Monday 30 January 2017

Question 2 evaluation

When starting my ancillary products I knew that I had to create synergy, synergy would link the video, the digipack and the advert for the digipack together making them a successful promo pack for the artists “Ocean rise” I had created.

The way I created synergy between all three products was to look at what images, colors and ideas came to mind when we thought of the name of the band, how they were dressed and how we wanted them to be represented. One way I created synergy between the digipack and the advert was by using the same font for the band name, I found this font on 1001 free fonts and it is called "Broken Dreams". By using this font across the advert and digipack, I felt that it created a link in the viewers mind and then the font would become associated with the artists and could be then used across all promotion for “Ocean rise”

I also tried to create synergy through the color of  the text, this was done through the band name always being shown in black and white. This follows the conventions of indie bands which I found through my own research as they don't use many colors in  their band name. However to make it more appealing to a wider modern audience I have used more vivid colors in the advert and digipack to make it eye catching and appealing to a modern audience. 

I also created Synergy through Katie and Luke’s costume in the video. Katie was wearing a denim jacket with a flannel shirt while Luke was wearing a dark green jumper and a blue coat. These items of clothing from my research into indie culture show up a lot in fashion and music videos. This leads to them being represented as artists of the genre and would make them seem more appealing to people who are into the indie culture, which would then lead to them watching my artists.

Overall I feel like the ancillary products I have produced combine together well and produce synergy. I feel that they are great promotional material and would launch the band "Ocean Rise"






Evaluation
To ensure that there was some synergy between the music video and the promotional package, we decided to take all the photos we might need on the same day so they would be in the same costumes and create synergy with the music video.

However upon reflection I wish we would of include more variety of costumes as it could of been used to show time passing as well as helping to further the representation of  the positive and negative times of the relationship. Synergy is created with the music video as they are in the same costumes on the digipack and advert however, a greater range would have added more dynamic images to the digipak which it can be argued would of completely changed our ideas.

In the questionnaire's which we handed out to our TA previously, it was stated by the entire audience asked that there was sufficient synergy between the advert, digipak and video with the colours, costumes, fonts and locations. By using the colour picking tool it made sure that there was the same colour scheme throughout all products thus creating synergy, we also used the same downloaded font on every one of our products to create a recognisable name for our stars with synergy over all of their promotional products

Question 3 evaluation










7 parts of TA research
After I had finished my music video, I conducted my final target audience research which consisted of a questionnaire I had written with 7 questions. From this questionnaire I had many different responses which gave mixed responses which is good!

From these responses I was able to see what parts of my idea and video came across well such as the narrative and use of close ups and what parts the audience didn't like such as some of the continuity shots and how they wished for more costume changes. The key findings from this target audience research and my target audience research I conducted over the whole process has bought me to many conclusions. Such as :

  • Making sure the shots I use are clearer as many people didn't get the concept of the leaves being thrown in the air.
  • Changing costume to reflect lyrics and mood
  • I personally learnt to work well with others, instead of trying to do everything myself 
  • To include more of a variety of shots 
  •  I also learnt to have faith in my ideas and see how they would work instead of not even trying

 Since I plan to study media and film at University, the skills, learning and creative process I have received from this project are bound to help me when it comes to further projects. 

Question 4 evaluation

Over my time In A2 media studies ,I have used many different technologies in my research, construction, planning and evaluation stage.

Research

I used many different technologies in the research stage of my music video, here are the methods of research that I used.

The main technology that I used throughout my music video was an online software known as blogger. Blogger was a software that I was familiar with from AS media and knew how to use well because of this. I have enjoyed using blogger throughout media, it is a simple effective way of producing a blog that is easily accessible through any internet browser and  looks sophisticated through the different design templates available. I used Blogger throughout the course in order to display my research, planning and work to my teacher and the exam board as well as to check on my partner Caity to see what work and research she had done.


YouTube is becoming increasingly popular in terms of promotion, research and video streaming with billions of people logging in each day to use the site to watch hundreds of millions of hours of YouTube videos.YouTube gave me and Caity access to thousands of different music videos to learn from thousands of different artists in a matter of seconds. We could also refine our searches to adhere to our genre and out traget audience e.g. indie. I used YouTube throughout the research stage of my music video to get research and inspiration from firsthand sources.


