Jodie Jackson A2 Media blog
Question 1- In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Question 2- How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Question 3- What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Question 4- How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Media technologies played a very important role in the construction of my music video along with the ancillary texts which were the digipack and magazine advert.
The iMacs were used the most as my media technology, because they had all of the necessary software we needed to edit my music video footage and also the two other ancillary texts.
iMovie was used to edit my footage for the effective post production the music video, because it is a practical and simple program that allowed me to add text, transitions and effects over footage, split screens and crop videos. The program meant I could speed up or slow down scenes, which was essential and important when perfecting lip-syncing. Even though this tool is considered to be far more basic, although more convenient because of the oppertunity to edit at an amazing standard but not overcomplicated or too complex like other editing tools. For my ancillary texts, I used a simple Microsoft publisher tool to edit and complete my Digipack and magazine advert, also using the popular website picmonkey to edit and improve the original images. The original drafts were a lot less impressive when I constructed them, but as I got some feedback and had a few attempts, I created an engaging and remarkable digipack and advert. This adopted and embraced the alternative and grungy gothic theme it had been labelled and inspired by, doing this by manipulating the images, making them eerie mysterious and making a statement.
The Internet played a very significant role in my research and planning stages, because of my basic insight and idea of how to plan and develop these specific types of media texts and products. It was possible to research real products and conventions existing, and due to this allowed for me to be confident enough to create a bankable and impressive music video. Successful digital platforms Eg- YouTube and Google also gave me the oppertunity to discover my song 'Youth' which was the creative inspiration and basis for my main media production, the music video. I could use google to collect helpful research into meanings and interpretations of the lyrics and general ideas and conventions of real indie music videos and alternative grunge content.
The professional camera I used was very useful and interesting, because it allowed me to easily cut and re record footage and film footage with very high quality. Having such a good resource of this camera meant that it was easy to refilm scenes that for example had something in the shot that shouldn’t be there or the lighting was too poor. Research and planning was published and constructed mainly through Slideshare, emaze, prezi and scribd. and the internet. This is because I could simply upload the research to share onto my blog on Wix for the examiners, and means that everything was done digitally and easily accessible. When publishing and needing promotion and views for my media products I used technologies such as the internet to spread the products awareness, using social media such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.
When creating the media products, I had to be aware of the various stages that I had developed and worked through in order to realize and address my progress compared to A2. I used the blogging website Wix. Wix as a website is complicared and has a variety of options and tools, there was a lot of time devoted to structuring and individually designing and adding to each page. Wix as my platform for A2 is more interactive and interesting for the users and viewers.
Part 1
Part 2
Once researching the specific conventions of a Digipak I attempted to include all of the main conventions into my original Digipak. I succeeded to include the same conventions and feature these common conventions in my Digipack. The digipack I designed and created uses a variation and selection of differently shot images, which were chosen for a specific reason or to imply to the target audience a new idea or aspect of her personality/behaviour. I developed the conventions of Digipaks where the same theme is used and explored on each image of the album, I have clearly done this and featured the same grunge and unique style and location. A key convention I also conformed to was using different colour schemes, and editing photos to further match the artist and her genre with the visual aspect of the album and some images being black and white. A convention of a digipack is that the images inside of the digipack contain more images of the artist, which I have done in every image of the digipack, in order to provide audiences with a clear statement of her style attitude and lifestyle. Another convention of a digipack is that inside it, it contains more information about the artist, song lyrics and personal messages. Inside my digipack I have developed this convention by adding song lyrics to the images, also providing possibility to access further information through showing audiences that the artist has profiles and more information that can be found on social media websites/apps such as ‘Instagram’ and ‘Twitter’. Using this tells audiences that she is young and approachable, also easily connected with her fans, while also allowing for Melody’s fan base and awareness to spread globally, and to possibly be liked or popular to audiences that may not even be part of her desired and targeted niche audience. More conventions of a real digipack would be that the back cover would have a barcode, track list and image of a record label. My digipack contains all of these aspects which conform to conventions of a real digipak, and develops this convention by the track list being new and original song titles I created and the barcode being positioned where it is usually conventionally placed there on real digipacks, lastly by positioning a copyright record label on the back cover.
I also researched the main conventions of a magazine advert. I chose to create a magazine advert that consisted of Artists name ‘Melody bay’ and the album name ‘Mystery’ which adds to and relates to her array of mystery as one of the artist’s main characteristics, A release date was added, online ways of purchasing the album. Along with this I added Information as to where you can go to purchase it, reviews about the album and the artist herself, the central glamorous image of Melody in a studio. A synergy included where there is a clear connection between the online digital link included, of the artist’s own website where fans could explore the artist’s other products and songs and the print version which is the physical magazine advert.
