Held Like Kites Final Piece

Final Ancillary One - Digipak

Final Ancillary Two - Magazine Advert

Evaluation Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

When creating my music video, I considered how I was going to use and challenge different conventions that I had come across in my research into music videos. 

The powerpoint above addresses the conventions I conformed to and what I challenged and developed. I used google slides to make the presentation then embedded it onto my blog. 





Real music video platforms:

• To present my music video, I uploaded it to Youtube as this is the most conventional and discoverable place for music videos to be found. Youtube opened in 2006 and is the biggest video sharing platform with around 400 hours of content uploaded to youtube each minute and 1 billion hours of content is watched on Youtube every single day.
• Youtube has a music video category where music videos are published so I thought this would be the ideal platform for mine to be presented on. Youtube is also free to watch and sign up and easily accessible for my target audience.  

Evaluation Question 2 -How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

When creating my music video, my magazine advert and my digipak, I knew that the three of them had to create a brand. So that when the audience hear about the artist their thought process immediately goes to the image on the cover of the album, advertisement and music video. To do this, I had to  ensure that throughout my three products there was a continuous theme which could have been colour or font (eg). The combination I have created is effective and I have created a prezi to expand on this:






/https://prezi.com/p/y3vzwxsgpcde/

Evaluation Question 3 - What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Below is a vlog explaining how my audience feedback had helped me throughout production and what I had learned from it.

In the vlog I also forgot to mention the final audience feedback we received to double check the audience understanding etc and all the feedback was positive.

Audience feedback was a huge help when editing music videos. Eg, I filmed some people asking them what they thought of the first draft of the film - this allowed me to develop my ideas and make improvements before it was too late. An example of this is is below in the vlog:

• Audience feedback also helped me with creating my ancillary products. I created a survey on surveymonkey.com asking people what they thought of my products and if they were meeting codes and conventions that I had intended to meet. I was able to send this round easily and I learnt from this that my magazine advert was aesthetically pleasing and advertised what I wanted it to.

Strengths of the way I received audience feedback:

• A strength of the survey I had designed was that I could reach a lot of people with it. I did this by putting my created surveys onto social media platforms - allowing me to access many people.
• Another strength was that by receiving audience feedback was that for my film feedback I had a laid back focus group style feedback session allowing for more genuine and honest answers compared to a formal interview. It also allows more general conversation which meant that I could easily develop the ideas flowing - especially with more than one person.

Evaluation Question 4 - How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

This mindmap shows the creative brainstorm of different media technologies that I have used during my research, planning and construction of my products.

I have created a google slides presentation expanding and developing this to explain what I used for each step, why I used it and how it was helpful.

Final Digipak Designs - Ancillary Artwork

I settled on the blue background so that the motif of the red scarf and red kind handle would standout further in the artwork. The red standing out is paramount as it illuminates feelings of love and lust surrounded by cooler colours suggesting that the love is surrounded by sadness. 

The idea of the antagonist clutching the red kite handle suggests that she is clinging onto the love that she once had despite being revealed in the music video that it is lost. The use of the black nail varnish suggests mourning and death, juxtaposing the red. 

Draft Designs Ancillary Artwork - Blue

Draft Designs - Green

Creating Artwork - Ancillary Production

First I chose the picture that I wanted for my artwork out of the many images I took whilst filming. The image I chose was at the kite flying location - avon dasset - where she is looking directly at the camera with an emotionless face. The colour of the bright red scarf stood out next to her ashy blonde hair and black clothes to create an eye catching centre piece in the image. The colour red connotes love and desire as well as anger, while the cooler colours connote a sense of darkness and possible mourning. 

I began by using Adobe Illustrator to outside all of the basic outlines of the image I had chosen. I started with the centre facial features and worked my way outwards. I decided to keep it as minimalistic and simple as possible so that the block colours would work in conjunction with this style. I used the curvature line tool so I could follow the curves of the different features. 

I used different line widths throughout the artwork for different features, for example the hair and facial outsides were bolder because they had a width of 3, whereas the eyes and facial lines were less prominent because they had a width of 0.5. 

Smaller details such as the necklace were also done in a smaller width.  

