Final Video

Evaluation

The brief I chose for my Advanced Portfolio was 'to produce a promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video. 'Together with a cover for it's release on CD/DVD and a magazine advertisement for CD/DVD. For this portfolio we had a choice whether we wanted to work individually or as part of a group. I thought it was a good idea to work individually, as the I do not have to rely on other people to complete work. Also by working on my own, the finished product would be just my own interpretations and I can take credit for all the decisions made.When starting out with making my Video I had a few key choices to make, I had to decide what my video was going to be about and who I was going to use in my video, looking over the whole of my production I feel that this was one of the main decisions that I had to decide. I did begin my production work by filming a video to the song, Shania Twain - Man I Feel Like A Woman, however from looking at the footage I released that the location I had used did not have very good lighting and the footage came out with very poor quality. I should have saved the footage and put it on my blogger to show what reconsideration's I had to make, however I erased the footage believing that I wouldn't need it. So I had to reconsider my ideas of what I wanted to do.

To make sure that I knew what typical conventions were used I researched existing media products in each area, Music videos, magazine advertisements and CD album covers. This helped me to know what to include. Such as most typical conventions which are used in music videos are Range of different locations, and range of camera angles using a lot of close-ups. Interpretation of the lyrics play a key part in the creativity of a video. From analysing the video I could make links, and see what it most video used from the three I analysed which were Evanescence - My Immortal released in 2006 by windup records, My second video was Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved, release in 2004 on the label A&M Octone. My third video was Paramore Brick by Boring Brick Release in 2009, directed by Meiert Avis. From researching this director I made links from the video I analysed to representations from my work as He had also directed videos for Flyleaf and this is the artist in which I choose to use for my video. Meiert directed the video for "Again" which is on the same album for "breathe today" which is the song I used for my video. , So from using the director the ideology is reflective of the band in a quite dark and sinister way, having very dark images and glowing lights also quite mythical, and surreal ideas. Each of these videos all used a structured narrative telling a story, either it could have been about losing somebody or it could have been showing a little girl living in a fairytale land and what challenges she faced. So for my video I decided to do a performance, as from looking at new bands first music videos they are all basic, this is to introduce the band and show the audience what type of music and performer they are, and seen as it is a new band album I had to create I decided that this would be the best option. So that my video appeared to be a performance, there was no narrative, the video had very little meaning. My video was used just to show who the artist was and what type of artist she was. To use some of the ideologies that the videos I had analysed used I also decided to use the surreal idea, that this world in which it was located wasn't real, the artist was on her own. I did this by using a rural area, in which I knew there would be no other public or traffic, to interfere with the filming. I also added effects to the video to add to this idea. When decided how to design my ancillary texts I chose to do a CD album cover, and a magazine advertisements. So when researching these I looked at magazines such as Mojo to find the conventions used. When looking at these I realised that all were very basic only showing the artist and release date. So this is what I did for mine, using a very simplistic idea of using one of the original photographs that I took of the artist I then used Adobe photo shop to crop the image to just show the mouth, from this I then used a cartoon effect this was so it conformed with my CD album cover which also used a cartoon effect. I feel that of the two ancillary texts the one that was most successful was my CD album cover, the reason for this is because I spent a lot of time researching existing products and analysing what worked well and what wouldn't. I feel that by using partial image of the face it added to the mystery of the artist it also ties in with the conventions of a typical album cover by showing a close-up image of the artist as this is what is trying to be sold.

I feel that my ancillary texts do link in with my main product as both show the artists, and both have a particular dark mood about them. In my video I have used an "old movie effect" over the top this gives a grain effect, so when it came to designing my CD album I used an "poster edges" effect in Adobe Photo shop which also gave a grain effect in the face of the artist which shows conformity between the products. However from looking over all three texts together there is a few things that I would have liked to do differently, such as I would make sure that my magazine advertisement had some link with the other two texts, because currently the magazine advertisement has no similarities with the video and CD album. The magazine advertisement uses block colours of black and I have not used this anywhere else in my products. so to change this I would have used the same grey scale background that I used for my CD cover. I feel that by doing this the audience could recognise easily which artist the magazine advertisement was for. However by using the block colours it gives a good effect of contrast, from using grain effects to using block colours. Another problem that I may have changed would be for my advertisement and CD cover I wish that I had included some screen shots from my video, this way It would have easily shown links throughout the product instead of looking for hidden meanings which may not be as easily to see to an audience point of view.

