A2 Media Studies

1. A2 Media Studies My Evaluation Paul Bowes Candidate Number: 4385 Centre Number: 20627 Heathfield Foundation Technology College

2. Paul Bowes Research and Planning • Existing Products – CD Cover Analysis 1 • Existing Products – CD Cover Analysis 2 • Existing Products – CD Cover Analysis 3 • Existing Products – CD Covers (Codes and Conventions) • CD Cover - Colour Psychology • Magazine Advert – Colour Psychology • Existing Products – Magazine Advert 1 • Existing Products – Magazine Advert 2 • Existing Products – Magazine Advert 3 • Existing Products – Magazine Adverts (Codes and Conventions) • Existing Products – Music Video • Storyline of my Music Video • Song/Video choice • Equipment list • Location of The Video • Shooting Schedule for Music Video • A Shot By Shot Structure for Music Video • Mise-en-scene in The Music Video Construction • Draft Design (CD Cover) • Draft Design (Magazine Advert) • Draft Design (Music Video) Evaluation • Evaluation – Planning and Research (Identifying The Task) • Evaluation – Planning and Research (CD Cover) • Evaluation – Planning and Research (Magazine Advert) • Evaluation – Planning and Research (Music Video) • Evaluation – Production and Editing (Identifying The Task) • Evaluation – Production and Editing (Music Video) • Evaluation – Production and Editing (CD Cover and Magazine Advert) • Evaluation - Conclusion

3. Planning and Research I have been set to create two different media ancillary products (these products are a CD cover and magazine advert) alongside the main product (a punk/rock promotion music video). For my music video I was able to choose a track which was produced from an unsigned band and then sync this track in with a video that I would produce myself. I have used the internet, textbooks and viewing current artists in order to help me increase my knowledge on creating successful promotional products.

4. The Planning and Research Into My CD Cover To be able to create my CD cover I first had to do research into the similar artists. I did this because though I have a large CD collection myself I had previously little understanding of what certain designs were used and their association with particular music styles. I looked at artists such as ‘You Me at Six,’ ‘All Time Low’ and ‘Attack Attack.’ From researching these artists CD cover I picked up on the codes and conventions for example the colours schemes all tend to be bright vibrant colours (e.g. bright blues and reds), these colours are to give off the impression that the band are energetic since vibrant colours symbolise energy and excitement. The layout is a simple design, which should help the band as they have limited financial resources and therefore a simpler, cheaper design for the cover is less likely to lead to the band going over budget as it’s cheaper to manufacture (also if you looked at Attack Attack’s CD cover the layout is not complex since it has a white background and their band title written through the centre of the album. The reason why bands tend to use this layout is because they want audience to like them for their music rather than creating an over complex image for themselves). Also CD covers from the artists I researched shows that they don’t offend anyone. By following the same conventions already used I have created my CD cover isn’t offensive to anyone which also should it to that it is able to be published for advertising in different places such as the internet, magazine and media stores. Also to make sure that I don’t confuse the audience with the band music genre I have also analysed other CD covers from other music genres such as ‘G-unit’, as they are a completely different genre and I want to make sure that my design will not get confused with designed like these (as this would confuse the audience what genre the band fit in).

5. Research on the Similar Codes and Conventions CD cover Here are the examples for the CD cover from similar artists as the band I tend to be doing the cover on. The common codes and conventions used bright eye catching colours and the layouts tend to be very similar such from the exception of one of the CD covers don’t not use images of the band but tend to have their artist name printed across the cover in large font rather than having an image of themselves as your likely to see.

6. Analysis On ‘Girls Aloud’ CD Cover Equipment to suggest that the artists enjoy being in the fame and ‘limelight’ while every teen girl dreams about being in that position. Mainly bright vibrant colours suggesting energetic music, also appeals to younger girl teens because they have decided to use the colour pink quite a lot of people think this is a very feminine colour. The body language that the artists are using shows that they are a pop/dance kind of music genre since they are seen as in a dance stance. An image of a dance floor which is implying that their music is a dance/pop style. The titles font is a type of informal text as it has a shadow and block letters as a more formal font you would except to see the text straight (no rotation) and more simple. I think this used to reinforce the band’s image of fun. The instrument show on the cover immediately tell the audience the style of music and instruments used as in different genres like rock you would expect to see guitars. From the image that the band are shown makes me suggest that the band are so well known they don't need to have shots of themselves on the cover.

7. Analysis On ‘G Unit’ CD cover T.O.S is short for ‘terminate on sight’, the word terminate used suggest an act of violence that targets towards urban subcultures. The colour scheme is mainly dark colour like black which is implying that the artists are rebellious that helps relate to their target audience. The ways the artists are dressed and the items the artists have been gives an image of that they are up to something bad which relates to an urban, youth audiences, which may want to be linked with a dangerous image. The image of the car helps define what gender audience they are aiming their CD at, since cars have always been a item that males tend to desire, for intense car magazines are always aimed towards the male gender. Parental advisory explicit content suggests that their music involves offensive language, this helps target their audience to urban youths (i.e. your parents won’t like this)

8. Analysis On ‘Eyes Set To Kill’ CD Cover The colour scheme is dark colours suggesting rebelliousness and gives a very defined image of what their music on their CD will be like. The main image of a woods relates to their music and the lyrics they use in this CD since their lyrics are mostly serious and a dark style of music which this image is a good reflection on their music. The image also can tell us that this band doesn't try to project their music rather than the band members. The titles font is more elegant and modern compared to other types of genres. This shows that the band take their music more Seriously. As a contrast to text that you would expect to see on a pop CD cover would be large bold font with vibrant colours which gives off a vibe of energetic music which this band completely rebels the idea of that.

9. The Planning and Research Into My Magazine Advert From researching the magazine adverts I noticed that various artists all tend to have a main image of themselves. Judging from my understanding of my own age group I can imagine a teenager in a store leafing the pages of a magazine undecided about whether to buy it or not. As they flick through the pages they will come across my advert. They could pay attention to it if they recognize the band members from a live performance or by glancing at their clothes and body language they see a band which belongs to the music genre they follow and want to learn more about them. In terms of the image I have choose to follow existing conventions. For example skylit drive’s magazine advert from ‘Indiestar magazine’ show them wearing black, this I think indicates a confident band in their own ability and seeking to project a image of being serious musicians rather than wanting to give themselves an over complex image. They also tend to advertise their own CDs somewhere on the advert this is because it helps them distribute their CD and increase their sales but they make it so that the bookings are the main priority of the advert. They put the bookings of events where they play on the advert to increase the number of people attending and in order to bring in revenue for the band and either consolidation or expanding their fan base by making sure that they maintain a relationship with their fans by appearing in their area as the fans will feel ‘’closer’’ to a band they see play if only once a year. Also to make sure that I don’t confuse the audience with the band music genre I have also analysed other Magazine advert from other music genres such as ’50-cent’, as he is a completely different genre and I want to make sure that my design will not get confused with designed like these (as this would confuse the audience what genre the band fit in).

10. Research on the Similar Codes and Conventions on Magazine Adverts Here are examples of magazine adverts from bands that fit into the same genre as the band I am focusing on. The common codes and conventions are that all of the tend to use a certain colour scheme to make it so that the image stands out. Also two out of the three have an image of the band, showing the viewer who the band are and so the audience recognize the band if they are followers of the band. Also they have the tour date/s that they will be appearing on and where.

11. Analysis of Dave Pearce’s Magazine Advert The colour scheme from this advert tells us straight away that this artist is into more energetic music such as dance as they use vibrant colours that gives off a energetic mood towards readers. A sponsor has been put onto the magazine which helps define what audience they have aimed it at as radio one is most likely to be playing this style of music (i.e. Dance). The main image used is an image of different colours of beams of light which is used to give off a club atmosphere and the image of public with their hands in the air, dancing showing that this music isn’t serious and more of a style of music which is focused mainly on clubbing music. The title is very strong, this helps grab listeners attention. ‘Dance anthems’, straight away indicates and tell readers that this type of advert is in the dance genre. Also the style of language used targets the audience for example the word anthems is used in the title to relate to the younger audience as anthems are linked with clubbing. Images of music equipment used on the advertisement helps tell us the style because its equipment that is expect from Dj’s such as a decks and the images of the sub-woofers suggests that the music involves a lot of base which tells us the genre of the music is drum and bass/Dance music.

12. Analysis of A Skylit Drive’s Magazine Advertisement The environment their in states that the band are a dark kind of rock since it seems to be that they are in a dark concealed place with hardly any lighting. The way the artists are shown helps recognize their style of music as the are dressed in black indicating that they play a dark type of music. They have only used the white background as a complete contrast to focus readers on the information they are giving (the colour white doesn't reflect on their style of music.) They have put their album cover on the advertisement so that people that listen to their album or seen it before will recognize the artists straight away. Also advertises the album but makes it so that the album isn't the main priority. They have their producers record label on the advert which helps to target their audience as people that enjoy their style of music will notice the record label before with other artists.

