My Music Video 'I Don't Believe You'

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

During the process of completing my coursework, I used a variety of different media technologies to improve my project. This is essential in producing a successful Music Video, because all professional Videos are created in this way. It is important to use a variety of new media technologies for several reasons which I will now discuss.

In terms of Audience Research, I used Facebook and Myspace to upload my Music Video and gain feedback from friends and family. Therefore I was able to explore what my audience wants, and by researching these programs I was able to gain inspiration from other bands in terms of style. My artist, Lara Anstead is a member of a band called: 'Alice Band' that also falls into the Indie genre, therefore I was able to research and understand the band through the fan base. The endless row of comments consisted of compliments ranging from:

"Amazing band Alice!!! You ROCK"

"Where can I watch you play?"

Among several other comments and I was able to find inspiration therefore, Myspace and Facebook successfully aided me in researching my target audience.

The search engine Google, was equally helpful because it holds millions of websites containing publishers, unsigned and signed artists. It is basically an endless information source. For example it allowed me to find different magazine articles and CD Covers and allowed me to then annotate them, therefore allowing me to produce the best possible Ancillary Tasks. In attempt to avoid intertextual referencing too much, I was able to challenge a lot of the images of the Magazines and CD's giving my own personal take on the matter.

Blogger allowed me to upload my coursework online, achieving an aesthetically pleasing final outcome, as well as being a quick easy and organised way to display my planning stages. 

Adobe Photoshop allowed me to achieve picture perfect models...

Similar to Facebook and Myspace, I used YouTube to upload my Music Video and gain feedback. YouTube is a worldwide website, with millions of videos posted by the general public. Because of the YouTubes popularity, I was able to find several different Music Videos that inspired me (which I have mentioned earlier) for example: 

• 'Breathe Me' 
• 'Ordinary People'

Final Cut Express is obviously essential in the making of my Music Video. This program allowed me to edit my Video, create effects to achieve the best possible Video. ISquint and MPEG Streamclip are other components that allowed me to upload my footage and then open it in FCE.  

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

It’s an old saying that manufacturing products is not a difficult task, but the most important part is to market it.

Targeting audience is based on various norms.
1. Urban or rural population
2. Age based
3. Gender based
4. Capital goods or Consumer goods

I have used several different websites to further my research, finding out 'what's hot and what's not' through:

• Facebook
• Myspace
• Youtube
• Google

Facebook & Myspace were especially useful in finding out what my target audience wants. Therefore I posted my final edit Music Video and set up a Survey for my friends to complete once they have watched the video. The Survey was completed immediately after viewing the video because it is still fresh in their minds.

We found our audience feedback very helpful as we needed their feedback to produce our film to a higher standard and we see the audience as an important part of producing our film as they are the people who we want to enjoy it.

After uploading my final edit Music Video, “I don’t believe you” I uploaded it to the very popular YouTube and got lots of audience feedback!

I found that asking for feedback from my audience about the weaknesses of our film helped me a lot as I learned what needed to be changed to suit my audience. Even though I thought that our film was almost finished my audience pointed out a few changes I could make, some I already knew but from this feedback I learned that my film can always be improved and I needed to work on it for a while longer and keep asking my audience for feedback until I had it completely finished.

After listening to my feedback I have decided to:

1.      Add more effects to the footage giving it added identity

2.      Make the lip-syncing shots colour, and the narrative black and white, once again adding to its uniqueness.

3.      Add a four split shot into the video

4.      Correct any lighting errors by re-filming

5.      Use more of my lip-syncing shots to create a balance

6.      Re-film the email scenes and keep an eye on the default fonts

7.      Re-film some of the shots where there are mistakes in the framing

Evaluations Deadline Met

Today was the internal deadline for my four evaluation questions and I am very happy with the final outcome of my evaluations.

I must now use these last six days wisely and add the finishing touches to my video in Final Cut Express which include:

1. Adding a few more lip-syncing shots
2. Adjusting the lip-syncing shots to colour from de-saturation
3. Adjusting the lighting in some shots
4. Heightening the sound in certain areas 

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

This is my Magazine Advert and CD Digi-pack. After researching Music Related Adverts in Magazines, such as NME, and CD’s such as Colbie Collait, I decided there were a few things needed to make my advert and CD digi-pack appear real...

Magazine MUST have’s….

1.              Album name: Bright Lights 

2.              Artist name: Lara Anstead

3.              Reviews: NME & The Times

4.              Album Release Rate: 16th April

5.              Appropriate Record Label: A&M

CD MUST have’s…

1. Front Cover
2. Back Cover
3. Lyrics Pages
4. CD Template

Which must contain:

1. Copyright information
2. Record Label
3. Barcode
4. Album name
5. Artist name

Process:

After editing my images, creating a picture perfect model by removing all blemishes and uneven skin tones. I used Adobe Photoshop to darken the model's eyes, lips and eyebrows. I used a white top to denote innocence within the model. The white top was also used because it stands out against the black background and forces the attention onto the model herself. For the front and back page, I chose to have my models in colour, as the model can then stand out to the viewer/buyer. The use of coloured text: “Bright Lights” and “Featuring The Hit Single ‘I Don’t Believe You” furthers the front and back cover’s ability to stand out, therefore boosting sales.

