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. 

How to Remove Reflections From a Video

After talking with my target audience about my first draft music video, it became apparent that some of the shadows reflected in the piano were distracting. I tried many different ways to solve this problem, but eventually found an effect that worked really well. I made this YouTube video to demonstrate exactly how I manipulated this feature to solve my problem. This video was made using Adobe Captivate 7 - a program that allows you to record your screen activity and then edit a the video afterwards. You can even alter the course of your mouse if you made a mistake whilst filming.

 Please look yourself at my first draft to see what it looked like before I removed the reflections, and then watch my final draft to see just how it improved.

Notes for 2nd Draft - Music Video

After completing the first draft of my music video I showed it to some members of my target market to get some feedback and find out any ways that I could improve it. I did this by sharing my video on social media sites, including Twitter and Facebook as well as creating a questionnaire so that I could get some specific feedback as well as some personal opinions. Below are some of the notable aspects that may need changing when in my second draft.

- Could include more close ups of the characters so the audience can really see the emotion in their faces.
- Most people didn't mind the reflections but there are a few that are a bit distracting e.g. the feet that appear to walk over the piano in the last shot.
- In the chorus the shots need to be shorter.
- A bigger difference between the stories and the singer is need colour wise.
- There is a shadow in one of the shots of the homeless girl which needs removing.

Music Video 1st Draft - Commentary

As before I started filming I made precise storyboards which labelled which shots I would need, in what order and for how long, when I came to editing it all together the initial part of placing all the shots in the correct order was relatively simple once I had found the best take for each shot. Whilst I was filming with my actors and actresses I did each shot three times to make sure that I had at least one usable take every time. Even if I was happy with the first or second take I still did the others in case there was a mistake in it which I had not noticed at the time.

In my 'Project I'll Be Ok' post, I showed how I used Facebook to collect pictures of my target audience. To incorporate these into my music video, I opened up a new project and placed each picture on its own track. Whilst it would have been possible to put them all on the same track, this made it a lot easier when making them fly in just half a second or so after the previous one and it also helped me to get the fades right. If they had all been on the same track, I would not have been able to so easily manipulate the fades. After I got every picture where I wanted it in my specific timeframe, I exported the whole thing as its own movie. This then enabled me to put it into my music video project and the whole section being on one track.

To make my music video look realistic and appropriate for my genre I used mainly straight cuts and fades between the shots. Spinning clips or 'blind fx' would simply not have been appropriate for the style of the song, and would definitely not appeal to my target audience. The fades help the video flow with the slow tempo, whilst the straight cuts indicate slight tempo changes and urgency within the song.

As my music video, is based around a split narrative I decided to use some filters that change the colour of the clips slightly to indicate the difference between the narrative and the singer storyline. At present, my singer, Katherine-Anna, has not filter on as her colours are vibrant and natural already, indicating happiness and normality. On the other hand I have used a 25% Black and White filter for my narrative storylines. By making these scenes darker, I hope to evoke sympathy and sadness in my target audience. I plan to hold focus groups and conduct more surveys to see whether my target market of young people, think that this filter should be more prominent and if they think a 50% or even 75% Black and White filter would be better.

At the beginning of my music video, we see a scene about the nuclear family. To show this ideal but also to suggest a flashback I used 'Light Rays - Moderate Bound Spotlight' I find that this FX is very effective as the family appears to be shining through the light rays.

For some shots, I have used slow motion. On some occasions it is not noticeable as the aim was the simply to slow the actions down slightly. In other shots it is more noticeable, especially in between scenes. I did this because I think it fits in nicely with the tempo of the song and gives the audience an extra second or so to relate to the character. When the homeless girl pulls the glove off the branch, for example, with the use of slow motion, the audience can see her struggle more and realise how sad her life is that she has to take a glove she has just found to keep warm. When this clip was not slowed down, it also was not very appropriate for the song as the tree swung back rather quickly, ruining the emotional effect I wanted it to have on my audience.

