Final Music Video

The final music video would not come up when I searched for it via Blogger, so the link to the final version is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq9PAIeqgOI

Comparison of Music Video

After completing our final music video, we have decided to compare it to another existing indie music video to analyse whether or not it was successful in being similar to the indie genre. I have chosen to compare our music video to Passenger's 'The Wrong Direction' as he is a similar indie artist to our intended artist representation.

The artist representation that Passenger depicts in this music video is very typical of the indie genre. The artist is playing the guitar throughout the narrative which conveys to the target audience that he has genuine talent; this is a favourable quality that the audience look for in an artist. Therefore the increases the appeal of the music video as the target audience can relate to the artist and therefore are more likely to maintain an interest in them and their

following songs. This attribute that contributes to the artist representation is also evident in our music video as we felt this convention was effective in creating a relationship between artist and audience. Furthermore the possibility that the audience can also play guitar/have an interest in it makes them feel more similar to the artist an therefore increasing the appeal of them. Conclusively to this point, the convention of a down to earth artist increased the appeal of our music video and therefore conforming to it also increased the success of the product.

The artist representation is constructed through the artist image. Indie artist typically have a style that the audience can relate to rather than the unattainable image that Pop artists often have.

This image is evident in the Passenger's video. The artist wears a simple shirt and jeans in which the audience interested in passenger could achieve themselves. This relates back to the qualities the audience favour by being able to feel similar to the artist and therefore influences them in maintaining an interest.

The image that our artist constructed conformed to the indie conventions as her outfits were different from the mainstream ideologies as well as being attainable by our target audience. her is an example of an outfit worn by the artist; a denim jacket, dress and tights. This would be found appealing by out target audience as they would be able to wear this themselves to feel like the artist.

Furthermore, both the music videos have similarities in terms of the visual. Goodwin's theory proposes that a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics increases the appeal of the music video as the audience can make more sense of the lyrics and therefore have increased chances of connecting to the narrative.

In Passenger's video, the lyrics state he is 'running in the wrong direction' with the visual being illustrative of this as he is running forwards when the background shows a car going the other way. This suggests to the audience to confusion of the artist in that his life may be going in the opposite direction to reality which provides them with a deeper understanding of the song in order to connect to it. This technique is also evident in our music video.

At this point in the music video, the lyrics hear, 'hangs about at the skate park, with his lighter...' and with the visual illustrating this directly, our music video conforms to the proposal of Goodwin's theory in the hope that the audience would understand the narrative more if shown it visually.

However, we also broke this convention.

By conforming to all the generic conventions, the product risks becoming too predictable and therefore uninteresting to the audience as they are too familiar with what they have seen. Therefore we chose to break convention to create a music video that seemed interesting without it not being classed as indie so that the audience weren't bored. For example,the lyrics in this frame hear, 'Another 5am call sitting worried in my hall...' however the couple are together and happy in the skate park. If we were to rely on the visual as an illustration of the lyrics throughout the whole video the audience will know what to expect and therefore the reason to watch the video becomes pointless. Therefore the argument that the artist sings of comes after this so that the audience are unaware of the following consequences.

Another difference in regards to the comparison of the two music videos is the use of special effects.

In Passenger's music video, he uses green screen to create special effects as a visual background to his performance. This is not conventional of the indie genre as the typical content in based on performance in this particular genre and therefore such choice is not reflective on the indie genre. In our own music video, we decided not to use special effects in the music video. This decision was influenced by the primary research we had conducted prior to filming where the majority of our target audience claimed they preferred a simple visual rather than one induced by special effects in the indie genre and therefore we decided not to include them. This would increase the appeal of our final product. Furthermore, special effects are typically found in dance/pop music video and therefore by including them we ran the risk to not conveying a clear genre.

Target Audience Feedback

Explain why audience feedback is important to a production?

Receiving feedback is a vital stage in post production in order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the final outcome. By receiving feedback, we can recognise whether the products were successful in appealing to the audience which in turn, will show if the research we did prior was valid and accurate. Not only does the feedback assist whether the products were successful but will also help us as media producers in the creation of our further products. If the feedback was negative, an analysis of the entire production process would be taken out so that we could improve this. An example of this is to ask a wider sample of our target audience to provide a increased source of feedback in regards to accuracy.

How did you receive audience feedback from your target audience?
(Screening of production, focus group, questionnaires)

The target audience of a music video plays a significant role in how the video is produced, as the substance of the video must be deemed appealing by the audience in order for it to be a success. A music video that doesn't consider it's target audience will result in being unappealing, as it hasn't focused on how to keep the audience interested. Before producing our music video, it is vital that we first established the target audience we intend to appeal and then, how to make the video appealing in general. To do this, we  decided to ask 40 people to answer a questionnaire we had created, which addresses the main components that make  music video; asking them which they prefer. To establish who our target audience was, we asked a variety of people in terms of their age to collect their opinions as one in terms of age group. Once we had decided this (age 16-25) we then looked at their preferences in order to consider them when planning and making our music video. We then accumulated this information into pie charts to create quantitative data which can be analysed easier and once we had, we incorporated their feedback in the decisions we made regarding each element.

When we had completed the rough cut, we had a screening of the product........


How would this feedback benefit your production and the industry?

Creating products that are intended to be deemed appealing by the target audience can only be successful if it creates such effect. Therefore the feedback we have received would assist us in making the music video more appealing and therefore more successful. If I were to be working in the music industry, the feedback from my target audience would assist me in making the next product more appealing than the last as the industry as forever changing and therefore so are the needs of the audience. For example, in terms of our main product, some of the feedback we received suggested that the argument scene should have taken place earlier in the narrative in order to develop the audience’s sympathy for the artist. Therefore when making another product, I would keep this in mind so that the product was more appealing and therefore successful. As ancillary products are vital in the promotion of the main product, it is also important that feedback is received and considered on these products too. One person suggested that the brick wall on our magazine was unconventional and therefore confusing. Therefore when creating further ancillary products I would be sure in not including a brick wall thus not to confuse the audience.


Include 3 positive comments and reflect on them (You must include
the same comments as your group)

Our first interview was with Bethany Smith aged 16. Bethany stated: “When watching an Indie music video, I expect to see the artist perform with an instrument which is typical for the genre. I think you have created a video that links to the supporting products as they are coherent in regard to the components you have combined together such as the artist Indie style image with her messy hair and red lipstick. I also think the locations you have used throughout your music video link to the song Noserings & Shoestrings because it mentions a skate park in the lyrics. Well done!”

We questioned Penelope Miller aged 21. Penelope stated: “I really enjoyed your music video, mainly because the storyline links to the lyrics the artist is seen singing in the performance shots. I think that young people can relate to this storyline of a broken relationship and can therefore build a relationship with the artist. I also find your digipak effective because it really shows the artist in a positive light so the artist can act as a role model and potentially persuade people to express themselves with the guitar shots you included too”.

We also interviewed Karen Jarvis aged 19 who stated: “I think your framing of shots are good because the artist is central which is important when promoting her.  It allows me to relate to the artist more. Also, I think your digipak follows conventions of the Indie genre as it follows what is expected of the genre. Therefore I was able to recognise the artist's style in order to relate to her once again.'

Include 3 constructive comments and reflect on them (You must

include the same comments as your group)

There was Samantha Hedge aged 25 who we interviewed to receive feedback upon our final music video. Samantha stated: “Although I enjoyed your music video and was introduced to a new artist of my favourite music genre, I wanted to see more of the artist performing because it looked believable and not like the bad lip-syncing videos you often see.

We also received a second criticism from Samantha Hedge; 'I think the narrative was effective because it links to the lyrics, however, I would have liked to see the argument scene at the end earlier on and seen the consequences of her boyfriend’s actions much sooner for dramatic effect to feel sympathy for the artist”

As well as giving us positive feedback, Karen Jarvis gave us criticism to better the video; 'However, I believe that the quality of your camera is not as highly defined as you would expect to see in a professional music video. Also, I believe your magazine advert does not follow conventions. This is because I don't see how the brick wall is relevant as I have seen it used in more grime/hip-hop genres”

Overall explain how you have followed the aims of the brief by creating a music video

The content of the A2 media coursework required both group and individual work. Individually, we each maintained a blog that recorded our research prior to planning our music video and ancillary products in preparation to fulfil the brief in creating a music video and 2 ancillary products that promote the main product. Such research explores artist image, proposed theories and the concept of a music video. Also we conducted primary research in order to ask our target audience their preferences. Secondly, after concluding the findings of the previous research, we then began to plan our music video in order to increase chances of appeal; taking the feedback from our target audience to plan elements such as cinematography, lighting, setting and editing. According to the findings we accumulated from our research, this determined the actual content of our products as the answers we received were what the audience found appealing.

This was the preparation taken out in order to fulfil what the brief required us to do: create a music video lasting at least 3 minutes as well as two ancillary products that promoted the central product. The ancillary products we created we a magazine advert and a digipak.

The research and planning we did prior to the final creation influenced our success in following the brief to a high quality. By evaluating what our target audience find appealing, we included this in our products so that they did in fact find the products appealing and successful. We have achieved the aims of our brief by justifying each decision we have made in the construction of our products, whether it be to conform or subvert the generic conventions in order to increase appeal. For example, we chose to conform to the artist representation consisting of a laid back simple image through the symbolism of nature in both the central and ancillary products. This is often seen in the indie genre and therefore the audience would be able to recognise this in order to relate to the artist and build a relationship. However we also broke convention. By conforming to all the generic conventions, the product risks becoming too predictable and therefore uninteresting to the audience as they are too familiar with what they have seen. Therefore we chose to break convention to create a music video that seemed interesting without it not being classed as indie so that the audience weren't bored. We achieved this by opposing Goodwins theory and not creating a visual link between the narrative and lyrics at certain points in the music video to avoid it becoming predictable and monotonous.

In my opinion, we have been successful in meeting the requirement of the brief as not only have we created what was intended, but we have also considered our target audience in doing so thus increasing appeal and success.

Music Video (Rough Cut)

Why is it important to consider audience feedback?

Creating products that are intended to be deemed appealing by the target audience can only be successful if it creates such effect. Therefore the feedback we have received would assist us in making the music video more appealing and therefore more successful. If I were to be working in the music industry, the feedback from my target audience would assist me in making the next product more appealing than the last as the industry as forever changing and therefore so are the needs of the audience. For example, in terms of our main product, some of the feedback we received suggested that the argument scene should have taken place earlier in the narrative in order to develop the audience’s sympathy for the artist. Therefore when making another product, I would keep this in mind so that the product was more appealing and therefore successful. As ancillary products are vital in the promotion of the main product, it is also important that feedback is received and considered on these products too. One person suggested that the brick wall on our magazine was unconventional and therefore confusing. Therefore when creating further ancillary products I would be sure in not including a brick wall thus not to confuse the audience.

How did you receive your feedback?

After we had created a rough cut version of the music video, we shared it on facebook as the majority of our target audience have a facebook and therefore were more likely to see and comment on it. We received increased feedback once we had done this and therefore got a wider sample of opinions on the rough cut version. Below are some of the comments people had to say.

What feedback did you receive?

After putting the rough cut version of the music video on to YouTube, we received a few comments as to what people thought of it in their own opinion after sharing it on Facebook.

One individual stated that a friend of hers though Daisy reminded her of Ellie Goulding, another female indie artist. This is positive feedback as the artist representation of a female indie artist was evidently portrayed effectively, as someone has associated our artist with another in the same genre. Therefore the aspects of the artist representation were conventional to the genre clearly so that the audience understood what type of artist she was. Personally, I felt this comment was a reflection of the research and planning of the artist image and conventions of the genre. From an evaluative perspective, I can assume that such research and planning was successful as the audience were affected in the way desired.

Furthermore, we also received positive feedback from a male. Our target audience was females between the ages of 16-25 and therefore, by receiving positive feedback from a teenage male, this conveys the music video’s ability to engage a wider audience. In turn, the artist will have a wider fan base who will take interest in her, increasing her success rate. I feel that this is a positive outcome, as the video not only appeals to the planned target audience, but has the capability of appealing to those outside such bracket and therefore, the music video is effective in its purpose of appealing to the target audience and in fact, does more.

We also received some constructive criticism as how to improve the quality of our music video by increasing the contrast so that the visual appeared lighter. We felt that this comment was relevant as our footage was slightly dark. Therefore, when making final changes to the video, we increased the contrast so that it was lighter and therefore more realistic. Here are the changes made to the footage; as you can see the second frame is lighter than the first and therefore more engaging for the audience.

After receiving the feedback on our rough cut, we made the changes suggested to increase the appeal of the music video and then released our final music video. Following it’s release, we interviewed individuals that fell into our target audience to find out how they felt about the video to receive further feedback. Our first interview was with Bethany Smith aged 16. Bethany stated: “When watching an Indie music video, I expect to see the artist perform with an instrument which is typical for the genre. I think you have created a video that links to the supporting products as they are coherent in regard to the components you have combined together such as the artist Indie style image with her messy hair and red lipstick. I also think the locations you have used throughout your music video link to the song Noserings & Shoestrings because it mentions a skate park in the lyrics. Well done!”

We also interviewed Karen Jarvis aged 19 who stated: “I think your framing of shots are good because the artist is central which is important when promoting her. However, I believe that the quality of your camera is not as highly defined as you would expect to see in a professional music video. Also, although I think your digipak follows conventions of the Indie genre, I believe your magazine advert does not. This is because I don't see how the brick wall is relevant as I have seen it used in more grime/hip-hop genres.”

In addition to Karen, we questioned Penelope Miller aged 21. Penelope stated: “I really enjoyed your music video, mainly because the storyline links to the lyrics the artist is seen singing in the performance shots. I think that young people can relate to this storyline of a broken relationship and can therefore build a relationship with the artist. I also find your digipak effective because it really shows the artist in a positive light so the artist can act as a role model and potentially persuade people to express themselves with the guitar shots you included too.”

Lastly, there was Samantha Hedge aged 25 who we interviewed to receive feedback upon our final music video. Samantha stated: “Although I enjoyed your music video and was introduced to a new artist of my favourite music genre, I wanted to see more of the artist performing because it looked believable and not like the bad lip-syncing videos you often see. I think the narrative was effective because it links to the lyrics, however, I would have liked to see the argument scene at the end earlier on and seen the consequences of her boyfriend’s actions much sooner for dramatic effect to feel sympathy for the artist.”

Group Digipak (changes made)

To create our final digipak, we each compared our own individual digipaks to analyse which aspects we thought to be effective and which didn't approve of. To do so, we had a meeting in which such process was carried out; taking it in turns to analyse each digipak so that everyone had a say in the outcome of our final digipak. 

Emma's Front Cover

Here is Emma's original front cover, the front cover we chose to use for the final digipak. We chose this front cover as we thought it was an effective visual for the target audience to initially see as her image is visible for them to relate to; the guitar is also visible to appeal to the target audience as this is a convention of the indie genre and therefore they can easily recognise that it is indie. We also thought the font was effective as it was clear and minimalistic, much like the typical indie artist would use. However, we then edited the picture so that the colours were slightly more subtle and therefore connoted the genre effectively rather than the brightness used in other genres such as Pop (as you can see in the final digipak).

Daisy's CD

Emma's CD

Above is the CD design of both Emma and Daisy; which we decide to make into one design for our final digipak. Emma's design is effective in being coherent with the other pictures from the photoshoot as the background of the 3rd and 6th panel are also a brick wall and therefore, it was relevant to the rest of the digipak and therefore we thought this was effective in creating a consistent image for the artist. However, the middle of Daisy's design was an actual daisy, an aspect that we also though was effective as it was relevant to the artist herself as it reinforced her identity. The outside of her design was intended to be a shoestring, much like the title of the song. However, we concluded that this intention wasn't entirely clear for our target audience to understand, thus deciding to take both better aspects of each of the digipaks and making one. We felt the out come of such idea wasn't too over the top for the design to be too busy, however was effective in portraying the image of the artist as well as being coherent with the other panels.

Daisy's Welcome Note

Our final welcome note was inspired by Daisy's original design as well as Millie's, as she also used the same picture. We decided it was effective as it provided the audience with a picture of the artist as if she were saying it to the audience herself, rather than not having a picture there are appearing distant. It creates the effect that the artist wants to connect with the target audience giving it a much more personal feeling as if she cares; a convention of the indie genre as artists are typically down to earth and easy to relate to people. Furthermore, she decided to separate the message from the image, further emphasising the importance of the message itself, as if it were personal to the target audience. However, there were same changes made too; the brush effect in the bottom right corner was eliminated as we felt it was slightly connoting the Pop genre through it's bright colour and therefore would not appeal to our target audience. Furthermore, the font of the message was changed to coincide with the rest of the digipak and the magazine advert so that each of the products were coherent and clear in terms of the artist's image. Also, the positioning of the message was moved lower down so that the layout was balanced.

One of my picture panels, also featured on Daisy's design too

The final design of our digipak needed two plain images; this one being taken from mine and Daisy's original designs. We decided that this picture was effective as a panel of its own as the shot is quite naturalistic; as if the audience were seeing her themselves. It lacks pose and therefore suggests a more valid representation of the artist for the target audience to relate to; gentle and down to earth. Such representation is conventional to the indie genre and therefore this will appeal with our target audience as they will be able to build an effective relationship with the artist. The photo also highlights the theme of nature in the digipak as it was taken in a field, as well as a horse and trees being identifiable as well. However, as we did with all the other panels too, we edited the picture so that the colours were more subtle and therefore conformed to the indie genre.

