Final Products

Main Product: Music Video

Soundtrack: Drown - Marika Hackman

First Ancillary Text

Digipak

Second Ancillary Text

Magazine Adverts

         

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

Even though water was one of the main drives for my music video, after I created it, I noticed that lots of abstract music videos followed the same conventions as my video. For Example, Taylor Swift's new music video for her song 'Style' was created as an abstract feature. It solely focuses on a montage of footage to create an interpretive narrative.
As you can see in these screenshots:

Taken from 'Taylor Swift -Style' (3.38)

Taken from my Finished Music Video product (1.44)

Both of these shots are around 2 seconds long which shows that my video do follow conventions of real-life abstract music videos. You can see Taylor Swift looking at someone (in the form of a flashback) and then in my music video, you can see my subject looking at someone, again, in the form of a flashback. There is continuous use of montage in Taylor Swift's video, which again is similar to mine because it sets apart my video from being narratively-based. The use of close-ups, as shown in both the 'Style' music video and my music video shows that abstract-based videos use collections of these types of shots to show intimacy. Therefore, if you were watching an abstract music video, it is normally created for an Indie or Niche audience and therefore you want to make it personal. For my video, I think I have created this personal level because most of my video is shot at a close-up aerial view, therefore, meaning that the audience are experiencing an interpretive emotion first-handedly. So therefore, hopefully, because I have followed similar conventions such as close-ups and fast-paced editing as shown in both my music video and Taylor Swift - Style, as proposed by Rick Altman (1999) a certain type of genre (for example Abstract) has aims to create an emotional response, hopefully acquired via flashbacks and the progression of life (from being young, to going through issues within growing up), a Visceral response,  a sensory or physical pleasure from watching a piece of footage (which could therefore relate to my video in the sense of the problems that could be interpreted may be relatable for the audience). This can be shown in the end shot where the song fades out to black, it is unclear as to how the video ends, whether or not she commits suicide or if she finally gets over the problems that are troubling her:

As shown in the left photo, you see Erin staring directly at the camera, which again, as noted before gives my video a personal, one-to-one connection with my audience. This is also similar to Taylor Swift's music video and thus shows, that as an artist within a music video, they have to look at the camera to show they are connected with their audience. This therefore creates a personal identity (as put forward by the Uses and Gratifications Theory) which suggests that being the subject of the particular media allows us to know our place within society (for example, the video Meghan Trainer - All About That Bass which solely focuses on female body-image.)
These screenshots from the Taylor Swift - Style music video further show the personal approach as an artist she has with an audience, shown via close-ups and direct eye-contact:

 This also shows the dark, gloomy and melancholy aspects of Taylor's video which thus contrasts nicely with mine. In the first screenshot, you can see dark almost shadowed by a distorted darkness which could be reflected within my music video because of the purple shampoo in the water and also the dark colour scheme I chose to portray the gloomy and melancholy emotions my main protagonist was feeling.
The last screenshot is similar to my flashback aspects of my music video because although mine is in Black and White, the Brightness and contrast aspects are very similar to a sunny day as the sky is bright in my music video, just like it is in Taylor's. However, even though some aspects of mine and Taylor's video are similar, aspects such as bright sunshine (as shown in Taylor's) does not have direct correlation to my music video. This could be because her soundtrack lyrics have a narrative theme of love, whereas Marika Hackman - Drown is primarily interpretation. It could be literal as in 'So I'll drown' meaning that she would fall into the water and not surface, or it could mean drowning in her day-to-day life. Whereas Taylor's lyrics suggest romance such as 'And when we go crashing down we come back everytime, because we never go out of style' therefore discussing a past relationship ( which we know is conventionally to Taylor Swift) therefore reinforcing the fact she has become a mainstream music artist (because she follows one set of conventions - pop music and creating music for a specific audience - teenage girls). Thus meaning my soundtrack choice was successful choice to use for an abstract music video because it can conform to more mainstream versions of abstract music videos, but also creates its own too. It therefore challenges certain conventions as abstract and indie artists are meant to be different to other products, but still follow the main conventions such as close-ups, eye contact and varying colour scheme (as represented in the blue, brown, purple tones and the black and white flashback aspects.)

                                           

(The writing is slightly small so you will have to click on the application.)