To ensure helpful feedback I created a questionnaire, that had a few vital questions about my overall video. With these I handed them out to various people who were in the media room to fill in whilst viewing my music video. These people were around 17-18, I chose to ask these people as they were in the mainstream age group also because some with have media knowledge and can give an honest opinion of what they thought of the media effects and overall construction, giving a more valid feedback. The questions I handed out were quite basic, asking how they felt about my overall video and also what would need improving. For my audience feedback I decided to use open ended questions the reason for this being is because I wanted detailed answers as this gives a better reflection of what the audience thinks rather then using yes/no answers. When looking at the results of my audience feedback, I can see that majority of people asked, thought the best parts of my video were the speed alterations being used in the correct places, to show confusion or the idea of being lost. The parts that the audience believed need to be improved, was better representation of the meaning of the video, as they felt that I had not shown or explained this. So from doing audience feedback I learnt that when creating a product the best thing to do, is to do a lot of research on audience first, this way I could have enabled that my product would have met the needs of the audience more. I also learnt that having audience feedback is really helpful when evaluating a video, as if I were to give my own opinion it would biased. When asking audience for their feedback on my Ancillary texts, I asked them to use similar questions that had being used for the video, again asking what worked well and what needed to be improved. From this the feedback that I received was that the audience though the parts of my CD album that worked well was the effect that was put on top of the image, giving a grained/cartoon effect. Another also commented that only using half the face was effective. The parts that didn’t work so well with the CD album cover was, audience thought it was quite basic, and if it was on a shelf in a supermarket or store they probably wouldn’t notice it. When asking the audience what the thought of my magazine advertisements the parts they thought looked good, were the bold contrasting colours of the face and the black background, which made it very eye-catching. However the target audience believed what didn’t work as well was that it wasn’t very interesting to look at, and was missing some relevant information.

From starting the media course at As level, We were shown basic use of technology for example basic use of camera work and how to use computer software such as Adobe Photoshop. This was helpful when having to apply it in a more complex way for A2 production. We were asked to use blogger for our production work in As, this gave an advantage for beginning A2 work as this was also asked to be presented on blogger, I feel that because I had fair knowledge of the website, I could use this to my advantage. To start the research process, I used website such as www.youtube.com and www.musicjesus.com this was so that I could analyze existing music videos and note the conventions used. I did this early on in my production to help me understand what I needed to include. From looking at various videos it did take me a long time to decide which song I wanted to use as I had already filmed my video I had to find a song which would fit with the mood and genre of the film, this I found very difficult and if I were to restart the whole project again I would pick a song first , the reason it took such a long time to decide a song is because all the songs I had chosen created complications, such as the ideas that I had were a bit far fetched for the level of skill that I have so this made me have to reconsider, from the first video that I created I could see what I had to improve, such things like holding the camera steady or possibly using a tripod, as most of the footage in my first film was quite unsteady. By creating that first film it gave me chance to get to grips with how the camera worked and what worked effectively. Im glad that I made the mistakes with the first film as it helped me to not make the same mistakes again in the second video. By eliminating all the songs that I found would be too difficult I decided on my final track. After having picked a song I could then move on and upload all my footage and song onto an Editing suite, this enabled me to cut the footage down into usable clips and erase what I didn’t need. The editing of my video I found was quite a lengthy process as I had to fit the clips to match the beat of the music. This I found quite difficult because I also had to make sure that the clip had some reference to the song lyrics and this wasn’t always possible to do. Once I had my clips in sequence then I was able to add effects to enhance the video the effect I used was "old movie" this gave the clip an authentic feel, also the effect of a broken film, as throughout the film jumps and the grain of the film can be seen on screen as if an old style camera had been used to film it. Throughout the whole of this process I was using www.Blogger.com to keep on online update of the processes and research that I was doing in order for me to create good decisions. Alongside this I was using various website, such as search engines like www.google.com also using fan based website to get an inside of what my target audience thought about the music I had chosen.

For my Ancillary texts I researched sites like www.google.com to help start the research into existing Magazine advertisements and Cd Album covers, From this site I was redirected to various other relevent sites which helped me in the production of my texts. From researching I had a few ideas which I decide to play around with using Adobe Photoshop. This software enabled me to manipulate images, layer images on top of one another, blend images together and also add text. I feel very confident with using this software now wereas at the beginning of the A2 year I had never used it before as I had preferred to create my products using Microsoft Publisher, however this is not advanced enough to create some of the effects that I wanted.

Audience Feedback

Do you find that it was easy to understand the genre?
Yes

What did you believe the meaning of the video was?
Upset, betraying strong emotions which are negative
negative feelings and potential betrayal.

Does it make sense?
yes , Apart from it does not explain why she is upset.

