Evaluation Question 1: In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop or Challenge Forms and Conventions of Real Media Products?

This is the link to my music video which has been uploaded to YouTube.



A location we used within our music video is a rather run-down and industrial area of Norwich named Anglia Square. This location uses the convention of 'location' found within music videos of metal/rock genre bands.
By using these conventions within our music video we are able to let the audience relate to the artist, in this case The Upgrade. The convention of using run-down and rough areas within metal is because the metal genre originates from the northern region of England which was an incredibly industrias area. The crunching guitar, aggressive vocals and heavy bass lines are originally inspired from the noises which the factory machines used to make. When thousands of people were put out of jobs they were furious when they became dis-enfranchised. These angry young men turned to music to have a voice of the people and to get their points across. The 'metal' genre is about rebellious and anarchistic youth. An artist within the same genre of metal who uses the same conventions of location within their music video is 'Bullet for my Valentine'. Especially their newly released single 'Riot'. This music video is embedded below:

There are several instances of the convention of location used within Bullet for my Valentine's music video. They are using the conventions of location in the genre to be able to relate with their audience yet it also matches the style of music they are playing. It is a genre convention which they are utilising effectively.

 My music video has used the convention of location in the same way. Some screen shots are taken from the production to display the use of convention within our production.

Here is a screenshot from my music video. It shows the band running through an underpass with multiple pieces of graffiti on the wall. On top of this shot is a shot of a large industrial building through thick steel bars. These vertical lines/bars which are super-imposed over this image could represent jail or prison bars. This fits well with the genre since the 'metal' genre is about anarchy and causing trouble, i.e. rebelling against the status quo of society and its boundaries.

A film which also inspired this thought of using the vertical bars as a way of fore-shadowing events is Terry Windsor's 'Essexs Boys'. The clip where the vertical bars are used is in the opening seen when a young man named Billy Reynolds is driving through the Dartford Tunnel. The lights on the roof of the tunnel reflect on the windscreen as vertical lines slowly moving across the screen. A screen shot of this moment is seen below.

  The costumes of the performers was a very important aspect that required an abundance of research into the genre and fan base of the 'metal' genre. We have used the convention of costume and clothes within our music video. The 'dress code' within metal is incredibly precise. Research showed that leather is a popular item of clothing within the metal genre. Wearing leather is a sign of rebelling against the norms of society and started as a trend in the era of punk (roughly 1975) yet continued its popularity through the eras of hair and glam metal. Some bands similar to The Upgrade who utilise the same dress sense are 'Mötley Crüe' and 
'Skid Row' (pictured below). 



Skid Row

 Solay Elibol (guitarist and lead singer of The Upgrade) is pictured here wearing a leather jacket which uses the convention of costume within the genre. He is also wearing leather trousers which aren't a particular feature of said genre however it could be argued that the colour red reflects the anger within metal thus still fitting the genre conventions.

Sam Sleight (the bassist of The Upgrade) is a big fan of the metal genre with some of his favourite bands being 'Iron Maiden', 'Slipknot', 'Rancid', and 'System Of A Down'. Sam has multiple badges of these bands on the back of the leather jacket which he is wearing in this picture. Again we have used the genre convention by Sam wearing a leather jacket but also accompanying them with black skinny jeans. Skinny jeans originate and became the most popular (within the genre of rock and metal) in the 1990's in glam metal bands such as 'Poison', 'Mötley Crüe', 'Kiss' and Bon Jovi'.

Nick Upton (drummer of The Upgrade) is pictured wearing a black coat with a checkered red and white shirt underneath. This style of shirt is popular in the country and western genre and not necessarily metal however this could influence the bands style of music and the diversity they display in their particular sound.

In terms of narrative structure my music video does not have an example of a flashback or a flashforward. Instead it uses the aspect of performance as a side narrative to the other parts ofeo. Andrew Goodwin's theory suggests that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. This means that in a music video for a track in the 'pop' genre, a convention which is likely to be used is a dance routine etc. However because a genre characteristic of metal/rock music videos is an element of performance we have included it so it fills the genre characteristics. Below are some shots from my music video demonstrating the performance aspect which has been utilised.