The other picture panel, taken from mine and Daisy's designs

Here is the second picture panel taken from the final outcome of our group digipak, originally used my Daisy and myself. As a group we felt like this picture was also effective on its own as it created a similar effect to the previous picture; it lacked a forced pose that may appear fake to the target audience, as the artist is simply playing guitar, looking at it as she does so. Therefore we felt the picture was suitable to be on a panel of its own so that the target audience had another picture of the artist's true being; a quality favourable amongst the target audience and therefore they will find it appealing as it is a convention of the indie genre. However, we edited the colour so that it was more subtle as well as resizing the picture itself; cropping the unnecessary background so that the audience could focus on the audience, also increasing proximity to feel closer in order to build a relationship.

Daisy's original back cover

We chose to use Daisy's back cover as we thought the layout of the design was very effective, with the artist almost looking at the song titles, as if she were looking over her own work and therefore emphasising that they were there. In turn, this encourages the target audience to read to track titles thus going on to listen to them. We also thought the picture itself was suitable for the back cover as the artist is still easily seen, however was not as intense as the front cover as she is looking away. When altering the design to remain coherent with the other panels, the colours were edited and the song titles were slightly moved down so that the positioning of the layout was effective and in balance.

Our Final Digipak:

_________________________________________________________________________________

Although the digipak appears conventional to the music genre, the feedback that we recieved from fellow peers, which were also members of our target audience, indicated that the digipak was in fact too simple. This caused them to overlook the digipak becuase it was too minimalistic and therefore not engaging. Therefore we made slight altercations to this digipak to enhance its appearance without neglecting its simple and conventional look.

Again, from the feedback we were able to establish the negative aspects of the digipak and found that the  panels below were the ones deemed unsuccessful amongst our target audience. Below is an explanation of the changes we made, why we made them and the effect the changes had on the audience.

This is the CD panel. Although the appearance of the CD is very similar to the original design, we made slight altercations to make the panel more engaging. The font stayed the same to be coherent with the other products, as did the daisy flower, as this is evident in the other products and again, reinforces the coherent image of the artist. However we did include a graffiti effect over the brick wall background in the shape of two hands making a heart image. We included this is enhance the visual appeal of the panel as well as creating the illusion that the artist was quirky and individual as graffiti is associated with locations such as Camden which is deemed quirky and relatable for the audience.

We changed the letter panel of the digipak as it was very plain and simple in regards to the technological knowledge needed to execute it. Therefore it lacked the professional look that is evident in other digipaks we analysed. The biggest problem with this panel was the text, as it was very simple with no added effects to make it more engaging. Therefore we added effects to improve this problem; we changed the font so that the writing was less harsh an more in cohesion with the image of the artist. As well as this, we added a white outline around the text to soften the writing further, also making it stand out to encourage the audience to read the letter, thus further encouraging the relationship between artist and audience.

 This was one of the panels that consisted of only an image of the artist, to provide the audience with an exclusive insight as to what she is like. This image is successful in doing so, however it was slightly disengaging due to its simplicity. To improve this panel, we drew an autograph and using Photoshop, incorporated this autograph over the top of the image. This makes the panel more engaging as the audience, as they are provided with an exclusive signature by the artist, placing an importance on the audience members themselves. This encourages the relationship between the audience and artist which is vital in order for the audience to maintain an interest.

Lastly, we also changed the second artist image panel to make it more visually appealing. To do this, we added another graffiti effect to make the digipak coherent as well as reinforcing the quirky image of the artist. We also made overall changes to the digipak, one being the background of each panel. We changed this from white as it was boring, to a forest location as this is evident in the other products, again enforcing the coherence of the artist's image. Overall, the digipak is more visually appealing which encourages the audience to effectively 'buy' the digipak, influencing the artists success.

Group Magazine Advert

Some: will be able to comment on choices and decisions made by relating to the codes and conventions throughout and by reflecting on group decisions (Grade A)

When creating a group magazine advert, we followed the same process when creating our group digipak, in that each of us analysed each others work by noting the good and bad aspects of their design in order to efficiently create an overall design that we were all happy with. Below are each of our individual designs and the feedback that we each gave in regards to its impact on the final group design.

Daisy's design

What do you like about the magazine and  how is the magazine conventional to your music genre?

The image is effective as it shows the artist playing the guitar which is conventional to the genre and therefore will appeal to the target audience. They will be able to recognise that the artist is truly talented rather than constructed for consumption; a quality most favourable amongst such target audience. It also allows them to relate to the artist as they may share a similar interest/talent of instrument playing and therefore encourages them to relate to the artist thus building a relationship. Furthermore the artist's name is clearly visible for the target audience to recognise who she is and therefore be encouraged to remember her name, creating awareness of the artist. Such effect is important as the potential audience may read the advert, however not remember it through lack of interest and therefore the clear text of the artist's name encourages the audience to remember her and therefore listen to her music. Therefore when creating our final magazine advert, we shall ensure that the artist's name is clearly visible and appealing so that the audience are more likely to pay attention when coming across the advert.

How can the magazine be improved?

There is a lack of colour in regards to the design and therefore runs the risk of appearing boring to the target audience in which case they will not notice the advert, thus limiting awareness of the artist. Therefore colour will be included in the final design however, such input must not connote other genres such as Pop as bright colours are often associated with this genre. Therefore subtle colours such as browns and greens etc will be used as these colours connote nature; a convention often found in the representation of an indie artist. The variety of fonts creates an effect of incoherence; that the artist is not sure on which most effectively represents her and therefore, all of them have been included. The font of a text can be an effective method of representing an artist and genre and therefore the extensive variety of fonts means that the audience is unable to recognise the artist's image. Therefore when creating our group magazine advert, the fonts shall remain in coherence with each other on all of our ancillary products to create a complete artist image that the audience can recognise.

What do you like about the magazine and  how is the magazine conventional to your music genre?

