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

Throughout the production process we used a number of media technologies to produce all parts of our production work, but also it has played a part in the initial research and planning stages and getting feedback.

According to 'Bell' (2005) As technology becomes a part of everyday life it rules the lives of youth and becomes a massive part of them - they run their lives through technology without even realising it.
This relates to our production in that, because of modern culture, we often forget that we are using new, modern technology or it doesn't register. Obviously the production couldn't have happened without the use of technology but it is an interesting thought that alot of what we did bypassed us and become almost automatic.

The most obvious technology we used was the stop-motion animation. This was the first time I had ever used this method of video production, so a lot of it was experimental and just seeing what worked. I feel it was a very effective use of technology and produced a successful result.
Stop-motion involved the use of The DSLR cameras, the software Premier Pro 2 we also used the lights kits available to us at college which I feel improved the quality of the video as the lighting was kept constant the whole way through.




For the print production I used Photoshop to edit photos taken for our video, but also another separate photo I took especially for the magazine advert. I used the same software to put together the whole CD cover and magazine advert. Photoshop was probably the best software to use for this, in my view, and worked well as I produced a reasonably high quality, finished looking piece.





Other technologies involved in this project included the use of the social networking sites, especially 'Facebook', to get feedback from our target audience. This was a successful and easy way to make people aware of what we were doing and get their views, this is because a lot of people are on Facebook and are interested when informed about new things. By getting feedback it made me aware of what worked and what I could work on - giving the audience the feel of creative input into our piece. This use of media 2.0 benefited me as getting an outside view meant things were noticed that maybe I didn't notice originally.


The Internet helped us alot - as initial research was done almost completely through websites like youtube to see what existing products there were on the market and how we could be different or similar to these. Also image searches into CD covers and magazine adverts were useful.



Our initial ideas and pitch to the class were done on 'PowerPoint'. This made it more visually interesting, therefore more engaging to look at. This was good professional practice of the real media industry as a new product would have to be pitched to the company investing in it - so you would want to make it as exciting as possible.



I think the growth in new media technology has made people more creative. There is a definite link between the two because as media gets more advanced there is more you can do with it - if the possibilities are there then ideas for products will get more and more creative.
I feel that the range of media that was available to us for this product gave me more ideas of what to produce and was a big part of our production work, the fact we had access to the DSLR camera, lights, Premier Pro software etc made it easier to produce a high quality product.

Technological determinism - The fact that stop motion has become much easier to produce recently, and we had the technology needed to achieve it available to us, resulted in us choosing this style. It has become more and more popular in recent years so we decided on this effective filming method.

Evaluation Question 3: What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

To gain audience feedback from our target audience we used a variety of techniques. Putting the video and print work on facebook and asking for friends to comment was one method:





Most comments on Facebook were positive. They all thought that the video and print work targeted the audience clearly - it was clear who it was aimed at and was well made and finished. Most said it would encourage them to buy the song. There were a few small things that were said I could improve on for example the number of fonts on the magazine advert is maybe too busy and I should have stuck to 1.

What I learned from this feedback

Most replies to the questions we asked were of a preferred reading as what they said was what we intended to create - they enjoyed the production and thought it was a fun portrayal of the music.

This an example of a 'preferred reading' as it is exactly the impact we wanted to have on our target audience:



However, some replies were of a negotiated reading as they liked a large majority of it but there were a few things they felt I could have changed to make it better or that they didn't like. For example:




Different audiences use the media to gratify their needs. I feel that that audience, by watching this video, fulfilled their needs of belonging in a certain group. The fact the video relates to other videos and is a bit different and alternative gives the audience a feel of belonging to the 'indie scene'.

Those who know the band knew it was going to be a up-beat, quite light-hearted song so expected a corresponding video - and that's what they got. Those who didn't know the band but were interested in this genre of music expected a conventional indie video and, as i explained in the previous blogs, this is what we achieved but broke conventions slightly.

