate the closeness they are at with them, making the sight much more personal. The pictures page will be used simply as a gallery, including many photographs which have previously been taken of the band, whether this be of them at tours, gigs or ones of them when they are not working, this helps promote the singers, along with showing their fame and adding some importance to the band. This page could also be used as a method of voyeurism, if relating to Goodwin's Theory. The music and tour dates present on this website are the most important features as this is what is aimed at being sold and downloaded, increasing the popularity of Delphic. Including the videos here will also make them more recognisable, providing a further way of accessing them, along with the other types of media which are used. The lyrics will be included to each of the songs, allowing the audiences to sing along, this will increase the enjoyment of the song, allowing them to interact and feel involved. I chose to add the contact details of how to get in touch with Delphic as having tried to reach them previously, i had real difficulty in finding a way to achieve this. Therefore, including this information will ensure my website is helpful within this scenario. I will also add my own email address, as choosing to base my A2 Media on this band, i found i have learnt an awful lot about them, meaning i may be able to help with some of their audiences questions. A comment box will also be included somewhere on the site, allowing visitors to write and leave openly what they wished. After deciding what will be included within the website, i then had to consider the layout and overall look of the site, as making it look appealing is just as important as what is included, in my belief. Creating a dull, miserable and overloading looking website could cause viewers to loose interest almost immediately, which would make the site seemingly pointless. After much consideration, i chose to use the colour scheme of orange and green, believing that these were somewhat 'indie' looking colours and helped make the pages look unique, deviating away from colours typical of web designs. Although there is a page specifically there to show images of the band, i will include pictures throughout, ensuring all the pages look interesting. However, i will go for a more artistic look here, showing only one picture of the band on each page but perhaps showing more than one of that picture. This also relates to the video we are creating for the band, which uses a lot of repetitive techniques, both in which fit with the beet of the song i am focusing on, showing elements of hidden meanings within the site.

2nd Ancillary task: FINALISED WEBSITE

The finalised website can be reached via this link: http://delphic-exhilarations.moonfruit.com/

Here are some printscreens of my final Website design: