Evaluation Question Four

Evaluation Question Three

It is greatly important to evaluate your work in order to improve the final product of our music video and ancillary texts. It will also make sure that we have considered our chosen target audience throughout the video as well as attracting other audiences that we may have not considered. It will help us to make us look more critically at our music video and the aspects that should be changed as well as things that we should leave unaltered. 

We received our audience feedback through different forms of media such as Youtube, facebook and twitter as these are the ways that we chose to publicise our music video due to it being quick and easy as well as the most efficient way to attract out target audience. Youtube allowed us to gather many different forms of feedback such as the amount of likes and dislikes we received, the amount of views and comments that viewers can leave on the video. This would provide us with both qualitative and quantitative data which was useful to be able to analyse and take information from. We also had a small screening with pupils in our class as well as others in the year to gather their opinions on the video and areas that we should improve or keep the same. They're comments ranged from points on editing and cinematography etc. which we found greatly useful.
                                                                                                                                                 

Comments that we received included: 

•  "The video captured all the different aspects that you would expect to see in a dance video such as the flashbacks and fast paced editing" 

• "Could have been improved by adding scenes from a club etc to emphasise the dance element further" 

• "The narrative was easy to follow and I could sympathise with the graveyard scenes" 

• "A range of different transitions could have been used to make it more complex and professional"

How did the comments make you feel as a media producer?

From the comments that we received about our music video it lead me to believe that we had successfully met the brief that we had been given. We received both negative and positive comments from a number of audience members. The positive comments built our confidence within our work and highlighted the areas that were successful whereas the negative comments were taken on board as constructive criticism. I felt that the negative comments provided us with crucial opinions and identified different areas of our music video that needed to be improved. It allowed us to build upon and adapt our original ideas, making sure that it was as best possibly suited to our target audience as it could be. Most of the comments that were made I found myself agreeing with and helped me to push forward any changes that I felt needed to be made. Conclusively, I believe that the all of the comments that we had collected showed us that we had in fact made a music video that met the brief that we were given, successfully breaking the conventions of the dance genre. 

The second comment "Could have been improved by adding scenes from a club etc to emphasise the dance element further" was an aspect that we felt as a group needed to be added. In order to do so we filmed at a friends party to capture some of the flashing lights to give the impression of a club scene. This we felt made the music video appear more profession and adhered further to the dance genre conventions. 

Another comment that we took forward was "A range of different transitions could have been used to make it more complex and professional". Our rough cut mainly only included straight cuts with some fade transitions. We decided to include a wider range of transitions to give the video a more professional finish without it looking too over loaded with transitions which may have the adverse effect. We also took this comment further by including some effects over certain pieces of footage to show contrast between the scenes - and again to make it appear more professional. For example we applied a black and white effect over the scenes of the car crash to show the difference between the flashbacks and crash. This we felt would make the narrative easier to understand for the audience as it would highlight the difference between the positive and negative parts of the relationship that we displayed.

The feedback that we received would be paramount if we were working within the music industry. It would challenge our knowledge on the conventions of a music video as well as those belonging to the dance genre and whether we were able to break them successfully. It would make sure that we had considered our target audience sufficiently throughout the entirety of the video as well as highlight whether our video was of a high enough quality to stand up alongside professionally produced music videos. It would also emphasise the strengths that we hold as producers and the aspects that we would need to improve upon. As a result of the feedback that we received it would allow us to see whether our music video as well as us as individuals have the skills and qualities to be successful within the music industry. 

Evaluation Question Two

Evaluation Question One

For our A2 Media studies coursework we were asked to create a music video as well as two ancillaries to help promote it. In order to produce these media products we were put into groups, mine consisted of: William Stacey, Max Heath, Luke Thompson and I. We worked as a group to decide upon crucial aspects within the planning stages such as the music genre that we would choose, the song, the artist and the ideal target audience. This therefore made sure that each member of the group would be happy with the end result. We decided that we was going to focus on the dance/house genre as it was a taste in music that each of us shared. This understanding of the genre would therefore make it easier for each member of the group to come up with their own successful ideas. We chose the song ‘Sun Don’t Shine’ by Klangkarussell as it was a song that was popular at the time that we started planning. This would therefore make it easier for us to receive usable feedback as the audience that we were targeting would have been familiar with the song. Due to the fact that the dance/house sub genre originated in the 1980’s it is a fairly new type of music – using produced sounds and upbeat tempo’s it has only fairly recently entered the mainstream. This has therefore made it popular with the teenage age range of 16-25 year olds and lead to the ideal target audience for our music video being fairly simple to identify. As a group each individual came up with their own original and creative ideas for the narrative that we would follow. This gave us a huge advantage as it provided us with a range of options and allowed us to weigh up the pros and cons of each. As a result it enabled us to choose which narrative we felt would be the most successful in terms of both challenging and following the dance genre conventions.