13. Analysis of 50 Cent’s Magazine Advert The font style is a Morden, urban style therefore he hopes to aim this advertisement at the urban audiences. The colour scheme uses loads of hard shadows showing that this artists is a Rebel. Bright colours which would give of the wrong impression they would make him seem as a energetic, cheerful person which he doesn't want to be seen as. The reason for uses dark colours can suggest that the artist prefers to keep things to himself such as keeping emotions bottled up which is a stereo typical male image which relates to other males who may feel this way. The way the artist is present tells us what audience they have aimed it as because he is shown as wearing a seeming large, expensive bracelet which can target towards people with this dress sense (often a part of modern urban subculture). The body language he is using shows a lot of aggression which relates to his songs and lyrics, that gives an insight for the reader of what music genre he produces. This advert is sponsored by Pontiac which is a leading car company, this shows that the advert is aimed again towards the stereo typical male desire. I know this from mixing with young males of my age group who are into a lot of car magazines and cars themselves.

14. Colour Psychology I have researched into certain colours used on existing artists CD covers from my own collection on CDs and viewing CD covers on the internet and in stores such as HMV to help me create my own and the colours in this table will reflect on the colour I will be using.

15. To help my research in the colour psychology used in magazine adverts, I have used different issue dates from the magazine ‘Rock Sound’ to research the format used in adverts for established artist’s CD’s. Having completed my research I have decided on these colours to be used in my magazine advert.

16. Draft Design of CD Cover The circular images will be different colourful/vibrant colours (to represent youth, energy and positivity) The Title of the band in large font (so that the buyer can recognize the CD easily when they want to purchase this is a store) – centred on the CD cover The albums title in a smaller font than the bands title – at the bottom of the CD cover colour

17. Draft Design of Magazine Advert The Title of the band in large font (so that the buyer can recognize the Magazine advert) – At the top of the advert (overlapping the image). The image of the band helps the viewer recognize who the advert is advertising. Information of the tour centred so that its easy to read for the viewer. An image of the CD cover (advertising).

18. The Planning and Research Into My Music Video The music video is the most important marketing tool because it demonstrates the ability of the band. I believe this is their main “selling point’’ to both booking agents and the general public alike. Also, use of a video is now a necessity in out visual age. Before I created the video I looked at the videos of established artists I could learn how to film a live performance from reading textbooks (such as the ‘dancing in the factory’ textbook by ‘Andrew Goodwin’). The video is of a live alone performance rather than using a simple narrative alongside the performance of the band. This is beyond my budget to produce a video that contains a narrative, but I took the decision to create a video that gives a “taster” of the band (I was not trying to tell the story of a band playing live like a documentary, but instead to create a video which leaves the audience with the impression that they have seen a band that has talent and energy to hold the attention of a live audience). I created the video from various elements the video is shot in black and white format with grainy and at times distorted image. Therefore, there were close ups of the band playing the instruments (to show their ability to play) to shot of an audience responding to the sound and energy of the performance. Therefore seeks to manipulate the viewing public as well as they do not see the band playing the whole track but I do not care because I am seeking to use every “trick” to sell the energy of the band so as to firstly gain the attention of the audience and then want to be impressed enough to want to know more about them or even try get them booked as a support act in a local venue.

19. Textual Analysis of Music Videos I am going to analysis two music videos that fit within the same music genre as the band I am focusing on. This is so that I can get a better insight on how to create the video and how to make it look professional. You Me at Six – The Consequence I am now going to analysis the music video ‘The Consequence’ sang and played by ‘You Me at Six’. This video was released at the beginning of 2010 and directed Lawrence Hardy. The Consequence was released nationally and was played frequently on music channels such as MTV. The director has made this video to be a performance video. The video starts of with the band about to go on stage to perform to a live audience, this I believe gives viewers an insight of the in-concert experience of this bands events. Before you see the band get up onto the stage an image/photo it shown to us of the band members, so the viewer recognizes the band by this photo. The camera then focuses on the band and when the music’s tempo speeds up the camera then focuses on the audiences reactions to this. As this shows the audience reacting with a lot of energy, this then will grab the viewer’s attention and hook them into the video. The director decides to have an image of the concert doors with a label saying ‘sold out’ and with many fans outside of the concert wanting to get in and see the band perform live. This I believe is a good technique that the director has used as this will grab the viewers attention even more as this techniques is telling the viewer that this band is a sell out band and is very popular in punk/pop style of music. The types of shots used in this music video are very effective to the viewers. As at the beginning of the video you have close ups of the faces of the band members, this is shot is to show the viewers who the band are. Then you get a lot of mid shots of each of the band members with their instruments individually, this is showing that the band are capable of playing the instruments that you hear throughout the song. The next shot is the shot of the audience, this shot is an establishing shot. This is to show the viewer how much followers the band have and as you can see the arena is full. Throughout the video there are a lot of long shots used that are mainly focusing on the bands actions but also you can see part of the audience within the shots. The last shot we see in the video is a group shot of the audience but has been made so that it is given a slow motion effect. I believe that the main purpose of this video is to help sell the artists by creating more followers for the band. This I believe is done by showing the viewers how well the band can hold an audience at a live concert. The video seems to be aimed towards mainly girls as you see the one of the band members are surrounded by females and I myself can’t see any males at this time, but also this could be a way of aiming towards males as some males may see this and want to be in his position

