A2 Media Coursework EvaluationEvaluation Question 1 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. music video) For this part of the evaluation, I have made a grid with nine frames taken from my video. Each of these frames represents different features of a music video. To decide which nine frames to use, I had to take into consideration what each shot represented and how to make this visually clear. The nine features I decided to use were:1.A shot that shows a link between lyrics and/or music video2.A shot that typifies the way a record company would want their artist to be represented 3.A shot that illustrates how your video uses music genre4.A shot that shows an intertextual reference5.A shot that demonstrates use of camera6.A shot that demonstrates use of lighting7.A shot that demonstrates use of mise-en-scene8.A shot which you feel demonstrates something which shows you have watched other music videos 9.A shot which you feel demonstrates something which shows you have watched other music videos I started this task by choosing my 9 shots which are displayed below. 1 2 34 5 67 8 9

1. A shot that shows a link between lyrics and/or music and visualsMatching the visuals within a music video to the lyrics is a very common theme shown within music videos of all genres. This is to create a sense of acknowledgement for the viewer, as well as allowing the audience to identify the true meaning behind the lyrics. The image that I have chosen is a close up shot which was filmed outdoors during the narrative scene. Here we can see that as the lyrics sing too many eyes, to meet, the eyes of one of the female actress very briefly meets the lens of the camera, before the camera moves to focus on the eyes facing forwards. This gives a clear indication of the love triangle which is happening between the characters, and the heartless feelings of the other girls, shown through the sheer lack of eye contact. You can tell from the lyrics and the visuals that this girl has caused the heartbreak that influenced the song. 2. A shot that typifies the way a record company would want their artist to be represented.This mid shot of Asha Levitt sitting at a piano typifies the way a record company would want their artist to be represented. The framing and the content of this shot is incredibly important to create her identity. By showing Asha sitting at a piano, the record company is able to promote the idea that she is multitalented, thus further showing her as a true and gifted artist. By having her sitting against a scruffy background, but dressed elegant and immaculately, the record company can highlight her beauty. Her dark dress helps to draw attention to her to help promote her. Looking at the mise-en-scene, we can see that her hair is elegantly curled; she has dark makeup on to highlight and contrasts the dimensions of her face, and a long red dress. Against the messy background, the artist is able to create an image of beauty, and the emotion running through her face during this shot helps to portray Asha as a sincere artist. 3. A shot that illustrates how your video uses music genreThis close-up shot, I believe, represents my indie-folk genre, mainly due to the use of mise-en-scene with the mask. Through the use of research and planning, I found that many music videos which follow the same conventions as mine contain identity shielding costume, many of which use some form of mask to hide the characters face. Along with the contrast between this elegant mask, and the outdoor location, with the bright lighting, I was able to create the ideal quirky feel which is shown in many indie-folk music videos.4. A shot that shows an intertextual referenceThis close up shot is a very common situation for music videos trying to convey a certain amount of emotion. It is used to draw all the focus to the way the artist sings the song, and their facial expressions. I have placed this shot off centre to really focus on the actress emotions, as well as include part of the background to help with the use of mise-en-scene. The main music video I looked at as a comparison for this was Funeral Suits All Those Friendly People, as they also have a strong masked influence. Also, many of their creative shots have been used as an influence for my music video.5. A shot that demonstrates your use of cameraThe use of focus in my music video is vital to be able to draw the audiences attention to different parts of a shot. This helps to add the extra dramatic feel I needed for this song, as well as following the general conventions of other indie-folk music videos. This shot I have chosen is taken from the narrative section of the music video. In my opinion, the framing of the video shows good use of camera because, within this one shot, a relationship is established between the male character and one of the female characters. The focus on the male character, while the female in the background is blurred, signifies the idea that something will happen between these two characters. Also, the identity of either character is not revealed, furthermore bringing a sense of enigma to the music video. Also, the fact that it is an extreme close up shot allows the audience to further interact with the character as it gives the audience a closer look at the expression and emotions on his face. 6. A shot that demonstrates your use of lightingThis mid shot of Asha, sitting at the piano at a particularly powerful and emotional point of the song, is made more emotional by the use of lighting behind her. By placing a soft box lamp directly behind my actress, I was able to create an angelic feel, showing her purity and innocence, as well as the dark emotion behind the song. The shadows cast over her face help to further depict the true meaning of the song as they help to give an insight of the meaning behind the powerful lyrics. The use of her looking dark against a bright background also helps to draw the attention to her, as a further promotional technique. 7. A shot that demonstrates your use of mise-en-sceneThe use of mise-en-scene is very important within my music video to help me keep to the converntions of an indie-folk music video, as well as to create a more emtional piece. The shot I selected has been taken during the performance segment of the music video. Within this shot, we can see the use of the piano, a key part of the mise-en-scene as the song itself is witten to a piano tune, as well as the dust sheets in the backgorund to give the room a secluded and dirty feel, with a constrast of her elegant hair and makeup, to further create an effective atmosphire to reflect the mood of the song. 8/9. Two shots which you feel demonstrate something which shows you have watched other music videos.The first shot that you can see (8) is a shot that represents the idea of powerful love, and that it can overcome anything. I got this idea from Birdys Wings music video. The slow motion effect placed over the running, I believe, helps to intensify the idea of love, and overcoming problems causing a disruption with this love. These types of shots really helped me when trying to make my video more interesting. The second one (9) is a close up shot that we used to help create emotion, as well as placing her at a piano to create a more sincere effect. Many other products have done shots with obvious similarities. These include Birdys Skinny Love music video, and Billy Clyros God and Satan music video. I then decided to make another nine panes with shots of other real music videos with the same categories as my music video nine panes had. 1.A shot that shows a link between lyrics and/or music video2.A shot that typifies the way a record company would want their artist to be represented 3.A shot that illustrates how the video uses music genre4.A shot that shows an intertextual reference5.A shot that demonstrates use of camera6.A shot that demonstrates use of lighting7.A shot that demonstrates use of mise-en-scene8.A shot which you feel demonstrates something which shows you have watched other music videos 9.A shot which you feel demonstrates something which shows you have watched other music videos

