Research

 
Before I started designing my media products (music video, Digipak and album advert ), I have to determine what conventions of each media product are and what makes those media products so successful. If  find out what the conventions are and evaluate them further, I will then be able to decide which aspects I will include in my media products and which I could develop further. These conventions that I put into my own media products should make them seem more real and professional to my target audience.
'Research into band'
I began researching on the internet to try and find I band that I could base my project on. I was looking for an alternative band with were unsigned. I was finding it difficult to find a band that I particularly liked the music to,  so decided to listen to some songs on Youtube  to get some idea of what type of genre I wanted my music video too be like; this is were I came across the song called ‘Friends’ by The Lake Poets. I chose this song because it sound gentle and soothing when you listen to it, and once you’ve hear it seem to get stuck into you head.
I wanted to know more background information about the band I was going to produce the music video, Digipak and magazine advert for so I did a little more research into the band and found their blog site (www.thelakepoets.blogspot.com) . I found the blog really interesting to read and it gave me an idea of the bands personality and what influence the type of music they play (acoustic folk/indie rock). The blog has helped me be inspired for ideas for my music video, Digipak and magazine advert.
I loved reading the inspiration quotes he had on this blog the most as these quote inspire people to do great things with their lives i.e. “Life begins at the end of you comfort zone” and “You only have one life to do whatever you want with. In 100 years nobody will remember the stupid mistakes you’ve made, so make a fool of yourself while you still have a chance because if you spend all you life trying to be the coolest kid around, you will never be happy with yourself”. I also enjoyed reading the nice reviews that magazines and radios gave about the band and this was another factor that persuaded me to chose this band to produce a music video, Digipak and magazine advert for i.e. “Beautiful, delicate acoustic styling’s. This band will go far” – NARC magazine and “The music from the lake poets provides everything you could ever want from an acoustic musician. The song are laden with fabulous lyrics, subtle finger plucked guitar melodies, and tender vocals” – Amazing radio.
'Music video analysis' (Offspring – ‘The kids aren’t alright’)

Goodwins Conventions

Goodwin says that music videos  have 6 conventions;
  • A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, where the visuals match the lyrics.
  • A relationship between the music and the visuals, where the visuals match the music.
  • Close-ups of main artist
  •  Features that can be related to the Genre.
  • Intertextual references.
  • Voyeurism.
However not all of these conventions are found in every music video but there tends to be a pattern


'The information below is what is said in the video clip'
"The Offspring is an American punk rock band, formed in 1986. The music videos for this band are predominantly dreamlike and surreal; and this is what makes their music videos stand out from others. Examples are ‘The kids aren’t alright’, ‘your gunna go far kid’, and ‘Pretty fly for a white guy’.
‘The kids aren’t alright’ is a punk rock song; despite not being as commercially successful as its predecessor singles, the song still remains the most listened to Offspring song and still receives radio play after many years of been released. The music video features a room with a background that alternates between abandonment and family activity at different times. In the centre of the room, there are scenes of various persons, doing stereotypical things and moves of their age, gender or social standing; the band members are also depicted. The camera pans around the room and this is when the changing of people happens.

The background can be seen shifting between two time frames, one where the scene is the past, and the other scenes are in future, where things are new and modern. The music video has clear connection to the song lyrics ‘when we were young the future was so bright’ and the overall feeling of the song to be looking to what has happened since. It is cynical representation of cynical lyrics.
The Offspring music video ‘The kids aren’t alright’ is a dreamscape style music video which consist of dreamlike scenes that have surreal qualities. The dreamscape style lasts for the whole duration of the music video. The dreamscape style is about life from beginning to end; this shows what different lives people can lead depending on their life choices (dream/reality).

The lighting and colour in the music video scenes subverts the music stereotype, Goodwin suggests that the audience have expectations of the rock genre characteristics. We would expect the music video to be mainly performance based using dark colours in the scenes and using dim lights in the background of the scenes however this isn’t the case in this music video as the music video mainly follows a narrative. The band members are shown a few times during the music video, however it is less frequent than we would expect to see for a puck rock band music video. The reason for this could be that they are well established or more likely, could be because the CGI is the ‘selling point’ of the videos."
'Prelim experiment'