I then tested what the artwork looks like without the image in the background to see if there were any missing lines and that the artwork looks right on its own. This way I was able to check what needed adding to etc. This was a common procedure as i wanted to check the lines were looking good whilst creating the artwork rather than finding out i'd done something wrong at the end. 

I saved the design in a PNG format so that I was able to keep a translucent background when I edit my design in photoshop. 

I kept the photo in the background so that I could use the 'eye dropper tool' to select the right colours to use in my artwork. When colouring in the illustration I kept the layer hidden to come back to later. 

I used the paintbrush tool in various different widths to fill in the illustration in different layers with the intention of colouring outside of the lines. Layers such as the scarf, her body and her hair are towards the top to make them stand out against the background. 

I tried the images with various different background colours for the final artwork piece settling on the blue. 

Creating the Digipak

Firstly I needed to download a template for the Digipak, so I downloaded one from discmaker.com and opened it up on Photoshop. After opening up the template into photoshop I unlocked the layer and began by creating 3 squares that fit the front cover, the inside cover and back cover. i then added my digital illustrations that i had coloured on photoshop into photoshop and unlocked the layer so I could drag it onto the template.

After creating the main art for my album, I realised I needed to create a band name. For this I used a random band name generator online that came up with 'undercover brotherhood' which I then used for my band name. I then added this as text to the front of my album using a simple font and creating the title using various sizes, stroke and spacing.  

After completing my main design for my front cover, I began working on the back cover and track list. Here I used a random name generator to make up names of songs and used a text tool to position the names in the centre using simple and smaller font - following the common conventions of other indie style digipaks. 

Once I added a track list I also needed a bar code which I found online and downloaded in a JPEG format. After it was positioned in the bottom right corner where the conventional bar code tends to go. 

I then removed the outer sides of the image where the disk tray is, to show what the disk would look like.

Creating the Digipak - Screen Recording

Ancillary Artwork Ideas - Planning Moodboard

In order to collect image ideas for my artwork I went on Pinterest to look at 'outline' artwork. This is what created my interest in the idea for a piece of artwork involving outlines. These ideas are much more detailed than I would like and they have no colour. 

Ancilary Research - Magazine Advert Research

The main functions of an advert placed in a magazine is to be eye catching to promote that artist to the desired target audience in order to sell their product - eg, a song or album that they have produced. Whilst doing research I have found several conventions that many magazine promotions/adverts tend to have:

• The artists name - this is so that the audience reading/fans know who the artist is
• The title of the album/song - in large letters depending on the artist and genre (some may have a larger image than text)
• The release date of the upcoming song or album being advertised - this is so the target market know when the song/album are able to be bought
• Image of the album cover - this is what usually grabs the readers attention/people are able to know what the product looks like
• Where you can purchase it - this is often if there is a particular deal with a specific super market eg, "get this exclusively at Tesco - this week only" however the common audience/reader knows that the music more often that not will be available to stream online via spotify/iTunes. 
• Social media links - this is important for the band as it makes them appear more human and available to interact with their fans and receive updates. 
• Tour dates - some adverts for albums/songs can include tour dates to remind fans/readers that they can buy tickets to see them live
• Price - this is useful for readers so they know how much it will cost before they buy it
• Information about record label - this isn't reoccurring with every advert however it gives the reader a good impression of what kind of music the band may play if they have never heard them before. 

Examples:

• This advert is from the band Bastille and it includes many of the aforementioned conventions, including a main image in the background of a car rather than the band creating an enigma. This form of breaking the conventions is allowed as they are a well established band - performing at Glastonbury etc. and this is their third tour 'bad blood part 3'. The name of the band is at the top of the page so that readers' eyes are immediately drawn to it followed by the product they are selling beneath - their tour. This is then supported by tour dates under the main image with the date and city in bold and the venue in large letters. In smaller letters at the bottom it tells the audiences where they are able to get tickets and contact information. 

• This advert is from the rock band kings of leon. This advert has the album artwork as the main attraction which is a common convention with rock bands and their albums. It has their name at the top and the album name across the bottom in the same font. It has the information at the bottom about the record label and where you can stream the album and when it is coming out. 