Another method of gaining feedback was to interview a member of our target audience about our video and print work. We filmed their response:



From these interviews I found out that the products we created attract the target audience and are what we aimed for, generally. The first interview in this video was mainly what we expected, however when asked 'do you think the video accompanies the song', we got a more oppositional reading as he thought that the cartoon, child-like style would suit a 'pop' song better than the indie song we chose. This was an interesting point and made me think about how different people could perceive it in different ways.
He laughed at various points throughout the video and said things like "that's cool!" which suggests that his need for laughter and entertainment were fulfilled.
The print work was well evaluated here and he felt i accomplished everything i intended and there was nothing he would change. This preferred reading was very encouraging.

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

In order to produce a coherent 'marketing package' that worked together well with the actual video, as to attract an audience, I had to create a house-style. This consisted of a 'homemade', 'childlike', 'cartoon' style.
This marketing package, if it existed in the music industry, would be used to advertise the product and attract the audience. By having a continued house style audiences can recognise a product, therefore be more persuaded to buy it.
To produce a coherent marketing package I have tried to keep the same mood and feel through all my production work. Using stills from the video on the CD cover kept a definate house style and audiences can relate. This is probably the easiest way to brand a product and stick to conventions of creating a house style.

These stills, and others, I used for my CD cover front and middle panels. I feel these stills in particular sum up what we were trying to achieve and are a good example of what the video consists of.





I also included the same font in my CD cover and magazine advert, this was another way of continuing the style.


My magazine advert didn't contain stills from the video in order to make it a bit different, but i still had to keep the same mood so it could be related to the video. Using young people dressed in modern clothing represented the target audience for the band, therefore attracting these type of people. Also, I feel the use of the handwritten, brightly coloured letters connotes fun and links to the house-style.

The modern 'indie style' people in the advert are portrayed in a fun way giving the advert a light-hearted feel:



I feel, when planning the print work, I could have spent more time on it and thought it through more thoroughly - maybe before and during making the video not just an after thought.

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

Inspiration
The video below was our main inspiration. It shows entropy with the use of stop motion and props rather than people, but the redundancy as it is what you would expect from this band and this genre.
The video fits the song really well and I liked the use of including the lyrics into the video. We used a number of ideas from this in our video.



We really liked the stop-motion in this video and use of 'Lego' as it gives it a child-like feel, also it is a similar genre to ours so would fit with our song.



We used lego in our video as it looks really effective in stop-motion:







The print work for 'indie' style bands follows the same sort of alternative style as the videos do. The element of disjuncture that a lot of them include is a successful way of both portraying the genre and catching the eye of the target audience.
The cartoon style of this album cover/ magazine advert I really liked for these reasons so wanted to include the contrast of bright colours on a white background in mine.


I didn't include this album cover in my original research but found it later on and thought it was a perfect example of the kind of conventional disjuncture that attracts the target audience.



My research into CD covers and magazine adverts made me aware of the conventions that must be followed as to produce a professional, finshed looking piece. For example in most adverts there is an image of the CD cover somewhere on it so the audience are aware of what they're looking for if they want to buy it.
Also general conventions like a barcode, copyright information, images/logos that need to be incorporated onto the CD cover I had to research and include in mine.



Doing research into a number of styles of music has helped me find out what exists in the music industry and what is new and original, or conventional and a rework of old ideas. For example we looked into a number of R&B/Hip hop style videos, CD covers and magazine adverts which almost all have the same house style - flash cars, jewellery, attractive women and men and an obvious massive budget. This kind of house-style attracts a massive mainstream audience so taking this genre into the music industry would mean you'd have to stick to these conventions as to be successful.



This is obviously the complete opposite of what we were aiming for but just shows how genres, generally, have to stick to conventions to be successful.
Challenging forms and conventions can potentially be dangerous in the music industry as if it is too different then the target audience may find it difficult to recognise or relate to, resulting in them not listening to or buying the music. However if conventions are followed too strictly withour deviation then there is a risk of it becoming too generic therefore not remembered or not seen as anything different- just the same as anybody else.