Once these aspects had been decided upon we could then delegate roles in order to work more efficiently. Within the group I adopted the role of group organiser where I allocated the tasks at hand to each individual (as well as myself) and ensured that everyone focused and stayed on task. I completed many of the duties that were essential for completing the planning stages such as meetings and discussions, risk assessment and filming schedule. I also played the female character in our music video due to a lack of willing participants to take part. Lastly I was in charge of sorting through all of the footage that we have gathered. From here I worked on creating a basic time line, using the Final Cut software, for us to work on as well as identifying any areas that we may have needed to build upon or film again. As a group we then collectively made decisions such as effects and transitions that we would include. For example we felt that the car crash scenes and the flash back memories needed to be differentiated in some way. We therefore chose to lay a black and white effect over the top of the crash scenes to show a contrast. This lead to a more professional finish and also made it easier for the audience to understand the narrative. This is where our team work really flourished as each member listened to and took on board everyone else’s opinions making the production of our music video time line more efficient.

By completing these tasks I learnt a range of vital skills to build on my knowledge of A2 Media Studies and my abilities at using different software’s and technologies. For example: by organising the group I learnt essential leadership skills, managerial experience as well as learning to make detailed plans and time keeping. I also learnt skills such as how to operate the HD cameras, set up the tripod’s and prepare all the equipment needed in order to film the music video. I also became more creative in my use of camera shots and angles as I began to understand the different impacts that they would on both the audience and the final product. For example we used a panning shot of the graveyard to introduce the audience to the location and allow them to become familiar with the setting so that they would find it easier to grasp our chosen narrative. This we felt would heighten the effect that the narrative would have on the audience and lead them to be able to sympathise further with the character. By using Final Cut Express it enabled me to expand on the skills that I had already gained at AS level. I had previously learnt how to use basic tools such as importing the camera footage and using the blade tool to cut different sections to produce a time line. It also made me more experienced at using the skills that I had previously acquired making me able to work more efficiently and focus on more advanced tools. My A2 experience has allowed me to take this further by teaching myself how to use different effects and transitions as well as slow and quicken different scenes etc.

I feel that as a group we have made a successful music video that both challenges and follows the conventions of the dance/house genre. I believe that our music video consists of a well thought out and planned narrative that draws the audience in. I feel that the narrative helps to enhance the lyrics of the song and provide a deeper insight. However I also feel that the club scenes that we incorporated within the chorus sections of the song really aided to reflect the more conventional dance/house music video conventions. Secondly I believe that our ancillary products were also a success due to the professional and consistent finish. The ancillaries helped to create a memorable artist image using a consistent colour scheme and fonts etc. It also presented the crucial information, as well as following the conventions of a digipak and magazine advert, that will interest fans and persuade them to purchase the album.

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As the production brief we were asked to create a music video belonging to a genre of our choice and a further two ancillary products, digipak and magazine advert, to help promote it. A music video is a short film incorporating a song used for promotional and artist purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. The purposes include:

• A Market Tool to promote artist/song - A music video is primarily used to promote the sale of music recordings of the artist that has produced the song. They can also be used to promote other companies. An example of this is in ‘Beauty And The Beat’ by Justin Bieber where they promote the new gaming product ‘Just dance 4’ by showing the logo within the video.
• Short Narrative or representation of artist - Many music videos use a short narrative to tell a story within the clip. An example of this is in ‘Heart Attack’ by Trey Songz where his video shows Kelly Rowland (the love interest) and himself falling in love as well as showing their ups and downs. This attracts the audience, as they want to follow the storyline and is also often used to compliment the words of the song and make it easier for the audience to understand.
• Attract a particular type of audience - Videos are used to attract the target market that the song and genre is aimed at. An example of this is ‘The Promise’ by Girls Aloud where they use glamorous dresses and a choreographed routine that would attract teenage girl to watch the video and listen to the music. 
• Buy into the artists lifestyle - The artist’s lifestyle is often portrayed in a music video so that the audience can put themselves into the world of the artist and understand the life that they live. ‘Got 2 Luv u’ by Sean Paul is a good example of this as they show the artist in a club with alcohol and lots of girls. This gives the impression that this is a regular occasion for him and gives the audience an insight into his lifestyle
• Show the different generic conventions of a genre/music video - The generic conventions of a music video are shown throughout each individual video. This alters depending on the genre of the song as well as the artist and directors personal ideas.
• Audience to remember the video - An audience will often remember a song by the video that is played alongside it; especially as the most popular way to listen to music is on TV channels and YouTube where the videos are a main feature. An example of this is ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke where the video created controversy and was therefore remembered by a large group of people.
• Audience to understand more about the song - A music video can tell the story behind the lyrics which allows the audience to see both the hidden and literal meaning. This allows them to understand the song in more depth as well as giving them an insight into any themes prominent within the song.
• Build a relationship with the artist - The audience is able to understand the artist through the choice of video and the persona that they create throughout it. This allows the audience to understand the personality of the artist through their choice of video and the different images that it shows of them.

