Evaluation: Question 2

Q2: How effective is the combination of the main product and ancillary texts?

If the Prezi does not work for any reason please see the text for it below.
In my foundation portfolio, I was given the chance to produce just one artefact, this meant that I was unable to show any house style. This year, with the creation of three products aimed to promote an album release I could effectively create and present a clear house style across all three of my artefacts. This meant I could also carry an ideology across all artefacts that despite your current problems everything will be okay in the end. I did this mainly through the use of the album/song title but also in the use of a poster as an auteur prop.
Codes & Conventions

The codes and conventions used across my three artefacts were very important in creating my house style and also portraying my ideology. As far as Stock Character goes, it was imperative that I kept my artist present in all my artefacts. By doing this, it is immediately clear that the music video, magazine advert and digpak are all part of the same campaign. 

In all three artefacts I also made sure that Katherine-Anna was wearing at least one piece of clothing/costume that was the same and the rest was similar. I did this not only to create a house style across the three, but also to help represent my ideology. The red bandana, shows the pain shared by all my characters whilst also linking all three products together. Another aim I had of using this red bandana is that my target market will associate this item of costume to my artist which would help create a instantly recognisable public profile for her. 

In terms of text as a code, I made sure that I used the same font in my main product and ancillary texts. Fonts have certain connotations, so by using the same serif style throughout all three, I have created a solid house style and meaning across each artefact.
By often presenting Katherine-Anna at an eye level camera angle, it makes it more personal for my audience as she is neither shown as weak nor more important than them. Similarly, in terms of composition, placing her at the side of shots across all three artefacts the audience should feel more comfortable according to the rule of thirds as this is more pleasing to look at than something constantly placed in the middle of a shot.
One Auteur prop I used throughout the campaign was a sign reading 'I'll Be Ok' this does not only immediately indicate my ideology (see top for full description) but by asking my target audience to make my own and including them across my artefacts I have created solidity and directly represented my desired social group. I have never seen this done before in a campaign making this idea Auteur.
Photo shoots and filming were stock events across the making of all three of my artefacts. I held two photo shoots with Katherine-Anna to get photos for the two ancillary products (one picture I also used in my music video) and another photo shoot I held was to get the photo of the young boy and his mum to use in my main artefact. For each shoot I took a range of photos, selected the best ones edited them to make them look more professional.

Ideology

With my main ideology being strongly represented in my music video, it was important that I carried the same ideas across to my ancillary texts. To do this I used a picture of the singer holding her 'You're Not Alone' sign in each of my products. To reinforce this, I also included some of the photos of my target audience holding their own sign inside my digipak as well as in the video. This is also key in the representation of my target market. 

Representation of social group

It is very important to represent a social group in any media text. One way I combined this aspect in my main text and ancillary texts was in the selection of my singer and characters. Everyone I have chosen to present would be part of the teenage social group. As this group is my target audience, I needed to keep them constant across all three artefacts so that my audience can easily relate to the individual characters as well as my ideology. In my digipak, I used some of the 'I'll Be Ok' and 'You're Not Alone' pictures that were made by my target audience for my music video. From my post-production research I found that this was an aspect that the teenage social group really liked. Not only are they a direct link to my ideology but they also are a direct representation of my desired social group. 

Audience Theory
Uses and Gratifications Theory says that an audience may use a text for personal identity, as they find themselves reflected in them and learn new values. By combining all three of my texts, my aim is that my target audience will be able to relate to the characters but also will take on my ideology of everything will be ok in the end. My ideology is presented on the forefront of all three of my products but most obviously in the title of the album and in name of  song for the music video. 

Narrative Theory
Propp states that in any media text there will be certain characters. One of these is a donor/helper; from my main product to my ancillary texts I have presented my singer Katherine-Anna as this character. In all three she holds a sign saying 'I'll Be Ok'. From this, you could say that she is presenting all the characters as well as my target audience with the hope that they are looking for, which is in effective across all the texts I have produced. One other character Propp defines is the hero - someone who is searching for something. Seen in both my digipak and my music video, my target market (young females and males of the socio-demographic groups E and D) is shown holding signs saying 'I'll Be Ok' this shows how they are searching for happiness and therefore links them to the hero persona across my products. 