E.G:

- White lies

- Muse

TOO GENERIC??


We did some inital audience research on our target audience to see what was thought of our plans for the video. The responses that we got were that the ideas were what they expected from this genre and would work in the music industry. There was nothing they would really change, this confirmed that our ideas fitted with the genre and attracted the audience we wanted. Due to this we followed our plans - trying not to change anything.
Our initial research came out of an interview with a friend, which we videoed and is included in my blog, but also we set up a group on 'Facebook' explaining our project and we loaded up the storyboard as another strategy in getting initial views.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=174461543734

Print work

This is my final print work.

Magazine advert


CD cover

Print planning

These are some ideas for my magazine advert and CD cover. I have tried to stick to the ‘child-like, home-made’ look of our video to keep a house style. By researching similar products I have noted the conventions and what each piece of print should include, and will incorporate this into mine. For example a barcode and copyright information on the back of the CD cover.
I liked the ‘sketchy’ handwriting style of ‘The Clash’ advert so have tried to use this in my CD cover by including stills from our video which follow this style. I will also try to find a similar font and include the bright colours it uses.

Analysis of magazine covers

The top advert is for a band of a similar genre to ours - 'The Maccabees'. The cartoon style reflects the indie style genre well because it has an alternative feel and stands out because of the bright colours. The band are featured in the picture and appear quite modern, young and alternative through the clothes they are wearing etc. This style represents that of their target audience - young, alternative hedonists. So would attract this group of people by appearing the same as they are.
The cartoon effect is something I'd like to use in my advert as it reflects our bands style and genre well and would also go well with our video. However I would have to learn how to create this look on photoshop.
The text to the right of the picture is in a simple, black, non-serif font which stands out and is easy to read as it's a contrast to the colourful picture. However I think I would like to use a more interesting font as to portray the fun/qwerky look we're going for. Their inclusion of the album cover is a good idea as the audience then has a clear idea of what their looking for if they wish to purchase it.

The second advert is for 'The Clash'. Their indie/punk genre is portrayed quite strongly through the use of a sketchy style picture of their album cover. I think this is a really simple but effective idea as it's eye-catching and bold.
The band aren't featured directly but what you do see suggests to the audience rebellion and individuality - representing their target audience well.
I really liked the sketch style picture and writing and would consider this for my advert as it would go well with our video and home-made/child-like look. The lettering is especially interesting to me as it reflects the 'doodling', non-glossy style that we use in our video.
This advert, as with the above, also has some text to the right of the main image. This is obviously a convention of this size of advert and would be useful to stick to as it's a good technique in fitting everything you need in the space you have. This is the kind of advertising space I image our band having if they made it into the higher music industry.
They have also used a black, non-serif font but the album name 'London's calling' is written in a italic font, contrasting to the rest of the text. I liked this as it emphasizes what it's advertising and makes it stand out.





This magazine advert is for a slightly different genre to ours but I chose it because of the disjuncture it portrays. The band sitting at a table in the sea seems to have no relevence to their music and is just something a bit different to attract the audience. Beacuase it is such a bizarre picture they have stuck to a quite plain colour scheme having the band dressed in dark colours and the text in a simple, black and white, non-serif font.
The band are portrayed as nothing out of the ordinary and are dressed in everyday clothes and have relaxed facial expressions. This connotes normality and could seem boring to the audience if it wasn't for their setting - emphasising the element of disjuncture. The band members represent their target audience so would attract this group of people.
I really like this advert as it keeps the audience thinking and could be interpreted in a number of ways. It has no direct meaning or its meaning could be debated, which could also be true of their music- mirroring their style and image.



