Media Evaluation Question 1

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

My brief within Media Studies was to create a music video on an artist of my choice, alongside two ancillary products whilst following all genre conventions, to create a successful piece of work. The ancillary posts consisted of creating a digipak, as well as a magazine advert which as a result would promote my commodity, Georgia. All in all, my group and I needed to link all 3 ancillary products, so that they all connected one another, producing a continual flow. Whilst discussing the products with my group, we decided that we were to follow most typical and traditional genre conventions, however also including a little diversity in order to stand out against opponents. For myself and the group to have a greater understanding of the conventions that are typically used within our genre type, we carried out primary and secondary research. To gain our own personal primary research we carried out various interviews and questionnaires asking random members of West Hatch High School, as well as the general public genre and music video related questions. From gaining this information, it enabled us to collect all our results and materialise them into visually appealing pie charts, as well as creating vox pops videos. The vox pops portrayed members of our group interviewing individuals, gaining relevant primary information. Collaborating all the new information, the group and I came to realisation of roughly who our target audience was, meaning that we were able to plan all our ancillary products around what they wanted and had requested. This was all taken into consideration to make our music video as successful as we possibly could.

My group consists of 4 members; myself, Georgia Crandon, Rhianna Macleay and Drew Wyllie. Together we formed this group as we felt as individuals, we could push each other to the best of our abilities. I felt that each of us is stronger in contrasting areas, therefore together worked so well, however even so, we all pushed each other to better the outcome by sharing opinions and inputting at all stages of development. As a group we found it easy to allocate roles and everyone seemed to agree on them; we had Georgia that was incredible at performing and editing, Drew at editing on Adobe Photoshop and coming up with ideas, alongside myself, as well as featuring in the majority of the music video as the male in the relationship, whereas I was in charge of filming and directing, with input from Rhianna. I also assisted in small areas of editing our footage for the music video. Together we discovered individual strengths and weaknesses, however helping each other along wherever help was needed. From my experience from last year’s AS media group task, I have felt that my current group really came together and it had been so much more enjoyable to work with my new group members. Playing the role I have played has taught me how to focus on specific areas, trusting my other team members to focus on others individually and having success in doing so, therefore all in all having a better outcome With our group having such good time management we were able to test new shots and experiment in many ways, some in which that have made our music video 10x better. Yes we had allocated roles within the production, but when planning it all, there was no split in the group; we all came together and carried out tasks such as collecting primary research and putting the newly found information in charts as well as filming the vox pops and so on.

In my opinion, I feel that as a group we have created a successful music video on the song 'The Apple Tree' by Nina Nesbitt alongside strong ancillary texts to go with, however the music video being the best of the 3. Obviously there are elements in which I would like to improve on, however it is very time dependent, something that we didn't have endless amounts of.

A music video in a crucial element within the music industry; it is a marketing tool to promote a commodity and their song. They consist of a short narrative/representation of an artist depending on the genre in which they feature in in order for an artist to attract a specific target audience, which are often carried out purely for artistic and promotional purposes. For an audience, it allows them to buy into their lifestyle and make connections in forms of for example emotions, clothing, style and so on. The video creates a greater understanding for an audience on what the song is about and the underlying emotions and meanings the song holds. A music video can be categorised in 3 ways being performance, narrative and concept. All songs and music video have to follow genre specific codes and conventions, however a lot of artists choose to rebel against these in order to be diverse and stand out against opponents, especially is they feature within the same genre.

According to my research Indie is the genre that is defined as a short form of independence, as it has been used to describe artists on independent labels. Indie pop originated in mid 1980’s in the UK, with artists like Orange Juicy and the Smiths. Indie pop is melodic and less abrasive in comparison to indie rock. The artists within the genre now very often include an instrument, most likely being an acoustic guitar to highlight their musical talent even further. Other instruments are also used such as a keyboard, ukulele and so on, however I still feel the guitar is still most dominant which is today used by artists such as Ed Sheeran, Bastille and so on. The genre began to thrive as a label and generated a big club and gig circuit which continued to grow, especially in recent years with artists such as again Ed Sheeran, the Artic Monkeys, The Kooks, Lana Del Ray, Florence and the Machine and so on. The genre typically attracts a niche audience, an audience that enjoys the strong, emotional lyrics in which they can connect to. The audience likes to keep the genre niche and artists that aren't too mainstream, as typically the mainstream artists tend to lose their true selves to money and fame eg. Miley Cyrus. Whereas with indie artists they give off this sense of originality, something that is seen by a niche audience as golden and relatable, something that should not be lost, to therefore maintain that mass market appeal.