20. All Time Low – Weightless This video is very similar to the other music video I have analysed (‘You Me at Six’s The Consequence’), because of the fact this one is also a performance video directed by Matthew Stawski. The video was released in august 2009 and was released a day before the album, so that this could inspire people to buy their album the day it will release. The start of the video shows 5 girls around the lead singer, indicating straight away to the viewer that this video is mainly aimed towards females but yet can still be aimed towards males as well as. Then it goes onto introduces the bands members to the viewers with text describing the band members around them. The next shot goes to the audience, showing the viewer the reactions of the audience to the band when they appear (the audience being very energetic). Then goes to mid shots of each individual band member playing their instrument or singing, this I believe is to show the viewer that the band members are capable at what they do. Next shot is a long shot of the band all together playing (also the audience is shown in this shot), this is to show the viewer that the band is capable of performing live to an audience at a live concert. The band tend to use a lot of fast paced mid shots of each other when the music starts to go to a fast tempo. Throughout all the video the director focuses on the audiences reactions with the band and the relationship that is being created between them. Also the band are shown doing a lot of actions that will relate to their followers as this is the kind of actions you would expect from this type of music genre. At the end of the video they use the same technique as the other video I have analysed (the slow motion effect). This is because directors know that this is a good way of hooking the viewer in just a little bit more. Overall I believe that this music video is very effective as it uses the same elements and techniques as other music videos in the same category. Also I believe that the video will be able to sell well to viewers because of the effects used like the fade at the end of the video and the actions the band members are doing to grab their target audiences attention.

21. Storyline of My Music Video With creating the music video I will aim it to be a performance video. As I do not wish to tell a story but instead attempt to help the band get recognized as they are an unsigned band. The storyline will basically be the band performing in front of a live audience. The reason for this is because I wish to not only show the viewer that the band is able to hold an audience but also to show the atmosphere that the band can produce at a live concert (being very energetic and lively). Also I want the band to be seen as that they are capable of playing instruments and have good vocals and that they take being musicians seriously. I believe through this storyline that it will help my create a successful music video and will help target my audience that I wish to aim at.

22. Song/Video choice The song I have chosen is ‘It’s your time to shine!’ by ‘Hero’s last resort.’ The reason why I decided to choose this song is because it is a well-known song that is recognized by many of the followers of this band, so therefore I expect a good reaction from the audience when filming. Also the fact that the song will fit in well with my video chose (performance video). For the music video I have decided to create a ‘performance’ video as my video will have no relation between the video and the lyrics in the song. Instead it will show the band performing live to an audience reacting to the song in an energetic way. Doing this help achieve two thing, one being that it helps the band get recognized and two that it gives an insight to the viewer of how serious and that they are capable musicians, also gives an in-concert experience of the band for the viewer. I have set my music video’s colour scheme to be set in black and white because this shows that the band are serious musicians and also its very unique compared to other music genres music videos. The song itself has a medium paced tempo which relates to the video (as the shots in the video are medium paced). Throughout my music video I will add certain effects in order to help to hook the audiences attention I have used effects and transitions (such as fades, grainy images and cuts). Also the use of the effects help control the pace of the tempo in my music video.

23. Equipment list Before filming my music video I first needed to gather all the appropriate equipment I needed. All the equipment seen in the video will be provided by the band members themselves since they have their own equipment. The equipment used are: • The drum kit • Microphone – for the lead singer • Guitar • Bass guitar • Keyboard By using these equipment in my video is happens define what music genre the band come from which in order helps target the audience.

