Evaluation Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge conventions and forms of real media products?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5giWd_dRiW8&feature=youtu.be

Evaluation Question 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

http://prezi.com/jehd9gxjapkc/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Evaluation Question 3: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

The feedback I received from the audience was generally based around the following points:

• The black and white effect was clever, it helped to drive the narrative and is a unique idea
• The actors made the narrative clear
• The only criticism was that the shots of the band members were too dark.

The feedback was extremely helpful as the black and white effect was something that I hoped would really help the video stand out and would help the narrative. I was also not aware of the low lighting on the band members, which I fixed later in post-production.

The feedback from the magazine advert were based around the following points:

• Good composition and layout
• Logo is well designed. 
• The font could do with more work, look somewhat out-of-place, consistency could be better by matching the text with the text in the logo. 
• Clear link to the main product, keeping with the theme of the girl being in black and white.

I'm especially pleased with the praise given in regards to the logo, as I had made many versions of the logo (and the banner for the website) and I'm pleased that I chose a design that is appealing to the audience.

The feedback from the band's website were based around the following points:

• Layout makes it easy to follow
• Video is central to the page
• Links to other media is a good touch
• Text is well-written, fits the purpose
• Products are well linked together and there is clear consistency in themes
• Layout has some familiarity with it being loosely based on other websites
• Banner is well designed
• Interactive and intriguing for the target audience

I'm pleased that the audience picked up on the consistency of the products as this was something that I had spent a lot of time thinking about. I was concerned that the text may be a bit too dense for the audience, however there were not criticisms regarding it. I'm also pleased with the audience noticing that the video is central to the page, as I thought this was a vital feature, especially since most websites for bands are used for promotional purposes.

Overall, I'm pleased that the audience picked up on critical features of each of the products that I thought would really help my products stand out and be generally appealing. While there were some criticisms that I had not thought about, I'm glad that there were some that I had previously known about, and that the audience had also noticed, which meant that it is something that I should work on to improve.

Evaluation Question 4: How did you use media technologies in construction, research, planning and evaluation strategies?

http://prezi.com/t7j-snafrmdk/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Ancillary Task: Magazine Advertisement

Ancillary Task: Band Website

http://alexmcstea94.wix.com/themontagues

Reflection on last year's work

I think the work I have produced this year is certainly an improvement on last years, as I've been able to apply the knowledge I gained in the first year and apply it to this year's work. This year I have also been able to be cautious when it comes to getting camera shots/ images, as last year only a few we're taken, and I didn't anticipate how the exposure levels in the photo would look in the final piece, and even with editing, it still could have looked a lot better.

I also think that it could have been better regarding its appeal to the target audience, as the colour scheme and general tone of the article didn't quite work with the genre. I felt that the mood and tone and the connotations that the magazine in general carried wouldn't have quite made the right connection with the audience.
This year I have been able to consider the forms and conventions of the music genre and build the tasks around it.

Progress- Music Video

Since filming the video i've been able add the effects such as fades and colour changes with the use of Adobe After Effects. I was also able to stabilise some shots that appeared to shake too much and too make it easier to apply the black and white colour mask effect.

For the park scene, I decided to add a fade effect so that it was clear that she wasn't real

I was told from the feedback received from my classmates that the shots of the band are too dark, which I plan to adjust in the near future. This was not something that I considered to be an issue, so the feedback certainly helped with this. 

Potential Problems

One obvious potential problem when filming anything with actors is the actors being unavailable temporarily or permanently, This is something that will be hard to prevent and fix, as only the same 2 actors are in the film. The only solution to this could be to re-film whatever has already been done but with a different actor(s).
Another problem is if there is something wrong with the shots like if it is too shaky or the exposure is too high, filming the scene again would be the only option. A precaution for this would be to film the same shot multiple times, even if I get a good shot the first time. This would also help in case the video files become corrupt or lost.

Colour Palette

For my magazine advertisement and the website, I used a basic combination of white, shades of grey and black. These colours convey negative emotions such as sadness and have very moody tones attached to them, which helps to link these products with the emotions conveyed in the music video.

Progress-Website

The biggest changes that have been made to my products was the website, specifically, the bands banner at the top of the page, the general layout stayed practically the same

This was the first design I came up with for the website. Initially, the images were lined next to each other without any fade in between. A fade was added to make it look a bit more professional.

  

This was the second design where there was more focus on the bands logo that I made. I was unsure whether to have the logo above or below the images of the band, but decided against the design altogether as the images and the logo wouldn't fit together and the logo would be too big if i were resized to fit the image.

This was an experimental design in which I considered merging the images and the logo. This wasn't used due to the obstruction of the band name, as too much of the name is blocked and it may be difficult for some to read.