For the preliminary task I had to plan and create a music video for any song of my choice. I decided to work in a group, as I thought it would be better as we would be able to come up with more ideas for the music video, hopefully producing a good outcome. We picked a song that we both liked which was ‘Time Warp’ we felt that it would be interesting and fun song to produce a music video for.  Then we started planning the music video and whether it would be performance based music video or a narrative based music video or perhaps both. We used a storyboard to planning out what would be happening during the scenes of the music video, also on the storyboard we labelled camera angle shots and camera movements that we would use in the music video scenes; this would help us when filming our footage because we would have an idea of what footage we needed when filming. Planning also included knowing shot locations, who was in the video i.e. models, getting props together and keeping organised to a tight time frame so that we finished to the deadline. The preliminary task helped use gain experience when filming footage i.e. making sure that the footage is focused and steady, this would make the outcome look more professional looking to the audience of the music video. Also it helped me gain some experience when editing the footage for the music video; this helped me learn the best way to edit footage and use effects to make the footage better i.e. transitions – crossfade, jump cut etc. we edited the footage on movie maker, this was an easy program to use and I used internet ‘how to’ to learn how to use the program to its best abilities.
I think that the overall outcome of the preliminary task as poor as I felt that there could be much improvement made to make the outcome better and if I was asked to do the preliminary task again I would change many aspects. At first I thought I was a good idea to work as apart of a group however when the time came to plan and film the music video, we had different ideas of what we wanted the end outcome to look like, this made it hard to come to join decisions about the music video and what our ideas were. We then decided to do a mixture of group ideas and I felt that the overall end outcome didn’t look as good because of this, so I have decided that for my A2 advanced portfolio I am going to work by myself this means I can use my own ideas, and if the final outcome is poor then this is of my own doing. However even though I felt that the outcome was poor, I still think that some of the footage i.e. use of different camera angles and camera movements was good as I felt we had used a range of these during the music video. Another problem with the music video is that is doesn’t look like a professional music video, as most of the footage is taken in the school area, and this can be seen on the footage making it look less music video style looking. In my A2 advanced portfolio I will make sure I take footage of lots of different locations to make the music video seem more professional. Another problem is that some of the footage is off time and doesn’t fit in with the lyrics of the song, making the music video seem less professional looking, however when making my A2 music video I will make sure that I edit my footage to make sure the lyrics is in time with the music of my chosen song.


Feedback  - People though the overall music video was okay, however with some improvements could be better. They liked the style of a narrative based music video, this would be something I would consider doing for my A2 music video. They felt that the music video was full of different ideas however this made the music video look unprofessional. They liked the fact that I had so many different models involved with the music video. They felt as if the music was off time with the lyrics making the music video seem less professional to the audience watching it. I will consider all these improvements and will use this useful feedback to make my A2 advanced media music video even better than my preliminary task music video and the experience and knowledge I have learnt during making the prelim task music video will help me in creating a better music video.
'Audience profile'
An audience profile is economic characteristics (i.e. disposable income, car ownership, home ownership, etc.) and social characteristics (i.e. lifestyle, leisure activities, buying patterns) of the listenership, readership, or the viewership of a particular advertising medium.
The picture below is my audience profile - this gives you visual ideas of what sorts of people that my music video is aimed at by looking at the images.

My audience profile: Overview
  • Female – 70%
  • Male – 30%
  • ABC1 
  • Aged between – 16 to 21
Life style:
  • Will regularly attend music concerts
  • Listen to ‘rock/indie rock/ alternative/ acoustic folk’ genre of music daily
  • Regular access to the internet, frequently using social networking websites,youtube and ITunes
  • Have emphasis on fashion regularly buying modern clothing and gadgets including music equipment
  • Like to stay away from the mainstream music
  • Regularly socialise with friends
  • Have high career aspirations
In terms of appearance, my male target audience wear denim jeans usually black or navy in colour, plain and printed t-shirts, chequered shirts, hoodies with are usually black in colour, trainers or plimsoll shoes, and have a typically casual look. The female members of my target audience would wear floral dresses, denim jackets, jeans, leggings, tights, and Toms shoes. However both males and females take consideration on their appearance when socialising with friends. They value highly their  independent and personal strength. They also highly value their social lives. Being out with friends, making new friends and developing relationships is a big part of their lives.

Their ambitions include going to university and becoming successful in the career they are inspired to do. Musical members of the target audience want to become famous to perform, record and tour the world learning new and exciting styles of cultural music. They also are interested in travelling, both around the UK and around the world and experiencing different cultures. They’d define themselves against celebs such as  Justin Timberlake, Ben Drew and P Diddy but find role models in Ed Sheeran and Robbie Williams due to their success and passion for their work.

