Final Music Video

Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The use of the main conventions will be different in each music video as the beats and the style of music are different. Each music video will use the same conventions to keep the viewer on the video, each genre of music will have the same conventions but some will use more, more often. Such as dance music might use faster cutting shots and bright lights more than rock music, as the type of music may be more upbeat. I think that in every music video there has to be a section in the video that has fast cutting shots to keep the viewers entertained so they carrying on watching the music video, by having fast cutting editing they will get through more video clips that they shot so the viewer may understand it more. Also when they use faster cutting editing there will have to be more camera use, which will mean there will be lots of different shot types, angles and zooms. I think that the repeatability of some shots is one of the main conventions in music videos. But in some genres of music videos they will repeat shots more than they do others. I think that music that contains lyrics about loving/missing someone will use repeat shots rather a lot more than dance/dubstep music videos. This is because if they are missing/ love someone they will want to repeat shots that will act like past memories. Another convention that is important to music videos uses the star/artist. Richard Dyers Theory on stars. More professional artists will make sure that they are in the music video as popular artists for R&B, Pop, and Rock genres will have groups of fans that will watch and listen to the music just because the star is involved. But with certain Genres such as dance and dubstep the name of the artist is more important that seeing the artist, this is because DJ’s rely on the music to become more popular than the star image. As DJ’s aren’t used in magazines and music awards as much as the popular artists in the pop music genre. This is because the pop music artist are trying to sell their selves and their music, whereas DJ’s are just trying to get there name around to sell their music and become more popular around the world. But personally, I think that the use of the main media conventions do depend on the genre of the music video as some genres of music will use more fast cutting shots and camera use, and other music videos will use slow long shots that contain more shots of the star, but it depends on the type of music and the beats of the music.Andrew Goodwin’s theory that there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals and a relationship between music and visuals are used so that the viewer can listen to the song and have a visual image of what can happen in the music video. This theory is used is mostly all genre types of music videos as a basic outline of the video will be following the lyrics and what is happening in the song lyrics, by having a music video it will just show you what is happening during the music.

The main conventions that are used in the dance/dubstep genre will be fast cutting edits, lots of different camera use and many different camera zooms and angles and it usually is either inside or dark with bright neon lights. The music videos for this genre uses fast cuts as the beat is fast and they try to follow the beats by changing and editing shots quickly to keep the viewer entertained. While cutting quickly they will be using loads of different camera shots, which will involve different shot sizes, zooms and angles, by changing the shots this quickly will help follow the beat and keep the viewer interested. Also while it is doing this it shall be showing other parts of the scenery or other things happening in the background which may be vital to the music video. The reason why dance/dubstep music videos use dark places to film is that when I have watched a music video of this genre they will use shots inside a club while they are DJ’ing. When shots like these are taken they are usually taken when a DJ is genuinely playing, which means they don’t need actors and the dancing isn’t staged. I think that with the dance and dubstep genre, music videos are usually less based on a storyline as these types of music have less lyrics to follow, this is why in the music videos the shots only last for a few seconds at max as everything is fast. Camera use is very important as the angles are important. I think that Richard Dyer’s theory doesn’t fit in with this genre as the star/artist isn’t used that much at all, if anything at all. This is due to the DJ just wanting to get his name around so people visit the clubs he/she plays at, some DJ’s are used in their music video, but this is usually a few shots of him playing his decks in front of an audience. Like in my music video, Aidan and I decided to use Dub Fiend himself playing his decks as if he was in front of a crowd.
In some types of music video’s in this genre, Andrew Goodwin’s theory will link into some videos. This is because some music within this genre will have lyrics in, like Aidan and mine, we were able to work with the lyrics and the music to be able to create a visual looking video in our head.

