How did you use media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?
Saturday 12 March 2016
Friday 11 March 2016
Thursday 10 March 2016
Wednesday 9 March 2016
Tuesday 8 March 2016
Case Study - Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an american singer and in her music videos she reflects relatable anxieties that young girls have in order to appeal to them. Her target audience are girls from the ages of 14 - 18 and Perry is like an older sister/friend to them. She is someone that young girls can admire and want to be as she appears sexy, but not in a threatening way.
In 2008 she released "Hot N Cold" which brought her fame and helped her grow her audience. The song has lyrics that a lot of young girls and women can relate to about men. The song is about a wedding that has gone wrong. Instead of the bride being nervous and running away from the scene it is the man. Katy shows dominance over the groom and this spreads a message to young girls that they are just as strong as boys.
Katy Perry continued her success by being a role model for her target audience. In another one of her hits, 'Fireworks' she embedded a message that encourages people not to hide who they really are. It begins with ordinary people finding themselves in hard situations that they cannot overcome. As the song goes on each person learns to embrace themselves and fireworks come out from them. In the last sequence we see all different types of people with fireworks coming out from them. The lyrics that Katy Perry are inspirational to more than just her target audience as everyone can relate to hiding their qualities.
It shows her being more aware of what had just happened to her. The lyrics tell her story of how being married wasn't the best thing that had happened to her. "Falling from cloud nine, Crashing from the high...I picked up every piece, And landed on my feet, I'm wide awake" These lyrics show that she hasn't been herself through the marriage, but now that it's over she has seen clearly how she has changed. She also had some graphics in the video that referenced to her "Firework" video. This shows that she is a new person and she doesn't have to pretend to be someone else.
Thursday 3 March 2016
Constructing the Digipak
The album cover consisted of six different panels. Each panel needed some editing to make it look vibrant and eye catching. We used Photoshop in order to display our creative and image manipulation skills.
The bottom left panel of the digipak just tells the audience the different members of the band and their role. We included two blacked out figures and this was simply to connect with the purchasers of the album. It allows the audience to recognise which band members were used to grow a stronger bond between us and the audience. This panel includes plain colours compared to other panels and this is because we wanted to portray some seriousness. As well as being vibrant and energetic it makes us look serious about what we are doing and it implies that we are professional.
The next panel is the contents page of the album. It is useful as it allows the audience to see what songs are included in the album. Similar to the last panel this took little time to edit in Photoshop as it only required use to change the scale of the background and include some text.
The last panel on the bottom row is the front cover. This panel is the most important as it has to look good to attract the attention of consumers. This is the first panel that the audience will see so we chose to make the colours of 'A-Club' stand out.
The final panel of our digipak is the face of the CD. We chose to have the panel feature everyone pointing towards the centre to create some interaction with all the members and the audience. We also included a plain white t-shirt in the panel and this was to reference the band that originally created the song. The Photoshopping skills were similar to creating the playing cards and this took up a lot of time.
Thursday 25 February 2016
Creating the Magazine Advert
To produce the magazine advert we used Adobe Photoshop to edit a picture on ourselves onto our chosen background. This editing package made it easier for use to cut, crop and manipulate the images in order to produce our final magazine advert.
Firstly we went online and downloaded a background cover from Google images. We wanted to make a portrait poster so we had to change the rotation of the image and we did this by changing the scale. We used the 'content-aware scale' tool as it got rid of any unwanted space without changing the picture size.
In a different window we cut the image of ourselves and changed the opacity. This was because we decided to include a watermark of an image so that we didn't look plain in the actual advert.
Next we took the image that we had previously cut out and placed it on top of the background. Lastly, we imported the 'Spotify', 'itunes' and 'Google play' logos and lined them up at the top to make the advert look official.
After looking at other magazine adverts we decided to add our website at the top underneath the media outlets. We kept the consistency with the text and made sure that we put the bands name in big font as well as the day we were performing our new album. The name of the album appears underneath the band name.
Audience Reception Theory
Audience reception is the way we react. The theory describes the way we receive and respond to texts differently and is a way to characterise and group together different consumer interpretations.
Encoding is the meaning and ideology that produces put into texts for audiences to decode. Audiences are can choose whether to accept or reject the message that the producer has encoded when they see the text. Different audiences interpret the meanings differently and can sometimes get the wrong message from some texts. Stuart Hall created the encoding model and it shows how audiences can interpret different texts.
A preferred meaning of a text is what the author intended. A negotiated meaning is a mix between preferred and oppositional meaning. An oppositional meaning is when the viewer or reader has their own interpretation of the text.
An example of where three different interpretations can be used is in the "Deadpool" trailer. The trailer has a preferred meaning and the message that the author is trying to put across in the trailer is that Deadpool is a good character because he is helping to stop criminals and that he is a joker in the way that he does it. Other viewers may not get this interpretation from the trailer and they may think that he is a funny character, but he is a bad role model because he shots people to do good things. An oppositional meaning would be that he sets a bad example for people who are watching by using guns and that he looks silly in his red suit.