This magazine advert is quite in-depth and has a lot of things going on in it. The artist shown in the centre appears to be quite individual and alternative going by his clothes and what's around him - attracting his target audience.
I liked the use of a variety of colours and would, again, consider using this in my advert. Also the way the text is incorporated into the picture- the 4 star ratings written on the amp- is a nice touch and makes it looks professional and finished and keeps the audience looking at it for longer than just a glance.
The inclusion of instruments surrounding the artist suggests he is in some kind of recording studio, but when you look closer the instruments are actually quite out of the ordinary - like the 'Guitar Hero' guitar and the gramophone, also the panels behind him are almost 'space age' and the dog sat at his feet is a complete contrast to everything else in the picture.These things give an element of disjuncture that isn't as obvious as the 'Sterophonics' advert but quite subtle.

The white text is easy to read as it stands out infront of the darker colour scheme. Also the font mirrors the genre and attracts an alternative audience. I really liked this advert as it is a bit different to the norm for mainstream artists.

More feedback

Our video

Relating to real media products

The piece we shot today is similar to one of the videos we studied.







Our use of playdough - the way we rolled it in and also the smiley face that appears on it was similar to that of 'The Cribs - Another Number' also the use of a plain white background we thought was effective in bringing out the colours of the props and making it more clear, so used this in ours.

Creative decisions informed by institutional knowledge

We decided to produce an 'indie' style music video as to appeal to an independent, non-mainstream audience. In the music industry videos of this type would be produced with a low budget, and distributed on non mainstream websites, t.v channels etc. This synergy extends the number of ways a project can be disrbuted. So with our knoweldge of the current music industry, we adapted our video to enforce the non mainstream ideology and make it relevent to the contemporary music scene and give us an idea of professional practice.

Evaluating our production process

During our video production we encountered a number of set backs that we had to overcome to continue with production. These included:

1) Continuity of the lighting as it often altered. We resolved this by using the lights from college, this way it would be more or less the same every time regardless of where we filmed or the natural light.

2) Accidental movement of props, resulting in unwanted movement during the stop motion. We resolved this in different ways depending on the prop. For example we used blue-tack to keep paper on the table.

3) We were unable to get fridge magnets for a part of the video, which was stated in our storyboard, so ended up using play dough which had the same effect.

4) Another alteration to our storyboard was that we planned to use additional props in certain places i.e when writing out lyrics but this proved too difficult in that the lyrics wouldn't match up to the song if we did this, so we ended up cutting them out.

5) Due to lack of memory space on college network areas some of the pictures had to be moved to other folders, however during this process some files got deleted and weren't retrievable. This meant we had to re-shoot some sections setting us back on our time plan.

Analysing exisiting products

This album cover is for a similar genre ours. The cover is constructing its brand image by having an element of disjuncture which makes it is recognisable as an indie album even if you didn't know the band. The image has no direct meaning or relevence to the audience, making it alternative and qwerky and attracting the target audience of young, individual, hedonistic radicals.






These two covers, again, have the element of disjuncture. The images in both are eyecatching and attractive as they provoke thought in the audinece at a first glance. They have no link to the songs on them or the music videos making them even more 'random' and individual. I think our cover would be slightly different to this as it will link directly to the music video, but seeing as our video has elements of disjuncture it will still be conventional of the indie genre.

Print research and planning

How will the audience recognise the genre of music? How will you address your particular target audience?

The audience will recognise the 'indie' style genre of the music as the images on the front cover and inside the digipack will connote individuality and will be a bit different and alternative from the mainstream R&B or hip hop style, and a contrast to other genres.
We will attract the audience by using a bright and attractive colour scheme and by taking stills from our video which show the simple, homemade, childlike look we were going for clearly. This will give the pack an element of disjuncture as it has no meaning to the audience at a first glance, but catches their attention.

How will you create a ‘house style’ linked to the brand image of your band? How will you link the styles of the video, cover and advert?

Our 'house style' has been created throughout the video, as we have followed the child-like, homemade look - so will portray this onto the print work. Using stills from the video will not only make the album cover recognisable to the audience that have seen the video, but will also encourage others to watch the video.
It will be easy to get stills from our video seeing as it is all photographs so we just need to pick which parts we want to convert to the print work. The style of the cover and advert will reflect the video.