How well does my video represent the genre of music?
Very well because both the song and video both show emotion.
Because the actions and facial expressions reflect the tone of the song.

What do you think works well?
Different speeds used were situated in correct places.
The setting used and the use of slow motion footage.


What do you believe were the downfalls of the video?
Theres not a wide variety of different video shots used, also it is only shot in one setting which also does not add variety. The full meaning of the video is not explained, we know she is upset but the audience is not informed of why.

Ancillary Texts
What works well about the ancillary text?
The Cd cover works well with the cartoon effect because its a real picture but is showing elements of fantasy.
The closeup photo is intriguing and the use of strong colour against a white background is effective. Also the artist gives eye contact which draws the audience in.


What makes the Main product and the ancillary texts link together?
Using the artist picture on the cover whilst also having it in the video makes it easy to link the two together.
The cd cover is a closeup shot of the artist, closup shots are also used in the video which can also be seen as a link.

magazine advertisement

For my magazine advertisement, I decided that I would use a simplistic design this way attention from the audience is not distracted from the main message of the advertisement. From analysing existing magazine advertisements, the main features that were included was:

• the artists name


• album name


• release date


• photography or iconic images of the artist


• some also list shops in which the album can be bought


• show a copy of the front cover of the album

So from this list I knew I had to include various features in my own magazine advertisement to try and make it look more authentic.

To create the font of the artists name I used a the website http://www.dafonts.com/ from this there are many various options to choose from. The reason this font is used is because it is what I used for the album cover. Creating continuity between products. I then had to decide how I was going to have the layout of my advert. To do this I researched various existing advertisements, which I then used ideas from various ones to create my advert.

My Initial idea was to have a simple advert consisting of just an image of the artist and the release date of the album. The reason I wanted to make a simplistic advertisement is because this way audience attention is not lost in a very busy and complicated design.
To make consistency between the album cover and this advert, I decided to use the cartoon effect to do this I took one of the original photographs that I took of Sophie (artists) I then placed this into adobe photoshop, using the filter gallery until I could decide which effect gave the best impact for the idea that I was looking for.

Back cover of the album

For the back cover of my Cd album, I used the same type of background as the front to create continuity.

I again used the www.dafonts.com website to create a font for the song titles the reason I chose to use this font is because, its quite childlike to tie in with idea of the front cover having a cartoon effect.

To make the cover look real, I used a copyright message at the bottom of the case. The reason for doing this is that every CD album published has a copyright message at the bottom usually in a small print. As this is a typical convention of CD albums. I also used a bar code to make the product appear to be sell able.

My Final CD Cover

This is the final cover which i will use for my CD, the reasons for this is because I wanted to use a simplistic cover, as I feel it is more effective. As it draws the audience in without over powering images and text which can sometimes distract the audience from what you intend them to be looking at. I feel by using this effect on the main image it gives a cartoon effect, which gives quite an unreal idea. I also feel that by only using part of the face it adds to the mystery of who the main artist is, this was an accidental because when I uploaded the image onto Photoshop the image was to large for the canvas which meant only the half of the face fit, I decided that I prefered how the cover turened out rather then having a full imgae oge of a face. To create this cover I used Adobe Photoshop, in which I used a plain grey background image which I found on google images, with this I then applied the image of my artist as a top layer. Then using the blend tool around the hairline i was able to blend the two layers together, giving the effect that this was how the image was taken.
Too add text to the cover I imported the text from the website http://www.dafonts.com/ I had to then create another layer and drag this onto the orignal image. This then left white background around the text which to delete I had to use the Magic wand tool on Adobe photoshop which enables me to delete only the white backround which surrounds the text. As the image of the artists face does spread across most of the cover it didnt leave much room to add the Artists name and the album name, so I decided the best way to make it fit was to having the wording vertically down the right side of the cover.

Final decisions for my CD cover

After experimenting with different effects on Photoshop, I have decided that effect I want to use for my CD cover, the effect I used for my main image is 'poster edges' which gives this effect.

The reason for choosing this effect is because after altering the Edge thickness and the Edge Intensity it gives a Cartoon effect, which then made image look like this.

I like the look of this effect because it keeps the image looking real, but alters it slightly by adding faint black lines and dots over the image. as you would see on a cartoon strip. It also highlights the outlines of the image, such as the jawline and the outline of the shoulders. Giving the image a sharper definition.

Photos for my CD cover

To make my CD cover I had to take various photos from different angle shots to see which I could use to give the best effect, here are a few of the shots that I have taken. I had decided that I did only wantto use a head shot, as this is quite a typical convention of Cd covers. So from these images I had to decide which one of them I was going to work with so I tested a few different effects on the photos.