Awareness of audience expectations
Before starting to plan or make my products I gathered information from my target audience on what they expected to see in a music video, magazine advert and digipak for the style of song I selected. During construction I held some focus groups and created more surveys to make sure that the products I was making were what my audience were expecting, and that they were as realistic as possible. 

Magazine Advert Final Draft

Progression from 2nd Draft to Final Draft - Magazine Advert

I have created this GIF using Photoshop to show the changes I made from my second draft the my final draft of my magazine advert.

1. As you can see the photo is much lighter, which lifts the advert completely and gives it a more professional look.  
2. I've also included a text number as another median my target audience can get involved in, as well as adding in a 'featuring' section which I originally had in my first draft and decided to use again.
3. I also added in a 'hashtag' so that my social group of teenagers can use this on social media, and a group with a common interest of Katherine-Anna's music can be created. 
4. One other element I have added in is the review by 'The Guardian' newspaper. This gives my target market a reliable source to bare in mind when thinking about buying the digipak.

Post-Production Research & Feedback

This is a post I put on Facebook appealing for my target market, and some outside of it, to provide me with feedback on my completed Magazine Advert and Digipak, before I make some final changes for my final draft. The feedback I received for both artefacts was very encouraging. The pictures below indicate the general thoughts and main points raised.

First impressions are key when selling something so it was imperative that my audience felt this way when looking initially at my digipak. 

 I'm glad that my target market liked my colour scheme. I was reluctant to use very bright colours because it did not fit the style of the music, even though it is the stereotypical style for a 'pop' album. 

 One key point here was the inclusion of the young people making the media more accessible which was my main aim in including members of my desired target audience of young males and females. 

I only saw this in one of the digipaks that I analysed but I thought it was a lovely touch, and once again helped to engage and include the audience. It appears here that my target market agreed with me.

 This feedback was extremely pleasing, showing that I have managed to capture what my target market want to see in an advert.

Once again, this shows that I have included consistency, another aspect that lies well with young males and females.

 One comment here says that it looks a little old fashioned. To try and make it look more current, I plan to add in a text number in which my target audience can text to get a song, something that is likely to appeal to them as the technical generation. I hope this will also make it a little more interesting as it will be busier. I want to also try to lighten the photo a bit to make the advert more eye catching.

Advert 2nd Draft.

Fonts - 2nd Draft Supporting Artefacts

Above is a diagram of my favourite fonts for 'Katherine-Anna' and 'I'll Be Ok' for my digipak front cover. The ones I will use have been placed in a pink box.
For the artists name I wanted a plainer style and one that showed the sophistication and seriousness of the song and ideology. Serif fonts are usually viewed as more serious so I have selected this style partially due to this but also because it is quite simple, especially in capitals.
Carrying on the theme of curly writing for 'I'll Be Ok' from my 1st draft I found various styles that I like. I have chosen one that is still fairly simple compared to others and isn't too bold, busy or difficult to read. Having the same boldness as the other a theme is held amongst them and they both work nicely together.

Magazine Advert 1st Draft

Letters and Briefs to Actors.

Below is the standardised letter/email that I have sent to all of my actors. I decided to make a model then insert the specific details so that everything was clear for everyone, rather than forgetting some details in one and putting too many in another.


"Dear __________________

Thank you for taking part in the filming of my A2 Media Studies music video. Please find below details of filming and costume.

As you know my music video is made up of many different scenarios and you will be involved with the filming of the _____________________. Therefore, could you please wear _______________. I hope to be filming on _____________________ but it could be __________________ if you are not able to make this date or the weather is not appropriate. I hope that filming will take no longer than 2 hours for your part. 

Thank you 

Sophie." 

This letter has been sent to 8 people all of whom are playing different roles in my music video. The actress playing the singer in the music video, will also be part of the magazine advert and digipak, so this was added on the end.

"To take the pictures required for the magazine advert and digipak, could you please make sure that your make-up and costume is the same as in the music video. This will enable me to link the three artefacts together."