What is the digipack cover for, now that many people buy online?

Digipacks contain not only the album or single but additional special features as well - like a video clip of the band/artist playing live, an interview with the band/artist, or a backstage look into their day to day life.
It gives the audience a bit more than just the song they have been listening to, and makes them feel closer to the band. So if they are really intersted in the band or artist they can buy these instead of just downloading the song and having the file. They are more for the committed fans who like to have something aesthetically pleasing to keep and collect.


How much do ads in these magazines actually cost? Can you save some money by using the same advert online?

I have found out these rates for advertising on an 'magazine advertising rates card'. The magazines stated would be the ones that suit our genre of music the most:


Double page spread
Kerrang! - £9,092
Mojo - £9,291
Q - £17,396

Page outside back cover
Kerrang! - £6,220
Mojo - £6,357
Q - £11,902

Half page
Kerrang - £2,607
Mojo - £2,445
Q - £4,578

Loose insert

Kerrang - £45
Mojo - £45
Q - £45

Internet adverts are free in most places, soit would probably be worth putting the same advert on the internet either aswell as, or instead of a magazine. An internet advert would probably be more appropriate for our band, not only due to their low budget but also their target audience would be more likley to read an internet advert than a magazine one. Also it is extending the audience of the band as anybody can read it, whereas in a magazine it would be a specific kind of person who has gone out of their way to purchase the music magazine they are interested in.

How much money your band would have to spend on marketing – could they afford a quarter page, half page, or full page? What magazines are appropriate for the target audience?

As i said above our band would have a very low budget to spend on advertising as they are starting out in the music industry. Idealy a half page advert would benefit the band, however it is still alot of money. A loose insert would be more realistic but not as effective.
However this list of magazines consists of the major music chains. There are other, more independent magazines and newspapers that would probably be cheaper to advertise in and are exposed to a more non-mainstream, alternative audience which are suited to our bands genre and style more than the mainstream companies like Kerrang!


What will you need to consider when designing it if you want to use it in print and onscreen?

The advert I design would need to be suited to print and onscreen as it would appear on the internet aswell as newspapers or magazines. I would have to make sure it wasn't suited to/looked better on either, it would have to be of a high quality on both. This may mean keeping the design simple and not using high resolution images or anything that may cause blurring or a decrease in quality.

Exam practice 2

How far have you been influenced by existing media products?

Research into existing media products has been a massive part of my A2 production piece. Using the internet to look at videos for a similar genre of music to ours has given me a lot of inspiration and original ideas. The main text that influenced our final decisions on our video was ‘The Cribs’ video for ‘Another number’.
It uses stop-motion animation with props, including toys, which we have chosen to do as well – no actors are involved in either. Both videos, I feel, complement the music well and portray the indie style genre successfully.
‘The Cribs’ video is challenging usual conventions of the genre as most indie music videos are gritty and always feature the band. So creating a light hearted video with no actors portrays the bands independence and makes them seem fun, friendly and not image conscious. The elements of disjuncture that come from this make the video interesting and original. I feel we have achieved this with our video as we have taken the homemade, child-like look of ‘The Cribs’ video and portrayed it in our own way. However you could say that our video is conventional to the indie genre as expectations are that they will be a bit different and alternative- so we are conveying the indie genre successfully.
In parts ‘The Cribs’ video portrays the lyrics very literally. In contrast ours concentrates on the idea of disjuncture and the actions have no particular meaning or don’t tell a story. We thought this would make it more original but also gave us more options of what we could do and what props we could use.
In both videos, I feel the target audience have been addressed successfully. The ‘indie’ audience – young, independent, hedonistic, radicals - expect videos that are a bit different, qwerky and original and the simple, but effective stop-motion and use of fun props and bright colours, in both, attract this audience as it appears unique and alternative.
The song choice for our video is a bit more upbeat and ‘heavy’ than ‘The Cribs’, however I don’t think this effects the impact of the video and the way it complements the music. The only thing that may change due to this is the target audience. People that are into the slightly more rocky style of music may also be drawn to our video – expanding our target audience.

