Evaluation Q4

4. How did you use new media in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?
New media technologies have been very important throughout my production process. I used social media in order to gain vital audience feedback from my target audience, so that I knew throughout I was on the right track. I also used new media to share my products and to research existing media to gain inspiration and learn from existing products. 

Research: Once I’d decided that I was going to produce a music video I set about researching the codes and conventions as well as music videos on YouTube to get an idea of how to make one myself. I was drawn towards Jamie xx’s remix of Rolling in the Deep and felt that it would be an interesting challenge to make a video for a dance remix of a popular song. I then looked at the differences between mainstream videos and dance music videos and found that dance videos were mostly more creative as they were often funded by independent labels and so the artists had more freedom.
I used Yahoo to gain feedback from a wider audience on what they expect from a music video and kept this in mind during the process.
I also used slideshare to upload keynote displays that deconstructed existing products and showed the conventions, such as in my ancillary research.


Planning: Once I’d done my research I set about storyboarding ideas and putting together a filming schedule and shot lists. I found making shot lists very helpful as it was a great prompt to remember all the angles and scenes that I wanted to complete each day. In terms of how I used new media to plan my music video, I utilised YouTube a great deal and channels such as Vevo which display almost every music video ever made which was a great source of inspiration. Also I uploaded test shots I’d done and got feedback from them to help me work out exactly which shots I wanted to use in the video - which worked and which didn’t. 


Construction: During the construction I used facebook quite a lot to give feedback on each of my rough cuts. To begin with I edited the different locations and then eventually put them all together and, for instance in the case of the interlude, my peers were really helpful in deciding whether to use text and to have that section in black and white or in colour.
I used iMovie on my macbook to create all my videos and used Photoshop to create my ancillaries. Since my preliminary task last year I have improved enormously and have gained many more skills in terms of knowing how to use Photoshop, being able to identify codes and conventions and apply them to my own work. 

AS Pre-Lim, AS Final Magazine Cover, A2 Final Advert

Here is a picture of my preliminary magazine cover. Compared to today I knew very little about photoshop or the conventions of a magazine, hence the basic layout and evident dead space.
If I compare this with my advert I can see that I now have more knowledge on composition and colour schemes as well as photoshop skills in order to create an effective cover which can then be implemented into the advert, which would fit the genre of music and brand of the artist.
My video editing skills have improved since beginning the course as I now have more awareness of how existing videos are put together and so have more attention to detail and focus on the beat and the many interpretations that the audience can take away from watching the video as each individual has a different reading.


Evaluation: In evaluating my work I looked back through my slideshare and Youtube pages to see how I’ve progressed. I went on sites such as Pixton to create an animation to explain how I made my music video in question 1.
Here is a video looking at most of the new media I’ve used in making my production... 

Therefore, as you can see, New Media Technologies have been imperative in my creation of my coursework. In the 21st century, thanks to the rise of the internet, anyone can produce texts and therefore the line between consumer and producer has become almost non-existent. The advances in technology mean that an 18 year old student such as myself is able to make products such as a music video by using software such as iMovie, share it to the world through YouTube and make a cover and advert by using Photoshop. The process has become very quick meaning I can have direct access to the audience at the click of a button and gain vital feedback from them instantly and apply that feedback to my texts. I can also talk to people all over the world on sites such as Yahoo.

Evaluation: Q3

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?
I gained a huge amount from constantly getting feedback from various audience members. Audience feedback is incredibly important when putting together a product as, in this web 2.0 landscape, the audience shapes the media more than ever. Throughout production I posted rough cuts on facebook and my advert was decided purely on the huge positive response one of the two options got (which you can see in this video for Q4).

In order for my products to be successful I also had to look at who I was aiming my video at. My target audience was 16-24 year olds who like to watch music videos, specifically dance music or remixes of pop songs as that is the song I chose. 