I used Adobe Photoshop to touch up my images because, ultimately… where do you ever see a spotty model in the centre of a Magazine or on the front of a CD...? Exactly you just DON'T! This is because we buy CD's mostly based on the music inside of it, but a contributing factor is the graphics on the Digi-pack and Magazine advert. Susan Boyle wouldn't necessarily be described as 'cool' but I am not disputing the fact that she has talent! Because Boyle isn't exactly cool/ stereotypically attractive it certainly affects her sales. Artists such as Tinie Tempah, Rihanna and Jessie J are idols who direct their music to mostly teenagers. These teenagers aspire to be like them, look like them, act like them and be loved like them. Putting an attractive model on the front of my CD/ Magazine Advert attracts attention and bumps up sales, therefore portrays the Artist in an effective way, which my record label A&M agrees with.

The record label A&M is an obvious necessity because the Production Company produced the Artist and will obviously want the advertisement of their company. The copyright information is important because after researching it is obvious that all CD’s contain this information for security information and if I want my product to enter the real world it must be included.

For my Magazine advert, reviews are a must have because it gives the buyer confidence in the product, and using reputable companies furthers this confidence because they trust these companies. After researching reviewing comments I found "*****" were most popular to achieve a quick and powerful message to the buyer. Using the Coldplay album as an example, I found the comment "Their best yet" by 'NME' which I slightly adjusted to fit my particular Album ("Her best yet") and after already using 'NME' I decided a reputable company that 99.9% of the population know well or have at least heard of... 'The Times'. It is important to use well known companies, otherwise this trust exercise is useless because who trusts in something they haven't even heard of. I estimate that most teenagers know the Music Magazine 'NME' and most adults read 'The Times' therefore by using these two companies I hit a range of audiences. The release date is another must have otherwise how will anyone buy the product if they don't know when it's on sale? "Album out now!" is a popular quote used, but a challenged this convention by creating tension and a growing excitement for the buyers as the release date edges ever closer.

I feel that the ancillary task effectively fits together with the main product for several reasons.

1. The main character is used in on both the Magazine advert and throughout the CD Digi-pack featuring her face on both front and back of the CD case, as well as on page one and two of the lyrics pages, therefore creating a very strong link. This will also boost sales, because if a potential buyer saw my Music Video but couldn’t remember the artists name, the fact that the main character is standing out to the viewer from both the ancillary tasks makes it impossible not to link the two.
2. The beautiful model achieved through Adobe Photoshop is a stereotypical view of singers nowadays.
3. I have made the model appear natural and innocent, relating to the Music Video as she stresses over a lost lover, denoting her true love for him; therefore the naturalness of the photographs link to the Music Video strongly.
4. I chose for the model to have a sad facial expression as oppose to a cheeky grin that some CD’s feature. This saddened facial expression relates to the broken hearted feelings that the main character featured in my Music Video; once again displaying a strong link between the two.

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

My promotional package is conventionally associated with the Indie genre because of the combination of narrative and performance shots intertwined. My inspirational Artists such as, John Legend performing “Ordinary People” also uses this combination in their Music Videos. Other examples include Colbie Collait demonstrating the stereotypical Indie ‘look’ and by doing so I have used this convention in order to appeal to my target audience.

  

By using Artist shots as well as narrative it allows the music to have a face to it, boosting sales which keeps A&M record label happy, by creating a strong link between my Digi-pack, Magazine Cover and Music Video because my main character is featured on the front page of the CD combination and glares out of my Magazine Cover, attracting viewers and allowing them to recognize the piece of music.

The use of mis-en-scene combined with editing and costume is prominent in these shots. The location denotes freedom and bliss relating to the couples relationship. The female is wearing a skirt, relating to the stereotypical fashion for females. The stereotypical couple due to the difference in height, as normally men are taller than women demonstrates the use of models, all together showing a clear use of mis-en-scene.

This shot shows the use of lighting, which is prominent in my Music Video. This scene was shot in a studio with the use of professional lights, to achieve a silhouette figure. I have chosen this to create this technique to create a stronger and more interesting shot, as she reaches up because the artist hits a high note. This shot also shows a clear link between the lyrics and the visuals. This shot connotes a clear and constructive use of lighting.

This connotes a use of Media Conventions as I have used the four-split screen effect in my Music Video to give the shot added emphasis and appeals to my genre as this effect is used a lot in Indie Music Videos.

In terms of lip-syncing, my Music Video has used and developed the forms and conventions similar to nearly all Indie Music Videos. This is because the Artist will sound better when pre-recorded in a studio; therefore they don’t have to worry about dance routines or acting scenes when singing. After taking this into consideration, I decided to do the same thing, therefore recording in the Music Studio, and filming in the countryside therefore boosting the popularity of the Artist in terms of Institution and Audience.

This shot typifies the way a record company would want this particular artist to be represented, as it shows the artist playing the piano denoting the Indies style of Music Videos. The typical Indies video features a stereotypically attractive woman playing the guitar or piano whilst singing, therefore I have combined this idea into my Music Video, connoting a use of Media Conventions similarly used in several Music Videos, for example once again, John Legend singing “Ordinary People”.

This shot denotes loneliness and self-loathing as she dresses herself in Pajamas and does not brush her hair, connoting the fact that she does not know what to do without her ‘other half’. The fact that she is standing by the window gazing out the window denotes her desperation for him to meet her.

These shots connote a strong use of lip-syncing, but I have challenged the stereotypical representation of a singer, as I have not used a microphone or instruments. Stereotypically the singer would be all dolled up, and would be in full view of the camera playing her instruments; whilst in contrast to this my shot focuses on the artists mouth as she sings. The shot restricts the audience’s view of the singer, which is very rare. This is connotes an atypical approach to the Indie genre.

I have also challenged the conventions of Indie music by linking the lyrics to the narrative. The model was previously standing against the wall but sinks down to the ground as the Artist sings: “Just don’t stand there and watch me fall”. The low angle shot denotes her desperation. I chose to film the model sinking to the ground; alone therefore connoting loneliness.