This is the final design of the website banner. With this design I was able to merge together the images and the logo where both are clearly seen. For this design I had to redesign the logo so that there was more room on the top edge of the banner to make room for the images. The wings were also shortened to also make room for the images.

Music use permission from band member and manager

Band biography draft

The Montagues are an alternative rock band originating from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear and consists of Liam Dickman on lead guitar and vocals, Connor McCallum on guitar, Andrew Armour on bass guitar and vocals and Matty Rawding on drums. 
The band have created a stir in the local area, especially after releasing their debut EP Silver Linings. They have also been praised by major artists such as Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics for their songs driven by emotion and their unique passion when playing live. they draw influence from artists right across the spectrum such as This Town Needs Guns and some punk influence from The Subways. This combination leads to a fresh new sound, combining dirty rhythmic guitars and intricate riffs. After over two years of being together the band have gained vast knowlege wen it comes to performing live and to a high standard. Along with their EP release in February, the band have also a music video lined up for their passionately driven song "Don't Go". The boys highly anticipate the rest of 2014 and they all hope to achieve much more than what they already have.

The Simpsons Trailer (REDO)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOUmP9Q0u6I&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

This task was done in order to familiarise ourselves in using video editing software (in this case, Adobe Premiere Pro) and getting used to the interface and the tools that we would need to use frequently when editing and eventually exporting the products. This task allowed me to experiment with the different tools available on Premiere Pro.

Moving image deconstruction

Everything Everything-MY KZ UR BF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DllG06p9H2o&safe=active
In this video, there is a mix between a narrative and performance, as the lead singer sings throughout the video, and the band make an appearance but do not play instruments. One of the most frequent shots in this video is a close-up of someone or something followed by an outward incremental zoom. This is used to reveal and apply focus to the environment surrounding the frame. This unique and abstract way of communicating the narrative by slowly telling the story and allowing the audience to piece the story together is something I would incorporate into my own product.

Maximo Park-Books from Boxes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jmlWcItwxc&safe=active

In this video, there is another mix between a performance and a narrative. The scene frequently cuts to the band playing as well as the lead singer in the narrative singing. There is a lot of focus on the female during the narrative scenes, with some secondary focus on the lead singer. There is frequent focus on the instruments played, which is a feature that I will incorporate in my project. The lighting varies with each scene, as the performance shots have rather low lighting, and the narrative shots are rather bright or rather dark if the scene is set at night (such as in the photos below).

Interpol-Obstacle 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptG3L-MdG-g&safe=active
The video primarily features a performance but with a very abstract narrative without any comprehensible storyline. There are a lot of abstract shots such as off-focus framing and tilt shots, as well as a lot of wide shots and close-ups of the other band members. There is also frequent focus on the lead singer and the other band member's instruments. Another shot that is frequently used is a close-up of the lead singer or 2nd guitarist with another member in the background. Despite the high amount of lighting, the lead singers face is partially concealed by shadows, unlike the other band members. Something that I would consider incorporating is the shots and angles used on the band, as well as the somewhat melancholic tone portrayed in the video.

Editing Shots

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwjYDDcj4Sk&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

These editing shots were done in order to familiarise ourselves with commonly used shots in the media that we could possibly use in our own product. These shots helped me with shooting with and without a tripod, shooting at different distances and angles, and shooting in different lighting conditions.

Time Management

In the 5 weeks I have been studying so far, I feel that I have progressed at a steady rate. I have never had to hand in late work or felt stressed to get anything one. So far I have a definite idea of what I plan to do for my main project,  I have completed a story board, deconstructions of my ancillary tasks, and I am currently in the middle of completing the Simpsons trailer, which I hope to finish by the end of the week.

Ancillary task deconstructions-Magazine Advert

Magazine Advertisement deconstructions

This magazine advert for the Arctic Monkeys is the closest to what I plan to do for my own product. The font and background are rather basic to match with the albums colour scheme, which also helps to make the text stand out. The critic reviews are placed where there is some empty space to make it stand out more and attract more attention from the audience. The name of the band, album name and featured songs are both located at the top and lower sections (respectively) of the page and are clearly visible, however the band name attracts more attention that the album name and the featured songs, and they are in a much smaller font and hard to immediately notice.
The main image is also focused at the centre of the page, which is also what I plan to do for m own product. An element commonly found on magazine adverts is critic reviews, which is something I could use for my own product so that it conforms with magazine advert conventions.

Due to the fairly dark colour scheme, the text immediately stands out and gains the attention of the audience. The size of the album cover also helps to draw attention as it takes up most of the space on the advert.
This is very similar to what I plan to do for my own product.  The two people featured in the advert standing against a fairly plain background is a good basic plan of my advert. the layout is also similar to my plan, with the main image (the focus of the page) being roughly in the centre. The black and white colour scheme is also something I will use for my own product, but it will be used on a smaller scale.