Initial Sketches for Magazine Advert.

Target Audience Research: Music Magazine Advert Survey

As seen with my other surveys, the majority is once again made up of my target market making all these findings valid and applicable to my three artefacts.

It seems that most people are only interested in a magazine advert if it is a band they like or it catches their eye. If they only glance at them, I must make sure that the design is intriguing and the information is obvious so that the purpose of the advert is achieved.

Following on from the last answer the majority of people said the name of the artist should be the main focus point, to which I agree. Without that, the people who only glace at them would not pay any attention as they would not instantly know who it was about.

Despite the findings being relatively equal here, I can conclude that only the really essential information should be included on my advert. Much like the front cover of the digipak, my target audience prefers simple designs with the information made obvious.

Evidentially, my respondents are all in agreement that there should be a picture of the real album cover featuring on my advert. This finding is backed up by my analysis of real adverts in which a picture was present.

Again, a picture of the artist is imperative along with their name so it is recognisable who the artist is.

Pairing this response to the one about similarity between my products I will attempt to carrying on a colour scheme across all my products to make them recognisable.

Finally, the general ideas that were shared here were that the advert should be eye catching and appealing to look at. A couple of people also mentioned simplicity, which was also a feature of the existing products I analysed.

Magazine Advert Analysis: Evanescence - The Open Door

Codes:

Text:
Main Text: Once again, this magazine advert uses the absolute minimum in terms of text. One element that is different is that this is an advert for an album that is yet to be released. This means that it is essential that 'Out November 2nd' stands out from the page.
Additional Text: Underneath this, slightly smaller, is the mention of her single. Obviously here, the creator of the advert has decided that this is not as important as the date of the release but it still needs to be there to attract the audience.
Font: All of the font is a serif font. Similar to the Paramore advert, this suggests that the audience and the album is more a more sophisticated style of pop.

Layout:
Image: Much like the Jessie J advert all the important text is in the lower half in the centre of the page. It is difficult to tell where the main focus point is as there is a lack of material in the middle. Certainly, the image of the girl, on the left hand side attracts the readers attention as it stands out from the rest of the seemingly dark advert.
Motif: By placing the Evanescence motif slightly to the right it is complying with the rule of thirds which should mean that the reader finds it more pleasant to look at this placed here rather than right in the centre. Another reason for placing it here, would be so it works with the image. The motif would not have such a good effect if it was placed over the main part of the image. Therefore, the sensible idea would be to place it slightly off centre.
Logos: Again much like both the other adverts, the two record label logos are in both the bottom corners, so it is likely that the reader will view them last and as it has been said that one's memory best remembers items placed first and last this could be a good decision.

Colour:
Main body: The colour scheme used is very limited. It is mainly black, white and gold used. This largely dark style reflects perhaps the type of music normally made by Evanescence, but at the same time it fits in well with the setting of the image. Much like the Jessie J advert the gold suggests luxury music.
Logo: The 'Virgin Megastores' logo stands out profoundly on this advert. By not conforming to the rather dull colour scheme, the logo although rather small catches the readers eye and is instantly recognisable as one of the Virgin brands.

Conventions:

Images:
Main Image: The image on this advert is interesting. It is difficult to tell whether it is a real photo or not but due to the slightly bizarre angles and perspective of the photo, one would assume that it is computer generated.
Character: From the others that I have analysed this is a unique element and there is a noticeable absence of an image of the main singer, although the image is of a girl indicating the gender of the artist. Another reason for using a girl would be firstly to attract the female audience as they have the potential to be able to identify with the topic of the songs. However, Male Gaze Theory would suggest that using a girl would also attract a male audience as the image of a woman would attract their attention and get them interested in what is being advertised. Long shots, as used in the advert, are a key feature of this theory so that the male audience can see the full body of the female.
Album Front Cover: In addition, it is unclear what the front cover of the album looks like, it could be that this image is used as well but the reader would not be sure.
Logo: The only real element of this advert that makes it recognisable as Evanescence, is their own 'logo' of sorts. If you look at other merchandise a similar style will be used for the bands name and title of the album. This will be effective in catching an Evanescence fan's attention. Also, when the reader sees this elsewhere they will instantly recognise it's unique design.
Image Design: Another unique element of this advert is the use of a texture design. If you look closely you can see that although it would physically be printed on a smooth page in a magazine, the image includes the look of a rough texture. This gives the advert an old fashioned feel which could be another indication to the style of the album. The only other images on this advert are the logos for the record companies. Once again, these will have been used solely to promote the companies as they attempt to attract a wider audience and potential new artists.

