Task 4 - How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

This the recorded version of our directors cut completing our task 4 section. This required us to take our written comentary we had made to our video and then we played back the pop video and recorded 3 members of our group dictating our comentary over the top of the video. You can see an image of us talking about our video in the bottom right-hand corner , which makes it more authentic. The pop video is bigger than the comentary screen so that you can clearly see the action of the video with our comments. Then the sound of the video is faint in the background so that you can tell at which point in the video we are at and then our speaking is louder so that you can clearly hear what we are saying.

Final Digipack in CD case

This is our final digipack CD cover design that we have printed off and fitted into a clear, plastic CD casing in which will house the CD for the album that would be put on sale.

FRONT COVER

MIDDLE SECTION

BACK COVER

I feel the the final outcome of our digipack has been successful and will defiantly stand out on the shelf helping potential costumers recognise our product.

Task 4 - How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages? (Script)

Here is our groups directors commentary of our pop video, in which we talk about and evaluate our pop video in how we made it and linked it to the conventions of media. within this script is the timings to which we need to keep to as key points within the video that a specific part of the script relates to.


Commentary Script
‘We Are Rockstars’

Pre Production

In order for us to create a successful product, it required in depth research of the music industry. For this we used a variety of technologies to gather information. Through the use of iTunes and Youtube, we were able to gather specific music research, including band images and their marketing. We had come up with a concept of a technology based music video, in which we would use different rooms (0.18) We used websites such as Topshop to research a particular style of clothes that we could dress the band and dancers in. We needed to cut down our track of ‘We are rock stars’ as it was far too long to use. We used a programmed called garage band and wave pad to create the new shorter version. (0.33)

Production

On production day we used Sony NX5 camera for both our real-time shots and our slow motions shots. In order for the band and the crew to hear the music, we used an Apple iPad for the music playback. This was helpful as we had the ability to go to specific points in the track.
Whilst the camera was filming, it was necessary to see the visual product, to check that the shot looked correct, and that the positioning of the cast was right. For this we used a LCD TV Monitor, placed at the side of the shooting space. The lighting was created on ‘Chansys Magic Q’, which is a digital lighting desk, this was then linked up to an Apple iPhone App. (1.02) Like all music video’s we had to include a narrative. Due to our concept of technology we set our main narrative in a digital room with holograms and visual images, on production day we filmed this in front of a green screen, to then later be manually created using ‘after effects’ and ‘Photoshop’. To create a visually interesting effect, we used lasers as a unique form of lighting, to create light and shadow against the dancer’s body. By shooting the band in a white wash room, this contrast well visually against the laser room(1.33)The way in which we promoted star image, following Dyer’s theory, we used our lead singer in the main narrative and included many close-up shots to highlight his ‘star image’. We used the combination of star image and narrative to create the video, within our music video, enabling us to introduce new scene, such as the UV room, in which the dancers perform (1.49) Our music video followed the typical conventions of how music video’s don’t follow continuity, this allows an interesting and appealing visual interest for the video, which keeping the audiences attention.


Post Production

(2.03) A key element of our video, is the short and sharp cuts between shots which are important to keep up with the fast paced speed of the track, as well as staying on the beat. (2.13) A key shot of our video was the slow motion shot of the drum, which we enhanced using editing software on Apple Mac computers, such as ‘final cut pro’, to edit the footage, and ‘after effects’ to motion track the special effects in the green-screen room, and the use of ‘Photoshop’ to create and cut icons, which would then be used as holograms (2.27)

Evaluation

Once uploading our final product to Youtube, we were able to gather views and comments from viewers. This was helpful when evaluation audience feedback. But in order for us to gain more feedback we presented our product to a group of our target audience on an ‘Optoma’ projector, from Youtube.
As a group we also decided to upload our product to the social networking site Facebook, as this allowed us to reach a mass of our target audience.

Task 3 - What have you learned from your audience feedback?

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

As a group we had the opportunity to collect a variety of audience feedback through presentations of our video to classes, and through comments received on our YouTube channel in which we posted our video. We previewed our video to a group of male and female AS media students who are aged between 16-18, all of which fit the criteria of our target audience. We then asked them to fill in a questionnaire that we had created, with a variety of questions to help us establish the strengths and weaknesses and their overall thoughts on our music video.

The overall thought on our video positive. The main strength of our video was that the audience enjoyed watching it, and they liked the effects and said that they worked well and was incredibly unique – in particular the UV paint on the dancers. The audience also responded well to the different location set –ups, for example the UV room, the white room and the laser room. They felt that this added variety visually and wasn’t boring to watch. They enjoyed the technology theme, as they said this was new and inventive. In particular the male audience found the dancers a good element to have included, as it broke up the constant focus on the band, and also was interesting for them to watch. They also agreed with the reasons being why we chose to include dancers, as the genre of music being ‘electro punk/pop’. But some of the female respondents felt that the use of dancers that weren’t dressed limited clothing, offended them slightly. But as we are trying to target both a male and female audience, I feel that the use of dancers can be in both extremely appealing (male), but at the same time unappealing (female) therefore this is an element of the video that is controversial.

The weaknesses of the video were that quite a few of the respondents felt that the narrative of the video was unclear; however this lack of understanding did not disrupt their viewing of the video. But after an explanation from us on how the lead singer was creating the video, taking images and putting them together, the group understood the video and recognised how we showed this, in particular through our use of special effects.

Stuart Hall’s theory on the encoding and decoding focuses and assess the reading that audience members have when watching a media product. It mainly focuses on the meaning that producers intend to project, and the way in which these are read by audiences from a variety of backgrounds. There are 3 variations on readings – preferred (understand the intended values), negotiated (understand some values, but have own opinions) and oppositional (Disagree wit the intended values/messages).

We as a group came to the conclusions that the overall response to our video was more of a negotiated reading, as the audience were able to understand elements of our video, such as the overall theme of technology. However there were mixed opinions on the understanding of the narrative, as quite a few did not completely understand the narrative, but at the same time a few did. Therefore our overall conclusion was that our video had a negotiated reading. The reason why we had negotiated readings can be down to various factors. First of all, whether the music video was created and produced in a clear and understandable way for the audience, but it can also be down to different individual’s social and cultural surroundings and upbringings.

Again there was a mixed response to the star image, as some females found him attractive, whilst other did not. Again I feel this is negotiated as their were mixed responses; however our main intention was to make him attractive to a female audience, and cool and unique for a male audience. I feel that we managed to get a preferred reading from the male audience, as they thought saw our star in a way in which we intended to project to the audience. I think we would have preferred the female audience found the lead singer more attractive, but whether this is down to personal taste, and can be down to how the music video had an the overall ‘masculine’ theme.

Task 2 - How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TEXTS?

Task 2

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Task 1 - In what ways do your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCT?

Here i have picked 4 screen shots from my video, the back of my cd cover and the poster and awnsered the above question for each.

George Task 1

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Final Digipack