Wednesday, 21 February 2018

A2 G324: FINAL MUSIC VIDEO PROMOTION

FINAL MUSIC VIDEO PROMOTION:

This is my final music video promotion.


A2 G324: FINAL MAGAZINE PROMOTION

FINAL MAGAZINE PROMOTION:


This is the final magazine promotion for my ancillary product.


A2 G324: FINAL DIGIPAK

FINAL DIGIPAK:


This is my final digipak for my ancillary.


A2 G324: HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TEXTS?

EVALUATION QUESTION 2:

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


A2 G324: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA ?

EVALUATION QUESTION 1:

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



A2 G324: WHAT HAVE YOUR LEARNT FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

EVALUATION QUESTION 3:

What have you learned from your audience feedback?



A2 G324: HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?

EVALUATION QUESTION 4:

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


A2 G324: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA ?- FIRST DRAFT

EVALUATION - QUESTION 1 FIRST DRAFT:

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

CAMERA:

The way camera is used in a music video is crucial to the audiences understanding of the genre and theme of the music. In general all music videos of the R&B genre will have different ways of portraying the actress/actor by the use of angles, shots and movements. However, my main aim was to show the power the actress had over the lover she sings about. This is an example of how I presented this in the music video:


The repeated use of close up shots was important in my music video, because in the R&B genre, the the artists face is shown close up to understand their feelings and emotions. A common way female artists do this, is by looking at the camera through their eyelashes for example:



This particular look is seductive to the male audience and connects emotionally with the lyrics of the song.

{Voiceover - showing Frans close up of her lips and eyes} Talk about why they ave a lot of meaning and work well with the genre. Compare to the RMA - jhene aiko

FOCUS GROUP:
{Focus group video - what do you think of these shots?}

Since most music videos work on a higher budget, it is more likely that the camera work would be more smooth and there would be no shakiness detected by the audience. Therefore, on the filming day I had to make sure this was possible so I used a camera stabiliser to control the shakiness from my arm when focusing on a neon sign or the actress. This is a quick gif to show the shakiness of the footage without and with the stabiliser.

These gifs show how the camera stabiliser can make a huge difference in shakiness.



This is a clip from one of my RMA's (Tinashe - Flames) which shows the smoothness of the camera.



FOCUS GROUP:

overall look at video - comment on the camera.
Improvements I can make (make a video)

EDITING:

In many of the RMA I researched, many effects and quick transitions were used to keep the pace soft however, most of the editing synced with the beats of the music to add an impact and keep the audience interested. My main goal was to include as many effects in the video that looked similar to Jhené Aiko's Wading music video. The overlay of clips was effective and the colours were very vibrant and deep, therefore, I focused on these aspects of the video at the beginning.





The transitions in the music video were kept clean and neat so that, the attention was not taken off of the actress and effects. I tested out unique transitions however, it did not work well with the theme of the music video. The conventions of R&B include cut transitions to keep the video looking professional and well paced.

FOCUS GROUP:

This is a graph to show the favourite transitions chosen by my focus group. This shows that the transitions will meet the expectations of my audience. The most used transition in my music video is the cut. This was luckily a high vote.


MISE EN SCENE:

The most visually appealing aspect of the video is the mise en scene because it includes neon lighting, deep colours, words representing love and lastly, it highlights the actress as she is the centre of attention among all the lights. The red and pink glow is very similar to Jhené Aiko's Wading music video therefore, notifies the audience that this production is part of the R&B genre.

The location also had many seating areas from red sofas to wooden stools that looked retro and edgy. This allowed for a great variety in shots and positions the actress performed in.

{Video talking about the mise en scene with a friend - chatty talk}
{why does this reflect the R&B genre}

This is a video analysing certain signs I included in my music video - their significance.



Overall, I was pleased to have found a perfect location to film my music video, because my target audience are very excited about the final product.

COSTUME:

The outfit the actress wore in the music video challenges the conventions of the R&B genre. Typically, the actress would be wearing something provocative to appeal to the male viewers - for example, low cut tops, skirts, shorts or a dress. However, I wanted the actress to wear something more high class such as a fur coat and knee high boots. I did not want the actress to draw male viewers attention because the lyrics in the song is mainly a connection between her and her lover. The main focus is the her facial expressions and feeling rather than her body.