Music videos can either be, narrative, performance of concept based in their style. A narrative based video uses moving image to tell a story throughout the video, it usually involves actors and is sometimes linked to the lyrical content of the song. Performance based videos often show the artist performing the song and is often in a studio or a live performance. A concept based music video usually follow a random concept and have no storyline. They tend to be fairly unusual or utilise a particular editing or filming technique. Different theory’s such as Dyer and Goodwin’s have been created in order to gain a deeper insight into the codes and conventions of music videos as well as the purpose of their creation. The codes and conventions of a music genre are the different characteristics that are present to make it evident to the audience which music genre they are listening too. For example the dance/house genre that we have chosen has a very specific set of codes and conventions that set them aside from other genres. Deep House is a sub genre of house music that originated in the 1980's which initially fused elements of Chicago house with Jazz funk and soul music. The genre is well known for its complex melody and use of unrelated chromatic chords underlying most sequences and a soul, ambient, or lounge vibe vocals. Conventional dance/house cinematography includes the use of handheld camera work, few static shots, a large variety of camera shots and angles and close up shots of the lead singer/s. Mise-en-scene includes night club scenes, flashing lights and people dancing (street dancing, break dancing, raving etc).This is evident in Martin Garrix ‘Animals’ where the majority of the music video is set in a club location with a variety of different types of dancing. This includes break dancing by one of the masked boys in the music video, who is also surrounded by a large group of people raving. This is the setting that dance music would be listened to and enjoy which leads the viewer to feel as if they are there enjoying themselves with the people present in the video, which further adds to the entertainment value of the video. Modern teenage stereotypes would also be expected eg. Alcohol and drugs, as well as high key lighting and a fun atmosphere. Conventional dance/house music includes upbeat music, a repetitive drum beat and produced sounds (techno/electronic style). Lastly, editing styles that would be expected to be used in the dance/house genre would be fast paced/to the beat, a cut to a new shot usually every 1 or 2 seconds, and usually cut to tell a narrative.

Our music video has aspects of both a conventional and unconventional dance/house genre music video through each of the micro elements. The fast paced editing that is conventional to the dance genre has been employed within our music video in areas such as the crash. This we felt would increase the tension and suspense for the audience and heighten the entertainment factor. However we also chose to employ some slower paced editing during the flashback sections of the video in order to portray the emotion of the character as well as show a greater contrast between the memories and high tension car crash. The settings that we used were once again a mixture of both following and challenging the genre conventions. The graveyard setting for example is not an upbeat location that you would expect to see in a dance song. However we chose to employ it within our video to compliment the narrative so that it was easier for the audience to grasp and understand. The club scenes however, used in the chorus sections of the song, do follow the conventions of the genre. Club settings are often used in order to reflect the places that this genre of music would be listened to and therefore create an upbeat and happy atmosphere. This is amongst only a few examples of aspects that both follow and break conventions within our music video.

Final Music Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU_Qw1P0ye4 

Digipak Reflection

Front Cover: 

In order to create my digipak front cover I used a background image of a club scene to follow the conventions of the dance/house genre as it is the setting that this type of music would likely to be played and enjoyed by the target audience. This will therefore further entice the audience to buy the album as it will remind them of a familiar setting as well as grab their attention. In order to make the image more vibrant I altered the Brightness/contrast, Exposure, vibrance and the Hue/saturation. This made the colours of the background image stand out which will help to attract the target audience further and enhance the dance conventions by giving the idea of strobe lighting etc that would be present within the club. The enhanced colours also highlighted the colour scheme that I have included within each ancillary product and make it more recognisable to the audience. 

In a layer above this I inserted the artists name in a bold font to help stand out against the strong colours of the background. I used a dull grey colour for the text so that the background image was the main focal point of the front cover. This is conventional as dance/house artists like the audience to focus on their music rather than the artist image that is created for them. This image is the main reflection of their music which is why I wanted it to be in the foreground. 

Lastly I took an image that we had taken during our photoshoot and used the quick selection tool to cut around the image of our artist and discard the areas of the green screen. This left me with the figure of the artist which I then chose to include a black colour overlay to hide the identity. This is once again conventional to the dance genre as mystery is placed around the artist to create a hype and so that the audience will focus on the produced music rather than the artist himself. The figure is placed with one arm in the air to reflect his passion for performing which further adds to the effect on the audience by making them feel as if they are having fun alongside the audience. This is an idea that I took from my research into Avicii's magazine advert (Magazine Advert Analysis post). I altered the image further by adding an outer glow, satin, inner glow and bevel and emboss. This allowed me to create a 3 dimensional image and allow it to stand out against the vibrant background. 

The digipak that I created is conventional to the dance/house genre as it uses vibrant colours, hidden identity and a club scene. It is also fairly simple with little text which I have also found to be conventional in not only CD digpak's but also more specifically those which belong to the dance/house genre. 