This slideshare consists of three textual analysis' I chose to do to determine what kind of music video I would create. Therefore, by creating an abstract video, it would be easier to create with my low-budget as I could montage different shots as shown in Katy perry's - Unconditionally music video. Even though Katy Perry's video was completed on a very high budget (because of use of CGI), I was able to interpret the different shot lengths and creative aspects to help shape my own music video.

In order to create my ancillary texts and ensure that they followed conventions of real products, I created a moodboard for both my Digipak and Poster text:

These are just a few samples of CD Digipaks I got off a few quick searches on Google. You can determine which CDs are mainstream and which are alternative by the use of colour schemes. 

These mood-boards enabled to to determine what kind of conventional features I should include for my abstract ancillary texts. You can clearly distinguish the mainstream products against the abstract products by the level of photographic quality. As shown in the KODALINE poster, it looks quite home-made whereas KATY PERRY's poster looks highly stylised with use of (expensive) props, make-up artists and stylists. This is also the same for the Digipak mood-board as you can see Matchbox Twenty's Black and White photo in comparison between Lady Gaga's extremely set up pose with professional lighting and props. Therefore talking these aspects into consideration for my own ancillary-texts, I was able to determine that minimal use of lighting and more use of editing on Photoshop (using brightness and contrast) could create the professional-look whilst keeping it as as low-budget production.

However, because I created two Magazine posters, I was able to create a more mainstream-looking poster (by incorporating minimalistic design like the Eminem poster) I was able to keep conventions of an Alternative product but challenge it aswell. By challenging conventions, it meant a larger audience will take interest in my products. If someone who primarily liked mainstream items saw a mainstream poster, they may be more accepting to the more abstract/alternative aspects of my film therefore merging two different mind-sets.


                 ;

By creating this Prezi, it meant I could evaluate my work on a simplistic basis. Meaning that I could see whether or not I had followed basic conventions such as the bar-code, record label and other various aspects such as CD conventions in regards to DVD/CD logos and serial code numbers. For this process it was about learning how to assemble  my package as a legit product. therefore having to follow simple conventions (such as positioning the bar-code in to the bottom corners).

In order to see how I created my product, like I have done throughout all my planning and research, I decided to make a Textual Analysis on my own product:


Mise-En-Scene

The mise-en-scene for my music is a collaboration of props such as an additional lense, purple shampoo (for blonde hair) and I used these items to create the mysterious, dark and slightly questionable video. The purple shampoo, for me, gave the video a sense of purpose, not like she was just wading around in a bath - it gave Erin's stance a purpose. The consistent flashes between the purple-filled bath and the clear water cohesively created a frustration between different aspects of Erin as the actress. She is seen smiling at 0.18 seconds when the bath is clear and then at 0.41 you see the shrouded purple water succumbing her. I used this throughout my whole video to build up different thought patterns, and as the rhythm of the song became more profound, the more concentrated the purple became (alongside the increase of pace of editing.)

For the Black and White 'flashback' aspects of the video, clips in which a one tree were filmed was aimed to represent life and the growth from childhood to adulthood. However, of course as this film is incredibly abstract, people will formulate their own ideas about what it represents. But, for me this music video is about the struggles of growing up, and although youth is carefree, it doesn't always carry on into later life. the 'drowning' aspects a little less literal that taking ones life - but more about nonchalance of her youth. I think the Black and White aspects of the video really did highlight that aspect and thought.

After researching Eric Anderson and the opening to Dexter, I felt like his 'rawness' and explicitness within his video could be portrayed in my video as the need of not being perfected (as in no make-up) which gave the video a natural aura in my opinion and worked quite well.

Cinematography

It was very hard in terms of framing for my video as the first filming shoot in the bath was done without a tripod and therefore centralising my actress was very hard. However, after a few practises I managed to do so. Therefore, throughout my video, you can see I have tried to keep my actress centralised as she is the main focus of the video - the music artist. therefore it is easier to determinate which is the flashback and which is supposed to be in present time.

