My Music Video

Digipak Interview

Digipak Back

Digipak cover

This it the front cover too my Digipak. I felt I needed to keep the same colours and fonts as I did on my magazine advert so the album was recogniseable. As in my music video there is not just one single person I felt I couldn't just put a random person on the front of my digipak so it was best not too have anybody on the front. I also included a "Free" interview in the digipak and in the top left corner as this is the first thing people see when looking on shelves, this is too attract an audience to buy the digipak.

Magazine Advert

I chose to add logo's of HMV, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud and iTunes so that audiences can see where they can find "DMFAO". By using these logo's I think the advertisement will relate to a younger audience rather than an older one as older people may not recognise the logo's.

Evaluation - What have I...

What have I learnt from my audience feedback?
From showing the people around me and family (my audience I aimed for), it was clear too see that they found the video quite comical. Which was my aim. I uploaded the video which gained comments from various friends on there about it being "so funny" and gaining "likes".

All I wanted my audience too do when watching my product was too enjoy watching it! Every day life is usually so serious that I wanted my media text to be something people can watch and smile or laugh at - which I believe I achieved.

Technology (Hardware/Software)

Hardware -

• I used Macs because they were easy for me too access at school. At first I found them difficult to use but by A2 level I think I got the hang of it. They are much more enhanced then the Windows computers for media. I found the Windows computers very basic when using for media related work, which is fine for AS level but when it came to A2 I'm happy I did not use the computers too create a video as I think it would have looked alot worse. I used the Macs for everything during A2 as my skills progressed whilst using them.
• When out of school I did have to use my Windows laptop at home, but that was only to access my iTunes to transfer clips I had videoed on my iPhone, and too access to the internet - Blogger.
• I used my iPhone to capture clips during A2, I found my iPhone's quality of picture looked similar too the Video Cameras at my school so I felt it would just be easier to use my iPhone as I will always have access too it and have it every day.
• I often used a memory stick to transfer my documents/products between my home laptop and the Macs at school.

Software -

• I used Microsoft Publisher too create my Digipak. I found Publisher easy to use but only because since year seven this is the program we have been taught to use for creative products.
• I used iMovie for my music video. This is where I put my music video together, uploaded my video from on to Blogger and experimented with different effects and sounds.

Internet Pages -

• I used Blogger.com too upload my coursework on too since AS level. This is why I continued too use Blogger because I was familiar with this site. I used Blogger throughout my Planning, Construction and Evaluation process.
• I used Google as my main search engine because it is the search engine I have always used and become familiar with. It always has the information or images you are looking for without all the advertisements.
• I used Facebook to upload my video on too which people "Liked" and found funny. This is how I knew that my product had the effect on audiences the way I wanted it too.
• I used Youtube too access real and previous media texts people had created and ACTUAL music videos.

Evaluation - How did I..

 How did I use media technologies in the construction, research and planning stages?

Research -

• My main source for research was Youtube, I would use youtube to look at exsisting music videos to gain an insight into conventions and which videos were more popular.
• I used Google and Google Images to search for information and pictures of exsisting products.
• I used Windows Computers and Macs too access the internet
• I used Blogger to look at previous blogs which contained music videos/short films which gave me ideas on what has been done, what has not been done, how to use the Macs etc.
• My other source of research were the people around me, who I contacted through emails, texts and phonecalls. I know who I wanted my target audience to be because I know the people around me love to laugh. This is why I chose to produce a comical video rather then a serious one.

Planning -

• For my planning stage, I used near enough the exact same technology as I had done for my research
• I used my iPhone 4 too capture some short clips too see what the quality of the picture looked like
• I used Blogger to easily and clearly set out what I was going too do

Construction -

• During the construction stage, I used the Macs to upload any clips I had videod using my iPhone into iMovie where they were all kept
• I used iMovie to construct clips together too see what they would look like
• I edited via iMovie the speed of clips, the sound and the visual effects of the clips

Why are audiences important?