Welcome Note:

To produce my welcome note section of my digipak I chose the effect of a purple colour overlay to be placed to continue the purple/blue colour scheme that I had created in my front cover. I then took an image of the artist (used for my first image) and once again used to quick selection tool to discard any part of the image that I did not need. This left me with the figure my artist looking directly at the camera. This I felt was appropriate for the Welcome note in order to create the idea that he was speaking directly to the audience reading it. I did however choose to once again disguise the identity of the artist to continue the mystery that I wanted to create around him. To create this I placed a darker purple colour overlay over the top of the figure which allowed his identity to be covered while still allowing the audience to see that he is facing them. I once again wanted the image to stand out against the background so therefore chose an inner glow. The use of this once again created consistency throughout my digpak as the same effects had been used to create a similar effect on the audience. 

Lastly, I included a note from the artist to make the digipak appear more personal as well as give an insight into what the audience should expect from the artist. This in turn will lead to the audience to be further enticed to buy the album and to find out more about the artist. I used the same font that I chose for the front cover so that the consistency flowed throughout and would also be more memorable for the audience. I also decided to use a bright white so that it contrasted the dark purple colours of the background image as the text is the focal point of this page. 

CD Cover: 

The CD cover is fairly simple in its construction, however it successfully enhances the dance/house conventions as well as continuing the colour scheme of the previous pages. The image that I have chosen as the background conveys the conventions of the genre by showing beams of light coming from the centre circle. This conveys the club setting as bold lighting would be expected to be used. I once again used a purple colour overlay to go above the blue colour that the image was already present. This continued the purple/blue colour scheme that I have incorporated throughout. 

To create the perfect circle of the CD I placed a white box over the top of my work and used the eraser tool to cut a large whole and reveal the image left underneath. To produce the smaller middle circle I used the ellipse tool and filled it in a white colour. I then inserted the artist name 'Willzon' in the same font as I had selected previously. I then changed the opacity so that the background image could be seen through it as I felt would give it a more professional finish. 

Image 1: 

For my first image I decided to take the image that I chose to use for the welcome note but without covering the artists identity. This I felt would give the audience an insight into the artist and give them enough information to remain interested. Using the photoshop app on my iphone I adapted the image by reducing the noise and sharpened it in order to create a more professional finish and make it appear as if it could belong to a real album digipak. From here I then opened it onto photoshop as a layer. I then added a colour overlay to continue to purple colours that I have used throughout. The background image behind the artist is a bar location, displaying alcohol bottles on the shelf. This follows the dance/house conventions as mise-en-scene would reflect the club/bar setting that the music would be played which would therefore include teenage stereotypes of alcohol etc. This page of my digipak also breaks the conventions by focusing completely on the artist. I felt that this was necessary however to create a familiarity for the audience and build an artist and audience relationship. 

Image 2:

Lastly I created the back cover for my Willzon digipak. I used the same image that I had produced for the front cover, adapting it with the same effects in order to create the same effect on the audience. I used the same font that is present throughout my entire digipak so that it remains consistent. The font is also bold and therefore makes it stand out against the vibrant colours and detail of the background image. I, again, chose a white colour to continue the consistency as well as allowing it to stand out and grab the attention of the reader. This is important as the track list is the most important information present on the back cover and follows the conventions of this section of a digipak. The Parental advisory sticker that I have placed in the corner of the page not only fills an otherwise empty space but also follows the conventions identified for a digipak back cover. 

Magazine advert reflection

How did you use your research into magazine adverts to start planning your own?

The research that I carried out on other magazine adverts has aided us when deciding upon the crucial aspects that we need to include in our own advert such as: the album title, artist name, release date etc. It also gave us an insight into the layout of the adverts that usually appears in magazines so that we could then therefore follow a similar template.  

The changes that I would make to my original paper design is to include more information about the album such as songs that feature within it as well as the release date etc. I would also need to change the artist title from 'Sonnentanz' to our own creation 'Willzon' as we hadn't decided on a name at the time that I created it. I would also change the image thats used as it is to do with music video rather than the artist. It therefore doesn't comply with the dance genre conventions as we decided to break the conventions in our music video. I would change it to some kind of club scene with an image of the artist so that it is more relatable to the target audience. 

The ideas and inspirations behind my paper design is the narrative of our music video as it featured a couple and displayed the up and downs of their relationship. I also attempted to draw one of the locations that we filmed so that the connection could be made between the music video and magazine advert. I also researched a variety of other dance artists magazine adverts to access the information that needs to be displayed on the advert as well as the conventions that are present.

The paper design did not help me when creating my final photoshop design as I decided against my original and changed it completely. It did however highlight the aspects that I would like to include my identifying which ideas did not work.

My Final Magazine Advert Design:

My final magazine advert was created using photoshop which allowed me to create a professional looking advert. I took the image that I had previously created for my digipak and used it as the background image. This club image I felt was more conventional to the dance genre of our music and would therefore reflect and present this to the audience. It uses the same colour scheme that has been present throughout all of my ancillary designs as well as concealing the identity of the artist. I believed that this would be a technique that would help to create a hype over the artist as it would entice the audience to research further. By using this image I felt would make all of my ancillary products consistent and help to create an audience and artist relationship as well as making it more recognisable.