Response to class feedback

I was happy with the class feedback I received because my classmates are the same age as my target audience. There was particular focus on the success of how powerful the narrative was. This illustrates that I have produced an accurate portrayal of emotion that I wanted the audience to feel - generating feelings of sympathy to relate to my protagonist.

Furthermore, the feedback on my editing techniques and my camera angles illuminates that my adjustments throughout the editing process has been successful as in the initial stages of editing, some of the shots weren't as powerful due to weather conditions on the day. However overall the constructive criticism helped expand and develop my ideas further.

Class Feedback

Rory: Really like the reverse section of the music video, it really grabbed attention. It was really clear that it was an emotional narrative through the various camera shots. Maybe add more flashbacks.

Emily: Shots are good. Camera control is very good and the narrative is very clear.

Skye: Flashbacks were creative, especially with the warmth filter overlaying them.

Megan. I really like the opening shots and how the protagonists boyfriend disappears

Rossi: Excellent Camera shots and it has a clear powerful narrative.

Research Ancillary 2 - magazine advert

Kasabian are a band of a similar genre to the band that I have chosen for my music video which is why I thought it would be a good idea to research into a music magazine advert. they are an english rock band formed in Leicester in 1997. with music being described as a mix of the stone roses, primal scream and the Oasis 'swagger', they have released 6 studio albums and won several awards including a brit Award in 2010 for Best British Group. 

The main image consists of black and white monotone colours that stand out vibrantly against the dark background. The original image is a man in a balaclava however the picture has been inverted to create an enigma and a point of focus that is ambiguous. The sans-serif font creates impact and a statement as well as the white colour choice and capitalisation. The 'S' and 'B' in 'KASABIAN' is slightly quirky as they look graffiti like relating to an indie genre.

The main artwork is centred in the middle with the name of the brand directly above and details beneath - following common conventions of a magazine advert. The layout of all of the fonts are centralised and line up in the centre like album art. Repetition of the word 'limited' creates enticement from the target audience as they find out that the product is in high demand and limited supply - a popular marketing technique to make more sales.

Digipak Ancillary Production - Outline

I found a digipak template online to act as a useful guide for me creating my final ancillary product. The template includes:

• Front cover
• Back cover 
• Inside cover
• Disk cover

On Photoshop I can take the images I will create and put them over the artwork layer and then finally remove the template layer - leaving an existing product of my digipak. 

Music Magazine Conventions - Ancillary Research

In my ancillary products i am creating a magazine advert, I have chosen to do some research into music magazines as well so that i could get a feel of the genre for my advertisement. I plan to identify the common codes and conventions of magazines in order to produce successful content.

The images used on covers of music magazines is mostly the artist. Eye contact is often used to engage the target audience to the artist, creating a rapport. Often it is a mid shot or close up for one artist and a band is often a longer, wider shot. There is nothing distracting in the background, so that the focus is on the artist.

Typically there is no more than three colours used at a time to keep it simple and minimalistic - and keep the main image as the main attraction. If too many colours are used it can be considered as overwhelming, and can deter the target audience.

The other text on the front cover eg, subtitles and brief text is always in capitals to grab attention, making it appear loud, bold and appealing to target audiences. The font is the same and used in bold across the cover. The sublines beneath subheadings is usually in a different colour so that people reading the magazine ca easily differentiate between sections.

The name of music magazines are usually brief and catchy so that they are easy to remember. Examples of this are:

• NME
• Kerrange
• Q 
• Billboard
• Rolling Stone 

The name is always at the top of the magazine and often a block colour so that they are clear and readable to immediately catch attention. The main artist feature on the magazine as the main attraction. 

Ancillary 2 - Text

After I chose the artwork and placed it on the poster page, i had to add text. I used the same band name and album name as the digipak - therefore ensuring consistency throughout my products so that my consumer can see clearly who I am advertising.

The bandname 'undercover brotherhood' is in an american typewriter font which stands out due to it's originality and subversion of the common convention of a sanserif font. I situated this at the top in white to stand out from the bright blue background colour which is another convetion of magazine adverts of this genre. This shows the audience that the bandname is the most important feature in regards to the text, which is further illuminated by the use of a different font.