In terms of framing at 2.48, you can see that the shot of Lottie is a high-angle, showing her as more prestigious and the smile of her face shows the care-free aspect of Erin that may have been lost. Therefore, the use of aerial shots for Erin throughout make more sense - representing her as stagnant or stuck, whereas Lottie is free to run around, climb and jump. Also at 3.22, you see a low angle shot of Lottie standing up into the bright sky which cuts to Erin struggling underwater. This was a contrast I wanted to create to show that when you may be trying to stand up or remembering something uplifting, there may always be something dragging you back down.

Editing

Like every other music video I have analysed before, the pace of editing always increasing with the rhythm. therefore, for my video, I have ensured to follow this convention. As you can see at 2.17, the pace of editing becomes a lot faster and the change over from clear water to purple is more prominent. this is to ensure the climax at the end of the video is reached successfully and doesn't just jump from slow-paced film to fast instantaneously.

Other editing techniques such as low-motion and layered film was used to create an eerie distorted effect. As I took inspiration from Euan Baker's A2 music video, slow motion was a big part of my film as I think it captures an emotion or expression. Also, the use of black and white footage is also similar to Euan Baker's as the camera quality is of same standard.

Sound

The video I created is strongly based around the lyrics within the soundtrack. As I have mentioned before, I had chosen not to incorporate lip-sync as I felt like it  wouldn't fit with the abstract connotations I was trying to create. I didn't want the lyrics to influence my audience's thoughts about the video. For example, if I had Erin lip-syncing 'And so I'll Drown' it would give the piece a more literal meaning which, for me, would ruin the mysterious, unusual atmosphere I created. However, at 1.06, Marika sings 'Oh I was born, with a healthy appetite' which syncs with the film as it cuts to the Black and White shots of "Erin" at a younger age. This creates cohesion for the audience and makes them subconsciously aware that the film shot of Lottie is supposed to represent Erin as a child.

To conclude, for my final media products, I had to keep to conventions by researching into the basic aspects of real-life products. However, because I created an Abstract music video, I was able to incorporate new and different ideas, which kept conventional to Alternative and Indie products. For example, Marika Hackman's new album front cover breaks mainstream conventions by showing her legs instead of a direct photo of her face, which shows her as an alternative artist trying to do something new. Just as I have tried to do with my Digipak.

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I have a friend who lives in the Netherlands who is currently taking Media Studies at what would be University level here in England. We met on holiday a few years ago in Spain and have stayed in touch ever since. He asked me to talk a little bit about my work as a part of his University project on worldwide feedback and because we are taking similar studies, I thought it would be useful for him to watch my video and give me some of his own thoughts. In return, he asked me to talk about the main themes of my music video. This was useful in gathering a good cross-section of information from across the globe.

His response is as follows:

I was able to use my contacts to gain an oversea perspective about my product, thus ensuring if my product did become successful in the UK, people elsewhere across the globe would still understand the interpretative theme. This breaks continuity with my initial feedback from Facebook (who were all UK residents). He noted that how the main character was looking back at her youth which thus proves that a wide cross-section of my audience feel that the main theme of the music video is what I initially envisioned.

Even though this is a case of minimal feedback, it enables me to experience pat responses (just like I did with my video group feedback) making sure initial thoughts are presented so I know what they were thinking instantly without it being edited (typed up). If I were to improve on my audience feedback, I would have given Rogier a set of questions to answer consecutively as he seems to want to express how he feels but maybe he stumbled slightly on the language barrier and how to express exactly how he felt..

As a thank you, I answered a few questions about my work and what I had to do as part of my A2 Advanced portfolio and he created this short film for his own project back in the Netherlands:

This also highlighted the difference in courses we were actually taking, whereas he edits already-made footage, my course made the whole film from scratch. This is good for evaluating my Music video because if I were to create it again, I could take advice from Rogier's 4-years experience of editing/creating film and incorporate it into my work (maybe by using old footage to create video montage - just as he did). 

I also filmed myself talking about my music video for him which was also helpful for my own self-evaluation:

**CRINGE**

The instant pat-responses that I give are simply off the top of my head and thus prove that the main conventions of my music video have been upheld and my intentions have stayed similar to my initial thoughts. the flashback aspects representing her life and the abstract aspects representing the interpretive responses people could have whilst watching my moving footage. I think I articulate well that one of the main drives for my music video as maybe my own self-loathing at things happening in my life at the moment. From applying to University, to loss and to many other things that I may be struggling with, Therefore, putting it within a music video according the Uses and Gratifications theory it can be used to trigger a visceral response for the audience as my problems are very self-explanatory and happen to everyone (both at home and worldwide.)