The advert displays all of the crucial information that is required for a magazine advert in bold font in a layer over the image. The purple fill colour once again complies with the colour scheme to create consistency and the light white outer glow helps to make the text appear bolder and brighter - therefore grabbing the attention of the reader. The artists name is once again written in the same font that has been used within the digipak so that the audience can become familiar with it and recognise it.

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a crucial part of the planning process in order to make sure that everyone is safe when filming our music video. Identifying potential hazards will ensure that if any member of the group come into contact with any of the hazards below they will know how to deal with them. By planning any potential risks before we filmed the music video allowed us to focus on the creation of our music video and will hopefully lead to the filming process to run smoothly. It will hopefully lead to a shorter filming time as hazards cab be dealt with there and then and responsibly so that it will not disrupt out filming schedule. 

Rough Cut

                                              

A rough cut is important to consider as it makes the music video available to a wider audience to provide us with further feedback to make final changes. This will allow us to gather the opinions of other on our music video as they will take a more objective approach as they have not created themselves or seen the development of it. In a professional rough cut there is more shot selection and approximate trimming. The sound is also untreated, unfinished and will require sound editing, this may also include dialogue and sound effects being incomplete. Titles, graphics, special effects, and composites are usually represented only by crude place markers. Colours will also be untreated and unmatched. 

It is hugely important to consider all of the feedback that we receive about our music video as it will help to improve the final product of our music video. It will also make sure that we have considered our chosen target audience throughout the video as well as attracting other audiences that we may have not considered. It will help us to make us look more critically at our music video and the aspects that should be changed as well as things that we should leave unaltered. 

We received our audience feedback through different forms of media such as Youtube, facebook and twitter as these are the ways that we chose to publicise our music video due to it being quick and easy as well as the most efficient way to attract out target audience. Youtube allowed us to gather many different forms of feedback such as the amount of likes and dislikes we recieved, the amount of views and comments that viewers can leave on the video. This would provide us with both qualitative and quantative data which was useful to be able to analyse and take information from. We also had a small screening with pupils in our class as well as others in the year to gather their opinions on the video and areas that we should improve or keep the same. They're comments ranged from points on editing and cinematography etc. which we found greatly useful.
                                                                                                                                                 
Comments that we received included: 

•  "The video captured all the different aspects that you would expect to see in a dance video such as the flashbacks and fast paced editing" 

• "Could have been improved by adding scenes from a club etc to emphasise the dance element further" 

• "The narrative was easy to follow and I could sympathise with the graveyard scenes" 

• "A range of different transitions could have been used to make it more complex and professional"

The second comment "Could have been improved by adding scenes from a club etc to emphasise the dance element further" was an aspect that we felt as a group needed to be added. In order to do so we filmed at a friends party to capture some of the flashing lights to give the impression of a club scene. This we felt made the music video appear more profession and adhered further to the dance genre conventions. 

Another comment that we took forward was "A range of different transitions could have been used to make it more complex and professional". Our rough cut mainly only included straight cuts with some fade transitions. We decided to include a wider range of transitions to give the video a more professional finish without it looking too over loaded with transitions which may have the adverse effect. We also took this comment further by including some effects over certain pieces of footage to show contrast between the scenes - and again to make it appear more professional. For example we applied a black and white effect over the scenes of the car crash to show the difference between the flashbacks and crash. This we felt would make the narrative easier to understand for the audience as it would highlight the difference between the positive and negative parts of the relationship that we displayed.

Photoshoot

It is important to carry out a photo shoot so that we have a range of different images to use for the different promotional media aspects of our project. It is important to capture images that will incorporate our chosen genre as well as the narrative that we have chosen to follow in order to attract our chosen target audience so that the music video is successful. 

We took images of one of the group members that we have then decided to make our artist as there is not one present in our video. We reenacted the movements that a DJ would be likely to make in order to capture the dance genre and these elements of the song that we seem to have otherwise ignored in the conventions. We took these images in front of a green screen so that it would be easier to edit on photoshop with different background etc. This further added to the ease of incorporating the dance genre as it allowed us to add club scenes behind and create professional looking digipak and adverts etc. 

We will use the images that we have taken will be used for both our music advert and digipak. The photoshoot was hugely important to create these projects successfully as an advert would struggle to attract an audience without any images for them to relate too. It will help to engage the audience and give an insight into the style of music that they will be listening too. The images that we have used for the digipak and advert are conventional to the dance/house genre as it shows our main character in a position that you would stereotypically imagine a DJ to be standing in. 

The images portray the artist as being mysterious and unknown as I have blacked the image so that the identity of the artist is kept a secret. This reflects the artist in the music video as he is not present and by creating an unknown artist it adds a secretive aspect and adds to the attraction for the audience. 

