Media studies evaluation

1. QUESTION 2
HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF
YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY
TEXTS?

2. GENRE, DIGIPAK, POSTER
AND MUSIC VIDEO
The genre of my chosen song 'Crazy = Genius' is alternative rock, mixed
with elements of swing and jazz. The song portrays an upbeat and quirky
star image of the band which I believe I captured within my music video
and ancillary tasks. I have portrayed this genre in many ways within my
media products through the use of costumes, narrative, colour scheme
and mise en scene. I used outfits that resembled the era from which it
was set, for example, the hair and makeup used was similar to what
people had in the 1930s and I used clothing that was appropriate for the
roles of the characters. Actor 1 was a scientist so she wore a lab coat
and actor 2 wore overalls to fit in with the role of a caretaker throughout
the main parts of the video. I kept a similar theme between my video and
ancillary tasks by using a smokey patterned background on my digipak
and poster which resembled the smoke used in my video. I did this to
create a clear link between my products so my audience would
recognise the artist and be more encouraged to purchase the album if
they have an awareness of the band and their products.

3. MY
DIGIPAK

4. DIGIPAK
Throughout the design of my digipak, I created a certain style which reflects the
genre of my chosen song and the persona of the artist. I didn't include an image of
the band in any of my products as I wanted to connote a sense of mystery about
them as a way of luring the audience to wanting to find out more about who they
are. I consistently used the same font and imagery within my digipak, which is a
common convention of existing digipaks. This would encourage the audience to
associate them with this specific font and image which will result in the song and
album having more popularity. My digipak will actively sell to my audience due to
the contemporary twist on post modern imagery. The old film border used
contrasts with the bright colours on the background which will stand out to
members of the audience as these images are not often placed together in one
product. This means it will effectively lure their attention towards it and boost the
recognition of the album, therefore allowing people to become interested in it. On
the back of the digipak I have included song titles such as 'Chicago Overcoat' and
'Giggle Juice' which are colloquial phrases used in the 1930s. By doing this, I have
reinforced the theme of the album whilst still attracting an alternative rock
audience due to the bright colours and key conventions used. This would enable
more copies to be sold as it would attract a wider community of people rather than
just alternative rock fans as the slang used can also appeal to people interested in
the 1930s swing era.

5. MY POSTER

6. POSTER
When creating my poster, I continued to use the same font and imagery as on my
digipak as I wanted to create an association between the products and the band so
they can be easily recognised by the audience. I used the same background and colour
scheme of blue, purple and white to strengthen the continuity between these products
and reflect the Alternative Rock genre. The smokey imagery reflects the smoke
grenades used in my music video which clearly shows a strong consistency between
the three media products thus creating a familiarity between them for my target
audience. On the poster, I have included the band name and album name in the largest
font and incorporated the name of the track used in my video to help promote the video
and show a more direct link between my products. I have also included eye-catching
statements such as 'FEATURING THE HIT SINGLE 'CRAZY EQUALS GENIUS' and a
review from NME stating 'THIS BAND IS REVOLUTIONISING THE INDUSTRY'. By
including these statements I am advertising the album which will tempt my target
audience to want to purchase the digipak. I also included information about how to
gain access to the new album and added social media links and a website to denote to
the audience that there are ways to find out more information about the band and the
album online. This means people are more likely to buy the product as they have been
given a sufficient amount of information to be persuaded into purchasing it.

7. SELLING THE SONG THROUGH
MY DIGIPAK AND POSTER
Within my music video, I included an old film intertitle border at the beginning and
end of the video which is also apparent on the front and back covers of my digipak. I
also used coloured smoke grenades in my video which are reminiscent of the
background image throughout my digipak and poster that I created on Photoshop.
This links my ancillary tasks together well and it creates a familiarity with the
audience which can be reflected within my music video. My video contained
scientific themes and I wanted to use the wonder and mystery of science and space
as a key theme in the album. I reflected this idea through the band name and album
name. I decided on calling the band 'The Kemists‘ (altered from the word Chemists)
to connote the idea that the band are engaging in interesting and intellectual topics
and being experimental with their music which will subsequently give the impression
that they are edgy and inspirational. This would result in my target audience wanting
to listen to them and find out more about who they are. The album name 'Somewhere
In Orbit' is reflective of the uncertainly of what is in the universe and reinforces the
mysterious element revolving around the band. I have followed the key conventions
of digipaks and posters which in turn made the end products look realistic and
professional which will thus appeal to my target audience.

8. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MY MUSIC
VIDEO AND ANCILLARY TASKS
I have used similar techniques throughout the production of my music video
and ancillary tasks. I was consistent with the font type used throughout the
creation of my three products which allowed me to form a strong continuity
between my music video and ancillary tasks. By using this same font, I was
able to create a brand identity for my products which would increase the
awareness and popularity of the band. In relation to typography, I have made
sure the spacing between letters is the same across all my products by using
the same kerning technique and I used the same shade of white for the text
used to promote this consistent house style. The font I have used is
reminiscent of the 1930s era due to it’s curled letters. This font mixed with the
vibrant colours of the background on my ancillary tasks makes my products
appear modern and will thus appeal to my target audience who may not be
interested by seemingly out-dated products. The smoke grenades used in my
video are reflected within the coloured backgrounds on my poster and
digipak as my audience will be able to associate a relationship between the
three with the products. This has enabled me to create a clear continuity
between my music video, digipak and poster meaning they would be
successful and effectively appeal to my target audience.

9. HOUSE STYLE – WHAT IT IS AND
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
A house style is the use of specific conventions and editing to ensure a
consistent style to a set of media products. It covers the font type and size,
colour scheme, mise en scene and style of text. It is very important for all
media products to have a house style as it creates a familiarity between
them and allows them to be instantly recognised so the audience know what
they are looking for. By keeping a consistent house style across my own
media products, I will be able to create a unique identity for the band and
allow my audience to have a clear image in their heads when thinking about
them or the products. I have created a house style around the use of colour
and genre in my products by keeping a consistent image of smoke in all of
my products and keeping a 1930s theme apparent. I didn't want to include
images of the band members as they are not shown in my music video and I
wanted to maintain a mysterious quality to them to entice my audience as
much as possible. This is also a common convention used by alternative
rock artists and I wanted make this message clear to so I am able to target
the correct audience.