Question 3

What Have You Learned From Your Audience Feedback?

Another part of my task, was to get audience feedback, on my music video and my digipak deign, this would be helpful to get an outsiders point of view on my designs. I used a questionnaire based format for my feedback, so I could get responses for specific things that I am looking for, or specific visuals or ideas, that I hoped, came across either on the video or the digipak. A questionnaire was easy to construct, as it is the quickest method to get responses from. I provided my audience with a link to my youtube video to have a look at and a hard copy of my digipak panel designs. My audience consisted of 3 males and 4 females, who were aged, between 17 and 18, and I asked them to answer 7 separate questions, regarding the digipak, and the music video.

Digipak

Questions for the Digipak were as followed:

1 – Can you identify the genre of which the design is based around, and does it reflect it?

This question is more of a wide look at the design of the panels and if it gives the correct assumption of the folk genre. It is important that I have reflected the genre in my artwork, as if I haven’t, I have failed in sending the message across of genres and themes, and certain ideologies will not fit with the design.

2 – Can you also identify the advertisement genre?

This is similar to question 1, but is more specific to the advertisement. However, the advertisement needs to serve an expectation and quick assumption of the genre, so it looks presentable and a good advert to buy the said CD.

3 – Do the graphics and visuals look presentable, so that the digipak is eye catching?

This question is based on the artwork alone, and I would hope they would be critical on things like the picture, font, and the general message that the whole covers send across. This could lead me to either re edit or change things that I personally did not realise. The question also gives the audience the opportunity to give there personal opinion on the artwork, and if they were part of my target audience, if it would appeal to them.

4 – Do the graphics and visuals look presentable, so that the advertisement is eye catching?

Again, this question I similar to question 3, but is specific to the advertisement, and is for the same reasons as question 3, focusing on visual things, with font, picture and message.

5 – If you were a CD buyer and were interested in the folk genre, would the album look appealing to you, and would you buy it?

This question goes in depth as a whole to see if the audience would genuinely buy the product. It also shows if I have made a good job of making the advertisement, and digipak a generally appealing product, that people would like to buy from a CD store.

6 – Could you suggest any improvements or changes that would help me to improve my products and advertisements?

This is an improvement question where I could take into consideration, what I would change if I were to do the product again etc. It also relates to question 3 in improvements, to make my product better, and to appeal better to the audience.

7 – Out of 10 how would you rate the digipak? (With 10 being the highest)

This is an overall question to rate the whole digipak to see if people like the digipak, and to summarise the whole quality of my whole product.

Music Video

Questions for the Music Video were as followed:

1 – Did you enjoy the music video?

This is a general question to see if they liked it or not, or if it was too boring.

2 – Do you think the music video ran for an appropriate amount of time?

The question would show me, if people got bored by the fact that the time of the video was over two minutes long, and considering this time constraint, was the video gripping enough for people to still sit and watch it through to the end. Participants may express that it was too long or too short.

3 – Could you straightaway pick out what genre the music is? And could you identify any genre conventions and traits?

In hope that they can identify the genre, this would show if I have made the video correctly and that it was easy to understand, so that they could pick traits out such as themes, locations and meanings of the piece. This would be by looking at the mise–en-scene of the piece and listening to the music of the video.

4 – Would you say that it was edited well?

This would judge my editing skills alone. Hopefully participants would see that I edited the piece smoothly, without any mistakes or errors. So that they could say that it looked like a realistic music video.

5 – Did you understand the plot?

The feedback on this question, would help me learn if the footage that I have taken and edited, did the audience members think that I have put it in a linear order, so there is a smooth and understanding plot from the beginning until the end.

6 - Could you suggest any improvements or changes that would help me to improve my music video?

This is an improvement question similar to question 6 of the digipak, to take into consideration any improvements or changes, I could make.

7 – Out of 10 how would you rate the digipak? (With 10 being the highest)

This is another overall question for the music video, to see if the audience was satisfied with the whole music video product.

Conclusion (Music Video)

From the results of my feedback, which I collected, it would seem that the main product received generally positive feedback.

Firstly, My participants thought that the Music video was very creative. They enjoyed the scenes of rural and agricultural locations, and liked the nature elements that were incorporated in my piece. This is helpful as this one of the points of genre representations. The audience thought that the length of the video was appropriate, as they would’ve got bored if it went beyond 3 minutes. Most individuals enjoyed the plot regarding the love story, and they enjoyed the way the protagonist was represented, and how the girlfriend was slowly pushed into the video. Some individuals however thought it was cliché, but even so, thought that it was shown in the appropriate fashion for this kind of theme. An ideal point that one of the members pointed out is the scene where the protagonist is dragging the chair into the field and the close up shots of his feet, reminded them of the Mumford and Sons video ‘Winter Winds’. This was a point I was glad that was brought up and this was what one of our influences was to, base that particular scene around. The participants used words such as meaningful, emotional, and powerful, especially regarding the end. No one elaborated on the editing to music, but they specified that it was smoothly cut.

