QUESTION 4: How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

For the beginning of the project I used YouTube as a platform to look further into what I needed to plan and construct for my own music video. I looked at music genres similar to the ones that I wanted to base my music video on and this gave me a chance to really broaden what interested me. By looking at YouTube it accessed me to thousands and thousands of current music videos that I could use to inspire me for my own production.

During this research I used an online site called ‘Blogger’ which is the platform I have used to show my research, planning, construction and evaluation. It is a free weblog publishing tool from Google that allows you to share text, photos and video. This site is an easy and efficient way to store and keep track of my project and is easily relied upon to not loose any work. As I mentioned I used YouTube to research videos and look at different sources of inspiration and Blogger was great because I could include the videos I had looked at and upload them onto my blog. This was a massive help to keep my work organised, whilst still being able to go back and edit and order my blog in the correct order.

I used three Microsoft programs (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) mainly for my research and evaluation. Excel was the most useful for my questionnaire about my target audience. I was able to display a clear, legible graph, which was easy to analyse. I produced eight graphs easily and was able to store the data onto them without a problem.

PowerPoint was also simple and easy to use. Once I had finished the power point it was easy to get onto my blog by using the site Slideshare. All I had to do was upload it to there and embed the code onto my blog; it was simple and not complex at all. It’s all really helpful that I can view all my multimedia on one site, as I don’t have to keep switching between programmes.

The production of my music video I used the software ‘Final Cut’. I prepared to film with my DSLR camera (canon600d) as I use it all the time for photography and the quality is amazing. However the camera is too fast for the SD card so I had to resort in using my HD handheld camera instead.

QUESTION 3: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I went around and asked 20 people between ages 16-18 to answer questions regarding my music video, digipack and magazine advert.

Music Video:

-       What were your favourite features about the music video?

-       What were the strengths and weaknesses of the music video?

-       What genre would this type of music go under?

-       What was your opinion on the place it was filmed in?

-       What improvements would you make?

Magazine Advertisement:

-       What is the most appealing feature to this magazine advertisement?

-       Does the use of the red colour catch your attention?

-       Do you like the image used? Why?

-       What is your least favourite feature? Why?

-       What improvements would you make?

Digipack:

-       What most attracts you to the digipack?

-       What genre does the digipack fit under and why?

-       What do you like and dislike?

-       Is there anything you would change about it?

-       Is the typography/font easy to read?
      - What improvements would you make?

QUESTION 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Throughout the making of my music video/digipak/magazine advert, I have used various different programs and technologies; including Adobe Photoshop CS6, Adobe Illustrator CS6, Final Cut Express, blogger, Adobe InDesign, cameras etc.
The combinations between all three of my media products have a recurring theme of the genre (indie-rock). 

The ancillary texts all contain the same typography (devil breeze), as I wanted to ensure that I was choosing the same font and sticking to what I knew looked best for an overall outcome. It would also show an audience that the products were professional as I wanted to ensure that I was choosing the same font and sticking to what I knew looked best for an overall outcome. It would also show an audience that the typography (devil breeze) of products is a key feature to make sure that everything has a connection and ‘clicks’. It would also show an audience a sense of direction and stability. I was comfortable using Photoshop for my ancillary texts as I have lots of experience from last year, it also helps that I take photography as a subject as this is also Photoshop/ Illustrator based.

The music video I made was interpreted to be a little jamming session. I had everything planned 2 months before I filmed so that I was prepared and well equipped and ready to film when the time came.

QUESTION 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Throughout this project I have research and analysed real media products. From previously looking at other music videos, digipaks and adverts it has helped me come to terms with the conventions of real media products.

I chose my genre as indie rock/pop and by doing so it allowed me to include some of these features of other music videos into my own work. For example the style of editing I used, music props etc.

For my main media task I chose to create a music video that fitted into this genre to the best of my ability. One of the typical conventions that I used while researching is the use of young actors. I found the reason for this is that the audience can relate to the music video more as the young adult range is the key target audience for this style of music genre. Therefore, it has to appeal and relate to this group of people. However even though the actors in my video were specifically young adults I found within my genre that there is a frequent feature that the artists rarely ever show themselves in advertisement for example fall out boy and mumm-ra. I found that this made the music videos more about the music rather than the fame and the artist its self. I chose to follow this convention by not including the actors in my magazine advertisement or digipack. This idea helped make my advertisements more mysterious and this is what fitted with my music video.

Another factor that was used and experimented with throughout the music videos were places that it was filmed in. For example different settings. Typically many indie rock music videos were located in unusual places. As a result I filmed parts of the video in different rooms around the house. Using a range of different editing styles helped make my video interesting and I tried to do this to keep the viewers attention. Using tools such as slow motion helped me follow the theme of keeping to the codes and conventions. The location I used was inside a house however I moved into different rooms to try and change the location up slightly. 

When creating all three pieces of work (music video, advertisement and digipack) I tried to aim to follow certain conventions that made my work more professional. The types of images I used for my other tasks (e.g close up of hands) made the subsidiary tasks more interesting and kept to a certain style to fit within my genre. 

I think overall, although the music video itself was more of a live performance it therefor challenges many conventions of indie style music videos. The complimentary magazine and digipak closely follows the forms and conventions and therefore helps with the success of the more diverse music video.