Final Music Video & Ancillary Texts

Evaluation Question 1

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

Evaluation Question 2

How effective is the combination of your main product & ancillary text?

Watch this video in HD if possible to improve the text's clarity. 

Evaluation Question 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

The essential purpose of any media product are to provide enjoyment to a vast audience, thus resulting in a great number of product sales - in this instance, an upcoming album. Consequently, it was vital for me to collect and apply feedback from my spectators so I could cater directly to their interest in both this project and future projects.

Social media, specifically Facebook, worked significantly in my favour as it allowed me to share my work with a considerable number of people, therefore the responses I accumulated represented a larger sector of society.  Before my music video was complete, I shared my progress on Facebook, requesting personal analysis from my friends. 

The responses I received from peers were predominantly very positive, the majority of them addressed the range of creative effects I inserted throughout my post production, suggesting that viewers are naturally stimulated by imaginative editing strategies. I can obviously appreciate that the comments made by this assembly are probably biased, on account of the viewers being friends and family of mine, meaning they’re less likely to provide negative criticism lest I’m offended. However, despite this, I think their communal impression inferred that my individual concepts were somewhat captivating and that I was heading in a good direction, this is also supported by the number of likes on my video link.

Some of their responses:

Most of my audience feedback was articulated by A2 Media students, probably owning to their shared interest in the topic and commitment to the process. The positivity of their remarks reinforced the effectiveness of my product because, as a unit, they retain knowledge of what makes a good product and they could recognise the difficulties involved in the course. Collectively, the responses gathered at this certain stage were not expressed by my predominant demographic of males aged between 20 and 24 (according to Musicmetric Pro), instead females of mutual age of approximately 18 were the leading voices of opinion (likely to be categorised as demographic group E). Therefore the feedback I received could be perhaps viewed as irrelevant, as the interests of my target audience were not accounted for.  

At this particular point, the most beneficial feedback I received was courtesy of my friend Alice (18 years old, studying A2 biology, psychology, chemistry & French) who recommended incorporating one of my drawings within my piece. This advice was incredibly valuable to me because at this instant, I was perplexed as to what I should include in the remaining fifteen seconds of my video; I didn’t want to tire the audience with repeated footage as it habitually disrupts engagement. I followed her advice although I structured it around my own creative input, as I selected my own choice of footage to layer the sketch over, besides adding a layer blend mode, plus rotation and grow effects to further reinforce the hallucinatory atmosphere. From this, I discovered the extent of how an audience can impact upon your creative notions. 

Once I had completed the construction of all my media texts – a promotional poster, music video & album digipak – I produced a survey relating to the effectiveness of my products, both individually and as an ensemble. This was created on Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com), this website was valuable as it allowed me to distribute my survey via email and Facebook, reaching a considerable amount of people. Additionally, the participants were not limited in terms of writing space as they perhaps would be if a paper survey was employed, meaning that they could write freehandedly. 

Firstly, I asked my participants questions relating to their age, gender and occupation so I could:

1. Gain an understanding of their demographic that I could later compare to my target audience. 

2. Somewhat comprehend the context behind their individual comments, e.g. someone whose occupation revolves around film/media is more likely to own knowledge relating to the effectiveness of a music video than those who work in the food industry, therefore they’re more inclined to be critical.

The majority of my candidates were aged between the ages of 18 and 24, aligning with my chosen demographic in this sense, meaning that their views are more appropriate to the project. 

On the other hand, the collective age of my participants was female, thus contradicting my audience to a degree and perhaps presenting a bias perspective.

Their occupations varied somewhat which was an advantage, to an extent, because it proposed that this net represented a wide portion of society, meaning more desires could potentially be met. Most were students, categorising them as part of the E demographic group.  

The first question, concerning my project, posed whether the products are effective as a unit and whether they reflect one another, to which no discouraging answers followed. All my applicants conveyed that my products harmonise with one other and that continuity is present; with most inferring that the coherent use of colour and imagery is accountable for this. Taking these responses into consideration, I learnt that continuity can be present purely through colour schemes and styles despite when dissimilar images and compositions are utilised. 

One applicant (female aged between 25 & 35, employed under the education, training and library occupations bracket) quoted “There is a mysterious and captivating feel to the video and art work, they create a feeling of energy, whilst also evoking a sense of calmness.” I appreciated this comment dearly as it sincerely addressed my intention of creating an equilibrium between calmness and chaos, which I evidently fulfilled according to this applicant.    

