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

Rebecca Iles

My A2 media studies coursework required my group and I to create a main product which is a music video. Accompanied by both a Website and a Digipak. Due to this being our target aim, so we put together codes and conventions of the indie rock genre. However we did use elements that would be a unique selling point for all three products. By using the indie rock genre this would allow the band to expand and attract different audiences. This will increase the effectiveness of the band by creating all three mediums.

Introduction

The combination between the auxiliary and the main product should be apparent when creating any type of artist. When creating both tasks we made the objective that the consistency would be obvious to the target audience. In our Suburban Ink digipak we decided upon using the settings as backdrops. As this is the bands debut album we would use the connection between the music video and the digipak and this would support the audience understanding of the band. Whilst researching digpaks of other indie rock bands like “The 1975” and “The Killers” seem to reference environments surrounding the band.

Whilst researching digpaks of other indie rock bands like “The 1975” and “The Killers” seem to reference environments surrounding the band.

The image of a girl smoking (images above) seems to be obscure for any artist as it isn’t the role model for representation. In the arctic monkeys debut album also uses a man smoking. The theory of Hegemony is conveyed in our album cover, the two shot and close up of the cigarette suggest that the bands are rebelling against acceptable identities in society. And should be the “norm” of society.

And should be the “norm” of society. Our overall inspiration for our digipak was the genre, the urban influences in twin with the bands name, however research was the main object of the bands album.

The time laps, during the middle half of the music video, adds a sense of repetition. As it separates reality to the nearby future. The black and white emphasises the thought of the lead male character, which is obviously a memory. When researching music video, this seemed to be a trait of indie rock music videos.

The tilt of the camera on the broken glass, adds a creative aspect to the music video. The broken glass could convey the relationship is in shatters. It also suggest the grunge theme.

The over the shoulder shot, allows the audience to feel and see the emotions of the female lead. The dull mise en scene of the setting reflects the emotions of both characters. This element seemed to reflect well with the grunge theme, which was a major influence on our music video. This goes against Laura Mulveys “male gaze” the conservative costume is something that during planning was what we wanted. The connection between the lyrics suggest that the one you love shouldn’t care about what you look like.

The close up of the cigarette with the rewind, suggest that this prop is killing his health but also the relationship of the couple. The strong alcohol “Jack Daniels” conveys the emotions of the male lead as being deeper, the alcohol against the broken glass suggest what ever the alcohol touches it destroys everything.

The website also gives the normal impressions of a bands website. The consistence of the black and white theme runs throughout the website. As a group we decided to use the site “Wix” this enabled us to create our own website for free. This best suited our group it fit the purpose, the reliability and the access. To present the whole project by blogging. I have used the Wix this gave our group an advantage as I was familiar with the software.

I think overall that the website software portrayed the conventions of the band. As we were able to add tour date information, music software and an online shop which sold the bands merchandise. By using these elements we were able to make the website as professional as we can..

By adding a link to “Buy tickets” this gives the audience the instant access to buying a ticket. This section of the website allows fans to go through the main page rather than going through the navigation. This section gives the audience extras, most indie

bands make money from there merchandise such as “The 1975” and “The Arctic Monkeys”, the variety in oppositions allow any type of person to be a target audience of Suburban Ink.

As you can tell most indie rock groups earn there success through the commercial side of social media. By attaching the four main social media it means that the band are easy accessible to keep up to date. Sound cloud was used so that it was a different medium rather than using YouTube which is highly seen as influential.