Friday 11 April 2014

Evaluation - Question 1

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

The advanced brief was to successfully create a music video. In order for me to have successfully realised my music video media products using conventions typically associated with the genre - Rap. It was necessary for me to conduct research to understand what is associated with the genres. Because the artist I had chosen had a relatively undiscovered sound I had to conduct research into the roots of the music. The first thing to do when developing my own media product was to do research in existing texts in the chosen area in media, my genre being, rap. Whilst looking at current music videos I realised there is two types of video, one being performance and the other narrative. Performance can be anything from punk rockers hammering it out on a stage (Evile –Thrasher) to Garry Barlow’s smiley, happy shiny suit, prancing about like a numpy (Take That –Shine.) Narrative when the artist gets deep in touch with their songs, where there is usually a relationship from their song lyrics to the visual – even though this is usually only slight. For example Clock Opera’s once and for all is about an elderly gentleman who loves a women from a distance and the day he decides to return a handkerchief to find she has pasted away, really makes the lyrics, don’t be afraid and get in the way really stands out. Throughout this video there is little rhythmic editing and no performance at all. After doing research into the existing conventions of my genre – (Kid Cudi –King Wizard, Tyler The Creator – Yonkers and Frank Ocean –Novacane) I found there was little editing which was strange, as normal conventions would state there is to be editing throughout.


My music video as you can see has lots of edits, I decided to do this as some verbal feedback suggested from my target audience that there should be editing in order to keep the audience interested.







I had to carefully select my locations as I felt I should base locations as the roots of rap history which stereotypically comes from urban working class black youth's, who communicated there frustration through alienation. Therefore I chose to use locations like one below, to connote the roots of the music and where it comes from; and also to use conventions of traditional rap music videos.
Luckily at college we have a green room that I was able to use during the filiming out my video and out on our college balcony helped make a good shot, we shot for about 20 mins   worked well especially for iconographic shots and emphasising the genre with the historical element. The other factors I had to consider was what camera angles and movements i wanted to use, i found a varied amount of angles and shots worked best hence why i used: high angles, low angles, camera pan, tilt and track, not only showing an ability in my camera but showing a demonstration I can recgonise exsisting conventions and how i can impliment them into my own work. I feel i have used the following angle succesfully except the birds eye view, i have made them part of my work as exsisting conventions state in order for me to create a successful product I must incorporate these into my work throughout the piece, this will enable me to development a successful product.



the framing heights above have been crucial in order to make a music video that flows, from shot to shot without emphasizing the editing. So i decided to use a medium shot for the majority of my product, this allowed it to flow from shot to shot. When my artist is in the car i decided to use a medium close up, i felt this varied the shots slightly without damaging the fluidity of the video, much like the long shot I used when in the alley with the graffiti. 

Unlike many other music videos i have used a varied types of edits on my video, i have switched between a black and white edit to full colour to gain the audiences attentions and also to further reinforce the colour.


The second part of the task was to create 2 ancillary texts, I chose the CD Digipak and the magazine advert, the digipak has many conventions that existing pieces have. To start with my front cover:
My front cover can be broken down to the main image and the title:

Main image

this image has the artist which is a convention of most album, not always tho, some have simple logo or easily recogniseable symbols or other features to identify the artist.

The title

This title has a graffiti look that is linked to rap music, this is conventional of rap, as graffiti and negative youth activity are closely linked by the media to rap music.





As you can see these existing album covers have a theme running throughout - a graffiti style heading i have used this title, for the reasons: it is a convention of my chosen genre,  the image clearly shows a graffiti display on the wall, this location was selected due to its strong connection 



The advert

Also In my magazine advert I have used a colour scheme that ties in the artist clothes, the purple and black colour scheme, like many music magazine advert, they have explained they are part of globalization and web 2.0 and also miniaturization as the advert clearly shows it is available on iTunes, the market leader in digital music sales. Also i have used a colour scheme that matches the artists outfit, this give fuidity and conventional factors to the piece, this allows it to look more 'professional.' As a advert it has to be advertising something, this is the album that is for sale on iTunes. 



