Evaluation.

1)In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge the form and conventions of real media products? When researching music videos before creating my own, I noticed that there are certain patterns and rules which appear in all videos. All lip syncing is completely in time with the music, the video helps to create a certain image for the band and portrays something to the audience. The visuals also usually get across the meaning of the lyrics and have some kind of narrative which relate to the song. I believe that our music video has related to all of these things and we have portrayed the band in the right way. Andrew Goodwin was quoted to say ' a music video responds to the pleasure of music, making the music visual in a way that accentuates assisting associations. We analyse the relationship between moving image and the music in a video and comment on if it illustrates, amplifies or contradicts what’s happening on screen.' This is something I believe we have captured in our own video very well. The way the narrative works and is related to the lyrics works really well. We kept the tone of it quite dark because that is the way the music is, and we have managed to keep both performance and narrative separate. I think this works well as the narrative is an interpretation of what we believed them to be about. This means that it was nothing to do the band and we made up the story behind it. and it became clear when we did our audience feedback that the audience enjoys this link too. I think that the only thing they were negative about in this aspect was the acting. They believed it could've been to a higher standard, however like industry standard videos the lip sinking, band's performance and atmosphere to the video seemed to satisfy them. We also helped in the image of the band during editing. The music is quite dark and slow paced, and using effects and slow motion allowed us to create the video to the beat of the music, and to add in effects that amplify the music at certain points and make it more eye catching. This seemed to wow and impress the audience as they said they really liked the effects and thought it added to the video in the feedback questionnaire.





The video at the top is our final piece, and the one below is a music video I have chosen which I believe to have similar work in to my own. There is a lot of slow motion used in it which is something we have done in out own. The effects are also quite shakey and make the camera look hand held. This is also done in our own work as we wanted to use point of view shots as though the girl was running. 2)How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts? Looking at the audience feedback, and the questionnaires we gave out at the beginning of the project to see what people wanted, i'd say our overall media was very effective. As far as the actual video is concerned, the audience wanted a mixture of both narrative and performance and that is what we gave them. However, when we got feedback on the actual video people had a few complaints about the narrative. They liked the way we had combined both narrative and performance. They did not like the way the camera angles we used and thought there could've been more variation in the narrative. They also believed that the acting wasn't very good which could've reduced the popularity of the video if it were to be shown to the actual target audience. The narrative seems to just follow the lyrics rarther than actually follow a story line, and I think this confused the audience in the feedback as they seemed to feel that it didn't make much sense. I think this is because they were following the video and not listening to the lyrics. We shold've focused more on the narratice than trying to go along with the lyrics. I believe that the audience feedback is fair about the acting. They wern't professional actors, however they were quite good for the rolls. I think the camera angles we used were very effective however, and made the peice look far more interesting. However maybe we should've used more of a veriety. Maybe some high and low angle shots. But we tried to incorperate shots which we believed fitted the mood and narrative of the video, and I thought we captured it quite well. The mood and image of the band is also taken over onto the promotional media we made, and the digipak we created as an album cover for the band. I have compared the products we have created to actual promotonal material. I looked at the audience feedback and the advice given in those, and then looked at the work on the other digipak and poster and saw where we had done excellent work and where we could've possibly improved.















I really like the poster. I love the way it all fits together and how you would be able to read it from far away. It really stands out and it gives me enough information about the album.




The poster works so well, and I love the way it matches the digipack. It goes with the whole theme of the band really well!



You really get a feel for the band and their image form the ancillary texts. They work really well with the video because it's set in the woods and the ancillary texts contain trees and woodland aswel as images of the band.



The video is paced so well to the music. It goes really well with thestyle of the band and their image. It's quite dark and the music fits into it really well. I love it!



I think the video could've been a bit shorter! There's too much band performance and not enough narrative.



The Narrative confused me a bit. I didn't understand some of it. But I thought the effects used were really well placed and impressive.






