How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation

stages?

Evaluation of Magazine Advert/CD Cover Design/Music Video

Question 3

Introduction New media technology are the cultural objects which use digital computer technology for

production, distribution and exhibition e.g. The Internet, media related websites, blu ray disks etc...

For my project, it was essential for me to make use of new media technology in the planning, construction, research and evaluation stages in order to create a marketable product in promoting the artist.

There are different new media technology that I used for my media project. In this essay question, I will explain the different types of technology used it in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages of the media project.

YouTube and other new media technologies

While undertaking my media project, an important new media technology I used was YouTube. YouTube is what allowed me to broadcast the main product in allowing easy access for the potential audience to consume our music video. You can find my music video from this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhs7c-dnmgsYouTube also allowed me to publicise and share the video in the evaluation stage to other people in order for me to receive critical audience feedback. With the audience feedback, this allowed me to amend a couple of things in the music video to make the video have the potential to be a marketing vehicle. YouTube also allowed me to research and plan for our music video. I was able to look at indicative music videos of our chosen genre which is rap which gave me ideas on how our finished product could look like as this would be following the codes and conventions.

YouTube and other new media technologies continued [Screen Shots]

This is how I wanted the start of the video to be like where it would focus on setting, location, the artist. This is a tracking shot of J.Cole walking along the road. This is the same type of camera angle and shot I wanted to incorporate in my main product. All of this was done through research and planning stage to know how I would want the video to look like.

This is a split screen which I researched when constructing my music video. I wanted to use a special effect and a split screen was one of them. This split screen in rap music videos is something I researched when planning to make my music video.

Screen Shots Continued

This is another type of shot and camera movement I incorporated in my main product. I used a rolling and tracking camera movement at a straight eye level angle with the artist looking away from the camera which challenged codes and conventions. Also the location here is similar to the location of my video as my music video was situated at secluded road paths, near garages, car parks and dead end roads. Looking at this indicative video on YouTube, helped me plan and construct my music video by getting ideas from other real media products.

YouTube and the Indicative Music Videos in aiding me in the research, planning, construction and evaluation

stage.• Indicative music videos for our chosen genre allowed us as a group to research and plan the

mise en scene, camera shots, movement and angles, sound, production design and editing for our main product. In the evaluation stage, I was able to compare my music video to my indicative music videos/real media products where I asked the potential audience if I have followed codes and conventions from real media products as this is the way they liked it. This assisted me in the construction and evaluation stage as I was able to get the audience critical views on how good my planning and research has been in making the video to follow the US codes and conventions as it is a UK music video.

• Our finished product was converted as a MP4 file to Quicktime Movie to get the correct framings for the music video which is 4:3 and then we used the computer to upload the finished product under my account on YouTube for where this was distributed and exhibited to the potential audience.

Facebook

Facebook was a new media technology I used for my media project. Through the construction, research, planning and evaluation stage, I was able to use Facebook for a number of things. I was able to use Facebook for critical audience feedback on my main product and ancillary texts which helped me in the construction and evaluation stage.

Audience Feedback on main product and ancillary texts which aided me in the construction, research, planning and evaluation

stage.

• Music Video Audience Feedback• Link to Music Video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhs7c-dnmgs

• Through the process of my media project which consisted of making a music video, creating a magazine advert and making a CD/digipak design, I have learnt a number of things from audience feedback. I will outline the positive and negative feedback of the music video and explain what I have learnt from this process.

• My group and I conducted a couple of questionnaires and surveys on each aspect of the music video which included directing, producing, editing and camerawork. As the director, I showed the music video to the potential audience which is age ranged 16-25 and I asked them to give me individual feedback to tell me what was good about the video and what could have been improved. The music video was shown to the potential audience through social network sites such as Facebook, YouTube and MySpace. I managed to obtain all of the feedback as I made sure all the answers remained anonymous so that no one knew who wrote what.