(Images - Explanation of which ones are used and why?) 
(Step by step images of how I photoshopped the digipak front cover) 

This is the photo that I used for the digipak as I felt that it would be the easiest to incorporate with the background that i had chosen. It would also be the easiest the edit on photoshop to hide the identity of the artist by filling the image with black filler. It was also one of the images that did not have part of the figure cut out, other that his left hand. However this would be easy to use for the digipak as I wanted the image to be placed on the right hand side and this would therefore go unnoticed as it would meet the edge of the product (Include image of Digipak cover) 

Meetings and Discussions

Group meetings and discussions are crucial when working as a group as it allows discussion to take place where each individual can have their views and opinions. It will result in the creation of a more successful music video as it will lead to a combination of each members ideas being incorporated. It also highlights areas that may have otherwise been overlooked such as the music video theory etc. Not only this but it will allow the filming process to be more efficient as we have already discussed and decided what we are including.

 

 

Group Digipak

Each group member created their own digipak to be able to be creative and come up with individual ideas. It also allowed us all to grasp the Photoshop software and improve our knowledge on a practical aspect of media studies. Following this we all showed each other our own designs and discussed what we felt to be the pros and cons of each. Upon this discussion we decided which we felt complied the most with dance conventions as well as which looked the most professional and would therefore achieve the best grade. We therefore decided to choose my digipak. 

      Our digipak has a continuous colour scheme running throughout each page which makes it appear more professional. The colour that I chose was purple so that it didn't single out any gender as it doesn't hold as many gender connotations as colours such as pink or blue. I also felt that it was bright enough to attract the teenage target audience that dance music is aimed at - paired with the club background - the digipak is greatly conventional to the dance genre. I also chose to follow the genre conventions by hiding the identity of our artist as this is a feature of many different dance artists (and their videos and digipaks). 

      Front Cover:

The front cover we felt complied to the dance genre conventions as it featured a club scene background. This reflects the location that this type of music would be enjoyed by the target audience and therefore draws them in - enticing them to buy the album. There is also a set of DJ decks at the front of the image which would fit the expectations of the audience as it relates to the electronic production of the music and beats. I also chose to conceal the identity of the artist by filling his figure in black with a lighter outer glow to make him stand out from the background as well as giving him 3 dimensions. There is also a range of bright colours present on the front cover which, again, is conventional to the dance genre as it connotes vibrance which in turn gives the impression that the audience are enjoying themselves. The main colours however are blue and purple which I have chosen to continue through the rest of the digipak to create consistency throughout - making the digipak appear more professional. The font I chose is bold and draws the attention of the audience without the need for a bold colour. The limited amount of information provided on the front cover was also intentional as it allows that main focus of the cover to be on the images and artist. This will allow the target market to be drawn in to the cover and feel as if they will have a good time as this is the most important aspect of the dance genre.

Welcome Note: 

The Welcome Note page is greatly simplistic as it features a plain purple background and a filled image of the artist (with an outer glow). This once again continues the colour scheme that I have followed throughout to make sure that each page flows and helps to create an image for the artist. His figure has once again been hidden to represent this consistency between each section of the digipak as well as following the genre conventions of a mysterious and hidden identity of the artist. The simplicity of this page allows the writing to be that main feature and means that their attention will not be detracted. The bright white colour of the font also helps to achieve this as it stands out against the dark colours of the artist image (black) and background (purple). The font that I used for the front cover I chose to continue to this page to again represent consistency. It is also a bold font that draws the attention of the reader and will persuade them to want to read it. The writing gives an insight into the type of music that the target audience should expect from the album as well as any collaborations that may appear on the CD. This will further entice the audience as they may recognise familiar artists names which will create a better reputation for 'Willzon' as they will assume that their music will be of similar quality. 

CD Cover:

The CD continues the purple/blue colour scheme similarly to the other digipak pages and further enforcing the artist image that we have created through a continuous colour scheme. The image that features underneath the colour overlay are beams of light that is once again conventional to the dance genre. It reflects the strobe lighting that would be present in clubs and therefore once again reminds the target audience of familiar locations and also gives an idea of what type of music to expect. I also chose to continue the bold font onto the CD so that it was similar to front cover. Therefore when the CD is taken out of the case to be played the font on the front cover and CD is consistent - further enforcing the artist image to the audience. 

Image 1:

The first image that I have incorporated is of the artists identity which is the first time that it has been revealed to the audience. This will allow the audience to become familiar with 'Willzons' identity rather than the blacked out images that have been incorporated previously. This will help to create a familiarity for the audience and therefore make it easier for them to relate to the artist and form a relationship as a result. By hiding his identity previously however it will create a mystery behind the artist and therefore make the audience more interested in finding out more about him. The dance genre conventions have once again been incorporated through the background image of a bar with a display of alcohol bottles. This again goes back to the conventions of dance as alcohol would be consumed in bars and clubs which is where this music would be played and enjoyed. This will therefore mean that the setting will be familiar to the audience and make it more relatable. I once again used a purple overlay on top of the image to continue the colour scheme throughout. 