3)What have you learnt from your audience feedback? The audience feedback was very useful. When comparing it to the researxh questionnaire we did in the first place, there is a significant difference in what the audience asked for, and what they liked about the video and products we created. They asked for a narrative and we gave them that, however they said in the feedback they found it confusing because of the fact we related it to the lyrics more than the actual story line. We thought we had given them what they wanted, however they didn't seem to be satisfied. On the hole the audience seemed to like the video. They thought the effects were ecxellent and fulfilled just what they'd asked for in the questionnaire we asked in the first place. They thought that we had hit alot of the targets they had asked for in the innitial questionnaire, and that the ancillary media along with the video itself would sell really well to the target audience. I believe that the range of special effects we used helped us to appeal to a wider audience. I think that they really made the video, and they helped the transaction from frame to frame look much smoother. People seemed to especially like the part at the beginning whre the band members appead one by one. We were going for a drak and uneasy feeling to the video. The audience told us in the question 'How did the atmosphere of the video with the opening music make you feel?' that they felt unseay and anticipated to find out what was going to happen. This is the exact kind of thing we were going for as it would make people want to watch on. However, some felt that it dragged slightly, and that maybe we should've used a little less slow motion and put a bit more action into the song.

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

During the research stage, we compiled a questionnaire to give to people to see what they would like from a video and the ancillery media. All the date we found from this was put into charts using Microsoft Excel. We were able to put the data in and show it in a series of different graphs and charts.

We also used the internet to research different types of digipaks and posters for the ancillery media. The website Youtube was our main source of research because we were able to search different music videos whenever we needed them and wherever and anylise different parts to find out what we wanted in our own music video and work out the conventions.

We have used Blogger.com to record every step of our journey to making our music video. We have taken print screens along the way, photographs of our filming process and actually on the set, and we have put all of our research and results onto the site. Everything we have done has been recorded on our own personal blog.

We also used Myspace to research the band we chose to use (Moscow Square) and we took the track, with their permission, from the Myspace. It is a social networking site, where the band have their own page and are able to promote themselves for free on the internet. This is also how we came into contact with the band.

We used a Cannon XM2 camera and a tripod to do our filming. We used no cranes or tracks as the settings for our video were not suitable. Alot of the shots were also hand held and didn't go with the pace of the music that we wished to use. There were alot of point of view shots needed such as the girl running through the trees. The use of tracks wouldn't have been right for shots like this as it would've been too smooth and wouldn't have the same effect on the audience.

When editing the footage we had got, we used Premier Pro. This is a type of editing software. It is here where we were able to cut the scenes down and edit it all. This is also where we added our special effects such as the black and white and slow motion. It also helps us when capturing the footage in the first place which makes it much easier, and it's somewhere we can keep all the clips in one file.

When creating the Ancillary media, we used mainly Photoshop. We added our own primary images in from a photoshoot we did with the band, and we created the whole mood of the video. We used quite a dark colour scheme, and we made the digipak to match the poster. The poster has primary images of tree branches in the background. I was able to develop the way I use all of the software throughout the project. I think I have improved my skills on all the software, as I have used it before but not with the same skill as this time.

Overall I believe our project to be a majour success. I like the way it has turned out, and i'm very proud of the ancillary media we have produced. I think it goes very well with the video, and that the target audience would be very interested. The feedback we have been given is mainly positive, and I believe the area we could've improved in most was the quality of the acting and narrative of the video.

Media Video-Moscow Square-Blind.

Music Video Analysis-Gwen Stefani-What you waiting for.

Aspects of Performance/Mode of Address.
The entire music part of the video is performed to the camera, and therefore to the audience watching it.

Narrative.
Gwen Stefani is trying to get inspired to make new music. The first 5 minutes of the video contains no music, and just tells the story of how she's trying to get inspired. She wants to have rest, but is being pressured into working. She goes to a clinic to find out how to get inspired. She gets inspiration from a small rabbit on the desk of the therapist, and the video begins. She is in her own imagination which is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, and she spends the video singing a song she has thought up in her own little world.

How do the visual elements relate to the song?
The video doesn't really relate to the video at all. It's all very imaginative, and is all an illusion really. It's very dreamlike.

Mise-en-scene.
There's a very long narrative at the beginnning which is uncual for a music video. Gwen Stefani is dressed quite casually, and is a very normal person who just wants to sleep and have a break from her hectic lifestyle. This might be something her audience can relate to. It's all meant to be a very Alice in Wonderland themed video. The whole thing is very abstract, and contains alot of very high fashion. Alot of bright colours and special effects are used to make it as exciting and eyecatching as possible.

Use of Camera.
Alot of mis shots are used in the video. This allows us to have Gwen as the main focus, however still see what is going on in this dream world around her. Low angle shots are used when she is standing on the table at the tea party. This makes her look more powerful and the focus of attention. Close ups are also used when she is trapped in the greenhouse structure, and also of the doormouse when it appears out of the draw.