24. Location After creating my storyboard I decided I needed to choose a location of where I will film the music video. The location must be in a dark light room which relates to the type of music genre that the band represent. I had two locations in mind, one was at bass studios and the other was at River rooms, both in Stourbridge. Both of these would have been ideal for me shooting the video at. In the end I decided to choose the River Rooms venue since the lighting was more ideal and had that better atmosphere.

25. Mise-en-scene My music will be a live performance of a band playing. The location it will be set in is a venue (‘River rooms’). I had chosen this location because the scenery will be perfect for what I aim for, since the venue has a stage for the band to performance and plenty of room for the audience. The main objective will be to try to produce a realistic atmosphere that you would expect from a live concert by a well-known artist. Since I would be shooting the video in black and white I needed to make sure that the room was well enough lit for the video to be clear enough in black and white. The band members will be seen dressed as what you would expect a band of this type to be dressed as (plain top and jeans). Also the instruments that are heard in the track will be being used in the video itself so that the audience can clearly see what type of band they are and what type of music they represent.

26. Draft Design of Music Video Please read texts below the images to understand what type of shots I aim for.

27. Shot by Shot Structure of My Music Video To help me create my final product I will create a shot by shot structure so that I will be able to make me music video quickly and then be able to edit my video sooner. This will also assist my video in making it look more professional. I will now write down shot by shot what type of shots I will use in my video and why. 1. The first shot will be an establishing shot of the audience at the live event, this shot is to set the scene. 2. This shot will go to a close up on the guitarist playing his instrument. 3. Then I will go to a mid shot of the other guitarist. This shot is to show the viewer to actions of the band member. 4. I will then have another mid shot introducing the other guitarist. 5. Then I will have a long shot of the whole band playing. This is to introduce the band to the viewer. 6. The next shot will be a two-shot of both the guitarists. 7. This shot will be a close up of the drummer playing. This shot will attempt to help target the audience. 8. Then a long shot of the audience reactions when the music’s tempo rises. 9. Then back to a two-shot of the guitarist and the vocal singer when the vocals start. 10. Then another long shot of the entire band. These shots help the viewer recognize the band members. 11. Next I want a mid shot of one of the guitarists when the guitars start to pick up on the pace. This will attempt to hook the viewer as I believe the shot goes well with the timing of the music. 12. Another mid shot but of a different guitarist.

28. 13. Then I want a mid shot of the drummer. This is to introduce the drummer to the video and shows the actions of the drummer playing the instrument. 14. I will then have a long shot of the band. This shot will show the bands action whilst playing to attempt to aim its target audience. 15. Then a long shot of the audience. To show the reactions at a certain part of the song and which will also give a visual experience to the viewer of the live concert. 16. Then a group shot of the band playing when the tempo of the music slows down and the vocals start again. This show to the viewer that the vocalist is capable at singing live. 17. The next two shots will focus on the guitarists. So this sot will be a close up on one of the guitarist’s guitar. 18. Then this shot will be a mid shot of a different guitarist whilst showing actions you would expect to see from this type of band. 19. After that I will use another long shot of the band. This is to show that the entire band is capable at what they do (e.g. you will see the guitarists play, the vocalist’s singer and the drummer). 20. Then a mid shot of the drummer playing. 21. Then I will go to a mid shot of the other guitarists playing. 22. When the guitarist starts to play his solo I will then focus on the audiences reactions as I believe the audience will respond well to this and then go to a shot of the guitarist playing. The first shot will be a long shot of the audience’s reactions. 23. Then move onto a long shot of the guitarist. This will show all of guitarist’s body actions. 24. Then as it gets closer to the end of the video I will slow down the pace of the shots and have a final long shot of the band. 25. Then a close up shot of one the guitarists playing the last part then fade out. Most of the shots are of the band/individual members. The reason for this is because the band are newcomers and since this is their first video I decide the shots I was taking needed to be so that the viewers can recognize them. All of these shots will be in order of the video when I make it.

