2. In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of media products?
3. QUESTION 1 Looking at my poster and album cover, you can see the way in which I have pertained to the rock theme. By using dark colours, I have not only related to the "grunge" feel of my music genre (heavy metal rock) but represented the idea of light and dark such as within my music video. Light and dark within my music video is portrayed through the two main protagonists; one in which wears white clothing and one in which wears black clothing. This is reflected through my poster and album cover through the main colour grey in which is used in my digi-pack. By doing this, I have symbolically combined white and dark and thus, the themes of life and death, and the two main characters who share this distance. This is similiar to other heavy metal rock albums in which the use of dark colours is used to pertain to the grungy theme of the music. However, my album cover challenges the typical conventions of heavy metal music by using a more emotive style through the use of symbolism. As well as this, my main model is not only from my music video, but is female and this challenges the male dominated heavy metal rock music scene.
4. Andrew Goodwin Using Andrew Goodwins theory of a successful music video and music pack, I can see I have both challenged and conformed to typical conventions. For example, I have used females in both my music video aswellas my digi-pack, using the idea of "voyeurism" and the models beauty to further its popularity. Consequently, I have also attempted to create a "link" between that of the images in my music video and digi pack and the lyrics of my song. This can be seen in the way that I have used the music videos main protagonist as also the model for my digi-pack. In contrast however, I have not made many intertextual references to either my music video or music digi-pack. Though this could be something to criticize I feel it was necessary as the idea of "life and death" is so ambigious it seemed almost too humourous or childish to cover it through the medium of intertextual references. Instead, I have tended to go for the "raw" emotion in grief, loss and life.
5. How effective is the combination of your main product and Ancillary texts?
6. QUESTION 2 As it links well together, I feel the combination between my main ancillary products and my ancillary texts works quite well. This has been executed through the reiteration of my main themes and the main protagonist who features as a model thus creating both consistency and a story. To possibly improve my main ancillary product, I may have edited to create a black and white colour throughout the idea. However, I decided not to do this as I felt it would almost look too dark, and would overdramatise the emotions I was trying to convey.
7. Question 3 I have learned a number of things from my audience feedback. First off, from my audience feedback from my music digi-pack it is clear that most people who viewed it felt it linked well with the music video, yet lacked more intertextuality relating to my chosen theme/genre. Upon this, it was also clear that my music video may have needed a male lead, though the majority of my audience could see the way in which I had subversively tried to challenge the steretypes of Heavy Metal Rock. Overall, I recieved good feedback with positive views and many of my audience feedback could feel the emotion in which I tried to convey throughout my music video. On a positive note, I was consistently told my music video with my ancillary products was not "over-emotional" and thus still pertained to the "grunge" and "upbeat" feel of Heavy Metal Rock.
8. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluative stages?
9. Question 4: Research – For my research there was a few websites which I used to research trends, conventions and general characteristics of my chosen genre which I would be making my music video on. http//new.music.yahoo.com Was the main website I used to both view, find and analyse music video’s from not only my genre but other genre’s as well. I also used www.youtube.com but to a much lesser extent. Construction - for my music video I used a Sony Handycam digital camera to record my footage, using a tripod as well to help with stability. When my footage was recorded I used Pinnacle studio 12 to edit my footage and arrange it to make the video I intended. Pinnacle was easy to use but however due to availability became more of a hindrance in development. To construct my poster and CD covers, I used Macromedia Fireworks MX, a program which I was already familiar with, using it in my AS media coursework as well.
10. Planning – For my planning I used blogger to write down any ideas that I could use, I also used for the most part, simple pen/pencils and paper to jot down and sketch simple scenes and ideas which I could use. I brought some flowers from the local supermarket to use in my video as props, aside from that no other props were needed. Little digital or IT technology was used in my planning process
11. Evaluation - Prior to my constructing and evaluating of my Product, I had chosen to provide both a voiceover and set of questions relating to my video, to provide my personal opinion to my evaluation. However due to camera & microphone issues, I regretfully had to cancel them. I therefore found Microsoft Powerpoint to be the most obvious choice as a backup evaluation medium. Overall Conclusion: I believe that my products, whilst challenging the norms and conventionalities of the Heavy rock genre, also abide by many of their conventionalities too, the theme of my video is solemn and relates to the harsh reality of life, following similar trends in heavy metal video’s. My unconventionalities of Female actors playing the primary roles, was to me a good chance to open up the genre, which is mostly male orientated. Whilst at the same time focusing on characteristics of Heavy Metal. I have enjoyed for the most part, experimenting with new hardware and software to produce my products, although my limitations are many, and given the opportunity I would probably alter my products, with my experience. I am satisfied with the quality and the themes generated by my products, but however am dissatisfied with the variation in media technologies used. Changes I would make: Audio Commentary Commentary on Planning Audio or Video Blog More Progress checks.