After getting this response from someone who lives abroad, I decided to get some feedback from people more close to home: from the social networking site 'Facebook'.

             
For my Facebook responses, it was noted that the rhythm of my song was kept in continuity and the flashbacks from Erin to her as a younger girl has been highlighted so therefore proving that my music video is understandable. The simplistic colour scheme has worked well and therefore proves you don't need vast amounts of mise-en-scene to create a professional-looking product. The tree again has been mentioned as a successful part of the video as it represents life (almost like a family tree) - it also reinforces the nature of growing up and conforming to everyday normal adult ideals.

If I were to create my music video again, I think that using the feedback I gathered about the tree and it representing life, I maybe would have researched more into the form of nature. Also, as trees lives for a long time, it could have represented the main protagonist's wish for a more prosperous life (like a tree). Or, it could mean the opposite, that although trees live long lives, they watch it pass them by, never moving, just ageing. I think that although this is a said aspect to consider, my audience feedback helped create lots of different alternative images.

The video-response feedback didn't go exactly how I wanted it to, it still showed the success of my product when discussing things such as the colour choices and input of cinemascope. It has also been stated that the video can be interpreted in all different ways and as Jack said in the video, it is like Erin was 'suffocating in life' - his opinion, but someone else could think the same or different depending on what the visuals mean to them as a person.

Before I carried out creating my ancillary texts, I had to create a Google mock-up. this enabled me to create my final products via using pictures and text from the internet. Once I had gathered a selection of photos and images from Google, I assembled them on Photoshop in the same format that I created my final Digipak with. However, to make sure that my Google mock-up was appealing for my audience, I conducted a Facebook messenger investigation to gather feedback on what they liked/ didn't like and I uploaded these onto my blog:

These screenshots are taken from my BLOG.

It was therefore clear that my audience feedback stated they liked the minimalistic simplistic ordeal I portrayed through my Google mock-up in which I would later use as support when creating my final Ancillary texts. You can clearly see the similarities between both my real Digipak and my Google mock-up.

By using social media to gather information, it meant I could ask numerous amount of people at once and thus improving efficiency when creating products for a specific target audience. (All of my audience feedback was taken from a sample of people within my audience from the ages of 16-21) as this is the age when people are most likely to experiment with different types of niche or alternative music.

FEEDBACK (ANALYSIS) FOR MY DIGIPAK

             
This feedback includes some constructive feedback in which I have taken on board. If I were to re-do my first music magazine poster, I think Nick was right, that the 'Virgin' label should have been slightly smaller. This means that audience feedback is very important when creating products. That is why I have asked everyone I know across the board if they would review my work for me.

From looking at these responses I can gather also that my Digipak has been a success and the use of Polaroid pictures really worked when capturing the contrast between the young girl in my video and the main artist. Many have commented on how professional it looks and the use of simple colour that I interjected. The use of the tree on the CD has also been mentioned as 'sinister' and mysterious, which was the kind of response I was looking for. Therefore proves my point that everyone will have different interpretations of what the music video means to them.

The artist was also easy to identify on the front cover and as Joe stated, the photos are all 'of similar style to your music video' meaning that continuity has been upheld throughout all of my products. It has also been noted that the polaroid pictures give the CD album a personal feel which I think is a nice response and also follows the conventions of a Indie/Independent artist's product - that it isn't stylised like a mainstream product and doesn't look fake.

This is my final Digipak creation. As you can see, I have taken the polaroid idea from my Google mock-up and created my own version. I think this works well because it shows the past and present aspects of the film as Polaroids normally represent an event from the past. I have not however, chosen to put the picture of Lottie in Black and White like it is in the music video, primarily because it wouldn't look right and the black and white colour balance with the CD and DVD would be unbalanced. I have taken samples of colour from the front cover like I did with my mock-up to create the background for my Polaroids and the back cover. This worked well as it created continuity and the colours didn't look odd. I used Erin's real name for the front cover instead of Marika Hackman because I have been referring to the artist in my music video as Erin and the person on the front cover is my actress. Therefore, making sure the visuals link with my actress' profile. It has the conventions of the record label, bar-code, DVD logo, CD disc logo and copyrights to make it look as professional as it possibly can. 

