Lewis Bancroft created a promo, DVD cover, and magazine advert for a hip-hop track. The promo uses dark visuals and fast editing to match the song's tone. While conforming to conventions like establishing shots, it challenges norms by using antagonists' POV. The DVD cover depicts the rural setting, challenging hip-hop's urban focus. Feedback praised the promo's quality and narrative. Lewis learned the importance of conventions, effects, and simplicity. He gained skills in filming, editing with Final Cut Pro, and design with Photoshop.

1. EVALUATION
By Lewis Bancroft

2. The Ways In Which My Promo Uses, Develops Or Challenges Conventions Of Real
Media Products
My promo conforms to many conventions of real music videos but also develops on some. For example, like many other
videos for songs with a dark atmospheric sound, this tone is reflected in the visuals. I used contrast, colour correction and
noise filters in post production to achieve a dark cinematic image, such as the kind seen in Massive Attack's promo for
"Angel". However unlike this video, which has slow paced editing to match the ethereal sound of the track, my piece had
very snappy editing with rapid cuts to compliment the fast paced tempo of the track.
My video used many cinematography and mise en scene conventions seen in real products. I opened the
piece with an establishing shot of a house, then cut to a wide shot of the protagonist, then a mid shot, and then finally a
close up. This sequence of shots is widely accepted in the industry to be the logical and most effective way to open a
scene. I used various POV shots from the antagonists perspective, which I think challenges conventions of most works,
as usually you see things through the eyes of the protagonist. I think this was effective in creating a paranoiac tone, where
the protagonist is being watched and doesn’t know it. In the final sequence where the protagonist trips I used a high angle
POV shot to show his helplessness, and then a low angle POV of the antagonist to symbolise his power over him. The
use of the camera angles to present subtle meanings like this is common in professional videos.
For the mise en scene, I had my protagonist wear light coloured clothes, and the antagonist wear dark
shades. This is a common convention used to help the audience identify who is good; as light costumes are associated
with innocence, while dark ones are used to show a character is sinister and evil. I also used the convention of aligning
the audience with the protagonist by keeping them in the same restricted position of not knowing who is chasing him.
Music videos don’t often have narratives as they normally have the artists on screen lip syncing to the track.
However because my one didn’t have any vocals, I decided to tell a story on the screen. For this I used a common linear
narrative convention, of starting out with an equilibrium, where everything seems to be okay as my protagonist leaves his
house. I then implemented a disequilibrium, when he realises he is being followed and is chased through the countryside.
Finally, there is a restored equilibrium as the figure is revealed. This linear narrative was heavily inspired by the previously
mentioned promo for “Angel” by Massive Attack. However I feel I developed my own unique, faster-paced spin on this.
My track falls under the category of hip-hop, but unlike most videos in this genre which are predominantly set
in either gritty suburban locations (e.g. Wu Tang Clan's "Protect Ya Neck") or glamorous sets (e.g. A$AP Rocky's
"Goldie"), my video was shot on location in a rural area. I think this challenges the common notion that hip-hop is only
relative to suburban areas, showing that it can also be placed in a rural setting and still fit the gritty aesthetic.