Nina Nesbitt was introduced to me by group members Georgia and Drew, an artist that features within the Indie genre. Originally, I personally had never heard of her before, however instantly understood why she features within the indie genre, purely through her emotional and meaningful lyrics that gave the impression they’d come straight from the heart, leaving me truly touched; an example being Nina's song 'The Hardest Part'. I felt that within the indie genre she would be particularly popular for these same reasons, and was ideal for the audience we aim to target. Within a music video within the indie genre, it would typically include: a narrative, an instrument; for example the acoustic guitar, location being either a live performance or in a rural area with little distraction in the surroundings, tartan, vintage or bright coloured clothing. Typical camera angles being close and long shots of the artist, their clothes and surroundings, with editing styles like colour tints to create the effect of the scene being in the past, as well as fast and slow cuts to reflect on the pace and so on. Nina's music videos typically include most of these conventions, for example in 'Thinkin' Bout You' and 'Selfies' particularly through clothing. 

I feel that my music video, alongside the 2 other ancillary products being the digipak and magazine advert reflect my chosen music genre, in the way we have followed many of the typical indie codes and conventions; a few examples being through tartan clothing and the narrative. My group and I promoted Georgia as a down to earth, talented musician that plays her guitar singing from the heart in the forest, portraying her true colours behind the scene of her relationship. The narrative is very strong and we have chosen to include diverse elements such as a rebellious teenage behaviour throughout like a mainstream artist would, such as Rihanna. By doing so, we hopefully attract a greater audience, as they are drawn in by the behaviour and want to continue watching to see the ending, however the majority still remaining niche as we follow most conventions. These elements of rebellion are shown in Drew’s behaviour, for example when smoking, and in both characters clothing with the large majority of it being black. Certain locations as well like in an Estate are unconventional, but again brings something new to the indie genre; that not all indie artists come from the best backgrounds but they are still able to express themselves and their true emotions about growing up. Even so, we made sure the outfits chosen still fell under the ‘indie’ style, with some clothing being denim or tartan. As a group we felt making it too diverse would become a risk of losing our commodity to a mainstream genre, something that would shatter what we’ve worked for. We gave Georgia an indie style (eg. Tartan clothing, blonde scruffy hair, red lipstick and bandanna) that would make her a relatable figure for an audience, a style icon that is affordable to follow; someone to look up to. I strongly believe that through cinematography (close ups and long shots) and editing (colour tints, rounded edges, fast and slow cuts) we followed most conventions, especially when it came to presenting the narrative with justice. The group and I only wanted small components to be diverse, in order to add originality to stand out against genre opponents, overall following as well as challenging indie conventions to produce a successful end product.

Digipak Reflection

When creating my digipak I aimed to include a number of key elements, in order for all of my ancillary products to come together and make a smooth connection with one another. The reasoning behind creating this digipak was to promote Georgia and her album as a commodity and build a greater relationship with our target audience. This is achieved through giving the audience an opportunity to learn a little and understand more about Georgia as a artist, as well as a person. I aimed to include conventional elements in the way that Florence and the machine did, making the genre clear to our audience. The digiapk personally created by myself will be displayed below:

My digipak images were edited by myself in Photoshop CS4 as I felt it was a program I was most in-control of. I followed the conventions of the indie genre by using simplistic photographs, editing them very slightly but effectively. I kept the editing effect used on each slide very similar, as I wanted to create a general flow. The type of lighting creates an interesting vibe;one that mysterious, edgy and a little diverse, yet still remaining within indie genre. When carrying out the photoshoot we shot Georgia in numerous angles, with some including her personal guitar that is seen in her performance. A guitar is one of the most conventional elements of an indie artist, so much so that it is almost expected within this particular genre. The fact that we've included a guitar portrays to the audience that she is not only talented through her voice, but also instrumentally talented, which promotes a sense of purity. With the colour choices my group and I have chosen, with the added effect I feel that it's eye catching and will draw in an audience, as well as give them a better understanding about Georgia and her music.