The subsequent question was in relation solely to my music video and asked my participants whether they believed it was visually exciting. All of them again offered flattering replies, most referring to the presence of vivid colour and imagery, in conjunction with the editing technique. This implies that the general aesthetic of a music video (i.e. mise-en-scene and editing) are to be stressed if one wants to create a product that is exciting to an audience. Furthermore, I learnt that the inclusion of a narrative isn’t overly important in producing an engaging product if the visual aspects are underlined, thus supporting Michael Shore’s philosophy of “surface without substance”.

One participant (a female student aged between 18 and 24), expressed that my video could’ve been more visually exciting if hadn't repeated the same footage in some areas. I respected this point totally as I had anticipate filming more shots before my final completion, however, due to my cast members’ hefty schedule, alongside unavailability of equipment (Canon DSLR specifically), I was unable to do so. Consequently, from this I learnt that the introduction of fresh footage is an important factor to consider in this media form, as it strengthens audience engagement. In future projects I aim to begin filming earlier in the process to circumvent any potential issues, such as unavailability of equipment and cast on certain days.

Question 6 asked whether my products complimented the actual  song itself, I felt this was central as misaligned media products can appear unprofessional and ungratifying. Some applicants skipped this question, however, I still managed to collect enough responses to develop a respectable analysis. All of this question’s respondents again provided positive comments in relation to my work as they all inferred that my products parallel some of the song’s characteristics. One applicant (female aged between 25 & 35, employed under the education, training and library occupations bracket) suggested that the use of artwork, in particular, “works well in creating a sense of mystery”. When I completed my lyric analysis of the song, I remarked upon their ambiguous nature, with figurative qualities that could be interpreted in a number of ways. This therefore supports this individual’s comment and confirms that the song and my products synchronise.  Additionally, a point arose regarding how I edited on the beat of the song – this remark was made by a female student, aged between 18 and 24. Respecting this lady’s comment, I learnt that editing to the beat is an effective and decipherable method of connecting the audio to the video. 

The final question I included in my survey requested improvements that could be applied to my video and ancillary texts. Although my product was finished at this point so no further refinements could’ve been implemented anyway, this question enriched my  understanding of how to make a more polished product in the future; I therefore found the responses to this question extremely valuable. One respondent, in particular, captured my attention, owing to the scale of their comment, plus their profession. This individual was aged between 18 and 24 (reflecting my demographic), female and was employed under the Arts, Design, Entertainment and Media field of occupation. Judging by their career, this applicant therefore owned a comprehensive understanding of what makes a visually successful product. Accordingly, I was logically more willing to take notice of her comments. She asserted that the CCTV style footage of Alice was irrelevant to the overall film and should therefore be cut, unless I was willing to expand on this notion further. Her next comment attended to the shot shown below. She recommended removing the background, along with altering the opacity of the close up shots, bearing the boys, as it doesn't tally with the effects displayed in the rest of the footage – “having the squares with the white background doesn't really fit in with the rest of the film and looks more amateur than the rest”. Regarding this, I discovered that all aspects of a music video should associate with one another for the purpose of solidity.

There were more individual suggestions as to how I could improve my products, however, I didn’t acknowledge them wholeheartedly as some of them contradicted my own artistic preferences. One lesson I learned from my audience feedback was the realisation of my own creative stubbornness. In one sense, this trait was an advantage as it allowed me to discover my own signature style, however, it was also a setback as it meant my audience’s desires were sometimes not accounted for.  On the contrary, any art form is subjective and therefore individuals’ taste will always differ from one another. 

Evaluation Question 4

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

Q4 from 08snewman

Displayed below are three videos explaining step-by-step how I managed to achieve certain effects within the post-production chapter of the process. I'm rather sleep deprived in these videos, so please humour me if I make little sense. 

Q4 from Natasha Newman

Edit 4

Edit 3

Further Video Development

Location 2 Footage - Both Takes & Outtakes

Experimentation with Video Editing

I wish I picked a Hawkwind Song

DigiPak Disk Designs

More Potential Filming Approaches

Although I am aware that it is quite late to contemplate such things in the process, I have continued to brainstorm more editing strategies to consistently engage my audience; I've compiled these models on Microsoft Powerpoint. One of my ideas entail filming all four members of my band lip-syncing the chorus of the song in an isolated space. The after effects I wish to apply are displayed above, although my band are instead depicted (beautifully) by Alan Davis, Louis Theroux, Ainsley Harriott and Kevin Spacey.

Another design idea involves the entire band again, although lip-syncing isn't required. I would however, like some form of movement to be involved - correlating with the initial use of movement within the initial stage of my video, providing a motif. The general composition of this notion is shown above, although there are no Louis Therouxs in sight.