1 2 34 5 67 8 9

1. A shot that shows a link between lyrics and/or music videoThis is a shot from the music video God and Satan by Biffy Clyro. I chose this shot for linking lyrics and visuals due to the fact that the lyrics dont come crying to me are sung, while the main character is crying to an older lady, a suggestion that she could be a relative, further showing the idea that the song could be sung from a mothers perspective, highlighted in the following line when it states Ill only see your good side. We dont know who the person is, whether it is a family member or their partner. This connotes the idea of love, whether it is between a mother and son or within a relationship. This helps the audience realize that the key theme of the song is love.2. A shot that typifies the way a record company would want their artist to be representedThis is a close up shot of The Paper Kites music video Bloom. I believe that it represents the way in which the record company would want to represent their artist through the use of mise-en-scene. By showing the artist playing a musical instrument, they can promote the fact that the artist is multi-talented. Also, the use of warm light gives him a soft and friendly appearance. Along with the costume and appearance of the artist himself, to give an indie-folk vibe, the record label is able to create a persona to reflect the genre of his music, thus attracting the attention of the target audience creating a strong promotion of the artist. 3. A shot that illustrates how the video uses music genreI believe that this shot from The Paper Kites music video Bloom portrays the genre due to the mise-en-scene with the location and the costume. The whole idea of a scruffy look, whether it is regarding costume or location, is a prominent convention of an indie-folk music video. This is to give a quirky, scruffy look. The whole idea behind this is that the audience should focus on the song and the lyrics, rather than the aesthetics, hence being the reason why CGI is not commonly used. This helps to portray a simplistic and non-egotistical, relaxed personality which is a common vibe within this genre. 4. A shot that shows an intertextual referenceAn intertextual reference is shown as it has cameos from actors such as the main female character within the music video, Alexandra Daddario showing her as a straight, fearless character which she is in most of her films, such as Percy Jackson&the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D.5. A shot that demonstrates use of cameraThis is a long shot form the Sleeping With Sirens music video Roger Rabbit. I have chosen this shot as I believe that the camera shot is particularly good. Within this shot, we can see that the camera is unfocused. The fact that this shot is shown very quickly allows the audience to take in the setting in, as well as set the dreamy mood. The little camera movement plays an important role in the making of this music video. This is because it allows the audience to engage with the characteristics of both the song and the band, as well as using techniques to show a dream-like state of paradise. This shot also works really well to show off the lighting techniques, allowing all aspects of production to work together. 6. A shot that demonstrates use of lightingThis shot demonstrates good use of lighting as it helps to set the mood and the atmosphere of the song to create an intense emotional mood, thus signifying the main theme of love. This long shot clearly shows the use of a spotlight on each of the dancers, further drawing the audiences attention towards those particular characters. It also gives off the impression that these two people are the main stimulus for the song. By the use of shadows around these two spotlights, we can grasp the idea that love is blinding and giving the impression that each other are the only people that they can see because the love is so strong that they are the only focus. 7. A shot that demonstrates use of mise-en-scene7) A shot that demonstrates your use of mise-en-scene

