Written Evaluation

We chose to create an Funky House music video, and as any other music video genre, it has the original codes and conventions. Most R&B/Funky House music videos follow the convention of a narrative where a storyline is used to reflect the meaning of the song; in this case we thought we would stick to this convention but develop it further. As our music video appeals to the R&B and Funky House audience, the narrative was made quite simple as the lyrics tell the story. The narrative is about a break up which is a typical storyline for an R&B video. We chose this narrative because from our research we noticed that the audience can related and sympathise with the artists and the lyrics, when there’s a narrative and it engages the audience to watch and listen to the song. An good example is Tyrese-How you gonna’ act like that, where the female leaves and he starts to remember how they were when they were together and it shows clips. Many people can relate to this as it is a part of everyday life. Notion of looking was one of the conventions that are used in some R&B narratives. Normally, in music videos Goodwin’s theory of, Notion Of Looking is used to demonstrate the dominance between male and females, and sex appeal however we did not demonstrate dominance or appeal, we used it in a different way. We expressed this by linking it to the narrative and emphasising to the audience who was more hurt from the break up. We showed this by displaying emotions through body language and facial expressions, clips of the female looking upset and emotional emphasises that she is the one most affected compared to the male. To some, this is a stereotype; that females are always more emotional than men. Throughout the music video, due to the female being the artist she is shown more frequently, which again expresses to the audience how she is feeling, and gives them the chance to relate to the situation the female and male are in. Mise-en-sceneMise-en-scene is used widely throughout music genres. Lighting is key in a music video and can make a big difference to how the video is meant to be interpreted by the audience. In R&B music videos, low and high key lighting is used, both to create an effect. Due to our narrative being a relaxed and realistic theme within our music video we chose to use a lot of natural light, as the video is set outside, in a park, street and by a canal. By keeping the natural light it creates an more realistic feel to the video and compliments and links the settings to the theme and lyrics.

In what ways does your media product use, develop and challenge form and convention of real product?

Costume&CropsNarratives doesn’t usually have a lot of costume changes because the whole point of a narrative is for it to flow, like a story, so within our music videos there weren’t a lot of changes to keep the video as realistic and smooth as possible. A lot of costume changes are known to be in abstract videos. The dress code was kept simple and casual and represented our music genres, all of which they are recognised for their urban/street style, such as hoodies, jeans, trainers etc. We done this as the scenes within the video are day to day scenes, not party or work atmospheres. The colours were kept the same as expected in R&b/Funkyhouse music videos, dark blue, black, white and the odd printed t-shirt. We chose to keep these colours also because of the weather conditions, when filmed, it was just the end of winter and it is unusual for people to be wearing brightly coloured clothes in the winter, its most expected in the summer, so we had to think about the weather conditions of outside also. EditingWhen researching about editing and effects we realised that not a lot of effects are used however editing and transitions were used a lot. We incorporated this into our music video and used transitions such as fades and cross fades. These two transitions establish the passing of time and emphasis’ how happy they were as a couple as the happy scenes fade into another and so on. Another effect we use that brings to attention the passing of time is the black and white effect. Black and white clips are used widely in the R&B genre as a remembrance, of past events. We did use the black and white effect for this reason. The audience immediately assumes that it’s a flashback of how the ‘couple’ was before the break up, happy, joyful and pleased at that current time. When the clip changes and it goes back to colour it tells the audience that it has gone back to what is happening currently, which is the opposite of the past. Colour and Black&White is good way to emphasis conflict and change, in personality, appearance, or atmosphere. An example of an R&B music video is, Mariah Carey-We Belong Together, where she has flashbacks of the party and they first meet and that scene also is in black and white. Another effect we used was echo, this emulated a ghost like effect and by using a different effect that isn’t a usual code and convention of an R&B video we were able to link it with the other sub genres such as funky and dubstep