29. Shooting Schedule

31. From doing research into the CD cover and the magazine advert I found I had learnt a lot. So therefore I decided to research and learn how a music video is created and how to aim it towards a specific genre (for instance the band I am doing the music video on is in a punk/rock genre so I looked into the elements used into these type of genre music videos.) Before my research I had a brief idea of what I wanted my video to represent. I wanted the video to show the artists as capable musicians who take their music serious and are not only able to perform live but also able to hold an audience. Since the band’s genre type is more rock, I have made it so that they reject the idea of the more mainstream image by making the artists seen as musicians rather than creating a character image for them and also due to having a low budget it would have been difficult to create a story in the video. In 1988 ‘’Firth” said that music videos are “characterized by three broad typologies: Performance, Narrative, and Conceptual.” From this I decided in order to start creating my music video I needed to first decide what my music video will be characterized as. First I researched what “performance” is classed as. “Firth” states that “the star or group singing in concert to wildly enthusiastic fans. The goal is to convey a sense of the in-concert experience.” So therefore performance videos are to show the viewer that the band/star is capable of playing at concerts/gigs and also gives the viewer an experience of being at the concert themselves. The narrative video consists of telling the viewer a story that sync’s in with the songs and lyrics themselves. The other broad typology is conceptual; this is set to create “a feeling to be evoked in the experience of viewing (Firth, 1988).”

32. Once I analysed all the broad typologies in music videos. I decide in would be ideal to create a “performance” music video. The reason for this chose is because from researching other existing artists such as ‘You Me at Six’ and ‘All Time Low’ I found that some of their videos consist of the “performance” technique, also I would have found it hard to be able to create a story/narrative behind my music video due to having a limited budget. After choosing what typology I was going to use, I then had to find what track I would use to sync in with my video. I first created a mind map of all the tracks the band has pre-recorded. Then noted down what each song represented, and what song would fit in within a performance style music video. To increase my knowledge on punk/rock music videos, I decide I needed to look at what age range and what gender I would be aiming this video at. I found that the majority of people are aged between 14-late 20’s and had a mix gender of followers. Also I had done research into the most favourite punk/rock bands and the most recognized bands were ‘Attack! Attack!’ and ‘All Time Low.’ From doing research into these bands I found that they tend to create a relationship with their audience through their music videos. SO therefore this research helped me get a better insight on how to create the music video and make it successful. I then began on creating drafts/storyboards of what my music video could be of. I then decided that the video would be of the band playing to an audience and showing the audience reacting well with the bands performance. The reason for this chose is because I believe that this would sell well to the viewers and then hook the viewers to not only to help create a relationship between the audience and the band but just as well to help the band get recognized by having the band member’s appearing in the video. The rough storyboards I created helped me to create my real music video as I included all the shots and camera angles that I would need and help me chose the colour scheme. As I planned on having the video in black and white throughout because I believed this showed the band as being serious musicians and would look more unique from most other music videos.

33. To help me with my background research into the music video, I have studied “Andrew Goodwin’s” “Dancing in the distraction factory” textbook. Reading through this textbook I have picked up on what elements are used in music videos like mine which helps justify my ideas on the video such as how “a serious act is built up partly through the use of 16mm film stock, grainy black and white images”. As you see throughout all my video it is shot in a “black and white” and some images being “grainy”. Also I have learnt that “there is little attempt to build characterization into music video clips, since the bands are being sold first and foremost as musicians rather than characters.” From this piece of information I have made it so that my music video doesn’t attempt to create characterization but instead to present the artists as musicians. Also I learnt that bands like “New Order” reject images made by the mainstream in order to create their own image, as “Andre Goodwin” states “A group such as New Order or Pink Floyd is sold through its non-image.” From this I have made it so my music video does this, so that it helps reinforce this “non-image” idea, this is important to the bands image as they wish to create an image based on a non-image. In other words the artists are going against this image that are given to artists from the mainstream and by doing this creates an image for the band and doesn’t give them individual identity’s but instead see them as musicians. Then I decide on the location of where I would film the video. I looked at different venues I could shoot the video at (considering the lighting and the atmosphere). I looked at two main venues in Stourbridge (‘River Rooms’ and ‘Bass Studios). I decide River Rooms would be the best venue to shoot the video at.

34. Next I decided I would have needed to shoot the video more then once, so I created a schedule to help me film it. I first decided I would need to film the band playing separate to the audience reactions. This helped me make the actual product as it would make it easier to edit parts and cut parts out and fit them together later on. To edit/create my music video I needed to use and learn how to use a software called ‘Windows Movie Maker.’ This software is made to create your own short video and by using this I have managed to created my music video using different sorts of transitions (fades) and effects (black and white, grainy and slow motion), also this software has made is so that I was able take many shots of the band and audience and then cut them up into small parts and fit them together.

35. Production and Editing After I had done all the researched which was needed I then had to start the next stage of my final product which was to film the music video. The advantages of doing my research and planning the filming out step by step meant that this task made it easy. The entire video was filmed at one location, this location was the River room’s venue in Stourbridge.