Exam practice

1. How has the internet helped you create your production work?

Using the internet to research existing products on the market has helped me a lot with all my media projects. In my AS production of a student magazine, preliminary project, looking on websites of similar magazines gave me a variety of ideas. I noticed that the conventional medium close-up shot of a student was used on most, as was a masthead, coverlines, straplines, price, barcode etc. So I included these in mine as to follow convention.
It was the same with my A2 music video research as we could use ‘Youtube’ to look into videos for a similar genre to ours and pick out the things we liked. The stop-motion used in a video by ‘The Cribs’ was really effective in conveying the music and went really well with the chosen song, also their childlike, homemade look was something we wanted to convey onto ours.
By using ‘Youtube’ I feel I have built my creativity considerably as, by getting inspiration from others, I can build up my own thoughts and piece together a really original, solid set of ideas. ‘The Cribs’ video I feel was an especially inspirational piece as it was exactly what we wanted to portray but in a slightly different way.
The sudden increase in social networking sites has helped in researching target audience as, for all our projects, we could go onto a member of our target audiences profile and look into interests, hobbies etc – therefore getting a good idea of who you are addressing.
Also by setting up a group on ‘Facebook’, pitching our ideas for A2 music video production to chosen members, helped us get feedback as they could look at our storyboard, listen to the song and write comments stating what they thought, and if we could change anything. This feedback has been useful, as most of the comments are good, so we know we are on the right lines in appealing to this audience. This was also a successful method in interacting with our target audience and bought an element of Media 2.0 into our project – giving the audience a feel of being involved in production and the final product.
Having the use of ‘Blogger’ – a social networking site – has helped in not only presenting work to my Media teacher but also to set out all my plans for both AS and A2 work and is a good way of getting it all organised.
In my preliminary A2 project we used the internet to research how to use ‘Flash’ – an animation programme. We found a full set of instructions so used them to create a small animation which made up part of the video. This was very useful to have as we could follow it through step by step – making it easier to make.

2. In what other ways have you used technology?

The use of the technology available to us has been a massive part of all my media productions. I had never used any of the cameras or software before, so being expected to create a student magazine in the first year was daunting but I learnt a lot through the use of ‘Photoshop’ – editing a picture taken with a DSLR camera, then creating the layout using ‘Qwark express’. Without the software ‘Qwark express’ I feel the magazine wouldn’t have looked as professional or finished.
I experienced a few problems with ‘Photoshop’ but I think this was down to my lack of experience with it. These included the pictures not cropping properly or being unable to cut out background I didn’t want. However when it came to my final AS production, of a music magazine, this went quite smoothly as I knew what to do. So I feel my knowledge and skills of the software and cameras have been considerably improved since September 2008 and I am much more comfortable with using them.
I now have a better understanding of what can be achieved with them, therefore extending my creativity and making my ideas more ambitious.
The use of DV cameras was also new to me so creating a simple preliminary project last year helped build my skills with these and the ‘Adobe Premier Pro’ software that goes with it. Having this knowledge gave me another option for what to do this year so was useful to know.
We have chosen to do a completely stop-motion video, so I need to be certain of how to create a series of movies with the DSLR cameras and use ‘Premier Pro’ to edit them together in post production. This should be ok because full instructions and teacher assistance are available at college.

Question 1b: dominant,absent and alternative representations

My AS production of a music magazine uses mainly dominant representations. The representation of social groups is one - teenagers are used on the front cover, and throughout the magazine, through the image of an up and coming young band. The band are dressed in stereotypical modern clothing and are situated out doors connoting freedom and fun. The photo on the front is quite stereotypical to genre as it contains the iconic 'Beatles/Abbey Road' zebra crossing image. This suggests what the genre is but also attracts a certain type of audience.
Alternative representation is also apparent in that the picture on the front cover is in sepia colour scheme making it a bit different to the conventional teenage magazine. This is because of the genre I was working in - old style music. But in general the image being portrayed is typical to that of modern teenagers.
I chose to use this stereotype to attract the younger audience who are interested in the older style of music, but also to get teenagers interested in this alternative genre.
So by mixing both dominant and alternative representation the magazine appeals to the target audience and is unconventional and a bit different.