Sound and camera anglesWhen analysing music videos we realised that quite a lot of music videos include non-diegetic sounds, were an action is over exaggerated to emphasis the meaning, however we tried this but came to realise it never fit in with the narrative and theme of the video and together, there was too much going on in the video for the viewers to focus as well as the non diegetic sound, so we chose to stick to diegetic sounds only, which was the music. However while creating the video it became clear that by using just diegetic sound was just as effective as non-diegetic sound. We used a technique were the image moves or changes the same time as the base in the song, this is effective when making a video catchy and exciting video to watch. When the chorus comes in we used the opening of fireworks which fitted in well with the beat, we repeated this a couple times throughout the video. This technique is also effective as it helps the audience remember the lyrics to the song when they can think back and remember the video.The movement of the camera also was a technique that contributes to linking the lyrics and actions to the sound of the music. We used sudden cuts when showing the black and white clips. The sudden cuts emphasise the happy times, that resembles a fantasy life and then she comes back to reality. The main camera angles used in this genre is mid shots and close ups, especially in narrative videos. We used a few close ups show the facial expressions and emotions, when she is alone and waiting, then we used it to show how the male and female looked at each other when they were together and show the eye contact which highlighted their feelings for each other. Mid shots were used to show the body language between the couple, body language is key in a narrative because it can also show feelings. For example if the couple are standing quiet far apart it may demonstrate that they are in a argument or aren’t as close as normal couples, however if they are close and relaxed it shows that they have positive feelings for each other and feel comfortable and safe around each other. Body language and lyrics is a good combination, so we decided that when she mentions about love we would have positive body language and vice versa so it’s clear but effective to watch. Overall, we felt as though our music video did challenge the codes and convention of a real music video as it did comply with the usual conventions of our chosen genre.

In the early stages of planning our music video we knew that the main product, the music video and the ancillary text, promotional poster and DVD cover would have to relate to each other in order to be effective and in turn be successful. To accomplish this it was important to make sure those aspects from the music video links with the ancillary texts, to do this we decided to take elements from the main product such as the styling, mise en scene and the theme to make it effective. The theme of our video was heart ache, which involved trying to evoke the feeling of anguish and vulnerability through the actress. Scenes in our music video where the actress displayed these emotions were frequently used to emphasis the theme, and to clearly establish the theme to the audience, using various different camera angles. To incorporate the subject of heartache to the ancillary texts we used photographs which the actress illustrated this feeling, in doing so creating an effective platform of advertisement by informing the audience on the overall theme of the album. Furthermore, the location of the music video predominately took place in an outdoor environment, we created a link between the backdrop of the promotional poster and DVD cover by using similar settings which were taken in a park. As well as this, the location also provides essential information to the audience about the genre of the collection of songs. Since, both the main product and ancillary texts were set in parks it allows the audience to establish the genre of the album, which had influences from dubstep, rnb, and UK garage because many videos that are majorly set outside are either of these genres. Continuing with the setting, the bench featured on the promotional poster is largely involved within the music video as it is at the center of the when the couple were captivated with each other, whereas it is also featured as the place where we see the beginning of her broken heart when she is now alone and reminiscing of the troubled moments they spent together. The bench could be symbolic of the two sides to the album, such as portraying the feeling of energy and love or either despair and sadness, however because the bench plays a part of mainly the more emotionally scenes it does set the tone for the majority of the album. Moving on to the DVD cover, where the background is a brick wall, although it does not have a dominate role in our music video it could also be seen as attributing to conveying the genre to the audience. As a brick wall does represent a distinctive style, which would most likely be associated with graffiti, the target audience will almost certainly be fans of urban and street music and take pleasure in the style.

