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...