1st Draft Music Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K_zs_0ovxo

This is the link to my 1st Draft of my music video. Unfortunately due to issues when rendering the video I had to change the track I used to the version without the lyrics. But, I will sort this issue out very soon and upload one up with the lyrics.

Filming Preparation - Weather

Weather Planning:

In my music video I have two outside scenes. One of these is of the teenager who has been chucked out and is sitting on a bench. After looking at the weather forecast for this week (December 16^th – 22^nd). The weather looks to be suitable for filming on Friday as I want it to be slightly cloudy so that pathetic fallacy can play a role in this ‘downbeat’ scene. 

For the second outdoors scene in the graveyard I would also like to have the same type of weather once again so I can carry on the use of pathetic fallacy in my video. Although the forecast for Sunday does have the risk of rain, I am hoping that I will be able to film in the morning before this arrives. 

Filming Preparations - Costumes

Following my initial thoughts on costume I have gone ahead and found some example pictures for the clothing I would like my actors to wear.

Singer: Katherine

Katherine-Singer

An example of the top
Katherine will wear.

The costume I have chosen for Katherine is rather simple as I want her to be able to represent each one of my target audience. By making sure that she is wearing black also reflects the sombre mood of the song and the underlying sad meaning behind it. Although the ideology is positive, making her wear bright colours would not work well with the style of the song.

Georgia - Abused girl

Abused girl: Georgia
The clothes I have chosen for Georgia are a simple dark coloured jumper and red
jeans. The dark jumper once again reflects the sad mood of the situation, whilst the red symbolises the danger in her life and her future. Both these items of clothing can be found in shops today so are very much in fashion and reflect also the clothes my target audience would wear. This will help them to identify with this particular character in the video.





Bereaved Boy: Matthew

Matthew - Bereaved
Boy

The costume of Matthew is very similar to that of Georgia. For his outside scene I have asked him to wear a dark coat and red chinos. Once again, the red will symbolise the uncertainty, tragedy and pain in his life whilst also acting as a fashionable item of clothing for my target audience.

 
 

Kaylie - Homeless
Girl

Homeless Girl: Kaylie
Although Kaylie is playing a homeless teenager it is important that her clothes are current and in fashion if a bit dirty. This is because I hope to show that she is only recently homeless due to a fight with her parents. Therefore, I have chosen a checked coat, and dark tracksuit bottoms as her outfit. Furthermore, the colours are dull to reflect unfortunate circumstances that the girl has found herself in.

Heather - Alcoholic Girl

Alcoholic Teenager: Heather

As Heather is supposed to be a secret alcoholic which is indicated by the hidden box of empty bottles under her bed, her clothes will not be scruffy just lounge clothes to indicate her lack of care for things around her an her appearance. With this in mind I have chosen a simple grey hoodie and tracksuit bottoms as her costume indicates not only her sombre mood but her plain and repetitious life as she spends her time drinking by herself.

 

Lonely Boy: Louis

The costume for this character has a very broad scope. As his state does not necessary inflicted upon his physical look. Due to this I have decided a dark coloured jumper will suffice once again to link in with the mood of his situation. As with all the other costumes, it is current and representative of something that my target audience would wear themselves. 

Costumes, Props & Settings.

Essentially due to my music video being manly comprised around 'normal people' and everyday situations, my costumes, props and settings are all very simple. That being said it is important that I make sure I have everything planned now, to avoid mistakes later. Many of the props I have myself and many of the settings will be conducted at my house in various rooms. However, some others will require more thought.

Costumes:

Singer:
1. Black dress - black to reflect the sombre tone of the song and also make it so she is not very individualistic (could be anyone) something my target audience would wear

Stressed person:
1. Tracksuit bottoms and plain top - comfortable clothes to suggest she spends a lot of time sitting there doing homework.
2. Summery dress - to be worn in the flashback where she is happy - summer usually associated with happiness.

Lonely person:
1. Everyday clothes - jeans, top - perhaps could look like she is ready to go to the city.

Heartbroken person:
1. Again everyday clothes needed here to represent the fact they are a normal person, so jeans and a jumper.