Tuesday 9 February 2016
Monday 8 February 2016
Sexism in Music Videos
Laura Mulvey's theory is that the cinematography used in film and music video denies women human identity. This is the male gaze and it suggests that women are objects to be admired for their physical appearance. The male gaze relegates women as they can only watch a film from a mans perspective. Often the female characters have no real importance and are only exist when in a relationship with the main male character. The presence of a woman in film is to make the male feel or act important.
If we look at some music videos we can see that they deny women's identity. Lilly Allen's "Hard Out Here" music videos represents the male gaze, but the lyrics of the song address the issue. Watching the video can be confusing because she talks about the common stereotypes that society has on women. She suggests that men can get away with anything but when a female says the same thing they are looked down upon. She doesn't try to mask any issue or hide them in her lyrics. Instead she lets everything go and puts it all in one song. However, if we look at the video we can see that everything she says is not relevant. This is because the video is ironic and it is meant to spread a message.
Another song that denies women's identity is "Booty" by Jennifer Lopez and Iggy Azalea. This video represents women as objects and focuses mostly on their faces. Unlike "Hard Out Here" the song is not giving a message about women's inequality and injustice, but it is supporting it. The choreography in the music video and the cinematography of the video work in correlation as the features of the women are highlighted throughout the whole music video. Even though the video relegates women it is understandable. The lyrics of the song match with the type of music video that it is. It talks about sexy women and their features. It encourages women to feel good about how they look and their appearance.
In conclusion, Laura Maulvey's theory still exists in modern day music videos. Although society knows that it happens people still choose not to opt-out of watching these videos and almost accept the sexism in pop videos. Sometimes the artists have to go with society because they want to give the audience what they want to see and if the artist is comfortable with the male gaze then they don't mind the producing the video.
Information on the Artist
The Plain White T's band were formed in 1997 in Lombard, San Francisco. The band originally started with three members with Tom Higgenson, Ken Fletcher and Dave Tirio. They gained some popularity and the fourth member, Steve Mast, was recruited to play the lead guitar and backing vocals.
In 2002 they released their first album called "Come on Over", but two of the members left. Steve Fletcger abd Steve Mast were replaced by Tim Lopez and Mike Retondo and in 2003 they recruited their fifth member De'Mar Hamilton. After they began gaining momentum they released an album in 2005 called "All That We Need". One of the songs on their album, "Hey There Delilah", became a huge hit and still remains as one of their best songs that they produced. Despite their history of performing in their home town, radio stations had their song on loop as it was such as success.
In 2002 they released their first album called "Come on Over", but two of the members left. Steve Fletcger abd Steve Mast were replaced by Tim Lopez and Mike Retondo and in 2003 they recruited their fifth member De'Mar Hamilton. After they began gaining momentum they released an album in 2005 called "All That We Need". One of the songs on their album, "Hey There Delilah", became a huge hit and still remains as one of their best songs that they produced. Despite their history of performing in their home town, radio stations had their song on loop as it was such as success.
Plain White T's have been creating music ever since and they are still recognized. The band have had a few appearances on national television. They made a guest star appearance on "iCarly" in 2007. One of their songs is also used as ABC's "Geek" theme song. The band are still growing their audience and keep them updated via social media such as Twitter.
Thursday 4 February 2016
Audience Feedback
To receive more feedback we decided to ask some students in our class what they thought about our video and we sent other people a link to a short survey. We created our survey on a free website called 'SurveyMonkey'. We included some simple questions about the video and how we could've improved the cinematography and editing.
All the people that answered the survey enjoyed watching the video, 66.67% of people liked the editing, but as for the others they said we could've improved this by putting in more shots from different locations.
We were recommended to use other transitions such as dip to black and jump cuts. With the last question regarding visuals people thought the we should have improved the contrast to make the video look vibrant and use more shots in different locations.
The feedback that we got from some of our classmates were mostly concerned with the editing. Some students didn't really like the parts of the video where the speed of the clip is increased. They said that we should've used different clips to fill in the gaps. Also some of the clips last too long. They said that to avoid this we should include more random shots of the band to make the video look more professional.
Thursday 28 January 2016
Finished Music Video
This is our finished music video. The only changes that we have made are the transitions. We all decided to take some transitions out as they were unnecessary and made the video look bad. We did plan to film some more footage, but after consideration we decided that there would be nowhere to put it.
Monday 25 January 2016
Thursday 21 January 2016
Case Study - Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson was an American Pop star that was globally known for his contributions in popular culture by dancing and singing. He began singing in a group called "Jackson 5" with his brothers and the purpose was to spread music. It was later on when he began to establish himself and start his solo career.
"Rock with You" was the first song he sang as an individual. The song was released in 1979 and it was all about him. There were many close up and shots of him dancing with his shiny costume. The video was almost a message to the world that he was doing his own thing and he was unique. In Michael Jackson's early days he was always more focused on the music and the way he sung. You can see that he is truly enjoying his music as he dances to the song.
After "Billie Jean" which was released in 1982 he became more focused on story telling. In this video it showed how he was bringing everything to life. It was the first interesting pop video around his time and he was breathing life into it. The following year he released another music video called "Beat It". This song was focused on the story and was the beginning of the alias white socks. The choreography in the video was very elaborate at the end of the video. Also a lot of Jackson's dancing was made up on the spot. He had a talent and he fan base was growing all over the world.
