Evaluation

Q1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or

challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Andrew Goodwins theory states that a music video consists of a
relationship between music, lyrics and visuals, which I have incorporated
throughout creating and editing my music video. I have planned and
carried out my music video to intentionally conform to this concept by
using the lyrics as a guideline to direct my shots. During the lines maybe
I like this rollercoaster, maybe it keeps me high I presented a close up
shot of pupils dilating in attempt to amplify what is being said through
creative interpretation of the lyrics, which links to Eric Davis theory.
Additionally, voyeurism intextual reference has also been added to my
music video to emphasize the genre and style of the artist. An example of
this would be my reference to the iconic novel and film Lolita. Lolita tells
the story of a forbidden love which sympathizes to the narrative of my
music video. I have included a scene of my artist wearing a red heart
shaped sunglasses while being filmed by her significant other. Shaky
camera movement and excessive zoom, to suggest homemade footage,
imply this. Another important reference in my music video would be the
narrative of The picture of Dorian Grey, as in it the main character is
tempted by another world of sex and desire, where he begins as pure and
by in the process he becomes more corrupted than his corrupter. In the
past, brothels and affairs were the main reason for corrupting ones
character, however now, it has become the use of drugs and alcohol. On
the other hand, the narrative of my music video diverts from the typical
conventions, as my storyline is based on a same-sex relationship, in
attempt to raise awareness of the misconceptions and stereotypes of a
homosexual relationship that still linger in society today.
The narrative of my music video vaguely reflects Levi-Strauss theory of
binary opposites. The concept of good vs evil and normal vs strange is
applicable to my story line as both protagonists are never in the same
situation. During the stage of normality for one character, the other is lost
in the disruptions of teenage addiction, and once that character recovers,
the other has already lost her way.
Considering my target audience, I have ensured that the story line is
evident and easy to absorb. The music and visuals were kept in direct
correlation, also to reinforce the story line. For example, I have included
various time-lapses throughout the video, to connote the speed of a
dysfunctional adolescent romance. This allows my target audience to
relate the story to current events in their lives, making the music video
more memorable and repeatable. As my music video is part of the indie
rock genre, it requires certain characteristics of iconography generally
used in indie rock music videos. I have maintained a consistent use of the
same colors throughout my digipak and album advert as well as my music
video. The use of dark backgrounds and neon lights not only link to the
idea of being a teenager, going to parties, living fast etc., but also
conforms to the typical rock music video. A common theme used in my
music video is the concept of dysfunctional love, which is a common factor
in many indie rock songs, from Lana Del Rey to Marina and the Diamonds,

who base many of their lyrics on the retelling of a love almost drug like,
passionate but destructive. This idea was emphasized continuously
through the use of props such as alcohol bottles and cigarettes, to mimic
the thrilling addiction for something dangerous and harmful. The costumes
used throughout my music video were kept dull and dark, highlighting the
raggedness of a juvenile.
My artist is mainly portrayed through close-ups and mid-shots during the
performance parts, which promote the star image, and allows the
audience to engage with the artist and to see their emotions in regards to
the story they are conveying. The audience is able to develop a more
intimate connection with the artist, which relates to the theory of John
Stewart, who believes that music reflects that they are in the spotlight and
it accentuates the aesthetic appeal of them. From watching other indie
rock videos, there was an evident effect caused by difference lighting and
collections of small snippets. This increases the audiences attention and
urge to make sense of what is happening.
My camera movements were mainly hand held to reinforce the idea of
homemade footage. This allows the video to feel more personal and
relatable to my target audience. Camera movements such as tracking,
panning and point of view shots were used to convey the relationship of
the two protagonists, which is significant since relationship is a dominant
theme in my music video. The use of extreme close-up shots of the lips
whilst the artist is smoking and her fingers as she flicks the ashes of her
cigarette, allow the audience to feel intrigued and has a connection with
the artist.
My music video challenges conventional narrative structure stated by
Todorov. Todorov suggested that a classical narrative must consist of a
heros journey, where equilibrium is at the beginning, then disrupted
during the middle and restored in the end. I challenged this convention by
not including equilibrium at all; my music video simply reflects different
types of disruptions during a teenagers life, especially when dealing with
love and relationships.
Q2. How effective is the combination of your main product and
ancillary texts?
I have attempted to maintain a consistent correlation between my main
product and ancillary texts. I believe this goal has been achieved as the
combination of shots present one character as more dominant and
powerful in all the products. During the music video, the main female
protagonist is shown in various close-ups and even in low angle shots to
connote this, the ration of appearance in the music video also reinforce
this. The main female protagonist in the video is also the artist in album
advert and digipak, which is why her role is seen as more important. I
have decided to name my album Dark Paradise as it is a perfect
reflection of the story I intent to tell. Paradise being the emotions and
high caused by this forbidden relationship and dark inferring the
destructiveness of it in the long run due to alcohol and drug abuse.
In my digipak, the artist is also presented as dominant through the use of
close-ups, low angle shots and direct address. The neon signs in the