Within my research, I found that using band websites was a great way to access information on artists, songs, digipacks etc. Band websites introduced us to the codes and conventions of digipacks, and adverts for the digipack.

My partner Caity and I made use of twitters poll tool so we could ask our TA questions and get answers quickly. We used it to get feedback from our TA for example on band names and how they consumed music.

In the research stage of our ancillary products, I researched different magazine digipack advertisements to find out what sort of conventions and institutional details that I needed to put on my advert for the digipack to follow the conventions of digipack adverts. Online, we found many of these to use through different search engines like google and bing as well as on the school system that our media teacher had found.

The magazine advertisement that influenced me the most was Mumford and Sons sigh no more advert , I liked how the images were divided into four sections which made the page look pleasing to the eye aesthetically and the color scheme that was used communicated how this was a band meant for a older TA . I also liked the bold white font that was used across the page as it created synergy with the rest of the page and made the overall advert look very organised and well planned. From this advert I also learnt about the amount of institutional details that needed to be placed on an advert.

As well as creating the music video itself and the advert for the digipack we also had to create the digipack itself. It was one of the criteria of the promotion package we had to make, however to do this we would need a template and we needed a rough idea on what each individual panel of the digipack needed. I researched digipacks through google to research what each pane needed and to learn the conventions of a digipack. 

The tool that helped me to analyse the adverts and digipacks was the presentation software Thinglink, Thinglink allows you to attach pins to an image you uploaded allowing you to annotate it. As I was analysing a still image this software was good to use as it created an interactive experience as well as allowing me to focus on smaller things like serif fonts and larger things like colour schemes at the same time due to the fact that you can put pins in the things you find interesting to analyse.

I feel that Google is probably the most underestimated technology that I used throughout the research of our products. Using the search engine google gave us a way of finding out about  different artists, and a way of researching what I did and didn't want to include within my products and  it also enabled me to be able to research and find any information I might need.

Without using google, there are certain software programs and websites that we wouldn’t have been able to use that are crucial for developing and making my media products. Especially when it came to using blogger, without google we wouldn't have been able to present our research and creativity. We would have needed to find a different platform instead which would of taken away time producing my products

Another piece of technology we used in the research stage was cameras, we needed to use the camera to see how well our chosen locations would look on camera by doing principle location photography, as well seeing how well our actors looked on film. Me and Caity used the camera to get principle photography around Barton when we went location scouting, so we could see what locations would look the best on film

One tool I used to present my research was power point and then I converted into a slide share so I could embed it on blogger. Using SlideShare allowed me break down my research on a microlevel, to work out what each part fully meant and represented, whilst presenting my work in a smart professional looking manner.

In the research stage one tool I used was SoundCloud, I used SoundCloud to upload the recordings of my TA research focus group. I found using the website useful for this as it was an easy way to upload the recording and SoundCloud also allows me to embed it into the blog  and play it from there

One method I used to present my research was to create a Moodboard, being someone who learns best visually I found this to be especially useful. I used a Moodboard to show my principle location photography this was good as it allowed me to see what colours showed up in each location and from this it helped me to make informed decision on such things like the colours of Katie and Luke's clothing as I wanted to avoid clashing colours. 




Another tool that I used during the research stage was Prezi, Prezi is a presentation tool designed to create an animated interesting presentation and using it I was able to highlight my research in key areas, this came especially useful when breaking down my final TA research.

One tool I used during the research stage was Emaze. Emaze serves a similar purpose to SlideShare as it allows you to break down your research and findings onto a really in depth level. Emaze offers more in the form of design templets and tools e.g. the shape tool allowing you to add many different shapes making sure your presentation is very personalised.
Planning

During the planning stage of the project, the main technology we used was Microsoft word. Within the planning stage we used Word to create the different pre-production paper work that was needed to help the shooting process such as call sheets, script breakdowns and risk assessments. When looking at the pre-production planning paper work we should ask which pieces where the most useful.

For me they were the storyboards and call sheets. The story boards provided a visual way of designing and developing the look of our video meaning how each shot looked, as someone who learns best  visually this was immensely useful.  The call sheets combined with the story boards gave us an exact system to follow on our days of filming which meant that when we shot we filmed efficiently getting it done to a good standard of shooting

Another technology that we used in the planning stage was blogger, we used it in similar fashion to how we used it in planning stage and that was to present our work and findings.