In my media music video, Aidan and I have used a various amount of short and long shot takes and straight cuts. We have decided to these different as the song doesn’t really have story to follow and the beats are difficult to keep in beat with. I have followed some of the main media conventions that other artists use in my genre, such as fast cutting edits at some stages, and also lots of different camera use. Using the camera loads of different ways helps make a clearer video and makes it look more original. I found that the song that I used didn’t have much of a story line to follow, so as the beat changed (during the driving scene), Aidan and I had to decide what we wanted to happen during that area as we felt the filming we had already done for the beginning and ending worked well. In our music video, as one of the actors ‘cheats’ on the actor, we have got a bit of repeatability with shots. I have used these shots to make the storyline clearer to the viewers and to bring out the real meaning of why they are searching for the main actor. Aidan and I have added these shots in these different places as we thought that this is where they are needed the most to make the storyline clearer to all the viewers, we have used these repeated shots as it reminds the viewer what happened in the past and why the actor is doing this.In mine and Aidan’s music video we used Andrew Goodwin’s theory about lyrics and visuals. We used the lyrics “No one's gonna take me alive, the time has come to make things right, you and I must fight for our rights, you and I must fight to survive” Aidan and I felt that we these lyrics were critical to making a music video about fighting for survival, and standing up for themselves. We used these lyrics to create a basic idea of what we wanted to happen in the music video and built on from then. We also felt that the relationship between the music and the video worked well as the fast beats and strange differences in the music meant that Aidan and I were given the opportunity to add in a few odd shots and strange edits as the music ties in with this well.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
To go with the Music video that Aidan and I created, we were also set to make a website and digi-pack. We wanted to make the website and digi-pack for what Dub Fiend wants, so we asked him what he wanted. We tried to keep the Colour scheme the same between the digi-pack and website, with the bright neon colours. We decided to use the same logo that is on the digi-pack which is the little DJ man, but on the website we were able to edit the logo to make it look like that disc were spinning around. The logo that we used isn’t the same as the one on the logo as we thought we’d make our own logo that might be more readable, and to link in with the bright green colour scheme.
We decided to use a lot of the bright green colour as it has a large effect and stands out from everything, this makes it more appealing and easier for the viewer to read. I made the link buttons black, so when you roll over them then change to the colour green, this is yet again following the black and green theme that I have tried to use throughout my website and digi-pack. Another area that uses the theme is in the top left corner is the link switcher, I have animated this so it changes between different links, I have also made the writing in green so it’s easy to read and you can see all of the writing. I have made a photo slider, which every so often changes through different images, I have added effects to some of the pictures so it looks more like a cartoon, I thought that the image looked good, and it has linked in with the DJ logo.







I have created an IPod Touch kind of device on the left hand side that gradually goes through the library to find ‘Dub Fiend’ the artist which then selects the song that plays. I made this last for a certain period as the song gradually starts to play so it looks like that the song is playing as it is selected on the IPod.
I also created a ‘Latest Gigs’ image that is yet again in a bright green colour with white writing, this is because of the grey background, I have used these colours for the writing so they stand out well, as the gig dates are one of the most important things.
I have made the overall layout simple and easy to use so the viewer will like the website, I have also used bright and bold text so the viewer can read all the information easily, so they won’t complain.

I have used the same logo over the website and digi-pack. This is so that the audience and the public will get used to the same logo that they will know who Dub Fiend is. I think that the colours of the overall digi-pack and the website have a good simple layout and colour scheme. I think that the overall detail of information is useful on both the digi-pack and website is good enough for the viewer to understand, who, and what genre of music Dub Fiend is. The Text that I have used on the digi-pack is the actual logo for Dub Fiend, I think that if Dub Fiend’s name grew, the logo for his name will become more popular. I have used the genuine logo as it shows that the digi-pack is a genuine CD made by Dub Fiend, This logo stands out from the rest as it is in a completely different style of text, and colour compared to other artists in this genre of music.

What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Aidan and I received our feedback by screening our music video to the class. All class members would watch the projector screen while the music videos were playing, they would then not down any good points they found about the music video, and then any bad points and improvements they think that the person should do to their video. We each did this for the rest of the classes music videos. I felt that this was useful and helpful as Aidan and I were getting feedback from a few more people. We had also received feedback outside of college through friends and family that we both showed it too.