Setting:
The setting of the main image is somewhat surreal, as the audience would not come across this setting in everyday life. The large door that reveals the dark sky outside is another indication of the style of music that this advert is promoting.

Costume:
The dress worn by the girl in the photo is, as you would expect, very unusual. The dress is not something that would be worn everyday by the audience, but something that you would more likely find in a fantasy film. Again this is important in portraying the alternative style of pop music that this poster is advertising.

Representation:
The main representation here is purely the representation of the style of music of the album 'The Open Door'. Without a clear picture of the artist it is difficult to represent her personality. With Jessie J the audience gets a clear idea of what she stands for. However, with this advert there is no interaction between Evanescence and her audience so this cannot be established. All the codes and conventions already explored all work together to make a representation of the album style, which would come under the label of alternative pop. 

Magazine Advert Analysis: Jessie J - Who You Are

Codes:

Text:
Main Text: Just like the Paramore advert the text used here is very minimal but is effective. 'Jessie J' and the title of the album stands out from the rest as they are written in fancier fonts that are more eye catching.
Additional Text: At the same time the text on the lower half of the advert also stands out, especially 'Who you are' and 'Price Tag' which have been put in a larger font to attract the audience's attention. 'Price Tag' was one of Jessie J's major hits so by putting that on the advert the reader is more likely to invest in the CD as they know they will ike at least one of the songs. Also, by mentioning B.o.B there is the potential to attract fans of B.o.B as well as Jessie J fans. Finally, by including a website, the reader has the opportunity to find out more about the artist and it will also lead them to other things they could buy.
Website Address: The inclusion of Jessie's website gives the audience another median that they can explore to find out any other information about the artist or album, this is essential in that not much information is used on adverts and should the audience have any questions they need somewhere to look for the answers. It is also important as the internet is a big part of many people's lives these days that Jessie J is associated with it.

Layout:
General Layout: Unlike the 'Brand New Eyes' advert the layout of this is very simple. Being split into two halves means the reader's attention is captured by the picture then they can simply follow the natural line down to read the information.
Information Layout: Also, all the important information is in the column middle of the advert which means the reader has to make minimal effort in order to take in all the information, this is vital for a magazine advert as it is unlikely the reader will be willing to spend a lot of time looking at the page.
Composition: By placing Jessie J in the centre she is the main focal point of the advert and is the basis for the column style that this advert uses. As the audience would be instantly attracted to look at Jessie's face first they then follow the same line down to all of the necessary information.

Colour:
This advert is very clever in its use of colour as there are actually only three colours used; black, white and gold. In conjunction, with Jessie's hair her lipstick, clothes, eye make-up and nails are all black. This makes her really stand out from the advert as her appearance is very distinctive and recognisable to the reader. Due to Jessie being dressed almost completely in black the white background is what makes her stand out even more. On the contrary the white writing stands out from the black background.The gold nicely stands out from the black and as gold is normally linked to the idea of money and success there is a hint that this album is very good and successful.

