Prezi - Analysis

Evaluation - First Draft

Evaluation Questions 1 – 4

Media Studies

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge the forms and conventions of real media products?

Throughout my video, there are numerous examples of the typical conventions and codes   used in existing indie-rock videos. One of these examples is the uses of extreme close-ups, close-ups, medium shots and point of view used on the protagonist throughout a large majority of the video. As the video begins, I have introduced the character through a point of view shot; portraying the characters use of a skateboard, linking the character to the theme of the digipak. Throughout the video, I have used various close-ups of the characters face to allow the viewers to become familiar with his appearance. Mediums shots are also used to observe the characters visual appearance and clothing style – vans shoes, skinny jeans, jacket, slick back hair...etc; all in which represent the genre of the track. These are both examples of the typical conventions used in existing videos within the indie-rock genre. In terms of the editing, each shot is cut or over-layered in sync with the beat of the track, creating a comfortable flow of continuity for the viewers to observe. This again is another example of a typical convention of any existing music video. One of the ways in which I have challenged the conventions and codes of typical indie rock videos is the lack of performance based shots shown used throughout the video. In almost every existing indie-based music video, there is a section throughout the video in which the band is shown to be performing. This is a feature I have left out during the production my video as I felt the narrative would be affected by this – Creating less of an impact on the viewers. I have used four main settings for the video; Staines, Wraysbury, Windsor and his home. I have used a wide variety of locations so that the video can deem realistic, and therefore portray the emotion and mood of the track more strongly to the viewers. Overall, I feel that I have used a large majority of typical Indie Rock video conventions, however I wanted my video to be unique, hence a lot of the ideas were not taken from other existing music videos. The demographic target audience of my media product for men is 30 – 54 years old and for women 13-25 years old. This is because I feel the audience for my music is quite broad, resulting in a wide variation of people having an interest in the genre. This is also because the rock/ indie genre is usually listened to by people of this age; appealing to both the younger and older generations – especially when it is hybridised with rock and roll. Everyone has experienced low points in their life, and this song expresses the emotions shown through depression and sadness. Through the use of Andrew Goodwin’s theory of music video analysis it is visible to see that my music video relates strongly to most of the conventions he identifies. One of these being that my video demonstrates clear genre characteristics that correlate directly with Jake Bugg’s genre of Indie Rock. I have also portrayed a strong relationship between the lyrics and visuals. In Jake Bugg’s previous video for the track “Two Fingers”, this has also been demonstrated clearly through the relationship between the narrative and lyrics.  – VIDEO.

In this video, I found that many of the lyrics were reflected through the images in the video. For example, “I go back to Clifton, to see my old friends”, “I drink to remember, I smoke to forget”, “He’s with my mama, they get into fighting”...etc. Throughout the video, the lyrics are continuously shown through the visuals and I felt that this was an important element for me to portray through my own music video.  I believe that the synchronization between the lyrics and the video is extremely important in that it will help the viewers understand the meaning of the track as well as creating a comfortable viewing.

2) How affective is the combination of your main products and ancillary texts?

I feel that I have portrayed a common theme throughout the process of both my media product and the development of my ancillary tasks. In terms of the poster and digipak, I feel that the genre and theme of the record has been portrayed successfully. It provides a relative perception of the character throughout all three sections of the ancillary tasks. To do this, I took various shots of the different filming locations, compared them and decided upon which shot was the most appealing and suited to the mood of the song. For example, on the cover of the album we have Fernando sitting on the curb with his feet on his skateboard. At the beginning of the video, we are introduced to the protagonist in this location, wearing the same clothing and skateboarding on the road; hence showing a strong relation to the video. This is shown throughout the rest of the digipak – a common them, helping the viewers familiarise themselves with the character portrayed in the song. I felt this worked well as it help the viewers identify the track through the images alone – a stong marketing technique that captures the viewers attention. The protagonist is portrayed in the same way throughout the digipak; depressed and alone, an emotion which links strongly to the track. The colour scheme used throughout both the advert and the digipak are the same, showing colours such as white, maroon and red. I felt these colours worked well with each other, whilst also creating a strong contrast against the chosen background - particularly on the back cover of the digipak. The genre of my music video is Indie Rock/ alternative/ acoustic, portraying many of the traditional stereotypes from the Rock & Roll genre. This is shown widely through the protagonist’s physical image - vans shoes, ear piercing, skinny jeans, dark clothing...etc. In terms of his appearance, I have tried to reflect Jake Bugg’s style through Fernando’s characteristic and clothing style - dressing in the same ways in which he does. I have tried to emulate this image through not only the video but the ancillary texts as well.  I feel I have accomplished this successfully, creating a constant theme/ pattern in terms of the characters appearance; both physically and lyrically.