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

Additionally, the effects used in the music video varied from no effect and slight glows to grayscale. Since we used various effects in our music video it enabled us to have a choice on the effects we could use. At the ending we decided that we could use different effects for the promotional poster, in comparison to the DVD cover. By effectively completing this we would be able to combine both the music video and ancillary texts, as well as displaying two different music styles for the whole album. By using grayscale on the promotional poster where the actress is sitting on the bench, giving the facial expression of sadness and despair relates to the scenes in the music video that presents a similar scenario. Also, using grayscale does symbolise both the good and tremulous side in the relationship in our music video, this could be because grey is consider a mixture of black and white, whereas black depicts power, sadness and anger, on the contrary, white portrays innocence and purity, this in turn causing grey to be neutral. On the other hand, the DVD cover does convey a different feeling due to the colours being intensified, creating a more vibrant and pulsating photograph, this ties in with the upbeat tempo of the song and the colourful fireworks in the music video, this however evokes a different emotion in comparison to the promotional poster. Despite this, the body language and positioning of actress contrasts, with bold colours because she is more relaxed as she is leaning on a wall, this embodies both aspects of the music video.Moreover, yet another element that conveys the liaison between the main product and the ancillary texts is the styling of the actress, which includes clothing as well as extra accessories. This clearly demonstrates the relation between all three products, because the clothes featured on the promotional poster and DVD cover are distinctly similar to each other. For example, the outfits we chose particularly correspond with the genre such as, hoodies, jeans, trainers and hats etc. which are all popular trends. The ancillary texts both feature types of clothing which links in with the main product, mutually they consist of the actress wearing jeans, and a jacket, also on both covers we are not able to see the her hair as they are either covered by a hat or hood, this is again a type of styling in our music. When the actress is in scenes on her own she is mostly seen with a hood or hat covering her hair, which could suggest that now she alone she’s lost her confidence by losing the one she loved and trusted, having a similar style on the covers on the ancillary texts demonstrates the major theme of the album. Not to mention, the colours of the outfits worn in the music video and presented on the covers of the DVD and promotional poster are all of the same likeness.

The colours used are based heavily towards darker colours such as grey, black, and dark blues we done this because, not only does it link with the weather which we filmed the video in, but the colours symbolize various aspects of the music video, such as despair, calmness, sadness and trust. However, on the DVD cover the jacket she is wearing has accents of red on it; this is associated with the music video as it features red fireworks, the colour represents the intense passion and aggression between the male and female actors, this is emphasised as the fireworks could suggest the explosive nature of their relationship which is evident in the music video.When deciding on the font for the promotional poster and the DVD, we considered how there are numerous music genres that are a part of the overall album, this included, rnb, dubstep, funky, and hip hop. Since there was such a wide range it would not be effective to focus on one genre as it could falsely advertise the audience and therefore decrease the potential sales, to limit confusion for the ancillary texts we decided upon simple texts that can apply to all genres. However the colours of the text are different on the promotional poster, which is white compared to the DVD text black. The white on the grey, emulates the soft and vulnerable side which is presented in the music video, unlike the black on top of the colour which represents a powerful and passionate part that is also displayed in music video. On the promotional poster the words ‘out now’ are bold, and the colour is a bright blue, this therefore stands out from the grey, understated background. Not only does it become eye catching but it the bright splash of colour links to frequent burst of colour of fireworks in the music video.The back of the DVD clearly displays its connection to the music video because it carries on the theme of a brick wall; however we modified it slightly by adding a heart. By adding the heart on the DVD cover, we were able to relate the theme of love directly to the music video; also the heart is featured in the music video which too adds to the ancillary text being effectively combine with the main task.

Promotion Poster & DVD

What have you learnt from the audience feedback?

From the audience feedback we gain mainly positive views for the music video. We also established that our music video did attract our target audiences as the responses from the question such as, ‘What age range do you think our music video would target’ the feedback we got was between 12-24, as our initial audience to appeal to was between 15-24 the responses we extremely close. Furthermore, when asking about ‘What type of audiences do you think would be attracted to our music video’, the answers ranged from rnb and urban audiences, this was positive as this is the genre of the music video. They also mentioned that the styling attributed to them knowing the target audience. As well as this, they stated that the added elements of fireworks did help in captivating there attention and emphasises the theme of heart ache in the music video.

However we did get some feedback on how we could improve our music video, this mainly was about the eye contact of the artist when performing to the camera, because they felt as though it lacked connection with the audience.