Evaluation - Question 2

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


During the process of creating my ancillary texts i was organised and i had completed my music video this allowed me to develop a product that was based around and connected to my video. As you can see below i have used the same front cover for my album and this shot is shown in the video.

Here is my final music video screenshot, this is the demonstration that the combination between my final music video and album has a strong relationship (they are the same.) The reason I have done this is because the setting is conventional/stereotypical of a rap artist, this is because of the graffiti in the alley. I have carried the rap conventions through-out my product. When recording i decided to use the same locations and the same outfit, I decided to do this as some verbal feedback suggested i should carry the look of the video across to the digi-pak, via this feedback i was able to ensure i was targeting my target audience. I had not carried my work across

then i would be failing to target my specific audience.
The magazine poster has been used in my digipak, but hasn't been made to stand out so it will subconsciously remind the audience of the image association. The images are all quirky, much like the genre as it is a cutting edge - relatively new genre, this has been shown through the new and 'nice' aspects in my music video, but i have been able to connect a happy feeling to the brand/artist as the artist is smiling in the image, this maybe con-notates a happy feeling to the audience, although this may con-notate the wrong message to some audience member's, I believe I have still been successful in producing a 'rap' branding for the artist.







This video shows and demonstrates the positive feedback I have got as i gave each of the students a copy of my ancillary texts, (which some are holding in their hands) this allowed them to look and remind them when recording. A general synopsis of the video would be they agree I have carried a house style across my work with the work being fluid and recognizable as two pieces of work that go together. The video has been a positive one that hasn't had much negative feedback, which is a good sign, but if i was to do it again i would have to do it differently.  the audience feedback i received has enabled me to create the summary and beliefs below.

I believe i have successfully designed a product and ancillary texts to support it, 

Evaluation - Question 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback?


I decided before my production that i would carry out a pre production audience research questionnaire, form this i was able to decide on different factors and parts that i should include into my music video













In order for me to create a 'perfect' music video that would tick all my audiences boxes i would have to have a large budget, so i decided against so points but kept some, for example I did use a car within my music video. I did however find i needed to change my questionnaire I started off by

undertaking a questionnaire to a variety of people ranging in age, race and sex. From this research I was able to categorically define my target audience; the questionnaire will be comprised from these questions:
1)      Age?
2)      Male or female?
3)      What comes to your mind when you think of a rap artist?
4)      Would you prefer the music video to be a story or an artist performance?
5)      Where do you purchase or listen to the music from usually?
6)      On what platform do you usually watch the music videos?
7)      Do you listen to Rap, If so why? And if not why not?
8)      Is it one of your favourite genres of music, if not what is?
9)      What features would you expect to see in a rap video?
10)   Are rap music videos generally funny to you?
11)   Do rap videos evoke emotion for you?
12)   Is rap relatable to you (the audience and fans)?
13)   Are rap video surprising (abstract)?
14)   How long would you expect the video to be?
 


After my first questionnaire was answered by a media student, I found the questions were far too long, it took the person 5 minutes and 13 seconds to complete, I will next get a non- media student to answer my questions, so I have revised my questionnaire and now I will eliminate some questions, especially the closed questions as these gave me the least amount of information that I could work with, although I am taking these out of the questionnaire I might get a different set of people to answer the closed answer questions as this will mean I will be able to create a quick and simple survey for them to respond to, after I get a non-media student to answer the questionnaire I may have to further change my questionnaire. The questionnaire below is the revised questionnaire, designed to take a short amount of time to complete yet effective in the answers I get:

1)      Age?
2)      Male or female?
3)      What comes to your mind when you think of a rap artist?
4)      Would you prefer the music video to be a story or an artist performance?
5)      Where do you purchase or listen to the music from usually?
6)      On what platform do you usually watch the music videos?
7)      Do you listen to Rap, If so why? And if not why not?
8)      Is it one of your favourite genres of music, if not what is?
9)      What features would you expect to see in a rap video?
10)   How long would you expect the video to be?