3) What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

Before filming my media video, I had discussed with my media professional the idea of making the video completely narrative based, so that the audience would be able to capture the full emotion of the character. As my chosen track perceives a high level of emotion through the lyrics and visuals, I knew that the acting would be crucial towards the overall outcome. Thankfully, I managed to find someone with a strong understanding towards the character I wanted to portray.  Having shared my finished draft of my video with my class colleagues, their feedback provided me with an even balance of points which they felt went well, and areas that they felt needed to be improved. My class colleagues felt the character was portrayed strongly, and that the narrative on the whole was a success. They agreed that there was a good balance of shot variations, keeping them interested and intrigued to watch on towards the end. These are points which both my colleagues and media professionals agreed with; leaving very little room to improve in terms of the editing. One of the points in which I needed to improve on was the portrayal of the story. Towards the end of the video, a majority of my colleagues became confused as to the characters appearance throughout the video. Because I had used numerous over the shoulder shots on the protagonist at the beginning of the video, it created a false perception of another character. As the video progressed towards the end, the viewers were provided with a number of close-up and medium shots of the characters face and body, therefore leading to suggest that there was more than just the one character. To save confusion, I then needed to re-arrange a variety of the shots into a different order. This took time, however resulted in a much clearer narrative for the viewers. Another negative point that I felt needed to be adjusted was that some of the house interior shots appeared too dark. As a result of this, I adjusted the colour correction of the house shots, improving the visibility of the shots and ultimately making the video a lot better and of a much higher quality. On the whole, the feedback helped me greatly in producing the best possible outcome I could have achieved, alongside the motivation I needed to proceed and to do the best I could. In terms of the ancillary tasks, I found the digipak the hardest to perfect. Having produced a separate draft of my final digipak cover, I was able to get the feedback I needed from my class colleagues. For this, I was provided with a lot of positive feedback to help me push myself to finishing it to the highest quality I possibly could. I was told that I needed to make sure that the “Indie-Rock vibe” needed to be carried throughout all sections of the ancillary tasks – Digipak, advert. This was an extremely important feature that I needed to pursue with as it is the main element that relates the ancillary’s to the music video. I feel I have achieved this successfully, carrying out a common theme throughout the ancillary tasks in terms of its text, font style, colour and image content; showing a strong relation between the digipak and music video. In terms of the advert, I discussed with my media professional that I wanted to use the same image as I used for the cover of my digipak, showing Fernando sitting on the curb. I felt that this image deemed the strongest in terms of its visual context and proportions on the page, therefore being the most eye-catching. We agreed on moving forward with the idea, as long as I used different editing techniques on the advert. In the end, this decision deemed very successful; shown on the next slide. I am grateful for the comments and feedback given to me by my class colleagues and media professionals, allowing me to progress further with my ancillary tasks and media video and motivating me to push forward and dedicate myself to producing the best outcome I could possibly do.

