Evaluation Video Part 2

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

Evaluation Video Part 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Evaluation Video Part 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Evaluation Video Part 4

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

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Music Video

My video conforms to some of Andrew Goodwin's ideas on music videos, such as the fact that there is a link between the visuals and the lyrics. This acts as the basis for the first narrative of my music video, where I have created literal visual representations of the lyrics using four female models, such as when the lyrics are "with eyes that burn like cigarettes", there is a shot of a pair of eyes staring into the camera followed by a shot of somebody lighting a cigarette, and at times the lyrics even appear on screen. I will refer to this narrative as ‘the colour narrative’, and the parallel narrative of the all-boy band setting up for a performance as ‘the black-and-white narrative’. In my video there is also a link between the music and visuals, another of Goodwin’s concepts, as I have shots of the female models playing instruments (a trumpet, bass guitar, and a drum) in time with the music. Additionally Goodwin suggests that part of the appeal of music videos is voyeurism and the notion of looking, and my music video conforms to this through the way in which both the female models of the colour narrative and the male band members of the black-and-white narrative are portrayed: in fragmented extreme close-ups of their bodies.

This notion of looking can be linked to Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze, which applies to my music video as in the colour narrative I used close-ups of the female models’ eyes, lips, legs, and hair which act to eroticise and sexualise them. Mulvey identified two types of the male gaze: ‘voyeuristic’ and ‘fetishistic’. The voyeuristic male gaze refers to seeing women as ‘whores’, whilst the fetishistic male gaze refers to seeing women as ‘madonnas’. My music video fits in more with the fetishistic interpretation of the male gaze as the lyrics of the song mean that the models are seen as fantasies and admired, rather than objectified. This representational issue of gender is commonly featured in music videos of most genres and my video conforms to this.

In terms of the representation of women in the colour narrative of my video, it could be said that the woman described in the lyrics is represented as a fantasy, an unachievable perfect woman that is an amalgamation of many different women rather than one real-life person. I did this by shooting the entire video in extreme close-up and using many different models so that the ideal woman that the song is about is never shown in full. I used iconic signifiers that would be recognised as feminine, for example: red lipstick, long eyelashes, jewellery, high heels, short skirts, lace, etc. This made sure the models were represented as conventionally beautiful and links to Mulvey’s concept of seeing women as ‘madonnas’.

Although it could be argued that the colour narrative of my music video conforms to the stereotypical representation of women due to the way that the models are dressed and made-up and additionally some of the props that are used – for example a blender, which is an item of typical domestic kitchenware that links directly to the traditional feminine role – it could also be said that there are aspects of both the lyrics and the accompanying video that contrast with this image. For example, I have one shot of a girl playing with model cars as the lyrics are, “she’s changing her MG for white Chrysler Le Baron”, which contradicts the stereotype of women. It is possible that my video could be criticised for being anti-feminist as the audience are encouraged to look at the models, and the video itself in some ways removes their identities because their whole faces are never shown at once, only a part of their body, e.g. their legs, or their eyes, or their lips.

My music video fits into the indie music genre, and so as a result follows many of the generic conventions, which was also suggested in Goodwin’s music video theory. For example, the colour narrative features only female models, and typically indie music uses females in their music videos as a large portion of fans of their music are heterosexual males. It could be said that the objectification of and voyeuristic attitude towards women are characteristic of indie music videos. I also featured close-ups of the musical instruments that are being played in the song, which is a generic convention of indie music, particularly in comparison to other music genres, such as RnB and hip-hop, where there is less of a focus on the instrumental talent of the artist and more on their success or wealth.

The black-and-white narrative of my video also conforms to generic conventions in many ways. For example, black and white music videos are common in indie music due to the fact that it gives it a rough, vintage feel, e.g. Arctic Monkeys’ video for ‘R U Mine?’. Additionally I dressed the band members in clothes similar to both real-life performers and fans of indie music. For example, they are all wearing relatively dark colours – dark jeans, black t-shirts, white shirt with a black tie, etc. – which is also conventional, and allows the audience to relate to them.

The target audience for my video is mainly heterosexual males aged 16-25, due to the fact that all the models in the colour narrative are girls that fit into this same age category, and they are sexualised in the video. Additionally the band members in the black-and-white narrative are male, so a male audience member can relate to or admire them. However my video, like other indie music videos, would also attract a secondary female audience of the same age. Throughout the process of making my music video, I asked members of my primary and secondary target audience to look at my ideas and work so far and give me feedback so that I could ensure that it was specifically tailored to the wants and needs of my intended audience. I did this through polls on my blog and regular feedback forms and videos.

We can apply Bulmer and Katz' Uses and Gratifications theory to my music video, which gives four reasons as to why audiences consume media texts: entertainment; surveillance; personal identity; personal relationships. We can deduce that the audience would use my music video for primarily entertainment, as part of the purpose of music videos is pleasure; also possibly personal relationships, as music videos are often talked about as much as television programmes or films, particularly those that are especially controversial, provocative, or innovative; it could also be argued that personal identity applies as some viewers may see the female models or the male band members in my video in an aspirational sense.

