This is a powerpoint presentation of the second evaluation question.

1. A V O C E T ‘ I N T O A M O N S T E R ’

2. MAIN PRODUCT; PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
To view the main product please select the below link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d607hISMYo&safe=active

3. ANCILLARY TASK 1: DIGIPAK
Front cover Internal cover Back coverCD design

4. ANCILLARY TASK 2: POSTER PROMOTING DIGIPAK

5. The three media products are effectively combined to introduce the artist ‘Avocet’ as a young, gothic, indie-rock artist with a
mysterious and ominous yet innocent public image. This is elucidated through the uniform dark colouring, black costume,
monstrous makeup, typography and camera angles. Uniformity in the production of media products is essential for establishing
the artist’s public image and allowing an audience to recognise the relationship between the artist and the commercial products.
The construction and planning of the main product and ancillary tasks utilised the visual and design conventions of posters,
digipaks and promotional videos in order to develop three individual products with distinctive characteristics that an audience will
recognise as related through the use of mise en scene, effects and camera shots.

6. Colouring uniform is a typical convention used in indie rock music videos.
The main product has a distinctive colour scheme. The colours black and blue
are predominant in the video, particularly the performance aspects.
However, there are scenes in which the colour scheme is not utilised
such as the opening sequence whereby a black and white effect has
been applied to the visuals. Nevertheless, the absence of the branded
colour theme emphasises the scene in which the selected colour
scheme dominates the visuals.
Alternatively, the album design utilises the generic colour
scheme but also incorporates a green colouring to
advocate the album title ‘The Monster Experiment’. The
green has a harsh, cold impression which effectively
communicates the dysfunctional emotional concept which
may be recognised in the leading single ‘Into a Monster’.

7. The ancillary texts and the main product utilise Andrew Goodwin’s theory by using a common motif to develop a
strong connection between the three products. This technique ensures that the audience will be able to
recognise the relationship. The calavera makeup is present in all three products. The sugar skull imagery
elucidates the strong gothic theme which is incorporated into each product. The focus on the peculiar and vivid
makeup design effectively highlights the bleak, intense, and nostalgic connotations in the music in addition to
producing a strong visual link between the products.
THEORY

8. INTERTEXTUALITY
The artist’s multifaceted public image is reflected by
performers such as The Pretty Reckless’ lead singer
‘Taylor Momsen’. The artist previously modelled the
stereotypical young blonde ingénue appearance
until her late teens in which her rebellious gothic
portrayal arose. The contrasting depiction is
apparent in the video as the generic ‘good girl gone
bad’ image is a recognisable and popular trait
amongst contemporary female indie-rock artists.
Intertextuality refers to the way in which existing texts have
influenced or been incorporated into a medium. The music
video ‘Into a Monster’ contains noticeable elements which
have been included in established promotional videos. For
example, the calavera makeup is similar to the skull makeup
used in Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ music video. The
pronounced use of intertextuality enables the audience to
distinguish the key characteristics of the brand as the viewers
are familiar with brand features i.e. the gothic, skeletal
makeup.

9. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A BLACK BACKGROUND
In this shot the performer is isolated by the dark
surroundings.
The shot informs the audience of the gothic and dark concept as
black is often associated with morose, death and evil. The
combination of the skull monster makeup upon the artist’s face
and the black connotations may illuminate the supernatural
features in the music video, and digipak.
The contrast between the artist’s light physical
features and the deep black background subsequently
accentuates the detail of her facial appearance.

10. THE BLACK CLOAK
The black cloak which is worn in the photographs used in the digipak, and the music video was inspired by the music video ‘I’ll
Follow Rivers ‘by Lykke Li. The video displays the performer in a pure black cloak which covers her face and body. The
lack of exposure encourages the audience to continue to view the music video as the viewer may feel inclined to witness
the reveal of the performers true identity. This technique is employed in the opening lyrics of the main product , the event
poster and the back cover of the digipak in order to promote the artists through mystery and ambiguity.
,
The black cloak reinforces the supernatural elements in
the texts. Popular examples of black cloaks include the
infamous fictional character ‘Dracula’, and the well-known
Harry Potter’s wizard characters. The popularity of black
cloaks as the costume of supernatural characters
effectively depicts this concept in the three media texts.