The album title is clear, despite the lack of contrast between the font and background, and is the main focus of the advert and draws the audiences attention
The layout of this advert is also similar to my own product, wit the band name located at the top of the page, the release date located at the lower section of the page along with songs featured on the album at the bottom. However the colour scheme of the background reduces how much the white text contrasts, which prevents any smaller text that may not be noticeable, even more so.

Anciliary task deconstructions- Band Websites

Band Website deconstructions

This website for the band Maximo Park features a long bright red banner that is used for the external links. The banner contrasts with the white background and is easy to notice, so it draws the audiences attention. The video is placed in the centre and also contrasts with the white background very well, so this also attracts the audiences attention. Even though the iTunes advert for the latest album is in a red box, the bright pink stands out and is eye catching, which would benefit the band since it advertises their album. Due to this fairly basic colour scheme, lots of important sections (such as the music video, external links etc.) stand out a lot. It is apparent that one of the primary functions of the website is to promote the bands album and some of their singles, due to the album advertisements standing out so much from the rest of the website. This design is what I will base my website on, as it is a good design choice for a new band hoping to gain popularity.

This website for Interpol has a much more basic layout in comparison to the Maximo Park page. External links are located at the top of the page and are rather hard to spot at a glance, especially since the font size is rather small. The website is laid out like a blog, with text posts and some merchandise being advertised. The user can scroll down the page to look at past posts, however every post made is all on the same page, so it may be hard to find one specific post if needed. The text in the posts is also rather small, making the posts harder to reads as well as the external links. The primary function of the website appears to be to advertise anything that is new with the band, such as tour dates, merchandise, and general news. This website design may not be suitable for my band, as my design would be more based around promotion than information. However the basic black and white colour scheme would work with my design as it would be consistent with the colours used on the magazine advertisement.

This web page for Everything Everything has an interesting layout in that the artwork for the albums are also download links, as well as the tour posters. The links are very easy to spot and are very hard to miss. However because a lot of focus is on the centre of the page, it amy be hard for the user to see the external links at the very bottom of the page. It is also in a colour that does not contrast too well with the background colour. The band name/logo is also rather hard to spot, however it would be assumed that the user already knows the name of the band, so it does not necessarily need to stand out as much. Most of the links on the website lead to news about the band including tour dates and single releases. So it seems the main function of this website is to promote the bands albums, singles and live venue dates. While this design looks good with its' abstract layout, I feel that a similar design may not appeal to the target audience, as it may be too complex for a small and new band.

Audience Survey

Media survey-Music Videos

Survey URL: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RWGC87J

Survey data

Why do you think this?

•        A way of adding visuals, such as telling a story that fits with the song
•       Sometimes videos have nothing to do with the song and are pointless
•       Song can be played by itself but a video cannot be enjoyed without the music
•       The videos aren’t related to the song most of the time
•       I associate music with feelings, not visual images
•       I often get emotions that the artist is feeling by watching the music video of a song
•       I generally just listen to music as background whilst looking at other things
•       Most people listen to sic on the go few people watch it or rate a song on its video

Do prefer it when the video has the band performing the song, the song being played over a narrative or a mix of both?

•       Narrative as I can watch the band live d I wanted t see the  but a narrative keeps be hooked
•       Mix of both (X5)
•       The band performing the song
•       The song being played over a narrative.

What kind of story is being told in the narrative music videos that you have seen, does it link to the song or foes it have very little relevance?

•          (PP) something about a couple, but some a bit more meaningful with real life problems in them
•      Sometimes
•     A bit of both
•   Most of the time there isn’t a story, and it has very little relevance
•      Often depressing or humourous, little relation to the actual music
•      Usually it is linked with the song however occasionally the video wil have little relevance
•      Boy meets girl is very common, as is drug use; generally there are tiny links.
•      Some relevant, some aren’t.

Do you prefer the narrative to last as long as the song or longer?

•       As long as the song x8

What kind of story would you expect to see in a music video featuring a song about a failing relationship? What do you expect to see in the end?

•       A sad one about how the relationship ended. At the end a shot of how sad the person is
•       Upsetting and tragic. With an emotionally oppressive denouement.
•       I would expect to see sadness, possibly regret and the distressed state of the couple as the relationship tumbles through the stages of decline. At the end I expect a breakup to occur or possibly a re-kindling of the relationship, which would bring much joy to the viewer.
•       Spilt milk, people crying, shouting At the end there would be something like a new person
•       Two lives that are happy when apart and then there’s reoccurring sense of them together and they just end up arguing. End with mutual break-up, smiling hug.
•       (Some answers have been omitted)