My music video does not follow a conventional narrative in terms of telling a story - it does not fit into Todorov's equilibrium-disruption-new equilibrium template. However it can be split into the two parallel narratives: the colour narrative and the black-and-white narrative. The colour narrative is merely made up of visual representations of the lyrics, and so as a result does not follow much of a narrative structure. However, the way in which it declines through the song, until the middle instrumental where it disappears completely, and then reappears briefly in the final verse, could be seen as a narrative structure in some sense. The black-and-white narrative follows a band of three boys setting up for a performance, filmed in a similar style to the colour narrative. As the colour narrative declines throughout the song, the black-and-white narrative becomes more of the focus, and then in the final instrumental the entire black-and-white narrative is played sped-up. The narrative ends where conventionally it would begin, with the band set up, the lights turning on, and them about to play the first note of the song. These two separate narratives conform to the postmodern ideal of scepticism towards metanarratives, by toying with generic conventions the black-and-white narrative enforces this sense of postmodernism, and overall my video has a strong sense of style over substance.

The costumes of my actors were very important in ensuring that the video had the right themes and tone. I had my models in the colour narrative wear black clothes, high heels, short skirts, lace, jewellery, etc. To make sure the costumes they were to bring would be appropriate, I showed them the mood board I had made, the costume posts on my blog, and described briefly what I was looking for. I chose the costumes to be mostly black because it gives the models a level of sophistication, and makes the use of red in the video really stand out. The lace, high heels, short skirts and jewellery act as iconic signifiers for femininity, and the short skirts also link with the lyrics of the song. The models wore dark eye make-up and false eyelashes to draw focus to their eyes, and some wore red lipstick to connote lust, passion, and femininity. In the black-and-white narrative, I had my band members wear clothes similar to those of the fans of the music so that they were able to relate to them. My lead singer was dressed in smarter clothes than the others, to make him stand out further. The other band members wore simple dark clothes: black t-shirts, jeans, and black or brown workman boots. The props of the colour narrative all link to the lyrics of the song (like Goodwin's idea of the relationship between lyrics and visuals) or the instruments being played (like Goodwin’s idea of the relationship between music and visuals). These include: a blender and fruit, red tape and scissors, toy cars, drawing pins, a book, monopoly money, a cigarette and lighter, a drum and drumsticks, and bass guitar, a trumpet. The props of the black-and-white narrative are all things you would need for a band’s performance, such as microphones, guitar and bass guitar, a drumkit and sticks, studio lighting, extension leads, etc.

The editing of my video is fairly simple; I used cuts throughout and some examples of split screening. I also removed colour for the black-and-white narrative on Adobe Premiere Pro and added filters on After Effects to make the colours of my colour narrative really stand out, and give it a more professional look. My video is filmed almost entirely in close-up or extreme close-up. As previously mentioned, I did this to ensure that the models are never shown in full, so that the woman being represented by the lyrics remains an unachievable enigma.

Magazine Advert

            Similarly to my music video, my magazine advert conforms to the conventions of real-media products. It features the album title and band name in the centre of the page, so that it draws attention to it. Additionally, I featured a quote and five-star-rating from NME magazine at the top of the page, linking to the fact that my video is of the indie music genre, which is featured in magazines such as NME. Hence my target audience may well read this magazine and respect and trust the reviews in it. Typically magazine adverts display an image of the album cover so that customers will recognise the CD when in shops such as HMV.  I also decided to add the 'limited edition red vinyl' and 'available on iTunes' text as it conveys that the album is available on several platforms, as most albums currently are, and the mention of vinyl makes reference to the fact that vinyls have come back in fashion – particularly in the indie music genre. Hence my magazine advert is continuing the generic conventions established in the music video.

Digipack Cover

            My digipack also further continues these generic conventions. Typically an album has a ‘house style’ or continuing theme running through it, and this was something that I knew my video also had to include in order to look professional. To do this, I took the wood style background that I had created in Adobe Photoshop for the inside of my digipack, and used it on both the front and back covers as the background for the cake. I chose to photograph a cake to use on my digipack as it makes reference to the band’s name in almost a humorous way, and it also provides a quirky design, which is not unusual for this genre of music.

            All genres of music promote albums through the release of singles, meaning often the album cover will feature a sticker with the names of successful singles to draw attention to it. My digipack is no different, so I added a sticker that said “includes the single ‘Short Skirt/Long Jacket’”. I also added a ‘Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics’ logo as often indie music, particularly in comparison to pop music, may feature explicit lyrics. Additionally the logo now arguably acts another incentive for teenagers to buy an album rather than a deterrent; especially as in the UK it does not give the album a minimum age for purpose. Other generic features I included were: a track list on the back, the band’s website, the copyright details, a barcode, and the record company logo. These all help to make my product look as close to real-life media texts as possible.