In terms of print production, I have also used the normal conventions by having a standard 4 panel CD case. This is a common feature in the music industry but is also a popular one because this format is what the public (the audience) is familiar and comfortable with. 

This uses the normal conventions of CD production instead of challenging it by having a 6 panel, fold out CD package. Other conventions I have used is by having the bands name on the front of the CD case and also having the track list on the back. Again this is standard practice.

Evaluation Question 2: How Effective Is The Combination Of Your Main Product With Ancillary Text?

My music video has been especially designed to mix the two aspects of the band: the fun loving side and that they are actually serious about their music. This is achieved through the use of performance and the use of out-takes giving the video a slightly humourous side.

My print productions are relevant to the the music video because Panels 1, 2 and 4 are stills taken directly from the music video. This is incredibly appropriate because fans will be able to see the intertextual reference between the album art and the music video. This makes an audience feel clever and as if they are true/ loyal fans creating a certain status about themselves. This also fits into the theory of collective identity for they will be able to feel welcome amongst other fans of The Upgrade. It could be argued that Maslowe's Hierarchy of Needs is relevant here as fans will fit into the level of 'love/belonging' with their beliefs, views and values. (Maslowes hierarchy pictured below).

I believe I have created a coherent promotional package. In the digipack there is the use of such editing techniques as black and white, crossfading/ layering and yet is still relevant to the band. My digipack is posted below from Panel 1 through to 4.



Panel 1




Panel 2




Panel 3




Panel 4





Magazine Advert



There is a variety of different colours and none of the panels seem to draw too much attention away from the others. The typeface used within the digipack is simple standard font. This again is to make sure it is easy to read yet is eye catching if it were in a shop for example.When it is on a shelf in a shop it will be wrapped in cellophane thus the customer will only be able to view panels 1 and 4 (front and back). The writing is white which contrasts well to the black its written upon. Combining this with the neutral typeface means that it is easy to read quickly.

In terms of relating to Andrew Goodwins' theory, the band does not have any strong recurring visual motifs apart from their logo and style of music. The Upgrade have a style influenced by many genres from metal to funk yet their logo is the strongest image of the band. I have included their logo at the top of panel 4.

The target magazine that my magazine advert would appear in is strongly founded ones such as 'NME' and 'Kerrang!' magazine. These magazines specialise in creating publicity for rock and metal bands such as 'Bullet for my Valentine', 'Slipknot' and 'Green Day' through the process of reviews of newly released albums and concerts, interviews, merchandise, advertising and special features etc. 'The Upgrade' fit into the genre of metal and rock plus they are a new up and coming band with a lot of potential making them interesting to a large magazine helping new bands get into the industry by creating attention around them to the readers of their magazine.

Another rock/ metal band whose cover art relates to a released music video of theirs is 'GreenDay's '21st Century Breakdown'. The album cover is posted below:

The album cover keeps to the genre of rock/ metal by using the dark colours with the red connoting the anger of metal/rock yet could also represent love and passion since the main image on the cover is a young couple kissing. It has the style of graffitti which will help relate to their target audience demographic of young people aged roughly 15 - 24. However the album may be popular in the slightly older demographic because 'Greenday' formed in 1987 so have been playing for 26 years. Track 16 on this album is called '21 guns' and there is a screenshot which has been taken from the music video and manipulated to form the cover art.

I have used the same method of taking a screenshot from the music video, manipulating the colour hue and contrast levels and using it for Panel 1. The main colours used within my digipack

 

Panel 1

The shot which was originally taken from the video is below:



Evaluation Question 3: What Have You Learned From Your Audience Feedback?

Evaluation Question 4: How Did You Use Media Technologies in the Construction and Research, Planning and Evaluation Stages?

I am going to split this question into four main topics of discussion. These being 'Research', 'Planning', 'Construction' and 'Evaluation'.