3. The Ways In Which My DVD Cover Uses, Develops Or Challenges Conventions Of Real Media
Products
Lots of the covers I looked at for hip hop digipaks featured classic conventions of the genre, such as a photo
portraying the artists as abrasive and confrontational characters, graffiti typefaces, and an overall theme of
suburban culture in America. As my track was a hip-hop instrumental I feel like my DVD cover challenges
these conventions to some degree. It uses a still taken from my video of the protagonist being watched from a
distance through some long grass. This rural setting is not commonly seen in hip-hop, however the effects I
have used on the image do show elements of the genre. The dark and distorted effects create a gritty image of
the countryside, despite it seeming out of place, so personally I think I have developed on the idea that hip hop
is just a suburban phenomenon by expanding it’s boundaries to rural locations.
My cover has the track’s name in a large basic font which contrasts against the image, which is a
common convention used by real products to make them stand out on the shelf. However, most digipaks also
have the artists name on the cover, but I experimented with this and felt it look a lot better with just the name,
and gave it a minimalistic sense which is used by a lot of real digipaks. I did however put the artists name on
the spine, using the same font so that there was a consistency. This is a convention used in many real DVD
covers as it gives it a more professional look.
I also used a BBFC rating on my cover. I determined it as a PG after reading the specifications on
the BBFC’s website. This helped to make it look a lot more realistic. Another thing I added was the DVD logo
on the spine, which is a feature on all legitimate digipak products .
I featured several quotes on the back of the case describing the promo in a positive light, which is
a convention on nearly all digipaks and DVD covers. Below that I included a list of special features. This is
something a lot digipaks feature as it gives consumers more of an initiative to buy the product. I also included
credits and a bar code on the back, which is another convention of digipaks.
Overall this piece follows many of the basic conventions used by digipaks, but uses an image
which challenges and develops on conventions commonly used in it’s genre.

4. The Ways In Which My Magazine Advert Uses, Develops Or
Challenges Conventions Of Real Media Products
My magazine advert doesn’t conform to many conventions of hip-hop
magazine adverts, which tend to be heavily stylized with city imagery such as
graffiti. Instead I used a very basic layout with clean fonts, as I thought this
was a more aesthetically pleasing look, and also kept a consistency with my
minimalistic DVD cover. However, my advert did follow several conventions of
all music adverts, which is quotes from various reviews, and the name of the
track and artist in a bold stand out size.
I wanted to make the advert have a visual similarity to the DVD cover,
but I had to use a plainer image so that there was some blank space to place
text. In order to make it obvious that the two pieces are linked, I included a
picture of the DVD case, which is an uncommon convention of most music
magazine adverts. On reflection I think it would probably look better without
this, and instead have some logos of various retailers in it’s place, as most real
adverts seem to have these. This is the only thing I don’t really like about my
ad, and if I were to make it again I would do better research on real music
magazine adverts first.

5. How effective is the combination of my products
I think when combined together my products are
effective, and create an image which is unique to my
work. I definitely think the two strongest elements are the
promo and the cover, while I could have done more on
the magazine advert to make it look more professional.
I think it is definitely easy to spot the recurring
visual style throughout my products which makes it an
effective digipak. I have also used similar fonts and
Photoshop effects in both the magazine advert and DVD
cover which emphasises this.

6. Audience Feedback: Promo
The audience feedback was mostly positive. I showed my promo
to several people and got a good reaction. However some were
left confused by the twist ending, so perhaps I needed to
somehow make it more clear that it was up to the viewer to
decide what had happened, because that was my intention in
the beginning.
One person also complimented the visual quality of my
piece, saying it looked like an actual film. I think this shows that
the filters were effective and I have learnt that these are very
essential to making the finished product look authentic.
Another person commented on the narrative and said
they thought it was well thought out and worked well with the
song. This taught me that even if the product looks good there
also has to be some kind of substance in the storyline.

7. Audience Feedback: DVD Cover
This DVD cover piece was also well received, with several
people commenting on the distorted, interlaced look. From this
I’ve learnt that it’s possible to have an unconventional effect like
this and still make it work.
Several people commented positively on the layout. This
tells me that it’s important to keep it simplistic rather than
overcrowding the space with text.
Another person said they thought it looked very
authentic, which highlights the importance of sticking to
conventions and including things such as a BBFC rating and
the DVD logo.

8. Media technologies used
Before this year I had never filmed anything in my life, but
during the making of my product I have learnt how to effectively
use a HD Panasonic digital camera.
In order to make the final piece I also had to learn how to
use a Mac, which I had not experienced before either. Once I’d
learnt how to use it I was able to edit and make my promo
piece look professional using Final Cut Pro, a premium editing
software also used by professionals in the industry.
I also used Photoshop, which I’d had some experience with
before, to create my DVD cover and Magazine advert. I used it
to add adjustment layers and give the pieces a concurrent
theme.
I’ve also experimented with Soundtrack Pro, learning
how to make a very basic song using samples.