As you can see, there are clear comparison between both my Google mock-up Digipak spine and my final finished Digipak Back cover:

By gathering all of this information, I decided to create a Prezi Powerpoint to show the exact process in which I congregated all of my feedback:

                    

This shows how my Music Video, Digipak and Magazine Poster were all created through the process of audience feedback. By creating a Google mock-up of my Digipak and shown here >DIGIPAK RESEARCH<. Also, by researching forms and conventions of different magazine posters shown here >MAGAZINE ADVERT RESEARCH< I was able to keep conventions with real media products. As shown in the two links above, you can see how I have developed my skills from looking at existing products and applying different aspects in my own work.

Even though I created a Indie/Alternative product, I had to look at mainstream products aswell. By researching Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, I was able to understand the high standard of production and apply it to my low-budget income when creating my own products.

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

I believe that all my products have continuity with each other. The dark solemn tones in my music video (such as the colour scheme and different tonal aspects within the nose-en-scene). Therefore for my first ancillary text (my digipak) I took photographs of Erin before our second filming shoot, therefore the lighting would be the same and the setting would not change. Therefore, when I came to deciding what CD cover and inside cover pictures I would use, I would have a selection of photographs with high correlation to my music video. Also, these photographs I thought could have been used for my magazine advert (shown in the second advert).

The selection in photos I wanted to use:
                                

 As you can see, the colour scheme and mise-en-scene such as her lying in the bath or surrounded by water which links my ancillary texts to the music video, and therefore, if it was a real life professional product people would spot one of my pieces and hopefully then associate it with the others. Just as I have done with my second magazine advert and my Digipak.

As you can see from the above photos, my Digipak and second magazine advert share the same front cover, thus done to highlight simplicity and show that again, like the video, my products aren't there to be fussy. Also, just like the company 'Apple' all my products are extremely minimal. The photo beneath is an inspiration I had for my second advert as it was so simplistic but looked very professional and clean. The below Magazine Advert was created by Sony Music which is a mainstream music production company. Although it is mainstream work, I think the minimalist use of photography and simplistic text design could be passed off as independent and would not have cost much to create as it is primarily made up of shapes. Therefore, I took inspiration from this minimalistic design and made my second music magazine advert. Therefore, keeping the professional-look that mainstream products have, but still having the originality and independence of a cheap product.

I thought that by using my CD front cover on one of my magazine adverts would create continuity with both my music video and my Digipak. I think this worked well because you can associate all my products with one another. Also, as Sven Carlson states: my music video would be perceived as an 'Art Clip' as there is no sign of lip-sync and is clearly conceptual. Therefore, by almost re-creating the artistic ambitions within my photography for my ancillary texts, it has enabled me to further create continuity throughout. Thus when put together as a complete product, the colour scheme, stills and moving footage all look relatable. That is why, for my first magazine advert, I used a still from my music video to create the three-picture effect. This worked well as you can instantly associate it with the beginning of the video and the psychology of 'Encoding, Storing and Retrieval' which has proven, that a person always remembers the beginning or end of something (whether that be a list, film or music video) as it can be stored in Long Term Memory quicker. Therefore, in real life if my music video was being promoted, my audience would instantly be reminded of my main product from my ancillary texts due to the same mise-en-scene shown at the beginning.

For my Digipak, I used my Google mock-up as a starting point as I gathered quite good feedback from my audience. They said they liked the minimal design and also commented on the Polaroids. The Polaroid pictures are effective in comparison with my main product as in my music video, there are constant flashbacks.

This use of time and present day and past pieces of film was incorporated within my Digpak as Polaroids are usually taken to remind you of a past event that you want to remember. Therefore relating to my music video as my main actress (Erin Miller) is supposed to be looking back at her most fond memories of her younger years.

 As you can see from the screenshots on the left hand side, for my first poster ancillary text I have used these photographs to create it.

I did this because in order to create definitive continuity with my music video, I felt like it would be easier and more efficient to take it right from the source. However, for my second poster ancillary text I did not use screengrabs from my music video as I felt I had already created continuity with my Digipak and had already established that technique in my first poster text.