Image 2: 



Back Cover:

The Back Cover features the same background image as the front cover to show consistency throughout. I did however choose to flip the image so that they would join when the Digipak is opened so that it appears as one image. The vibrant purple and blue colour scheme has once again been continued to grab the attention of the audience. The bright white writing (used in the welcome note) also contrasts the background colours which allows it to stand out against it. This is essential as the important track list is the main feature of the back cover so that the audience can familiarise themselves with the artists songs and also identify any that they may know already. The Parental advisory sign is also present in the corner as it is a convention of CD digipaks and warns the audience of any explicit lyrics that may be present. This makes the CD appear more professional and as if it could really be sold. 

Group Advert

Analysis Of Magazine Adverts

Magazine Advert one:

The Calvin Harris magazine advert includes all the vital information that is required in order for the advert to be successful including tour dates and album releases. This will promote the artist and present their image to the audience, creating awareness and increasing sales. It is crucial for the advert to give the right impression to its audience and present the correct artist image in order to attract the correct target market. Avicii's magazine advert follows the conventions of the dance genre by hiding his identity. This is achieved by his back facing the camera in the main image. This helps to create a mystery to his identity as dance artists like the audience to focus on their music rather than the image that is created of them as an artist. Pop artists for example focus largely on creating an image for themselves and sell this to its target audience. Although his identity is hidden it allows the audience to focus on the crowd behind him, displaying his work (DJing) and giving the impression that he has a large fan base as there is a vast amount of people in the image enjoying his music. His body language, with one hand in the air, suggests that he is enjoying what he is doing and continues the impression that everyone is having a good time, and so will the listeners of the album. It also suggests that he is a popular artist with a large fan base, giving the idea that he is successful due to creating good music, which will further entice potential customers to buy his album. This supports Dyers theory as he believes that the star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer. Avicii in this advert is absent through his masked identity but present through his large following and body language. This means that the audience is given enough information to be persuaded into buying the album but enough information is hidden to create a sense of mystery. 

Avicii is also in casual clothing, making his audience able to relate to him more easily as he is wearing normal clothes. This supports Dyers theory that artists must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer. The checked shirt that Avicii is wearing would be considered as being ordinary as it is clothing that his target audience are familiar with and would perhaps wear themselves. This will enable Avicii to build a relationship with his audience and therefore lead to creating loyal customers. However the artists extraordinary side is shown through the huge crowd that has gathered to hear his music. The image as a whole presents Avicii as being fun and carefree which are often traits found in artists belonging to the dance genre and therefore appeal to the specific audience of dance music. This will therefore achieve the main purpose of the magazine advert which is to sell tour tickets and increase the awareness of Avicii as an artist as these aspects would all persuade the intended target market to purchase Avicci's products etc. that are being promoted by the advert. 

Soft blue tones are used throughout the advert in the form of the banners held by onlookers, the checked shirt that Avicii is wearing, fading into the colour of the sky. This allows the main headline of 'Avicii - Part of the At Night Family' to stand out in a bright white colour - grabbing the attention of anyone who comes across it. The type of font, as well as the logo, that has been used also helps to achieve this as it bolder and differs to the other, more simplistic, fonts that have been used elsewhere in the advert. The dark colours used for the DJ decks and the bottom of the advert allows the dates and venues along with other useless information to be more visable for onlookers. There is little information present on the advert which allows it to remain uncomplicated and easier to read, meaning that readers are not overwhelmed by useless information and can instead get the messages of the advert by one single glance - crucial for a magazine advert. The light and dark contrasting colours are conventional to the dance genre as this specific kind of music is usually playing in nightclubs and concerts etc where the setting would usually be dark with bright lighting. The light blues and blacks could therefore be mimicking this idea to display the different genre conventions.

Magazine Advert two:

The layout of the magazine advert is fairly simple with only crucial information displayed, such as: the artists name, the date of release, the record label logo, where to buy it and two reviews. These are the only aspects that are needed in order for the advert to be successful, as this is the only information that the target audience would need to know in order for it to create a hype and increase in sales. The little information on the advert is also conventional to the dance genre as it leaves an element of mystery for both the artist and the song as well as keeping it as simple as possible for the teenage target market. This relates to Dyers theory as one of his key paradoxes states that 'a star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer'. This leaves the audience intrigued and creates more of a hype around the album as people are unsure of what to expect. Other dance artists also do not feature themselves in their adverts or music videos such as: Swedish House Mafia and Klangkrussell etc.