This is an image of the clothing the RMA artists wear.

Compared to what the actress in my music video wore. The clothing is not tight and flirty.


Research shows that cultural issues can be a big problem for the clothing teenagers wear. When we walk into a mall we are surrounded by mini skirts, low cut tops and heels for 10 year olds. Advertisements can also promote clothes in a sexualised way particularly on social media. When females self esteem is strongly tied with their mirror image, they may result in wearing revealing clothing. Therefore, the message I wanted to put across in my music video, is that a girl can be strong and powerful without wearing tight fitting clothes to show off your figure. A woman can be just as capable with their facial expressions.

In my option, R&B music videos have changed specifically due to the way women dress. Many male viewers do not focus on the emotion in the song, however, only watch the video for the seductive gestures of females. Therefore, I wanted ensure that the attention was kept not the feeling as the actress sings the lyrics. Applying Goodwins theory, the music video is a mixture of illustration and amplification of the lyrics. This is why lip syncing was best for my music video.










A2 G324: HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TASKS?

EVALUATION:

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

SYNERGY -


Definition of synergy: The interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements. 


I have used synergy in my ancillary products to promote the music album. In order for my audience to recognise the artist's artwork, there needs to be a clear combination in products for example through colour, imagery, font types and layout. Throughout the construction I have had to make sure there is a link between my digipak and magazine promotion. The synergy is likely to increase sales as the artwork is recognisable and distinctive.

How is there a clear combination between my digipak and magazine cover?



COMPARING RMA's - 

As there should be a clear link between an artists digipak and magazine promotion, I am going to look back at my RMA's and see if there was synergy between the products.

Jhene Aiko did not have an magazine promotion for her album 'Sail Out' therefore, I will look at her most recent album 'Trip' and see if I can find other products that promote the album.
Another clever way to promote an album is to make merchandise that people can buy online. The album artwork is very vibrant and psychedelic so would attract a younger audience. This is good because a large majority of young adults shop online - and seeing the merchandise would result in many people listening to the artists music. 

There is a very clear synergy between her products since the album artwork is used on the hoodie and necklace. To change the pattern up, there is a different coloured design on the bag and lighter. The lighter merchandise again suggests that her audience are in the younger generation.

COMBINATION BETWEEN MUSIC VIDEO & ANCILLARY PRODUCTS:

Since the music video promotion is in the album, there must be a clear link between the ancillary and music video. I have tried to keep the style similar by using bright colours and dreamy background effects. This is how I analysed the difference.

MAGAZINE PROMOTION & MUSIC VIDEO -


MAGAZINE PROMOTION & MUSIC VIDEO -



BACK COVER & MUSIC VIDEO -


INSIDE PANEL & MUSIC VIDEO - 



HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT?:

Both my ancillary products and music video promotion work well together as each elements and detail has been chosen carefully. Each represent the R&B genre and the actress makes the products bold and visually appealing. It is definitely something a teenager would want to look at and listen too as there are many links to relationships - which is common in the younger generation. 

A2 G324: WHAT HAVE YOUR LEARNT FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK? - FIRST DRAFT

EVALUATION - QUESTION 3:


What have you learned from your audience feedback?




Different theorists specifically the hypodermic needles theory implies that mass media has a direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audiences.

QUESTIONNAIRE/ SURVEY -

I used 'Smart Survey' to create a survey that would be suitable to ask my target audience and focus group. By carrying out a survey, I will be able to gather large amounts of information that would help me learn more about the audiences expectations of the promotion. 


This is a template of the questionnaire I created.

I had my focus group complete this survey, as well as a few other teenage girls from my schools sixth form. These were the results:

RESULTS

{Video of teenage girls reviewing the questions}


The results table clearly shows how important location, editing, actors/actresses and visuals are in a music video promotion. 

Particularly in 'Question 1', there were high numbered responses indicating that the visuals should be in sync with the lyrics. This makes the video more immersive and understandable.