Potential Editing Approach

To elude any repetition within my music video, particularly within the chorus, i'm beginning to consider layering small chapters of this video on some footage for irony and comical effect - aligning with postmodern precepts and the humour of my audience. This decision is unconfirmed, although i'll allow a sample of my audience to voice their stances regarding this concept. 

The Kaleidoscope Effect

I've always found the kaleidoscope aesthetic quite stimulating, therefore I thought it would be intriguing to include the visual in my music video. Although it contradicts my original concept, I trust it would provide variation within my product, retaining the interest of my audience.

Chosen Poster Design

After conducting a vote amongst my peers as planned, I have selected the poster below as my final design. Their preference was mainly on account of it's minimalism compared to my other designs, meaning it's easy on the eye, plus it affiliates with contemporary tastes of wide society.

Poster Designs

I haven't as yet selected a final design, however, I intend to decide through a vote amongst my peers. Their options are displayed in the slide share presentation below. I elected geometry and surrealism to be my point of focus as these qualities were central within the posters I looked upon before hand.

Poster Designs from 08snewman

Resources I used:

Chosen Album Cover Design

I have selected this particular design as it contains all of my own resources. The general aesthetic is one of absurdity, aligning with the prominent impression I received when I completed research on album covers within this genre.

Album Name Selection

I chose my album name with some thought. Recalling my initial research of Local Natives, I found that April Welsh, writer for Clash Music, described their style as 'newfangled folk'. I subsequently researched the origin of the word 'newfangled', discovering that it is a Middle English term meaning 'liking what is new'. Taking this into consideration, I produced 'present fondness'.

Band Name Selection

After some deliberation i've appointed 'Calligraphy' as the name of my band, primarily because it is just nice to vocalise. I researched the word's origin and it manifests itself in the early 17th century: from the Greek term 'kalligraphia' which itself stems from 'kalligraphos', roughly translating to 'person who writes beautifully'. This is certainly befitting as a band name as it implies their lyrical writing abilities, therefore grasping the attention of a wide audience as poetic skill is preferable. 

Some further editing development

I decided to film some fire

I think the title of this post is pretty explanatory, I believe fire is an effective device in abstract music videos, owning to the raw spontaneity and immediate distinction of it. The lyrics of my allocated song continuously reference the sun and light - two properties that immediately associate with fire. Although I haven't included it in my storyboard, I plan to experiment with it, perhaps layer it on top of footage. 

Beginning to Edit

I have finally began the editing process and it's true to say that it has, and will continue to be, very time consuming primarily when focusing on the quick transfigurations between all the characters. However, I believe the overall aesthetic is quite effective so far.

Style Inspiration & Idea Development

After roaming through the videos of YouTube, I have gained inspiration from a number of videos that embrace a psychedelic appearance.

Location 1 Footage - Both Takes & Outtakes

From watching this footage back, I have come to realise a few things:

1. My voice not only resembles that of a twelve year old boy, but there is very little distinction between my sarcastic tone and my natural tone and I think it has the potential to bewilder people.
2. When I am stressed, I don't articulate my ideas very clearly which contributes to people's bewilderment.
3. The lighting is quite overbearing in some parts and although i'm unable to film these particular scenes again, these scenes could be adjusted when I begin editing.
4. I may have been slightly overambitious with my editing strategy ideas, although if I donate a generous amount of time to the process, in addition to watching appropriate editing tutorials, the final product will mirror my desired concept. 

Day 1 of Filming

Cast List

Prop List Updated & Confirmed

CD Album Covers Ideas & Drafts

As my focus has been shifted to my ancillary texts, I have began to gather ideas of what my CD images my album cover will entail. I have constructed these covers via Photoshop, paying close attention to the layering filters, utilising an array of images. These include my own photographs and hand rendered sketches and collages, in addition to pictures I have collected via Google. 

CD Album Covers Research

calligraphy

CD Album Covers Moodboard

Order of Shots & Timings

As I only have a limited amount of time to film in, as I am renting out a venue, it seemed appropriate to note all the shots I wish to film in order, along with the noted timings of each shot. This will make a more efficient use of the time I have because it'll prevent me from having to view my storyboard animatic repeatedly on the day.

Communication over Social Media

Audience Research

Complications & Means of Overcoming Them

Venue Hire Update

Ensuring the date is available with my cast, I am hoping to finally initiate shooting my music video next Wednesday. This would be an ideal date as it would still allow a large amount of time to edit, bearing in mind that my concept is very demanding in terms of editing.

Layering Tutorial

Venue Hire Enquiry

As time is vastly progressing, it is crucial to begin the filming process as soon as possible. Consequently, it is asked of me to instil further contact the manager of the venue I desire to shoot my video in.

Hopefully the space will be available for hire, thought contrarily it is appropriate to consider other locations to film in.