Audience Feedback Continued- Music Video

• The positive feedback was that the editing had a nice flow of continuity and was combined very well with the soundtrack as the beat of the song was very fast as editing had quick cuts and was seen to be unique and innovative. The audience also said edits and the camera angles made the music video look professional which I am very pleased with this comment. The lip syncing was said to be in time with the music which was very important in the music video where the key editor Abdullah and me as the director were responsible for everything to be in sync. The mise-en scene was very good as it brought out a good representation to the genre of the music video. Location scouting was very clever and simple as the audience as the audience said the music video went very well with the locations chosen where the producer Mena and I were responsible in the mise-en scene elements. Also lighting was seen to be consistent and effective to the genre of the music video as the video had different variety of lighting which was said to be interesting. The positive feeback on camerawork was that there was very good framed shots that was directed in the video and also the use of hand held camera shots such as when the artist was walking down the road/walking around the corner which seemed to follow the codes and conventions of our genre which is rap/grime as the audience said the majority of rap music videos are mostly shot with hand held camera movement. Also the audience enjoyed the focus pulls and trombone shots as they said this created an effective outlook and went with the beat of the song.

Audience Feedback Continued- Music Video

• There was some negative feedback but not so much as the majority of the potential audience thought the music video was good. The negative feedback was that the music video could have had a sense of originality to it as most grime/rap music videos are based around estates and secluded roads so there was a lack of diversity here. As being the director of the music video, I had my own personal view on this as I feel that basing the music video around estates, secluded roads and alleyways etc... followed the US codes and conventions even though it is a UK music video. The audience's view about originality has been taken into account as when I first started this media project, as a group we were going to shoot parts of the video in the studio, due to time management, travel and accessibility for the artist and my group, we found it difficult to try this out so we maintained our original plan to shoot the music video in different exterior locations.

• There was also a lack in camera angles. The audience explained to me that I should have explored more camera angles such as more high angle shots as this was seen to be limited in the music video. They said it would have created a nice effect to create meaning in the video. Also a small amount of people like 2 or 3 people said that the music video needed more content and variables. This is where I put in more variables in the music video as the video needed something especially in the chorus for it to feel completed. With the comments about music video content, I went out of college and shot a couple more scenes and shots for the video to make the music video look more interesting and consumable.

Audience Feedback to Magazine Advert

My magazine advert has been related to my CD digipak design as I have now decided to put my picture in black and white. The reason why I have made this decision to change the magazine advert from colour to black and white is because I conducted a focus group and also a questionnaire and asked the potential audience what colour theme for the photo would  suit better for the magazine advert. The majority of the audience said that black and white would be a good colour theme for the advert so this is why I changed the colour theme as I am promoting the artist to the potential audience and it is important to give the audience what they want to see in the media product. The colour theme was a very important factor as the colour in the advert is what makes the product stand out and can generate a higher consumption unit to make it a marketing vehicle. This is where I followed codes and conventions in making this a good magazine advert that potential consumers will want to consume.

Audience Feedback Continued- Magazine Advert

• The magazine advert was stated as professional by the potential audience as they thought the layout, framing of the picture and the colour theme red, black and white was seen to be very good in making the advert become a marketing vechicle. The audience also related my magazine advert to my CD digipak design as they thought that everything in my media products kept a consistent flow such as the colour theme, the mise en scene and they like how there was a variety of camera shots with different angles. They also said that the photo for the magazine advert looks professionally taken and that the photo relates to my music video as this is the type of location the video was shot at.

• The audience said the use of red in the magazine advert was predominant as red is an effective colour in making the advert stand out as this is what is going to promote the artist. The typography was also known to be a clever idea as the way I wrote JUST AN IDEA relates to the graffiti look we used in our music video. This typography is also used in the other ancillary texts such as the CD digipak design.

Audience Feedback Continued- Magazine Advert

• Also the use of leaving the background in the magazine advert was known to be clever as potential consumers said most rap magazines leave a location background to show where they have come from/just to relate the advert to the music video locations. This was said to be innovative as it represents the artist's identity, job and status within the magazine advert.

