Evaluation

Media Evaluation

In my second year of A-levels I completed a media music video project. This included the need for research and the production of the main text which was the video, and ancillary texts including the digipak and magazine advert.

Question 1

In what ways does you media project use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

In my media project I feel I have effectively produced a video which both develops and challenges the conventions of real media texts within my genre – Electronic dance music.

Firstly, my music video. Through research into existing real texts, I gained knowledge of the characteristics involved and associated with my chosen genre. Looking at media language and technique, I analysed the use of lighting, camerawork, editing, mise en scene and sound and how it is used in EDM productions. For example, the use of colour scheme within an EDM style video is usually a very bright and has lots of variation. These brighter colours are associate stereotypically with happiness, freedom and adventure, thus relating to the semantic elements that help to portray this to an audience – Rick Alkaman Theory.

 As well as the mise en scene in the video, the camera work used replicates the same concept. Commonly within EDM the associated themes are adventure, exploration and fun and the shots appear not to be ‘staged’ and have a natural feel to them. The idea of adventure also suggests there is not a clean cut video plan thus provides room for exploration and variation in my interpretation of the theme when filming. To show this common feature within my genre I used a lot of Tracking shots with few still frames. By using a hand held technique as a posed to relying on a tripod, this gave the shots an almost, ‘sketchy’ and ‘relaxed’ feel. This was one way in which I used and develop a convention of real media products in EDM.

Again using and developing the forms and conventions of my chosen genre I used a concept based video. Conforming to the style of a concept based idea means focusing on the creative aspect of the shots as a posed to creating and portraying a narrative. It is rare within EDM that the focus of the video is to represent a story to an audience. Through mise en scene in particular, i was able to emphasize my concept and theme. Deciding to use bright colours, interesting locations and use of props such as a smoke grenade.

The smoke grenade added colour to my shots which furthermore showed the audience i was particularly trying to focus on the creativity of the video. Also, props commonly seen in EDM videos associated with freedom and adventure are those such as skateboards. A stereotypical association made to this theme and used within my chosen genre. I did not use a narrative based idea with creative elements as i believed this would cause a disassociation from stereotypical EDM music.   

Looking at the theorist Andrew Goodwin, he suggests that there is a relationship between the visuals and sound. Commonly within EDM such as Afrojack - Summerthing! ft. Mike Taylor, a clear EDM song in which the visuals have a relationship with the song. 'Summer' suggesting fun, love, and adventure, the mise-en scene as an example of the songs representation. Bright colours, summery, bright clothing, party setting and warm locations have all been used to contribute to this link. 

As i found this theory acts as a convention of my genre, as i used the song title – if I go, which instantly suggests a theme of adventure and freedom, inspired me to use the shots and mise en scene to portray this.

One way in which i did challenge the normal convnetions of an electronic dance music video, is through my use of location. Generally, more exotic locations are used, however i used more rurual and city based sets. 

Initially i filmed in Barcelona to the song 'Is this love', however after my clips deleted from my underwater camera i found there was no real connection between the visuals and lyrics. Therefore i filmed and shot in London and Berkshire as took a different take on the theme of freedom and exploration.

 

 I interpreted this idea of freedom and exploration in a different way to suit the locations around me. I felt this continued to allow me to develop the relationship between the visuals and the sound in order to provide the audience with a clear meaning and direction in the video. 

By using these locations, this challenges the genres stereotypical conventions however still links to the theme and concept. I also think that by using locations surrounded by creative art, enhances the creative concept and drive within the video. The information from for example the graffiti at Southbank, and at the work from gallery also gives as well as signs and receipts i included when filming, also gives the audience some context of where it is that is being explored in the video rather than a random, unrecognizable space or city.

Moving on to my magazine advert, i generally captured and used the stereotypical conventions of a magazine advert for the EDM genre. 

through research from the previous year at A level i had a good knowledge of what should be included within a magazine, for example on a cover, there should be a main image surrounded by cover lines, with smaller text, a barcode and a main heading in which consists of the magazines name. 

Although having analysed magazine advert products from other genres as well as the EDM genre, this has provided me with a detailed knowledge of the different conventions used within magazine adverts in which i would need to incorporate into my own. For example, use of colour schemes within certain aspects of the page, style, font and page design and how this affects how is it not only viewed by an audience, but the appeal in which is gained by it.

Following general conventions of a music magazine advert, i used the main image of the skateboard and overlapped with the informative text. Making the artist name and album name central to the page, this ensures the audiences attention is immediately drawn to this. The variation in font also provides a suggestion of importance of the information on the page. Comparing my own advert to Jay Z's we can see the similarity in the amount of information used as well as the layout of the page. Using less text ensures the key, most important data is put across to the reader. I have included the artist name, album name, album release date, other singles in the album and a website linking to the artist. Using the Itunes logo to show where the songs can be bought/ listened to on.
In my magazine advert i did not challenge the general conventions of a music magazine, i used colour and props such as the skateboard in which are both associated with my theme and the EDM genre. By doing this allows a viewer to instantaneously associate the advert with its style and genre. 