The media product the music video develops and even challenges the conventions of real media products by inccoperating and pairing both the indie genre and the alternative grunge subgroup for the videos content. I chose to mix the specific conventions of indie music videos with the conventions of a darker gothic alternative genre and group. I achieved this by constructing the music video with conventions from the indie music videos and how they focus on the narrative and film their footage, while also basing the themes and conventions of another target audience, edgy punky grunge group, when creating and forming content. In summary the mise en scene being based on and inspired by this alternative niche subgroup. Mixing the conventions of two genres together is certainly creative and atypical of real media products, as they usually stick to self evident obvious strict conventions for each genre of music or style. I believe that the pairing of both genres complimented eachother and added depth complexity and interest to the impressive final music video. However conventions of both indie music videos and conventions of the alternative grunge genre/subgenre did also overlap in the music video, conventions such as both genres/ groups highlighting the significance of emotion and deep feelings, also the convention of focusing on the artist/individual. Another key convention that overlaped with both genres/groups is their desire and belief in an alternative and unique approach and being edgy and hipster, subverting from the norm.
A convention of indie music videos- A focus on the narrative through exploring the artist's personality and habits- abusing drugs and alcohol
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- The grimy and dark filters and style in this scene, and also the use of drugs and alcohol as props seems to be a common habit of this reckless subgroup
A convention of indie music videos- a focus on a complex and emotional storyline and focus on the artist themselves- also a range of shots and alternative random shots- Close ups, extreme close ups, midshots, point of view shots, tilted angles
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- The edgy and 'i dont care' unkept look of the artist, also the careless behaviour and attitude
A convention of Indie music videos= The use of personal extreme close ups to define the artist's emotion and feeling, when acknowledging the song and the lyrics and highlighting her features
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- The mise en scene- Defining and using dark and smokey makeup to style her image and punky look, or also using the technique of presenting her with a decline of makeup or no makeup to highlight her underlying sadness and drained face, also presenting her vunerability through no makeup and being shown as appearing younger in some scenes
A convention of Indie music videos- Effectively using the oppertunity to present specific props and use this as a tool to develop and explore what i can add to the narrative and mise en scene
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- The display of conventional props for this group and genre for what they may enjoy or use, alcohol, drugs, lighters, glowsticks- suggesting reckless and thrill seeking behaviour and actions such as partying and being promiscious
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- the mise en scene- This shot presenting the artist as being morose and reflective as she presents her emotion/lack of emotion and her style again displaying her mysterious and dark edgy eye makeup
A convention of indie music videos- A focus on the artist by highlighting her lack of feeling/depression as she's drunk- also the range of shots as this shot is tracking her as she walks and is an extreme close up
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- The focus on her depressive tendencies and tendecy to be drunk and reckless
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- the mise en scene explored and creatively taken advantage of here- Where the artist is seen in ripped and frayed clothing dark colours, leather, thrift based clothes, flannel shirts, edgy unkept punky clothes
A convention of Indie music videos- a varied range of different types of shots and alternative multiple shots- Also the centre of interest being the artist and their personna development ,and feelings during events and scenes in the video linking back to the lyrics
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- The focus on more props and small details inserted into the video EG- fashion accessories and details- chokers, scribbels on her hand (popular on tumblr and for the soft grunge genre/group) Also the use of a motorbike to highlight her rebellious and adrenahlin seeking personality
Lastly the use of childhood albums/pictures to add a new view perception and depth to her past and her as a troubled artist
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- When lipsyncing her features and darker elements in her style become clear- her makeup running down her face from overwhelming emotion, the vintage look she adopts, the leather bold punky style and glamour
A convention of the alternative grunge subgroup- This shot and it's content is undoubtedly grunge and gothic inspired, the mise en scene is clearly adopting the darker edgy image. Her image generally here represents a resistent partying teenager who is standing infront of a colourful and creative graffiti wall, which also ironcally represents 'youth' which is also the title of my song and the central focus and point of the video showing teenagers have a tendency to be bad behaving and irresponsible, especially this particular subgroup
A convention of indie music videos- Using alternative ways of presenting narrative and information- This presentation of the title is definetely an alternative and different way of displaying it- the tablets also directly lnk to the song's lyrics and theme which is also a convention of indie music videos having the music and it's message as the central focus
A convention of the alternative grunge group- Presenting the title with drugs and reminding audiences of her rebellious lifestyle as they would also partake in, and highlighting the dark theme and focus of the video and the depressing message of a drugs overdose, and a fun careless habit resulting in death
Youtube is known as an online video media sharing website for prosumers, and I used it constantly to recieve inspiration and collect research and planning on indie/alternative music videos. I practically made my final song choice from Youtube. After making this crucial choice, Youtube was still used throughout to further add to my knowledge of the band 'Daughter' and them as a brand and image. I consistently watched and analysed videos of artists across a list of genres to get inspiration for my personal media productions. I also finally used Youtube to upload my final cut video, evaluation questions, bloopers and the storyboard.
The camera having such remarkable quality it meant I could gather the best quality of footage simply. I was satisfied with how the footage and scenes looked and because of this resulted in being happy with the final product. Once all footage had been recorded I transferred the videos on to the Imac onto Imovie through the SD card, and continued to do this as I kept shooting new footage and scenes.