• The negative feedback that I received from my target audience is that maybe I could have made his face be a bit more bright in other terms I could have added some light to his face which would create a more glamorous look in showing his facial gestures and features. I did take this feedback on board but because my music video is a rap video, I decided to use low level lighting in relating to my other ancillary texts as from most rap magazine adverts that I have seen they intend to use low key/level lighting. This is where I followed the codes and conventions in making sure that audience expectations were met. A minority of the potential audience mentioned this factor that I should use top lighting for the photo. I experimented this but when I saw the outcome not many people liked it as the majority of the audience said when there was low level lighting, the artist stood out more and it created a nice effect whereas the picture with top lighting would decrease the publicity in the product as many people didn't like so it which would result in a low consumption unit.

• The audience said that since you have made a rap music video with a high tempo beat and where the artist facial expressions is mostly dark, angry and all in your face then it is best to use low level lighting in the advert as it would suit the genre of the video and make an effective meaning. The audience told me that if the song you made was a different genre of music such as like R n B where the beat would be slow, calm and the artist would seem more relaxed in engaging with the potential audience then top lighting and using key lights when taking the photo for the advert would be a good idea as different genres of music have different ways of engaging/communicating to their potential audience.

Audience Feedback to CD/digipak design

Audience Feedback for CD/digipak design

• To receive audience feedback for my CD cover, I uploaded all of this on Facebook. From uploading the CD cover on Facebook, I received views and comments which assisted me with my feedback where improvements/adjustments could be made before the final copy is given in. I was told from the potential audience that they thought the CD cover was really good and that there was a limited amount of changes to be made on the product. The audience enjoyed how the CD cover followed the rap codes and conventions which was quoted by a consumer 'I like the colour scheme and the framing of the shots. It really meets the US codes and conventions. They said the CD cover relates to the magazine advert and to the music video but they said I should consider using different colours to represent the video maybe blue as most of the video is shot in light as I have put the CD cover in red and black which makes the CD have a dark shading to it

• I asked the potential audience what could be done to improve the CD cover, one viewer pointed out- there is not really anything you have to improve, I like the framing and camera shots you have chosen, well done.

• I spoke to the audience to tell me what should be in the CD cover- they mentioned biography, a mini advert, lyrics of the music video song, collaborations with other artists etc.. When creating the inside cover, I listened to what the audience said to meet the codes and conventions of the rap genre. They said the whole colour theme of red, black and white being integrated was interesting and the images in black and white was good as part of the video was shot in black and white.

• For the back cover, I took a side angle shot of the artist looking away from the camera where the audience said this was seen to be good as it was breaking the codes and conventions in film and media. The audience said, the shot was nicely framed and suited the back of the CD cover and it also related to the music video.

Facebook- aiding me in planning and research stages

• During the process of constructing, researching and planning my music video, CD digipak design and magazine advert, Facebook allowed me to set up questionnaires and interviewss with the potential audience which allowed me to ask them how they would want the main product and ancillary products to look like which would be following codes and conventions. From asking potential consumers how they would like the products to look like would meet the consumer’s needs and wants which would lead into a higher consumption unit and generate publicity for the product that has been produced, distributed and exhibited which creates a synergy.

• During my evaluation stage, I was able to upload my music video, CD design and magazine advert for the audience to view and comment so that I could receive feedback on what was good and bad which would allow me to make instant changes to the main product and ancillary texts. Audience feedback helped me in creating new ideas for the products that have been constructed. An initial link can be made between the main product and ancillary text to meet codes and conventions.

The Internet as a new media technology

• The internet was a useful source of technology in the making and planning of my video. I undertook research to know the process of making a music video to get an initial idea of what I would have to undertake in the media project process.

• How to make a music video?• http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Music-Video• I also researched magazine and CD cover designs of my chosen genre which was rap/grime.

The Internet• These real media products gave me a rough idea on how I could construct my ancillary texts.