Alcoholic:
1. Scruffy clothes slightly dirty perhaps - messed up hair to show carelessness and state of mind.

Person with no money for heating bills:
1. Lots of layers - coat over hoodie, scarfs, gloves, boots etc. to show how cold it is inside.

Homeless person:
1. Scruffy old clothes, fingerless gloves, dirty complexion etc - need to create dishevelled look in general.

Props:

1. Subject books, pieces of paper, pens etc. - psychology - could represent her state of mind

2. Big mirror to stand on the desk

3. Teddy for the lonely person to cuddle

4. Laptop for FaceBook

5. Replica bills

6. Empty alcohol bottles/cans

7. "You're not alone" posters (Auteur prop - never seen done before)

8. Hat for the homeless person to collect money in 

9. Grand piano for the singer

10. A desk

Equipment: (have all of them at home)
-Camera
-Tripod
-Dolly

Settings:

1. Bedroom with a big desk in (my sister's)

2. Bedroom with a bed next to a window (mine or my sister's)

3. Café Bar Marzano, The Forum - this will be the setting for the chorus' as there is a lovely grand piano which I can use. It is placed in the corner by full length glass panels which I think will look nice in the filming. I plan to film either really early in the morning or late at night to avoid lots of people being around and disrupting their day. I have talk to Marzanos about this and it is not a problem. 

4. A brick wall where a homeless person could sit (round the corner from my house)

5. Cold room (my lounge)

6. A white wall for the 'I'll Be Ok' part to be filmed (my hallway)

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."

Secondary Storyboards.

After making my primary storyboards which showed an overview of my music video, I have produced my secondary storyboards. These indicate which shot I should use for each frame, for how long, and any transitions or effects I could use when editing. 

I have changed the order of the situations slightly so that they fit more appropriate with the lyrics of the song. 

Initial Storyboards.

For my initial storyboards I have not yet decided on specific angles for each second of the song but put the ideas to the lyrics so I can then later on work out how much time for each 'section' I have to work. This for me, will be the most effective way to do things because it will help me to map out everything I need to include with say 8 seconds for example. Below I have included an elaboration and explanation for each picture on my storyboard so far.

1. Lyrics: When everything is going wrong and things are just a little strange...
My first picture on my storyboard shows a girl sitting at a desk with work all over it. I have chosen this scenario for the beginning part as it instantly links my target market to the song as they will have no doubt experience many times where they have not understood or could not handle their homework. I want to start with an over the shoulder shot so the face of the actress is not visible so that there is the idea of anonymity and that this person could be anyone of my target audience. After then I would like to have a close up shot to the actress putting her head in her hands before then switching back to the first shot to see her pushing all her papers away in disgust.

2. Lyrics: It's been so long now, you've forgotten how to smile...
To start this part I'm going to use the same character's reflection in the mirror on the desk, once again using an over the shoulder shot but much closer this time so the emotion can be seen in the mirror and hopefully an emotion that my target market of teenagers can relate to. For the second half I would like to use a flashback, in black and white, of the character being happy to correspond with the lyrics 'forgotten how to smile'. When conducting my surveys, a lot of people said that they think the storyline should relate to the lyrics and this is one point during the song which I think I can make it work well, without it being too cheesy.

3. Lyrics: Overhead the skies are clear but it still seems to rain on you...
To start this part I would like to start with a close up of someone's face before zooming out and panning to the right so that a window and rain is in view by the end. This once again will correspond with the lyrics and when the next part comes along will make sense to which scenario it is paired with, although I hope that the audience will also be able to make up their own mind about what this part and others alike mean to them.

4. Lyrics: and your only friends all have better things to do...
Once again, with the risk of it being too cheesy, here I would like to use the social media site FaceBook, with a conversation going on where one friend is too busy to see the other. Again, I feel this will be very relatable for my audience as most will use regularly sites like these. Here instead of using a camera because some times when filming screens they appear funny, I may download some screen filming software so that it looks a lot better and more professional. 