Due to the simplistic layout the image of a brick wall with graffiti writing in an isolated building or street is the main focus, placed in the centre of the advert with the writing scattered both above and underneath it. The writing is also in a simple font in the colour white, which further emphasises the image in the middle as the writing is not bold enough to detract from the brighter colours present in the picture. The graffiti holds the connotations of being rebellious and breaking the law. This would most likely attract a younger audience as the youth are the most likely to be taking part in activities such as this and would therefore be able to relate to it. This therefore reflects the target audience of the artist/album and would therefore attract them to buy the album that the advert is promoting. This is conventional of the dance/house genre as the target audience is usually teenagers as it is a genre that has only become popular fairly recently with the younger generations. The graffiti also gives an idea to the audience about which type of music they are likely to expect from the 'The XX' without revealing too much about the artist etc and is therefore another devide that has been used to create a sense of mystery.

Digipak analysis

There are many purposes that an artist would create a digipak for their album. One of these is that it promotes the album by representing the artist and the songs as well as expressing a message through aspects such as the images used as well as the fonts and colour schemes. This also helps to make the cd eye catching which will not only attract fans of the music/artist, but also a wider audience. The corporate identity of the artist/band may also be represented within the digipak and present a recurrring theme. There are also more practical uses of the digipak such as a list of the content of the album on the back which will allow the audience to browse through the songs that are on the CD and entise them to purchase the album and therefore increase sales. Lastly it is used to store additional promotional materials eg. sleeves within the digipak could include booklets and posters.  

There are two types of packaging for a CD, a digipak or a CD case. A digipak has six slides and as a result has more space for higher quality images/visible artwork, information and promotions - making the CD a collectable and therefore providing the artist with a better chance of attracting buyers and fans. A CD is more basic than a digipak and contains less personal detail which therefore makes it harder for the artist to create a relationship with their consumers.

This way the artist has a better chance at attracting potential buyers, such as fans, as they will see the digipak as more than just a disk of music, it is a collectable item as well. In comparison to the jewel case, all of this additional information is easier accessible, the sleeve in a jewel case is easily ripped when removed or put back into the plastic grips, making it unappealing to remove. On the digipak all information is very easily accessible.


Analysis of one digipak:

David Guetta's digipak for his album 'One more love' is a fairly simple design with an abstract pattern continued throughout each section. On the front cover he uses dull colours including: Black, Grey, Gold/Brown. This contrasts the conventions that are usually followed for the dance genre as bold colours are used to reflect the type of events that the music is usually played. This is most often in nightclubs and concerts etc that would use a large amount of vibrant and bright light sequences to compliment the upbeat song. The vibrant colours however have been incorporated into the digipak through the abstract pattern that has been used on the other sections. This is therefore conventional to the dance genre as most digipaks will include bright colours to attract the young audience that the dance genre targets. This consistency is something that I decided to use within my own digipak. I used a continuous colour scheme of purple/blue throughout each section so that each flowed and were recognisable by the audience. I also used the same background image for the front and back cover to continue the consistency and to create a memorable digipak.

The digipak does however comply to the genre conventions by creating mystery around the artist, in this case it has been achieved through the use of the sunglasses worn by David. I chose to incorporate this into my own digipak by making the artists figure black and therefore keeping it hidden from the audience. Another example of conventions being followed is through the artist being presented as being ordinary. The clothes that he is wearing creates this idea as he is wearing a printed t-shirt that is familiar to his teenage target audience. This acts as a way for the target audience to be able to relate to him and therefore help to build a relationship between the artist and the audience in order to build loyalty. This conforms to Dyers theory as the audience view him as ordinary (through his clothing) but also extraordinary through the use of the colour gold on the front cover to remind the audience of his wealth and power.  

Planning artist image

Within our group we decided not to include an artist due to the genre that we had chosen to follow of house, where the artist is not usually present within the music video. This is due to the fact that this style of music focusses on the beats rather than the video. However due to us breaking the conventions of the stereotypical house music video by including a narrative there is a main character that is presented throughout the video and therefore acts as the artist. It is important to successfully create this artist image so that it correlates with the decisions that we have already made regarding the genre, narrative and locations etc. If these aspects do not correlate it will lead to the music video looking amatuer. Our group therefore discussed the artists image at great length in order to portray the character in the way that we wished to the audience. We planned in detail the outfits that he would wear and the way in which he would act to come across sincerely to the audience.  

Within the video we have tried to maintain the accessability of the artist by dressing him in everyday clothes that would allow the audience to relate to the character. This is especially important due to the nature of the narrative that we have chosen, as it will not be successful if the audience are unable to sympathise with the situation. In many of the scenes showing the relationship of the characters the male (the artist) is dressed in jeans and coat which is clothing that our target audience would wear on a daily basis and therefore makes the scene appear more realistic and therefore more believable, creating a more successful music video. To contrast this we dressed him in a suit when visiting the grave stone, this will allow the audience to understand the importance of this scene as well as showing that he has an authority over the other characters. 

The males hair colour is a natural brown shade which again adds to the accessability of the character as it is a hair colour thats familiar to the audience, wheres if we were creating a Rock video for example we may incorporate an artist with red hair to shock the audience. It is styled in a way that is also familiar to the teenage target audience that we are aiming our music video at and will hopefully lead to the video being more enjoyable for this audience.