Our group chose a target audience of adolescents, between the ages of 13-24. In my opinion I feel that the image we have created for Georgia appeals to this target group, in the way that . In comparison to the typical indie conventions, we as a group wished to rebel against a few, making Georgia a little diverse, however still following most. We have done this mostly through clothing, including many elements of black to create mystery and rebellious behaviour, which is backed up by some of their actions, for example smoking within the Brick Lane shots. However even so, we have also chosen strictly indie outfits, for example in the Camden and performance scenes. The denim shirt, red bandana, lipstick and scarf, black skirt, jacket, tights and boots gives a mixture of both conventional and unconventional elements. This outfit promotes her fun, bubbly and genuine personality to our audience, and her particular style is very relatable to the age group; something common and affordable. As a group we chosen to name the album 'Gypsy Night', however this is something I still yet need to include on the front cover of my digipak. Within my front cover I decided to choose a picture that seemed dominant, making Georgia appear powerful and owning her stage. I did this through a low angle shot within the forest, a place that doesn't detract any attention away for our commodity. Again she is dressed in her performance clothing with her hand strongly gripping onto her guitar to show the audience what she is all about and what she stands for as an artist. I wanted Georgia to stand out amongst the mainstream, yet letting the indie genre shine. I feel that having an angled shot like this builds a relationship with our chosen target audience as they look up to aspire to be her; making the digipak even more of a success.

Obviously there are many changes I'd like to make on my digipak; one being to include a release date and albumn name onto my 1 digipak slide, as well as make the writing on the thank you note clearer for our audience to read. I would have liked to write a lyrical quote on the front cover, something that is inspirational and remembered by our audience giving Georgia something extra against her rivalry indie artists.

Meetings and Discussions

In order for the group and I to plan every stage of production we needed to regularly come together and hold group meetings, in order to discuss how we were going to produce a successful music video. Obviously, a lot of the discussion were arranged throughout the planning process in order to for example decide on the genre, our artist, the song, clothing, mise en scene, cinematography, the editing techniques we could use to make it conventional and so on. A lot of research needed to be carried out, therefore delegating different areas to each group member so that we could work efficiently and effectively. By carrying out research we were able to broaden our knowledge on Nina Nesbitt, the indie genre conventions and what people within our target audience like to see in music videos. We were also able to practice with our technology such as, HD cameras, the Apple Macs, Blogger and Final Cut Pro X, which as a result made us more familiar with how they all worked.

By carrying out these discussions everything was made fair, as each group member had a say in what we were doing which made it a lot easier to work with each other; we respected one anothers ideas and made contributions wherever was possible. I feel as a group we worked extremely well together, particularly when it came to delegating roles.

Meetings and discussions carried out:

Filming Schedule

A filming schedule is very important when carrying out filming for a music video; timing has to be precise and needs to be completed efficiently, because within this industry it is extremely costly if it is not done correctly. When putting together a detailed plan, a lot needed to be considered in terms of it being able to run smoothly and to plan, for example having characters dressed appropriately, hair and makeup completed, within the filming location, with all equipment set up and ready to use etc. We also needed to take into consideration the weather, as well as the time of day due to it getting dark so early. The group and I had many locations to film in which required traveling up to as much as an hour away. Traveling took up a lot of valuable time, meaning it was imperative to use our time wisely once reaching our destinations. We as a group focused on setting up filming equipment as soon as we arrived after choosing a good filming spot, checking all characters were clear on their roles, ready for action.

Obviously, date and time was two of the most important things to coordinate, making sure they were suitable and that everyone in the team could make it. Making sure we shot the correct footage the first time was vital, in order to avoid wasting time. Whilst in the filming process, we as a group followed out filming schedule almost to the T, however there were the occasional hitch in terms of weather and it pouring down with rain, as well as how early in the days light would disappear. I felt that arranging the filming days were a bit of a struggle to begin with, for them then having to be changed due to both of these reasons made them even more so. During filming, we as a group came up with some additional scenes to what we had planned, so that we we able to fill in a few missing gaps within our rough cut and to bring the story together a little more. As a whole we did manage to stick to most elements of our filming schedule; something that kept us all focused and in order.

