Media Studies Evaluation - Question Two

1. Question Two: How effective is
the combination of your main
product and ancillary texts?

2. Between video and digipak:
One of the key connections between the music video and the digipak was definitely the use of the bright colours throughout the video. Despite
being subtle, throughout the video you can see a number of different things that are orange. For instance you can see some of the projected
video during the live performances is orange and also the orange of the bread packet and costa cup. This creates subtle links between the two
products. We also used images from the music video within out digi-pak, for instance behind the CD’s we have placed two images from the
video, to add texture to the product. As well as this, we used a photograph of the band as the image for the front cover of the digipak. However
on this photograph, we decided to go again normal conventions and scribble out the faces of the band. We felt that this reflected the rebellious
genre conventions of rock music during the 70’s. Another thing that we included on our digipak which reflected the song that was in the music
video was the broken record placed on one of the sections. This helped to again show the links to the retro genre conventions of rock music in
the 70’s and rebelling.

3. Between magazine advert and digipak texts:
Similar to the video and digipak, both ancillary products use the same bright orange colour which links to the 70’s rock music conventions. Commonly,
magazine adverts quite often share similar features with the album cover, therefore we followed this convention. For instance, on the magazine advert
we used the same photograph that we used on the front cover of the digipak, this makes it more recognisable to the audience. Also similar to the
album cover, we used the Buzzcocks logo on the magazine advert, therefore making it more recognisable to the audience, meaning more people will
be likely to find the products. We also used the same fonts on the magazine advert as we did on the album cover as yet again this will make it more
recognisable and links all of the synergistic products together well. Another thing that we made the decision to include on both ancillary texts was
social media icons. On both products we made the decision to add icons for social media sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and iTunes. This
in turn would allow the audience to access the band across different social media platforms and by linking YouTube this would also lead them to the
main product which is located on YouTube. Both ancillary texts are an example of synergistic products as they are both promoting the main products
and also creates more entry points such as YouTube for the audience. By having similarities between the ancillary texts this is creating a professional
and recognisable look which will be more likely to consistently attract the audiences’ attention and encourage them to buy the album.

4. All Products:
One of the main aspects that links all of the products together is the colour scheme. In each of the products you can see there is a strong theme of
orange running through which in turn links with the 70’s rock genre conventions as in our research we found that they often used a mixture of bright
colours with slightly darker colours. However I feel that we could have incorporated the orange colour theme slight more into the video, although the
subtle hints works successfully enough for the enough for the audience to make the link. For example, through the orange projection onto the band in the
live performance sections. Also during in the live performance sections during the video, we made the decision to use a projector to project videos of riots
and uprisings onto the band whilst they were playing. This helps to yet again link to the 70’s retro and slightly rebellious style which I think really nicely
ties the live performance in with the other products. Throughout the storyline sections of the music video, at first before editing the style of the clips looked
very modern and didn't reflect the style of the 70’s and other the products within the package. Therefore, we made the decision to add a slight grain affect
to the video, whilst also decreasing the saturation on the clips. By doing this, it helped the video symbolise the poor quality of the technology during the
70s and added to the rough genre conventions of rock music. As well as this, we added a VCR filter to the clips which added a ‘recording’ symbol and the
date at the bottom of the screen. This added a new retro feel which reflected the technology around during the 70’s.
Looking back on all of the products within the package as a whole, I feel that more planning could have gone into the music video to connect it with the
ancillary products in a clearer way. Whereas the ancillary products work really well together in a clear way that an audience member would be able to
easily make the connection between the two products. However, overall I am really happy with how effectively all of the products work together and the
similar aspects would allow the audience to associate the products with each other. The band can also be easily recognised through the bright orange
colours and bold logos on each of the ancillary texts. The products are each good examples of synergy and support each other well in promoting the main
product to the audience.