The document discusses how synergy was created across a music video, digipak, and magazine advertisement. Synergy was achieved through consistent design elements like color schemes, motifs, and imagery. Location was also synergetic by featuring a dark stage setting. Showcasing the main actors created recognition across materials, though not all actors were equally represented. In conclusion, design elements were most synergetic, but representation of characters and themes could be improved.

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

2. How I created synergy?
I created synergy in my three different products (the music video,
digipak and magazine advertisement) through many different aspects
including the design, location, showcasing the starring actor, mise-en-
scene.
In the next few slides I will provide illustrative examples of how I did so.

3. Design
The design of my 3 different products created synergy through the consistent colour schemes across all 3 pieces. The colour scheme consists of
red and blue to depict the two artists, Snow Patrol and The Police respectively, because they both include these colours in their album art and
posters. In the digipak, the artist’s name’s were in their corresponding colours on both the front and the side of the digipak and the track list
consisted of 4 of each artist’s greatest hits as well as the mashup, with their corresponding colours to help differentiate between artist’s. In the
magazine advertisement, blue was used to colour the text “VS.” and “Rolling Stone” and I added a very subtle red tint to the lens flare captured
in the image on the poster. Finally, in the actual video we used shots of the sunset, which incorporated both blue and red colours, as well as the
red of Rowan’s coat, to maintain this colour scheme throughout. Maintaining this colour scheme throughout meant that we could help the
audience to differ between the two parts of the song and reinforce the idea that the two different songs and their depiction in our pieces was
done so in order to show the two different character’s feelings (regret and depression (Rowan) and excitement and happiness (Leo)).
In addition, the use of motifs and recurring imagery such as lens flares and dark surroundings with lighting focused purely on the character’s is
illustrated throughout my 3 products in the image shown on this slide. In the performance section of the video the lighting is entirely focused
on the characters so that it seems as though there is nothing else in the room with them, just the darkness. The lens flare in the video also
adds to this, representing a blinding light that it seems as though the characters are singing to, which could also suggest that this an
embodiment of their feelings singing in their consciousness. These images are consistent in the magazine advertisement through the same lens
flare depicted and an image of Leo’s character performing from behind surrounded in a vignette of black. The digipak also consists of lens flares
and photos of Rowan and Leo performing, from a front angle this time. These elements work together to further reinforce the feelings that
Rowan and Leo’s characters are feeling throughout the song. This is depicted through the isolation of the two characters, making it clear to the
audience that this is a passionate display of performance that is relevant to the narrative of the music video.
The elements that are consistent in the design of the 3 different products create synergy as it shows the different spectators that they share a
common meaning and that the producer has encoded these pieces accordingly to indicate the feelings (excitement and regret) of the
characters in the images and the artist’s when writing the two songs (Chasing cars and Every Breath You Take).

4. Location
I have created synergy through the location shown in my 3 products as they all have one in common; the
location of the performance element of the video – the stage in complete darkness other than a single light.
This location is shown in the section of the video devoted to the performance of the song, in the main image in
the magazine advertisement and in the front cover for the digipak. This location creates synergy as it makes the
three pieces synchronous and it provides an opportunity for identification with the music video.
I could’ve created a greater deal of synergy through the location if I had included an image from each of the
locations that were visited in the music video, but the only one that was consistent throughout the main
product and the ancillaries was the dark room in which the performance took place. If I had allowed for this,
then I could’ve allowed the audience more chance for the sense of recognition within my piece. Despite this, I
believe the common location shared across my three products is represented well and successfully creates an
element of synergy.

5. Showcasing the starring actor(s)
The starring actors in my music video were: Rowan Thomas, Lucy Randall and Leo Hodges. They are all present at some point
in my ancillary work, whether that is in the magazine advertisement or in the digipak. This creates an element of synergy
throughout my work as it allows the audience with the opportunity to recognise which characters are important when
watching the actual piece, and provides them with an indication of who is going to be most relevant in the video.
Rowan is present in the digipak only, as well as Lucy. This could’ve created a greater amount of synergy if they were
represented in the same way that Leo was, throughout all 3 of the products. If this had been done, it would’ve been more
obvious to the audience that these three characters and there relationships are equally as important in the video, instead of
Leo seeming as the most significant from the ancillaries, which is not accurate when put alongside the music video, as he is
not as significant as Rowan.

6. Conclusion
In conclusion, the representation of each of these elements mentioned previously create a
significant amount of synergy through the consistency across the three products: the music video,
the magazine advertisement and the digipak. However, there is definitely space for improvements,
for example, Rowan should’ve been prevalent across all three products, not just two of them, as he
is arguably the most important character in the video, and the video-game ‘battle’ aspect of the
digipak ancillary piece could’ve been represented across all three of the pieces, or not at all.
This does not take away from the fact that the design aspect of the video, advertisement and
digipak creates the largest amount of synergy and allows the audience with the greatest
opportunity for recognition and identification with the piece.