Editing.
Very quick paced editing is used with alot of shots in quick succession. We see alot of different outfits and shots of Gwen which are thown at us very quickly to wow the audience.

Special Effects.
This video is full of special effects. The first we see of it is the little rabbit on top of the piano which runs towards Gwen. After this, there are hundreds of special effect used. The tears she cried in the Greenhouse, the walls of the maze seem to have a blurry quality over them as though they have been edited. The scene where Gwen Stefani is falling through a hole is filled with Special effects. Abstract shapes which look like smoke whirl around her.

Genre-Pop/Electro.

Target Audience-Teenages/pre-teen girls.

Music Video Analysis-Blink 182-Always.

Aspects of Performance/Mode of Address.
The mode of addresss is to the woman, who appears to be the main focus of the video, and possibly who the song is about. The band are singing to her, and don't look at the camera once. It's as though it is following the woman around. At certain points in the video, we do see the band playing their instruments, however they still don't look at the camera.

Narrative.
A girl si in her flat, and is being mithered by different band members, who we are supposed ot think are her ex boyfriends. She wants nothing to do with them, which reflects the lyrics of the song. She refuses them.

How does the video create an image for the band?
The whole layout of the girl's flat, and the girl herself are very alternative and punky. This is something which is associated with the band Blink 182. The ornaments are quite quirky and different which reflects the work and charecter of the band. Even though they're chasing after a girl begging for her back, they are able to make it look fun and amusing, which is something the band are known for. The woman is also very attractive. This tells us that the band can get beautiful girls.

How do the visual elements relate to the song?
They're begging for the woman back in the video. Following her around and she's not interested. She ignores their advances which makes them ask more and more. This reflects the lyrics in the song as they are asking for her back because they still love her in the lyrics.

Mise-en-scene
The setting, even though quite quwerky, is quite a normal average flat. There's nothing that's really out of the ordinary. The woman and the band themselves are dressed very normal, and the woman is very casual. They might be slightly alternative looking, as they have tattoos and peircings, however that's something the target audience can identify with.



Use of camera.
Alot of tracking shots are used throughout the video. The camera follows the girl around her flat whilst she is followed by members of the band. It seems like one very long take. There is also close ups used at the end as the camera zooms in on flowers ina vase.

Editing.
The screen is cut into 3 sections. Each section has a different thing going on in it, or may contain a peice of a different band member. However, they all fit together to create a full person. This would've been done by doing the same take several times using different people. The editing is very quick paced. This is because the whole thing looks like one continous take, however it is just edited together very quickly, and there is no visual gap between frames.

Genre-Pop Punk.
Target Audience-Alternative teenagers.

Audience Feedback

Audience Feedback.




. How did the opening to the music and the atmosphere of the video make you feel? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

. Do you think it would appeal to the target audience?
Yes/No

. Does the video fit the pace of the music?
Yes/No

. Do you think the album cover and poster went with the theme of the video? Yes/No

. Is there enough of too much information on the poster and album case? Enough/Too much

. What age group do you think this track along with it’s promotional material, do you think it would appeal to? ------------------------------------

. Does it appeal to you?
Yes/No

. Are the effects in the video put to good use? Or are they too much?
Good/Too much

. Do you think the information on the poster is enough to help sell the album? Yes/No

. Is this an album you would consider buying if you saw the video?
Yes/No

. What kind of atmosphere do you think the video has?


. Do you think the lip sinking’s in time with the music?
Yes/No

. Is there anything particular thing you don’t like about the video? If yes, why?



. Is there any particular thing you like about the video? If so what?


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. If you were doing this video yourself, how would you improve it and what would you change?
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I believe we have chosen the best questions to enable us to find out what the audience thought of our video, digipak and poster. We were able to get exact answers off them and opinions on what they thought instead of getting them to answer yes and no. THis helped us decide how we could've imporved our project, and work out what to do differently if we had to do it again. We were also able to work out the ways in which we had satisfied the audience, and work out what we had done correctly.

Copyright Clearance.

Hey, Grant,
I hope you don't mind but I'm in my second year of college and for media we've been asked to find a band for a music video, I understand you all might not have time to be in the video, which, but I thought of you guys instantly because I like the music a lot and it has a great vibe. We'd either make the video completely narrative or part performance too, in which case if you were too busy we'd get other guys from college (part of music) to play the parts. You wouldn't have to be affiliated with the video, if you didn't want to be. So could I please have your permission to use "Blind"?