Conclusion (Digipak)

From the Digipak results of my feedback, this was somewhat a different response. It was even better then I thought the response would be. They noted down the fact that I took a different approach to the covers (as other members who did the same song as I did, had the artist in the music video, on a lot of there digipaks and advertisements as the focus point). It was also said that it was a clever interpretation, of an idea based around the song title. (Participants noticed the fact that the paper people that I had made, was based around the song title and therefore took a creative spin on the idea). Even though my digipak lacks the protagonist from the music video (which is a common occurrence with the other members who based their idea around the same song and band) I have the artist at least on one panel, so I didn’t shy away from the character completely. Participants said that I was creative in panels that I have done as I put a lot of effort into creating little people made out of paper. Even with these points in mind, they were still able to point out the conventions of folk, with the little people in the cornfield, and the location of the field, which I still incorporated as a location. Audience members thought that the panel with the artist behind the CD cover was very bold and eye catching, as the pencil effect that I had created with the character, caught people eyes, as it looked more like a sketch from a book, but most importantly, they could see that it was the character from the music video.

Overall they liked the fact that I took a different approach to my idea, and that it was very creative and clever

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Question 4

How Did You Use Media Technologies In The Construction And Research Planning And Evaluation Stages?

Research and Planning – When it came to the research process I used various websites and tools, that helped me understand my chosen genre and what the actual specific connotations, ideologies, and representations of (folk) genres.

Youtube – It took a big part in my learning process of finding out representations and just the way music videos are edited, shown recorded, and what they are meant to show. I used youtube to analysis three different videos, in my chosen genre, which saw me note down what I would need to consider, when making my own music video. Analyzing these videos also showed me how to structure a music video and how there needs to be a common linear narrative,

Blogger – I used blogger as a blogging system, which tracked my progress in what stage I was at, and I could use it as a platform to put work on such as analysis, research, planning, and the various pieces of work that contributed to music video and digipak. Blogger, was where I could put all my panels for my digipak designs, and the music video and the research towards it.

Find my tribe/ UK tribes – The website here, tracks down on all tribes and identity groups and focuses solely on identity. On this website it notes down specific traits and examples which show if people are in there identity group or not, or just how a regular person can see what type of identity group they were in. This could be judged from, personality, creativity, clothes, where they buy them from, where they shop, and what kind of music they would listen. This was a starting point in where I could research folk costumes, music and other identity points.

Google – This would be the main website where we would search for anything regarding questions and queries, and also where else we could find information.

Construction Process – When production finally came around and we began filming scenes and recording plans, we used physical products such as a video camera and a tripod. This was used to capture our ideas we had created and record them on film, to then put into the computer, ready for editing. The tripod was used for these slightly steady and straight shots; the tripod helped us keep the camera still, so our shots don’t become jagged and uneven. We also used to be able to capture certain high and low angle shots, something we couldn’t do just by keeping our arms still.

The editing software that I used was Adobe Premiere Pro, even though the adobe line of software was the only editing software that was available to me, I used it to the best of my ability. The programme would help me take all of my footage that I had recorded and be able to put it in one place, ready for editing. This was the prime base of actually making the music video, as we had the availability to cut, edge, chop and use the various transitions and effects that were available. We also used to finalize our video and convert it into a file type, ready to show and complete.

I used a still camera to take shots of the ideas that I had that would be eventually used on my digipak, so I had a source for the visual presentation that I would use on my Digipak.

I used Photoshop to begin construction on my digipak and create my four panels. I used the software to use the still pictures that I had created and put effects, text and other information on it, which would make it stand out as a regular album digipak. Dafont and other font websites helped me find a wide variety of fonts, then the usual, general ones that are available on the computer, and I was able to pick one that would fit my theme and my general for my visual cover.

For my evaluation process I would upload my music video to websites like Blogspot, youtube and social networking sites, to advertise the video and get feedback from various people on what they liked and did not like about the video. I would propose questions to them in which I would ask questions on specific moments and things such as themes, plot, camera angles, and what they thought stood out, and what things they could pick out by the work I have done on it.

Question 2

How Effective Is The Combination Of Your Main Product With Ancillary Texts?

After the main product was completed and editing the music video, the next task at hand was to look into, and research various album covers and magazine advertisements, for these albums, within our genre.