Conventions:

Images:
Main image: The main image used in this advert takes up round about three quarters of the page. This means that as soon as the reader turns the page their attention is instantly grabbed, as Jessie J stares out at them. Stock Character: Naturally, by using Jessie J herself, before the reader has even read the text, they instantly know who and what this advert is about. The Male Gaze theory states that women are often shown in full body, to attract a males attention. However, here a close up shot is used simply of Jessie J's face. This makes the advert more powerful as her demeaning expression and face in general really stands out from the page. Despite this, her perfect complexion and general attractiveness will play a part in attracting a male audience. When this advert was used, Jessie J was known for her jet black hairstyle so this it was important that the photographer and designer both made this a central point of the photo and the finished advert.
Logos: In the two bottom corners, similar to Paramore's magazine advert, the two logos for the record companies are used to promote themselves and other music they have produced.
Shadows: There are very minimal shadows on this advert, this makes the advert appear very stylistic and professional - something that will undoubtedly attract the audience. The only shadows used are ones on Jessie's face, enhancing her features and consequently helping her powerful expression to have an effect on the audience.

Setting:
The image of Jessie J is simply placed on a white background. By not having her in a noticeable setting the audience is once again forced to only notice the important information provided by the minimal text used.

Costume:
Jessie's black costume and gold earrings are important as they keep in the theme of the advert. The lace style of her top makes her more attractive to males and her gold earrings make her also desirable. By making her wear this outfit her clean cut style of pop music is presented well, whereas if she has been wearing a tracksuit I feel the audience would be expecting a different style of music.

Representation:
There is a clear representation of not only the style of music that this advert is promoting but also Jessie J herself. Through her expression one understands that she is serious about her music and wants to be taken seriously. The gold pattern on her lip is unusual and therefore represents the occasional unusual vocal runs in her music. The title of her album 'Who You Are' represents her as as caring person and someone who cares about each individual and their own personality. 

Magazine Advert Analysis: Paramore - Brand New Eyes

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Introduction to Research Analysis.

Specific Brief

The song I have chosen to base my whole coursework around is pop song 'I'll Be Ok' by British band McFly. After seeing them on their last tour, I have decided to use the piano version of this song. I feel that when performed in this way, the song takes on a whole new ideology and deeper meaning which I want to portray in my video. Unfortunately, McFly have not recorded this version, therefore I will be seeking permission to record the song myself with a piano and use that the make the video for. 

Music Video

The social group I want to represent is teenagers. I have chosen this group for a few different reasons. Firstly, being a teenager myself I know that I will be able to portray them in a correct and effective manner and I will not have a problem finding appropriate actors. In addition, the lyrics of the song are perfect for portraying the life of a teenager and all of the struggles and concepts that this social group faces in life. 

Narrative: I will be using a split narrative, alternating between a narrative of many different teenagers all experiencing certain struggles and a singer on a piano. I'm hoping to include a lots of different concepts including, poverty, abuse, bereavement, depression and addiction. At the end of the song, I want to include a sequence in which there are loads of pictures of other teenagers holding up signs saying 'You're not alone' (to fit in with the lyrics in this part) and some also saying 'I'll be Ok'. This, I hope, will bring together the ideology of that everything will be okay in the end and no-one is alone, no matter what problems they may have. 

In terms of settings, props and costumes I want it to look as natural as possible. Therefore, I will be filming in houses, at school, and in society in general. Similarly, everyday props and in fashion clothes will be used, but I will look at these in more detail a little later on when I truly start planning. 

Digipak

Front cover: I have two main ideas that I want to use in my digipak. On the front cover I would like to merge two pictures together to make a face of a girl. One side of the face the girl will look run down and sad, but the other side she will be happy. This is in attempt again to fit in with my ideology of everything will be okay and you're not alone. The left hand side picture portraying the past and the right hand side showing the present or the future. 

Inside: Inside of the digipak I want to carry on with the same style by making a collage of all the photos that I will use at the end of the video. I believe this will help to carry on a house style throughout my artefacts. 

Back cover: Similar to the front cover I want to use a split picture. This time it will be the back of the girl's head. One side the hair will be messy and unappealing and the other side will be made-up and neat. I hope this will give the idea of looking at someone from the front and the back, and of course it will hold the same meaning as the front cover.

Magazine Advert

Again I am hoping to carry on the same house style as my other two artefacts. I would like use the same pictures as the front cover of my digipak. The background I am hoping to use the pictures, but I am not sure how well this will work, so I could use just a plain background as not to distract the reader from the main picture of the girl. Of course I will be including social media links and favicons to engage the reader and promote the song and group.