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

For the construction of my media video, I used Apples “Final Cut Pro”; software which I am relatively familiar with, having used it for the previous year during my AS course. The sheer fact that I was already experience with the software made the development of the video more efficient in terms of speed and quality. I began by importing the audio file of my chosen track, and placing the track beneath the video “input” column. Having already filmed all the shots I needed for the video, all I needed to do was connect the camera to the computer so that it was ready for uploading. The camera I have used for filming my video is the HD Everio memory camcorder, by JVC. The camera films in 1080p output, providing me with a high quality picture for filming and ultimately a more aesthetically pleasing outcome. Also, because the camera is portable, this made it easier for me to travel to various locations; without the hassle of any large bags or cases. During the filming process, I was provided with a camera tri-pod to use for the more steady shots. This was also useful for the pan shots and tracking shots of Fernando on the skateboard. The use of a filming schedule made time management easier for me and Fernando. Any spare time was used for researching different artists on Youtube, Google...etc; providing me with more insight towards the ways in which other existing music videos within the same genre are filmed – through camera and editing. Although this wasn’t a reliable source of research, it provided me with the knowledge I needed to progress. After uploading the shots, I then needed to distinguish the shots I did not need. This process took several hours, through constant trial and error; arranging and re-arranging the shots in time with the beat of the track. I also adjusted the speed percentage of the shots to a lower level, resulting in the sequence to slow down. Once the shots were arranged into an order, I then began to add the editing transitions between various cuts between shots. Transitions such as cross dissolve, fade, wipe...etc were used at various points throughout the video. This was performed to create a continuous flow of continuity between shots. I felt that cross dissolving created a sense of ease whilst watching; much more subtle than a jump cut or hard cut. This transition was used on the more melodic sections of the track, helping to reflect the mood and emotion of the song. Having completed the transitions, I then went through each section. At the end of the video, I used a fad to black. This simply fades the shot to black; a great visual feature to conclude the video with. Editing was a priority for me, as my video was only narrative based. The editing was the key factor in determining whether or not my video would succeed or not; making it my number one priority. For my evaluation, I have used an online site, known as Prezi. This is an advanced online system where you are able to present your ideas creatively, using a more professional layout. This was the first time I had used the site, so I had to sign up in order to begin. For me, the biggest advantage of using this site was the levels of creativity I was able to bring to the presentation; using various images and videos to back up my points made in the previous questions. Prezi provides a clearer understanding to the viewer through its vast media effects, colours and features. For my ancillary tasks, I used the software Adobe Photoshop CS5; another editing programme I am vastly familiar with. The reason I enjoy using this programme is due to its large range of features and tools that come with the package. During the development of my ancillary tasks, I frequently used tools such as; the magic wand (eraser), pen, masking, layering/ layer options, blending...etc; all in which came to use for constructing the digipak covers and magazine cover. In terms of effects, I used the more advanced tools such as; dissolving, drop shadow, blurring tools...etc, all in which allowed me to experiment with the covers visual aspects – colour, contrast and balance. On the whole, I feel that my video and ancillary tasks were heavily based around various types of media technologies, and that without the uses of these technologies, it would simply be impossible for me to produce work at a professional level.

Complete Digipak

Final Magazine Advertisement

Final Video - Draft 1 & Comments

Comments

Positive;

- Editing in sync with the shots.
- Good performance by Fernando; captured the character well.
- Good quality shots.

Negative;

- Had trouble understanding the plot.

- Make it clear as to how many characters there are within the narrative.

Ancillary Task - Final Back cover

Ancillary Task - Magazine Poster (Draft 1)

As shown above is the first draft of my magazine poster, produced using the Apple software; Adobe Photoshop. For the background image, I decided to use the same photo used for my digipak cover. This was decided because I felt the viewers needed to become familiar with the album cover, however I did not want the image to be exactly the same, so a number of the editing techniques used in the digipak cover were not used for this image. In terms of the text, the different text fonts and styles differ from each other however making sure the the colours used work well with each other. For example; pink and purple, red and white...etc. These colours portray a strong contrast against the background colours, making the text ideal for the viewers to observe. For the text "Jake Bugg", I have used a larger and grasping font; used to catch the viewers attention and to also establish the purpose of the advert. Just above this is the record company logo "Mercury Records" that signed Jake Bugg - more visual information on the background of Jake Bugg's sudden appearance to the music industry. I have placed a small image of the album cover beneath the text "debue album....released 3rd december". This is used to provide the observer of the magazine advert with more information of the albums release in terms of its appearance and date of release. 