This allowed me to research how rap magazine adverts and CD covers are constructed in media. This followed codes and conventions and allowed me to create ideas and learn techniques in making my ancillary texts. This was important in the research and planning stage as it helped me to create my ancillary texts and assisted me in my evaluation to get potential viewers to view and comment on the media products to see if there has been a relation between my main product and ancillary products.

Final Cut Pro• I used a programme called Final Cut Pro which was used for storing footage and for editing to

combine and consider the arrangement of the footage for the music video. Final Cut Pro allowed us as a group to put a collection of footage shots together and edit our footage which helped us in our construction and planning stage. I also took a number of screen grabs for my music video from Final Cut Pro where different screen grabs helped me to consider what type of shot I wanted and if it was effective in use for the music video. Here are a number of screen grabs I took. These screen grabs assisted me in the planning, construction and evaluation stages when making my music video.

Screen Grabs

Final Cut Pro Continued• Final Cut Pro also allowed me to use different effects for the music video such as colour

corrector and the Sin City Effect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MgXAw56YCg

• Sin City Effect and colour corrector allowed me to change the background colour and clothing colour. I also went through some YouTube tutorials which showed me how to use Final Cut Pro. These tutorials for Final Cut Pro helped me in editing the music video and helped me use special effects as well in the music video. This was important in the construction stage as it made me feel more comfortable in using the technology and making the main product.

• http://www.youtube.com/user/nyvs?feature=pyv&ad=6285390734&kw=final%20cut%20pro%20tutorials&gclid=CP-wsNuzpKcCFQoY4QodRjLGCA#p/u/0/THyq5K7Os2E

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMoeUrE0dEc• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR-YrnRu3lo&feature=related• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCdGqHbdZRc&feature=related• Also I used tape decks for my music video. I looked over my footage on tapes and captured

footage that I thought was good to use for the video which was used from my tape log and edit decision lists which can be found on my blog.

Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Paint

I used Microsoft Word to write up my production schedules, production diaries, the artist’s research file, the treatment for the music video, the risk assessment and the Look Doc which then allowed me to put this up on my blog. I also used Paint to grab screen shots from my music video and indicative music videos to show how I used different camera shots and angles from real media products.

Photoshop and InDesign

I also used Photoshop and InDesign to construct my magazine advert and CD cover design. Photoshop and InDesign helped me to create effects and also crop out things from photos. I had a couple of difficulties in using Photoshop when making my ancillary texts so I went through some tutorials online on Youtube which assisted me in using the programme efficiently. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPOGXYJtafw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94BMoqtur1Q

Google, Apple Mac and CDs

I used Google for the research of related CD design and Magazine advert to get a rough idea of how I would make my ancillary texts look like. E.g. Colour scheme, framing, type of shot etc...I also used an Apple Mac which was quite tricky at first but I finally got a hand on it during the process of my media project. I used the Apple Mac for editing and to construct the music video.I also used CD discs to burn my music video on it so that I could have a duplicate of the original copy just in case something happens to the main product.

Blogspot and Slideshare

I also used blogs to record everything I did for my media project. You can find this on my blog address- http://wwwmusicvideo-daniel.blogspot.com/And http://wwwmusicvideo-daniel.blogspot.com/I also used Slideshare which allowed me to upload powerpoints as this helped me to present my evaluation in a professional way.

Digital Components Used for construction and evaluation

Evaluation of Digital Components.• I used a Cannon 32k camera and a tripod when constructing the music video. These digital

components allowed the cameraman to perform steady shots and hand held camera shots in making the video look good. Also the cameraman was able to go out of focus and in focus and was also able to use variable zoom ins and zoom outs. I also researched the type of shots used in our chosen genre which was rap as I got many ideas of what angles and shots to use in the music video. I then used a digital camera when taking pictures for my CD design and magazine advert to make everything look professional. I used the digital camera in capturing good frame shots for my magazine advert and CD cover design which assisted me in the planning and construction stage.