I believe Audiences are important because they are who you create your product for. They are who make you your money and make your product popular. No media text has any meaning until it is read or decoded by an audience. This also links to the theory of "Gatekeeping" where a theorist called White (1961) spoke of "Gatekeepers" to be the people who are part of the decision making process of a media text. I believe an audience to be "Gatekeepers", I think this because when a film is created there are film tests where an audience sit in a cinema and watch the film then give feedback as too what they may have liked or disliked too the creators of the film. This way the creators can then decide if they need to change something in any way to make the audience appreciate the text more.

We were asked in class "What comes first, the audience or the media producer?" and I believe the answer to be the audience. Without the audience what is the point in creating a product? Without an audience there is not product as it will not earn money, be spoke about which means it will not be watched. Therefore I think the whole point of producing something is for others to benefit from it else it is worthless.

Katz and Lazarsfeld (1995)

Also known as the Multistep Flow Model is a theory which is based on a study of social influence which says that the media is unintentionally influenced by the "Opinion leaders". It says that most people receive the majority of their information secondhand through the influences of their "Opinion Leader". The "Opinion Leaders" interpret the media based on their own opinion then will communicate what they interpret to the individuals. That information will then be communicated through the general public who then become the "Opinion Followers".

An example of this I believe to be Newspapers, like The Sun. That newspaper will only communicate to the general public what they want them to know, which is influenced by their own opinions. Eventually the information from the newspaper is filtered through the general public and suddenly everybody is talking about what the newspaper has printed, which isn't necessarily factual.

Roland Barthes

Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher and semiologist. He developed schools of theory which included semiotics and social theory.

Barthes suggested that narrative works with five different codes which activates the audience to make sense of it. These five narrative codes are:

• Action Code - the action code builds tension, this means something else within a story is used that indicates to the audience something else is going to happen which caused the audience to guess what happens next, this is what keeps the audience interested.
• Enigma Code - this is any element in a story that is not explained which leaves the audience asking questions. Most stories hold back some information to increase the effect of the ending. He believed audiences were not satisfied with a story unless all the "loose ends" are tied at the end of a story.
• Semic Code - This code involves connotations within the story which gives the story that extra meaning.
• Symbolic Code - This is similar too the Semic Code, this code organises semantic meanings into deeper meanings. This code is where new meaning arises out of conflicting ideas.
• Referential Code - Referential code is where something within a text refers to the culture, religion, or background of an audience. For example, films which involve religion. Such as "Bend it Like Beckham", this may appeal to a certain audience because they can relate to the religion of the main character.

Vladimir Propp

Propp was a Soviet formalist from Russia who analysed Russian Folk Tales too discover the simplest narrative elements. Propp had thirty-one narrative functions. These are:

Functions
After the initial situation is depicted, the tale takes the following sequence of 31 functions:^[2]

1. ABSENTATION: A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue.
2. INTERDICTION: An interdiction is addressed to the hero. The hero is warned against some action.
3. VIOLATION of INTERDICTION. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale). This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not necessarily confronting the hero. RECONNAISSANCE: The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance  The villain (often in disguise) makes an active attempt at seeking information. They may seek to meet the hero, perhaps knowing already the hero is special in some way.
4. DELIVERY: The villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim.
5. TRICKERY: The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings The villain now presses further, often using the information gained in seeking to deceive the hero or victim in some way, perhaps appearing in disguise.
6. COMPLICITY: Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range from providing the villain with something (perhaps a map or magical weapon) to actively working against good people.
7. VILLAINY or LACK: Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc., commits murder)
8. MEDIATION: Misfortune or lack is made known. The hero now discovers the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of anguish and woe.
9. BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to act in a way that will resolve the lack, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain.
10. DEPARTURE: Hero leaves home.
11. FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc., preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper.
12. HERO'S REACTION: Hero reacts to actions of future helper.
13. RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: Hero acquires use of a magical agent.
14. GUIDANCE: Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search.
15. STRUGGLE: Hero and villain join in direct combat.
16. BRANDING: Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf)
17. VICTORY: Villain is defeated.
18. LIQUIDATION: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved.
19. RETURN: Hero returns.
20. PURSUIT: Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero)
21. RESCUE: Hero is rescued from pursuit.
22. ARRIVAL: Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country.
23. UNFOUNDED CLAIMS: False hero presents unfounded claims.
24. DIFFICULT TASK: Difficult task proposed to the hero.
25. SOLUTION: Task is resolved.
26. RECOGNITION: Hero is recognized.
27. EXPOSURE: False hero or villain is exposed.
28. TRANSFIGURATION: Hero is given a new appearance.
29. PUNISHMENT: Villain is punished.
30. WEDDING: Hero marries and ascends the throne. (Reward)

