2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
When making our music video, we thought about what conventions suited the song the
most as well as what conventions were already used by bands from this genre. We then tried to
incorporate those into our media product so that it fit in with the genre and so people knew what genre
it was from. This is what Nicholas Abercrombie said as he thought that media should stick to using
typical conventions as they are already known and easier to consume. So to make our product easier for
the audience to consume we used conventions typical for our genre that we gained from our prior
research.
A convention that we used was the use of a live band in our product which is a convention
of the rock genre. We used this to fit in with other conventions of the genre. We also used conventions
used in other genres to make out product more interactive with the user such as the active camera
movement through out the narrative making the audience feel more involved in the narrative and the
video itself. By using a live feature in our video, it allows the audience to gain some sort of connection
to the band. This can make the audience feel more involved in the video and the band. This means that
the band can become more recognised by the audience and gain a free form of advertisement. We also
used this as most production companies require this so it acts as advertisement for the band and
creates a more involved fan base of the band and the producers in turn.
Another convention that is typical to this genre is to insight fear into the audience. This can
make the audience feel more enthralled in the video and then watch more of the videos. They can also
feel like they should re-watch the videos to give themselves an adrenaline rush and feel excited. This
can make the audience want to watch more of the videos while exposing them to more of the band and
building a imprint of the band upon them. By using fear in the videos, it makes the band seem more
powerful as they don’t seem to be phased by the fear element in the videos. This can be used to make
the audience look up to the band as they have a strength in how they are portrayed in the videos.
3. As well as this we used characters within the video to add fear which is very common in this
genre of music. Most videos within this genre use either masks or makeup to make them seem more
fearful yet still human. By making them still human it adds the fear of general life and how it could be
anyone around them. We used make up to make the characters look like clowns as there is a general
fear of clowns as they are linked to childhood. We then made them chase one of the characters within
the video. This made it seem like they were prey within the video which can link back to a primal fear of
being hunted. To do this we filmed from both the predator and the preys perspective. This made them
see both a glance of fear for themselves and for the person being chased within the video.
In music videos in this genre, almost all of the locations where the video is shot is in a
desolate area. This involves both the live performance and the narrative which is also very common in
this genre. Most times, the narrative and the live performance are in the same location to make it seem
like the band and narrative are occurring at the same time as well as location. This makes the band
seem more powerful as most of the videos contain the use of fear and by using the same location they
can make them seem more involved in what is happening if not the cause of it. The use of desolate
locations for the videos is to make the narrative and video seem more ominous and add fear. By setting
the video in a location that seems away from normal society and life, they make the audience feel away
from what they see as comfortable making the band seem even more powerful. To do this we used a
forest to shoot our video as it is away from modern society and people. We also added to the effects of
darkness like other bands by filming late into the evening and allowing the set to get darker through out
the video.
The narrative for most songs of this genre link directly to what is shown within the video
and the lyrics of the song. We used this to plan our video and make it fit the lyrics of the song. The song
is based around nightmares, so we made our video based around nightmares, more specifically the
primal fear of being prey. To do this we used a character of innocence, which is stereotypically a female
as they are viewed in society as being weaker and more vulnerable. We then used multiple people
hiding their face with make up to follow and hunt the woman. This made it seem like the odds are
against the woman yet people still root for the underdog as they can see themselves as the underdog.
We did this as most videos in this genre have the antagonist win as most of the songs are about dark
subjects. Yet we had the protagonist win as the band that makes the song have the protagonist win as
the songs tend to have a deep meaning of fighting through to succeed.
4. Most bands within this genre show their logo at some point through their music videos to
advertise their band. Most bands within this genre show their logo simply by showing it on either their
band equipment or as an intro or outro to their song. However the band that we are making the video
for tend to be more subtle with how they display their logo and do so by adding it into the context of
the narrative in the video. We followed this convention and added the logo on the IPod that the woman
dropped. The band uses their logo on a lot of their products predominantly on their CD cases as it is
their way of being identified. We used this by putting the logo of the band on the digipak so that the
audience of the video can associate both the music video and the digipak. As well as the music video
and the digipak, the logo is shown on the magazine advertisement which makes the audience used to
seeing the logo and notice it during everyday life.
The advertisements that are typical with the band tend to show either destruction or
desolation similar to the settings for their music videos. We went against this and used a background of
earth from space. This is due to their soon to be world tour which coincided with the release of their
new album. Along with a date to this, showed the typical advertisements for a band. These were about
social media sites and who owns the right to the band. This allows the band to create a larger known fan
base as they can follow them more intensly with frequent updates as well as letting their friends see
that they like them. This allows the band to gain free advertisement and share what they are doing with
the public with ease.