I chose not to challenge the conventions, for exmaple by placing lots of information on the page and this would seem overpowering and would dominant the page. By researching into the style and layout of magazines i was able to produce a clinical, sophisticated advert in which showed continuity, for example through the use of the same fonts and house style in which helped link all of my products together. 

Before creating my digipak, i researched into the EDM genre, for example looking at 'Calvin Harris' and 'Major Lazer'. Through this i gained knowledge of stereotypical conventions such as colour, font, images, house style and layout. 
Through understanding of the features commonly used within the EDM genre, i found it was necessary to ensure the use of brighter, more eye-catching colours as this not only makes the CD cover stand out to audiences more, but is associated with a younger age bracket which it the target audience for my chosen genre.
 

Knowing the importance of the images required to attract an audience, i ensured mine didn't just link to the video, but that I successfully represented my genre. I was happy with the images i chose while following the general conventions of a stereotypical EDM cover. Using a plain graffiti background linked to the graffiti i filmed in my video at London Southbank and provided a clear space in which i could overlay the album information and song titles as well as the barcode. The colour i chose for my text,was dominantly white as i used darker images for my backgrounds to create contrast and make the font stand out. The other images replicated the different locations within my music video in order to build a relationship between the moving and still visuals in order to make the album easily recognizable. It also creates a clear link and connection that can be made to the audience.


Overall i feel as though the combination of conventions i included within my music video, magazine advert and digipak all link and have provided me with a successful product in which is not only relevant but appeals to my target audience. As the EDM culture is generally associated with the younger population, i aimed my media products at an age range of 10-30. A very common stereotype between visuals and younger audiences is that they are interested in the use of colour and themes such as partying, adventure and exploring hence why i decided to incorporate this. As the themes are more relatable to this age bracket my media products are more likely to appeal to its audience. 

  

Question 2 

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

Within any music video and its ancillary texts, it is vital to include house style and brand identity. This is used throughout the music industry and creates an effective combination of products to show continuity and connection. House style and brand identity are the generalized style of an artist in which makes them recognizable to an audience. 

Taking a small selection of screen grabs from my music video, magazine   advert and digipak, i demonstrate my consistent theme of exploration and freedom through the use of different media techniques such as editing, camerawork and mise en scene and how this communicates the EDM genre to an audience. 

A key example where i have created house style between my media products, is through mise en scene within my images. Having repeated the same locations within each of my products creates a link between the three, thus making it more recognisable to an audience. Using the same color schemes, font and sophisticated style and layout in each of my products shows a clear house style and brand identity which can be attached to my artist meaning this is what would help an audience to identify them. I included similar images within each of my products using a similar style of photography. Focusing on the creativity in my video and ancillary texts emphasizes the creative concept behind my video and my photography represents this. 

Having done research into magazine advert designs and the audience of the EDM genre i found it is dominantly a younger audience and in which we associate its appeal with more fun theme. Street art, skateboarding and exploring, are all common themes in which we affiliate with a younger market therefore, due to the similarities in products to the associations to its audience, my products are likely to appeal to its target audience and 'sell' my album. Using a skateboard as the main image, this suggests these themes and instantly draws the eye of the younger target audience. The use of colour and simple fonts shows my application of audience research and into my chosen genre. 

This is very similar to my digipak. Through research and focus group interviews and questionnaires, i identified the interests and appeal of a younger target audience in which my album is aimed at. Bright colours, and the themes of adventure and exploration stereotypically interests younger audiences, as well as colourful schemes and that the narrative is not as important to them as it is to older groups. Therefore by choosing these specific locations, text and themes, due to greater appeal as a result, it is likely to sell to an audience. 

Many elements of my advert and digipak communicate the genre of my music video and style of the band in various ways. 
Firstly, the photography and style of the page. Colour schemes, text, font, and mise en scene within the shot, all contribute to the representation of EDM and appeal to my target audience. As well as this, the images all associate with the genre and theme, for example; the skateboard in which implies a sense of freedom and adventure. These themes being closely linked to EDM i feel it effectively identifies and represents it. The use of bright colours in which we commonly see in electronic and dance videos, was used throughout my projects to show a continuity in my theme and make the audience aware and be able to easily recognize the genre due to factors  such as these. 


 Question 3

What have you learned from your feedback?

After showing my video on an online platform - Youtube - i gained feedback from peers, family and teachers. 
Firstly i gained a lot of positive feedback, examples of this are the following; the mise en scene- the variation in location and set kept the audience engaged, my viewers liked the use of interesting and quirky backdrops such as the graffiti skate park at London Southbank, and the bright colour scheme as the viewers felt that it represented the genre well.