Thanks
Chris Fox


"Hey man, no we don’t mind at all, you have our permission to use the song. Give us a shout nearer the time to see if were free as we wouldn’t mind being in it.

Grant

Band info.

The band are a three-piece band based in and around Manchester, boasting a huge sound and killer hooks. The line-up consists of the distinctive vocals and bass playing of Dave, the rhythmic complexities of Lewis and the psychedelic guitar hooks of Grant. The band’s music is an alternative psychedelic feast for anyone’s ears. These factors combine to create Moscow square.

Song Ideas.

We want the video to be a mixture of narrative and performance scenes. The performance should be set in a setting where the band can perform “naturally” and not be put off by not only the camera but also the artificial setting. Our initial thoughts for the performance setting were either a rehearsal studio (outside of college) or a room in college (that would have to be heavily disguised).

The narrative should involve the band members (mainly vocalist Dave) lip-syncing to the song throughout. The narrative section should be filmed in either two settings and from two extremes, in a very urban setting or a very secluded setting. The mood of the song suggests a dark setting but we can always order the contrast during the editing process and make the captured material black and white for a “trendier” approach.

Once again regarding narrative, the woman indirectly referred to in the song, shouldn’t be filmed as we are never told if the man (in the song, presumably the vocalist) eventually finds and gets the girl. The song doesn’t have a “story-like” plot and therefore we could just include certain aspects of the lyrics for eg. In verse two when we hear “running across the bridge running out of, out of time”, we could illustrate this through the visuals.

I think this idea (above) is one that we should go ahead with, however there are many other options we’ve considered at first thought.

We thought about filming the female and create a visual sense of the male and her before the song began, however this would involve us reading between the lines and presuming things about the song we don’t know to be true, therefore creating a miss-conception if untrue. Not only that, but it would also be deviating away from the lyrics and what they mean therefore exploring disjuncture.

Other thoughts we had, prior to the one at the top, was the have purely a performance based video but we wouldn’t be able to explore be marked on understanding narrative.

A very early idea was to amplify the lyrics and to have a narrative involving a blind person but this would be too literal and wouldn’t take advantage of the metaphorical opportunities within the lyrics.

We also considered different places where the performance could be set, the rehearsal room in studios (costs would be incurred, but probably our best option, because of how “rock and roll” they look), The performance rooms available in college but these would not look real enough and a great deal of work would be involved in just disguising it to look natural.

Outside in the same place as the narrative (yet to be decided) seemed a very plausible idea, but with lots of pros and cons. The good points being that the two sections (narrative and performance) both have a common thread the band points being, that there may not be enough of a contrast between the two sections, also we can predict the weather and we don’t want to chance getting equipment (cameras and musical equipment) being ruined by thoughtless planning.

Questionnaire.

What is your favourite genre of music?

Pop, Rock, Indie, Metal, Other

Do you prefer narrative, performance based videos or a mixture?

Narrative, Performance, Mixture

Do you prefer music videos that include artists/bands?

Artists, Bands, No Preference

Musically speaking, do you prefer slow paced or quick paced music?

Sow, Quick, No preference

Should the band/artist appear in the video?

Yes, No

Do you prefer to watch a montage or linear based music video?

Montage, Linear

Do you like to see direct or indirect mode of address?

Direct, Indirect

Do effects help you to enjoy a music video?

Yes, No

Do you enjoy fast or slow paced editing?

Fast, Slow

Do videos set in different time periods (past future) interest you?

Yes, No

Black and white, Sepia and other colour tones are used in music videos, which do you prefer?

Black and white, Sepia, Ordinary Colour, Other



White music magazines do you read, if any?

NME, Kerrang, Mojo, Q, Other

White music channels do you watch, if any?

Q, MTV, Kerrang, Other

Are you male or female?

Male, Female

What is your favourite music video?

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Do you prefer funny or serious videos?

Funny, Serious

Which setting do you prefer?

House, Club, Outdoor, Other, Any

Do you prefer recorded or live music?

Recorded, live

Where do you watch music videos?

TV, Internet

Do you watch a lot of music channels?

Yes, No

Do you listen to a wide variety of music or just one type?

Variety, Just one type

Do you usually pay attention to a music video or have it on in the background?

Pay attention, Background

Do you like visuals to be distorted or clear?

Clear, Distorted


Do you like the visuals to illustrate the lyrics?

Yes, No

How old are you?

12-16, 16-18, 18-25.

Interview with a fan.