11. CAMERA ANGLES
The close up shot creates a dramatic, detailed and intimate effect which reflects the passion and
intensity of the music. The front cover displays the ‘monster’ version of Avocet, whereas the close-
up shot used in the early stage of the music video depicts the singer’s natural appearance. This
provides the audience with an opportunity to compare the two presentations and recognise the
artist’s multifaceted public image. Moreover, the contrast supports the narrative as the difference
illustrates the development of Avocet becoming a ‘monster’.
The close up shot used for the front cover features the artist looking upwards, this is to
accentuate the feeling of being trapped by the monster façade as facing skywards
connotes the idea of the singer ‘wanting to be free like a bird in the sky’. Alternatively, in
the close up shot used in the music video the performer engages in direct eye contact to
depict the idea of this presentation being her true identity. The contrasting poses builds an
intimate bond between the audience and artist because the viewer may feel sympathetic
towards the emotional turmoil presented in the front cover and will be engaged by the
intense, passionate eye contact in the music video image.

12. BIRDS
The lyric analysis revealed that a need for freedom was an apparent
connotation in the song ‘won’t you just let me be?...you’ve stolen all
my identity, a person that I don’t want to be’. Therefore, using this
idea, the theme of birds was employed in the construction of the
media products.
The singer is shown to be facing upwards in the shot to
communicate the idea of her wanting to be free like a bird. This
is reinforced by the two bird wings projected onto her body.
The theme of birds has been applied to the logo which is present on the poster
and the back cover of the digipak. The design was inspired by the black and
white colouring of an avocet as well as the bird’s long beak. The similarity
between the logo and the appearance of an avocet is used to accentuate the
idea of freedom which is associated with birds.
Below are examples of birds which inspired or appear in the music video. The avocet’s black and white features, the fragility and elegance of the swan
and the shot of several birds flying away into the distance, is used to communicate the singer’s delicate and innocence image to the audience.
The black and white effect in the
opening resembles the colouring
of an avocet , and is utilised to
indicate that the scene occurs at
a time before the performer
becomes a monster‘, where she
is ‘free like a bird’.

13. EDITINGUsing a range of editing technologies including Adobe premier pro, Pixlr.com and Adobe Photoshop,
the visuals used in the digipak and music video were manipulated to produce a powerful and
stimulating image. For example, the front cover conveys a close up shot of the performer
looking upwards to symbolise her need for freedom . However, a whitening effect is applied
to the iris of the eyes to illuminate the supernatural and gothic elements in the text.
Moreover, a darkening effect is used to intensify the deep colours and add a harsh, poignant
and vibrant effect.
A different range of effects were employed in the production of the
music video. Similarly to the digipak, a darkening effect was
applied to the majority of clips. For example, using the ‘Levels’
video effect, the dark colours in the below screen shots were
increased to highlight the sinister themes and conform to the
rock genre convention of dark imagery. As inspired by
alternative/indie promotional videos such as ‘Little Talks’ and
‘Young Folks’, a gradient effect was applied to two of the
mages below. The function produces cartoon-like graphics
which effectively demonstrates the surreal and supernatural
concept. These editing techniques are combined to
successfully communicate the abstract
No effect
No effect
No effectLevels and gradient effect
Levels and gradient effectLevels effect
No effect

14. FRAMING
The image used for the front cover of the digipak is also present on the
inside cover. The framing of the photograph was transformed
into an extreme close up shot. The effect used on the image
depicts three cropped versions of the image which are combined
to emphasise and isolates the presence of the performer’s eyes
to further elucidate the significance of the pose. The monster
image is also advocated by the repetition; the unusual makeup
used on the performer’s mouth in addition to the close-up shot
that accentuates the sinister and monstrous artist’s image. The
framing design in the music video changed in correspondence
with the conceptual idea present in the shot.
A zoom in effect was applied to the shot which
initially presents the singer from a far distance
in order to depict her isolation and emphasise
the idea of her being imprisoned by the
monster persona
The below shot was changed into a mid shot to
illuminate the passion in the singer’s facial
expression.
The above midshot was altered into a close up shot in
order to engage the audience through the clear
and direct eye contact in addition to increasing
the intimacy between the viewer and performer