Question 1b: narrative

Due to the nature of our music video ideas there is little narrative techniques or perspectives. This is down to the lack of actors and storyline in our simple, homemade video.
We could relate it to Levi-Strauss' theory in the way that we are showing a binary opposite by going against the glossy mainstream by making a alternative, quirky video with a amateur, homemade feel.

Question 1b: media language and audience

Colour scheme and audience

In my AS production, of a music magazine, my use of a sepia colour scheme would generally target an older audience as it has connotations of tradition and old photography and pictures. However the picture I used - a young up and coming band specialising in the older style of music and the coverlines I included - adressing issues of this section of the music industry, were intented to target the younger, alternative, radical audience who are interested in the older genre of music and also to encourage more young people into this genre.

Audience research

We've set up a facebook group promoting our video ideas and have asked people to comment on what they think. We have invited people to join the group who we think would the product and the music.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=174461543734&ref=nf

Question 1: creativity and genre

Looking back on all my media projects I feel that, generally, I have been quite creative with my initial ideas and have tried to be as different as possible to existing media.
My music magazine was quite redundant as it contained all conventions of a magazine, but the genre I feel was quite entropic as the music style I chose you don't see around that much, so was specific to one target audience.
The video I made at the very start of the media course was quite entropic as it broke conventions of usual filming, however this may have been just because we made errors in filming as we had never used the technology before. The initial idea was very redundant as it was typical of a short extract of film conveying a conversation between two people and was predictable throughout.
I feel the music video we are now planning is mainly entropic as we are going against conventions of popular music videos. This is mainly because of the small budget we are working with but also because we really want to portray the 'homemade' feel.
However there are aspects of redundancy as some frames portray the lyrics literally, but without in depth meaning. It is quite redundant in regards to genre, as most indie videos are trying to be different and individual. Therefore our video would attract the indie audience.
I don't feel that my work has any type of signature to it, because each one is fulfilling a different purpose and appealing to different audiences so calls for fresh ideas. However the genre I choose is generally the same - non-mainstream, individual and alternative as opposed to what appeals to the mass mainstream.

Permission E-mail

Storyboard

This is a rough idea of what we are trying to achieve ...

Time plan

This is a rough idea of what needs to be done and by when.

Ask art dept if we can use studio. Find out if they are using it during our media lessons
8th Oct

Collect props needed –
Lego: Chloe
Magnets: Emily
Playdough: Chloe
Dominos: Emily
Rubix cube: Chloe
Army men: Chloe
Crayons: Emily
Lined paper: Emily
By 12th Oct

Book equipment –
Stills camera, video camera, tripod, battery, tape, SD card etc.
16th Oct

Start filming 19th Oct

Complete research and planning and post on blog 2nd Nov

Finish filming 27th Nov

Start post-production 30th Nov

Finish post production 15th Jan

Complete blog including evaluation 5th Feb

Analysis of a music video - 'The Cribs - Another Number'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzN6oJG_5as&feature=related

What kind of audience is being addressed via this music video?

The audience would be young, alternative, independent, hedonistic, radicals.

What kind of 'brand image' is being created and exactly how is this achieved?

The band is shown to be fun and interesting and don't take themselves too seriously. It is also suggested that they are modest as they do not appear in their video and are trying different ways to showcase their music. They do this by use of stop-motion animation connoting fun and simplicity giving the video an unprofessional look. The narrative throughout the video doesn’t over complicate or take anything away from the song only amplifies it, showing the band are dedicated to their musical talents.

How conventional or challenging is the video in terms of the genre of music? Is it typical, or does it challenge the usual conventions?