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

          The three products I have created – music video, magazine advert, and digipack – all act to promote the sale of the album, as they have a symbiotic relationship. Together they have a ‘house style’ that gives the album a recognisable theme. A music video has many purposes: it acts to entertain its audience through telling a story or providing a performance, it sells the song by acting as a promotional tool which can be showcased in a variety of places, and it can amplify the lyrics or message of the song, giving it more of an emotional impact. I would say that my music video does all three of these things: the intertwining narratives and overall idea of my video entertain the target audience, making it interesting to watch; the way in which it would be shown on music channels and in cinemas would raise awareness of the band, the song, and the album, and stimulate word-of-mouth sales or a ‘buzz’; and the video, particularly the colour narrative, is very reflective of the lyrics of the song, and the black-and-white narrative helps to create an image or style for the band.

            The purpose of the magazine advert is purely to promote the album and contribute to the image and style of the band. I think my magazine advert does this as it displays the fact that the album can be purchased in-store at the moment, on iTunes, and on limited edition red vinyl. Additionally the review quote and five stars at the top of the page act as a way of convincing the audience that they should buy the album. By using images from the video and the same colour scheme of red, white, and black, the audience can recognise the band from their music video, and if they liked the video they may then purchase the album.

            The purpose of the digipack is to draw the customer’s attention and then convince them to make the final step of buying the album. To do this, I used the same colours that had been featured in my magazine advert and music video: red, white, and black, with the addition of blue, which is used occasionally in my other products through the model’s eyes. I used a blue star because I thought it gave the album cover an American feel, as Cake is from Sacramento, California. Additionally it parodies the typical decoration featured on birthday cakes. Just as in my video where I had a colour narrative, using vibrant footage, and a black-and-white narrative, which had darker tones, my background photographs for my digipack cover are of a brightly coloured cake, whilst the text is then written in a printed label-esque font, called Impact Label, which is rougher and edgier. I used this font in my magazine advert as well, adding to the ‘house style’ of my products. For the inside of my digipack, I tried to make it in keeping with the style by using the colour red for the band’s name and making an image of a speaker for where the CD would be, as the black-and-white narrative for my video uses lots of musical equipment.

            As this is not the band’s first album, I did not feel it was necessary for them to be featured in any of these products as they have already established themselves as successful artists and their name would be recognised. However, it is Cake’s first album since joining Columbia Records, and so they have had a slight ‘revamp’; hence I tried to create an air of mystery about the band by only featuring a very short shot of them at the end of the video and cutting it before the action.

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

           As previously mentioned, the target audience for my video is males ages 16-25, however there is also the secondary audience of females also aged 16-25. Feedback is a vital part of making any media product as it cannot be considered successful if it does not appeal to the intended audience. Hence, throughout all stages of making my video, digipack, and magazine advert, I asked people of both my primary and secondary audience to give me feedback on my ideas and work so far. I generated feedback through videoing audience member’s reactions after having watched my video, asking audience members to fill in feedback forms on my print work and ideas, conducting polls on my blog, counting votes on different versions of my video, hosting my video on Youtube and Vimeo, as well as posting it on the social networking site Facebook and blogging platform Tumblr. This allowed me to get different types of feedback: I had statistics as well as full comments.

I found that some feedback was more effective than others, for example I found it easier to make decisions on feedback if it could be presented in statistics as I could see which choice is generally preferred. Having said that, the more personal responses such as those I received on Facebook where useful for overall seeing how well my video was being recieved. For example, when deciding between filters, I conducted a vote amongst some audience members and chose the filter that got the most votes, but when I wanted to see what people thought of my drafts and finished products, text-based comments were far more useful. As well as asking people on the internet to give me feedback, I also asked family members and friends face-t0-face, as I knew that they were more likely to be honest with me than acquaintances I have on Facebook. Additionally all the people I had used in my video were keen to see it and I found their feedback especially useful as they already had an idea of how they thought it would look, and I wanted to see how my final product matched up with that idea.

When editing in After Effects, I often asked audience members to choose between different versions of my video. For example, I made several copies of the same clip and used the blemish removal technique for all but one of them, changing how drastic each one was. Then I showed the clips to my audience and asked them to vote on which they thought looked best. They all agreed that the clip without the noise reduction looked unprofessional, whilst the clip with the most noise reduction looked blurry. I did this for several different close-ups, leaving me with the noise reduction setting that was appropriate for each clip. Then I showed them various clips from both the colour and black-and-white narratives with different filters and one without a filter, and asked them to vote on which they preferred. Interestingly many of the audience members chose different filters for different clips, however I wanted to make sure that I used the same filter throughout the narrative as I did not want it to look disjointed, and it would also help differentiate between the two narratives, so I asked them again which they preferred overall. This was extremely helpful when it came to making these final decisions.

Another very helpful stage for feedback was when I was choosing which shots to discard from the colour narrative to be replaced with ones from the black-and-white narrative. When screening my first draft music video, I made a note of which shots people said they liked and which they didn’t like as much or understand, and I used this when editing my video in Adobe Premiere Pro. For example, I knew not to remove the shot of a blender as often people commented, unprompted, on how much they liked it, and people that had never seen the video before frequently laughed slightly at the reference to the lyrics made by the shot.