In the planning stage of the music video, me and Caity made use of Facebook as a method of communication. This is because it meant that we could contact everyone quickly with ease in a way that meant that everyone received the same message by creating a “group chat” where we can tall talk at the same time. This was effective as we could actually see when people were receiving the message so we knew our actors were getting the information we sent them.


Construction

We used few different pieces of technology to the construction stage.

The main technology that me and Caity used were a camera, a tripod and a memory card. These were the most crucial technologies that we used during the construction of our product, without these we wouldn't have been able to film any of our shots to a high quality and would have had to shoot it on a phone. We used the tripod to help stabilize the camera and make sure all of the shots looked professional and to the highest quality possible and the memory card to record our footage.

The software we used to put our footage together was editing software known as Final Cut Pro x, I feel that using Final Cut worked extremely well in terms of firstly allowing us to edit our footage quickly and also being an easy to understand piece of software with well labelled tools like the blade tool for example which enabled us to shave parts of clips that didn't fit in time to the music. We could work efficiently and make great use of our time editing due to how well all the tools were labeld and had been explained to us. Secondly the tutorials the software has allowed us to gain a quick understanding of the tools at our disposal using the software such as the ability to change the speed of clips, change the colour of clips eg. Slow motion. These effects allowed us to emphasize certain points or the messages we wanted communicated to the audience and this was all down to the tools the editing software provided. One of the main tool's I used during the editing stage was Vignette masks as it softened the corners of shots making them look more aesthetically pleasing and less harsh on the eyes.

Another piece of software that we used in the construction stage was Photoshop Elements 11, this software is a simplified version of the well-known photoshop software. We used this to help construct the digipack and the advert for the digipack. We used this software before in AS so the familiarity we had with it enabled us to work quickly and work to a high standard as we know which tools to use for certain jobs like adding text.

Evaluation

One of the technologies I used in my evaluation was blogger and cutaways, I used this to answer this question ( question 4) , I choose to do this as I felt it was the best way for me to get my points across and show the journey I  had been on from the start of A2 media to now. I feel that one way I could of improved this would of been to actually collect screenshots of me editing the video.

I used Slide share to present question 3, I used this as I felt Slide share was an appropriate tool to break down and present the different research I learnt from my TA on my products to a professional looking standard. Slideshare also allowed me to embed pictures into power points to help me illustrate my research and make the results easier to understand.

I used thing link to answer question 2 as I was able to annotate my ancillary products throught the online presentation tool ThingLink and break them down on a microscopic level part by part eg font. I chose to do this as it was a much simpler way than having to make a power point since I was analyzing a still image, I felt i was also able to go into a great amount of detail because of this.


To answer question 1 I used a mixture of Final cut pro and movie maker to create a directors cut for my music video, this enabled me to break down my music video on a microscopic level and focus on each representation and shot for example. To create one you firstly add freeze frames into your video, blade up the song in final cut pro and afterwards use movie maker to create the audio needed for the commentary.







Powered by emaze

Tuesday 24 January 2017

Final Advert


Original photo

Me and Caity have both agree that since we have named our band "Ocean rise" that we need to incorporate Oceans somehow into our ancillary products. This will be done in the form of a photo however since we do not live anywhere near a sea we will have to use someone else's image, we plan to edit it heavily to make it more of an original work.

Monday 23 January 2017

A change of idea in the advert

Initially mine and Caity's idea for our advert we had to produce was to use a collage of images of four. We decided to change this for 2 reasons, first of all we weren't able to take enough photo's when we had our actors and afterwards we weren't able to reschedule. We also found that it made the page look cluttered. After doing research we found that a having one large image of the star/stars would work very well and promote the artists very well.

Saturday 21 January 2017

Draft's of advert

In this draft of our advertisement for our artists, Caity chose a background of blue velvet as one of their singles is called 'Velour Confusion' but our media audience group did not like this background so I will have to change the background again. There was a lot of positive feedback about the text at the bottom as the font was really effective and they liked the use of the logos and the websites at the bottom so the only things we need to change are the background and the use of the word 'devastating' as this wasn't the word I actually meant.