Here are a few of my practice edited photos.

Researching Target Audience

To find out who my target audience would be for this video, I decided to create a Questionaire

What is your Gender?

Age?

What would you say is your preferred genre of music?

From this type of genre, who would you say is your favourite artist?

What makes you like a particular artist the most? (choose one)

• the appearance of the artist


• the sound of the music (good beat)


• the lyrics of their songs you can relate too

Shooting Schedule

My first Video was shot on the 12th of January, however the video was very dark. So therefore I had to rearrange another time for when i could repeat filming.



Before I began shooting for my second video, I did a few test shots just to see what angles looked best.

Then on the 30th February, I went to the location I had chosen for my video. And began testing how the lighting would look and also which aspects of the trees and ground I was going to use. I then shot some film of Sophie. We did have to go back the following day as it became too dark to see.

From then on I have edited my video on numerous occasions, started by selecting which clips I would want to use, followed by trying to line them up so that the story the video is trying to tell makes sense.

Health and Safety risk assessment

When filming my video I had to make sure that it was and that nobody was going to injure themselves in the process.

Possible hazards:

Glass or any other debri that had been left on the floor where I was filming

Any holes/dips in the ground that were covered over

Roots of trees or Branches on the ground which would could be tripped over

The person at risk is the actor or possibly myself whilst filming and not have full attention on where I am standing.

To prevent these risks from causing any injuries, we did a search of the area before filming to make sure that it was safe, this also included checking for any dips in the ground. And this was a necessary procedure just to check it was safe and I was carrying out the filming correctly.

Designing CD cover

To help design my CD cover i have used a template from http://www.discwizards.com/. The reason for this is so that I can get the cover to be the exact size. So by using this template I can make sure that my cover functions like a real cd cover.

Intial ideas dor the CD Front Cover

From looking at various existing Cd album covers, I will use some of the conventions that I have noticed from these, for example I will used a typical black and grey scale, as for my front cover I would like it too look mysterious also rebelliuos and to gain this effect using the colour scale would be best, to decide the location for my album cover, I will sample shots in various wooded area, maybe have some ground shots, but also some shots from in the trees, to see which will give the best effect for what I am looking for.

cd covers

From looking at the Katy Perry cover for her album we can see that it uses bright summery colour scheme, it also has a 'fun' feel about, unlike the other album covers that i have analysed which have all been quite serious, It also has a very feminine appeal. This is shown by the use of flowers at the bottom of the cover, also by using a lot of pink and red font colours.
The font used can be seen as quite childish/playful in the sense that is is 'bubble writing' has a very carefree effect. The main focus of the cover is the main artist laid on the sun bed. To make this stand out they have used lighting on her, and darkened the rest of the cover slightly. Which draws attention to the Katy Perry.

Props, Cast, Location and Costume

From creating this list I can get I clear idea of what I am going to do and use for my video, of which location I want to use and the reasons for choosing this location, also similar with costume and what effects this will have to the video.

CD covers

From looking at these at these covers, we can see that the whole album has a 'Gothic' look, with a dark metallic effect. Using a black and white scale. The reason for this is to give the album a rebellious effect.
From the front cover, the main focus is the artist. Dressed in black leather clothes and heavy dark makeup, the reason for the could be to tie in with the idea of being rebellious.

Conventions of CD covers is to have track titles on the back cover. The front cover will have a picture orsymbol/image which has some representation of the artist, or song lyrics. Also on the front they typically have the artists name and the album name. However thsi alvum cover has broken typical conventions as instead of having the artists name, initials are used instead. This works for this cover as the artist is known worldwide, so no longer needs to broadcast who she is.

CD/DVD front cover ideas

To help me decide what i am going to do for my front cover, i am going to research existing covers from recent artists to find the typical conventions of what has to used on my CD/DVD cover.





From looking at the Cheryl Cole album cover for 3 words, we can see it is using a typical grey scale, which gives it a sophisticated glamorous effect. The first thing we notice about the album cover is that Cheryl Cole is looking like she is making eye contact with the person looking at the cover. This is because she is trying to draw the audience towards the cover and also gives a more personal feel. The cover is basic, which draws full attention to the artist. She has a large netted headress on with cream flowers which ties in with the serif fonts and also the idea of glamour. The name of the artist and album is shown as a tattoo on Cheryl Cole's back using a serif font. Which also adds to the glamorous effect.
The back cover also uses the grey scale, with paintbrush stokes, this could have been done to give the idea that the cover is a work of art, it also uses serif fonts for the song titles. the whole album is very simplistic. Which is a basic idea but it is very effective.