15. TYPOGRAPHY
The use of fonts is consistent in the
digipak and poster. A ‘Wood
Cutterfence’ and’ impact label
reverse’ font is apparent on both
products and is utilised to produce
differing effects.
Similarly to the front cover image and the below shot
of the performer in a small space, the artist’s title is
centrally positioned to emphasise the singer’s
importance as the conventional central placement
attracts the audience’s attention and connotes the
idea of power and eminence which is essential for
establishing an artist’s image and status in the
industry.
The ‘Woodcutter fence’ font used for the album title on the digipak and poster is employed to resemble the wood scene in the music
video. The design resembles the harsh and coarse twigs and branches on the trees. The performer is shown to be walking in the woods
during the second verse of the music video and the scene portrays the performer discovering the cursed flower which turns her into a
monster. A linear narrative is present in the music video and the scene signifies the beginning of the developed gothic and monstrous
artist image. Similarly, the performer’s title is placed at the top of the poster to reflect the idea of the wood scene being the beginning of
the transformation.
The ‘impact label reverse’ font style
adds a powerful effect to the
information. The title is eye-
capturing through the bold
colouring, large size and unusual
design. The reviews for the album
use the font to accentuate the
information and convey the rock
genre as rock posters typically use
capitalised lettering to mirror the
raucous and boisterous music.

16. MARKETING AND BRANDING: USP
Branding the artist is an important process for promoting a new artist. Creating an artist brand uses an appealing platform to
summarise the artist and displays their appealing qualities to the target demographic. A unique selling point is vital for
publicising a new artist in the music industry, Avocet is a young , white female who is also a trained ballet dancer. The
debut single features the typical ‘girl next door’ appearance turning into a gothic monster creature. The performer may be
viewed as an unconventional adaptation of the generic ‘good girl gone bad’ presentation which is famed by artists such
as Rihanna.
A typical artist branding technique includes logos, the Avocet logo conforms to the multifaceted artist image and
employed in various products in order to build a consistent visual style and reputation for the artist. The innocent
young girl presentation is a typical singer archetype which is presented in the logo (the bird-like design accentuates
her fragility and elegance) and the music video (white dress to represent purity and vulnerability). The modern
feminine youthful representation provides fans with an identity that is recognisable and relatable. Alternatively, the
monster characterisation embodies adolescent angst and rebellion. Thus, providing an outlandish, outcast role model
image which numerous young people will be able to identify with. The capital A in the centre of the logo elucidates this
representation through the eerie, sharp font style.

17. CONFORMITY BRANDING Conformity branding refers to marketing techniques
which adhere to societal norms. Audiences are
accustomed to these techniques and the
generic branding traits have been incorporated
into ‘Avocet’s’ artist image in order to
successfully appeal to a wide audience range.
The lead singer has short blonde hair which imitates the typical ‘blonde
bombshell’ look which has been adopted by numerous contemporary female
singers such as Rihanna, Pink, Pixie Lott and Miley Cyrus. The modernised
hairstyle effectively displays the products as relevant to a modern audience.
Similarly to several modern popular
female alternative singers such
as Kate Nash, Florence Welch
and Leslie Feist, ‘Avocet’
(Aimee) has a tall, slim frame
which conforms to the typical
societal expectations of beauty.
The performer is an
aesthetically tall (5”8) young,
white female , which is an artist
presentation that is
conventional in the indie-rock
genre.
A considerable amount of modern female singers are marketed through their
youth. Popular examples include performers such as Demi Lovato, Selena
Gomez and Lucy Hale. An evidently young appearance effectively promotes an
artist as relatable and relevant to a young niche demographic.

18. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR
MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TEXTS?
In conclusion, the music video, digipak and poster are effectively combined to promote market the purchasable
digipak and the artist’s multifaceted image and to appeal to the target audience of young people with a
preference for rock and indie/alternative. The consistent use of makeup, framing and colour imagery
distinguishes the artist’s public image. The consistent presentational design enables the niche audience to
identify the performer and recognise the singer’s relatable and appealing elements such as youth, modern
fashion sense and eccentric music style.