Question 4 Evaluation Draft

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

I believe media technologies have played one of the most important roles during my media A2 coursework. This is due to the access of a wide variety of advance technologies we currently have, that allow us to produce professional looking media pieces aimed at a specific target audience.

In terms of the hardware I used for my coursework, the digital Canon 550D SLR camera was the main technological equipment I used for the creation of both my main and ancillary tasks. The different features of the camera meant I was able to shoot in low quality lightning and still make my work look professional and proficient. This was due to the wide aperture, which creates a shallow focus and allows me to shoot in dark locations such as the drama studio. Other useful features include the shutter speed of the camera. Filming in low light conditions means I could also film at a lower shutter speed where less light is needed. However for the construction of my music video, I tried to keep the shutter speed low, at around 1/50, which creates a sharper and better quality image. Changing the lens of the camera for different sections of my music video also determines the fact of whether I could zoom or not. During the green screen and drama studio shoots, my only focus was on my actor therefore I used a 50mm 1.8 prime lens which cannot zoom but allows more light in to focus on one aspect of my video. On the other hand, for the flashback scenes in my video, I wanted to film in a more natural and realistic setting. Therefore I chose to film parts of my video in the local field as well as my own house which focused on a variety of things including the surrounding location. Here I used a different lens for the camera where I was able to zoom.

As well as the range of features that helped me create a professional piece of work for my coursework, the digital camera as a whole included many advantages for filming. Using a digital camera rather than an analogue meant I could review my footage immediately. Therefore if I wasn’t happy with any piece of footage, I could change my actions accordingly – for example, filming from a different angle or changing the position of the lights. Having access to this type of camera also means I didn’t have to send of the images and wait for them to be sent back, resulting in a less expensive and less time consuming process. Personally, I consider this type of technology to be vital for filming a piece of work as complex as a music video, where re-shoots are often needed and a range of location are often used.

Moving onto software, Premiere Pro was the programme I used for the construction of my music video. This programme also included a wide range of features, which resulted in an easier work process. For example, the different layers allowed me to edit my green screen shots efficiently and quickly. This was achieved by adding an extra layer and adding a green screen shot that I had previous edited on top of the background image. I edited the green screen clip by changing the key colour to green and altering the shadow and soften keys. My green screen shot was of my actor miming to the song while the background shot were my couple, which I used as the flashbacks as part of the narrative. Premiere Pro also allowed me to change the speed of my clips; this was useful when fitting the footage in with the music and also for my time lapse scene at the beginning of my video. The programme also included certain video effects, for example the main one I used, which was the back and white effect – this was added to the flashbacks scenes so the audience can easily recognise these particular scenes in my video.

Indesign was the other main programme I used for the construction stage; however this was used primarily for my ancillary tasks- the magazine advert and the album digipak. Being already familiar with this type of software technology, I was able to used skills previously learnt from AS to help make my work look realistic. For my magazine advert, I was able to import images I had already taken with the Canon SLR camera and size it appropriately. As I had previously researched magazine adverts as part of my research stage, I had an accurate idea of what I wanted my final product to look like. Testing and selecting the appropriate fonts available within this programme was part of the process, and being able to use the various text tools to re-size and re-scale the text was vital in making my advert look professional. 

Creating my digipak using this programme was another similar process, as I made sure I used all the advanced tools this type of technology had to offer. I imported previous images I had taken, however I edited some of these shots using Photoshop. In Photoshop I was able to change the images to black and white while still keeping some of the photo in full colour. This was achieved my adding another layer as well as using the brush tool to colour in parts of the photo I wanted to stay in colour. Overall, this was used to emphasise certain parts of the image, such as the lips, to make the digipak more unique and original while giving the audience something to focus on and grab their attention.

Referring back to the research stages of my coursework, it is still clear to see that technologies such as the ones already mentioned were also used in this early stage. The main type of technology during this section was the use of the internet to research the band of the song I had chosen for the music video, using the search engine Google. I feel by learning about ‘The Pretty Reckless’, it gave me more ideas on how to present them in my final product. I also used Youtube to watch some of their previous videos to understand how they often portray themselves towards the public. Furthermore, research into my audience was also an important part of my coursework. Using the internet to do this meant I could learn about the fans of the band as well as fans of the rock genre so I could create a successful product that which is targeted at them.

The internet also helped with the planning stages. I used the internet to search specific rock styles and looks – this helped with the costume planning for my actor.  Presenting my research and planning posts on my blog was also a way I used the internet, as for example, presenting my costumes ideas was achieved through using the website Issuu. Whereas many other posts were presented using Prezi, an interactive powerpoint to display the information I had gathered as well as my ongoing ideas.

Question 1 Evaluation Draft

A2 Evaluation

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

The forms and conventions of typical media products was something I had previously researched in the research stages, therefore I was aware of the ways these products are normally presented. Overall, this helped me with the creation of all three tasks – my music video, my magazine advert and my digipak.