The feedback given to us was really helpful as I felt that it would help us get a better grade as some of the changes are rather large. Mostly all of the class, friends and family that watched the video said that we had some great shots which worked well with the video. For example, a lot of the viewers liked the security camera shot as he enters the video, they said that they liked the placement of the camera, but also the visual effects that they saw when the camera first came on, and while he was walking into the shot. Aidan and I were happy with this response back as it was exactly what we wanted, we used this shot as we thought that it would be a great idea to show of the talent we have when using the editing software.

My class mates and teacher also said that they liked the sunset shot which is located at the end of the music video just as the music is fading out. The feedback that we received from that was great as we positioned the clip in a suitable place that my class mates thought was good and effective. They thought that it worked with the music video and the slowly fading out song.

We then asked Dub Fiend himself what he thought of the video, and he thought that the video was good and had an understandable storyline, he said that a few shots such as the security camera shot and the shots at the party with the strobe lights really worked well with the song. He then told us that we should add more flashback shots when there are long shot as it doesn’t go in rhythm. So we responded to that feedback and changed some of the longer shots and added in a few effects when he is playing his decks. We found this feedback very helpful as he is the person we are doing this music video for and we would like to make it to his standard and what he would like as he is the main target audience for Aidan and I.

Also, some of my class mates told Aidan and I what we need to either re-film or edit again. The shot was the driving scene, they said there is something near the middle of the screen on the windscreen that either looks like a ‘Bird poo’ or a ‘Small crack’. The response to that was to either re-film that or edit the shots so they don’t last as long. So Aidan and I decided that due to the weather conditions and them not being the same as they were due to the snow, so we decided to edit the shot and place other shots that we’ve already used in the music video (repeatability). We managed to make the editing look quick and easy without getting rid of too much of the driving scene. We felt that this overcame some of the problem but not all of it. If the weather conditions were alright and it hadn’t have been snowing, we would have re-filmed this scene to sort the problem out.

Some of my class mates also thought that in another scene of my music video it was a bit ‘boring’ and not a lot was going on. The scene with Dub Fiend split into 4 different screens was the scene that they thought was a bit plain. They thought that the lighting wasn’t great on the shots and thought that he wasn’t doing much in the shots. Aidan and I tried to place the shots in the place that I’d be most effective, we placed it in this place as the sound starts changing, we made him play about with some dials and switches which made it look like he was changing the sound. We tried to increase the amount of brightness my editing the shots and changing the brightness and contrast without making it look to bad, We also tried editing it and trying to add colours into the shots to make it look like he was playing live, but we thought that doing this would make it look tacky as we tried it and it looked bad. We have tried to overcome this problem by changing some effects without making it look to tacky, but because of the shot types, it just ruins what the clip looks like.

Digi-Pack
The feedback that I received for my digi-pack was from my friends, family and Dub Fiend himself. The overall feedback that I received was good overall with a few corrections that Aidan and I did. We took this feedback very seriously as the digi-pack helps to the final grade.

My family said that they thought the colours used were very effective, and the images I used worked well. The CD cover fits in with the genre well with the bright neon green colours and the DJ player on the front. I used the original ‘Dub Fiend’ logo which made the CD cover look genuine. The front of the CD cover was simple, but had all the song information needed and some pictures of Dub Fiend. The inside of the CD cover carried on with the good genuine look. They also said that the information included on the inside was very helpful if they don’t know who Dub Fiend is and what genre of music he produces. They thought that the actual CD was a good layout and the genuine logo of Dub Fiend. They also thought that putting the links to Dub Fiend’s music channels were good as they can follow them to find out latest songs that’s he is producing, and the latest news.






Dub Fiend said that he liked the Inside and the outside of the CD cover, he liked the colour scheme and the front of the CD cover. He thought that the image that I used was good as it is also used on the website. He liked the information that I used on the inside of the CD cover, and also how I used his links to promote him. Overall, he thought that the CD cover was good and was good for the genre of music that he wanted, he said that he liked the overall colour scheme and the information that I included for him. He also then said that he would use the CD cover if he was ever going to bring out the CD cover as he thought that the overall design was good, but he said that he would alter a few things to make it better.