Class Comments;

After showing the finished draft to my class colleagues, they identified the fact that I had not used any constructive editing techniques on the background image, making the poster    very plain from a viewers perspective. Also, we agreed upon changing the positioning of the album cover at the bottom; placing it more towards the right or left with the writing at the very bottom. This is due to the fact that the album at this point is blocking Fernando's feet, creating the illusion of him having thin feet. 

Ancillary Task - Album cover (Inside Sleeves)

Inside Sleeve 1.

As shown to the right is the first inside sleeve of my digipak. For this image, I have centered the attention on the protagonist - Fernando. This helps portray a common trend through all sides of the digipak, helping to distinguish the theme and mood of the record. In terms of the context of the image, I have used one of the settings shown throughout the music video, showing a strong relation to the records name "broken". The editing used on this image is fairly simple. Having cross layered two images, I was able to blend in two separate shots of Fernando skateboarding, split them and place them beside each other. This effect deems very effective, creating what almost appears to be a motion sequence of the protagonist moving from one place to the other; portraying direction and movement within the image. The lighting used is dark, creating a dull atmosphere to the image - effective in portraying the mood of the record.

Inside Sleeve 2.

As shown to the left is the second inside sleeve to my digipak. As shown, I have used the same setting for the cover as the previous sleeve, again creating a common theme throughout the digipak. In terms of the context, I have used a medium shot of Fernando from behind walking away from the lens. I have also cross layered another image over the top - again showing Fernando walking away from the shot however at a further distance. I feel the over-lay was successful, creating a sequence of movements from the camera's perspective. He is also shown to be holding a skateboard in his hand, showing a strong relation to the other sides of the digipak and to the video of the chosen track, "broken".

Ancillary Task - Album cover (Back Cover) - Draft 1

As shown above is the back cover of my digipak. I have once again used the protagonist from the video on the cover. He is presented in a sad, lonely manor, resulting in the viewers to feel sympathy towards the artists, also providing them with in sight as to what genre of music the artist is categorised (shown through the clothing, hair, body language...etc). Due to his body language and facial expression, this provides the viewers with a brief idea as to what the songs on the album may be written about - which in this case are about personal emotions and experiences.

Class Comments;

After showing my colleagues and media teacher my finished draft, they came to agree that the image is composed well, however they spotted that I have not mentioned the bonus material included with the digipak - making an album back cover rather than a digipak back cover. The backgound image is also to vibrant, resulting in a weak contrast between both the test and the image. As a result of this, I will reduce the contrast and brightness of the background image, making the photo deem darker and less vibrant. I will also make the written text at the bottom of the cover bolder, and more compact to make it more readable from the viewers perspective.

Ancillary Task - Album cover (Front)

As shown above is my final Digipak cover. As clearly shown, I have used the main protagonist of my music video (Fernando Rocha) in the front cover of the digipak. I feel that this image relates strongly to the narrative of the video, portraying the same clothing, setting, props and characteristics shown throughout the video. In terms of the editing contrasts, I have used a "motion blur" effect on the protagonists body. This has been used to show the characters emotion. The effect creates an uncomfortable, unsettling portrayal of the characters presence, relating strongly to the characters lyrical appearance throughout the video. I have positioned the text in the top left corner of the cover (beside Fernando's head). The color red stands out strongly against the background, allowing me to use a slimmer font/ text style for the album name - "Jake Bugg - Broken".

Location Analysis

Windsor

In this location (shown above), we will see Fernando sitting on his own watching the river bed. I felt this was an ideal location to use for Fernando's character as it allowed the viewers to see him at his most vulnerable; showing him to be alone and swept aside by society. 