We asked a "friend" added of the band's myspace page if we could ask them a few questions regarding the band and their music, we asked:

Which song out of the tracks on myspace.com/moscowsquare is your favourite & why?

My favourite song is their new song called "Stop" it's only been added in the last few days. I think it's a recent recording of an old song, I heard them play it in 2008 at the Warrington music festival. It's my favourite because it encapsulates their sound in a few minutes and includes all those great qualities you'd expect from their music.


Who's your favourite member and why?

Musically, I like Grant, as a guitarist I admire his approach to the instrument and the way he writes guitar parts and melodies.

How did you first hear about Moscow Square?

At the unsigned events that run frequently in the local area.

How long have you been a fan?

Not very long at all, they were called The Perry's for a long time, I knew of them, but had never really listened to them. Their music has a certain vibe that modern music just doesn't have.

Have you ever seen them live and what did you think?

I heard their set at Warrington Music Festival in 2008 and then began to visit their myspace every so often to check out news and recordings .


Which songs do you think they should include on an EP and would you buy it?

They have three songs properly recorded on their myspace page but have no official EP available, i think they should seriously consider it as i think lots of people would enjoy it.

Do you think they have what it takes to make it in the music business?

I think people into alternative would find their music enjoyable and accessible, yes.

How does moscow Squares music make you feel?

Its got a dark but also quite a "dance-able" quality.

Treatment.

Our video will be set in two places. We have chosen quite a dark mood for the video. This is because we believe it reflects the music on the track. The first shot will be a zoom up to a girl stood in the middle of some woods on her own. She will look up at the camera, smile and then turn her back on the camera and run. This will be edited into slow motion. The camera will then cut to a shot of the band performing in a dark dingy, poorly lit studio. This is the main performance space during the video.
As the lyrics of the song kick in, there will be a close up of the lead singer’s face to show that he has started to sing. There will then be a shot of every individual member of the band. Each shot will be quite quick. Just to establish who is in the band. We then go back to the narrative of the girl in the woods. She is hiding behind a tree, and we can see her peering around it towards the camera and smiling. Someone then steps in front of the camera. The next shot it of the person’s face, and we find out it is one of the members of the band. It is a close up shot. Shot reverse shot is then used on a close up of the girl as she looks back towards the band member. We then have a establishing shot of her turning around and running away in slow motion. Then we see the same thing from over the shoulder of the band member with his arm stretched out towards her.
At the start of the chorus, it will cut back to the music studio where the band are playing. An establishing shot of the room and a full frontal view of the band will be shown here. Next we will see an over shoulder shot from behind the drummer as he plays, and will be able to see the rest of the group. We will then see a side shot from the side of the space and see the band playing from that angle.
We then go back to the woods where we have a point of view shot through the girl’s eyes of the woods. She will turn and see one of the band members walking behind her. We will then do a side shot of the two characters, and a shot reverse shot of both their faces. They will reach out to touch hands, and just before they touch the girl will walk backwards out of the shot. On the lyric ‘And they say ive given up’ there will be a mid shot of the band member putting his head down and looking at the floor.
This will then blend in with a shot of the same band member; however the background will change and end up back in the studio. There will be several front shots of different members of the band playing. This will show us again who’s in the band, and who does what. We should also do a shot from above the drums looking down onto to the drum kit without the drummer in shot. This will be a high angle shot. We will then do a shot of the drummers face using a mid-shot. There will then be a close up of the guitar of one of the members. This will take place whilst he’s playing.
The shot then cuts to the woods, and we see a shot of the tree canopy. The camera will then spin around as though the person is spinning. There is then a shot of the girl spinning around in the clearing in the woods. We then have a point of view shot of her stopping spinning and looking to the side where a band member is standing looking at her. There is then an over shoulder shot from behind the band member to the girl who runs away again out of view. During the instrumental, we will do a close up on every one of the band members instruments are they’re playing them. In the case of the drummer it will be a shot of his drum stick hitting the drum. We will then do a point of view shot of one of the band members running through the woods and catching glimpses of the girl teasing as she runs away.
The next shot is of the entire band playing in the music studio. This will carry on for quite a long time, and we will then have a shot of the lead singers face. This will be a miss shot. Once the music finishes, we will see the band put down their instruments and walk away. The next shot will cut back to the woods, and be a close up of the girls face. We will then have a shot exactly the same as the beginning except she will be running after the camera as it zooms out and she if blurred. She will then stop running and the screen will go black. She will be completely blurred.