From this post

As the research I found was that the a big proportion of people watching a video with a female artist was male I also began to think about female representation, which I looked at here. I looked at representation quite a lot as I thought it was an important message to get across and a great way of subverting the conventions of a dance music video. I wanted to present a strong female protagonist that the modern women could identify with. Through this aim I came up with the idea of using flashbacks as I wanted the narrative that she has been in a relationship but actually now prefers to be single to come through. Therefore portraying the relationship through rose tinted eyes (emphasised by using a 'romantic' filter on iMovie) can help contrast with her now in 'reality'.

Quite early on I researched the type of audience member who would watch my video and found that almost half of teenagers watch music videos online rather than on TV. This made me think about how I could grab the audience and keep them watching as well as highlighting how social media has grown in modern society.
I learnt a lot from the feedback I got and made changes to my production based on their comments. For instance, when putting together my first part of the video - the interlude section - I posted two different versions on facebook (one with lyrics and one without) in order to see what they thought. There were a few conflicting answers and so I compromised by reducing the amount of lyrics as well as taking on board the advice of having the footage in black and white - something which I found worked and made its way into my final cut. 
It was clear from the beginning that this was an incredibly useful resource and so I posted frequently, another time being when I couldn't decide whether to have the ending with my female lead looking out to sea or walking back towards the camera. After posting one facebook I decided to cut it short which I talked about in my Rough Cut #1 Director's Commentary. 

After finishing my third rough cut, I was more confident about it nearing completion and so I decided to show it to a focus group class of year 9 students to see what they all thought. I got lots of positive and helpful feedback from this which led me to my final cut. I learnt from this that the narrative was much stronger now I'd included the flashback sequences and that this class of 13-14 year olds, while a little younger than my target audience, picked up on a lot of the subtext of the video which I was extremely pleased about as it showed that it was clear: I was worried initially that it might have been hard to follow.
Throughout production I was anxious that my preferred reading was coming across to the audience...


Audience Theory: Readings of my text
Stuart Hall’s theory relating to Reception Theory was that of encoding/decoding. He put forward the idea that the text’s encoded by the producer which is in turn decoded by the reader. However there can be a big difference between the producer’s and audience’s readings. So, in order to try and bridge that gap, the producer can try and use recognised codes and conventions which can position the audience into reading it how he/she wants them to.
This can be termed the ‘preferred reading’ which is something Morley also looked at.
Morley’s theory looks at how texts have different readings due to the individuals reading them all being from different backgrounds. Therefore the audience has four responses to a text; dominant, oppositional, aberrant and negotiated. The dominant or preferred reading for my text would be the recognition of female empowerment, where the audience takes away a feeling positivity surrounding the end of a relationship rather than the typical weepy ballad. Yet some members of the audience, particularly males, may instead have a negotiated reading where they see the message I’m trying to make but don’t agree with it and would rather see women being objectified. Other viewers may have an oppositional reading as they may think that the end of a relationship is sad and that actually she may still be sad now she is on her own. An aberrant reading is where someone has missed the point entirely and so may see my video as enjoyable to watch and may not interpret any of the narrative. All these different readings can be had by different genders, class, ethnicity or age. As I, the producer, have my own background and cultural experiences then not everyone will agree with me - however as part of my target audience’s age range I hope that will help me.

example facebook comment

example youtube comment

example yahoo comment

I gained audience feedback by talking to my peers as well as posting rough cuts and ancillary drafts on sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Yahoo as a way to gain ideas and constructive criticisms. Modern audiences are much more aware of how a text is put together due to Web 2.0, meaning that much of the audience are producers themselves. Therefore modern day audiences are more aware of the conventions of a text so appreciate when the conventions are subverted, which is something I have tried to do. 
The genre of my music video is dance and so there are many conventions that come with that genre such as quick editing to the beat, dancing being featured as well as it being creatively filmed. As Hall said, I tried to include these conventions so that the audience watching will recognise the genre as well as it being more likely they will have a preferred reading. As the song is about love I used a rose as a visual signifier of this as it connotes passion. Therefore the audience’s interpretation of the protagonist destroying the rose will hopefully help to cement the narrative that she is over the relationship. The flashback sequence at the beginning of the video is a way to make the audience aware of the relationship and how serious it could have been which correlates with the lyrics “we could have had it all” which is repeated throughout the video with the images of the lips singing it to highlight the importance of that line. Therefore the audience can hopefully read the significance of the relationship to the protagonist and thus identify or empathise with her.