Shown above is the tunnel; a location which I feel plays an important role towards the narrative of the track. In these scenes, Fernando will most likely be sitting or standing on the far ledge inside the tunnel. The image above was taken during the flooding, so the ledge may be unclear to see from this perspective.

Staines

As shown above is one of the many locations I used in Staines. My intentions are to perform a time lapse across this path of Fernando whilst he is walking; keeping the lapse in time with the beat of the song - Goodwin's Theory. I am however unclear as to whether this will be a success as I am unable to get hold of a tripod, making this effect even harder to perform.

Shows is the street in which Fernando will be walking down. I feel that the composition of the trees and houses on either side create an interesting and eye catching appeal. Also, the leaves from the trees will add that bit more to the picture, resulting in a more dramatic narrative.

Shown above is the street that Fernando will be walking down. This again holds a strong composition, allowing me to experiment in new ways to capture a video through various angles and movements.

Wraysbury (Home)

As shown above is the room in which Fernando will be playing guitar. 

This is the room which Fernando will be taking the drugs and alcohol. I felt this sofa was appropriate for the scene as it's depth allows Fernando to fall back a reasonable distance after taking the drug - resulting in a more dramatic affect on the viewers. 

Wraysbury (Outside)

As shown above is the car I will be using to perform the dolly shots. The plan is to have Fernando running down the street (shown below) and for me to drive along side him to film. To do this, I will roll the window down whilst driving and place the camcorder outside the window; holding it steadily so that the shot looks as professional as possible.

As shown above is the street I will be using to film the dolly shot of Fernando running.

Script

Fernando Rocha (protagonist) acting script

1) Home - Script

- Sit down
- Open pills and scatter on table.
- Grab Martini and fill up the glass....take several sips.
- Drag pills off, place in hand, put in mouth and swallow with the Martini.
- Fall back and close eyes.

- Sitting on sofa , playing the guitar.
- Tuning the guitar.
- Strumming the guitar.
- Placing the guitar on the floor and leaving.

2) Staines - Script.

- Walk in from far end of the street (hands in pockets)
- Walk on pavement.
- Walk on road.

3) The Avenue - Script.

- Run beside moving car (sprinting).

4) Old Windsor Forest - Script.

- Climb over fence.
- Walk up hill.
- Climb on top of concrete block.
- Sit on top.
- Pull out the lighter (light cigarette).
- Place lighter on side.
- Jump off block and look behind (looking beside the lens).

5) River Thames - Script.

- Sit on bench.
- Walk into tunnel.
- Climb on the ledge.
- Sit on the ledge - looking depressed, alone.

Costumes & Props Presentation

Casting

Having chosen my artist and track, I must now find a suitable cast. My cast will only consist of one person, meaning I must make sure my decision is decisive and that the person is suited to the character I wish to portray. After speaking to various friends and class-mates, I have narrowed my choices down to 2 people. My decision on the chosen actor is shown below;

2 Possible choices;

1) Karl Tedder - Age 18

I have known Karl since I was 6-7 years old, meaning that we have a strong friendship. This I believe would make filming with him a lot easier, providing a comfortable atmosphere rather that an awkward no-working atmosphere. He has also performed in many of the school plays during his time at the boys school, meaning that he has had a lot of experience with acting. Naturally, Karl's appearance and style suits well to the mood of the song, however as he is working full time it would deem an un-realistic task  to produce a reliable shooting schedule with him. As a result of this, I feel working with Karl would be a struggle; in terms of time and availability.

2) Fernando Rocha - Age 19 (CHOSEN ACTOR)

In terms of friendship, I feel that my relationship with Fernando is the closest, having known him since I was 12 years old. Fernando's style and appearance and style relates strongly to the mood of the song. Having worked with him last year for my AS project, I know that he is committed when it comes to time pressure and dedicated to the acting during the shooting periods. From this, it is clear that Ferrnando would be a suitable choice for my chosen character. Also, as he only works part-time at this point, time and shooting arrangements shouldn't be a problem.