background depict the euphoria of their teenage love and the intensity of
their emotion.
The male gaze, coined by feminist film critic Laura Mulvey, implies that
visual arts depict the world and women from a masculine point of view
and in terms of mens attitudes. I have challenged this in my music video
by demonstrating a homosexual relationship. The scenes with imply
physical relations are not from a masculine point of view but from the
females themselves. The album advert and digipak do not associate to
this either as the artist is not showing any cleavage or too much skin. The
aim was to represent her as powerful yet reckless.
From in depth analysis of other artwork of female artists for the indie rock
genre, I have concluded that the aim is not to sexualize or objectify
women but to empower them, and their choices of romantic partners.

Q3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

The feedback I have received from my target audience has been
significantly important in the making of my video and in the creation of my
digipak and album advert. I have been able to improve the authenticity of
my product by including social media pages for my artist. The modern
artist in todays society, markets and promotes their music through the
use of social media, therefore by adding a facebook and twitter page on
my album advert, I have made it more appealing to my target audience.
This particular feedback also inspired me to have the auditions for the
roles created using the app snapchat. I sent out a message regarding this
opportunity and requested that the people interested created a snapchat
video singing to my chosen song, using any fun filter they desired. This not
only evokes more desire to participate but is also a way to engage young
people in my planning and production work.
A focus video I conducted for the first draft of my digipak was extremely
beneficial for improvements as I realized the smallest details are essential
in making my work appear more professional. For example, including the
record company label and even the itunes logo makes my product more
legitimate.
During the planning stage I presented my initial idea to my target
audience, demonstrating what I had in mind using the annotation of lyrics,
star image, target audience etc. I have received constructive criticism and
even brilliant suggestions on how to use an intertextual reference in my
video.
Throughout my production stage I had constant feedback from my
teachers and classmates regarding my footage and how I could improve
continuously editing errors. This pushed me to strive for the best outcome
possible and after many retakes of certain scenes; I was pleased with the
material I had gathered. By engaging with my target audience I have been
able to reflect on what is truly relatable and intriguing to them. I used that

opportunity to question them on how fast pace my editing should be in

order to correlate with the song and lyrics.
To conclude the audience feedback, I conducted a focus group video for
my finished video. This allowed me to reflect on whether I had used their
criticism effectively and constructively for improvements. I was extremely
pleased with the feedback I received as I learned that I had been
successful in making my products appealing to my target audience
through the use of fonts, colours, shots and intertextual references. My
target audience were able to spot and understand the significance of the
references within the narrative of my music video.
Overall, I received positive comments on my final product and my target
audience seemed more comfortable and confident since my first focus
group. This demonstrates the improvement in my editing skills and
advanced development of the narrative.
Q4. How did you use media technologies in the construction,
research, planning and evaluation stages?
For the filming I have mainly used my iPhone 6s Plus, as the quality helps
reinforce the concept of voyeurism and homemade footage. It also allowed
me to use special features such as time-lapse to infer the quick downhill of
the characters relationship. I have avoided the use of a tripod to add to
this affect. I have also taken the photos for my album advert and my
digipak on the same device and I believe the outcome has lived up to my
intended standard. I have carefully ensured that the situation, contrast
and exposure were adjusted effectively so that my images appeared
professional. For planning and construction, I have used the website
blogger, which has certified that all my work is presented neatly and
clearly. The website is easy to update and to correct any errors made
throughout blogging. Using the internet to document my progress is
extremely time efficient as it enables me to posts within seconds,
accessibility is also increased as viewing the blog and all my work is just a
click away. It can be accessed on any smartphone, tablet, laptop etc.
Moreover, I was able to portray my work using, videos, images, gifs and in
many other creative ways.
To edit my video, I experimented with many programs. I began with iMovie
to edit, cut and filter but soon realized I needed a more advanced and
developed software. Premiere Pro, After Effects and Final Cut X Pro, have
all served to great purpose in editing my video and creating the final
product. It offers a wider range of transition tools and colour effects. For
example, I have used After Effects to add glitches to my footage and
create the impression of a homemade video. These effects allowed me to
reach my goal of presenting a vintage VHS look-a-like video. Transitions
such a fade has enabled my video to flow more comfortably and engage
the audience. Through Premiere Pro I was able to enhance certain aspects
of the video by using cropping tools, which resulted in shots being more
intimate to the audience. Premiere Pro also allowed me to brighten and
adjust footage that was filmed during the evening, enriching and defining
the lighting and colours. The range of colour effects helped to create an
authentic mood that reflected the time period I wanted to infer.

Furthermore, I have used Photoshop CS6 to edit my photos for my

ancillary texts. Photoshop allowed me to enhance the colours through the
use of various colour edit tools such as adjusting the brightness and
saturation.