For this effect I had to stop my video several times to create this effect. I thought it would be ironic to incorporate the scenes in which she's smiling because the video in itself is quite solemn. However, if people believe that it is light-hearted video, they may be more likely to watch it and thus be more likely to accept his ideas. Therefore, when creating my first poster ancillary text, it was essential to depict exactly what you want your audience to see: to almost control them by enabling them to relate to the content.

Therefore, I do believe that my main product and my ancillary texts are effective in regards to the photographs used and my decisions in terms regarding audience feedback and already existing products such as the Justin Timberlake advert. Audience feedback was crucial for the decisions I made when creating my ancillary texts and therefore cannot be regarded as just way to improve or success feedback as it was primarily important for creating continuity so that people may distinguish my products from another but also instantly establish them as a set group.

This is how my product would look if it were on a Billboard (mainstream advertising):

I decided to create two Magazine adverts as I could not choose between the two. As the first one is very conventional to the music video (as it is made up on screenshots), it creates continuity with my video. It also creates cohesion with the title of the album 'Drown' as you see her in three-steps submerging into the water. However, my second magazine advert is a lot more simplistic and has a lot less information on it. I have used the CD front cover to create this minimalistic advert which in real life, would be sponsored by 'iTunes'. I think they both look quite professional which can be backed up via  the feedback below. Again, if someone were to be walking down the street just having watched my music video, they would be able to establish it by the mise-en-scene. This is such as the bathtub, the use of water, the aerial view and finally the contrast between a more melancholic photo (shown on the left and on my Digipak) and then on the right for a more light-hearted photograph. This also captures the fact that film is simply moving image and you can capture as much in a photograph as you can throughout a 3 minute video. This is why I want my audience to be able to effective notice the combination of my main music video product and my ancillary text.

                         

My first Magazine advert was inspired by the 'Kings of Leon - Only by Night' magazine advert in which different photos were montaged together, I took this idea and formulated my own inspiration. This then transformed into a 3-stage picture, which in my opinion tells a story in itself, whereas my second magazine advert is more refined to the CD cover. therefore, it would be easier for my audience to identify the CD in a shop if they had been seeing it magazines, on billboards... etc.

In conclusion, all my products work cohesively together as a package. I think I have directly and consciously researched different conventions to create effective similarities between my main products and ancillary texts. By focusing on film artists and directors such as Eric Anderson, has enabled me to penalise my work on a professional level and also use it comparatively in comparison t their own work.          

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

For my planning and research stages, media technologies were an important part of organising and presenting my work.

Prezi is a type of Web 2.0 Presentation software used for storytelling and presenting products for research. This was an important for my planning and research because it meant I could focus one topic within a confined slideshow - it is also easy to use and easy to know what you are reading due to the left and right arrows, taking you forward or backwards throughout the presentation. It allows the user to zoom in and out of different aspects and also allows to upload pictures and videos from Youtube. This was useful for evaluating my audience feedback as I could present my video response for my music video alongside my analysis. Also, for earlier stages when constructing a timeline of music videos, I was able to attach YouTube clips which gave examples of what I was talking about in the presentation.

For creating my final Music Video product I used Adobe Premiere Pro which enabled me to edit my video to create my final product. This non-linear piece of editing software makes sure you can put together the film you initially envisioned. It is compatible with every type of film and for my DSLR camera, I was able to create a high definition picture, which in turn, made it a lot more professional. Also, (as I have previously evaluated) the effects I was able to use were of high standard yet simple to use. I felt the programme 'Final Cut Pro' was a lot easier to use and felt more amateurish than Premiere. Therefore, Adobe Photoshop and Premiere worked well together to achieve my final products.

Photoshop was one of the main media technologies I used when creating my ancillary texts. This enabled me to change colours of my photos, edit the way they looked, abolish blemishes and simply create my final still products. Being able to crop, paste and contort different images made sure that my products could look like existing ones and therefore following conventions via being able to incorporate text and logos such as the record label and serial codes. It was also useful for editing the Amazon and iTunes website to make it look like my product was being sold and filed. This showed that my products would look right in the real life industry.