original cover idea

In terms of my ancillaries, I started off using a photograph of my female protagonist and editing it artistically as were the conventions of dance/remix covers. I gained audience feedback and found they wanted something more simplistic, which eventually led me to the idea to move towards the jamie xx brand of the 'X' and the convention of using a still from a music video, which I think looks a lot more professional and sophisticated thus fulfilling the conventions and meeting audience expectations. 

final cover

Evaluation: Q2

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

In order for my three products to work together I had to create a house style so it would be clear to the audience that they were all linked and advertising the same products. 

House style throughout the three texts

Images: The image of water was significant throughout my three products and was one way in which I tried to create a theme between them: it was a reoccurring motif which corresponds with the themes of the song itself. As the title of the song is ‘Rolling in the Deep’, this connoted to me water and the chaos that comes with it - reflecting the feelings of the protagonist. I’ve done this by taking a still from the video to use as my cover (which is an industry convention) that shows a pebble going into the water, part of a memorable section of the video, thus tying the two together. This splash can also symbolise the turmoil of feelings that the female protagonist is going through which is why I believe it to be a strong image in which to sell the song. 


Fonts: The fonts I used in the video itself connoted to be both youth and a more unique feeling which has impact as it can connect with the audience easier than simply using an Arial or Times New Roman font. I wanted a font that would catch the audiences eye which, corresponding with the quick editing, meant that it had a strong effect on the audience so they can anticipate the exciting video they’re about to see. 

Font I used in the video

In my ancillary I wanted to create a feeling of the artist being established as he is a relatively unknown artist but wanted the audience to trust him. I used relatively formal language and a simple layout to create a confident feel in the advert. Having no words at all on the cover was a risk but, as it is in keeping with the Jamie xx brand that he has already built up, it was the best way as his audience would then recognise that it is Jamie xx’s single and thus would already have a knowledge of his genre and quality of music.


Colours: The blue of the water is the dominating colour in my ancillaries which is complemented by the black and white base colours which connotes chic and sophistication. Black, white and red are the most common colours used in the music industry and so I used red to highlight the ‘Out Now’ feature of the advert which draws the audience’s attention to the fact that it is available to purchase.
I also used black and white in the interlude section of the video to contrast with the colours in the rest of the video. The black and white symbolised the serious emotional side to what she was saying and feeling in that section and so audience feedback told me that black and white would work here.

audience feedback which prompted me to try it in black and white

As a music video is created in order to promote a single (something I have already discussed) I had this in mind throughout the production process of both the video and the ancillaries. I included the jamie xx website in my advert as the 21st century is all about multi-platform media and so the audience (particuarly the target audience of 16-24 year olds) will definitely expect an internet presence which they can interact with and find out more, hopefully leading to buying the single. I shied away from featuring jamie xx’s facebook page or itunes as jamie is known for being a cool and elusive guy and thus simplicity in that case is key, leaving an air of mystery. 

Here is a video featuring many audience members being asked about my three texts...

Final Cut

I posted the fourth rough cut on facebook and got some good feedback and so have decided that it shall be my final cut.

Here is some of the comments I got...

Also I got this comment on the YouTube page...

Evaluation: Q1.

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

In order for my music video and ancillary products to look professional and be successful in their target demographic they needed to use many of the forms and conventions that existing products use. As I was producing a music video for the dance/remix genre I wanted to include the conventions of dancing and artistic videos, whilst challenging the conventions of including ‘sexy girls’ with very little clothing as, while that is the stereotype that appears to ‘sell’, I wanted to progress from this idea as in 2012 I felt that women are more equal to men and therefore my target audience would appreciate a more intelligent look. In terms of big conventions that music videos use I featured lots of lip syncing and editing on the beat as well as having a narrative that reflected the content of the music... 