5. Lyrics: When you're down and lost and you need a helping hand, when you're down and lost along the way...
This is the entirety of the first chorus. For the majority of this time I would like to present my split narrative with the singer on a piano. But I would also I like to include some other scenarios that I have not had a chance to use elsewhere in the song. I think this will be effective because, whilst I will be using many camera shots and ranges, it will help to keep the audience interested so they do not have to look at the same thing throughout the chorus. 

6. Lyrics: Just tell yourself, I'll be okay...
As I want to have this idea of everyone being the same and 'normal' people, hear I would like to use all the actors in my video, to simply stand in front of the camera on a close-up shot, right in the middle so they appear strong and trustworthy, and sing 'I'll Be Ok'. As this lyric is the main ideology to my song, I want to keep it simple yet effective and meaningful and I believe this would be the correct way to do this. 

7. Lyrics: Now things are only getting worse and you need someone to take the blame... 
Many young people probably have not yet really experienced bankruptcy, but they have potentially seen their parents struggle to pay the bills. Therefore, in this part I would like to produce some 'final warning' letters and such and present them here.

8. Lyrics: When your lover's gone there's no-one to share the pain...
Similar to the first shot, I would like to use an over shoulder shot to start this scenario, once again in attempt to show that these to people could be anyone. The main idea will once again link into the lyrics as someone walks out the door and there is one person left alone, with no-one to support them. Perhaps here I will also include a close-up of a hand on the door handle or something similar to keep the audience interested.

9. Lyrics: You're sleeping with the light on and you're lying in an empty bed...

I thought this would be a good chance to use the theme of bereavement, as perhaps a picture on the bedside table could be of two people together being happy then panning to see them lying there alone upset. However, I am still undecided whether it should be a partner who has passed away or a parent. Perhaps for my target market a parent would be more fitting as they are unlikely to lose a partner in that way aged 13-18 years. 

10. Lyrics: All the alcohol in the world could never help me to forget...
I think this part is my chance to include the scenario of addiction, and dependency on alcohol to help people through hard times. Many of my target audience will be just starting to drink alcohol, so perhaps here instead of promoting alcohol as a means of forgetting I would like to show someone throwing them away and being stronger because simply, as the lyrics suggest, the alcohol will not help and will not help anyone to forget their troubles in the long run.

11. Lyrics: You're not alone (x5)
This is the where I want to include all of the pictures that I have collected of many different people holding hand made signs that say 'You're not alone'. This is primarily to portray my ideology of not having to suffer alone in your troubles, these pictures will then be used across my other two artefacts. 

12. This part is without lyrics at the moment as they are potential scenarios to go in the chorus'. Number 12 shows poverty where someone is in their bedroom and you can see their breath because they cannot afford the heating bill. Also, perhaps I could include the same person looking in the fridge to find there is no food. 

13. Finally, my last scenario, is homelessness. My target audience are not likely to have experience this themselves but will have seen many people who do and I hope to create sympathy here as I use close-up shots to show their distress and helplessness at this situation. To lighten the situation slightly, I may consider including someone giving them money, which could represent my 'you're not alone' ideology as this person helps the homeless person. 


- Please look at my Secondary Storyboards for increased detail.

Target Audience Research: Music Video Survey.

Due to the song chosen being McFly, I am pleased that the majority of respondents were female as I think the genre of the song will appeal to them more, so they are more likely to watch the music video.

 

 



Most of the respondents to my questionnaire were aged 13 to 17. This is good because it means the results will reflect greatly the opinions of my main target audience. Although the respondents aged 45 to 54 are not completely redundant as it is important to appeal to their tastes as well in order to attract a wider audience.

As I expected many people watch music videos occasionally and there were no answers saying never. This highlights how important it is for an artist to have a music video for their songs as most people enjoy watching them.

Since the majority of respondents have said they would expect a split narrative, I think it is imperative that I include one. This answer is also supported by my primary research as the videos I analysed all included a split narrative feature.