Below I have included a copy of our filming schedule:

Group Digipak

When the group and I were given the task of creating a digipak, each group member individually created a paper version getting our original ideas on paper of what we thought would be successful and conventional. In order to develop our ideas, we all created our individual digipaks on Apple Macs; editing them on Adobe PhotoShop. This was followed by a discussion to decide who's were best within the group, or have the option of combining different slides from each group member.

Alongside the magazine advert, again the group and I felt that Drew’s skills in Photoshop and use of editing techniques outdid all of ours in terms of quality and being edited conventionally, therefore going with his as our final. All conventions were followed in terms of using simplistic images, yet edited in a dynamic way, remotely to become eye-catching for our target audience. Conventional indie digipaks are simplistic, with little effects on top so that the purity of the artist and meanings behind individual songs are not lost. As a group we felt that keeping it simplistic, however including various editing layers will convey our editing skills and create an edge to our artist; that Georgia's not exactly the same as all other indie artists. A variety of effects and filters were used in a dynamic way to create a unique and mysterious vibe on each slide of the digipak, giving the impression that she is a down to earth and talented artist, yet edgy. 

In relation to the magazine advert, again we included images of Georgia during her performance seen in our music video. She is seen holding the guitar in order to promote the genre, as well as how much of a talented musician she is. Often an audience will assume that when a performer sings alone with their guitar, the lyrics are deep and meaningful to them, which in fact builds a greater relationship with the audience. First I will be looking at my group member, Georgia's digipak;

Georgia has followed indie conventions by using simplistic images and editing styles. Within our music video we have incorporated and edge to the indie genre, making her a little different to the typical indie artist. Georgia has conveyed this edge within her digipak with creates a great link and flows between the two media products. She has incorporated graffitied brick walls, a scruffy/gagged font and included a ripped paper effect. This unique effect will appeal to a teenage/ young adolescent audience as it comes across as youthful, fun and interesting to the eye. Georgia has also included pictures involving the guitar, to again promote the indie genre, as well as herself being a singer/songwriter and musician. Throughout her digipak she has dimmed her images, and brightened her text. This is very common within the genre, as indie artists would rather be known for their name and music over their image as the music holds a greater, more personal importance.

Rhianna's digipak:

The images in which Rhianna has used within her digipak are conventional to the indie genre, especially with the use of the guitar. However, there is no dominant theme throughout her digipak as the tints and effects used differ in each slide. Two of the slides being the front and back include the same font in white, which does in fact clearly stand out against the photo background. The font used is the same scruffy/gagged one used in Georgia's which I feel is the best font for our digipak. I feel that she could improve her digipak by using a better range of editing techniques to show her further development in Final Cut Pro X. I also find that Rhianna would have made her thank you note slide better by using more conventional text, like seen in her final slide.

Drew's digipak:

Drew has followed the majority of conventions, as well as showing the elements in which we rebel. He promotes Georgia as a commodity, creating awareness of her, her image, name, as well as the album itself. Drew has detailed all her songs like the rest of us and the CD slide has been made dynamically in the way she plays with fire. This makes a direct connection to our ending scenes within our music video, being backed up by the connotation beside it, creating a general flow between ancillary products. Drew has also included the two slides that focus purely on Georgia herself with no additional text; this enables the audience to understand her personality a bit better, creating more of a relationship.

Like all group members Drew has used the same images from when we filmed our performance section of the music video; which involves the same clothing, hair, makeup, location and so on. He uses these pictures in his magazine artist as well, creating a continual flow between all products. This clothing worn, we though was most conventional to the indie genre; red bandana, and lipstick, Dr.Martins, tartan scarf, denim shirt and so on. All elements of her style connote the genre itself, as well as Georgia, our commodity.

To conclude, I feel our final group digipak, magazine advert and music video will feed off each other as they all have that direct link. With the magazine advert being the starting point; promoting Georgia as a new and upcoming artist which will instantly draw in a readers attention. The textual content will become memorable, which will as a result spark off the idea to buy the album or look the video up on YouTube, in order to gain a greater insight to what she as an artist is about.