Emma's design in conventional to the genre. The use of a brick wall as the background is commonly used within the indie genre as it portrays their simplistic and relatable qualities; attributes that the target audience look for in order to connect with the artist to further their relationship. By including a generic convention, the target audience will be able to recognise the artist as indie and therefore are more likely to read the advert, thus creating awareness of the artist to encourage the audience to listen to her. Furthermore, the image Emma has chosen is suitable to the genre as it shows the artist playing the guitar which is conventional therefore will appeal to the target audience. They will be able to recognise that the artist is truly talented rather than constructed for consumption; a quality most favourable amongst such target audience. It also allows them to relate to the artist as they may share a similar interest/talent of instrument playing and therefore encourages them to relate to the artist thus building a relationship. Therefore, when creating out final magazine advert, we will also include an image of the artist playing guitar for the reasons explained above.

How can the magazine be improved?

Emma's magazine design consists of a lot of text and therefore runs the risk of becoming too cluttered. This could led to the target audience becoming overwhelmed by too much information, rather than simply informed. Also, Indie conventions favour a simplistic style rather than a complex layout and therefore when creating our final group advert, we have decided to keep the layout minimalistic so that our target audience can both recognise and appreciate the advert as being Indie.

What do you like about the magazine and  how is the magazine conventional to your music genre?

MIllie's design is conventional to the indie genre in many different ways. She has included flowers in her design and therefore this creates a nature motif which is conventional to the indie genre as it represents the artist as down to earth. These qualities are favoured amongst the target audience as they find it easier to relate to the artist. This is because the audience feel more similar to the artist, rather than dissimilar and creates escapism much like Pop artists do. Furthermore, the advert is again conventional in the artist image that is represented. The artist is playing a guitar which is conventional of the genre to promote as this tells the audience that the artist is genuine in her talent rather than falsely constructed for consumption; a quality again favourable amongst the target audience, as they feel she is deserving in her fame due to her talent and uniqueness. Therefore when creating our own magazine advert, we shall include such representation as the audience will be able to relate to the artist thus sparking an interest in the artist for them to build a relationship upon. Once again, the artist representation is conventional of the genre, however this is due to the artist's style. She is wearing simple clothing that the audience could wear themselves. Indie artists often wear clothing that is considered unique or vintage rather than follow the mainstream style. Therefore the audience can relate to this as they can purchase similar clothing to the artist which makes them feel similar to them, thus building a relationship upon common interest/style. In consideration of this point, it is important that the audience can relate to the artist because this encourages them to listen to other songs of theirs. Therefore when creating our magazine advert we will include an image of the artist that shows her wearing simple clothing that the audience could possibly purchase themselves to build the relationship required to build a fan base.

How can the magazine be improved?

Similarly to Daisy's, there is a lack of colour in regards to the background and therefore runs the risk of appearing boring to the target audience in which case they will not notice the advert, thus limiting awareness of the artist. Therefore colour will be included in the final design. However as stated before, such input must not connote other genres such as Pop as bright colours are often associated with this genre. Therefore subtle colours such as browns and greens etc will be used as these colours connote nature; a convention often found in the representation of an indie artist. Also, the title of the song is not clear for the audience to recognise, nor does the advert address that this is a title of a song by the artist and therefore this may confuse the audience. When creating our final magazine advert, we shall include the track title, however make it more clear and state it is a song title so that the audience have an extension on the artist to build upon because by encouraging them to listen to one song, they may then listen to others.

REFLECTION

 Which magazine will you submit and why?

Considering the success of each magazine design in terms of its appeal, we chose as a group to use Emma's design for our final magazine advert. We chose this design because we thought it was the most visually appealing and complex in terms of skill used on photoshop. Th other designs lacked professionalism due to the minimal knowledge on photoshop which in turn effected the quality of the final outcome. Emma's was the most realistic in terms of the capability of using it; however we chose to develop the design so that we could improve it further. For example, on Emma's original design we felt that there was too much text which was risky in confusing the audience. This layout could be deemed unappealing for this reason and therefore the audience may not read to advert at all, leading to lack of awareness for the artist. Therefore we chose to remove the 'OUT NOW' as we felt this was unnecessary as it made the advert look too cluttered.  We also adjusted the contrast of the magazine so that it was coherent with the digipak. The original colours were slightly too bright and therefore could be conventional to the Pop genre and therefore the audience could become confused, unable to identify the artist's genre and therefore disengaged.

Digipak Reflection

How did you use your research into digipaks to create your own?

The motif of nature is effective in representing the artist as being easy to relate to, as the location is one that the target audience are familiar with. Furthermore, it's suggestive of their personality as being down to earth and simple, typical of the indie genre. As the genre is a reaction of mainstream genres, we wish to stay away from such conventions because this will not appeal to our target audience. Therefore it would be illogical to have the location of our digipak at a club, as this is not what our target audience find appealing and would more likely to be found in the hip hop genre. In which case, there will be evidence in our digipak of nature; possibly a daisy flower to reinforce the representation of innocence and natural through playing on the artist's name so not only do the audience understand her personality but also her name. This encourages them to remember her and therefore are more likely to maintain an interest in her.

The colours used in this digipak are simplistic, as there are only three main colours; yellow, black and white. They are all block colours as well which highlight the contrast as each one, further emphasising their connotations. This effectively suggests to the target audience the style in which both the music and artist adhere and therefore is successful in attracting the target audience for they know what to expect. Our research has influenced us to create a digipak that is consistent throughout each panel in regards to colours as this creates a theme in which can be representative of the artist and her track. To do this, we aim to focus on certain colours throughout our nature motif so that their connotations are highlighted to the target audience; green, which will be typically evident through fields and grass etc, to convey the artist's down to earth approach; yellow, typically conveyed by sunlight as light is a motif throughout our music video and therefore this creates a link; and floral pattern, shown on the artist's costume as this will reinforce her indie style in which her target audience can relate to and copy in order to feel increasingly similar to her.