5. How effective is the combination of your main product and
ancillary texts?
In our music video we show the album cover on an iPod
that falls on the ground after being dropped by the main character.
This shows cross media convergence by having the main character
listening to the music for the video on the iPod. This also makes the
audience get used to seeing the cover of the album and the bands
logo which is the “Deathbat”. This creates a familiarity of the album
with the audience so they can recognise it later. By showing the
album cover in the beginning of the video it directly associates the
video to the band as there is no opening, mentioning the band so
this is the earliest link to who the video is for. They do this in their
other videos to create a memory of the bands logo, the “Deathbat”,
in the audiences memory. By continuously showing the bands logo,
they create a memory of it and we tried to replicate this as much as
possible in our video.
Along with this we tried to use it in a similar way on the
digipak and poster. To do this we used the bands logo on the cover
of the digipak as well as putting the digipak on the poster. This is so
that the audience gets used to seeing the product and so they may
notice it at a later point. By doing this we relate all our work with
the band making it obvious who it is for. By doing so we can
advertise the band making it easier to sell the products to fans of
this band and genre. As well as advertising the band, it reinforces
the bands image to the audience.
As well as the logo for the band, the use of darkness is
used throughout the media product. By doing so we were able to
use dark colours for the rest of the products to make them all link
with each other while staying true to the bands genre and
conventions. This will also reinforce the bands image as they are
6. meant to be seen as dark and scary. So by showing the entire album in darkness they can attract fans of
the genre as dark imagery and styles is very common within the genre. The dark style used also suits
the bands logo as the logo is meant to look scary, and by surrounding it by darkness, it reinforces the
fear factor involved. This then furthers the power of the band making them seem more desirable to
watch.
We further the fear in the video more than the other products as it is easier to portray fear
in this context than the others. This is due to the audience becoming more involved in the video and
being more effected by it as well. This is due to the movement in the camera making the video more
exciting than an album cover or poster. This is due to the unpredictability of video in media as you can
never always predict what is to happen. This is mainly due to the fact that the characters in media tend
to do the opposite thing that a normal person would do in the situation. This is to make the audience
feel more involved in the video and making it enthralling. We do this in a similar way to make the video
more involving to the audience which then makes them want to feel more involved in the band. This
works as a way of advertising and makes the entire product more remember able so when they see the
logo later they will notice it more likely than seeing a still image of the logo solely. Yet by showing the
logo frequently, including on still images, it reinforces the band to the audience and only strengthens
the bands influence on the audience. We then linked the music video to the digipak by showing the
characters chasing the female behind the CD’s in the digipak. This creates a link between the two
products with the audience as they will recognise this and reinforce the memory of the video and the
band when they look at the digipak.
Overall I believe that the media products that I produced relate to the band by advertising
the conventions that they use in there work frequently. By doing so we advertise the band as a whole
and help sell the album in doing so. Through these conventions, it also allows the band bands image to
improve as it makes them seem more powerful and influent to the audience.
7. What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Throughout the production of our media products, we got feedback from those involved in
the project and fans of the music genre. At different stages of the project we got feedback on the
project so we could improve as we went along. We did this in the filming process mostly as it was the
largest part of the product and by frequently getting feedback we could ensure that the music video
was the best it could be. We would film a video set and then get the crew to watch it and give feedback
to improve on the video. This allowed us to ensure that the music video would be suitable for the genre
and to make it the best we possibly could. Through this process we changed our video to suit the genre
more by adding makeup to the people chasing in the video to make it scarier. This helped make the
video scarier by making the chasers more anonymous and adding an enigma to the video. This helped
further the bands use of conventions in media as this is a common convention in this genre of music
specifically.
As well as this from the feedback in filming we added the dropping of the iPod to show the
album cover. This was done so that the intro into the song with the name of the song and the band was
involved within the video. This is a very common convention with this genre and this band in particular.
This then let us link all the products together with the use of the album cover and logo. By showing the
album cover in the video, we could link all three and show the logo of the band at the same time.
Without getting feedback throughout the video we may not have been able to link all
products together as easily as we did. As well as this we were able to increase the fear factor of our
video and so improving the overall product. The use of feedback during production really helped the
production process and allowed us to be more creative in the way that we worked and how the final
product was produced.
The feedback that we received after production was useful as it showed what we could have
improved upon if we were to do the project again as well what they liked about the project. From the
feedback we learnt that our location could be improved upon when filming as there were houses and
cars in the background. This limited the effects of fear that was in video as it doesn’t have the whole
8. effect of being completely alone and from society.
As well as this the comments mentioned that the music wasn’t in time for the whole video.