During the process of creating our media product we used a variety of different media technologies, in order to create a successful music video. Throughout the planning stages we used 3 main media technologies, a ‘Nikon’ Digital camera which we used to take photographs of different locations, which we could have possibly used as a setting for our music video. We also tested various camera angles, we done this to experiment on angles that may be suitable to display our genre. Before beginning our real photo shoot for our DVD cover and promotional poster, using the digital camera before hand was valuable as it allowed us to gain experience with the camera before actually starting the real process. Secondly, we used a ‘Cannon’ video camera to practice filming; during this time we learnt how to use different settings of the camera which would be appropriate when shooting outside etc. Whilst using the video camera we also trialled different camera shots, specific to a video camera such as a pan, to see how effective they would be in our music video. Additionally, we learnt how to keep the camera still by using a tripod; this enabled us to have a more professional shot when shooting our video. Thirdly, we used a computer to collect data from the internet for the research and planning, this involved exploring possible genre’s, music/social tribes, artists etc. We also used to the PC to make plans on how we would present our DVD cover and promotional poster, by getting inspiration from well known artists, CD covers and promotional posters. The computer played a vital role during the whole of our A2 experience as we had to use it to upload our blog on there, which contained all the features need to for the project. When taking our questionnaire we used excel, this software helped us to illustrate our findings clearly by making them into a chart. Throughout our research stages we used sites such as SlideShare and Prezi to publish our findings, which was useful because it displayed our work clearly. We found YouTube had a influential place when researching, as we were able to collect music videos for our social/music tribes, these music videos effectively demonstrated the codes and conventions of the genre.

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

As the computer played a essential role we used it for several reasons, one being we had to convert the videos from the video camera, in order to import then on to the Apple Mac book. Moreover, we used it to collect the screenshots for our construction for the making of our poster, and DVD cover. When making our Music video we used a Mac book pro laptop, we used this to create the music video and also to edit photos, for the promotional posters as well as the DVD cover. When editing our music video we used software called final cut express, this helped us to create a professional edit on our music video, during this we used a different effects, depending on how effective it was to our music video. From the effects and transitions we used, some were frequent and others were used only once. For example the video filter echo was barely used, this gave a ghost like effect on our video, we also used tint to turn parts of our video black and white to show different tenses in our music video. On the other hand, the main transition we used throughout the production of our video was cross dissolve, this gave a sense of connection throughout the video because the video seamless flowed from one scene to another. In addition, we used Youtube again to learn how to use particular edits on final cuts such as the speeding up, slowing down and reverse tool, which added to the effectiveness of our video.

Furthermore, we used Adobe Photoshop it was essential in the process of creating the ancillary texts because of the multiple tools it inhabited, this included filter and feathering effects, cropping and erasing tools these all contributed to producing a professional standard of work. We used another Adobe programme Indesign, this software helped us to produce the poster and DVD cover as it is used to set out templates for them.

We added text and imagery by place them on to the programme Indesign, we used this software to create a professional looking poster and DVD cover by using the range of fonts, colours and swatches to make our cover fit the particular genre we was aiming for. Further on in the process we used the digital camera; however this time we used the photographs for our media products. Due to the previous knowledge we had obtained on using the cameras, we already knew the specific camera angles and settings that would be appropriate to use for the particular genre of video.

Again we used a tri pod to steady our imagery to give our video a professional out look for our video/DVD cover/ poster. Also on the construction of the music video we used PowerPoint and Microsoft word to show the progress in which we had to taken to create our video, poster and DVD cover. YouTube was used once more, to publish our music videos and diaries to add to our blogs, using YouTube helped us to show the process we used to help make our product reach a professional standard.

For our evaluation we used several different technologies, for example, for yet another time we used a computer. Microsoft Word was used to type up the plans for what we had to say when recording our evaluation. In addition we used the internet to incorporate factual knowledge that related to our music genre and music institutions, therefore connecting real music videos to ours. During the production of the evaluation we used a video camera, this was to film us as group verbally speaking out our evaluation. Yet again we used the video camera to produce audience feedback; doing this gave use valid information on the effectiveness of our media product. The computer also allowed us to compare our media product, to a real music video of the same genre, and to see if it was suitable for the particular category.