The mise-en-scene within One Directions Story of my Life music video reflects the concept of the song. The use of pictures hanging on the walls represent the different parts of their lives which have created a story. By later focusing on an individuals photo, which then comes to life, the producers are able to link the song to the mise-en-scene. Also, the secluded photography room helps to suggest the idea of isolation and nostalgia.8/9. Two shots which you feel demonstrate something which shows you have watched other music videos.The first shot used here (8) is a long shot from Avril Lavignes When youre Gone music video. It starts by establishing the setting to give the audience an indication of where they are, and more importantly allowing the audience to establish the couples relationship. From the body language and positioning, you can understand that there is a concept of love, much like the connection shown between Hannah and Jonny in my music video. The last shot I have chosen (9) is a close up shot from the Wrecking Ball music video by Miley Cyrus. By mirroring the emotion shown through Miley within my music video, it can be shown that I have watched other music videos and taken from their influence.The next stage for me now was to analyse our ancillary tasks, being the album cover and our promotional poster.This is my finished album cover.

The next stage was to look into a similar product. I can compare my album cover to Birdys.

Similarities and Differences between the Front Cover: Much like Birdys front cover, I decided to go for the option of having a close up shot of my main artist for promotional purposes. I believe that the idea of having the artist on her own makes her appear more independent and artistically strong. The difference here is the fact that I chose for my actress to not have eye contact with the camera. This is due to the fact that I wanted the shot to be more natural, as well as giving my artist, Asha Levitt, a more dreamy appearance. Like Birdys album cover, I decided to place the text in the corner of my album cover to create a balance between the artist and the text. However, as I wished my artist to be placed towards the left of the album cover, I decided that my text had to balance the picture, thus influencing its position on the right. Also, I followed Birdys influence of the black text against the white background. This, I believe, makes the text stand out, thus making the album cover more eye catching. However, unlike Birdys album, I decided to place a bold black border around the outside of my album cover. This is due to the fact that I believed that it framed the cover better, as well as creating a much bolder, and giving it a more aesthetically pleasing look. The colour scheme used here was very similar to the colour scheme used on my album cover. I used the same idea of black and white throughout the entire digipak. This was to both relate the digipak to my music video, and keep to the conventions of an indie-folk genre. Also, I believe that Birdys black and white colour scheme gives the album cover a much more professional and eye catching look, hence the reason why I duplicated this idea in my digipak.Similarities and Differences between the Back Cover:

On my back cover, much like Birdys, I decided to keep a very simplistic tone, hence the idea of a plain white background with the black text on top of it. I decided to keep to the theme of the text shown on the front page with the name Asha Levitt. Although the text is spaced differently (going across the page on my album cover, instead of going downwards), the fact that it is placed in the centre of the page draws the consumers attention to the actual text rather than the other features of the page. I decided to place the Raven Records logo behind the text, unlike the plain white background on Birdys album cover. This was due to the fact that I thought that the back of my album looked too plain and not aesthetically pleasing, thus meaning that it needed something to make it more interesting. By repeating the logo on this page, I was able to make a further promotion of my record company, as well as creating a reoccurring theme throughout the digipak. Again, I decided to keep to the colour scheme of black and white to keep with the simplistic conventions of my genre, much like Birdy did with her ablum cover. However, unlike Birdys cover, I decided to place a border on the back as well.

Similarities and differences between CDs Unlike Birdys CD, I decided to stick with my reocruing theme of white with black writing. This was so that I could place the logo on the CD with the ability of being allowed to create a link between the logo on the CD and the logo on the front of the album cover. To make this CD stand out even more, I decided to use black and white piano keys as a background, which was taken from a shot in my music video. By doing this, I was able to link the digipak with the music video for promotion purposes. Also, many indie-folk albums contain a reference towards an instrument, hence the idea of the piano. Unlike Birdy, who placed her black album on a white background, I reversed this idea to be able to stick to my theme.