In this draft we focused on trying to find the right colors to use, in this instance we color picked the denim for the name of the band and for the background we used the color picker tool on one of the leaves which was a lighter color, we did initially try one of the golden/burgundy leaves but it was too dark and didn't look as though it would fit our indie genre.

Thursday 19 January 2017

Research - Final TA research part 7

Powered by emaze

Research - Final TA research part 6

Q6 – did you like the costumes and locations? Were there any you liked? 

This question was important to ask, as if the viewer found the costumes and locations stale then there was a chance that they actively or inactively would lose focus and no longer be engaged in the video
Mine and Caity’s desire with the costumes was to make them look young and modern so it appeals to our young TA, it would make Katie and Luke relatable to them.



“I loved the locations especially the one with the Humber bridge in the background , however I feel maybe just one fast pace environment could've been featured when they were arguing to match their moods and it would've pushed the narrative further.” This comment is interesting as I feel that adding in a fast pace environment would of really helped further the dynamic and pushed the narrative further.

“yes they made the narrative seem more realistic as they were wearing normal clothing and in calm locations.” This shows that Mine and Caity’s desires with our costume and location works, it made them seem like real and genuine people which I feel helped the audience feel sympathetic towards the characters Katie in particular

“I liked the returning to locations over periods of time to show the difference in their relationship while the environment around them was the same. I also liked the use of the Humber Bridge as the stage for what I presume is the climax. “This Comments shows us that my idea to repeat locations to help show the different stages in the relationship works and it doesn’t feel like we are over exposing locations to the viewer

The costumes weren’t at all incongruous, so much so I had to look at them again for this question! There is a good dichotomy between Luke’s dark clothing and Katie’s light denim jacket. If I was to make one change it would be to include more clothing, so that the time of this relationship felt longer, but I don’t know if you have the time to do that.” This comment is useful as the advice is valid and really useful. I feel would of really improved the product.






Monday 9 January 2017

Research - Final TA Research part 2

Q2) Were Their enough close ups of the main artists?
This question was important to ask as due to scheduling conflicts we were not able to get any additional close ups, we had to relay on the ken burns tool to create close ups out of the shots we had and relay on the few close ups we had shot while filming.
Everyone that filled out the survey agreed that there were enough shot's, however we did receive some additional feedback on top of the question that featured suggestion of what we could of tried to make it an overall better product and praise saying we found the right balance.
The feedback 
"There were more than enough close-ups of the artists. If anything, I would say there were maybe too many close/medium shots. This appeared to be a story about growing distance and loneliness, and more long shots/negative space would be the easiest way to communicate that distance." - male, 22
"Again yeah, it was kind of 50/ 50 with the closure and the more narrative shots so I think that's bout right." - male 18
"there is a good range of shots overall , my fave close up was at at 3 mins 30 seconds of the girl as the lyrics and her expressions fit perfectly and pushes the narrative and I feel anymore close ups of them both would've made the video look too repetitive" - female 18

" Yes it was very simplistic and focused on the two main characters which made it effective, the close ups were relevant and frequent" - female 17

" Yes there was enough and it was a good balance of shot types " - female 17 

Analysis 
Overall this feedback was very good, the fact that they don't feel there is a lack of close ups is very good for me and Caity as the lack of close ups was one thing we were concernd about. 


Research - Final TA Research part 1


Sunday 8 January 2017

Research: Flickr Feedback









In hindsight: Planning

When I look back and think about the experience of producing a music video, I would definitely plan way more I felt like I had planned to the best of my abilities but when it came to the actual day of filming I felt very stressed as things may not of gone right in certain shots due to the weather, some shots may of not been possible to get due to travel arrangements  and I feel that if I had planned more intensely I would not of felt out of my depth and so stressed.

I would also change the way we scheduled the shoot so that it was even more structured so we knew what hour we had to be in certain locations, included way more costume changes and just in general organised it more efficiently.

Research: Social Media

Today we live in a world where there are billions of people who log onto social media each day, whether that be twitter, Facebook or Instagram, by using it we could quickly get feedback from our TA. Me and Caity knew that if we asked questions using social media we would get alot of responses and we both knew that it would be a quick.