In terms of the layout of our digipak, we plan to subvert the design of the analysed digipak above, as there is lack of images of the artist, which we plan to include. By including images of the artist, the target audience become more aware of her being and therefore are encourages to listen to her music as they become more familiar with her. Also, through familiarity, they will gain an interest in her image in regards to what she is wearing, her hairstyle etc, so that the audience can adopt such style as well in order to feel closer to the artist in terms of image. Indie artists have a typical image that promotes uniqueness and therefore images of the artist will promote such thing and create the effect that the artist is different to the others and therefore more exclusive as she is less known. This appeals to the target audience as Indie is a genre that purposely subverts mainstream conventions in order to appear different, in which this effect is created by her style.

The typography on the digipak above is very simplistic in regards to the style of font, so that it can be easily read by the target audience. It also isn't overpowering, in which may be evident on the digipak of other genres such as Pop. However, we feel the writing is slightly too small and therefore when creating our own digipak, the font size will be bigger on the front panel in order to encourage the target audience to read it. Also, the font of the artist's name will be specifically different to the other information on the panel, so that this draws attention to the artist, encouraging the target audience to remember who she is. As her name is Daisy, we plan to incorporate a daisy flower into the font so that again, this reinforces the artist's representation as being innocent and encourages the audience to remember.

·     What could you change and why?

      Although the artist image is consistent throughout the digipak, the effects on each panel is not. Each panel appears to have a different level of contrast and therefore appears incoherent. This lack of professionalism in terms of the visual appeal may effect the audience as they can not relate to the digipak which influences them not to buy it. For example, panels 3 and 4 are visually matching in terms of added effects, however the last panel is contrasting to this as it is very bright rather than subtle like the others. Also, bright colours are associated with the Pop genre and therefore the digipak isn't consistently Indie which may confuse the audience as to what genre the artist belongs, failing to convey the initial appeal of the audience which will interest them to find our more. If I were to create my own individual digipak again, I would ensure that each panel was consistent with the other to create a coherent Indie digipak.

      How will this draft assist you with creating your group?

This draft gave me experience using photoshop as I hadn't used it before. From creating this digipak, I have gained an understanding of how to operate and create the desired effect I wanted to. For example, when wanting to place text above an image I learnt you must first create a layer to produce the work you want, which assisted me in 3 of my panels. Therefore when creating the digipak as a group I will be able to have an input in the production of it so that is it a unified effort. Also, I have learnt the importance of coherence in that all panels must visually relate to one another to ensure appeal as this creates a representation of the artist if coherent that the audience can relate to.

Music Video History

In the modern age, music video are available from a variety of sources as a result of the development of technology over the years, such as YouTube, music channels, phone download and internet; sources that were not available to such high extent/quality in earlier years in comparison to today. Therefore, music videos have grown in popularity as they can be easily accessed by any individual through the mentioned sources above. Below is a timeline regarding the history of music videos, the development of technological and how this has influenced the success of current music videos today:

The Origin of Music Videos

Before the invention of what is now known as a music video, artists would play/perform their song which would be accompanied by short footage or pictures. Blues singer Bessie Smith appeared in a two-reel short film called St. Louis Blues (1929) featuring a dramatized performance of the hit song. Numerous other musicians appeared in short musical subjects during this period. Later, in the mid-1940s, musician Louis Jordan made short films for his songs, some of which were spliced together into a feature film Lookout Sister. These films were, according to music historian Donald Clarke, the "ancestors" of music video. Although the first recognised 'music video' was in the early 1930's, According to the Internet Accuracy Project, disk jockey-singer J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson was the first to coin the phrase "music video", in 1959 and therefore this shows the progression in which 'music videos' had during this time. The first one by Bessie Smith, consisted of a performance by the artist which was accompanied by a dramatized performance of the song, whereas music videos today are much more progressed because of the technology available today. Two key innovations in the development of the modern music video were the development of relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use video recording and editing equipment, and the development of visual effects created with techniques such as image compositing. The advent of high-quality colour videotape recorders and portable video cameras coincided with the DIY ethos of the New Wave era, enabling many pop acts to produce promotional videos quickly and cheaply, in comparison to the relatively high costs of using film. Music videos today have many purposes regarding their creation, whether it be marketing tool, displaying generic conventions etc. They are considered vitally important in portraying an artist's image because they are so easily accessed through the many distributors available i.e. internet or music channel and therefore the audience become more familiar with the artist and are able to engage with them. Technology such as green screen, editing software and better quality cameras mean that the average quality of a music video has increased since their origin and therefore more realistic in order for the audience to engage in them more.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_video#History_and_development

When Was the First Music Channel Invented?

The first music channel to be invented was MTV, in 1981. The first music video shown on MTV was The Buggles 'Video Killed the Radio Star' in which this song was a reference to the context of the time. The increase in music videos meant that radio stations were becoming decreasingly popular amongst people, because they were now able to both listen and watch the artists they were interested in; it provided them with a connection to the artist, in which radio failed to do. It was this quality that encouraged the success of music videos because people's demand was finally being met, they were introduced to another form of distribution that provided them with a relationship with their idols. MTV is still a very popular music channel, typically associated with the younger generation from teens to young adults. However, MTV now own many channels in which the content is tailored to a specific genre. For example, they have MTV Dance in which they specifically play dance tracks in order for the target audience to know that their demand regarding them being able to listen to dance music will be fulfilled, and therefore they are more likely to watch the channel because they can ensure such thing from the name of the channel alone.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTV

What Impact has Music Channels has on the Music Videos?