Their favourite sites are Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, ITunes. Their choice of TV and film are usually American, and E4 is a favourite channel because of programs such as Friends, How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory, which reflect how socialising is a large part of their lives. As well as this, T4 and 4 Music represent their interests in music. Mainstream American comedy films are favourites to, such as the Hangover and Due date.
 'Copy of permission letter'
This is my permission letter I wrote to ‘The Lake Poets’ asking for there permission to use one of their songs (called ‘Window sill') to create a music video, Digipak and Magazine advert for. I used my skills to research into the band finding an email address on their blog  (http://thelakepoets.blogspot.com), and then I sent the letter through and email to them, and i am awaiting a reply.  

'Dear The Lake Poets,
I’m Christine Bell and I am currently studying A Levels at St Bede’s sixth form in Lanchester. In media, I have to create a music video for a song, and I was wondering if It would be okay if I could use one of your songs to do this. I want to use the song ‘Friends’ for my music video. Please let me know as soon as possible if you have any concerns about me using this song. My email address is 05bell.c@stbedeslanchester.co.uk.
Thank you for your help with this matter and I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours Thankfully,
 Christine Bell'

                                 'Research into Digipaks'


Key conventions of Digipaks are:
Front – artist name, album name, image that links to artist/theme/genre, review
Spine – name of the album, bands logo, matching colour scheme
Back – bar code, track list, copyright, contract information (websites), reviews, image, band logo or record label
Inside – images of band members, inspirational quotes, song lyrics, thank you messages
Outside (Digipak outer cover) …..
Artist name – The artist name is always on the front outer of the Digipak. Artist name is usually in bold lettering on the front of the Digipak so that it can be easily recognised on a shop shelf buy target audience. The font style usually fits in with the colour scheme and key layout of the Digipak; this is what makes it look more professional.
Album name – The album name is always on the front outer of the Digipak. The album name is usually in bold lettering on the front of the Digipak so that it can be easily recognised on a shop shelf buy target audience. The font style usually fits in with the colour scheme and key layout of the Digipak; this is what makes it look more professional.
Bar code – The bar code is always on the back outer of the Digipak. The bar code usually is at the bottom of the Digipak; the bar code has been put onto the Digipak so that the Digipak can be sold in retail store i.e. supermarkets or music stores.
Song titles (track list) – The track list is always on the back out of the Digipak. This is so the target audience can pick the Digipak up and read the track list on the back to see what songs the band has produced and to see whether they like any of the songs that are on the track list to persuade them to buy the Digipak. The font style usually fits in with the colour scheme and key layout of the Digipak and the front is usually quite a big size that that the target audience can easily read the track list; this is what makes it look more professional.
Image on front & back (image links to artist/theme/genre of music) – The image on the front and back usually links in with either artist, theme or genre of music. The image would have been manipulated so that the lighting and colour will reflect a mood that the band wants you to feel when listening to the songs; also the images can reflect the type of genre of music the band is by the props or posture they use in the image i.e. rock, indie, acoustic folk etc.
Record label (either name or logo) – The record labels or band logos are usually found on the back outer of the Digipak. If the band is not signed they will usually have there own band logo which will be used on the Digipak instead of record labels. However if the band are signed the record labels that they are signed by will be on the back of the Digipak. This lets the target audience know whether the band are signed or not signed and gives them an idea of whether the band is well known or not.
Copyright – Copyright is usually on the back outer of the Digipak. A copyright is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to the creator of an original work or their assignee for a limited period of time upon disclosure of the work. This includes the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work. In this case the copyright will protect the bands logos/record labels, tracks, layout/style of Digipak and any contents that are within the Digipak itself.
Colour scheme/key layout/ font style – The colour scheme/key layout/ front style is on the entire Digipak. The colour scheme used normally represents the genre of music or the band i.e. dark colours for rock genre or bright colours for indie genre; also the colour scheme can set the mood that they want the target audience to feel when listening to the music on the Digipak. The same font style is usually used on the entire Digipak this makes it look more professional looking to the target audience. The layout usually links in to what other music Digipaks have used so that they can be easily recognisable to the target audience that it is a music Digipak for a band.
Contact information (usually websites) – The contact information can be either on the front outer of the Digipak or the back outer of the Digipak. The contract information is in the form of a website which could be a website about the band or website were you can buy the Digipak from. The text used is quite small and the font style is the same that has been used on the entire Digipak so it all links together to look professional.
Reviews (usually from magazine i.e. mojo or uncut) – The reviews can be either on the front outer of the Digipak or the back outer of the Digipak. This is so they target audience can clearly see it if they pick the Digipak up. Reviews help the target audience to come to a decision whether the band is good or bad by the reviews they have. Reviews are usually made by well known magazines i.e. Uncut or Mojo (it’s usually a magazine that links in with the genre of the music the band have).