The released date is in capital letters and I the same colour as the background to really stand out. Furthermore, it stands out more due to a dropshaddow behind the statement to make it really eyecatching.

The rest of the text is all in white to standout from the dark colours behind it. They are also in the same font. This includes the album title, inclusion tag line and links to social media. I selected all the fonts provided on photoshop, which I believed was appropriate for my target audience and fitting for my genre.

Audience Feedback for Advert - Questions

I decided that after creating my ancillaries, i wanted to get audience feedback to see what my target market thought of them. Similarly to when I was creating my music video so that I knew I was creating something that was going to be conventional to my film. I used the survey website surveymonkey.com.

This site allows you to design your own survey which can be sent out to other media students to get feedback on what they think of my product designs. From this I can collect responses all in one area.

The questions I asked were:

• Do the colours go well together? - I asked this because I wanted to know whether the use of the vibrant background colour was effective in catching attention. 
• Can you tell what I am advertising? - I asked this question because in my common codes and conventions research I found several similarities between posters and adverts and what type of advert it is (tour or album).
• Does the illustrated image look effective and sophisticated? - I asked this question as the illustration I have done had block colouring which can sometimes be seen as uncreative and look like it appeals to a younger audience.
• Does the artwork appeal to you? - As my classmates wee in my target market age range, I felt this was an appropriate question to ask. 

Audience Feedback for Advert - Results

After I had received replies from all the people that I had sent my survey too, it was time to look at the results which I was happy with. I received 100% 'yes' for all the questions that I hoped for a 'yes' and 'no' for all the ones I had hope 'no' for. This is extremely positive as it means that I have achieved what I was hoping to achieve when creating my products.

• Do the colours go well together? I asked this question to get feedback on whether all of the chosen colours blend well together and look effective. I am glad that my target audience I had asked think that all the colours go well together as this is paramount as I want my product to stand out as much as possible. If the audience I had asked answered the question 'no' it wouldn't be fulfilling it's purpose as a competitive advert. 

• Can you tell what I am advertising? This is an important question because I wanted people to be able to tell if it was advertising the album or the band. Therefore the positive feedback is highly appreciated as I am happy knowing that my advert is successful at promotion. 

• Does the illustrated image look effective and sophisticated? This question I asked was only to ensure that everything on the front of the magazine advert was aesthetically pleasing. As the colours used in the images fall out of the lines etc, I wanted to make sure that the audience knew it was supposed to be like that and that it was the artist's intention. 

• Does the artwork appeal to you? This is a paramount question as I sent this questionnaire to my target audience to get their opinions on the advert and by finding out if it would actually appeal to them would allow me to know if my advert would be successful or not.  

Ancillary Research - digipak artist research

As part of my ancillary research, I have decided to look at similar artists digipaks. This will be useful as I will be able to see what similar artists do. Through this research I will identify the similarities and differences between similar genres and their digipaks.

I have chosen to analyse in the the 1975's self titled album. The 1975 are an English rock band from Manchester known for their own unique style. Their album '1975' was released in september 2013 and topped the charts. I have chosen to analyse this digipak as it is a similar genre to the band I have chosen to do for my music video which will be beneficial for when it comes to creating a digipak for my own artist.

The artwork on the front cover of the digipak is minimalist and simplistic which the name of the band as the main image. This is a common convention of the band as their image is meant to be portrayed as simplistic. There isn't any need for any extra font or text, especially considering the album is self titled. This will draw the target audiences eyes to the name of the band, moreover the minimal writing allows the name and album title to be memorable.

The colour scheme of the digipak is minimal and there are no other colours than black and white. This is conventional for this band and genre as they aren't flamboyant as they differ from the 'mainstream' music, making their image purposely different. The back of the digipak is similar to the front but with different font, however it is still effective in the minimalist style. By having a simplistic colour scheme, the target audience is able to focus on the important information as there are no bold or obstructive images on the title.

The disk is dark grey/black with the title of the band printed across the top lightly. The lyric book is also black, with white font listing the credits on. The monochrome colour scheme of the entire digipak stands out as it differs from a lot from other chart topping albums as they follow the conventions of bold colours to catch their target audiences eye.