If we were to do this project again we would take more care when synchronising the music with the
video. This would mean taking more time to perfectly align the sound to the video. This can make the
music video look and sound more professional.
Overall, I found the feedback we received from during filming and after filming very useful
as it allowed us to improve on the product as we made it. By receiving feedback through out production
we were able to ensure that the product suited the genre of the music and the conventions of the
genre.
9. How did you use media technologies in the construction and
research, planning and evaluation stages?
When it came to the research of my media product, media technologies were extremely
helpful as they offered a wide range of information and services that would take much longer without.
Some media technologies that I used were SlideShare, Facebook, YouTube along with numerous other
websites. YouTube was useful as it allowed me to have easy access to research material at any time. This
made research easy as I was able to access a wide variety of resources in a single location. Along with
this I could also favourite certain resources so I could get access to it at a later time without the need to
search again. I made the most of this by subscribing to the band our video was based on so I could view
all of their material from a single place. This allowed me to see all of their work and compare their
material fast and efficiently. Along with this I was also able to view comments from people on the
official bands videos and see what they liked and didn’t like abut the videos, so I could incorporate that
within my own music video. This is how I got feedback on the media product from the general audience
of the genre of music.
We shared the product through the social media site Facebook and Twitter. We used these
sites as it allowed us to advertise the music video and products for free and then pass on the
advertisement through those who view the material. This works as a chain of advertisements and
information on who is interested in the media product as we could see how many views we get through
YouTube and then see who is looking at it through Facebook. This allowed us to see who our target
market was and what else that they like in the ways of music. This was very helpful in the way of
research into the music video and the genre. Then when it came to getting feedback Facebook was also
useful as it allowed us to share the product with ease and get feedback during the process. This showed
us that our media product was getting to the right market as well as allowing them to share it as well,
allowing the band to get to more people with ease.
YouTube was useful for both research and sharing our video to the public. With research, it
allowed us access to a wide range of material with easy access. The easy access allowed us to research
the project at anytime and anywhere do to the improvements in technology. As well as the mass
10. amounts of video evidence, the videos came with a vast amount of market evidence from the
commenters on the videos. The comments on the videos allowed us to see what the target market likes
within the videos and the genre making our production and research easier due to the large amount of
people sharing their views. Then when it came to sharing our video, it allowed us to do so for free and
with a high quality. The site allowed us to share our product easier as it allows people to search for the
product with a few words. This meant that our product was easy to access at anytime. To further the
videos accessibility, we uploaded the file in a format that allowed it to viewed on smartphones and
portable devices making it easier to view and share. The high quality streaming allowed me to share my
product in a way that looked aesthetically pleasing and professional.
To produce the music video and take the images for the digipak, we used a Canon DSL. This
allowed us to film in high quality as well as take pictures in high quality. For the filming we used manual
focus to get a more high definition picture in each shot. We did the same as this for the pictures for the
digipak images. For filming we used natural lighting to add the effect of darkness increasing through out
the video. This was then increased in editing with the use of elliptical editing to make the video become
darker through out adding to the intensity. To ensure that the filming was smooth, we used a tripod to
make the filming platform even and distributed. We used the spirit level on the tripod to make sure that
the filming was on an even surface and that the camera was level.
To edit the video we used Premiere Pro as it allowed us to edit the video with precision and
to a high quality. When I first started to use this software I was only able to do simple tasks such as
cutting and fading. Throughout the editing I learned new things about the software such as how to
synchronise sound with the video and remove sound from certain parts of the video. I then converted
the video using the software to make it accessible to smartphones and other portable devices.
To create the digipak and poster I used Photoshop as it gave me a wide variety of tools to
improve and create a better product. When I started using Photoshop I had limited abilities and editing
techniques but during the production of these products I learnt new ways to improve images. One way
that I improved was by using the magic wand tool and the stamp tool that I had not used before. I used
11. the magic wand tool was used to get rid of certain parts of the image to make I t fit in with the genre
and theme. I used it to remove the housing from the background to make it more fitting with the theme
of the album of being away from society. I used the stamp tool to extend the image on the digipak to
make the whole digipak a singular image. This made the product more professional as the whole image
is stretched across the whole digipak.
As well as Facebook and Twitter, I used Blogger to share my progress in the planning and
production proccesses of making the media products. I used Blogger as it is a free serice that allowed
me to track and view who was viewing my blog. This meant that I could see who was interested in the
media product and then see what else they were interested in and viewing. This worked as a form
research as it allowed me to view their other likes while still receiving feedback on my work. As well as
this , it allowed us to share the product with ease as it allowed us to embed the products directly into
the blog and share it directly.
Overall the use of technology made the production and sharing of the product easy and
efficient. While doing so making it the best quality product that I could produce.
