In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media product uses all different types of media conventions and forms throughout my coursework. Within my music video I have used conventions which I picked up throughout my research. I made sure that I had both a story line and performance in my music video which tends to be a convention of most music videos. I then made sure within the performance it was all lip synced and in time with the song. When I looked at CD digipaks they all tended to show one thing, simplicity. Due to this I thought that within my mine I would follow conventions and keep mine quite simple too. When I also looked inside CD digipaks they tended to include lyrics so once again once I had asked a group of people on their opinion, I chose to follow conventions and do the same. When I started to look at magazine advertisements they all seemed to look too packed and busy to I decided to keep with the simplicity which I used throughout and kept it simple.
My media product uses all different types of media conventions and forms throughout my coursework. Within my music video I have used conventions which I picked up throughout my research. I made sure that I had both a story line and performance in my music video which tends to be a convention of most music videos. I then made sure within the performance it was all lip synced and in time with the song. When I looked at CD digipaks they all tended to show one thing, simplicity. Due to this I thought that within my mine I would follow conventions and keep mine quite simple too. When I also looked inside CD digipaks they tended to include lyrics so once again once I had asked a group of people on their opinion, I chose to follow conventions and do the same. When I started to look at magazine advertisements they all seemed to look too packed and busy to I decided to keep with the simplicity which I used throughout and kept it simple.
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
These are my two ancillary tasks and my main product. I have tried to show continuity throughout by using the same actress/model throughout, I also have her dressed quite casual but also trendy in all photos. I think because I have done this it means they are more effective and the audience relates the products more and in their heads links the three together. I have used similar locations in all here tasks so that they will all link together continuously. I think that how I have composed the magazine advertisement it makes you want to see what the CD digipak looks like, which then makes you want to hear the song and see the video to go with it. They all link together even by the make up used in each product as it is all the same quite natural make up but with defined eyes and bold lips. This makes her features stand out and makes her look radiant. I have also used the same font in each ancillary task, in the same colours to show continuity and to show that it is for the same album and artist. I have also used the same picture of a rose throughout to link the product to the artists name.
What have you learned from your audience feedback?
From the feedback that I have been given I have learnt that what I perceive to be good/conventional is not what others always think. I have been given feedback from different groups of people on their opinions on what my work should include and then on what they thought I change in the work that I did. I managed to get feedback on each of my ancillary tasks and my filmed video. From the feedback I was given I changed my opinions on what I put into my filming and what to put onto my ancillary tasks.
For my ancillary tasks I created a questionnaire for each to get people’s opinions on what they think my magazine advertisement and CD Digipak should consist of. From the results I gathered, I tried to design my products that would please my audience. I also created a questionnaire to help me with ideas when creating my music video which also told me what they expected and wanted to see.
This was the first idea on what picture I wanted for my CD cover. I decided to show a group of students and asked them for their feedback on whether they thought that it was a good picture for my front cover (picture one). Their feedback said that they would prefer a different picture which linked to the name of the album. I then chose a different photo (picture two) which got good feedback from everyone. They said with the right editing it would be a very good and suitable picture for my CD cover. So from showing people what I thought would be good, I got feedback which made me re-think what I wanted as my photo and what would appeal to a wider audience.
I then edited my photo and cut it down to be more suitable for the CD cover by doing this it changed the type of editing I used to make it look slightly old but edgy at the same time it made her eyes and lips stand out on her face. It makes the photo look slightly mysterious and draws the viewer in and makes them want to view the video.
I then thought that the shot should be more of her face so I cropped it down even more so it draws you in and makes you notice the small details. I then added text to it which was the name of my album and then the name of my artist which I put in red which goes in with my theme throughout. I then also added the rose icon next to the artists name so that it link in with her name and also puts a trademark to it.
I also did this sort of process for my magazine advertisement and my music video. I think that what I have learnt is that its best to get feedback along the way because otherwise I would not have produced the work as well and my video wouldn't have linked together as well. I have learnt that audience feedback is essential when making a media product.
How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
When constructing, researching, planning and in my evaluation I used lots of different media technologies. When researching all of my tasks I used websites such as Youtube to watch other types of music videos to get an idea of the conventions throughout and what I could use for my own music videos. I also used websites such as Google to research into different magazine advertisements and CD digipaks. This enabled me to plan out what sort of things needed to be in my CD digipak and what needed to be on my magazine advertisement. From this it made it easier to decide what conventions I was going to include in my own version of each one. When constructing my pieces I used a digital camera to film all of my music video and take the pictures for my ancillary tasks. I also used a website call clip converter which enabled me to edit my song and cut it down slightly. I then used a program called Windows movie maker which enabled me to put all of my filmed clips together and then add the music to it to make it a complete video. When I was constructing my magazine advertisement and CD digipak I used a website called PicMonkey this meant that I could edit my photos and add the relevant text that I needed to, to make it into either of my ancillary tasks. I also used Youtube to post my video as I was making it and the finished piece so that people can see my progress and what I have changed throughout. When making all of this I have been recording everything on a website called Blogger which then shows my progress throughout.
