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

              The coursework which included research into and the production of an indie music video, digipak and print advert has required me to use a range of technologies some of which I am completely new to such as premier pro and photoshop. I feel that due to the improvement in technology and the variety of technology we now have, I have been able to be creative in presenting and producing my work.

Web 2.0
web 2.0 has had a huge part in my coursework. This is because I have used it for gaining feedback on my work in order to improve it to meet my target audience demands as I wanted to achieve a successful indie promotional package therefore Youtube has been important for me to upload my feedback onto. Facebook has been particularly important in communicating with my group for organising days for filming, for sending pictures from the filming session as well as organising who would be bringing what in order for us to film. As well as Facebook being useful in the production of our music video it was also useful for arranging days for the photoshoot for our printwork.

Technological Determinism
Technological determinism is a theory that presumes that a societys technology drives the development of its social structure and cultural values.
I think new technology has allowed me to create professional work through Premiere Pro and Photoshop. Photoshop allowed me to edit my photos and place text and logos straight onto the image instead of having to edit my photo on an editing website for example and then place it onto something else in order to create printwork so with Photoshop everything can be done in one place. Premiere Pro also allows for all the editing of the music video to be done in one place however the quality when exporting the video is not particularly good so I feel if we had access to a site that professional music editors use our video would have been far better quality. I also think new technology such as the iphone has allowed a development in my work as I could take images easily when filming and record feedback videos at any time due to having my phone on me. Due to iphones having apps such as facebook and youtube I could easily interact with my group and upload videos quickly. The panosonic HD camera meant that we could take good quality images and shots and as it could be attached to a tripod it allowed us to do camera movements which wouldn't have been as professional if the camera had been handheld.
However technological determinism hasn't been beneficial in some ways as our rough cut and final cut couldn't be uploaded straight onto blogger instead we had to upload these videos via Youtube first is time consuming. Also as Photoshop has many tools available to use I found It hindered my creativity as I wasn't familiar with this technology.

Question 3: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

After creating a pitch as a group we then created a detailed target audience profile which included, age, gender, interests, buying habits, disposable income, music interests and style. After creating this profile we stuck to the kind of people we expected to listen to our music. These people were interested in artists such as Kate Nash, Florence and The Machine, Birdy and Lana Del Rey. They are aged 16-25 with the majority being girls.


If I were to do the project again, there isn't a lot I would have to change as I feel my final promotional package has been successful and is stereotypical of the indie genre. However I would need to change some of the narrative scenes so that it is clear why the couple split up. I feel like there were a few performance scenes which could have been slightly better. My promotional package offers pleasure for my target audience as the digipak contains a hand written font which looks like a signature allowing the audience to feel like they are connected to the artist as they have a sort of personal touch. The video may be seen as something that is helpful to our targeted audience if they are going through a break up due to the lyrics of the song and the video itself. From my feedback it is clear that they under the relationship in the music video and they felt as though they were actually in the music video.

question 2:How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Question 1: in what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Final Promotional package feedback

Here is the feedback I gained for my final products from Jess and Rosie who both understand the indie genre and fit in with my target audience age range.


The questions I asked were:
1, Do you understand what happens in the narrative of my music video?
2.Does the performance look convincing?
3. Does it remind you of any of indie music videos?
4. What genre do you think my music video, print advert and digipak belong to? Why?
5.Do my products look like they belong together and why?
6. Do you think my images are appropriate for my printwork and why?
7. Do you think my fonts connote the indie genre?why or not?
8.what aspects of my music video connote the indie genre?
9.Do you think my products look like existing indie products?
10. If I was to do my whole project again what do you think I could do to improve it?

The response I got was:

Final Promotional Package

 Here is my final promotional package which contains a digipak, print advert and music video.

MUSIC VIDEO

DIGIPAK

PRINT ADVERT

Time Management update

Printwork feedback

I decided to gain some feedback on my printwork and so I asked India and Rosie who both fit in with my target audience having an interest in the indie genre as well as fitting in with the age range.
The questions I asked were:
1. Do my products reflect the indie genre?
2.Is there continuity between my two products?
3. Do you think my images are suitable or not and if not why?
4. Do you think my products follow the conventions of digipaks and print adverts?
5. Do You think my fonts are suitable?
6.Is there anything else you think I can do to improve?
7.Who do you think would be suitable for me to use for my reviews?

My Printwork

 

 

 

 

Here is my digipak that I am going to gain audience feedback on in order to improve to create a successful digipak.

 Here is my print advert which I am also going to gain feedback on from my target audience:

Feedback on early stages of digipak

Here is some feedback from a boy in my media group who has an understanding of the indie genre:

From looking at other indie digipaks I noticed they don't tend to have bonus tracks. I need to add my company credits and possibly reconsider my front image. The fonts I have chosen are similar to those of Mumford and Sons and Gabrielle Aplin.

Photoshoot-Digipak and print advert

India and I went out to take our photos on Tuesday 13th January. Due to myself being the artist in the music video it meant I couldn't take the photos myself so therefore India took them for me. I chose the location by the river which featured in both the performance and narrative parts of our music video in order to create continuity.