I was a little surprised by this answer. I would have expected more people to have preferred the artist to play an instrument. But again referring to my primary research only one out of the three videos had the artist playing an instrument. As the option of having an instrument does hold the majority I will attempt to include one in my video.

This question is very much divided up into different codes and conventions. When making the survey, I made sure each one had a contrasting answer to find out which my target audience would prefer and thought would fit in with my song choice.
Here are the majority findings:
Lighting: Low lighting.
Colour: Mixture of black & white and colour
Settings: Everyday settings
Camera Range: Lots of different camera ranges
Camera Angles: Mixture of all angles
Slow motion & Fades: Both achieved high ratings
Characters: One central character to refer to throughout.
All of these findings fit in with my primary research.

The main consensus from all the comments is that the storyline should fit the lyrics well. Also a few people mentioned that the audience should be able to relate to the stories well, which would make it more interesting and engaging I feel.

Project I'll Be Ok

For one part of my music video I want to include my target audience. I came up with the idea od getting them to take photos of themselves holding posters that say either 'I'll Be Ok' or 'You're Not Alone'. In order to collect these photos I have made an open group on Facebook called 'Project I'll Be Ok'. I have invited all my friends, got them to invite theirs and I also advertised it on Twitter. From this I have managed to gain in just a few days some members from other countries that I did not know before. This shows how my campaign has the ability to become global if it was to be continued.

UPDATE:09/01/2014

In the end I received around 30 photos which was plenty for my music video, and unfortunately I could not include them all. I plan, however, use some, in my digipak too, which will act as another way that my products are linked together.

Introduction to Research Analysis.

Initial Ideas for Music Video

As mentioned in my Specific Brief post my music video to 'I'll Be Ok' is going to be about different situations that could affect a teenager. I have thought of several different situations that I can include and have listed them below with specific things I could film to portray them. In addition, there are certain lyrics in the song that I would like to do something specific for and these ideas are also listed below. For both the concepts and lyrics I have listed the codes and conventions which will apply to each idea.

Concepts:

Self harm:
- Attempt at scars on actors arms
- Subtle suggestions of someone self harming - in a bathroom, blood in sink.  (props, setting, stock character, stock event)

Poverty:

- Looking in an empty fridge for food     (props, setting)

- Sitting on a street begging for money     (props, setting)
- No money in purse     (props)
- Lights not working - electricity bills     (props)

Bereavement:
- Looking at happy pictures of the person who has died     (props)
- Dressed for a funeral     (stock event & character, costume, setting)
- Crying in room alone     (setting, stock event, stock character)

Abuse:
- Attempt to make bruises     (props)
- Show someone being 'hit' in grey and white to show sadness - use slow motion for effect     (stock event, special effects)
- Abuse within a relationship and child abuse     (stock event & character)

Depression:
- This could be difficult to do as it has to be subtle
- Perhaps use someone sitting in their room, on their bed looking blank with people trying to help     (stock character, setting)

Addiction:
- Alcohol abuse     (props)
- Trying to drink in secret     (props, setting)
- Empty bottles hidden somewhere     (props, setting)

Eating Disorder:
- Not eating much     (props)
- Bulimia     (props)

Lyrics:

"Only friends all have better things to do"
- On phone to friends who are at a party, whilst actors is stuck at home alone     (props, setting, stock event & character)
- Sees friends walking down a street together looking happy whilst again actor is alone     (stock event & character, setting)

"Skies are clear but it still seems to rain on you"
- Setting here is really important - use blue skies on the horizon but cloudy up ahead.     (setting)

"You're not alone"
- Pictures of teenagers holding up signs saying 'You're not alone' and 'I'll Be Ok'     (props, stock characters, ideology)

"I'll be ok"
- Different person each time singing 'I'll be ok' into the camera     (stock characters, ideology)

"It's been so long now you've forgotten how to smile"
- Looking in a mirror not being able to smile
- Looking at an old photograph of looking happy     (props, setting, stock character)

"All the alcohol in the world"
- Concept of addiction     (props, setting, stock event & character)