36. Production and editing – Music Video The music video is the most important marketing tool because it demonstrates the ability of the band. I believe this is their main “selling point’’ to both booking agents and the general public alike. Also, use of a video is now a necessity in out visual age. Before I created the video I looked at the videos of established artists I could learn how to film a live performance from reading textbooks (such as the ‘dancing in the factory’ textbook by ‘Andrew Goodwin’). The video is of a live alone performance rather than using a simple narrative alongside the performance of the band. This is beyond my budget to produce a video that contains a narrative, but I took the decision to create a video that gives a “taster” of the band (I was not trying to tell the story of a band playing live like a documentary, but instead to create a video which leaves the audience with the impression that they have seen a band that has talent and energy to hold the attention of a live audience). When I first started to film my music video I found that it may be difficult as I needed to record when the band was able to play at the River Rooms but I was able to work around this since I had planned out the days I would be visiting the venue already. This made it so that the filming process was easy which also meant that I was able to start the editing process earlier and to be able to play through the video to see if I had any errors. First I decided I need to shoot the band and the audience on separate days so that I could cut them into small parts and mix them together in the editing part. I first filmed the band, I had a range of shots of the band from close ups, medium shots and long shots. After I finished the filming the band I went onto filming the audience reactions. The types of shots used were establishing shots showing the audience and the venue to long shots of the audience’s reactions to the bands performance.

37. In the process of producing and editing my music video I needed to use and learn how to operate a digital camera and to be able to shoot in a different environments (e.g. indoors at a gig/concert). Also I was required to learn the following camera movements (that I was interested in); a tracking shot to move closer to the action without zooming (since zooming will reduce the quality), panning shot so I am able to move from left to right and right to left and a tilt shot to make the camera tilt upwards making the band seem larger than what they are. Also camera angles and shots are needed to create a more of an image for the band (for intense the low angled shots make the band seem larger and the use of group shots to introduce the band to the audience). To learn how to use these techniques I first practise on shooting and filming other gigs/bands by standing in positions and angles that I thought would be best for shooting my final video. Then I went on to film more footage than I needed of the band I chosen, so that I had more footage than required (so that I was able to pick out the best quality clips and put them together). At the opening of my video I used a fade in effect to attempt to hook the viewer into watching the whole video all the way through, this fade then goes into an establishing show of the audience and the venue. The establishing shot is to set the scene of the video.

38. The next shot goes onto a close up of the guitarist’s guitar. I didn’t straight away show the faces of the artists as I wanted the viewer to hear the music and then this will make them want to see the artist. I then use shots showing the artists faces, this is to introduce the artists to the viewer and makes it so the viewer know each artists role in the band as I have as shot of each of the artists individually. As the vocals start I then use a shot of the vocalist so that the viewer knows who the lead singer is. I then go onto a long shot of the entire band playing and then a long shot of the audience’s reactions to the bands performance. Throughout my music video I have used a lot of long shots and close ups of the band playing. These shots perform two roles. The long shots are showing the viewer the band reactions, as this helps define to the viewer the type of music genre they represent. The close ups are of the bands instruments and shows the artists playing these instruments. This is done to show the viewer that the band is capable musicians and take their music seriously. There are some medium shots of the artists, this does two things. One shows the audience who the band is and makes them recognizable. Also the other things are that it shows the band members actions, to demonstrate their identity (being young punk/rock artists).

39. All of the shots of the audiences are all long shots. I have done this to show the viewer the reactions of the audience, this illustrates that the band are capable of the band to hold an audience. For the editing stage of my video I created the video from various elements the video is shot in black and white format with grainy and at times distorted image. Therefore, there were close ups of the band playing the instruments (to show their ability to play) to shot of an audience responding to the sound and energy of the performance. Therefore seeks to manipulate the viewing public as well as they do not see the band playing the whole track but I do not care because I am seeking to use every “trick” to sell the energy of the band. So as to firstly gain the attention of the audience and then want to be impressed enough to want to know more about them or even try get them booked as a support act in a local venue. For the effects and transitions I have used fades which are at the beginning of the video and at the end of the video. I have used these to make the video look more professional and using effects such as these helps hook the viewer. A transition I have used is the cut, this is so that I am able to cut from one shot to another. For example I have used a cut from a medium shot of the bands drummer to a shot of the audience’s reactions. The angles I have used are a lot of low angled shots and eye-levelled shots of the band. The low angled shots are to make the band look powerful. This can make the audience feel vulnerable and small by looking up at the character. The medium shots of the band are to show the audience that the band is not better than them but just as equal as the viewer. The shots of the audience are high angled shots. This angled shot is to make the audience look vulnerable to the band.