 I plan to edit my photos using photoshop as I liked the idea which was featured on Gabrille Aplin's digipak of the grey background with the brightly coloured umbrella so therefore I decided I would like to have my images in black and white with the flower headband and my jumper in colour to stand out.

These are the photos:

This photo is a medium shot. I found that from looking at other digipaks such as Gabrielle Aplin and Caro Emerald the artist doesn't look into the camera. I am considering using this image on either my print advert or digipak as I think it fits the indie genre.

This photo is a medium shot which I noticed was used on print adverts. On print adverts the artist is usually looking into the camera to allow the audience to feel a connection with the artist. However I feel this image is to 'posed' to be on my printwork.

I decided to take an image of the river in order to use on the back of my digipak where the names of the songs will be and this is because from looking at artists such as 'Mumford and Sons' digipak I noticed they use an image of the location that featured on the front of the digipak.

This image is a medium shot which is seen on indie digipaks. Looking away from the camera is a generic convention within Indie digipaks.  I like this image because the posing doesn't look forced and it looks very natural.

This image is an extreme long shot which therefore allows the location to be seen clearly. However I feel this image takes the attention away from the artist who should be seen as the centre of attention on digipaks. Also it is unusual to see an extreme long shot on Indie digipaks as close ups, mid shots and long shots are the most common.

Here is another extreme long shot which I will not be using as it wouldn't be found on an indie digipak as the shot type isn't stereotypical. However this image does show off the location which was featured in my music video which therefore creates continuity.

I will not be using this image it draws attention away from the artist, however from looking at digipaks such as Mumford and Sons 'Sigh No more' I noticed that the group were not that noticeable due to being placed in a shop window.

This image is a long shot which is seen on Indie digipaks such as Gabrielle Aplins 'English Rain'.  I like this image so I may therefore use it within my printwork as it is a typical image for the indie genre.

This long shot fits the indie genre as it used on both the digipaks I looked at and I am looking away from the camera like Gabrielle Aplin on her 'English Rain' digipak.

I then experimented with close ups which are featured on Indie digipaks. However I feel this image isn't stereotypical as I am staring directly in the camera and this usually only happens for mid and long shots. Although it would allow the audience to feel like the artist is looking directly at them.

This image is another close up often found on Print adverts such as Marina and the Diamonds.

This image is a medium shot which is seen on print adverts such as Lana Del Rey's. I am also looking away from the camera which would be useful for my digipak however I feel my facial expression isn't suitable as it looks awkward.

I like this mid shot as it allows the location to be seen which featured in our music video while also drawing attention to the artist. I am considering using this image for my print advert.

I asked India to take some medium shots as they are stereotypical on indie printwork. I like these images as I am looking away from the camera and I think when these images are put in black and white with the headband it colour it will look interesting and professional and will grab the audiences attention.  I will be using one of these images on my digipak and one on my print advert in order to create continuity.

India then took some extreme long shots off me. However I decided I will not be using these images as from looking back at my research it isn't a generic convention of indie printwork.

 

I then asked India if she would take some more long shots of me looking both into the camera and away from the camera. I noticed from looking at other digipaks that a long shot is often used on the front. I have decided that I am going to use one of these images within my printwork and it will most likely be the first image.

I am considering using the above image on the front of my digipak as I feel it will allow my target audience to feel connected to the artist as she is looking into the camera.

I then asked India if she would take some photos of me in the same river location however with a slightly different background. I wont be using the first image due to the house being in the background which I feel wouldnt be seen on indie digipaks.

I Am considering using either the above or below image as I think the background connotes the indie genre.

I noticed that in a lot of Indie print work the artist is looking away from the camera so I also decided that it would be a good idea to ask India to take images of me looking away from the camera.

I will not be using the above image as I feel it isn't suitable for my printwork as it doesn't draw the audiences attention to the artist.

I like the above and below image as they look professional and are long shots which I saw were used within my research into indie printwork.

I then asked India if she could take some shots of me sitting on the wall by the river. However I wont be using the images looking into the camera as I feel they look to posed which wouldnt happen within indie printwork. The images usually look natural.

I am considering using the above image or the below image as it relates back to my music video where the couple in the narrative are looking at the ducks due to having a duck in the background and I am  also looking away from the camera which is seen in indie printwork so therefore I might use this image on the insert of my digipak.

I like the below image of myself looking at the river as it looks natural and suitable for the indie genre and I think this image would look good on the back of my digipak with the lyrics down the left side as I intend to change the image to black and white if I use it.

I like the below image as it focuses all attention on the artist and the posing doesnt look forced so therefore I am going to consider using this image within my printwork.

Time Management

Experimentation with fonts

Experimentation with colour

Mock up of digipak and print advert

 Here is a mock up of my digipak:

 Here is a mock up of my print advert:

Analysis of 2x print adverts

A print advert is used to advertise something in this case an album for an artist. Print adverts are often found in newspapers, magazines, booklets or flyers.

Lana Del Rey is who was born 21st June 1985 is an American Indie Singer and songwriter who is signed to Polydor Records. Her album 'Born To Die' debuted number 2 in the US billboard 200 and was the fifth best selling album of 2012.