As noted before, one of the biggest influences for me in this particular genre is Mumford and sons, due to the fact that they are the main folk band in contemporary music, today. But not just this, the band have conveyed many connotations, representations and conventions of folk, which are helpful focus points in the making of our project. One of their videos, ‘Winter Winds’ was also an encouragement, which helped me in the making, planning and editing of my music video.

I had to create a digipak (just like a CD set), which showed true representations of my genre, which the audience and I can relate to. I had to take into the considerations of things like location, theme and most visuals.

Panel 1 – My front cover of my panel, straight away draws to the title of the song, ‘Paper people’. Instead of basing the cover on the artist and the visual of the artist, I decided to go in depth on the music and the meaning of songs and titles. This way I could be creative with what I presenting to the audience. The paper people stand in a general fashion in front of a cornfield, which is an iconic connotation of the folk genre, where the greenery and earthiness keeps to the theme of freedom, which I have incorporated onto the cover. I have essentially, created my own separate world away from the music video, (which is separately to one song) and the artist in it, which the whole video and production is based around, and the themes of love and separation. Here, it’s a world for the band and the artist, focusing on that one song on the album ‘paper people’, and giving the audience a questioning feel of this completely separate area. I’m giving the audience a sneak peek on another lifestyle and these little peoples home, which could be insinuated as make believe. The font which is called ‘Zapfino’, keeps the design simple and easy and minimalistic to understand, as I didn’t want a bright or crazy font which is eye catching and bold, which draws you into the writing, instead of the picture. The simpleness and easiness fits in with the genre, and the picture as a whole is sophisticated, as we want to keep an easy sense that the audience can relate to. The picture is bold and simple together however, where there is no deep meaningful suggestion to the cover which represents an ‘extreme’ lifestyle or an over the top connotation of the band/artist.

Inside Left and Right – Keeping the visual with the paper people and the earthy background. On this panel, we only have one paper person to focus on, instead of having all of them on another panel again. I also put the lyrics to one of the songs, which of course again is a paper person. With the lyrics and the paper people side by side, we create a bold representation of the genre and mostly the song title of ‘paper people’, which is a play on with words. Here, we are just focusing on the song title alone with the lyrics, and an example of the song title, making the audience aware of what the song title is about.

As the left panel is more focused on the song title, the right panel focuses more on the artist we see in the video. Putting the picture of the artist on the pack at all shows, that I am still incorporating the visual of the music video, together, with the art of the songs and music of the album cover. I have taken a slight twist on the picture however, by turning it more creative. It looks like a drawing sketch rather then an actual real picture of the artist in the video. As we see the plain video reels of him in the video, which alone takes a real life take on the artist and his partner, incorporating the themes of love. On the cover however, it looks like from an audience perspective that the artist has imagined what his protagonist and character looks like, and this is the visual the band drew and thought of, of what they would base there song and plot around. I had a picture of the protagonist who is in the music video, and mixed around with levels, contrasts and situation and created an effect called ‘cut out’ which, creates a cubed, painting like picture.

Even with the picture like this, you can see that he is playing the guitar in the picture; once again I have taken a connotation of the folk genre and incorporated it into my picture. We can also the location of the cornfield behind the character, showing that I have not shone away from the representations of my genre. This panel of the character, will be under the CD cover, which therefore I didn’t choose to have any writing on it. 
So, I am still keeping the artist and the artwork of my album on separate panels, as they are two different worlds that I don’t want to intertwine.

Back Cover – On my last cover, I have the paper people once again to finish it off, and include all the other songs, that would be on the album, I also have copyright notes on the edge of it as well. To try and not make the panel the same as the front cover, out of the various shots that I took, I found that this shot was one of my favorites as I have introduced another paper person, hanging by one of the plants, which gives the impression that there more of these people that i am trying to convey. This bolds out once again the world in which I was talking about earlier, in the front cover, that I am giving the audience once again a sneak peak into this ‘make believe’ world, this one is slightly different however, as the angle of the shot, that I took it in, is slightly tilted, and the I also lowered the brightness and contrast so it’s a little darker than the front cover. I did this, as on the back panel as it is the last panel on the digipak, I am creating a ‘goodbye’ sort of mood, as it is a goodbye from the artist, the band, and the paper people, that I have created, and it is a sort of thank you from the band for picking up and buying the album. This is where the differentiation is between the back cover and the front cover so they don’t look similar, and by also keeping the conventions and connotations of the genre which was present on the front cover, such as the location (cornfield) and the meaning (wishing well, paper people).