I also received some bad feedback about my CD Cover. Some bad feedback that I received was about the back of the CD Cover. My family and Dub Fiend thought that the back was rather boring as it didn’t include much information, Aidan and I didn’t know what to include on the back so we added a barcode to it. They also thought that the outside of the CD Cover with all the pictures of Dub Fiend wasn’t that good, as it was just a bit plain have a load of pictures of him. We took all of this feedback seriously and had an attempt of changing a few things around the make our Digi-pack the best as possible. I felt all this feedback was helpful to make me complete my digi-pack.


Website
I only had Dub Fiend to look over mine and Aidan’s website as it’s been made for him. The positive feedback he gave to Aidan and I was that the images and animations worked well with the overall website. He also thought that the overall layout of where Aidan and I placed everything worked well together as it looked neat and tidy. We thought that this positive feedback was very helpful, and helped us develop the layout even more. The negative feedback that he gave to us, was that he thought the text box in the middle of the screen isn’t that big and has a rather large space with nothing in it above it.
So Aidan and I have edited this and made the gap a bit smaller, as we can’t do anything else, due to it being a space that I can’t use anything. And also we have made the text box a bit large so the information inside of it is displayed a bit better. I thought that this feedback was useful as it has helped Aidan and I edit some stuff on our website to make it the best as possible. Aidan and I know that we haven’t made the best website possible due to using the software and problems with it, but we have tried our best to meet the standards that Dub Fiend wants.


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

At the start of the course in September we were told that we need to find a music track that we were going to use to create a music video for. Our teacher advised up to use a few different websites that had been used before by previous students in the college. A few of us in the class decided to have a little look around on Google for unsigned bands that we could use copyright free music from. As Aidan and I didn’t know what genre of music we wanted to go for this was harder to find some tracks as we didn’t know what kind of song we wanted. So we decided that we should use either Sound Cloud which is a website that is used for either copyright free music or a website where DJ’s place their latest music on to get their name around. But after having the slightest look through the website and realising that it would be very difficult to find a good song that we liked due to the large amount of songs that are on the site. So we decided to start writing a letter that we would send out to a few artists on MySpace asking for the approval to use a song of theirs, as Aidan and I realised the bands we wanted to use were huge, we’d have a very small chance of being able to use their music. So we decided to use a track of Dub Fiend’s (my older brother). We found a track that we both liked and thought would be good to make a music video with, so we listened to the song a few times and began to storyboard.

For the video analysis task, I used www.youtube.com to find the music videos that I was going to use. I chose this website as this has a huge amount of different music videos available and to find the music video that I wanted to use it was simple.


During the planning and developing sections, We used digital cameras to take photos of our storyboard as we had finished it to put it onto our media blogs, and also we used the camera’s to take pictures of some location shots that we wanted to use. We used this to remember the shots that we wanted to use and to see what it would look like on the screen.


I used Adobe Photoshop to create the images that made my overall CD cover. I found this easy and simple to use, I gradually got used to how to use it as Aidan helped me as he knew how to use the program from Photoshop.

When I was uploading my Media draft/drafts of my music video, I used www.youtube.com instead of uploading my work straight onto www.blogger.com. I decided this because I already had a YouTube account, and it was quicker and easier to upload to YouTube. When it was uploaded to YouTube I could also let other people watch the video such as friends & family. By using YouTube I have opened up the audience access as any viewers on YouTube can watch the video, this will allow Aidan and I to receive more feedback if the extra viewers leave comments. Aidan and I also used YouTube rather a lot to find out different types of edits and difficult tutorials for complex edits. As we wanted to use some complex edits which will tie in with the music well. We found a few edit tutorials that helped us during the editing stage that we thought helped us create a good music video that ties in well with the music genre.

During filming I used a Song DV camcorder as it was the only camera that was available at the time. I would have preferred using a HD Camera as it would have gave us a better quality image, I think that if I had a better quality camera I would be able to provide a better media project as I would have had more settings to play around with.