"I like how the characters were on the skateboard lose to us and then gradually moved further back" referring to depth of field and the variation in the placement of props and characters when using jump jump cuts (within the same scene).

"I also thought the forward and reverse effect was clever and looked effective" - linking to the special effects i included in post production using the premier elements software.  

I also received positive feedback on my use of editing and camerawork. Firstly using jump and straight cuts to the beats of the music. My focus group felt this gave a clean and sophisticated finish to the clips and it created a link between the visuals and music. Lastly, the camerawork. My audience felt the hand held and tracking style was effective in cohesion with my genre and video content. They believed that including this provided an emphasis on the creative concept in which i hoped to represent in my video. 

However i also received some negative feedback. This consisted of points from editing and work in post production. I received comments about the ending of my video, the fade in the music did not work with the straight cuts. Also, some of the clips were too long when applying the reverse effect. The colour effect i overlayed onto all of the clips, when uploading to YouTube this was removed. In agreement with my focus group, i felt that by adding warmth to the shot would emphasize my themes and create the stereotypical look of a travelling video and in line with 

As i did not have a narrative, the information about the video had to be portrayed through my creative concept and by the images, locations and other aspects of mise en scene alone. Hence i received feedback suggesting that i make some of the clips longer. Those without special effects for example those from the art gallery were very short and didn't allow enough time for the audience to understand and appreciate the scene as some felt it was rushed. 

In future projects, using this feedback, i will ensure that if i am using a creative concept, i make my clips longer so that an audience has enough time to comprehend the information in the shot and understand the creative idea behind the production of the video. I will also be sure to ask for more feedback within the production and post- production process to be sure i create a successful product. 

I also believe that i should have used my storyboard more in order to film in a chronological order so that when editing my clips together they show graduation in exploration from start to end as a posed to lots of different clips in a small period of time with no order. From these comments i will also be more cautious not to use special effects such as reverse in an over bearing manner, to be sure my video flows well.   

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

Due to the continuing development in technology, there were many platforms in which I was able to display and demonstrate each stage of the construction of my work.

Initially focusing on the planning phase of my project, through blogger I created multiple posts highlighting my research into the industry and the variation between music genres. Within these blog posts I included GIFS I found of my music videos that I analysed. I found these through google images where I also located and used images of example work and artists. To further my analysis and research into music videos I used screen grabs from the Youtube based music videos.

To film and photograph my project I used my own digital Canon EOS100D camera. This allowed me to film clear shots in which for example showed the detail within the set. A key scene where this was key was in London, Southbank. Here I focused on the intricate detail within the street art and graffiti style paintings. The camera allowed me to develop the use of depth of field to create focus within the frame and make the audience more aware of the purpose of the shot.

Furthering my research into music videos and the typical conventions of them, I used Youtube to focus in particular on the artist Mura Masa and their video ‘If I go’ which I used to compliment my film clips. This is the non- diegetic soundtrack I used in my final project. After analysing other artists projects I gained knowledge of the conventions and stereotypical associations that can be made between genres and for example camerawork, editing, mise-en-scene and sound. An example of this within the electronic music genre is the fact they commonly use jump cuts and short frames whereas perhaps a pop video with a narrative concept may use longer takes and cuts.

When completing my planning for my music video, I used a programme called Prezi to display my work. A presentation based design provided me with an alternative, interesting informative display of my research and planning. In each of the branches in the design I chose, I used each to spread out each section of information. For example, mise-en-scene, location information, song choice etc.

In post-production, when editing my clips together, I used a programme called ‘Premiere Pro elements’. 

I downloaded my clips onto my software and after using an online Youtube converter I changed my song into an mp3 file which I imported into the programme. Within the software I was able to add effects, merge clips and add cuts. In parts of my video I also used reverse effects to enhance the creative element and concept. Furthermore to reflect the stereotypical style and conventions, I added tint to the shots to make them looks more ‘indie’ and stylish.

Again, in post-production, in my music magazine advert and digipak, I used software called Adobe Indesign. This provided me with a frame in which I was able to add my photography to create a digipak and advert to. Firstly focusing on my magazine advert, I used photoshop to edit the Itunes logo – a typical convention within EDM and music magazines in general. Including conventions of adverts such as the main image, coverlines or secondary information and artist names and dates, this made my advert more realistic and identifiable to music fans and readers. In my digipak, I also used Indesign with a pre made template consisting of a front cover, back cover, cd cover and booklet cover. I found this programme easy to use and thus enabled me to create a product that linked with my previous work and was effective in coordination with my planning and research. Due to the layering I was able to use, I posted text, secondary images and logos over the main images.

The large range of media platforms and research I was able to gain, helped me to develop my creative concept and complete a blog in which was fit with my music genre and which fit the brief. I was happy with the overall result and the information I gained from these sources and thus feel my post was successful and professional.