A list of current music channels available 

Above is list of current music channels from around the world; and therefore, not only are music channels available in countries that are considered Western, or well developed, they are also available in other countries. The concept of a music channel is universal which conveys its importance as it provides people all over the world with a chance to relate and see their favourite artists and idols; and without such thing, would only be able to see them on the internet, a source in which not everyone has. Music channels have many different strategies in order to increase promotion of music videos, one being dedicating a programme to a specific artist. For example, a music channel such as MTV may dedicate 2 hours of air time showing only music videos by Rihanna and therefore, the target audience of the programme is clear; fans of Rihanna. This encourage a specific audience to watch the programme and therefore the channel's viewers will increase for they are sure they will like the content during this time period, rather than watching random music videos that may not appeal to them and therefore not watch the channel. Also, this allows the viewers to feel closer to Rihanna as they are able to build a relationship with her, in turn increasing her popularity. Therefore, the artist wants to continue being on the music channel as their association with it increases their popularity and therefore their success overall. Another method in which music channels chose to undertake in order to promote music videos, is to schedule a specific time in which the audience are aware of that will show a new and exclusive music video. By having the audience aware of the time regarding the premier of a new music video, encourages the audience to watch the music channel at that time in order to see the music video and therefore increases the viewers at this time, as well as the channels popularity amongst such viewers as they will associate new and exclusive with such channels. Not only does this promote the awareness of the music video, but also promotes the music channel as being dependable in previewing the latest music videos. From such methodology, it is clear to assume that music channels are as much dependent on music videos as music videos are dependent of music channels as they promote each other in order to remain popular amongst the target audience.

When Was the Internet Invented and How Has it Impacted Music Videos?

The internet was developed from the 1950's way into the 1970's, still being progressively worked on today. However, the advances of the technology has much developed from such time in comparison to today and therefore it is able to provide users with much more information. For this reason, the internet has had an influence on the success of music videos for many reasons; one being social networking sites such as Twitter. Twitter is a social networking site in which allows you to 'follow' celebrities and artists who can, and do provide their follows and fans with information as to what they are up to in order to maintain the interest their fans have with them. For example, Rihanna is a prime artist who frequently provides her fans with information in regards to what she is doing, including when she is making and releasing a new music video.

Rihanna personally tweeting a link to her new and exclusive music video.

By personally providing her fans and followers with her new music video, this appeals to the audience as they feel they are exclusively watching the video, for Rihanna 'herself' has encouraged them to watch it through her twitter. Because sites like Twitter allow the target audience to engage with the artist themselves, they are more likely to maintain an interest in them because they can easily build a relationship as a result of twitter. Not only does this encourage the audience to maintain an interest in the artist, but also in their music videos, because these are an extension of their image. Therefore, the invention and progression of the internet has influenced the success of music videos because they allow the target audience to be closer to their desired artist and therefore their music videos too.

Furthermore, the internet allows people to openly share their opinion on the music video itself and therefore it is common for people to write blogs and articles online in terms of their own perception on the video.

http://www.celebuzz.com/2013-10-02/rihannas-pour-it-up-musicvideo-is-basically-a-trip-to-the-worlds-weirdest-strip-club/

Here, is an article referring to Rihanna's 'Pour it Up' music video. Because the internet allows such people to write their opinion on music videos, it also allows people to read it too. Therefore artists are always exposed to both compliments and criticism, however either way has exposure. This effect that the internet has, has influenced artists to push the boundaries and make more controversial videos so that the exposure they get in terms of critics increases, as they become a topic of conversation and therefore increases awareness of both the artist and the music video. Therefore, the internet has impacted music videos as it has influenced them into becoming controversial as this way increases awareness in the target audience.

When was YouTube Invented? and What Impact Has It Had On Music Videos?

YouTube was invented in 2005 and is still today one of the most popular websites on the internet. Since being invented, here are a few statistics of the site in terms of its popularity and usage amongst people:

• More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month, that is 33,333,333 users everyday!
• Over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube—that's almost an hour for every person on Earth, and 50% more than last year
• Millions of subscriptions happen each day, and the number of people subscribing has more than doubled since last year

These statistics not only show how popular the site is now, but how much it has increased since previous years and therefore it is easy to assume that this will only increase further. YouTube is a site in which anyone can upload a video in order for other to watch and therefore a logical distributor for music videos. Therefore, the site has efficiently increased the success of music videos as it is easy to access and therefore many choose to watch music videos on YouTube. However, YouTube has increased the success of music videos in many other ways, one being Vevo; a limited liability company that has been in place on YouTube one main reason; to limit people from downloading music videos from YouTube so that they have to buy the music video on other sites such as iTunes, and therefore make more money. However, Vevo has influenced competition between artists, in terms of who has the must certified videos by Vevo,who has the most views on a music video etc, and therefore this encourages fans to support their admired artists and watch their music videos in order for them to be high in the 'competition'. 

Here an example of the competition state Vevo has created

In relevancy to the 1st September 2013, Rihanna was the most viewed artist on YouTube with over 4 billions views, with Justin Bieber coming second. It is sites such as Twitter and Insatgram that encourage such competition too, because artists are personally asking their fans to watch their videos in order to have such title, which appeal to the audience as they feel they are helping their idol's success, creating a unified relationship between the two.

In conclusion to such point, YouTube is an easily accessed distributor in terms of music videos and therefore many choose to watch music videos on the site. However, Vevo is effective in encouraging the target audience to watch the music videos over and over, for this influences the success of each artist, for the more views they get, the more likely they are to hold a Vevo record, a title in which n audience feel a part of and therefore builds a relationship between the two. This causes the cycle to repeat itself.

YouTube also has other factors in which have encouraged the progression of music videos. Not only is the official music video provided for the target audience, but sometimes so is the behind the scenes making of it, in the form of a video on YouTube. This allows the target audience to know more of the music video and therefore feel more involved in it.

Here is an example of a behind the scenes video, taken from Jessie J in regards to her single 'Wild'. In the video, it depicts to process in which needs to be undertaken in order to make the video a success in terms of her own opinion and others. Therefore the audience are provided with an insight as to what Jessie J likes and how she creates her videos, giving them a short representation of the artist herself for them to feel as if they know her more. A behind the scenes video not only encourages the audience to watch the video after as they have now seen the making, but also allows them to feel closer to the artist as a result of them knowing more about them. In turn, an interest in the artist is either stimulated or maintained. Either way, this encourages the success and continuation of music videos because the target audience are now interested in the artist and therefore they are also interested in their music videos.