My digipak:

Group Magazine Advert

When planning our magazine advert, each group member individually created a paper version getting our original ideas on paper on what we thought a typical indie magazine advert should include. This way we were then able to share our ideas with ease to the rest of the group, discussing both the positives and negatives about each. We aimed to convey typical codes and conventions of an indie artist to target our niche audience between the ages of 13-25. Developing from this, we transformed our paper versions and created a magazine advert on Adobe Photoshop.

To have a greater understanding of magazine adverts for an indie artist, I took the time to research Nina Nesbitt's past magazine adverts, as well as looking at one from a more successful indie artist like Lana Del Ray. This assisted me when planning my own as I was able to understand what attracts a greater audience, which will determine how successful mine will be. Conventions I focused on were for example the background, text type and size, positioning of artist, iconography and so on.

Drew's magazine advert:

The group and I discussed who's magazine advert was best and we came to the conclusion Drew's was, alongside his digipak. I feel that his is the most conventional and innovative magazine advert in comparison to mine and the others. Conventional magazine adverts, again the group and I felt that Drew’s skills in Photoshop and use of editing techniques outdid all of ours in terms of quality and being edited conventionally, therefore going with his as our final. All conventions were followed in terms of using simplistic images, yet edited in a dynamic way, remotely to become eye-catching for our target audience. Within the magazine advert I requested Drew to include one of the photos that included Georgia, as well as her guitar. I felt that by including the guitar portrays more of Georgia's true emotions, as a guitar is often associated with deeper and more meaningful words. This will as a result build a greater relationship with Georgia and her target audience. The text is different, yet eye catching and I feel it is very conventional to his design and the indie genre, with the additional grungy appeal. The fact that the majority of the text is in white, makes it very clear it was well thought through in the way it stands out from the images and is in a readable font/size.


Georgia's magazine advert:

As well as the whole group, Georgia used Adobe Photoshop CS6 to edit her design, as well as using the pictures from our performance section of the music video. The photos used are conventional and follow genre characteristics, making the artist relatable and attractive to our target audience. Alongside this, Georgia has also included an old photo of a brick wall and compressed the two together by cropping the photograph, which allowed the brick wall to be visible behind it. Georgia used a font called 'chalkboard' in white which stands out from the images and is conventional alongside the brick wall, making it eye-catching and very indie. Obviously 'Georgia Ray', the album title, the release date and that it features our music video song 'The Apple Tree' is all made very evident in a readable font, in addition to this she has written a positive comment from the NME. This promotes her as a commodity in a positive light which is as a result reassuring and encourages our audience to buy our final product.
The General style of Georgia's magazine advert is urban/grunge which is not only conventional, but there are also elements that are unconventional, such as the dark tint making Georgia Ray mysterious. Through having unconventional elements it makes her that little bit different in comparison to typical indie artists which makes her stand out from the crowd. To conclude, I feel that the design is relatable to the indie genre and will attract that niche indie audience. With that grungy edge makes the design original and unique which could also attract people outside of our target audience, increasing our success rate.


Rhianna's magazine advert:

Rhianna has also used Abobe Photoshop CS6 to edit her magazine advert, as well as using the images we took during filming. Rhianna did not use the photos taken within the performance, but like me has used the ones from the Camden scene where she is dressed conventionally in a denim shit, with a tartan top tied around her waist. The light blue and burgundy work well together and are typical high street clothing seen in indie genre music.With Georgia being dressed in in high street fashion makes her relatable as her target audience are able to follow her trend with it not being overly priced and designer. Georgia's makeup is toned down, taking on a natural approach which relates to her music in the way it's pure and spoken from the heart. The text is simplistic, however does stand out even against the denim shirt and simply states the facts, her name, the album name and promoting its currently in stores to purchase. Rhianna has made the effort to cut the original background and place Georgia alone on top of a pink coloured brick wall, which in fact makes it a little edgy. The two images together are dynamic and unique, making our artist a little different in comparison to the typical indie artist. Georgia Ray is promoted as a commodity, however I feel that Rhianna could have included more editing techniques to show further development and knowledge of Photoshop.

My magazine advert:

To conclude, all magazine adverts had their positives, alongside the few negative but all in all we decided to go with Drew's. Drew's magazine advert was the most conventional and dynamic, showing off a range of editing techniques making it edgy. It works well alongside our final digipak as well as our music video as they all feature the clothing warn in the performance section.