Some examples -


Inside (Digipak inner cover)…..
Inspirational quotes by band (not always in Digipaks) – Inspirational quotes aren’t always in the inner covers of the Digipak; it’s really the bands choice whether to put inspirational quotes in on the inner covers. Inspiration quote could be by the band itself or a quote that the band find inspirational to themselves. The text used is quite small and the font style is the same that has been used on the entire Digipak so it all links together to look professional.
Song lyrics for band songs (not always in the Digipaks) – song lyrics aren’t always in the inner covers of the Digipak; it’s really the bands choice whether to put song lyrics in on the inner covers. The song lyrics are taken from songs that are on the Digipak, these could be lyrics that the band finds important to them and want to share them with their target audience. The text used is quite small and the font style is the same that has been used on the entire Digipak so it all links together to look professional.
Images of band members (usually two large images) – Two large images would be in the inner Digipak; these images would normally be of the band members. The images would have been manipulated so that the lighting and colour will reflect a mood that the band wants you to feel when listening to the songs; also the images can reflect the type of genre of music the band is by the props or posture they use in the image i.e. rock, indie, acoustic folk etc.
Thank you messages for band members (not always in Digipaks) – Thank you message aren’t always in the inner covers of the Digipak, it’s really the bands choice whether they want to put thank you messages in. its normally just a thank you message to their friends, people that have inspired them or people that have helped them during their music career. The text used is quite small and the font style is the same that has been used on the entire Digipak so it all links together to look professional.

Some examples -


 


click on the links below to see digipak anaylsis

Digipak outer cover anaylsis - http://www.flickr.com/photos/61723481@N05/6226178278/in/photostream
'Research into magazine adverts' 

Key conventions of music adverts are:
Contact information, reviews, artist name, album name, awards, image/artwork, image of album cover, release date, band logo/ record company and track single(s)
Contact information (websites or place names where you can buy the album) – The contract information is in the form of a website which could be a website about the band or website were you can buy the Digipak album from. The text used is quite small and the font style is the same that has been used on the entire music advert and also will link to the style used on the Digipak so it all links together to look professional. The same style of font and colour scheme will be used through out the Digipak, music advert and music video so that this shows they all link together.
Reviews from other media (magazines that link to the same genre as the band) – Reviews help the target audience to come to a decision whether the band is good or bad by the reviews they have. Reviews are usually made by well known magazines i.e. Uncut or Mojo (it’s usually a magazine that links in with the genre of the music the band have).
Artist name – Artist name is usually in bold lettering on the music advert so that it can be easily recognised in the magazine by the target audience. The font style usually fits in with the colour scheme and key layout of the music advert and Digipak; this is what makes it look more professional.
Album name – The album name is usually in bold lettering on the music advert so that it can be easily recognised in the magazine by the target audience. The font style usually fits in with the colour scheme and key layout of the music advert and Digipak; this is what makes it look more professional.
Awards – Awards would normally be shown on the music advert; these will be awards that the band has won or been given in recent years. The gives the target audience an idea of how good them band is. The text used is quite small and the font style is the same that has been used on the entire music advert and also will link to the style used on the Digipak so it all links together to look professional.
Image/artwork –The image used for the music advert will reflect the band i.e. links to band/theme/genre of music. The image will be quite big taking up most of the music advert. The image would have been manipulated so that the lighting and colour will reflect a mood that the band wants you to feel when listening to the songs; also the images can reflect the type of genre of music the band is by the props or posture they use in the image i.e. rock, indie, acoustic folk etc.
Image of album cover – The Digipak album cover would be on the music advert to show the target audience what the Digipak album looks like so that they would be able to recognise it quickly on a shop shelf. The image would be quite a large size so that the target audience would be able to see it clearly on the music advert.
Release date – The release date of the bands album will always be on the music advert. This lets the target audience know when the album will be released for them to buy. The text used is quite small and the font style is the same that has been used on the entire music advert and also will link to the style used on the Digipak so it all links together to look professional.
Band logo/ record company – The band logo/ record company logo would normally be found on the music advert for the Digipak album. If the band is not signed they will usually have there own band logo which will be used on the music advert instead of record company’s logo. However if the band are signed the record companies that they are signed by will be on the music advert too. This lets the target audience know whether the band are signed or not signed and gives them an idea of whether the band is well known or not.

Track single(s) – The names of some of the songs maybe on the music advert, this gives the target audience an idea of what songs are on the Digipak album when released. The text used is quite small and the font style is the same that has been used on the entire music advert and also will link to the style used on the Digipak so it all links together to look professional.
click on the link below to see album advert anaylsis http://www.flickr.com/photos/61723481@N05/6826008185/in/photostream
Some examples -

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