40. Production and Editing – CD Cover and Magazine Advert After I had finish creating the video I created the CD cover to help support the music video by making them both help target the audience which I aim to achieve. The CD cover has a certain colour scheme in order to set its target audience by using bright colours (e.g. pink and blue) and these colours target teenage girls since because these colours indicate that they “can be used to show childish innocence, or a characters child-like personality” and stylish. Also you see these colours being used in bands are alike (for example ‘You Me At Six’ use a variety of colours like blues and reds). The music video ties in with this because of the lyrics being used in their song (non aggressive lyrics) to help set the target audience by it being non aggressive which who are unlikely to enjoy deviant lyrics relate teenage girls. Also I made it so the magazine advert supports the music video because it helps show the type of genre the band is and who they are aimed at. The magazine advert has text on it informing people where and when they play. This is a way of telling the public what type of genre they represent because if you saw a band playing at a rock bar you would instantly think that the band’s genre is a type of rock (for example the band are playing at the bar academy so therefore people would suggest that they are a rock band since only bands from this genre play there). Also the magazine advert shows an image of the band which helps the public recognize the band members.

41. Conclusion The task I have been set was to create a main product (a music video) and to create 2 ancillary texts (CD cover and magazine advert) that would help promote an unknown bands career. I created a music video for ‘Hero’s last resort.’ I decided from their task list to use the song ‘It’s Your Time to Shine’. The first part was creating the main product (planning the product). I first made sure that I knew how to use the equipments and that I knew what camera angles/shots I would need to involve in each shot. Also I made sure I knew my location where I was going to be filming it. Doing this made it so that it was quick and easy to create. Another useful feature I done was the shooting schedule I created, this saved me a lot of time as I knew what I would be shooting at what times. Then I went on to researching music videos. So to help me create a successful video I read through books (‘teaching music video’ by ‘Pete Fraser’ and ‘Dancing in the distraction factory’ by Andrew Goodwin’ published in 1992) to see what makes a music video successful. Then researching into this books it gave me a greater insight into what elements are needed to create a music video. Also I looked at other existing music videos that are very popular in this type of music genre.

42. To help me create a successful CD cover and magazine advert, I first looked at existing artists CD covers on the internet and looked at the common codes and conventions used. To help me create the magazine advert I had my own magazines that fitted within the bands music genre (‘Rocksound’ magazine) and looked at the common codes and conventions used in these. Next I went on to producing the music video, I first had to shoot the video, I dint find this so hard as I had all the equipment needed and I produced a lot of footage (just in case something went wrong). While filming I used many different shots from low angled shots to high angled shots. I tended to use low angled shots of the band as the low angled shots make the band seem more powerful and greater than what they are. I then went on to creating 16 feedback sheets for my products, so that I could get an insight of what was good about my product and what needed to be improved.

43. I created a separate feedback sheet for the music video (compared to the ancillary texts feedback sheets) as it’s the main marketing tool out of my media pieces as the video shows the band performing. This shows agents and the public their ability so therefore I want good in-depth feedback from the public to make sure I have met my goals (such as the black and white effect to project an image for the band as a typical serious punk/rock band and to see if this could aid with the bands future career). So I have created a feedback sheet involves people giving me answers in sentences rather than ticking boxes as this gives me a more of an insight of what exactly people think of the music video instead giving them a limited amount of answers. Looking at what people have wrote/commented about the music video I can see that the majority of people enjoy viewing the video and believe that it hits all of its targets that it sets to achieve, for example from one persons point of view they said that “the video does seem to achieve what it is set out to do. They appear to me to be a serious band performing to an audience. The colour to reflect the seriousness, keeping it to simply black and white really helps with taking it seriously.” Thought all of my feedbacks I didn’t receive one negative one so therefore I wouldn’t changed much with the video but if I was going to create another video and had more of a budget I would of considered on creating a story to go alongside the song (for example you me at six’s video ‘underdog’ has a story of a boy and girl relationship which binds in with their lyrics). In conclusion I believe that my products are at a descent quality and they look like a real media product, except for a few problems, like the use of colour scheme with the CD cover and magazine advert but for my music video I believe that this was done at the best it could have been (due to having a low budget).

44. Feedback sheets Examples for CD Cover, Website and Magazine Advert

46. Feedback sheets Examples for Music Video