Furthermore, many of the focus group members think an attractive female is not the most important aspect of an R&B music video. Even though the actress is a young presentable female, her style and outlook challenges typical R&B conventions. So I have met my audiences expectations.

In conclusion, my music video promotion meets my audiences expectations and uses/challenges typical R&B conventions. I have learnt that audience feedback can have a huge impact on the overall outcome of a media product, and all results should be acknowledged.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK -

Throughout the coursework I have had to spend valuable time with my target audience and focus group in order to understand the pros and cons of my work - and any improvements that need to be made. The target audience for my music video were young adults and teenagers specifically females.





This is because females can relate to the artist and her emotion that she feels for her lover. Therefore, when gathering a target audience I focused on interviewing teenage girls between 16 - 20. To make the sample easy to gather, I asked girls in my school attending sixth form to help analyse my final products.


RMA  -

During the music video research I used YouTube as the main platform to see how an audience responds to a female R&B artists music. This helped me understand what they like most about this style of music and what their main focus is in a music video. For example, when deconstructing SZA’s music video to Ice Moon - many of the audience commented on the purity of her voice and the fact that she does not show her superficial side in the music video. A lot of her audience think being natural and not ‘fake’ is the best way to present R&B music. 



Therefore, in my music video I did not want the actress to have volumized hair or dramatic makeup and wear minimal clothing, because this is not what the audience wanted to see. I made sure the video focused on her emotions and facial expressions, as that is how the audience will fully understand the meaning and power of the lyrics.

Furthermore, typical R&B conventions suggest that females present their music flirtatiously by using words connoting love. However, since my target audience is mainly teenagers, I did not want to make the video explicit so I aimed at using the colours red, orange and purple to portray the stereotypical female who sings about love (red), attraction (orange) and power (purple).



POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM AUDIENCE -




I made this slideshow using PowToon - this covers all the positive feedback I received from my  music video.

I appreciate all the positive comments I have received on my music video. I think the research and planning stages certainly payed off, and the location was perfect for a music video for the R&B genre. The actresses facial expressions added meaning to the song and the outfit she wore emphasised her power. I am very pleasing with the outcome. 

NEGATIVE FEEDBACK - 


'The individual who sent me this message decided to stay anonymous'.


A2 G324: HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?

EVALUATION - QUESTION 4:


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


I used PowerPoint to make a slideshow of all the media technologies I have used throughout this coursework.
















A2 G324: ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT:


These are a few images I put together to show where the album can be advertised:


I realised that the magazine advert should not be shown as a poster. Therefore, I put the image in a magazine rather than on a side of a bus stop.


Friday, 16 February 2018

A2 G324: MAGAZINE JOURNAL

MAGAZINE JOURNAL - 

For the magazine construction I did not have a solid plan for what I was going to create, however, I went with my audience feedback in order to produce a magazine promotion that would appeal.

FIRST DRAFT:


This is the construction on the first draft magazine promotion - I created the using Powerpoint.




CRITICAL ANALYSIS:



FOCUS GROUP FEEDBACK -

IZZY - I agree with your critical analysis points. I think the magazine promotion looks more like a dance/dubstep genre of music, you need to tone down the colours change up the main font and choose a different image. You are on the right track though!

ELLA - I like the information you have included on the magazine promotion, it looks real and says all the important dates of album release. Maybe instead of overlaying her with black, you could have a picture of her face as your main focus was the artists facial expression and feeling.

TEACHER - It definitely looks too much like another genre. To get full marks you need to show the synergy between both your ancillary products. Your digipak is looking a lot like the R&B genre however, the magazine promotion needs to be changed.



SECOND DRAFT:


This shows the comparison between each magazine promotion. 


MY ANALYSIS - 


IMPROVEMENTS -

To improve the second draft I am going to change the actresses image since she looks like she is sleeping. Once these improvements have been made, I will be finished with the magazine promotion.

A2 G324: NOTE TO THE EXAMINER

NOTE TO THE EXAMINER: OVERVIEW OF THE BRIEF - A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, toge...