Sites such as Photosnack, Polyvore and Pictalous were also used for the smaller more visual aspects of my blog. Photosnack was primarily used to present screenshots for my audience feedback, so it was easier to flick through the pictures. I used Polyvore to determine Lottie's outfit and what it would look like collaborated together and I finally used Pictalous for my ancillary-text development as it made me aware of lots of different colour schemes that would give me and either fussy or minimalistic look - this also helped me decide what colours to incorporate in my Google mock-up design and productionwhich further helped me develop both my Digipak and my Magazine Adverts.

This is My Final Music Video Product

                                                     
                                 

As you can see, this is my final finished product for my A2 Media Studies Coursework project. As you can see, I have incorporated Lottie within the music video as a almost flashback-type technique. This has worked well as it breaks up the heavy under-water pieces of footage. For my second editing process I had to get rid of a lot of underwater footage to evenly or appropriately add the shots of Lottie. This took time and effort because I had to learn how to use Premiere pro on my own as I had not taken any courses or been shown how to use it before. Therefore, the slideshare that prevails explains a little bit of my continuous process (the process in which I primarily used for every clip).

How I used Premiere Pro to create my final product

                                            

MY DIGIPAK AND HOW I CREATED IT
How I created it with Photoshop

My already established skills with Photoshop came to use when I was taking a 2-week placement at Hull College in the Photography department. They taught me basic skills such as how to use the quick select tool, the spot healing tool and also the dodge and burn tools. These simple tools enabled me to edit photos so they looked more or less professional. However, my on-going course at Wyke for two yeas and the consistent use of Photoshop has enabled me to me a lot more experimental with Photoshop and have seemingly self-taught myself more uses.

This slideshare outlines the main factors of compacting my photos for my Digipak, but also how I created some of the effects shown throughout the package.

                                            

I also in-putted my product into mainstream advertising. This would be how it looked if it was advertised on Amazon, iTunes or a Billboard:

Photoshop was also used when editing these photos into different real-sale contexts. This tested my skills when using different layers techniques and also cutting and cropping pictures to fit the size of the rest of the albums (as shown in the iTunes layout).

By learning how to determine what text tools have been used and also being able to colour swatch as shown in my Amazon layout, rubbing out other information to input mine (Erin Miller Drown). This is a simple yet effective skill which can be applied to any product, whether that be editing a photo or creating products such as Digipaks and CDs. This means that if I wanted to apply for a job within the industry, my sills within Photoshop would be of assistance.

For these Magazine edits, I had to learn how the Transform tool worked which meant I could visually contort the pictures to make them look like they were meant to be there already. This thus proves that my Photoshop skills have definitely improved as the below photos look like real magazines.

I did this on Photoshop so I could see what my ancillary texts would look like in the real industry and see if they looked professional enough to be stationed within the industry. therefore, the use of Photoshop as a media technology helped me create a fake scenario. Which in turn, if I was creating a product for a real client, things such as iTunes and Amazon would be used to promote my products. This therefore ensures my product for my A2 Advanced Portfolio is of the highest standard and could look like it belongs in a real-life production. 

Music Magazine Advert Analysis

EVALUATION OF REAL MUSIC MAGAZINE ADVERTS

Google Mock-up Practise Digipak

                           

This is my Final Google Mock-Up Digipak Progression

                                            

MY FINAL GOOGLE MOCK-UP DIGIPAK

-This Digipak was primarily based on the re-creation of Taylor Swift's 1989 album as I loved how she'd incorporated Polaroids within her Album.

-I felt like the blues would be too conventional to a water-type music video and when creating my final product, I want to experiment more with neutral colours such as browns, reds, pinks and brassy yellows.

-Also, when creating my music video magazine advert, neutral colours found in my music video will be used and even still-shots from the video itself to adhere to conventions such as colour scheme... etc.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

- I got a few of my friends from my target audience age-range (15-21+) to review my Google mock-up Digipak.

These are their responses from Facebook:

 

In response to my audience feedback I have gathered that the simple minimalistic theme I was going for has been successful and there are more than one positive pieces of feedback on this part. Roisin and Erin both commented on the simplicity and both Erin and Heather commented on the Professional finish. The Polaroid pictures have been mentioned which shows that they are noticed as an important feature and can therefore be confirmed as eye-catching. It has also been noted that the colour scheme is very effective, so therefore, taking samples of colour from the front cover works well and will be used in my official Digipak for the Marika Hackman song.