Evaluation

1. How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
• For my research and planning, Youtube was a useful tool, as it always is because it allowed me to research and analyse music videos and I was able to put my finished music video on the Internet for everyone to see due to the broadband technology. I also used Zamzar, as it allowed me to convert files from the Internet and allowed me to put the videos onto my blog. For example, I wanted to put Beyonce’s ‘Sweet dreams’ music video onto my blog, so I typed the URL into Zamzar and asked to be converted to a 3pg file and for it to be sent to my email. So I could then download it as a file and put it on my blog.
• Again, like last year, I used websites to do the majority of my research because all of the information is really accessible. I found the music videos on Youtube and used Wikipedia for the genre and institutional research. I also found my unsigned artist from the Internet too on unisigned.com.
• To create an artist profile and an identity for the artist, I used Myspace and created a new account. This was done more for the target Demographic as the age range was 16+, Myspace was perfect as it is known for new music discoveries and it’s also a social networking site and used by many young adults as a way of communicating. It also worldwide, which enables the artist to create a global identity.
• For filming my music video, I used a digital video camera to enable be to provide an insight into the artist. I was able to film a variety of shots, which gave me much more to work with when it came to editing the music video. I also used a digital still camera to take my photos of the artist for the CD covers and promotional tour poster. I took the photos against a green screen background, which allowed me to change the background much more easily when it came to editing the image and putting together the CD covers. As I hadn’t used one of these for the foundation portfolio, I found it quite easy to use and directed the artist into poses that I feel would reflect the genre and her personality.
• I used blogger.com again this year for the advanced portfolio, but I added much more detail to it unlike last year, as there’s more emphasis on the blogs and this is what the teacher and examiners mark. It has been a really helpful tool in keeping me organised and it allows me to reflect on the work I have done. For example, I reflect on the audience feedback from my class on my blogs and I can also upload my assessments and see the progress I have made throughout the coursework. It’s also great, because the rest of the class and the teacher can comment on our blogs too, and the feedback is helpful in ensuring I get the best out of my products. I could also upload the music videos I researched and my finished music video, which allows the examiner to see it, so it’s all on the one document and they don’t have to read part of the blog then go onto Youtube and find my video.
• Instead of using imovie like last year, I chose to use Adobe Premier as I felt it was much easier to edit the music video with. I was able to lip sync the video perfectly and change the background and the lighting effects, and gave it a letterbox effect, which I felt was conventional of any music video.
• To edit the CD covers and the promotional tour poster, I used Adobe Fireworks, which again I felt was the easy to use. I was able to airbrush the images to give them an aluminous effect and I could change the background, colour and contrast and the programme allowed me to make my print products look that little bit more professional and meticulous.


2. In what ways do your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
• I decided to challenge convention for my music video, as I chose not to have a narrative, even though there’s a narrative in the song. I didn’t want to full conform to convention, because I wanted my artist to stand out individually and therefore chose not to have a narrative, unlike a couple of the music videos from my research such as Chris Brown’s ‘With You’ and Jade Ewen’s ‘My Man’. However, I feel the music video is similar to Cheryl Cole’s ‘Fight For This Love’, as there is no male character and the focus is on her. I felt that because the song was about getting over an ex, that it was all about the girl, then only the artist should be in the video, to connote that you don’t need a man in your life to be happy. As there wasn’t a narrative in the music video, there wasn’t a narrative in the CD covers or poster either. I applied the uses and gratifications theory to all of my media products. The lyrics and the music video teaches girls that you can get over an ex and still be happy and the CD covers and tour poster creates a personal identity for the artist, this being similar to Beyonce’s ‘I am Sasha Fierce’ album because her alter-ego is shown and the front cover image gives the impression that she’s naked, which connotes her revealing all and expressing herself emotionally.
• I have applied the feminist theory to my media products as the music video challenges dominant ideology about women because due to the artist’s movement and gesture, she connotes attitude, power and status. It reflects the idea that you don’t need a man to be happy. In the CD covers, the artist is wearing sensible, but stylish costume, which challenges some R&B music videos as the women sometimes wear less clothing and then come across as being ‘provocative’. Because of the artist’s beauty this reflects the feminist theory, as this will allow girls to want to be her and males to want to love her and it reflects her stylish attitude.
• I chose to challenge convention like other artists such as Cheryl Cole, and didn’t have a main male character in the video as I felt that the main focus should be on her and the song is from a girl’s view of getting over a boy, so a male was not needed. I chose to conform to convention with the print artefacts, by having a strong image, by using a grey colour scheme and the tour poster had everything a tour poster should have on it, for example the date, location and any other information such as a website for the target demographic to find more information about the artist on.

3. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
• I felt that media products sell my artist to the target demographic, because it is intended and created for that specific audience. The music video certainly reflects the genre of R&B Pop and the CD covers create an identity for my artist, the promotional tour poster creates hype and therefore will allow the fans to get excited about the tour and the Myspace profile is a perfect way for the fans to access more information about the artist and is one of the social networking sites, globally, that the target demographic use. Therefore, this allows my products and artist to be shown worldwide and it allows the artist to gain a much bigger target audience than just in the UK. Also, to aid the marketing campaign, I have the added bonus of Def Jam Recordings as the artist’s record label. They’re a huge company and have a fantastic reputation and therefore the audience will know the artist is good.

4. What have you learned from your audience feedback?
• For my music video, the majority of the class and the teacher said that the music video was really good, that it looked professional and that the artist worked really well with the camera. My teacher said that I had demonstrated great editing, framing, costume and that my lip-syncing was perfect. She also said that my planning and the video were done meticulously. As for my print products, again the class and teacher gave me very positive feedback. They felt the CD covers reflected the genre, however, the audience felt that the first original final tour poster, didn’t link to the CD covers and was therefore a little confusing as the nothing really linked the two together. Due to the feedback of the audience that the tour poster didn’t link to the CD covers and they looked a little out of place; a comment made by Anna Allchurch expressed this – ‘The only thing I would suggest you look at, would be the link between the tour poster and the CD cover, as there is nothing that stands out as being the same, even the use of colours is different.’ Because of this, I changed the tour poster and used the same colour scheme and swirly pattern, and also the same CD cover image, to allow the products to link, and this would therefore make it easier for the audience to establish the artist and it gave the artist more of a rounded identity.