Sources: http://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html                         
                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XJAq9Ta3As     

When Was The First Smart Phone Invented and How Have They Influenced The Success of Music Videos?

First smartphone to be invented, 1997

Ericsson was the first brand to actually coin the phrase “smartphone”, with the release of its GS88 in 1997. However, from the picture above in comparison to a smartphone today, it is fair to assume that the progression of technology differs in terms of what the smartphone is now capable of. In today's age, smartphones are vitally influential in the success of music videos as they are now capable of downloading. Being able to download a music video onto your phone epitomises how accessible they are to each individual. They become easy to share amongst friends and peers as they are only on your phone and therefore this increases the awareness of the original  music video. 

Also, smart phones now have what are identified as 'apps'; YouTube having one also.

Here is an example of what the YouTube App looks like on a smart phone. Similar to the online version, the App is just as easy to comprehend and use on your smartphone and therefore many choose to have it in order to watch music videos easily on their smartphones. In conclusion, smartphones are a portable source in which music videos can be easily streamed directly for the individual to watch and therefore emphasises the accessibility in which music videos are easily available. 

The Influence Apple Has Had on Music Videos

Previous to this section, the impact that Vevo has had on music videos has been discussed in the YouTube section, in which the discussion of limitation of downloading music videos is evident. This effect has caused an increase in purchasing music videos on iTunes; an Apple device. iTunes allows individuals to but music, films, music videos etc and put them on other Apple devices such as an iPhone. iTunes is also available as an app and therefore it is also a portable source for music videos, just as easily accessed but costs money instead. Therefore, such route in not preferred amongst people however is still heavily used. 

A comparison of Michael Jackson's 'Scream' video to Passenger's 'Let Her Go in order to identify how music videos have changed in terms of content over the years.

This video has been identified as the most expensive music video ever to have been created to date, costing $7,000,000. The video was originally made in 1995 and therefore is an example of an older music video as it was made around 18 years ago.In such period music videos were not constructed in order to display and conform to generic conventions, but rather a new way of directly connecting to their target audience in order to remain relevant and appealing. This video is an excellent example of such theory, for it's bizarre content does not conform to its typical genre conventions, however does relate to and display a representation on Michael Jackson in regards to what was going on in his life around about the same time as this video was made.

The artists constructed a spaceship 

The iconography used in the music video plays a particularly important role in the purpose of this video. The artists had a real spaceship built for the purpose of their music video, in which the majority of the overall cost for the video consisted of. Notably, their choice of such iconography is significant in representing their personal lives rather than being used to conform to the genre's conventions; "Scream" is cited primarily as an aggressive, retaliatory song directed at the tabloid media and their coverage of the child sexual abuse accusations made against Michael Jackson in 1993*, and therefore the music video provided the audience with a deeper understanding of the song, as they began to realise that the song itself was about the personal life of Michael Jackson. Going back on the previous point, the use of the spaceship is vitally key in this representation, as it isolates them away from the world, in which this is suggestive of their emotions. A combination of both fame and accusations of wrong-doings may have lead Michael Jackson in feeling alone and isolated in terms of the lack of fan admiration and family support. Therefore, the iconography is effective in giving the audience a short representation of the artist as they engage in his thoughts and emotions, a way to directly connect with the artist in order to build a relationship; an effect which is found appealing in maintaining an interest in artists.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scream/Childhood

The song featured Jackson's sister, Janet Jackson

This particular scene in the music video is also significant in the building of the artist's representation, as it opposes the previous perception of the artist and therefore the audience are provided with more then one representation. This could be symbolic of the artist's real life, in that people will either chose to believe that he is isolated in that he has lost their support, or rather the artist still remains unified with his friends and family, shown in this shot above. The narrative shows both Michael and Janet playing a game together; a typical activity in which brothers and sisters engage in together conveying their close relationship. This representation conforms the Richard Dyer's theory, in which he proposed that artist's must appear both ordinary and extraordinary in order to be found appealing. The activity in which the artists are engaging in, is deemed ordinary as their target audience are familiar with such, as they have possibly engaged in a similar situation, giving the artists a quality in which the audience can relate to. However, the artists have also spent $7,000,000 on a music video that consists of a real spaceship, appearing extraordinary to the audience as it is unlikely that they have done such thing too; this gives them a quality in which the audience are unfamiliar with and therefore find interesting as it is something new. Holistically, this gives the target audience a combination of representations and therefore encourages them to identify which they find more plausible as the artist becomes a topic of conversation. This scene also conforms to Goodwin's theory, as there is a clear visual relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. The lyrics in this scene are: 'You Keep changin' the rules
While I keep playin' the game' in which this refers to both the visual, as they are evidently playing a game, or may be referring to their on social lives being game in which they cannot win; in which such referral represents the artist as unified with his family or fighting a losing game.

Colour is significant in any context when building a artist representation, for their connotations are suggestive of the mood and personality of the artist themselves. This video is entirely black and white, a typical convention found in thrillers as it creates an eerie atmosphere; an atmosphere present in moments of the video. With the song being called 'Scream', the artist conforms to the expectancy in that there is evidence on screaming; a method in which typically conveys distress or being scared. The video starts and ends with the artists screaming, which shows the continuous emotion of distress in his life, relevant to the accusations he was facing at the time. This therefore represents the artists as distressed and eerie to the target audience, found appealing as they know more about the artist through the short representation of him. As a result, they know more of him and therefore can build a relationship with him to maintain their interest. Furthermore, the colours black and white reinforce the eerie atmosphere throughout the entire video and therefore emphasises the artists' emotions such as distress, scared, isolation etc.

the progression in music has influenced new genres as well as the conventions of pre-exsiting genres.
i.e pop is mainstream, indie is a reaction to this
they oppose in conventions to suit target auidience demand etc etc

Things to consider:

• Youtube (Most watch video)
• Budgets
• Technology/special effects
• Target audience and the number of views a music video/channel receives
• How have music genres developed over the years?