Research

The use of certain websites was incredibly helpful when searching for a new, unsigned, British artist. I researched extensively to find a band who was also local to Norwich, UK due to the fact I thought it would be more of a realistic portrayal of the bands music and personality if they starred in the music video themselves. I used websites such as 'BBC Introducing's website (a part of the BBC who help young local bands to gain attention and even airtime on a hour long radio show once a week at 8pm every Saturday. The link to their website is below.)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p010j8y5

Another use of online media, such as websites, to find aspiring bands are concert venue websites listing the coming shows within the near future. In Norwich, Norfolk, UK these are such sites as the UEA (University of East Anglia) ticket booking website. Down the right hand side of this web page are links to other venues around the county.
http://www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk/

To learn more about the band and acquire their logo design etc I discovered they have a website which I visited frequently during the research period of this project. It allowed me to quickly access some of their other songs, a biography of the band, photos, upcoming news and a contact address of either an email address or a social networking site fan-page. The URL is posted below:
http://theupgrade2011.moonfruit.com/

One of the most important websites that has been used throughout this project is 'YouTube'. 'YouTube' allows anyone to immediately access bands music videos and useful resources such as links to the bands official website. I have used several videos from YouTube and embedded them within my blog. This adds another dimension to presenting my work instead of a large amounts of text. This makes it more interesting for the audience reading my blog.

Social networking sites are incredibly helpful in terms of researching my target audience. By using websites such as 'Facebook.com', 'Twitter.com' and 'Tumblr.com' and even the music database 'Spotify' I was able to effectively research my audience across a range of topics such as their favourite bands, what style of clothes they wear, what brands they like, what hobbies they may have etc. After gathering information about which demographic (age, gender, culture etc) my music video would appeal to most I could then start to shape my first drafts of my music video and print productions. The demographic which was the main target audience of my productions are young males aged roughly 16-24 years old of white, British origin. This target audience was chosen after broad research into the genre of rock and metal. I have a previous post on my blog with this research included. Follow this link to read it.
http://jameswa2mediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-origins-of-metal-genre.html

Planning

The process of planning the music video allowed me to consider certain aspects such as location. I went out with a stills camera and took pictures of possible locations to then review at a later date and get possible feedback from my tutor to then develop my ideas further. This was successful and I used one of the locations I had previously researched. Below is a link to a post discussing this location and its potential due to it fitting the genre conventions.

http://jameswa2mediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/possible-location-shots.html

I researched popular clothing within the genre and allocated rough guide-lines of costume to the band before going out on a shoot so there was no delays. A post of mine on costume is linked below:
http://jameswa2mediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/actors-costume-within-music-video.html

I research music videos of bands which are a similar genre/style to 'The Upgrade' to see if there were any visual trends amongst the music videos. The way I did this was by watching such channels as 'MTV Rocks' and 'Scuzz Television'. In Question 1 of this evaluation I discuss the conventions of genre relating to location, costume and generic trends which occurred within this genre's music videos.

Constructing

In terms of constructing the music video and print productions (filming/shooting and editing) there were several technological devices used.
The first was a digital camera. This was a 'Cannon HD Digital Handheld Video Camera' and because it was a digital camera recording directly onto an SD card, we were able to review raw footage on the shoot to decide whether or not it was satisfactory and worthy of keeping for later editing.

SD Card

Another example of the technologies used is the computer which the music video was edited on and the software. The software which was used was 'Premiere Pro'. By using this software I was able to apply certain visual effects to the video enhancing the engagement with the audience when they will watch the music video. I used a number of different effects within my music video. These are listed with examples below.

Cross-fades. These are not a common feature within music videos of a rock/metal genre however it helps to keep the pace of the video fast and interesting to the audience. 

Reverse Shot. Another effect used is reversing shots. This is simply playing a shot backwards which can lead to some interesting effects and visuals. Here we see a young man breathing out a breath of smoke from a cigarette yet played backwards it looks as if he is inhaling it all.

 

 

Black and White. The third effect used within the video is switching a colour in black and white/ greyscale. This can be used to show difference between periods of time in terms of a flash back or to make certain shots look menacing. I have used it here to make this graffiti covered, derelict building look more menacing and intimidating.