Films such as Star Wards fit Propp's theory precisely, this theory is helpful as it highlights the similarities between seemingly quite different stories.

Claud Levi-Strauss

Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist. He said that stories unconsciously reflect the values, myths and beliefs of a culture. A lot of these stories are usually expressed terms of "Binary Oppositions."

He said that in a story there is always Binary Oppositions, for example:

• Male/Female
• Young/Old
• Black/White
• Tall/Short
• Large/Small
• War/Peace
• Weak/Strong
• Happy/Sad
• Left/Right
• Salt/Pepper
• Right/Wrong
• Civilised/Uncivilised

For my own coursework music video, I could not really relate this theory as there were hardly any opposites I could use. However the ones I did come up with were; Ugly/Sexy, Young/Old and Male/Female.

Narrative Theory

Narrative is a structure of a story or plot, it is the art of story telling whether it be fictional or non fictional. The narrative theory explores the conventions of:

• Genre
• Character
• Form
• Time

The way I think of a narrative theory is as a circular formation, the outer circle contains the "Story" which includes information not shown and the inner circle is the "Plot" which includes the Key events of the story.


A Linear Structure is,

1. A Beginning (Audience introduced to characters and the story)
2. A Middle (Key events)
3. The End (Closure)

An Open Structure which I believe my A2 coursework falls into the category of. The audience are left to wonder what happends next and they have to make sense of it themselves. My coursework is not a story as such, so it makes it difficult to relate to a narrative theory.

A Closed Structure is when there is a definite ending too a story. There will be a clear conclusion for the audience.

The Circular Structure, the narrative begins at the end event, (often with the climax.) The audience are taken on a journey arriving back to where the characters started. An example of this structure could be "The Hangover" films.

An Unrestricted Narrative, this is what the audience are assumed to know. For example in a thriller movie there will be a crime, so the audience expect it.

Restriced Narrative, this is when information is witheld from the audience. I thought of this narrative to be what "Shutter island" the movie is classed as. At the end of this movie there is an open ending with makes the audience think they have not been shown or told of all the information of the story.

Creativity

During a lesson, we discussed our creativity during our coursework. We had to individually stand up and present how we think we have been creative. At first I believed I was not creative at all, but after the classes feedback I started to think differently.

For my coursework in the past two years I have created two magazines, one school magazine and one music magazine. For this task I used publisher on a Windows computer. Throughout the two years I have used iMovie for my A2 music video, I have gained ideas through using Mindmaps and storyboards, I have used Blogger, youtube (which helped me gain inspiration) and various technology such as the Mac computers, my iPhone 4 and a range of video cameras. Throughout the two years I think I progressed in using technology. At first I tried too avoid the Macs, which is why my magazines were created on Windows computers and Microsoft Programs.

SAGEL - Audience Theory

To define an Audience, we came up with an acronim which would help us remember. This is called SAGEL.

Socio-economic group

The image below explains the different socio-economic groups. For my target audience, I want them to be in the same

Age

Gender

Ethnicity

Lifestyle

Why are audiences important?

A media text, or your media text has no meaning until it is read or watched by an audience. They are what make you your revenue.

Socio-economic groups