In 1983 he put out undoubtedly one of the most famous music videos of all time called "Thriller". This video cost around $500,000 to make and lasted as long as a mini-film. It had to be edited down because it was too long. Even when MTV aired the video it lasted just under five minutes with one minute of narrative. The long version was just too long and lasted a remarkable fourteen minutes. The video was so imaginative and creative that it won Best Performance Video, Best Choreography and Viewers Choice at the first MTV Music Awards in 1984. The tape became the best selling and was able to sell 9 million units. Tapes were in high demand and the video was released a few weeks before Christmas so the video were able to make a staggering amount of sales. There were also behind the scenes VHS' which included a little documentary of how the video was produced and had some exclusive behind the scenes footage.
"Rock with You" was the first song he sang as an individual. The song was released in 1979 and it was all about him. There were many close up and shots of him dancing with his shiny costume. The video was almost a message to the world that he was doing his own thing and he was unique. In Michael Jackson's early days he was always more focused on the music and the way he sung. You can see that he is truly enjoying his music as he dances to the song.
After "Billie Jean" which was released in 1982 he became more focused on story telling. In this video it showed how he was bringing everything to life. It was the first interesting pop video around his time and he was breathing life into it. The following year he released another music video called "Beat It". This song was focused on the story and was the beginning of the alias white socks. The choreography in the video was very elaborate at the end of the video. Also a lot of Jackson's dancing was made up on the spot. He had a talent and he fan base was growing all over the world.
In 1983 he put out undoubtedly one of the most famous music videos of all time called "Thriller". This video cost around $500,000 to make and lasted as long as a mini-film. It had to be edited down because it was too long. Even when MTV aired the video it lasted just under five minutes with one minute of narrative. The long version was just too long and lasted a remarkable fourteen minutes. The video was so imaginative and creative that it won Best Performance Video, Best Choreography and Viewers Choice at the first MTV Music Awards in 1984. The tape became the best selling and was able to sell 9 million units. Tapes were in high demand and the video was released a few weeks before Christmas so the video were able to make a staggering amount of sales. There were also behind the scenes VHS' which included a little documentary of how the video was produced and had some exclusive behind the scenes footage.
Tuesday 19 January 2016
Case Study - Emil Nava
Emil Nava is a British music video director who freelances for OB Management. He began his career as a runner for film production companies, but after graduating to Assistant Director he would manage the video shoots. Nava freelances for OB Management, which is an agency that matches clients with suitable directors. OB Management work as agents for people like Nava and their aim is to nurture talent, work withe production companies and record labels and to match the right director to the right artists.
After gaining recognition and signing for an academy he was given many opportunities to manage video shoots. One of his well known music videos is the song by Ed Sheeran called "You need me, I don't need you". The video had a budget of £35,000 which is quite low, but it was a success. It features a young man hand signing Ed Sheeran's lyrics in an empty drama studio. The audience are not really shown to Ed Sheeran as the production were not sure whether people would like his looks. However, after the video was put out people liked the way he looked and the video got a good reception.
Another well known music video that Nava has worked on is "Do it like a dude" by Jessie J. The video was so good that it was nominated for Best Pop video and Best Cinematography at the UK Music Video Awards in 2011. The budget for this video was even less than Ed Sheeran's video, only costing £25,000. We can see that Nava focuses more on the artist in this video to bring out the lyrics that Jessie J is singing. Unlike the Ed Sheeran video there is much more going on and there are different types of dance scenes happening.
After looking through some music videos directed by Emil Nava I have noticed that he likes to use close ups wherever possible. Nava has previously worked on adverts such as L'Oreal, but he says that it's not as enjoyable as directing music videos. Even though he receives a much higher budget, there is less room for creativity and imagination. This is because when the project is given to him the client has a specific message that they want to get across.
After gaining recognition and signing for an academy he was given many opportunities to manage video shoots. One of his well known music videos is the song by Ed Sheeran called "You need me, I don't need you". The video had a budget of £35,000 which is quite low, but it was a success. It features a young man hand signing Ed Sheeran's lyrics in an empty drama studio. The audience are not really shown to Ed Sheeran as the production were not sure whether people would like his looks. However, after the video was put out people liked the way he looked and the video got a good reception.
Another well known music video that Nava has worked on is "Do it like a dude" by Jessie J. The video was so good that it was nominated for Best Pop video and Best Cinematography at the UK Music Video Awards in 2011. The budget for this video was even less than Ed Sheeran's video, only costing £25,000. We can see that Nava focuses more on the artist in this video to bring out the lyrics that Jessie J is singing. Unlike the Ed Sheeran video there is much more going on and there are different types of dance scenes happening.
After looking through some music videos directed by Emil Nava I have noticed that he likes to use close ups wherever possible. Nava has previously worked on adverts such as L'Oreal, but he says that it's not as enjoyable as directing music videos. Even though he receives a much higher budget, there is less room for creativity and imagination. This is because when the project is given to him the client has a specific message that they want to get across.
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