Sped Up Shots. The blur in this still is due to the pace at which it is moving due to it being a sped up shot. This effect was used to make the video seem to have a fast pace to match the fast shots and quick transitions I have utilised. It creates a hectic tone to the video as well which is a convention I was wanting to achieve because it fits with the genre conventions.

Super Imposing. Finally, the effect below is called 'super-imposition' which involves blending two shots or images on top of one another creating this kind of effect.

The programme I used to produce the digi-pack was Photoshop. Below are some screenshots of the on going project with captions explaining how I arrived at the finished product.

Firstly there is Panel 3 of my CD case. Originally to the right hand side of the band was an image of a blind man painted onto the wall as seen below in the first still. 

However in the final version of Panel 3 he is replaced with a soldier holding a metal detector with the phrase "Life is a Mine Field" next to him. To achieve this I had to fade out the image of the blind man and replace him with the soldier. This took a large amount of time to then blend and smudge the edges so it was not apparent that it had been edited and looked professional. 

 The original image for the magazine advert had a strong yellow tone to it (this was due to the lighting when the picture was taken). To take this 'yellow-ness' out I decreased the yellows in the hue/saturation option.

  This is what the photo looked like with a very weak yellow hue concentration. After discussion with my tutor we decided that it looked too bland and plain. I suggested maybe bringing the yellows back in but not as strongly to give it a sense of character and maybe the idea of a slightly sepia filter-finish over it.

This is the end product which as you can see has a sepia tone to it yet it is not overpowering the other colours. The poster stands out well yet the colours are all subtle and not sickly due to their brightness/ concentration. 

 Panel 4 of the digi-pack took a lot of manipulating to create the desired effect. The brick wall on the original image was simply too bright and pink. This did not fit with the genre conventions at all. I wanted to drain the colour out of the picture slightly yet still keep the band members highlighted and in full colour and the main article of the panel.

To achieve this at first I brought the 'reds' down in the mixture of colours however this made the band members look grey and un-exciting. I copied the layer so I had two versions of it. I took the colour down in one yet this kept the band members untouched. This makes the scene they are in dingy and unpleasant. Again this fits with the genre convention thus making it a success in terms of fitting the requirements.

Technology helps to offer new opportunities and the chance for creativity.For example if you take an image and import it into Photoshop there are endless amounts of different combinations of effects, filters and colour tools you can apply to the image. Even if the end result was unplanned it still allows the user to discover the potential to create an appealing image. Even technology on handheld camera's such as the zoom feature (which is now a universal feature and a 'must have' to on every camera) allows directors and even amateur film makers to add a whole other dimension to their product.
New technology helps a producer connect with their audience through such mediums as social networking sites i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Bebo and Tumblr. Relationships between producers and audiences are getting more instant and intimate due to the speed of the internet and a clip could be only for only a couple of minutes yet 50,000 people for example could have viewed it within an instant.

Evaluation
Technology has helped greatly in terms of evaluating my work due to certain things such as being able to insert stills of images whether its a screenshot of a video clip or of a music video (as used in my 'Origins of metal' post). This helps me to be able to compare videos and images with others justifying my choices so everything is clear as to why I have certain things. By being able to embed video's within my blog it makes the blog more user friendly and easier to navigate. This feature has been most helpful when trying to compare music videos of the same genre because instead of having to describe them I can visually display them side by side.
In question 3 of this evaluation I display that one of the methods I used to collect audience feedback is by using the social network site of Facebook. This is extremely helpful because it helps to give another aspect to the research yet also allows a different and slightly younger demographic to review the video. The comments on the video are also free-verse meaning they are not bound by the questions I asked and are free and able to give their own opinion.

Completed Music Video

Posted below is my edited and final cut of my music video for local band, The Upgrade.

Completed Digi-pack

Posted below is my completed Digi-pack including the four album panels (posted in the correct order of 1 - 4 in ascending order)

Panel 1

 

Panel 2

Panel 3

Panel 4

Here is my magazine advert.