Comparison
I've created this presentation to compare in more detail my product with existing products...

Q1: Real Media Product Comparison

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Sound: Music videos often not only have the song that they are promoting but also diagetic sound that you would find in a short film, such as footsteps or the ‘real’ sounds of a location. I incorporated this by using sounds such as waves crashing and seagulls to fully set the scene of the beach - a key location in the video.
Text: In the video I’ve chose a more personal, impacting font style which I have edited together to look more contemporary and to feel more professional and important. The inclusion of the artist’s name and title of the song is often used in modern music videos, especially alternative artists, in order for the audience to remember the artist after viewing the song as these days audiences can be fickle as they flick through music video after music video. Thus in order to make any audience impact it is important to keep them engaged and to be bold, which I have tried to do.

I've continued this throughout the video as well to keep the theme running:

An example of existing products using this technique

In my ancillary tasks, I didn’t use any text for the single cover which, while against the generic conventions of mainstream products fitted in with Jamie xx’s existing covers. I went for simplicity and kept the ‘x’ brand in order for the cover to be recognisable to my target audience - both fans of jamie xx’s music and listeners to dance music who are mostly used to seeing stills from the music video as well as something more artistic and simple. However in my advert I did use text as the advert was to attract a more wider audience that may not have heard jamie xx’s music before. I still tried to keep it simple and so went for a black and white theme with font that suggested an established artist to give it more credibility. The colour red stands out which is why I used it for the words ‘out now’ in order to prompt readers to buy the song. I included reviews from well-known and respected magazines and newspapers in order to stand out to the audience that it is a good song. As is the convention, I included the website details of the artist so the audience can find out more. This is often done and is an example of the growth in multi-platform media: it is expected for artists to have an online presence.

I placed my advert into a real newspaper music section (The Daily Telegraph's Review section) and while the majority of the music reviewed there is aimed at an older audience, my advert stands out on the page and the inclusion of reviews from established institutions may help further to draw the average reader in and be interested in the advert. The ideal place for my advert to be situated would be in music magazines such as NME, Mojo and Mixmag as readers would be interested in music already and in the case of Mixmag specifically interested in dance music. Other ideas may be teen magazines or free newspapers such as the London Metro as creative types who are open to new things may be attracted. Otherwise a newspaper/magazine advert may not be the right way to promote this song in the modern market and an online advert such as the trailers before YouTube videos would be the ideal way to promote the song as my target audience (16-24 year olds) use social network sites such as YouTube daily, whereas market research I've conducted has shown me that very few 16-24 year olds read newspapers and magazines and that sales for magazines are dropping as the world gradually turns digital.


Genre: The music genre that I was working in was perhaps more complex than most because it wasn’t just a dance song but also a remix of a mainstream song and so I wanted to include both dance and pop music conventions to develop something more interesting and original. I swayed towards the dance music genre when creating my single cover, but when putting together my advert I also used elements of Adele’s advertising campaign - using an understated and sophisticated black and white palate, which meant that the blues in the cover image stood out and the advert and connections with Adele as well as Jamie xx - combining both their styles effectively.
The genre conventions I’ve used in my music video are as followed: lip-syncing, editing to the beat, engagement with audience, artist/character shown, music playing and some form of narrative/message.
The video genre I’m working in is romantic, however it is moving away from conventions by looking at the break up and not the ‘falling in love’ part of romance.
My video conforms to some conventions of a romance by including a couple in love (these portions making up the flashbacks) which builds audience expectations for the video. But then the rest of the video subverts the conventions by showing a strong single female who is moving on from the relationship. It plays with the conventions by showing her in similar conventions used in romantic videos and then showing herself happy in them on her own.

I put together this comic strip showing my process of production...

Narrative Theory applied to my product

My friend and I put together this presentation on Todorov and Freytag's theories. In the presentation I look at how Todorov can be applied to my music video.

Narrative Theory

 

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Rough Cut #4: Director's Commentary

I've put together this director's commentary to explain further my thought processes behind my last rough cut, looking at my progression from my 1st rough cut to now.