Clearly, my music video was my main and most difficult task of the three. This required a lot of research including the research of famous music directors and of course, the typical conventions of music videos as well as analysing some famous examples. My own music video is for the song ‘You’ by the rock band ‘The Pretty Reckless’ and focuses on both a narrative and performance to tell the story of a break-up between a young couple. Immediately, I believe this portrays typical conventions of a music video as generally many songs seem to be about love or heartbreak, and there is often an obvious relation of the lyrics to the visuals presented within the song. This is one of the aspects Andrew Goodwin discussed when focusing on music videos. He says how these images are used to illustrate the meaning behind the song; therefore in this way my video uses the typical conventions as there is a strong link between my images and the lyrics about wanting someone. This is displayed by the flashback scene of the couple and the passionate performance by my female actor, clearly expressing her love for the boy. As well as the relation of lyrics to visuals, Goodwin also talks about the use of both narrative and performance. This is an aspect I have already mentioned, which again highlights the ways in which my video lives up to typical music video expectations. Including both a narrative and performance, I believe makes the video more intriguing for the viewer as they can relate their own experiences to the story yet the performance is a good way of presenting the actor as a successful artist. A meta narrative is also something I have included, as various camera shots displaying the rose painting overtime concludes how my actor finally completes the painting and this is the overall development of the main star in my video. Close ups and over the shoulder shots were the main type of shots I used to present the painting as I believed the fine detail of the art piece would look interesting to the viewer, and often they would wonder how the final piece would turn out. Technical aspects is another feature Goodwin mentions when discussing typical media conventions and this describes the ways in how I have put my video together through camera, mise-en scene, editing and sound…

Long shots and mid shots of my artist were often used to display her outfit, as I feel this was an important part of the video to show off her rock image and style. This also links to the rock genre of the band, and brings in the representation of my main actor overall. I believe Laura Mulvey is a vital theorist to discuss during this aspect, as my actor can give off both a whore and Madonna persona. The lingering shots of the actor, focusing on her figure and heavy make-up, can give the impression that she seen as an object through the male viewers, which Mulvey believes are the dominant audience. On the other hand, the flashbacks of the couple portraying a healthy heterosexual relationship, suggest my actor is the ‘Madonna’. This could be argued that my video in fact challenges typical conventions of music videos as both sides of this concept are displayed, which is unusual to see.

Editing is also a major aspect of my final music video. For example, the use of the flashbacks creates an episodic narrative. These are presented in black and white to make the audience aware that these scenes are not part of the chronological flow. This type of editing gives the audience more background information to story of my music video, and therefore can create a stronger effect on the viewers as they more easily understand the overall narrative. 

My other production task is my magazine advert. I also researched this task, with regards to other existing magazine adverts selling new albums. Some of the typical conventions included a main image, the artist and album name, the release date and what specific platforms the album could be purchased from. Taking this into account, I included all of these conventions in my own work as well as reviews from well-known music magazines like Rolling Stone and Mojo. I feel by using well respected magazines such as these was more appropriate for a rock band as they are often taken more seriously than other music genres such as pop. This means the audience are more likely to take on board the praise given by these types of magazines. 

As well as these conventions, the image included on my magazine album was considerably the most important feature of this product. This would primarily grab the reader’s attention, plus the link the image has to the album’s title was also an important aspect I considered. I wanted to include an image which included fire, which would link well with the name ‘Light Me Up’. Therefore the flames in the hands was not only a technically impressive and intriguing image, it also would make the band’s album more memorable for the audience. Taking this into account, I firmly believe my magazine advert as a whole uses the typical forms and conventions of the real media products.

Finally, my digipak was my third media product I created as part of my A2 coursework. Again, research into this product was vital as I feel digipaks are quite difficult to design without any previous knowledge as they are more complex and detailed. I started my using a similar image to my magazine advert, as I believe the fire concept is a main selling point regarding the album. Having both a rose and a photograph on fire gives the digipak a type of house style that makes the audience aware that these images all make up the same product. The same font from the magazine advert is also used for the band’s name – again highlighting the house style and how the band will be recognisable to consumers.

Planning/Drafting for Album Advert

This is an image I created in Photoshop using my original photo I took of my model holding I rose. In Photoshop I created the fire effect by using a range of layers, adding the glow tool, alternating the colours and using the magic wand tool to remove the background. I may use this for my magazine album advert, however I feel the fire looks too strong and perhaps a bit fake therefore I may use one of the photos I previous took of a flame going through a rose.

Music Video Draft 2

This is the first complete draft of my music video. From my previous draft, I have completed editing the entire song as well as changing some aspects from my previous draft. As well as finishing my video, I have changed the green screen scenes by adding the black and white effect as well as an antique effect to make it look more like a projector. However, I still believe these scenes need improving and I am not happy with the overall look yet. I always want to add some shots of other significant props such as a rose and a photograph of the couple. I will shoot these within next week, so I can perhaps add them to my video.

Production Diary

This week I have created my first full draft of my music video. During this process I continued to discover a wide range of tools within the programme Premiere, especially the ones regarding the green screen scenes. These proved the most difficult to edit as there was a lot more effects to be added/controls to be adjusted - the process is also much more time consuming however I am hoping the overall look of my video will be worth it.

As you can see from my previous draft, I have focused particularly on the green screen shots as these are the ones I have edited/changed the most by adding black and white effects as well as a vintage look. I feel this way the green screen shoots will fit in more with the overall theme of my video.

As half term is fast approaching, I am also taking this opportunity to film. By filming, I specifically mean any re-shoots as well as a small photo-shoots of images that may appear on my digipak and album poster. I already have strong ideas for both of these products, I simply just have to take some photos to complete my task.

Music Video Draft

This is my first draft of the first 2 minutes of my music video. As you can see, there is still a lot to improve. At the moment the green-screen scenes are not yet complete as I still need to add effects to give a vintage projection look as if the flashbacks are being shown on her body, as well as in the background. This is why you can sometimes not see both actors when they are behind the singer (when I finish my video, the audience will later be able to see them both due to the effects I later add). Furthermore, I still need to add an opening shot which is likely to be a photo of the couple.

Drafting my work will help me reflect back on my progress during the year and the amount of changes I make during the editing process of my video.

Storyboard

In my storyboard I have drawn and written what I would roughly want my final music video to look like. In my storyboard I have included my original ideas of the flashbacks and the painting however I may have changed some of these in my actual video and include more/fewer shots therefore my storyboard may not be an exact replicate of my final video. However this has helped me to visual my ideas and decide where I would like each shot to be placed within my video and how long each shot will last etc.