Panel Back Cover

Panel Inside Right Cover

This Panel will be under the CD

Panel Inside Left Cover

Panel Front Cover

Question 1

In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop Or Challenge Forms And Conventions Or Real Media Products?

We used various representations and conventions for our genre. Most of them had to be based around the folk genre.

This representation is showed through out the piece of video, and is shown through self-reflection of the character and the journey of the protagonist.

First off, one of the main focus’ that indicate our genre was the costume. The various pieces of costume we used were boots, waistcoats and floral shirts. These are one of the common visuals that we see throughout the videos as this shows the identity that the artist is trying to convey. It’s also what the main protagonist wears, throughout the video.  It gives the video a rural field and, that the audience is expecting to see, nature scenery and get lured in, to this love story plot. We also had to include this love story into the plot and make it clear to the audience what was happening from the beginning, until the end. We make this clear by including a lot of shots of the couple together, and also shots of the couple apart so we can show the differentiation between these, and so we can also create separate moods of loneliness and happiness that the audience can grasp while they are watching the video. The costume, takes a copy from folk videos such as Mumford and Sons and Bob Dylan, the costume of the character takes a sophisticated twist to his personality, which reflects my target audience. I was aiming to appeal to a demographic of C1 – C2 males and females, aged between 25 – 30, as they are prime examples of people who are in a middle class lifestyles and are not in too extreme classes. This may be people who take a dip into certain lifestyles, but don’t make it their motive to be in an extreme identity group, its just expected of their background.

Some examples of shots that we highlighted are, shots of the protagonist either, walking down the side of a river or playing a guitar. These shots are more referred to the section of the audience who are commonly used to conventions of ‘contemporary’ folk, such as a younger audience, whoa re used to old types of music being brought back up onto the music scene, such as country rock or folk. The various uses of the artist playing the guitar in a cornfield is a very clear indication of our genre taking an influence from the famous Mumford and Sons video, ‘Winter Winds’, as they are a band in our genre. We took a lot of influence from this particular video, such as features and aspects of the background scenery, as it was seen quite a lot that rural areas and big open spaces of fields and places, seem to take a dominate place, in the folk videos. The chair that is dragged along in the field by the protagonist is also a trait that I take from the video. These visuals usually take the form of representing freedom or creating a new world, which looks ideal to the audience. Along with the costume, the character gives of a sense of individuality and the audience get so see him to whatever he wants, in this world that we have created for him.

The research I did into the video (the identity and the genre conventions) helped me to plan out visually, what I was going to do, and the forms that need to be included into the video to make it fit it into a genre. Such as analysing videos myself that were in my musical genre.

The female in my video is seen less then the protagonist male, but is seen in the video, as the counterpart to the male. She wears a red coloured jacket, and it stands out in the piece (contrasting to the background of the rural areas) as the colour of red is used to symbolise the theme of love, which is present throughout. It also gives the audience the impression the character will have an important role in the video, due to her being bolded more then the male character.

The music video fits into Goodwin’s theory of music video analysis, where he states that there is a particular rule where there is a relationship between the music and the visuals on screen of a music video. Examples of this in our video are at the beginning of the video when the protagonist picks up his phone and sees he has a missed call, from his girlfriend. At this point the music starts and kicks in at this moment. Another moment would be at the start of the chorus, when the music is upbeat, and the tempo is quite fast, we see a lot of travelling and walking around, and scene changes to particular locations, this is when there is just instrumental music opening up the piece to the audience. However, as soon as the song kicks into the chorus, the tempo slows down and we hear a slow rhythm section to the music and the lyrics beginning to be sung, as a visual point, we are focused on one particular scene and location, and it is off the protagonist walking down the street singing the lyrics as if he is the artist. This is the show in differentiation of the music and visuals and how they match. There is also an emotional piece of the song, when the character begins to break the chair as we see his emotions come full surface of his actions showing a different mental state of mind with the character in the video. The changing narrative here shows his extreme change in his emotions bringing all the events into one moment, making the tense of the song being at this particular moment.

The locations we used are very rural and agricultural. This especially is shown when the protagonist is walking through fields and we see the look of fields, trees, and forests. The scenery and the visuals are going to bold out the videos narrative, so it gives a fresh feel to the background, for the audience to look at. This relates to our target audience, as these are some of the traits that the audience will be able to identify with the genre we are displaying for them.

Lastly, the locations we used are very rural and agricultural. This especially is shown when the protagonist is walking through fields and we see the look of fields, trees, and forests. The scenery and the visuals are going to bold out the videos narrative, so it gives a fresh feel to the background, for the audience to look at. This relates to our target audience, as these are some of the traits that the audience will be able to identify with the genre we are displaying for them.