Then this is my quick closed answer questionnaire designed for quick effective feedback, from which the answer I will be able to produce a chart

1) Are rap music videos generally funny to you?
2) Do rap videos evoke emotion for you?
3) Is rap relatable to you (the audience and fans)?
4) Are rap video surprising (abstract)?



I have given my new revised questionnaire to a group made up of 1 non-media students, 1 teacher, and 1 media student. When I gave the questionnaire I asked to receive some critics of the questionnaire and with that I had most verbal feedback from the group, the general consensus of the group was that the questions where too vague and that in order for me the get the detailed answers I would like to receive I would have to have a more detailed questions. Before I gave this group the questionnaire I received some critic of the first question, instead of have ‘age?’ I should put age categories so I changed the first to incorporate age groups:


1.      Age please circle:    10-14     15-20      21-25      26-35      36-50      51+

I chose these ages categories based upon the idea that there will be a clear divide in the ideas held by those age categories.


This questionnaire was filled out by a teacher and as you can see the age category selected is not my target audience, this is further reinforced by the answers give: for example question 10) How long would you expect the video to be?
The answer I got was too long; this backs up the idea that this is not my target audience, also I got verbal feedback as part of this questionnaire, the teacher found that she does not have time to sit down and watches music video on the internet, instead she puts on the television and watches them whilst ironing, which shows this age group does not see music as a major part of their life, therefore will not spare the time that my target audience would do.











This questionnaire was answered by a media student and the answers I got shows that the age group  I am designing my music video around uses YouTube to access the videos, also they have answered so the questions are actually useful, unlike the questionnaire filled in by the teacher where the answer were not helpful for me, as they did not give me enough answers to work out what my audience wanted. My target audience seems to listen to music more and there own choice unlike the older age category where music is not a part of every day life to them.










The questionnaire below was filled out by a non-media student, this questionnaire showed the audience I am going to aim my music video at uses such sites like YouTube to watch the music videos, and that they use their mobile phone to watch the video, also that they do listen to rap, even though it isn’t one of their favourite genres of music they do enjoy it. Also I got some good feedback for question 8 where they offer some feedback to which I am able to take and possibly add to my final questionnaire. The feedback was good but this means it would turn my question from being an open question into a closed question.



I feel my revised questionnaire is detailed enough to gain answers for me to act upon, this targets not only the social aspect of my audience but the cultural consumptions which will allow me to define my audience, so as it stands my final questionnaire will give me answers that will be specific enough for me to really target the correct audience for my genre and my music:
1)      Age? please circle:    10-14     15-20      21-25      26-35      36-50      51+
2)      Male or female?
3)      What comes to your mind when you think of a rap artist?
4)      Would you prefer the music video to be a story or an artist performance?
5)      Where do you purchase or listen to the music from usually?
6)      On what platform do you usually watch the music videos?
7)      Do you listen to Rap, If so why? And if not why not?
8)      Is it one of your favourite genres of music, if not what is?
9)      What features would you expect to see in a rap video?
10)   How long would you expect the video to be?

I aim to get answers from a majority age of 15-20, with an even mixture of male and females. From the questions I will be able to decide on which platforms I should promote my music video on, and what they will expect to see in the video, and with these answers I’ll be able to modify my product to the specification of my audience, hence more sales/ more views. 

If i had to do my product again I think i would incorporate more shots, in more locations and more camera shots/angles, this is based on some verbal feedback and some feedback from my second questionnaire





These are filled out questionnaires, from these i believe i need to include more stereotypical and conventional parts of this genre into my work


Evaluation - Question 4

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

The create both my ancillary texts and my music video i had to you digital media at every stage, this was vital as i i unable to create the full product without the use of a computer, the edit suite i used at college runs adobe premier pro cs6

this was a great sftware as it has a simple set up and allows easy editing, this software has been used to create my music video.

other software I have used i have talked about in the video below
 
These softwarses have been used in a variety of ways in terms of producing and designing my products, as each software had its own unqiue factors, i used each on in different ways. This allowed me to work easily and efficentiantly through-out the course.