Analysis of existing media text

The third music video i am going to analyse is Paramore - Brick by boring brick



The song was released in October 2009, taken from the album 'Brand New Eyes'. the video is filmed in a golden colourisation effect, this is done to give the video a fantasy effect. Which is also, done to attribute the beginning of the video were there is a shot of the sunshine on the horizon. The first shot we see is a pan over a fantasy land with leaves falling from the sky, the same way rain would. this could also be done to add to the fantasy idea that, rain doesn't exist Or it could be used as an addition to the golden theme, and the idea of it being set in autumn which could have been done to show the leaves falling as the end of childhood, or the beginning of a new start . We then move to a shot of the main artist, Hayley Williams. which we see on a swing, looking very typically angelic in a white dress. We then see a young girl running, with wings attached to her back, referencing the song lyrics of butterfly wings. It could also have been used to reference the fairytale 'Thumbelina'. The young girl is also holding a doll, which is a typical thing for a young girl to do. In the video, the girl comes across a secret doorway, which could be a reference to 'The Secret Garden' in which the girl finds a doorway to another world in which only she can go to. A very mystical place that when she has entered the door closes behind her so she cannot leave. We the see a shot of the girl's feet walking along the ground, which links to the lyrics at that point of the song which are 'With you feet on the ground' So this camera shot was used to link with the lyrics. It then cuts to a point of view shot in which we see where the girl is heading to. Which looks like the light at the end of the tunnel. The reason for this is to give the audience an idea of the setting. All around the girl in the passage, is lanterns with glowing butterflies, this is also an element of a fantasy world. The girl sets the butterfly free, from the glass jar, this could be to symbolize herself being set free from reality. The shot then reverts back to the artists Hayley, who is hovering over a man digging a hole, this shot is high shot over her looking down, used to show what she is looking at, symbolizing the depth of the hole. We then see a shot of a young girl and her eyes divert, we then have a point of view shot which focuses on a flower, which pulsates brighter and more vibrate, this is another aspect of the mystery and fantasy. As the girl moves further down the passage, the nature around her illuminates brighter, butterflies flying all around her, referencing to the lyrics of the song. The setting then changes. Which to the audience we would assume she has now entered the fantasy land. Surrounding her are large mushrooms, again another feature of the fantasy world. We then see a shot of a man, in golden shining armour, key features of fairy tales. As the girl is walking she is seeing all the nice parts of a fairytale. We then see a reverse shot of the girl running towards a castle, entering the castle and the whole effects of the video changes, the lighting dims. The source of light behind the girl is seeping through the windows behind the girl, in the formation of a star. The girls reflection is repeated several times as if we are looking at various angles of the girl in mirrors, the reason for this could be to reference 'The Ice Queen'. in which her castle is dim and mysterious and filled with mirrors. This shot could symbolize that the girl has now just entered her forbidden castle. There is then use of an over the shoulder shot in which we see in the reflection of the mirror the girl is combing through her hair with her fingers and admiring her face. In the way that princesses do in typical fairytales. A closeup of the girls expression then reveals the worry and fear. As she looks in other mirrors and see a young boys face, with clown like makeup, laughing at her with evil expressions. This then cuts to an establishing shot of the outside of the castle. The lighting then turns to dark quickly and a misty fog surrounds the castle, the effect of this then gives the aurdience an idea that something bad is going to happen. Lightning bolts are also used, possibly to show danger of the setting. From then on, everything that was nice and colourful dims to dark and evil. The faces in the mirrors, become scarier. Again we see a closeup of the young girls face, now looking terrified, the reason for this is to reveal the girls expression to the audience. A shot is then used in the mirror of the girls face which transitions to a metallic negative effect. hightening the blue of the lighting. The reason for this could be done to show that the young girl is transforming like the rest of the fairytale land. We the see a long shot of the girl, ripping of her wing (again referncing the lyrics of the song previously) the reason for using the long shot would be to ensure that the audience gets a full picture of the action the girl is doing. We then move to another over the shoulder shot, see the girl scream and run away, the reason for this shot would be to show the girl having a last look at the castle which she is leaving behind. as she is running through the woods back to the secret door, the trees start to tie around her, which is an obvious refence to the fairytale 'Sleeping Beauty' We see closup shots of the vines wrapping her legs, as this is main focus. As the girl carries on running without realising she falls down the hole, in which throughout the video we have seen shots of a man digging. This could be done to show that the girl has now fallen out of the fantasy land.