This video challenges usual conventions of the genre as most indie music videos are gritty and always feature the band. By creating a illustrative, light hearted video with aspects of disjuncture and not featuring themselves, the band are shown to not be image conscious and don’t have the need to establish themselves. Breaking conventions makes the video stand out and portrays the bands independence.

Finally, what exactly can you learn from this video to use in your own?

We have been inspired by this video and have decided on a similar idea to use stop motion without actors. However we will adapt it in our own way – incorporating more props and disjuncture and being less literal with the lyrics.

More research

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u46eaeAfeqw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfCUxeQ2VSE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKNETHLBb2k&feature=related

We liked the use of drawings and showing the hands in the shot aswell in these video clips. They are all extremely visual and original, which make them so interesting to watch. We feel as though they can be watched over and over again, which is something that we hopefully will achieve with our music video.

Responses to feedback

We pitched our idea to our media class and got 6 sets of feedback. What they were asked to comment on included:

• Comments on suitability for stated target audience
• Comments on the originality of the idea
• Comments and thoughts on the logistical arrangements
• Comments on the technical arrangements of the idea-does it sound achievable with the colleges equipment?
• Does the idea sound realistic?
• Does this idea sound exciting and achievable?

The general opinions were that the child-like look suited the genre and would appeal to the target audience as well as attracting a new one.

It was also noted that the idea was original and that it will ‘differentiate the bands brand image from the glossy mainstream’.

In terms of logistics opinions were that it is easily achievable as we are not reliant on actors as props will be used. However it will be very time consuming requiring a lot of patience.

In regards to technical arrangements everything we are trying to achieve can be done in college, using borrowed equipment and existing computer software for post-production.

People said the idea sounds achievable, realistic and exciting and generally a good idea.
‘Seems exciting, new, fresh and unique. I like how they want the video to appear homemade’.

pitch

Pitch

View more presentations from emfincher.

Treatment

Working title: The type

Concept: To give the video a homemade, amature, child like look encorporating cartoon, sketchy overlays. This video is a good source of inspiration -




Purpose: To emphasise the rock/indie genre and tone of the song, making it light hearted and interesting.

Desired outcome: To market the band and show off their abilities. The video would be played on music channels like MTV 2, NME, Q, Kerrang etc.


Audience: Young (15-25), non-mainstream, into alternative fashions, demographic group C social class.
These are the type of people we are targeting-
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=707746367&ref=ts
http://www.myspace.com/nomad67 - friends list can be seen on their profile.

Overall style and look:

These videos are inspiration for ours:

The Cribs - "Mirror Kissers" (video at top) and "Another number" also by The Cribs
· Stop motion animation effective
· Liked the use of ‘drawings’
· Parts in black and white
· Brighter colours than expected
· ‘Homemade’ look to it



Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
· Black and white, ‘grainy’ film
· Words of song on signs – different fonts and sizes
· Authentic/ homemade look


Newton Faulkner: To the Light
· Writing on paper sped up at the start
· Sepia/ low lighting throughout
· Close ups of artist/guitar
· Overlays – artist fading in and out



We want our video to be different to this - low budget, not glamorous:


Technology involved:

Stop motion animation
Use of slow motion/sped up - varying speeds
Photoshop
Adobe premier pro 2.0
Flash (?)

Personnel involved:
4 actors - 1 girl 3 boys
Possible help with technical

Dates and provisional schedule:
Research and planning 18/09/09 - 19/10/09
Organisation of actors, music, equipment etc by 10/10/09
Start filiming on 19/10/09
All filming completed by 30/11/09
Post-production 10/11/09 - 14/12/09

Likely problems:
Actors' prior commitments
Technical problems - cameras, batteries, lighting etc
Weather for outside filming
Producers prior commitments

Possible costs:
Damage costs
Travel expenses
Costume, lighting, set etc

Transport issues:
Bus/train timetables
Car expenses and risks

Health and safety issues:
If children required, permission from parents/guardians
Equipment hazards and related injuries
Illnesses, resulting in delayed filming